Venezuela’s most famous political prisoner

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 Maduro’s 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 Venezuela’s most famous political prisoner, Leopoldo López, from jail – and his star power brings new energy to the Venezuelan resistance. Given a chance to amend their state’s 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 “after they complete all terms of their sentence including parole or probation.” Depending on how pending legislation defines “all terms,” 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]( – 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 Venezuela’s 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 Florida’s 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. 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