Trump was dealt a winning hand on trade – his hardball negotiating tactics are squandering it [Click here to view this message in your web-browser](.
Edition: US
29 November 2018
[The Conversation](
Academic rigor, journalistic flair
[Support The Conversation. Our board will match your gift.](
Editor's note
Trade will top the agenda when President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping meet Saturday on the sidelines of the G-20 summit in Buenos Aires. Trump hopes to come away with a win from his escalating trade war against China – though a temporary truce appears more likely. Could Trump’s hard-line negotiating tactics be paying off? Economist James Lake explains why the U.S. doesn’t need Trump’s punishing tariffs and humiliating tweets – the president [already had a winning hand](.
It’s become routine to learn about breaches of private data and scam attempts from cybercriminals – and equally routine not to know how to protect yourself. Cybersecurity scholars Karen Renaud and Merrill Warkentin from Mississippi State University explain how New York City has [taken an important step]( toward protecting its residents, a model that could work across the country.
And Paul Manafort faces an uncertain fate after allegedly breaching the terms of his plea deal with special counsel Robert Mueller. Trump told the media yesterday that a presidential pardon was “not off the table” for his former campaign manager. Political scientist Austin Sarat of Amherst College offers a brief history of how presidents have used [the power of the pardon to their advantage](.
Bryan Keogh
Economics + Business Editor
Top stories
Trump had a full hand, but he may have squandered it. Happy Author/shutterstock.com
[Trump was dealt a winning hand on trade – his hardball negotiating tactics are squandering it](
James Lake, Southern Methodist University
Boasting the world's biggest and strongest economy, the U.S. has enormous leverage when it sits down with a partner to negotiate a trade deal. Threats and tariffs are not really helping.
The public needs help from officials who can protect and serve. kirill_makarov/Shutterstock.com
[Swamped by cyberthreats, citizens need government protection](
Karen Renaud, Abertay University; Merrill Warkentin, Mississippi State University
Governments can help citizens protect their own cybersecurity by providing practical advice and meaningful support.
Donald Trump and Paul Manafort in 2016. Mark Reinstein/MediaPunch /IPX
[Will Trump pardon Manafort?](
Austin Sarat, Amherst College
Presidents past have used a nearly limitless power of pardon to halt criminal prosecutions before. What's to stop Trump?
Science + Technology
-
[How a scientist says he made a gene-edited baby – and what health worries may ensue](
George Seidel, Colorado State University
Chinese researcher He Jiankui told a spellbound audience how he created gene-edited babies. With a couple of revealing slides, we can see what he did and speculate what health problems might ensue.
-
[The surprising way plastics could actually help fight climate change](
Joseph Rollin, National Renewable Energy Laboratory; Jenna E. Gallegos, Colorado State University
One big problem with plastics is that they're largely made of petroleum. Sourcing bio-polymers from plants and bacteria has some big benefits – and the technology is starting to take off.
Politics + Society
-
[America’s dark history of organized anti-Semitism re-emerges in today’s far-right groups](
Bradley W. Hart, California State University, Fresno
American anti-Semitism took an organized form in the 20th century. The German American Bund and the Silver Legion developed a unique culture of hatred for Jews that persists today in alt-right groups.
Could we remind you about what makes The Conversation so special?
We're a nonprofit news organization where all the authors are scholars. Our editors work with them to effectively explain what they know to you, our readers. They cover the important issues of the day, the latest scientific research and the insights of the humanities. We provide these articles at no cost on our website and to hundreds of other publishers.
[Please support this vital work](
Environment + Energy
-
[Climate change is making soils saltier, forcing many farmers to find new livelihoods](
Joyce J. Chen, The Ohio State University; Valerie Mueller, Arizona State University
Rising seas and groundwater depletion, both driven by climate change, are making soils saltier in many parts of the world. Farmers will need help adapting, especially in developing countries.
Education
-
[Betsy DeVos has little to show after 2 years in office](
Dustin Hornbeck, Miami University
Although many feared that Education Secretary Betsy DeVos would destroy public education, a review of the past two years shows that much of her policy agenda has failed.
Health + Medicine
-
[Most caregivers of people with dementia are family members, and they need help](
Alan Stevens, Texas A&M University ; Carole White, University of Texas at Austin; Marcia G. Ory, Texas A&M University ; Sandhya Sanghi, Texas A&M University
November is National Family Caregivers Month; did they get your attention? If not, you are not alone. Family caregivers are overlooked by the health care system, and they are burning out. Here's why.
Most read on site
-
[Caught on camera: The fossa, Madagascar’s elusive top predator](
Asia Murphy, Pennsylvania State University
The fossa, Madagascar's largest predator, is a cat-like carnivore that eats everything from insects to lemurs. Because they are rare and elusive, scientists know very little about them, including how many there are.
-
[1 in 5 college students have anxiety or depression. Here’s why](
David Rosenberg, Wayne State University
On the heels of a new report that shows depression and anxiety are the top reasons college students seek counseling, a psychiatry professor lists a variety of factors behind the trend.
-
[How local journalism can upend the ‘fake news’ narrative](
Damian Radcliffe, University of Oregon
A recent survey found that Americans trust local media outlets far more than national ones.
Today’s quote
[Unlike demolition, deconstruction is a sustainable approach to systematically disassembling buildings, which can result in up to 95 percent material reuse and recycling.](
[Domicology: A new way to fight blight before buildings are even constructed](
Rex LaMore
Michigan State University
[Rex LaMore]
George H. Berghorn
Michigan State University
[George H. Berghorn]
M.G. Matt Syal
Michigan State University
[M.G. Matt Syal]
[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