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'Harmless' virus might trigger Parkinson's disease, researchers say
by Dennis Thompson 9/7/25 Medical x press
"HPgV is a common, symptomless infection previously not known to frequently infect the brain," lead researcher Dr. Igor Koralnik, chief of neuroinfectious diseases and global neurology at Northwestern Medicine in Chicago, said in a news release. "We were surprised to find it in the brains of Parkinson's patients at such high frequency and not in the controls."
Lesotho declares state of disaster amid US tariff uncertainty
by Khanyisile Ngcobo 9/7/25 BBC NEWS
Lesotho has declared a national state of disaster over the country's "high rates of youth unemployment and job losses" as uncertainty over US tariffs hits the landlocked nation.
Climate change and aerosol pollution made drought inevitable in the US Southwest: Study
by Sharon Udasin 7/9/25 THE HILL
The combined effects of climate change and air pollution have led to direct declines in precipitation in the U.S. Southwest, making drought inevitable, a new study has shown.
Climate change poses mounting threat to India’s data centres, warns global report
by PURNIMA SAH 11/7/25 THE HINDU
As global demand for artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and digital services accelerates data centre development, a new report has warned that these critical infrastructures face escalating physical risks from climate change. The 2025 Global Data Centre Physical Climate Risk and Adaptation Report, released by the Cross Dependency Initiative (XDI), offers a comprehensive assessment of climate vulnerabilities across nearly 9,000 operational and planned data centres worldwide.
A look at Pope Francis’ legacy and focus on social justice
by Stephanie Sy 21/4/25 PBS NEWS
Francis' 12-year papacy was a remarkable one, working in service to the church until the very day before he died. He sought to focus more explicitly on social justice, on climate change and addressing the most marginalized in society. But he was also criticized for actions that fell short of his public remarks, undercut commitments or went too far for some Catholics. Stephanie Sy reports.
Right-Wing Campaign to Block Teaching for Social Justice
by Barbara Miner 30/1/25 ZINN EDUCATION PROJECT
Lawmakers in at least 47 states have attempted (and in some cases succeeded) to pass legislation that would require teachers to lie to students about the role of racism, sexism, heterosexism, and oppression throughout U.S. history.
How Catholicism shaped Cesar Chavez’s social justice
by Mario T. Garcia 12/10/23 PBS
There is good reason for this. Chavez occupies a major place in U.S. history. As the leader of the farmworkers’ struggle for unionization and dignity beginning in the 1960s, Chavez accomplished what had never been done. He successfully organized farmworkers—mostly Mexicans and Filipinos—and achieved historic labor contracts with the big growers of California’s San Joaquin Valley. At the same time, Chavez inspired and encouraged the Chicano Movement’s civil rights struggles throughout the Southwest and Midwest.
Equitable Justice
About Equitable Justice & Strategic Initiatives
The National Urban League knows that America has the potential to fulfill its promise of being the land of liberty and justice for all. However, significant work is still required to fully realize a truly equitable nation.
Native American tribes land buybacks start a commercial approach to social justice
In part two of a two-part series, Special Correspondent Kira Kay reports on the Nez Perce tribe and its efforts to regain control of part of the 7.5 million acres of land granted to it by the U.S. government in the mid 19th century. Reclaiming that land, which was almost all taken after the tribe was violently driven away, has meant taking a more commercial approach to social justice.
What do we mean by racial justice?
by Matthew Hatcher 23/11/20 AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
When it comes to human rights, racial justice work means going beyond preventing individual cases of racial discrimination and combating structural oppression. It involves working towards systemic change and solutions, by targeting the root causes of racial oppression as it intersects with patriarchy, colonialism and slavery as well as economic inequality.
To End Systemic Racism, Ensure Systemic Equality
To begin to heal and move toward real racial justice, we must address not only the harms of the past four years, but also the harms tracing back to this country’s origins. Racism has played an active role in the creation of our systems of education, health care, ownership, and employment, and virtually every other facet of life since this nation’s founding.
The long history of racism against Asian Americans in the U.S.
by Adrian De Leon 9/4/20 PBS NEWS
In the face of rising anti-Asian racist actions – now at about 100 reported cases per day – Yang implores Asian Americans to “wear red, white, and blue” in their efforts to combat the virus.
