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Protests expressing solidarity with the Palestinian people and furor over Israel’s military campaign in the Gaza Strip haven’t let up.
One core demand of protesters at colleges and universities across the U.S. is for those schools to divest all assets with any ties to Israel in their endowments. Yesterday, Union Theological Seminary became the first to promise to do that. Public administration scholar Todd L. Ely explains why it’s unlikely that hundreds more schools will follow suit. Taking that step is far harder than it sounds, Ely writes. He also spells out why even disclosing which assets would have to be sold to sever financial ties with Israel could be difficult.
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Emily Schwartz Greco
Philanthropy + Nonprofits Editor
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A ‘divest from death’ banner at a University of Oregon protest against the Israel-Hamas war on April 29, 2024.
AP Photo/Jenny Kane
Todd L. Ely, University of Colorado Denver
Divestment from Israel may violate state laws – at least for public institutions. Private universities with large endowments may face other obstacles.
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Health + Medicine
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Kevin F. Boehnke, University of Michigan
Cannabis and psilocybin – used under supervision – have the potential to work better than current pain treatments, but the research into both has long been hindered by federal legislation.
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Politics + Society
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Sara Harmouch, American University
With both sides in Sudan’s civil war accused of recruiting Islamist militiamen, terrorist groups look set to capitalize on a power vacuum.
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David E. Clementson, University of Georgia; John E. Jones III, Dickinson College
A former judge and an expert on political communication dissect the most recent week of Donald Trump’s hush-money trial.
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Economy + Business
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Amy Lavin, Temple University; Sheri Lambert, Temple University
2 marketing experts explain how the former All-Pro center for the Philadelphia Eagles has built a powerful personal brand centered on being a gritty underdog with family values.
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Jared Bahir Browsh, University of Colorado Boulder
The US has a long history of sports betting scandals.
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Science + Technology
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Brett Volmert, Michigan State University; Aitor Aguirre, Michigan State University; Aleksandra Kostina, Michigan State University
Human heart organoids allow researchers to study the developing heart while avoiding the ethical issues of using human embryos and the imperfections of animal models.
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Carey K. Morewedge, Boston University
People are better able to see and correct biases in algorithms’ decisions than in their own decisions, even when algorithms are trained on their decisions.
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Zarin Machanda, Tufts University; Kris Sabbi, Harvard University
When resources are tight, mothers bear the costs of playing with their offspring even as they avoid socializing with others.
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Mansour Solaimanian, Penn State
Summer means road construction − but what kind of engineering goes into laying down pavement?
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Ethics + Religion
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Raymond G. De Vries, University of Michigan
Medical workers navigate their own moral and religious beliefs, professional standards, the law and the realities of clinical work – which can be especially complicated in abortion care.
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Environment + Energy
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Jason Lombard, Colorado State University
A veterinarian and epidemiologist who studies infectious diseases in dairy cows discusses the outbreak, how cows recover and what the government is doing to keep the milk supply safe.
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International
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Chih-Ling Liu, Lancaster University; Robert Kozinets, USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism
It’s never just a box of chocolates.
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The Conversation News Quiz 🧠
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Here’s the first question of this week’s edition:
The first crewed launch of Boeing's new reusable spacecraft was scrubbed again on May 6 because of issues with its booster rocket. What is Boeing's spacecraft named?
- A. 737 Spacemax
- B. Icarus
- C. Starliner
- D. Constellation
Test your knowledge
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