Notices by The Conversation U.S. (theconversationus@newsie.social)

As #HurricaneHelene unleashed its fury across the Southeast, toxic pollutants being released into floodwaters added to the dangers. We know from past storms, these spills have a devastating impact on health and the environment.

Circles here ⬇️ indicate sites from the EPA’s 2022 Toxic Release Inventory within Helene’s impact zone:
https://theconversation.com/in-storms-like-hurricane-helene-flooded-industrial-sites-and-toxic-chemical-releases-are-a-silent-and-growing-threat-239977

H5N1 avian flu has infected dairy cows in 13 states, with 192 herds confirmed positive. The virus is mutating to infect new hosts and has sickened farmworkers in Colorado.

https://theconversation.com/avian-flu-has-infected-dairy-cows-in-more-than-a-dozen-states-a-microbiologist-explains-how-the-virus-is-spreading-235526
#birdflu #science #health #news

“As officers’ pay went up in cities with police unions, more Black Americans died from police actions. This phenomenon didn’t happen for white Americans.”

https://theconversation.com/for-black-americans-higher-police-pay-doesnt-always-mean-fewer-violent-confrontations-as-it-does-for-other-racial-groups-234258
#BlackMastodon @blackmastodon #criminaljustice

Few Americans know what happened 75 years ago today in the small town of Peekskill, NY. The KKK and anti-communists teamed up to try to silence a folk concert fundraiser for the Civil Rights movement.

It marked a significant turning point in the post-World War II era, raised the stakes in the coming anti-communist Red Scare, and showed how the destructive power of hatred can gain legitimacy in a time of political turmoil.

https://theconversation.com/Peekskill-236094

#Histodons @histodons #politics #music

All for free speech – but not on THAT topic.

Research shows that large majorities of Americans passionately uphold free speech as a cornerstone of democracy, but fewer of them are supportive of free speech when asked about specific controversial speakers or topics. That has been the pattern for decades.

https://theconversation.com/americans-love-free-speech-survey-finds-until-they-realize-everyone-else-has-it-too-234884
#FreeSpeech #USPolitics #Election #research

Younger voters are rallying for Kamala on social media, but will they actually cast their vote in November?

If they did, they could decide the 2024 election.

https://theconversation.com/most-young-voters-support-kamala-harris-but-that-doesnt-guarantee-they-will-show-up-at-the-polls-236468
#USPolitics #Election2024

Many countries are trying to counter population decline, but most of what is being done mainly serves to make rich people richer.

“Those who deny racist, nativist or religious intentions in promoting pronatalism – especially in the U.S. – usually advocate for it on economic grounds.”
https://theconversation.com/the-problem-with-pronatalism-pushing-baby-booms-to-boost-economic-growth-amounts-to-a-ponzi-scheme-235725
#economy

Curators from the Smithsonian will be diving for balloons, scooping up signs and hoping to score some hot dish at the #DNC this week.

We talked to three of them about how they select items to be used in the future to explain what's going on now (republished on @medium) https://medium.com/@ConversationUS/how-smithsonian-curators-scavenge-political-conventions-to-explain-the-present-to-the-future-d90a8cb99f80 #News #USPolitics #DNC2024 @histodons

JD Vance has proclaimed that poor people are “my people,” but his poverty credentials are slim, and he often leans into what this scholar calls “poornography” – spreading harmful stereotypes about (actual) poor people.

https://theconversation.com/jd-vance-is-no-pauper-hes-a-classic-example-of-poornography-in-which-the-rich-try-to-speak-on-behalf-of-the-poor-236209
#JDVance #USPolitics #News

“If Democrats truly want to make this election about democracy, they might start by looking at the recent trends in their own house.”

