Why Senate Republicans can't object away Biden's win

+ how well Georgia voting went, nausea from exercise US Edition - Today's top story: Why Trump's Senate supporters can't overturn Electoral College results they don't like – here's how the law actually works [View in browser]( US Edition | 6 January 2021 [The Conversation]( Academic rigor, journalistic flair Today, Congress will gather in a joint session to tally and certify the votes of the Electoral College, which Joe Biden officially won last month with 306 votes to Donald Trump’s 232. As president of the Senate, Vice President Mike Pence is slated to announce Biden as the next president of the United States. But in his desperate and undemocratic efforts to remain in power, Trump has pressured Pence and Republican senators to somehow disqualify dozens of Biden’s electoral votes. Can they really do that? “Legally and politically, the answer is no,” writes Donald Brand, a scholar of American politics at College of the Holy Cross in [his concise explainer on today’s proceedings](. Also today: - [Why public health measures can take years to be accepted]( - [School budget cuts’ lasting effects]( - [The problem with EPA’s ‘scientific transparency’ rule]( Catesby Holmes International Editor and Politics Editor Vice President Mike Pence says he ‘welcomes’ objections to Biden’s Electoral College win, but House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other House Democrats reject any such effort. Sarah Silbiger/Getty Images [Why Trump’s Senate supporters can’t overturn Electoral College results they don’t like – here’s how the law actually works]( Donald Brand, College of the Holy Cross The 1887 Electoral Count Act spells out the process for Congress to convene and review election results on Jan. 6, and it requires both the House and Senate to uphold any challenges to Biden's win. Politics/Election '20 - [Voting in Georgia runoff went better than June’s disastrous primary, but trouble still lingers]( Adrienne Jones, Morehouse College Voting in Georgia was easier in January 2021 than in June 2020, but could still get more difficult in the next election. - [Trump tapped into white victimhood – leaving fertile ground for white supremacists]( Lee Bebout, Arizona State University A sense – or fear – of victimhood pervades contemporary white supremacy from the extreme to the mainstream. - [Legalizing marijuana, once a pipe dream on Capitol Hill, takes an important step forward]( Rosalie Liccardo Pacula, University of Southern California A cannabis decriminalization bill approved by the House is a sign from Congress that sentiment around the drug is evolving, but it misses a chance to regulate marijuana for the good of all Americans. Environment + Energy - [EPA’s ‘secret science’ rule will make it harder for the agency to protect public health]( Gabriel Filippelli, IUPUI The EPA has just adopted a rule that limits what kinds of science regulators can use in setting rules. A scholar explains how this shift could impede his work mapping child lead poisoning. Science + Technology - [What is a margin of error? This statistical tool can help you understand vaccine trials and political polling]( Ofer Harel, University of Connecticut Whether you are predicting the outcome of an election or studying how effective a new drug is, there will always be some uncertainty. A margin of error is how statisticians measure that uncertainty. - [When working out makes you sick to your stomach: What to know about exercise-induced nausea]( Anne R. Crecelius, University of Dayton You're working out, feeling great – until your stomach starts to churn and you're sidelined with a bout of nausea. Here's what's happening in your body and how to avoid this common effect of exercise. - [Seat belts and smoking rates show people eventually adopt healthy behaviors – but it can take time we don’t have during a pandemic]( Randy P. Juhl, University of Pittsburgh Public health recommendations have always been a hard sell. Resistance to new behaviors – like the mask-wearing and social distancing advised during the COVID-19 pandemic – is part of human nature. Ethics + Religion - [In Mike Pence, US evangelicals had their ‘24-karat-gold’ man in the White House. Loyalty may tarnish that legacy]( Deborah Whitehead, University of Colorado Boulder As Mike Pence prepares for life after the vice presidency, a scholar of religion looks back at the political and religious conversions that informed the politician's worldview. Education - [School budgets have held up better than expected in some states, but looming cuts will hurt learning long after pandemic ends]( Michael Addonizio, Wayne State University Layoffs and pay freezes next year would hurt in-class instruction and student progress when it's most needed. Trending on site - [Will going out in the cold give you a cold?]( Libby Richards, Purdue University Going out in the cold won't necessarily lead to you getting a cold. But cold weather in general is more hospitable to viruses, so it's wise to take steps to keep your immune system strong. - [Scientists suggest US embassies were hit with high-power microwaves – here’s how the weapons work]( Edl Schamiloglu, University of New Mexico High-power microwave weapons are useful for disabling electronics. They might also be behind the ailments suffered by US diplomats and CIA agents in Cuba and China. - [Getting COVID-19 vaccines to rural Americans is harder than it looks – but there are ways to lift the barriers]( Bennett Doughty, Binghamton University, State University of New York; Pamela Stewart Fahs, Binghamton University, State University of New York The vaccines' cold storage requirements and shipment rules put small, rural communities at a disadvantage, but that's only part of a long-running challenge. You’re receiving this newsletter from [The Conversation](. Not interested anymore? [Unsubscribe](. 303 Wyman Street, Suite 300 Waltham, MA 02451