How covering politics is like gardening

+ Beijing Olympics plays to domestic audience; race and NFL head coaches US Edition - Today's top story: Russia could unleash disruptive cyberattacks against the US – but efforts to sow confusion and division are more likely [View in browser]( US Edition | 3 February 2022 [The Conversation]( My seed catalogs arrived over the past few weeks, and there’s nothing like going through hundreds of gorgeous photos of annuals and perennials and unusual heirloom vegetables – tomatoes of many colors! – to get me all excited in the middle of a drab winter. I will now proceed to order far too many seeds and then sometime in late April stand in my yard and ask myself, “What was I thinking?” What does this have to do with politics? Well, this week on the politics desk, there was so much news to cover it was kind of like the avalanche of choices in the seed catalogs. Should we cover Trump’s promise to pardon some of the January 6th participants? Should we cover further developments in the crisis from [Russia’s threatening troop presence along Ukraine’s border](? What about Boris Johnson and [the mayhem in Parliament]( after an official report drew an unflattering picture of arrogant rule-breaking at No. 10 Downing St.? Or should we look at the nation’s current focus, the professional football playoffs, [through the lens of race](? Oh, and also: How about covering the Olympics and the [politics around China’s hosting of that international competition](? All those story seeds took root but one (Trump – but we’ll get to him in the coming weeks) and are here for you to read this week, as well as a few more. Have fun playing in our garden. Naomi Schalit Senior Editor, Politics + Society The Department of Justice indicted six officers of Russia’s GRU military intelligence service in October 2020 on charges of hacking and deploying malware. Andrew Harnik - Pool/Getty Images [Russia could unleash disruptive cyberattacks against the US – but efforts to sow confusion and division are more likely]( Justin Pelletier, Rochester Institute of Technology Russia probably has the means to attack US electrical grids and otherwise create havoc but probably won’t go that far. Instead, watch for disinformation aimed at undermining the US and NATO. Taiwanese independence activists call for a boycott of the Beijing Games. Walid Berrazeg/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images [Why is Taiwan competing in the Olympics under ‘Chinese Taipei’?]( Meredith Oyen, University of Maryland, Baltimore County Taiwanese authorities are allowing its tiny contingent to attend the opening ceremony in Beijing despite a long-running dispute over its name in the Olympics. Brian Flores was one of a few nonwhite head coaches until he was fired after the 2022 season. Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images [Why most NFL head coaches are white – the NFL’s abysmal record on diversity is the subject of a discrimination lawsuit]( George B. Cunningham, Texas A&M University Despite efforts to diversify its prominent coaching ranks, the NFL has an abysmal record of hiring people of color. A recently fired Black coach’s suit alleging discrimination may hold the NFL accountable. - [Beijing Olympics may get points for boosting China’s international reputation, but Games are definitely gold for Xi Jinping’s standing at home]( David Bachman, University of Washington A strong turnout by Chinese teams during the 2022 Winter Olympics could help build national pride in China — and, in turn, help Xi Jinping’s bid for a third term this year. - [Biden sending more troops to Eastern Europe – 3 key issues behind the decision]( Michael A. Allen, Boise State University; Carla Martinez Machain, Kansas State University; Michael E. Flynn, Kansas State University President Joe Biden is deploying 3,000 troops to support NATO in Eastern Europe. By doing so, Biden enters both a regional conflict and tangled legal territory. - [Don’t pay too much attention to guesses about how US Supreme Court will vote on abortion rights – experts are often wrong]( Lawrence Strout, Mississippi State University The Supreme Court is expected to hand down a number of major decisions this year. Expert predictions will abound – but statistical models are more likely to be accurate. - [Government agencies are tapping a facial recognition company to prove you’re you – here’s why that raises concerns about privacy, accuracy and fairness]( James Hendler, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Federal and state governments are turning to a facial recognition company to ensure that people accessing services are who they say they are. The move promises to cut down on fraud, but at what cost? - [Order, order! A guide to ‘partygate’ and the UK’s rambunctious Parliament]( Garret Martin, American University School of International Service Why will calling someone a liar get you thrown out of the UK parliamentary debates, but using defamatory language might not? - [China has no plan for who will succeed Xi Jinping – leaving the nation and the world in uncertainty]( Amitrajeet A. Batabyal, Rochester Institute of Technology In the past, the lack of a succession plan for China has led to political unrest in the country. If it happens again, it will also affect the world. Like this newsletter? You might be interested in our other weekly emails: [Science Editors' Picks]( • [This Week in Religion]( • [Weekly Highlights]( Enjoy reading The Conversation? 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