As Portland goes, so goes the nation?

+ what COVID-19 means for people with disabilities as the ADA turns 30 US Edition - Today's top story: 4 lawsuits that challenge Trump's federal agents in Portland test issues other cities will likely face [View in browser]( US Edition | 27 July 2020 [The Conversation]( Academic rigor, journalistic flair President Donald Trump recently ordered federal agents dressed in riot gear and armed with guns, tear gas, flash grenades, pepper balls and batons to Portland, Oregon, ostensibly to protect federal property from protesters who have waged almost two months of demonstrations for racial justice. Both the agents’ presence and their violent tactics have sparked four significant lawsuits by state officials and by protesters claiming their constitutional rights have been violated, explains University of Oregon Law School scholar Sarah Adams-Schoen. Those lawsuits [provide a preview of the issues cities across the country will grapple with]( if Trump, as promised, sends armed federal agents to other communities as well, she writes. Also today: - [Urban planning and white supremacy]( - [A peak inside the evangelical Creation Museum]( - [Video: The cost of slowing deforestation]( Naomi Schalit Senior Editor, Politics + Society Federal officers using large amounts of tear gas against protesters in Portland, Oregon on July 21. John Rudoff/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images [4 lawsuits that challenge Trump’s federal agents in Portland test issues other cities will likely face]( Sarah J. Adams-Schoen, University of Oregon The lawsuits filed in Portland sparked by the presence of federal law enforcement agents sent there by President Trump are a preview of the legal battles to come in cities across the US. Politics + Society - [Urban planning as a tool of white supremacy – the other lesson from Minneapolis]( Julian Agyeman, Tufts University Despite its progressive image, Minneapolis is one of the most segregated cities in the United States. That is by design not accident, argues an urban planning scholar. Health + Medicine - [The Americans with Disabilities Act at 30: A cause for celebration during COVID-19?]( Joseph J. Fins, Cornell University; Samuel Bagenstos, University of Michigan Congress needs to make sure the HEROES Act includes adequate funding for people with disabilities. Ethics + Religion - [At the evangelical Creation Museum, dinosaurs lived alongside humans and the world is 6,000 years old]( William Trollinger, University of Dayton; Susan L Trollinger, University of Dayton A Kentucky museum tells the history of the universe according to the Bible in an effort to debunk evolution. Its owner, the Christian group Answers in Genesis, promotes right-wing political causes. - [What are the origins of cathedrals and chapels?]( Samuel L. Boyd, University of Colorado Boulder Millions step into cathedrals and chapels on a regular basis. The history of these places of worship offers important insights into Christianity. Science + Technology - [The mystery of the missing portrait of Robert Hooke, 17th-century scientist extraordinaire]( Larry Griffing, Texas A&M University Online sleuthing and deductive reasoning identifies what appears to be the only existent portrait painted of the celebrated scientist during his lifetime. - [The road to electric vehicles with lower sticker prices than gas cars – battery costs explained]( Venkat Viswanathan, Carnegie Mellon University; Alexander Bills, Carnegie Mellon University; Shashank Sripad, Carnegie Mellon University EVs will have lower sticker prices than gas vehicles when batteries are cheaper. Getting there comes down to knowing where to cut costs. - [Video: Slowing deforestation is the key to preventing the next pandemic – but what does that cost?]( Les Kaufman, Boston University A new study estimates that $22 billion to $30 billion dollars per year needs to be spent to maintain forests and reduce the likelihood of a pathogen jumping from wildlife to humans. Most read on site - [How other countries reopened schools during the pandemic – and what the US can learn from them]( Bob Spires, University of Richmond Nearly every country in the world shuttered its schools due to COVID-19. Now, from Israel to Uruguay, many students are back in class, with varying degrees of success. - [Love avocados? Thank the toxodon]( Jeffrey Miller, Colorado State University If it weren't for historical and biological happenstance, few would be eating avocados today. - [Group testing for coronavirus – called pooled testing – could be the fastest and cheapest way to increase screening nationwide]( Darius Lakdawalla, University of Southern California; Erin Trish, University of Southern California Screening multiple samples with a single test gets more people diagnosed using fewer supplies. Two health policy researchers explain how it works and how it could help the US. You’re receiving this newsletter from [The Conversation](. Not interested anymore? [Unsubscribe](. 89 South Street - Suite 202 Boston, MA 02111