Racism by Design: The Building of Interstate 81
by Jay A. Fernandez 10/8/23 ACLU
The United States' interstate highway system is structural racism in action: an intentional government program that damaged Black lives and communities for generations.
9 ways racism impacts maternal health
by Roberta K. Timothy 12/5/19 PBS NEWS
The struggle for our maternal health and motherhood includes daily resistance against anti-Black racism, anti-indigeneity, sexism, classism and other forms of intersectional violence.
Celebrate Women’s Suffrage, but Don't Whitewash the Movement's Racism
by Tammy L. Brown 24/8/18 ACLU
My 94-year-old great-aunt, Paralee Wilmer — we call her Aunty Lee — voted for the first time after moving to Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1944. Born to no-nonsense, small farmers in Millers Ferry, Alabama, and the youngest daughter of 12 children, Aunty Lee was one among many African Americans who moved from the South to the North in search of better job opportunities and greater freedoms during the The Great Migration. These freedoms included the right to vote without intimidation or any other hindrance.
Visualizing the Racial Wealth Gap
Homeownership has been one of the most effective ways that Americans build wealth, which can be passed down from generation to generation. And although equal access to housing is a civil right, systemic racism within our housing institutions has long kept communities of color from accessing fair housing opportunities.
To Address Systemic Racism, We Must Dismantle Housing Discrimination and Segregation
by Jennifer Bellamy 4/5/21 ACLU
The Fair Housing Act of 1968 was a key part of Congress’ response to a report commissioned by President Johnson to investigate civil unrest in Black and Brown communities between 1965 and 1967. The Kerner Commission’s report warned Congress that “America is dividing into two societies, Black and White, separate and unequal.”
How infrastructure has historically promoted inequality
by Candice Norwood 23/4/21 PBS NEW
It’s no secret that U.S. infrastructure is struggling. This year’s report from the American Society of Civil Engineers gave the country a C-, citing public roadways in “poor or mediocre” condition, “structurally deficient” bridges and aging power grids.
=====As U.N. Report Sounds Alarm on Environmental Racism in Cancer Alley, Community Faces Further Pollution with Proposed Grain Elevator
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by ACLU of Louisiana 3/3/21 ACLU
NEW ORLEANS – With international human rights experts sounding the alarm over environmental racism in Louisiana’s Cancer Alley, the ACLU of Louisiana is joining other grassroots organizations in opposing proposed construction of a new grain terminal in St. John the Baptist Parish. The proposed Greenfield Louisiana project, which would involve clearing land and building a grain elevator, poses life threatening health and safety consequences to residents of an area so polluted by oil refineries, petrochemical plants, and waste dumps that it is now known as “Cancer Alley.”
How this poet shows the way ‘racism hits the body’
by Courtney Vinapal 29/7/20 PBS NEWS
In her book “Citizen,” the poet Claudia Rankine aims to show readers how Black people experience racism in their everyday lives. And to help tell that story, she reached out to visual artists.
How social media is helping students of color speak out about racism on campus
Christian Pena 8/9/20 PBS NEWS
On social media, students are sharing their experiences at predominantly white institutions (PWIs), calling for the end of the implicit and explicit racial biases they face, and demanding accountability from administrators. To some, accountability means sparking discussions about race and the inequalities present in college. For others, it means that students who act in racist ways would face consequences such as suspension, having their Greek organization closed, or even expulsion from the institution.
France’s Anti-Racism Action Plan Ignores Institutional Racism
by AlmazTeffera 6/2/23 HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH
On January 30, French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne launched the National Plan Combating Racism, Antisemitism and Discrimination Linked to Origin 2023-2026. While this new action plan on racism is welcome, it leaves huge gaps.
How Artificial Intelligence Can Deepen Racial and Economic Inequities
Proponents of expanding the use of artificial intelligence (AI) often point to its potential to stimulate economic growth — increased productivity at lower costs, a higher GDP per capita, and job creation have all been touted as possible benefits.
What 100 Years of History Tells Us About Racism in Policing
In the middle of the 2020 pandemic, America was shaken by the murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, and the protests that erupted in the aftermath. But the disturbing trends we see today in police violence are the same patterns we’ve seen over the last 100 years. Again and again, commissions convened to examine why police brutality sparks unrest have come to the same conclusion: We must address the poverty and systemic racism that go hand in hand with policing communities of color.
