Edition: US - Today's top story: What works in workplace giving [Click here to view this message in your web-browser](.
Edition: US
28 October 2017
[[The Conversation]Academic rigor, journalistic flair](
Editor's note
Despite being commonplace, surprisingly little is known about [workplace giving]( campaigns. As the end-of-year fundraising season gets underway, employers that encourage this practice may want to heed the tips researchers Genevieve Shaker and Robert Christensen have to offer, especially since this philanthropic tradition is apparently waning.
The White House has declared the opioid crisis a national emergency â but we [should have done it years ago](, says Erin Winstanley, an associate professor of pharmacy at West Virginia University. She unpacks why there will be no quick or simple solution for the millions of Americans struggling with opioid addiction.
Emily Schwartz Greco
Philanthropy + Nonprofits Editor
Top stories
Federal workers based in and near Washington, D.C. raised a total of US$46,639,949.36 in 2015 through the Combined Federal Campaign of National Capital Area. USDA Photo by Shakeitha Stone
[What works in workplace giving](
Genevieve Shaker, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis; Robert Christensen, Brigham Young University
By some measures, Americans are giving less to charity through their jobs than they used to. But many companies say that increasing this kind of charity is a priority for them.
People without ID, like Steven Kemp, are sometimes turned away from the countryâs already threadbare system of drug treatment centers. Matt Rourke/AP Photo
[The opioid epidemic is finally a national emergency â eight years too late](
Erin Winstanley, West Virginia University
President Trump declared the opioid epidemic a national emergency. But we need to do a lot more to prevent this crisis from escalating even further.
Economy + Business
[The IRS targeting scandal was fake, but IRS budget woes are a real problem](
Philip Hackney, Louisiana State University
The tax agency singled out both conservative and liberal groups seeking tax-exempt status for extra scrutiny.
[How companies can learn to root out sexual harassment](
Katina Sawyer, Villanova University; Christian Thoroughgood, Villanova University
Human resources professionals should be trained at school and encouraged on the job to take employee complaints seriously. But that's not how the profession works now.
[Will the iPhone X be a hit beyond Apple diehards? 3 questions answered](
John Jordan, Pennsylvania State University
Apple's latest iPhone sold out within minutes of its launch, but questions still remain about whether that pace of demand will continue and, if so, whether the company's supply chain will be able to keep up.
[How the US tax code bypasses women entrepreneurs](
Caroline Bruckner, American University
Republicans rewriting the tax system have a rare opportunity to fix a major problem: most women-owned companies can't take advantage of key provisions designed to help small businesses like theirs.
Science + Technology
[Is it time for a Cyber Peace Corps?](
Scott Shackelford, Indiana University
The US could help solve a global security problem and boost its image abroad by helping willing experts share their cybersecurity knowledge around the country and the globe.
[Rebooting the mathematics behind gerrymandering](
Moon Duchin, Tufts University; Peter Levine, Tufts University
Gerrymandering is being hotly debated around the US. Can math help us figure out how to divide the country up fairly?
[Will the AI jobs revolution bring about human revolt, too?](
Kentaro Toyama, University of Michigan
As artificial intelligence technology becomes more capable, it threatens more types of jobs â like lawyers, bureaucrats and managers. What social upheaval will happen if those people can't find work?
[Cosmic alchemy: Colliding neutron stars show us how the universe creates gold](
Duncan Brown, Syracuse University; Edo Berger, Harvard University
Until the recent observation of merging neutron stars, how the heaviest elements come to be was a mystery. But their fingerprints are all over this cosmic collision.
Politics + Society
[In Central America, gangs like MS-13 are bad â but corrupt politicians may be worse](
Jose Miguel Cruz, Florida International University
Corruption, not gang warfare, is the root cause of the record violence in El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala. Until public officials stop shielding criminal groups like MS-13, lawlessness will reign.
[India outlawed commercial surrogacy â clinics are finding loopholes](
Sharmila Rudrappa, University of Texas at Austin
Surrogate mothers in developing countries are being shuffled across borders to evade a crackdown on the industry. This emerging gray market puts women at risk.
[Will anyone protect the Rohingya?](
Vincent A. Auger, Western Illinois University
Despite an international commitment to protect civilians from genocidal violence, the world's response to ethnic cleansing in Myanmar has been feeble. An expert explains the challenges.
[Catalonia crisis: Spain enters unchartered territory following Madrid move to end autonomy](
Georgina Blakeley, The Open University
Move by the senate in Madrid came just after the Catalan parliament voted for independence.
Health + Medicine
[How inherited fitness may affect breast cancer risk](
Henry J. Thompson, Colorado State University
Physical activity is considered an important way to lower risk for breast cancer. But what if your ability to be fit is influenced by genes you inherit? Would that raise your risk? In rats, it did.
[A new clue into treatments for triple negative breast cancer, a mean disease](
Nikita Wright, Georgia State University
Researchers have long been looking for clues into how to treat triple negative breast cancer. Could fighter blood cells that infiltrate the tumor provide insight?
[Breast cancer risk higher in western parts of time zones; is electric light to blame?](
Richard G. "Bugs" Stevens, University of Connecticut
Evidence for a link between breast cancer and artificial light appears to be growing. Do studies showing higher risk of breast cancer the farther west a woman lives in a time zone add to the science?
[How I discovered a wellspring of sexual harassment complaints](
Joan Cook, Yale University
Sexual harassment of women is detrimental not only because of setbacks it causes in the workplace. It also harms women's health. Here's how I discovered how widespread it is.
Ethics + Religion
[Martin Luther's spiritual practice was key to the success of the Reformation](
Marion Goldman, University of Oregon; Steve Pfaff, University of Washington
On the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation, two scholars explain how Luther's personal and spiritual life contributed to his success.
[Tricking and treating has a history](
Regina Hansen, Boston University
Everything you need to know about the history of Halloween.
Arts + Culture
[Is local news on the cusp of a renaissance?](
Damian Radcliffe, University of Oregon
A new study explores the state of an industry that's tapping creative revenue streams and incorporating new tools to engage with readers.
[The psychology of the clutch athlete](
Mark Otten, California State University, Northridge
What makes someone more likely to succeed when the lights shine brightest?
Environment + Energy
[For cattle farmers in the Brazilian Amazon, money can't buy happiness](
Rachael Garrett, Boston University; Joice Ferreira, Federal University of Pará
Brazil has been throwing money at Amazonian cattle farmers, hoping they'll adopt 'greener' crops like fruit or corn. A new study shows why loans won't fix the environmental issue presented by ranches.
[Don't blame California wildfires on a 'perfect storm' of weather events](
Gregory L Simon, University of Colorado Denver
The media and policymakers often say a 'perfect storm' of environmental factors cause wildfires but that ignores the role of irresponsible urban planning and development in raising fire risks.
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