Since #KamalaHarris wasn’t on the primary ticket for voters, delegates choosing her as the nominee is undemocratic, and follows on a long history of party leaders not trusting their voters, writes a political scientist:

https://theconversation.com/democratic-partys-choice-of-harris-was-undemocratic-and-the-latest-evidence-of-party-leaders-distrusting-party-voters-236002
#Election2024 #News #USPolitics

“As a professor of American studies with a focus on race and politics, I know that Black women in the U.S. have a history of struggle against violence and oppression. And too often when we experience joy, and show it, ridicule follows.”

https://theconversation.com/harris-brings-joy-to-the-presidential-campaign-and-gop-mockery-of-laughing-kamala-is-nothing-new-to-black-women-235564
#BlackMastodon @blackmastodon #Election #Election2024 #KamalaHarris

A symbol of injustice and solidarity with the oppressed:

The searing testament of "Strange Fruit," Billie Holiday's song that remains alive 65 years after her death.
https://theconversation.com/decades-after-billie-holidays-death-strange-fruit-is-still-a-searing-testament-to-injustice-and-of-faithful-solidarity-with-suffering-219463
#CivilRights #Music #Histodons @histodons #BlackMastodon @blackmastodon

Can we tackle #climatechange without fully believing in it? The medical history of germ theory gives hope that we can.

Many people -- even doctors -- in the 19th century were germ skeptics: they just didn't believe these new theories of tiny, invisible germs that could cause disease, whatever scientists said. But these doctors adopted public health measures because they worked, and reduced deadly diseases like cholera and tuberculosis.
https://theconversation.com/can-humanity-address-climate-change-without-believing-it-230936
#Histodons @histodons

Federal money is pouring into cities to replace potentially harmful lead water pipes.

But are the replacements really better? Here’s why cheap plastic pipes can carry their own risks.
https://theconversation.com/lead-water-pipes-created-a-health-disaster-in-flint-but-replacing-them-with-cheaper-plastic-as-some-cities-are-doing-carries-hidden-costs-232252
#health #environment

Big stars can earn six-figure paychecks these days for their work in videogames – but the starting rate is $902. And earning even that 3-figure paycheck is endangered by #AI.

SAG-AFTRA is now on strike against the major #gaming studios over these issues:
https://theconversation.com/video-game-performers-are-becoming-hollywood-stars-in-their-own-right-and-are-on-strike-to-be-paid-and-protected-accordingly-235574

No, you don’t need to be drinking raw milk.

Raw (also known as unpasteurized) milk can contain a variety of disease-causing pathogens, as shown by numerous scientific studies – and the risks have only risen with bird flu spreading across dairy farms.

#health #food #farming

Just like a constant fast food isn’t good for you, AI answers like Google’s new AI-assisted preview for searches can’t satisfy or fulfill your information needs.

There are better ways to find trustworthy information.

Concerned about privacy? Check out DuckDuckGo, Startpage and Swisscows.

If you really want AI-generated answers, try You .com and Komo, which provide more transparency about the data they collect about you to improve their AI.

https://theconversation.com/ai-search-answers-are-the-fast-food-of-your-information-diet-convenient-and-tasty-but-no-substitute-for-good-nutrition-230759
#technology #AI

161 years ago, more than 50,000 Americans died in the Battle of Gettysburg.

In the 21st century, residents of formerly Confederate states express greater support for political violence (even after adjusting for partisanship, race, gender & more).

https://theconversation.com/americans-in-former-confederate-states-more-likely-to-say-violent-protest-against-government-is-justified-160-years-after-gettysburg-208425
#USPolitics #Histodons @histodons

#OTD 60 years ago, LBJ signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 with MLK there to celebrate.

The political achievement was also a reminder that money talks:

Economic boycotts in cities like Birmingham and Nashville played a crucial role. During 5 weeks of boycotts, Birmingham businesses had lost millions in sales. Business owners soon mobilized, dragging along politicians, school administrators, law enforcement.

https://theconversation.com/black-economic-boycotts-of-the-civil-rights-era-still-offer-lessons-on-how-to-achieve-a-just-society-228057

#BlackMastodon @blackmastodon #Histodons @histodons

The song ‘Born in the USA’ has been used in iconic – and ironic – ways.

An example is in 1984, when Ronald Reagan used the song in his reelection and announced that Bruce Springsteen and him shared the same American dream. The Boss vehemently disagreed.

https://theconversation.com/born-in-the-usa-turns-40-and-still-remains-one-of-bruce-springsteens-most-misunderstood-songs-228348
#Histodons @histodons #Music