The shutdown and your health

What the government shutdown means for the health of Americans [Click here to view this message in your web-browser](. Edition: US 22 January 2018 [[The Conversation]Academic rigor, journalistic flair]( Editor's note The federal government is still shut down today, as Congress continues to battle over a funding deal. [What could this mean for public health](? As Texas A&M’s Morten Wendelbo and Gerald Parker explain, many services remain open – but the government may struggle to respond quickly if any new crises arise. Joseph Fins takes us back to another time of crisis – the Watergate era. For 58 days – between the time that Spiro Agnew resigned from the vice presidency until Gerald Ford was sworn in – the Democratic Speaker of the House, Carl Albert, had a big decision to make: What would he do if given [the chance to seize the presidency for his party](? And chip manufacturers and hardware companies are scrambling to fix the latest computer vulnerabilities – in hardware, not software. Indiana University cybersecurity scholar Scott Shackelford explains the industry’s failure to protect manufacturing and distribution supply chains, and [offers a possible solution](. Aviva Rutkin Big Data + Applied Mathematics Editor Top stories The sun casts a shadow over the Capitol on Friday, Jan. 19. AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin [What the government shutdown means for the health of Americans]( Morten Wendelbo, Texas A&M University ; Gerald W. Parker, Texas A&M University No one will be turned away at the emergency room because of the shutdown. But it will take the government longer to respond to public health crises. Gerald Ford, left, and Carl Albert wave on Dec. 6, 1973, just after Ford was sworn in as vice president. AP Photo [Secret memo shows bipartisanship during Watergate succession crisis]( Joseph J. Fins, Cornell University What if impeaching the president meant the White House would switch parties? It was an ethical question Democrats faced in the 1970s. A call to better track manufacturing, shipping and distribution. Travel mania/Shutterstock.com [Guarding against the possible Spectre in every machine]( Scott Shackelford, Indiana University Flaws in manufacturing processes can cause chip flaws like Spectre and Meltdown – and blockchain technology may offer a solution. Economy + Business - [Will a federal government shutdown damage the US economy?]( Scott R. Baker, Northwestern University The 2013 shutdown offers some clues as to what the impact will be now after Republicans and Democrats failed to agree to a short-term spending deal. - [Trump goes to Davos: 4 books to read on first trip to gathering of global elites]( Christopher Michaelson, University of St. Thomas A business and humanities scholar advises the president to pack three novels and a children's story for his long transatlantic flight to Switzerland aboard Air Force One. Politics + Society - [Deportees in Mexico tell of disrupted lives, families and communities]( Tobin Hansen, University of Oregon An anthropologist went to Mexico and interviewed more than 50 people who were deported. It was like being sent to the moon, they told him. - [20 years since America's shock over Clinton-Lewinsky affair, public discussions on sexual harassment are changing]( Juliet Williams, University of California, Los Angeles While sexual harassment is still all too common, at least we’re having more open conversations about it, and victims are speaking up on their own terms. Science + Technology - [Fungi can help concrete heal its own cracks]( Congrui Jin, Binghamton University, State University of New York Adding a bit of fungus to the initial ingredient list might be one way to endow concrete with the ability to fill in any bits of damage that occur, without the need for human intervention. Health + Medicine - [When a mom feels depressed, her baby's cells might feel it too]( Benjamin W. Nelson, University of Oregon; Heidemarie Laurent, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; Nick Allen, University of Oregon At less than 2 years old, children of mothers with increasing depressive symptoms can show signs of added stress and quicker cellular aging. Education - [DeVos speech shows contempt for the agency she heads]( Mark Hlavacik, University of North Texas US Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos's anti-Washington rhetoric represents a radical departure from that of previous education secretaries. Environment + Energy - [Global toll from landslides is heaviest in developing countries]( A. Joshua West, University of Southern California – Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences While the Montecito, California mudslides took 20 lives, landslides kill far more people in developing countries. Tighter construction standards and early warning systems could help reduce their toll. Ethics + Religion - [Why so many Americans think Buddhism is just a philosophy]( Pamela Winfield, Elon University Only a few parts of Buddhism's much larger practice were transplanted into American soil in the late 19th century. Here's how Buddhism changed when it migrated. Trending on site - [New study reveals why some people are more creative than others]( Roger Beaty, Harvard University Creative people seem to possess a unique connection between three brain networks that typically work separately. - [What we can learn from closure of charter school that DeVos praised as 'shining example']( Claire Smrekar, Vanderbilt University Education Secretary Betsy DeVos once called Excel Academy Public Charter School a 'shining example.' A Vanderbilt scholar explains why that description was woefully off target. - [The 'greatest pandemic in history' was 100 years ago – but many of us still get the basic facts wrong]( Richard Gunderman, Indiana University Don't believe these 10 common myths about the 1918 Spanish flu. Today’s quote [American secular Buddhism has produced some unintended consequences.]( [Why so many Americans think Buddhism is just a philosophy]( Pamela Winfield Elon University [Pamela Winfield] [Follow us on Twitter.]( [Join us on Facebook.]( You’re receiving this newsletter from [The Conversation](. Not interested anymore? [Unsubscribe instantly](. We’ll miss you. 89 South Street - Suite 202 Boston, MA 02111