The politics of the World Cup

Edition: US - Today's top story: One likely winner of the World Cup? Putin [Click here to view this message in your web-browser](. Edition: US 16 June 2018 [[The Conversation]Academic rigor, journalistic flair]( Editor's note Over the next month, billions of soccer fans will watch their national teams compete in the FIFA World Cup. Even those who don’t follow “the beautiful game” likely know that the mega-tournament is taking place in Russia. And that one key fact, Peter Rutland of Wesleyan argues, is why this year’s [World Cup is a huge win for Russian leader Vladimir Putin](. Nobody will be too surprised if Germany wins the World Cup trophy. What is surprising is that the German squad includes just one player from former East Germany. Per Urlaub of Middlebury College asks [why regional disparities persist]( even 30 years after German reunification. On Thursday, the New York state attorney general announced that she is suing the president and his three oldest children over the Donald J. Trump Foundation’s allegedly illegal and not-so-charitable activities. As the University of Michigan’s Megan Tompkins-Stange explains, this lawsuit could usher in additional [probes and punishment for the Trump family]( – starting with the Federal Elections Commission and the IRS. Nick Lehr Arts + Culture Editor Top stories Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev watch the action during the match between Russia and Saudi Arabia that opened the 2018 World Cup. Alexei Druzhinin, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP [One likely winner of the World Cup? Putin]( Peter Rutland, Wesleyan University The Russian leader seems to understand the ability of sport to foment feelings of national pride and enhance his popularity at home. Toni Kroos is the only East German on the German national soccer team. AP Photo/Martin Meissner [On Germany's national soccer stage, why have East Germans gone missing?]( Per Urlaub, Middlebury College Made up almost entirely of West Germans, the roster of Germany's national soccer team reflects divisions that remain almost 30 years after the fall of the Berlin Wall. Eric, Don Jr., Ivanka and Donald Trump. AP Photo/Evan Vucci [Why New York state is suing the Trumps: 5 questions answered]( Megan Tompkins-Stange, University of Michigan The Donald J. Trump Foundation allegedly violated charitable norms and laws. Politics + Society [Memo to President Trump: Better ties between North and South Korea should come first – then get rid of nukes]( Lynn T. White III, Princeton University North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's risky unreliability will diminish as his country builds ties with South Korea. So Korean unification may be a better focus for Tuesday's summit than denuclearization. [Why domestic abuse and anti-gay violence qualify as persecution in asylum law]( Sabi Ardalan, Harvard University International law recognizes that women and LGBTQ people face unique forms of violence that may qualify them for asylum. The US now asserts that domestic abuse is a 'private' matter. Health + Medicine [Mind molding psychedelic drugs could treat depression, and other mental illnesses]( David E. Olson, University of California, Davis Psychedelic drugs have inspired great songs and works of art. But they may also have potential for treating disease like depression and PTSD by helping to regrow damaged regions of the brain. [Stress is bad for your body, but how? Studying piglets may shed light]( Adam Moeser, Michigan State University Stress makes people tired and irritable, but its dangers to the body do not stop there. Chemicals that were meant to work under an immediate threat harm organs in the body and can elevate blood pressure. Ethics + Religion [How to choose a World Cup team when the US isn't contending]( Francisco Javier López Frías, Pennsylvania State University Sports fans are of two types: purists and partisans. The attitudes of both can affect the game. An expert explains which one you are and what that means. [How Native American food is tied to important sacred stories]( Rosalyn R. LaPier, The University of Montana Indigenous people from around the world revere certain traditional foods as sacred. Activists, scholars and chefs are revitalizing these food systems. Economy + Business [A Father's Day reminder from science: Your kids aren't really growing up quickly]( Keith Payne, University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill Time often seems to fly by when you're a parent. A social psychologist explains why it actually – and fortunately – does not. [Iran's mild response to unprecedented truckers' strike could be due to Trump's influence]( Nader Habibi, Brandeis University The Iranian government reacted to a nationwide truck drivers' strike with unprecedented restraint, apparently fearful a crackdown might provoke a Trump intervention. Environment + Energy [Climate change will make rice less nutritious, putting millions of the world's poor at risk]( Kristie Ebi, University of Washington As atmospheric carbon dioxide levels rise, rice plants produce fewer vitamins and other key nutrients. This could worsen hunger, malnutrition, child stunting and other diet-related health problems. [Short-term changes in Antarctica's ice shelves are key to predicting their long-term fate]( Helen Amanda Fricker, University of California San Diego; Fernando Paolo, California Institute of Technology; Matthew Siegfried, Stanford University; Susheel Adusumilli, University of California San Diego Last summer one of Antarctica's floating ice shelves calved an iceberg the size of Delaware – but scientists say other less dramatic changes reveal more about how and why Antarctica is changing. Science + Technology [Living with neighborhood violence may shape teens' brains]( Darby Saxbe, University of Southern California – Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences Experiencing and witnessing violence in their communities can lead to emotional, social and cognitive problems for kids. A new study shows it affects how their developing brains grow, as well. [Religion is uniquely human, but computer simulations may help us understand religious behavior]( Wesley Wildman, Boston University Can artificial intelligence accurately simulate people's religious tendencies in the face of disaster and tragedy? [How can a baby have 3 parents?]( Jennifer Barfield, Colorado State University The concept of three-parent babies defies what we learned in health class. But how and when is the third parent involved? At what stage? Jennifer Barfield gives us an update on the birds and the bees. [When does hungry become hangry?]( Jennifer MacCormack, University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill Missing a meal can certainly push you toward a bad mood. But new research identifies in what kind of situations hunger is most likely to tip toward hanger. Education [Some want to get rid of college majors – here's how that could go wrong]( Matthew J. Mayhew, The Ohio State University Though some have suggested that college majors should be scrapped, a higher education scholar warns that getting rid of college majors may create more problems than it solves. [School safety commission misses the mark by ignoring guns]( F. Chris Curran, University of Maryland, Baltimore County After Education Secretary Betsy DeVos said a school safety commission won't focus on guns, a school safety scholar says the commission may miss an important part of the discussion. [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