Top 5: What's a coup + Mississippi's constitutional change

+ Getting pets ready for way less quality time US Edition - Today's top story: Was it a coup? No, but siege on US Capitol was the election violence of a fragile democracy [View in browser]( US Edition | 10 January 2021 [The Conversation]( Academic rigor, journalistic flair Welcome to Sunday. Our top five articles of the week are listed below. A good story you may have missed: Many of us spent the past week reading about the coronavirus and political unrest. But at the same time, an article by Libby Richards of Purdue University quietly found nearly 900,000 readers. A nurse, Richards tackles a question you may have fought with your mother about as a teen or contemplated while considering eating at restaurant outside: [Will going out in the cold give you a cold?](. Enjoy the rest of your weekend. Emily Costello Deputy Editor Insurrection at the US Capitol, Jan. 6, 2021. Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images [Was it a coup? No, but siege on US Capitol was the election violence of a fragile democracy]( Clayton Besaw, University of Central Florida; Matthew Frank, University of Denver Trump supporters stormed the US Capitol on Jan. 6, disrupting Congress's certification of Joe Biden as president-elect. Coup experts explain this violent insurrection wasn't technically a coup. Gadsden flags fly at a protest Wednesday at the Capitol. Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images [Yellow Gadsden flag, prominent in Capitol takeover, carries a long and shifting history]( Paul Bruski, Iowa State University We may think of flags as fixed symbols with a specific meaning, but there are few symbols whose significance is truly permanent. - [How to help dogs and cats manage separation anxiety when their humans return to work]( Lori M Teller, Texas A&M University Alleviating separation anxiety is about changing the owner's behavior, too. - [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. - [Mississippi just got rid of its Electoral College-like election process]( Dallas Breen, Mississippi State University Since 1890, Mississippi has required candidates for statewide office to win not only more votes than opponents across the whole state, but also in every legislative district. You’re receiving this newsletter from [The Conversation](. Not interested anymore? [Unsubscribe](. 303 Wyman Street, Suite 300 Waltham, MA 02451