Are you still sure there’s no need to worry?

Are you still sure there’s no need to worry?

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Anne Applebaum writes: “Don’t worry, the institutions will stop him.” Or: “Don’t worry, he hasn’t done any real damage yet, the institutions have stopped him.” How many times have you heard some version of this analysis since the election of President Trump? Sometimes, the speaker is an optimist, someone with faith in the U.S. Constitution. Sometimes, the speaker is a skeptic, someone who dislikes the alleged “hysteria” of those who think Trump’s corrupt habits, autocratic language and authoritarian behavior are…

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How the Trump era gave us Congress’s first Muslim woman

How the Trump era gave us Congress’s first Muslim woman

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Eugene Scott writes: Rashida Tlaib beat a crowded Democratic primary field on Tuesday in Michigan’s 13th District, putting her on a clear path to becoming the first Muslim woman elected to Congress. That is certainly groundbreaking, but it is not that surprising, given the current political climate. The Trump era gave us this moment. Tlaib is one of several Muslims seeking high-profile political offices, including Minnesota congressional candidate Ilhan Omar and Michigan’s Fayrouz Saad, who lost the crowded 11th District…

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More than 100 seats that backed Brexit now want to stay in EU

More than 100 seats that backed Brexit now want to stay in EU

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The Observer reports: More than 100 Westminster constituencies that voted to leave the EU have now switched their support to Remain, according to a stark new analysis seen by the Observer. In findings that could have a significant impact on the parliamentary battle of Brexit later this year, the study concludes that most seats in Britain now contain a majority of voters who want to stay in the EU. The analysis, one of the most comprehensive assessments of Brexit sentiment…

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Court orders Trump EPA to ban harmful pesticide

Court orders Trump EPA to ban harmful pesticide

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The Hill reports: A federal appeals court has ordered the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to ban the pesticide chlorpyrifos, which former Administrator Scott Pruitt refused to do last year. The decision is a major win for environmentalists and health advocates. The EPA’s own research, as recently as 2016, linked chlorpyrifos to developmental and neurological disorders, especially in children and infants. The Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit said the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, the federal law governing…

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Melania Trump’s parents become U.S. citizens, using so-called ‘chain migration’ Trump hates

Melania Trump’s parents become U.S. citizens, using so-called ‘chain migration’ Trump hates

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The New York Times reports: President Trump has repeatedly and vehemently denounced what he calls “chain migration,” in which adult American citizens can obtain residency for their relatives. On Thursday, his Slovenian in-laws, Viktor and Amalija Knavs, became United States citizens in a private ceremony in Manhattan by taking advantage of that very program. Asked if the Knavses had obtained citizenship through “chain migration,” their lawyer, Michael Wildes, said, “I suppose.” He said chain migration is a “dirtier” way of…

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Audiences love the anger: Alex Jones, or someone like him, will be back

Audiences love the anger: Alex Jones, or someone like him, will be back

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By Michael J. Socolow, University of Maine Confrontational characters spouting conspiracy theories and promoting fringe ideas have been with us since the invention of American broadcasting. First on radio, then on television, the American audience has consistently proven eager to consume the rants of angry and bitter men. Before Alex Jones and InfoWars, there was Glenn Beck. A decade ago, Beck was hawking his conspiracy theories on HLN and Fox News. Beck eventually left HLN and lost the Fox News…

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The lifesaving power of gratitude (or, why you should write that thank you note)

The lifesaving power of gratitude (or, why you should write that thank you note)

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An attitude of gratitude may relieve stress, which in turn may lead to better health. michaelhelm/Shutterstock.com By Richard Gunderman, Indiana University Gratitude may be more beneficial than we commonly suppose. One recent study asked subjects to write a note of thanks to someone and then estimate how surprised and happy the recipient would feel – an impact that they consistently underestimated. Another study assessed the health benefits of writing thank you notes. The researchers found that writing as few as…

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Thinking about emergence

Thinking about emergence

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Paul Humphreys writes: If you construct a Lego model of the University of London’s Senate House – the building that inspired the Ministry of Truth in George Orwell’s novel Nineteen Eighty-Four – the Lego blocks themselves remain unchanged. Take apart the structure, reassemble the blocks in the shape of the Great Pyramid of Giza or the Eiffel Tower, and the shape, weight and colour of the blocks stay the same. This approach, applied to the world at large, is known…

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We are witnessing the birth pains of a new and vile authoritarianism in Syria

We are witnessing the birth pains of a new and vile authoritarianism in Syria

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HA Hellyer writes: Domestic officials’ records in Syria are being updated and so many Syrians who have been worrying about missing loved ones are finally getting a bit of closure. But it is a bittersweet type of transparency – because the regime is declaring that many of those who were missing have actually been killed. As one Syria expert, Dr Thomas Pierret, put it, there has been “bulk delivery of death notifications to families of Syrian prisoners” by the Assad…

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How war has changed Syrian society

How war has changed Syrian society

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An essay penned collectively by Synaps’ Syria team says: Syria’s war has transformed the country in both shattering and subtle ways. While many evolutions are for the worse, others inspire cautious optimism: Syrians have shown relentless ingenuity in adapting to every stage of a horrendous conflict, salvaging remnants of dignity, solidarity and vitality amid nightmarish circumstances. They have generally done so on their own terms, grappling with changes ignored by virtually everyone who claims to help or represent them. These…

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Let’s call Islamophobia what it is – mainstream, anti-Muslim racism

Let’s call Islamophobia what it is – mainstream, anti-Muslim racism

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Zubaida Haque writes: Tommy Robinson, lately the cause célèbre of the so-called “alt-right”, isn’t the only person to rally a small band of fundamental libertarians, fruitcakes and closet racists behind him while the public looks on in despair. Who’s the other one? Step forward Boris Johnson. Who else? This week, even the Prime Minister was moved to call on the ex-foreign secretary to apologise for claiming Muslim women in burqas “look like letter boxes” and comparing them to “bank robbers.”…

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Rashida Tlaib, with primary win, is poised to become first Muslim woman in Congress

Rashida Tlaib, with primary win, is poised to become first Muslim woman in Congress

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The New York Times reports: By the time Rashida Tlaib was finished, not a dry eye remained in the room. “I want people across the country to know that you don’t need to sell out,” Ms. Tlaib said early Wednesday morning. “You don’t have to change who you are to run for office — and that is what this country is about.” Ms. Tlaib is poised to become the first Muslim woman ever elected to Congress, after she narrowly defeated…

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Pharma’s investment in boosting profits more than health

Pharma’s investment in boosting profits more than health

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Clayton Dalton writes: Just a few years ago, infection with the hepatitis C virus guaranteed a slow and certain death for many. Available treatments were effective in about half of all patients, and the side effects could be awful. Things changed in 2014, when a new medication called Harvoni was approved to treat the infection. With cure rates approaching 99 per cent and far fewer side effects, the medication became an instant blockbuster. Sales topped $13.8 billion in 2015. But…

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