Back-to-school inflation may not be so bad

+ the secret history of Soviet whaling US Edition - Today's top story: Worried about back-to-school inflation? Latest price data on backpacks, laptops and kids' clothes offers some relief for parents [View in browser]( US Edition | 12 August 2022 [The Conversation]( Back-to-school shopping always excited me when I was a kid. It meant crisp notebooks, new clothes and, when my parents were feeling especially generous, a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles lunch box – as well as the prospect of seeing friends again. But with inflation running at about the highest pace in 40 years, today’s parents may be dreading the looming hit to the pocketbook. Jay Zagorsky, an economist at Boston University, [has some good news for them](. He crunched the latest inflation data and found that many of the things that children need at the start of a new school year aren’t experiencing the price spikes happening to other goods. Also today: - [Indianapolis’ multi-pronged approach to tackling gun violence]( - [Why is the GOP saying the U.S. is in danger of becoming a banana republic?]( - [Faith leaders can play a role in alleviating the mental health crisis]( Bryan Keogh Deputy Managing Editor While laptops have dropped in price, old-school supplies like pencils and markers are getting more expensive. AP Photo/Marta Lavandier [Worried about back-to-school inflation? Latest price data on backpacks, laptops and kids’ clothes offers some relief for parents]( Jay L. Zagorsky, Boston University Inflation is soaring, but prices for typical back-to-school gear like backpacks, computers and new clothes are rising less than average – or even falling. Environment + Energy - [The Soviet Union once hunted endangered whales to the brink of extinction – but its scientists opposed whaling and secretly tracked its toll]( Ryan Jones, University of Oregon The Soviet Union was a latecomer to industrial whaling, but it slaughtered whales by the thousands once it started and radically under-reported its take to international monitors. - [The climate bill’s projected emissions cuts rely heavily on carbon capture – it would mean thousands of miles of pipeline]( Wil Burns, American University School of International Service One estimate suggests at least a sixth of all emissions cuts expected from the Inflation Reduction Act, expected to be voted on Friday, would come from carbon capture. - [Arctic is warming nearly four times faster than the rest of the world – new research]( Jonathan Bamber, University of Bristol The Arctic is on average around 3℃ warmer than it was in 1980. Health + Medicine - [What causes hives and how dangerous can they be? A nurse practitioner explains]( Patricia A. MacCulloch, UMass Lowell Hives are an allergic reaction and can sometimes be a sign of a more serious immune response. Politics + Society - [What’s a banana republic? A political scientist explains]( Matthew Wilson, University of South Carolina The US grows hardly any tropical fruit. So why are politicians and political commentators saying the country is at risk of devolving into a banana republic? - [Reducing gun violence: Indianapolis is trying programs ranging from job skills to therapy to violence interrupters to find out what works]( Thomas D. 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From our international editions - [Bladed ‘Ninja’ missile used to kill al-Qaida leader is part of a scary new generation of unregulated weapons]( - [Artisanal gold mining in South Africa is out of control]( - [Part of the Japanese revolution in fashion, Issey Miyake changed the way we saw, wore and made clothes]( The Conversation Quiz 🧠In what year was the Presidential Records Act first passed? - A. 1974 - B. 1978 - C. 1986 - D. 1998 [Click here for the answer.]( - - 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](