Exploring the Impact of Racism on the Health of Communities of Color
by National Urban League 27/10/20
The virtual series that accompanied the release of the National Urban League’s 2020 State of Black America Report included a panel on the dual pandemics of racism and COVID-19, where public health experts and activists discussed the unique set of circumstances Black Americans face while confronting systemic racism and the novel coronavirus. This briefing continues that conversation with a panel that builds the case for why racism should be addressed as a public health crisis, what power such declarations hold, and what actions should accompany them.
Dominican Republic: The fight against racism must be respected and protected by the authorities
by AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL 26/3/25
“The authorities must act decisively in the face of the increasing threats against those defending the human rights of Haitian migrants, Dominicans of Haitian descent affected by statelessness and Afro-descendants. Failure to do so could result in physical violence and the permanent silencing of a part of Dominican civil society.”
Tunisia: President’s racist speech incites a wave of violence against Black Africans
by Yassine Gaidi 10/3/23 AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
Tunisian authorities should ensure an immediate end to the wave of attacks against Black African migrants across Tunisia which started in early February and accelerated following racist and xenophobic comments made by President Kais Saied on 21 February, Amnesty International said today.
Europe's illegal pesticide trade surges as farmers cut costs
by Karolina Tagaris 10/7/25 Reuters
THESSALY, Greece, July 10 (Reuters) - As the cost of spraying crops with pesticides becomes increasingly expensive, farmers in Greece's agricultural heartland have turned to a cheaper alternative: liquids in unlabeled plastic bottles smuggled over land and sea.
Models of electoral system change
by Kenneth Benoit 9/04 ScienceDirect
Electoral systems are commonly treated as exogenous determinants of political party systems, yet our theoretical understanding remains limited as to how these institutions themselves are determined. Part of the problem lies with the subject matter itself: electoral system change is frequently idiosyncratic, often occurring during episodes of exceptional political change. Yet another aspect of the problem is that explanations of electoral system change frequently occur piecemeal in application to specific cases, without systematic or comparative development.
Proportionality, disproportionality and electoral systems
by Michael Gallagher 3/91 ScienceDirect
Different PR methods should be seen not as being more proportional or less proportional than each other but as embodying different ideas as to what maximizing proportionality means and, by extension, what minimizing disproportionality means. Each of the main methods of PR (d'Hondt, Sainte-Laguë, largest remainders) generates its own index of proportionality and, thus, its own way of measuring disproportionality. Applying these indices to competitive elections of the period 1979–1989 shows a high correlation between the rankings produced by the various methods, but the ordering of countries is sufficiently different to require a choice to be made between the indices.
Women’s representation in politics: The effect of electoral systems
by Martin Gonzalez 6/21 ScienceDirect
Women are underrepresented in politics. For example, they hold only 25% of legislative seats in national assemblies.1 This situation has attracted much attention in the media and in the academic literature. Perhaps the most important reason behind this interest is that having women in public office may have an impact on policy.2 In addition, women in public office may serve as role models, improving women’s self-confidence and affecting attitudes towards them both within politics and in society at large (Beaman et al., 2009, Beaman et al., 2012).
The Electoral Sweet Spot: Low-Magnitude Proportional Electoral Systems
[https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1540-5907.2010.00495.x by John M Carey 1/2/11 AJPS
A glance at the electoral systems of new democracies, or reforms to electoral systems in established democracies, suggests that electoral engineers regularly seek to soften the representation-accountability trade-off and achieve both objectives. For example, some electoral systems have small multimember districts, others have high legal thresholds below which parties cannot win seats, while others have “parallel” mixed-member systems, where the PR seats do not compensate for disproportional outcomes in the single-member seats. These types of systems sacrifice pure proportionality for the specific purpose of increasing accountability.
Elusive indeed – The mechanical versus psychological effects of electoral rules at the district level
by Philipp Harfst 6/18 ScienceDirect
While electoral research has become one of political science’s most fertile areas, to date no empirical contribution has addressed the three mechanisms of the electoral chain – strategic entry, strategic voting, and the electoral system’s mechanical effect – in a unified analytical framework. This paper addresses this shortcoming by analysing the effect of electoral systems on party system size, accounting for all three mechanisms. Our study yields three major findings drawing on constituency-level data covering 462 electoral districts in Finland and Portugal between 1962 and 2011.
