Will the whisper campaign against Biden go silent?

+ all the little habits that dominate your daily life US Edition - Today's top story: If Biden decides not to run for reelection, he faces a big threat: Being a lame duck [View in browser]( US Edition | 9 August 2022 [The Conversation]( The whisper campaign against Joe Biden running for a second term got louder in the past few weeks. “Quit, Joe, Quit! Biden could save the midterms with a one-term pledge,” blared an opinion column headline in The Washington Post. If Biden isn’t running, he’s kept that to himself. That’s because the minute he announces he won’t seek reelection, he becomes a lame duck. And [that’s a status no president would willingly embrace](, writes political scientist Michael J. Faber of Texas State University. Lame-duck presidents, Faber explains, don’t get much, if any, cooperation from Congress, while “the press treats lame-duck presidents as old news.” Biden has a history of defying those who have written his political obituary. He did it in the 2020 presidential primaries, and he’s doing it right now with a string of legislative victories that few would have predicted just a couple of months ago. There’s a reason, Faber writes, that “only three first-term presidents have declined to run for a second term.” It turns them into losers. And why would Biden want to do that? Also today: - [Most infectious diseases are thriving thanks to climate change]( - [Modern architecture can be insipid and lifeless – here’s how to ensure cyberspace doesn’t suffer the same fate]( - [When laws get passed – but the public can’t read the text]( Naomi Schalit Senior Editor, Politics + Society President Joe Biden delivers the State of the Union address in the U.S. Capitol on March 1, 2022, among many lawmakers who may want his job. Jabin Botsford-Pool/Getty Images [If Biden decides not to run for reelection, he faces a big threat: Being a lame duck]( Michael J. Faber, Texas State University A combination of irrelevancy, powerlessness and derision is in store for a president who chooses not to run for reelection. Politics + Society - [New photos suggest how Trump, flush with power, may have sent official documents down the toilet]( Shannon Bow O'Brien, The University of Texas at Austin College of Liberal Arts Photos showing what appear to be torn-up documents in two different toilets may provide more evidence of the former president’s habit of destroying his presidential documents. - [Key parts of US laws are hard for the public to find and read]( D. R. Jones, University of Memphis It’s a long-standing principle that people should be able to read the laws that govern them. But many technical rules and standards are hard to find and access, even for lawyers or court officials. Environment + Energy - [58% of human infectious diseases can be worsened by climate change – we scoured 77,000 studies to map the pathways]( Tristan McKenzie, University of Gothenburg; Camilo Mora, University of Hawaii; Hannah von Hammerstein, University of Hawaii It’s not just mosquitos. Flooding, extreme heat and other climate-related hazards are bringing people into contact with pathogens more often, and affecting people’s ability to fight off disease. Science + Technology - [How ‘living architecture’ could help the world avoid a soul-deadening digital future]( Tim Gorichanaz, Drexel University The late Christopher Alexander’s groundbreaking work on patterns has informed the development of technology for decades, but it’s the architect’s later work that holds the key to a healthier digital life. Health + Medicine - [To break unhealthy habits, stop obsessing over willpower – two behavioral scientists explain why routines matter more than conscious choices]( Asaf Mazar, University of Pennsylvania; Wendy Wood, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences Understanding and changing the environment in which habits form is a critical step when it comes to breaking unwanted behaviors and forming healthy ones. - [Monkeypox is now a national public health emergency in the U.S. – an epidemiologist explains what this means]( Kathryn H. Jacobsen, University of Richmond Declaring monkeypox a national health emergency will allow the U.S. government to direct resources and funds where needed to help slow the spread of the virus. - [Safety in and near the water – a pediatric emergency medicine physician offers tips]( Linda Quan, University of Washington Many beaches are short on lifeguards this summer. An expert explains how to keep your loved ones safe in the water. From our international editions - [Amid death and destruction, the latest conflict in Gaza highlights the depths of its humanitarian crisis]( - [The US is revisiting its trade relations with African countries: key issues on the table]( - [Pop icon Olivia Newton-John was the rare performer whose career flourished through different phases]( Today's graphic [A bar graph showing the breakdown of food security levels for Gen Z, Millenials, Gen X and Boomers. The bars for each generation are broken into high, low and very low.]( From the story, [Why food insecurity among Gen Z is so much higher than for other age groups]( - - About The Conversation: We're a nonprofit news organization dedicated to [helping academic experts share ideas with the public](. We can give away our articles thanks to the help of foundations, universities and readers like you. [Donate now to support research-based journalism]( [The Conversation]( You’re receiving this newsletter from [The Conversation]( 303 Wyman Street, Suite 300 Waltham, MA 02451 [Forward to a friend]( • [Unsubscribe](