The uncertainty after Putin’s certain re-election

Fearless leader or lame duck? Putin's certain triumph heralds fresh uncertainty [Click here to view this message in your web-browser](. Edition: US 15 March 2018 [[The Conversation]Academic rigor, journalistic flair]( Editor's note Russians already know who will win this weekend’s presidential election: current President Vladimir Putin. It’s after the balloting that the guessing game starts. Holy Cross Russia scholar Cynthia Hooper writes that Putin’s victory will be a fragile triumph. Almost as soon as he is elected to what should, under the constitution, be his final term, Russians will start wondering: [Will Putin be content to be a lame duck](, or will he undermine democracy to suit his ambition? Of course the late [Stephen Hawking was a preeminent researcher](, looked up to by many for his amazing scientific insights. But University of Montana’s Martin Blair points out that Hawking was a role model for something totally different: [how he used assistive technologies]( to communicate and interact with the world helped normalize them for others. The topic of trade has been in the news a lot since President Trump imposed steep tariffs on imported aluminum and steel. But what exactly is a tariff and what does it do? Rochester Institute of Technology economist Amitrajeet Batabyal [explains everything you need to know about tariffs](. Naomi Schalit Senior Editor, Politics + Society Top stories Russian President Vladimir Putin at a massive rally in his support n Moscow, March 3, 2018. AP/Pavel Golovkin [Fearless leader or lame duck? Putin's certain triumph heralds fresh uncertainty]( Cynthia Hooper, College of the Holy Cross The result of Russia's upcoming election is already known: President Vladimir Putin will be re-elected. Will he be content to be a lame duck, or will he undermine democracy to suit his ambition? A computer-generated voice was essential to Hawking’s participation in the world around him. AP Photo/John Raoux [Stephen Hawking as accidental ambassador for assistive technologies]( Martin E. Blair, The University of Montana You can probably hear Hawking's famously computer-generated voice in your head. His example showed tech as a tool that enables people with disabilities to fully participate in and contribute to the world. Foreign goods wait to be unloaded at the Port of Los Angeles. AP Photo/Nick Ut [What is a tariff? An economist explains]( Amitrajeet A. Batabyal, Rochester Institute of Technology President Trump recently imposed steep tariffs on foreign steel and aluminum. An economist explains what they are, how they work and why they matter. 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Brown, Stellenbosch University Hollywood will allow the world of the Black Panther to be black, only if it doesn't hurt white people's feelings. - [Russian spy attack: how likely is a British cyber offensive against Putin's regime?]( Siraj Ahmed Shaikh, Coventry University Theresa May says Britain could unleash 'extensive measures' against Russia following the nerve agent poisoning of ex-spy Sergei Skripal. - [People with depression use language differently – here's how to spot it]( Mohammed Al-Mosaiwi, University of Reading New research shows that people with depression use words such as 'always', 'nothing' or 'completely' more often than others. Today’s quote [Research says the best chance of reducing violence... rests in rejecting punitive school discipline and replacing it with supportive systems.]( [Zero tolerance discipline policies won't fix school shootings]( Derek W. Black University of South Carolina [Derek W. Black] [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