Sen. Feinstein, Harvey Milk and a trailblazing career

+ Shutdown looms US Edition - Today's top story: Sen. Dianne Feinstein, a trailblazer from San Francisco's City Hall to Capitol Hill [View in browser]( US Edition | 29 September 2023 [The Conversation] [The Conversation]( Top headlines - [Shutdowns don't reduce the deficit]( - [The educational benefits of sci-fi books]( - [Turn off your phone – trivia is about to begin]( Lead story This morning, we got word that Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the barrier-breaking politician from San Francisco, had died. Scholar Lincoln Mitchell writes for us about Feinstein’s extraordinary career, which began when a tragedy in her native city catapulted her to national prominence and a life in politics that moved from northern California to [the heights of power in the nation’s capital](. Throughout that almost 50-year career, the city of San Francisco was Feinstein’s touchtone, writes Mitchell: “Even though Feinstein was a fixture in Washington, D.C., for more than three decades, San Francisco was always her home.” Without the support of readers like you, we wouldn’t be able to produce the journalism that takes you behind the headlines, as the Feinstein story does. Today is the last day of our fall fund drive. I’m grateful to those who find value in our work and support it (as well as putting up with all the requests!). As a nonprofit newsroom that has no paywall and distributes articles for free, [we need to ask you, our readers, to help sustain us](. Your dollars, whether $10, $100 or $1,000, help support our evidence-based journalism – these important collaborations between researchers and editors – that millions of people read each month. In addition to the breaking news, you’ll learn about the [threat of AI to the 2024 presidential election](, the decades of [controversy over shorts]( and much more. And when you’re done, [take our quiz]( to test your knowledge on this week’s stories. Thank you. If you have not given, and have the means to do so, [please support us](. And if you cannot donate, I – and the team – thank you for reading our work. Naomi Schalit Senior Editor, Politics + Democracy Sen. Dianne Feinstein, who has died at age 90. AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite [Sen. Dianne Feinstein, a trailblazer from San Francisco’s City Hall to Capitol Hill]( Lincoln Mitchell, Columbia University Most Americans knew the late Dianne Feinstein as a US senator. But for San Francisco voters, she will forever be remembered as the woman who stepped in at a tragic moment to lead the city. Economy + Business - [GOP shutdown threat is the wrong way to win a budget war − history shows a better strategy for reducing the deficit]( Raymond Scheppach, University of Virginia Shutting down the government won’t help reduce the deficit. Here’s what would. Science + Technology - [Just 3 Nobel Prizes cover all of science – how research is done today poses a challenge for these prestigious awards]( Jeffrey I. Seeman, University of Richmond The Nobel Prize categories were set up more than a century ago. Since then, science has grown and evolved in unpredictable ways. Politics + Society - [Supreme Court supermajority will clarify its constitutional revolution this year, deciding cases on guns and regulations]( Morgan Marietta, University of Texas at Arlington The Supreme Court in recent terms has upended the interpretation of core laws. This term, the justices will decide just how far this revolution goes. - [Shutdowns are a uniquely American drama − in the UK, it’s just not Parliament’s cup of tea]( Garret Martin, American University School of International Service With the US government seemingly heading toward a potentially painful federal shutdown, a scholar explains why such events never occur in the UK. - [US Supreme Court refuses to hear Alabama’s request to keep separate and unequal political districts]( Henry L. Chambers Jr., University of Richmond Since 2020, Alabama lawmakers have failed to draw political districts that give Black voters an equal chance of selecting political candidates that represent their interests. - [Lessons for today from the overlooked stories of Black teachers during the segregated civil rights era]( Marlee Bunch, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign During the civil rights era, Black teachers were valued members of the community and often taught generations of family members. - [The ‘Barbie’ and ‘Star Wars’ universes are entertaining, but they also unexpectedly can help people understand why revolutions happen]( Michael A. Allen, Boise State University; Julie VanDusky-Allen, Boise State University Before a revolution can take place, the oppressed first have to recognize that they actually do not have many rights. Arts + Culture - [John Fetterman might be the first to try to bare his legs in the Senate, but shorts have been ticking people off for almost a century]( Deirdre Clemente, University of Nevada, Las Vegas As fashion norms change, what people wear in public becomes ground zero for hashing out new ideas of race, class and gender. - [The fight for 2% − how residuals became a sticking point for striking actors]( David Arditi, University of Texas at Arlington Studios say the number is unrealistic − that it amounts to actors not assuming any financial risk for content that flops. But actors simply want to adapt existing payout models to changing technology. Education - [Sci-fi books are rare in school even though they help kids better understand science]( Emily Midkiff, University of North Dakota Despite their scarcity, science fiction books are highly sought after by elementary school students. Environment + Energy - [From pests to pollutants, keeping schools healthy and clean is no simple task]( Janet Hurley, Texas A&M University For students to learn in a safe, healthy environment, school administrators must deal with a myriad of potential environmental contaminants, from allergens to cockroaches. Ethics + Religion - [French schools’ ban on abayas and headscarves is supposedly about secularism − but it sends a powerful message about who ‘belongs’ in French culture]( Carol Ferrara, Emerson College Catholicism, ‘Frenchness’ and secularism are often conflated in French culture, a scholar writes, while non-Christian traditions are viewed with suspicion. Trending on site - [Spyware can infect your phone or computer via the ads you see online – report]( - [The complex chemistry behind America’s spirit – how bourbon gets its distinctive taste and color]( - [This Christian text you’ve never heard of, The Shepherd of Hermas, barely mentions Jesus − but it was a favorite of early Christians far and wide]( The Conversation Quiz 🧠- Here’s the first question of [this week’s edition:]( Let's see how closely you're following the presidential debates. The GOP debate on Sept. 27 was held where? - A. Madison Square Garden - B. The Buckeye Express Diner in Bellville, Ohio - C. The Andy Griffith Playhouse in Mt. Airy, N.C. - D. The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library [Test your knowledge]( - - More of The Conversation Like this newsletter? 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