Edition: US - Today's top story: Who is Leopoldo López, the newly freed opposition leader behind Venezuela's uprising? [Click here to view this message in your web-browser](.
Edition: US
1 May 2019
[The Conversation](
Academic rigor, journalistic flair
Editor's note
Venezuela may be on the verge of coup today as citizens, opposition leaders and rebel soldiers march on the capital to demand President Nicolás Maduroâs resignation. Opposition leader Juan Guaidó has been trying to oust the authoritarian Maduro since January, but [this protest is different](, writes professor Marco Aponte-Moreno. Guaidó has freed Venezuelaâs most famous political prisoner, Leopoldo López, from jail â and his star power brings new energy to the Venezuelan resistance.
Given a chance to amend their stateâs constitution, Florida voters approved a measure that seemed to automatically restore voting rights to 1.4 million citizens with felony convictions. But there could be a hitch. The ballot initiative said this would happen âafter they complete all terms of their sentence including parole or probation.â Depending on how pending legislation defines âall terms,â the [number of people getting relief]( could be much lower, explains Victoria Shineman, a political scientist at the University of Pittsburgh.
Why do people abuse animals? Laura Reese, a political scientist at Michigan State University, wanted to understand these heinous crimes better. So she analyzed hundreds of animal cruelty reports submitted to the Detroit Police Department. [Her new study sheds some light on what drives people to abuse animals]( â and why one person might abuse a pet in a very different way from another.
Catesby Holmes
Global Affairs Editor
Top stories
Venezuelan opposition leader Leopoldo López has been freed by his captors from house arrest and is backing a coup attempt against the Maduro government. AFP/YouTube
[Who is Leopoldo López, the newly freed opposition leader behind Venezuelaâs uprising?](
Marco Aponte-Moreno, St Mary's College of California
Venezuela is on the cusp of a coup, and a familiar face has emerged from house arrest to lead the charge against President Nicolás Maduro.
Florida enfranchisement leader Desmond Meade registered to vote in January 2019. AP Photo/John Raoux
[Why Floridaâs new voting rights amendment may not be as sweeping as it looks](
Victoria Shineman, University of Pittsburgh
Legislation requiring that all criminal debt associated with a citizen's conviction be repaid would leave thousands of people unable to cast ballots.
Breaking down the numbers on animal neglect. Sergio Foto/shutterstock.com
[Why abusive husbands kick dogs but angry neighbors poison them](
Laura A. Reese, Michigan State University
Examining 302 police reports in Detroit, a new study shows that animal cruelty is tightly connected to human relationships.
Health + Medicine
-
[Why some doctors are prescribing a day in the park or a walk on the beach for good health](
Jay Maddock, Texas A&M University
Studies that look at the effect of nature on patients recovering from surgery have shown that it can enhance recovery. Now, some doctors are beginning to prescribe doses of nature to prevent illness.
-
[The counties where the anti-vaccine movement thrives in the US](
Peter J Hotez, Baylor College of Medicine
In 18 states, parents can choose to exempt their children from vaccines for nonmedical 'philosophical' or 'personal belief' reasons.
Economy + Business
-
[Our smartphone addiction is killing us â can apps that limit screen time offer a lifeline?](
Ashley Whillans, Harvard Business School
Software makers including Apple have been creating apps aimed at limiting how much time we spend using our smartphones. A behavioral scientist explains how â and whether â they work.
Politics + Society
-
[Spanish voters rebuff radical right â for now](
Monica Clua Losada, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
The Socialist Party handily won Spain's April 28 election, thanks to very high turnout among leftists who feared a return to ultra-right government. Spain had a rightist military regime until 1975.
-
[Prescription for journalists from journalists: Less time studying Twitter, more time studying math](
John P. Wihbey, Northeastern University
The president's blame-the-press rhetoric is, to the news media, calculated to score political points. But are there real problems US journalists need to address in their work? Yes, says one scholar.
Arts + Culture
-
[A âcoup des gensâ is underway â and weâre increasingly living under the regime of the algorithm](
Simon Gottschalk, University of Nevada, Las Vegas
How did we become so submissive to a condition of constant surveillance that â except in spy movies or paranoid delusions â would have been considered preposterous a few decades ago?
Ethics + Religion
-
[From Paris to Boston, the crucial role of fire chaplains](
Wendy Cadge, Brandeis University; Michael Skaggs, Brandeis University
A chaplain of the Paris Fire Brigade helped save several items during the fire at Notre Dame Cathedral. Rarely seen, fire chaplains often take enormous risks to provide support during disasters.
Science + Technology
-
[US, Russia, China race to develop hypersonic weapons](
Iain Boyd, University of Michigan
Missiles that fly 3,000 mph or faster â much faster than the speed of sound â are the next generation of high-technology weapons.
-
[Brain over body: Hacking the stress system to let your psychology influence your physiology](
Vaibhav Diwadkar, Wayne State University; Otto Muzik, Wayne State University
Can the brainâs conscious mechanisms exert a significant influence on the bodyâs autonomic functions? New research suggests yes â with possible implications for mental health.
Most read on site
-
[How your employer uses perks like wellness programs, phones and free food to control your life](
Elizabeth C. Tippett, University of Oregon
From Ford to Facebook, companies have long used benefits to mold employee behavior â even incentivizing the 'right' kind of lifestyle.
-
[The US white majority will soon disappear forever](
Dudley Poston, Texas A&M University ; Rogelio Sáenz, The University of Texas at San Antonio
By 2050, the US will be a 'majority-minority' country, with white non-Hispanics making up less than half of the total population.
-
[Uberâs $9 billion IPO rests on driversâ 80-plus hour workweeks and a lot of waiting](
Michelle Rodino-Colocino, Pennsylvania State University
One of Uber's selling points is that a driver is always available to pick up a rider within minutes. But the drivers who make this possible aren't being compensated for the time they spend waiting.
[Follow us on Twitter.]( [Join us on Facebook.](
Youâre receiving this newsletter from [The Conversation](.
Not interested anymore? [Unsubscribe instantly](. Weâll miss you.
89 South Street - Suite 202
Boston, MA 02111