How COVID-19 set back human rights

+ Ukraine war imperils cooperation in the Arctic US Edition - Today's top story: Human rights declined during the COVID-19 pandemic, in countries from Angola to the US to New Zealand [View in browser]( US Edition | 20 April 2022 [The Conversation]( It’s been more than two years since the World Health Organization first declared the COVID-19 outbreak a global pandemic. It hasn’t been easy, but most people have learned since then how to live with COVID-19 as part of our daily backdrop. But human rights setbacks are a remnant of the pandemic that few people consider – and one that is likely to persist, writes human rights scholar Stephen Bagwell. Many countries first used the pandemic as an excuse to crack down on human rights in 2020, Bagwell writes. “Declarations of emergency, for example, gave police significant power to crack down on political protests,” he explains. Some countries continue to[use COVID-19 as a reason to squash protests and limit freedom of speech](, a trend that is extending well beyond the peak of COVID-19, Bagwell writes. Also today : - [What Tibetan monks taught me about teaching science]( - [It’s 4/20: Read up on recent cannabis research]( - [The treatment challenges for rare genetic diseases]( Amy Lieberman Politics + Society Editor [Human rights declined during the COVID-19 pandemic, in countries from Angola to the US to New Zealand]( Stephen Bagwell, University of Missouri-St. Louis All of the 39 countries human rights experts tracked in 2020 experienced a decline in human rights. It’s not yet clear whether countries will quickly bounce back as the pandemic eases. Environment + Energy - [Why freezing the Arctic Council is bad news for global security]( Gabriella Gricius, Colorado State University The Arctic Council was the world’s primary forum for cooperation among the eight Arctic nations and a channel for diplomacy – until Russia launched a war. Education - [I’ve taught special education – here are 3 ways teachers can be more effective with students of color]( Mildred Boveda, Penn State Students with disabilities do better when they remain in general education classes, but systemic bias often leads them to be placed in separate classrooms, a special education researcher writes. Ethics + Religion - [Biology with Tibetan Buddhist monks: What I’m taking back to my college classroom from teaching at a monastery]( Daniel Pierce, University of Richmond Religious beliefs and modern biology sometimes seem to collide. But exploring those ideas with compassion and an open mind can lead to deeper learning across cultures. Health + Medicine - [Beer and spirits have more detrimental effects on the waistline and on cardiovascular disease risk than red or white wine]( Brittany Larsen, Iowa State University Research has been inconclusive on the degree to which drinking alcohol leads to the growth of harmful fat. But a new study suggests that beer and spirits are far bigger culprits than wine. - [Marijuana: 4 essential reads on the uses, effects and potential of cannabis]( Leah Samuel, The Conversation Scholars weigh in on the known and unknown about marijuana and its incarnations. - [When it comes to the rarest of diseases, the diagnosis isn’t the answer – it’s just the starting point]( Steven Walkley, Albert Einstein College of Medicine; Melissa Wasserstein, Albert Einstein College of Medicine Deciphering the biological pathways behind rare genetic diseases often involves assembling a team of specialists to work closely with the family members of those affected. Politics + Society - [‘Too many people, not enough food’ isn’t the cause of hunger and food insecurity]( Gisèle Yasmeen, University of British Columbia Environmental catastrophe, war, a worldwide pandemic. What does this mean for feeding the world today and in the future? Trending on site - [Russia faces first foreign default since 1918 – here’s how it could complicate Putin’s ability to wage war in Ukraine]( - [Why we can’t ‘boost’ our way out of the COVID-19 pandemic for the long term]( - [A large solar storm could knock out the power grid and the internet – an electrical engineer explains how]( Today's graphic [A map of Sudan that highlights the location of the Tombos archeological site. It is located along the Nile river in the north of Sudan.]( From the story, [Archaeological site along the Nile opens a window on the Nubian civilization that flourished in ancient Sudan]( - More from The Conversation US - Like this newsletter? 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