The power of the female voice | Top 10

+ the Nobel Prizes, explained US Edition - Today's top story: Why it's such a big deal that Alla Pugacheva, 'the tsarina of Russian pop,' came out against the war in Ukraine [View in browser]( US Edition | 9 October 2022 [The Conversation]( Welcome to Sunday and the best of The Conversation. This week both our readers and editors favored stories about the power of a female voice – one a story about Russian pop star Alla Pugacheva and the other about Kentucky’s Loretta Lynn. Pugacheva has spoken out on Instagram, criticizing the Russian government for “illusory goals that are making our country a pariah and worsening the life of our citizens.” Olga Partan, an associate professor of Russian studies at the College of the Holy Cross, has studied Pugacheva’s decades-long career, and explains [why she could get away with criticizing Russian president Vladimir Putin to her 3.5 million followers](. Pugacheva has since fled Russia for Israel. Country great Lynn died last Tuesday at the age of 90. University at Buffalo music professor Stephanie Vander Wel writes that [Lynn's music connected with poor and rural women on topics like abortion, infidelity and poverty](. I remember watching the movie “Coal Miner’s Daughter,” as a girl growing up in Cincinnati, and admiring how Lynn grew from humble beginnings in nearby Appalachia to slowly demanding more respect from her husband, to country stardom. Lynn may not have considered herself a feminist, but her life story helped encouraged me to identify that way. This week we also bring you our [weekly news quiz]( and an [e-book bringing together our coverage of last week's Nobel Prizes](. Next week, we’ll bring you stories about how young immigrants vote, the 5,000-year history of writer's block and the difficult of adopting net zero emissions. Emily Costello Managing Editor Readers' picks Russian President Vladimir Putin greets Alla Pugacheva during a 2014 awards ceremony honoring the pop singer with the Order For Merit to the Fatherland. Sasha Mordovets/Getty Images [Why it’s such a big deal that Alla Pugacheva, ‘the tsarina of Russian pop,’ came out against the war in Ukraine]( Olga Partan, College of the Holy Cross In opinion polls over the past two decades, she’s routinely selected as one of the most popular Russians – often appearing second only to Vladimir Putin. - [Russia’s energy war: Putin’s unpredictable actions and looming sanctions could further disrupt oil and gas markets]( Amy Myers Jaffe, Tufts University Russian President Vladimir Putin has not hesitated to use energy as a weapon. An expert on global energy markets analyzes what could come next. - [The Supreme Court is back in session, with new controversial cases that stand to change many Americans’ lives – here’s what to expect]( Morgan Marietta, UMass Lowell Affirmative action, discrimination against LGBTQ people and election laws are some of the hot-button issues that the Supreme Court will tackle this fall. - [Justice Clarence Thomas and his wife have bolstered conservative causes as he is poised to lead the Supreme Court rolling back more landmark rulings]( Neil Roberts, University of Toronto Black conservative Clarence Thomas’ improbable rise as a powerful US Supreme Court justice today was unimaginable during his controversial confirmation hearings in 1991. - [What is déjà vu? Psychologists are exploring this creepy feeling of having already lived through an experience before]( Anne Cleary, Colorado State University While people have wondered about déjà vu for a long time, only recently have scientists started experimentally investigating what might trigger it. Editors' picks Loretta Lynn’s music articulated the fears, dreams and anger of women living in a patriarchal society. David Redfern/Redferns via Getty Images [Loretta Lynn was more than a great songwriter – she was a spokeswoman for white rural working-class women]( Stephanie Vander Wel, University at Buffalo Through songs such as ‘The Pill,’ Lynn addressed issues confronting all women. The country star died on Oct. 4 at age 90. - [Nobel prizes most often go to researchers who defy specialization – winners are creative thinkers who synthesize innovations from varied fields and even hobbies]( Robert Root-Bernstein, Michigan State University; Michele Root-Bernstein, Michigan State University Some of the most innovative people in the world earn Nobel Prizes. Scholars of creativity identify what they have in common and what regular people can learn and emulate from their examples. - [Supreme Court grapples with animal welfare in a challenge to a California law requiring pork to be humanely raised]( David Favre, Michigan State University Pork producers are challenging a California law that animal welfare advocates call the most important measure for farm animal protection in decades. - [Recovery from a disaster like Hurricane Ian takes years, and nonprofits play many pivotal roles before and after FEMA aid runs out]( Michelle Annette Meyer, Texas A&M University Many government agencies help people whose lives are thrown off course, but not everyone is eligible or able to access that aid. - [How to keep your jack-o’-lantern from turning into moldy, maggoty mush before Halloween]( Matt Kasson, West Virginia University Don’t let microbes and insects turn your Halloween masterpiece into a horror show before the big night. News Quiz 🧠- [The Conversation U.S. weekly news quiz]( Quizmaster, The Conversation This week: questions on Loretta Lynn, Brazil and the "pink tide". Like this newsletter? You might be interested in our other weekly emails: [Science Editors' Picks]( • [This Week in Religion]( • [Politics Weekly]( 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]( Download our latest ebook We are providing a magazine version of selected stories to read on a tablet, e-reader or on paper. [Try it out]( and reply to this email to tell us what you think. [The Conversation]( You’re receiving this newsletter from [The Conversation]( 303 Wyman Street, Suite 300 Waltham, MA 02451 [Forward to a friend]( • [Unsubscribe](