Why Cuomo can't win by following Trump's playbook

+ why so many innocent defendants plead guilty US Edition - Today's top story: Why Andrew Cuomo's job is more vulnerable to scandal than Donald Trump's was [View in browser]( US Edition | 7 August 2021 [The Conversation]( Academic rigor, journalistic flair Andrew Cuomo, the Democratic governor of New York, is no Donald Trump. Until now, he’s fought off allegations of sexual harassment and other inappropriate behavior by women who worked for him, and he’s managed to remain in office. He was even a darling of the press in 2020 for his early handling of New York’s COVID-19 pandemic – perhaps because he provided reporters with a seemingly serious and virtuous contrast to the unserious way Donald Trump appeared to be handling it. But unlike Donald Trump, who seems to be immune to the negative career effects of any kind of scandal, including “those of a sexual nature,” writes political scientist Monika McDermott, [Cuomo may not keep his job](. “Riding high in politics frequently means you simply have further to fall,” writes McDermott, who paints a picture of a politician whose luck and access to power may have finally run out. This week we also liked articles about [squirrel agility](, an [atheist’s fight for civil rights]( and what parents can do about their kids’ [back-to-school anxiety](. Naomi Schalit Senior Editor, Politics + Society New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo at a press conference in June, 2021. Timothy A. Clary/AFP via Getty Images [Why Andrew Cuomo’s job is more vulnerable to scandal than Donald Trump’s was]( Monika L. McDermott, Fordham University New Gov. Andrew Cuomo is in big trouble after an official state report documented 11 cases of sexual harassment by him. He seems to think he can survive the scandal, but a longtime pollster disagrees. The Dixie Fire devastated rural Greenville, California, a town of 800 residents, on Aug. 4, 2021. Josh Edelson/AFP via Getty Images [3 wildfire lessons for forest towns as Dixie Fire destroys historic Greenville, California]( Bart Johnson, University of Oregon; David Hulse, University of Florida Hundreds of computer simulations point to a few best strategies for keeping homes safe from fire in a warming climate. How do they stick their landings? Alex Turton via Getty Images [We used peanuts and a climbing wall to learn how squirrels judge their leaps so successfully – and how their skills could inspire more nimble robots]( Lucia F. Jacobs, University of California, Berkeley; Nathaniel Hunt, University of Nebraska Omaha; Robert J. Full, University of California, Berkeley How do squirrels leap through trees without falling? It takes strength, flexibility and finely tuned cognitive skills. - [70 years ago Walter Plywaski fought for atheists’ right to become citizens – here’s why his story is worth remembering]( Kristina M. Lee, Colorado State University Polish-born Holocaust survivor paved the way for atheists to refuse pledge to God in citizenship oath. But discrimination against nonreligious Americans remains. - [What are dark patterns? An online media expert explains]( Jasmine McNealy, University of Florida Deceptively labeled buttons, choices that are hard to undo, web designs that hide options – these dark patterns are how some websites trick people into giving up their money and information. - [How parents can help kids deal with back-to-school anxiety]( Elizabeth Englander, Bridgewater State University It’s no surprise kids are feeling a lot of anxiety after a year and a half of a global pandemic. Here’s what signs parents can look out for, and what to do if their child is feeling overwhelmed. - [Dinosaur bones became griffins, volcanic eruptions were gods fighting – geomythology looks to ancient stories for hints of scientific truth]( Timothy John Burbery, Marshall University People tell tales to explain what they see – centuries later, scientists try to map handed-down myths onto real geological events. - [5 ways Americans often misunderstand Cuba, from Fidel Castro’s rise to the Cuban American vote]( - [4 ways extreme heat hurts the economy]( - [From CRISPR to glowing proteins to optogenetics – scientists’ most powerful technologies have been borrowed from nature]( - [Why condos caught on in America]( - [House committee investigating Capitol insurrection has a lot of power, but it’s unclear it can force Trump to testify]( - [Pandemic pushed defendants to plead guilty more often, including innocent people pleading to crimes they didn’t commit]( - [Lead exposure during childhood may influence adult personality, and not for the better]( You’re receiving this newsletter from [The Conversation](. Not interested anymore? [Unsubscribe](. 303 Wyman Street, Suite 300 Waltham, MA 02451