Colleges Have Bigger Problems Than Alumni Privilege

Also: Grading The Candidates Of Thursday's Dem. Debates ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  [View in Browser]( | [Donate [WBUR]]( [WBUR](  [WBUR]( September 15, 2019 Dear Cog reader, We've moved into a new, more focused phase of Democratic presidential primary. Thank heavens. "Gone are the super-long-shots, oozing desperation and scrabbling for TV time," writes Joanna Weiss in [this analysis]( of Thursday's debate. "Gone is the related compulsion to attack everyone else onstage. Gone is Marianne Williamson. Buh-bye, Marianne Williamson." Joanna graded the candidates on their performances, and, as always, made some astute observations about where the race goes from here. For instance, has Beto O'Rourke changed the narrative on gun control? And, be sure to check back next week. Cog is participating in Covering Climate Now, a global collaboration of more than 220 news outlets to strengthen coverage of climate change. We'll have a bunch of content on what we consider to be the single most important story of our time. — Frannie Carr Toth C0-editor, Cognoscenti newsletters@wbur.org The Rundown url[A Report Card For Every Candidate From The Third Democratic Debate]( The top 10 Democratic candidates faced off in Houston on Thursday night. Joanna Weiss graded their performances.   #%23%23[Twitter](  #%23%23[Facebook](    [Alumni Privilege In College Admissions Isn’t Worth The Attention It’s Getting]( Fretting over whom the relative handful of elite universities admit needlessly sucks oxygen from the debate we should be having, writes Rich Barlow. [Then Trump Came For The Scientists]( The Hurricane Dorian controversy would be a tempest in a teacup if only the ramifications weren’t so consequential, writes H.L.M. Lee. When we don’t know whom to believe, we believe no one.  Support the news [America Has Become A Kleptocracy. Does Anybody Care?]( Trump’s only true allegiance is to his bottom line, writes Steve Almond. [The Climate Crisis Deserves Everything We've Got. Nuclear Power, Too]( Democrats running for president call climate change an 'existential crisis,' writes Rich Barlow, but most have excluded nuclear power from their plans. It’s another case of fiddling while the Earth burns. [After Hurricane Dorian, We Get A Glimpse Of Ecofascism]( As climate change and weather disasters drive more desperate people to our borders, writes Miles Howard, it's incumbent upon us to decide how we will respond to this unprecedented humanitarian crisis. Bookmarks "My generation, the first of the post-9/11 veterans, and those who came before: We are the memory-keepers. We remember airports and mass transit and public gatherings before the see-something, say-something era. Of a time when peace was more than an ideal. When we were not so polarized by rage and fear. When tragedies such as Columbine were the unfathomable exception. My hope is that we never forget. My fear is that we already have." (“[Dear 9/11, Are We Close To An End?]( The Washington Post) “The speed-efficiency trade-off is likely to be fodder for a long-standing debate among linguists about what language is, and what it’s for.” (“[A Rare Universal Pattern In Human Languages]( The Atlantic) “They’re shooting marbles, be there. They’re dancing, be there. If they’re playing basketball, be there. If they’re performing at church, be there. I’ll tell any dad, just be present. Be available. No matter how hard it is, how far they live. If you’re married, still, be there.” (“[Hopes, Fears, Regrets: 9 Dads Share Their Experiences Raising Daughters]( Lily Lines) A MESSAGE FROM WBUR Do you own a smart speaker, like Amazon Echo or Google Home, or other smart device? Even if you don’t, we’d love to hear from you. [Take this short survey.]( “ In all the paperwork I had to sign to become a foster parent, the word love was never mentioned. I had to promise to get the children to the doctor regularly and keep their vaccinations up to date. Love was not a requirement. But maybe love is the key. — Carolyn Roy-Bornstein, "'[Do I Have To Leave Now?': Our Foster Care System Makes It Too Easy To Give Up On Kids]( ICYMI [What If President Trump Is In Cognitive Decline? No, Seriously]( If you examine the Trump presidency through the lens of cognitive decline, writes Steve Almond, some of its more bewildering aspects start to make a lot more sense.      If you’d like to write for Cognoscenti, send your submission, pasted into your email and not as an attachment, to opinion@wbur.org. Please tell us in one line what the piece is about, and please tell us in one line who you are. 😎 Forward to a friend. They can sign up [here](. 📣 Give us your feedback: newsletters@wbur.org 📨 Get more WBUR stories sent to your inbox. [Check out all of our newsletter offerings.]( Support the news [WBUR]( [WBUR]  [WBUR]( [95289b97-66e8-43d4-a174-3bc3520a79a9.png]( [Instagram](  [Twitter]( [Facebook]( Want to change how you receive these emails? [Stop getting this newsletter by updating your preferences.]( I don't want to hear from WBUR anymore. [Unsubscribe from all newsletters.]( Interested in learning more about corporate sponsorship? [Click here.]( Copyright © 2019 WBUR-FM, All rights reserved. You signed up for this newsletter at wbur.org. Our mailing address is: WBUR-FM 890 Commonwealth AveBoston, MA 02215-1205 [Add us to your address book](