=====The political consequences of the electoral system in the Republic of Ireland Author links open overlay panel
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by Michael Gallagher 12/86 ScienceDirect
The single transferable vote electoral system, popular with many electoral reformers, has been used for parliamentary elections in the Republic of Ireland since 1922. Examination of its impact shows that it has delivered as high a degree of proportionality as most PR systems despite the unavoidable use of relatively small district magnitudes. It has not produced either a fragmented party system or unstable governments. Critics have blamed it for contributing to a weak parliament, but these criticisms remain unproven. Suggestions are made for the wider use of STV, especially in countries currently employing preferential list systems.
The best of both worlds? The Danish electoral system 1915–20 in a comparative perspective
by Jorgen Elklit 3/9/92 ScienceDirect
The Danish 1915–1920 Lower House electoral system combined a traditional plurality system and a PR system with multi-stage compensatory seats in two provincial regions, and closed party list PR in the third, metropolitan, region. This complex system is presented and its effects on the distribution of seats in the Folketing are analysed. It was an early—and now neglected—case of personalized PR which calls for comparisons with later cases of this kind of electoral system, notably the post-1949 German electoral system and the 1990 electoral systems in Hungary and Bulgaria. In order to assess if such comparisons are appropriate, the paper also asks if these four electoral systems are genuine ‘mixed’ systems or PR systems in disguise.
Who controls the wealth? Electoral system design and ethnic war in resource-rich countries
by Natasha S. Neudorfer 9/14 ScienceDirect
Given that both natural resource wealth and electoral system design are frequently investigated factors in the civil wars literature (see e.g. Fearon and Laitin, 2003, Fjelde, 2009, Horowitz, 2002, Reilly, 2001), it is surprising that there is no well-known study which explicitly considers the interaction effect between these two factors on the risk of violent ethnic conflict. We seek to fill this gap in the academic debate by highlighting the impact of electoral systems for the legislature on the risk of ethnic civil war in resource-rich countries
Democratic electoral systems around the world, 1946–2000
by Matt Golder 1/3/05 Science Direct
This article describes a new data set that covers the electoral institutions used in all of the democratic legislative and presidential elections in 199 countries between 1946 (or independence) and 2000. A clear and consistent classification of the electoral institutions used in these elections is followed by a concise geographical and temporal analysis. The worldwide focus of the data set reveals several striking patterns. For example, there have been almost as many elections under dictatorship as there have been under democracy. Other patterns include the fact that presidential regimes nearly always employ proportional electoral formulas, absolute majority rule has become the worldwide norm for electing presidents, and non-majoritarian systems have become more complex due to the increasing use of multiple tiers and mixed electoral formulas.
Public support for electoral reform: The role of electoral system experience
by Abigail L. Heller 8/21 Science Direct
What affects citizen preferences about electoral rules and under what conditions will they support changes to those rules? These questions are critical because in established democracies, citizens increasingly directly influence electoral rules through initiatives or referenda. For example, in New Zealand in 1993, voters overrode the preferences of political elites in two referenda, leading to the introduction of a mixed member proportional (MMP) system for national legislative elections (Vowles 2005).
Can We Fire the Electoral College? Probably Not, but We Can Put It Under New Management
by Susan N. Herman 19/12/16 ACLU
The electors of the Electoral College met this afternoon in their respective states and anointed as president the candidate who won the popular vote in a larger number of states — Donald Trump — regardless of the fact that another candidate — Hillary Clinton — won the larger number of votes by several million.
The voting system we use can determine the winner. Here's how
by Hannah aaaaaaaaaaachinn 5/11/24 npr
It's Election Day in the United States! Across the nation, millions of ballots are being cast. But what would happen if the rules of our electoral system were changed?
1970s Backlash: Counter-Revenge in Plain Sight
The 1960s upended longstanding norms around race, gender, sexuality, war, and authority. Civil rights legislation, feminist demands, sexual freedom, environmental activism, youth rebellion, antiwar protests, and increased government programs for the marginalized challenged traditional hierarchies. While these movements energized progressives and the marginalized, they also unsettled millions of Americans who felt left behind or disoriented. For them, the 1960s were not an era of liberation, but one of moral collapse, lawlessness, and cultural decline.
