Prison is often thought of as a place of punishment, not a place to earn a college degree.
Mneesha Gellman, a political scie... [Click here to view this message in your web-browser](.
Edition: US
22 November 2019
[The Conversation](
Academic rigor, journalistic flair
[Jamaal Abdul-Alim]
A note from...
Jamaal Abdul-Alim
Education Editor
Prison is often thought of as a place of punishment, not a place to earn a college degree.
Mneesha Gellman, a political science professor and founder of Emerson Prison Initiative in Massachusetts, explains how “College Behind Bars,” a documentary about a prison education program in New York state, [challenges people to change that view](.
Also today:
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Top story
Students in an advanced bachelor’s degree seminar in the Bard Prison Initiative at Eastern New York Correctional Facility. Skiff Mountain Filims
[Documentary provides rare look at higher education in prison](
Mneesha Gellman, Emerson College
A scholar who has taught in prison weighs in on 'College Behind Bars,' which airs Nov. 25 and 26 on PBS. The documentary prompts viewers to consider the importance of higher education in prison.
Health + Medicine
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[Brain activity predicts which mice will become compulsive drinkers](
Cody A. Siciliano, Vanderbilt University
One in six US adults binge drinks, consuming about seven drinks per binge. A new study can predict which mice are hardwired to binge drink. Is it possible to do the same for humans?
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[Americans bankrupted by health care costs: 4 questions answered](
Simon F. Haeder, Pennsylvania State University
Just how big a problem are medical bankruptcies? For someone going through one, it's devastating. And it happens far more often than you might think.
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[Vitamin E and vaping injuries: What’s safe in your diet is rarely safe in your lungs](
Cosby Stone, Vanderbilt University
A form of vitamin E could be behind recent vaping illnesses and death, as the vitamin was not meant to go into the lungs. Lax oversight of products and supplements only worsens the situation.
Science + Technology
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[Gluten-sensitive liberals? Investigating the stereotype suggests food fads unite us all](
Trey Malone, Michigan State University
Self-proclaimed gluten sensitivity is on the rise, and so is the stereotype that it goes along with being a politically correct progressive. But is gluten actually a good proxy for social values?
Politics + Society
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[A major democracy fights to maintain the rule of law – this time, it’s Israel](
David A. Frank, University of Oregon
When Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was indicted on corruption charges Wednesday, both the charges and Netanyahu's response to them were reminiscent of the situation President Trump is in.
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[On TV, political ads are regulated – but online, anything goes](
Ari Lightman, Carnegie Mellon University
This election season, the public is closely watching how social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter are handling political ads.
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[Broken trust: How Iraqis lost their faith in Washington, long before the Kurds did](
MieczysÅaw P. BoduszyÅski, Pomona College
Distrust of the US – even if misplaced – can linger for decades, thwarting Washington’s foreign policy goals. A former US diplomat in Iraq reflects on that country's skepticism of US aid efforts.
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[Cartel sieges leave Mexicans wondering if criminals run the country](
Angélica Durán-Martínez, University of Massachusetts Lowell
A series of brazen, highly visible attacks by Mexican drug cartels have killed at least 50 people in the past month, terrorizing citizens and making the government look weak on crime.
Education
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[Do lockdown drills do any good?](
Jaclyn Schildkraut, State University of New York Oswego
Being ready takes training and practice. But it might not require fake blood and simulated shootings.
From our International Editions
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[Titan: first global map uncovers secrets of a potentially habitable moon of Saturn](
David Rothery, The Open University
Saturn's largest moon has been fully mapped for the first time.
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[E-scooters, bikes and urban mobility: lessons from the streets of Paris](
Tiago Ratinho, IÉSEG School of Management
In major cities around the world, dockless scooters and bikes are everywhere, yet the companies themselves are often breathtakingly short-lived. Basic economic concepts give us clues why.
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[How Spain’s new left-wing coalition fits into Europe’s shifting political allegiances](
Lisa Zanotti, Diego Portales University; José Rama, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid
Spain's proposed coalition could succeed, even without a majority in parliament.
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From the article: [Gluten-sensitive liberals? Investigating the stereotype suggests food fads unite us all](
[Trey Malone] Trey Malone
Michigan State University
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