Trump’s no CEO

[Click here to view this message in your browser](. Edition: US 16 February 2017 [[The Conversation]Academic rigor, journalistic flair]( Editor's note Donald Trump rose to the presidency in part thanks to his experience as a businessman. A skilled manager, the argument went, could impose order and discipline on government. Instead, chaos and dysfunction have characterized Trump’s first month in office, leading Sen. John McCain to muse whether anyone’s actually in charge. Yesterday’s freewheeling press conference during which he described his administration as a “fine-tuned machine” is unlikely to dispel such concerns. So why the disconnect? [Trump isn’t really a CEO](, argues Bert Spector, an expert on leadership. Running a family business teaches a very different skillset than that of running a public corporation. In another story consuming Washington, Jordan Tama from American University’s School of International Service examines whether Congress or an independent commission should investigate [Russia’s links to the Trump campaign](. And Andrew Boyd from the University of Illinois looks at the potential downside of [sharing personal health data]( from wearable fitness devices with insurance companies. Bryan Keogh Editor, Economics and Business Top story Trump poses with his brain trust. Mark Lennihan/AP Photo [White House in turmoil shows why Trump's no CEO]( Bert Spector, Northeastern University He campaigned on the notion that his business experience would equip him to 'make America great again,' but running a family company is poor training for the presidency. Politics + Society - [Russia, Trump and the 2016 election: What's the best way for Congress to investigate?]( Jordan Tama, American University School of International Service Research on more than 50 government investigations reveals how partisanship can get in the way of finding answers we all agree on. Science + Technology - [Could your Fitbit data be used to deny you health insurance?]( Andrew Boyd, University of Illinois at Chicago Soon, wearable fitness devices will be able to diagnose diseases. Could that lead insurers to deny coverage to people based on their data alone? Ethics + Religion - [What makes a mountain, hill or prairie a 'sacred' place for Native Americans?]( Rosalyn R. LaPier, Harvard University Pope Francis appears to have defended Native American protests on the North Dakota pipeline issue. Indigenous cultures have a right to defend 'their ancestral relationship to the Earth,' he said. Environment + Energy - [Trump's moves on the Dakota Access Pipeline portend more clashes with states]( Jonathan Rosenbloom, Drake University; Keith Hirokawa, University at Albany, State University of New York A new federalism? Trump's decision to green-light the Dakota Access Pipeline and early battles with states show a disregard for the sovereignty of domestic government bodies. Arts + Culture - [Who counts as black?]( Ronald Hall, Michigan State University With the number of multiracial Americans growing, there's a fierce debate in the black community over who's black – and who isn't. Economy + Business - [Living through the Greek crisis: an anthropologist reports from Thessaly]( Daniel M. Knight, University of St Andrews Before the financial crisis struck, you could breathe the overwhelming air of prosperity on the bustling streets of Trikala. Rest of the World - Australia [Essays on health: reporting medical news is too important to mess up]( Patrizia Furlan, University of South Australia Health reporting requires asking the right questions and doing quality research. But specialist skills are also handy, especially when it comes to knowing the language and processes of science. - Africa [Rising sea temperatures are shaping tropical storms in southern Africa]( Jennifer Fitchett, University of the Witwatersrand In southern Africa there's been a southward shift in the occurrence of tropical cyclones in the region. This is due to sea temperatures increasing as a result of global warming. - United Kingdom [Trump’s America and the rise of the authoritarian personality]( Magnus Linden, Lund University After World War II, psychologists identified character traits that explained why so many people were complicit in Hitler's crimes. Are we seeing something similar now? [Follow us on Twitter.]( [Join us on Facebook.]( You’re receiving this newsletter from [The Conversation](. Not interested anymore? [Unsubscribe instantly](. We’ll miss you. 745 Atlantic Ave. 8th Floor Boston, MA 02111