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Edition: US
2 March 2020
[The Conversation](
Academic rigor, journalistic flair
[Catesby Holmes]
A note from...
Catesby Holmes
Religion Editor | International Editor
As the coronavirus known as COVID-19 spreads worldwide and in the U.S., fears of a global pandemic are running high. But in China, where the outbreak began, it took just one death to unleash the grief and fury of a nation: that of 34-year-old Dr. Li Wenliang, who first sounded alarms about coronavirus in Hubei Province back in December. After Li died from the virus in February, people from across China openly criticized the government’s mishandling of the crisis on social media, evading censors. China’s bravest investigative journalists joined the outcry, writing about scarce medical supplies, government disinformation and corruption during this health emergency.
The government quickly burst this bubble of free speech. But Yuqi Na, who studies online communication in China, sees the public anger at [coronavirus as an unprecedented show of power and unity]( by the Chinese people.
Also today:
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- [Envisioning the next 75 years of scientific breakthroughs](
Top story
A train attendant in Nanchang, China, gestures in solidarity with medical staff departing for the city of Wuhan, Feb. 13, 2020. STR/AFP via Getty Images
[Coronavirus unites a divided China in fear, grief and anger at government](
Yuqi Na, Fordham University
Public criticism of the Chinese government's handling of coronavirus shows that the Chinese people can overcome both strict censorship and a gaping class divide when they get angry enough.
Science + Technology
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[US successfully planned for the ‘endless frontier’ of science research in 1945 – now it’s time to plan the next 75 years](
Marc Zimmer, Connecticut College
A symposium celebrated a roadmap for the American scientific enterprise laid out 75 years ago. What should be included in a US research plan that would last through the rest of this century?
Economy + Business
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[Coronavirus: A simple way to keep workers – and the economy – from getting sick](
Jay L. Zagorsky, Boston University
Unemployment insurance could soften the blow if the COVID-19 outbreak takes hold in the US. But the system currently isn't designed to help workers in a pandemic.
Politics + Society
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[Trump treats the military as his own – and the troops could suffer](
Dwight Stirling, University of Southern California
If President Donald Trump were to start a conflict, many Americans would likely view as it a misguided effort. What would that mean for the troops?
Arts + Culture
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[Why do Americans say ‘bay-zle’ and the English say ‘baa-zle’?](
Christine Mallinson, University of Maryland, Baltimore County
Accents differ depending on where we're from, even in the same country.
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[A brief history of invisibility on screen](
Marc Longenecker, Wesleyan University
Invisibility has been used to indulge fantasies of good and evil, level social critiques or warn of the dangers of power in the wrong hands.
Ethics + Religion
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[Emotional support animals can endanger the public and make life harder for people like me who rely on service dogs](
Deni Elliott, University of South Florida
Trained service dogs are fundamentally different from emotional support animals – and certification could make sure the public understands the difference.
Environment + Energy
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[It’s OK to feed wild birds – here are some tips for doing it the right way](
Julian Avery, Pennsylvania State University
Millions of Americans feed wild birds, especially in winter and spring. Studies show that this can influence birds' health and behavior in surprising ways.
Education
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[Tutoring kids who don’t need it is a booming business in affluent areas where parents want to stack the deck](
Pawan Dhingra, Amherst College
A scholar of intensive after-school 'hyper education' says it's becoming a more common extracurricular activity for children of all ages.
Most read on site
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[4 ways to protect yourself from disinformation](
Elizabeth Stoycheff, Wayne State University
As the 2020 elections near and disinformation campaigns ramp up, an expert on media literacy offers advice you can use to develop habits to exert more conscious control over your news intake.
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[Customers hate tipping before they’re served – and asking makes them less likely to return](
Nathan B. Warren, University of Oregon; Sara Hanson, University of Richmond
How do you feel when your barista asks you for a tip before she makes your cappuccino?
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[You (and most of the millions of holiday travelers you encounter) are washing your hands wrong](
Michelle Sconce Massaquoi, University of Oregon
With holiday travel in full swing and people packed together in small spaces, it's important to try to stop the spread of germs. But can we really get our hands clean with a few seconds of cold water?
Today’s quote
[“African Americans in South Carolina have been fighting and winning legal and political battles for voting rights and electoral power since Reconstruction and as Democrats since the 1940s.”](
[How one man fought South Carolina Democrats to end whites-only primaries – and why that matters now](
Bobby J. Donaldson
University of South Carolina
[Bobby J. Donaldson]
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