Enduring confusion is the only certainty amid Trump’s latest tariff threats
by Heather Stewart 11/7/25 The Guardian
“There has been no change to this date, and there will be no change,” Donald Trump said on his Truth Social platform this week. “All money will be due and payable starting AUGUST 1, 2025 – no extensions will be granted.”
How extreme rainfall in New Mexico is linked to wildfires
by James Michelin 11/7/25 The Guardian
In the town of Ruidoso, 35 homes were swept away and three people died. The National Weather Service attributed the extreme event to the wildfires that devastated the same area in 2024.
Is Lebanon’s New Electoral System a Path Out of Sectarianism?
by Elias Muhanna 29/6/17 THE NEW YORKER
On Friday, June 16th, Lebanon quietly ended one of the longest stretches of government paralysis in post-Second World War history. The parliament met to ratify a new electoral law that will govern national elections next year, nearly a decade after the last parliamentary polls were held. The law’s proponents claim that it will improve representation for the many sects that compose the country’s religiously diverse population.
How does the UK's voting system affect smaller parties?
Winning a healthy share of votes in Thursday's election does not necessarily mean securing a similar proportion of seats in Parliament, smaller parties have complained.
Russian Hacks on U.S. Voting System Wider Than Previously Known
by Michael Riley 13/6/17 Bloomberg
Russia’s cyberattack on the U.S. electoral system before Donald Trump’s election was far more widespread than has been publicly revealed, including incursions into voter databases and software systems in almost twice as many states as previously reported.
Voting Restrictions Are Further Politicizing U.S. Electoral System, Journalist Says
This is FRESH AIR. I'm Terry Gross. My guest, Nick Corasaniti, has been reporting on what he describes as how the Republican Party is attempting to lock in political control for years to come by pushing through new laws to restrict voting access, limit ballot initiatives that could undermine Republican goals and stiffen penalties for poll workers and election officials who make even minor mistakes.
Commentary: Why the Electoral College System Makes Little Sense Today
Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, center, carries a ballot box containing the 12 Massachusetts electoral votes for Vice President Al Gore during the Electoral College voting at the Statehouse Dec. 18, 2000, in Boston. Is the Electoral College system outdated?
AN ISRAELI ELECTORAL SYSTEM THAT FRUSTRATED EVEN BEN-GURION
by The New York Times Archives THE NEW YORK TIMES
This is a digitized version of an article from The Times’s print archive, before the start of online publication in 1996. To preserve these articles as they originally appeared, The Times does not alter, edit or update them.
Occasionally the digitization process introduces transcription errors or other problems; we are continuing to work to improve these archived versions.
Here’s how US presidents get elected (it’s not by winning the most votes)
by John Letzing 1/10/20 WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM
The Electoral College is a mostly winner-take-all system that delivers a set number of electoral votes per state to the winner of the popular vote there. That set number is based on a state’s headcount in Congress – the minimum is three (as in Alaska and Wyoming, for example), and the maximum is 55 (California). There are 538 in total, and 270 are needed to win.
How to Fix America’s Confusing Voting System
by Aliyya Swaby 12/9/22 PROPUBLICA
Faye Combs used to enter the voting booth with trepidation. Unable to read until she was in her 40s, she would struggle to decipher the words on the ballot, intimidated by how quickly the people around her finished and departed.
=====voting system failures: a d ata b a s e s o l u t i o n ===== by Lawrence Norden BRENNAN CENTER FOR JUSTICE
The Brennan Center for Justice at New York University School of Law is a non-partisan public policy and law
institute that focuses on fundamental issues of democracy and justice. Our work ranges from voting rights to campaign finance reform, from racial justice in criminal law to presidential power in the fight against terrorism. A singular institution – part think tank, part public interest law firm, part advocacy group – the Brennan Center combines scholarship, legislative and legal advocacy, and communication to win meaningful, measurable change in the public sector.
Could the Electoral College system ever change?
by PBS News Hour 13/11/16 PBS NEWS
President-Elect Donald Trump captured the White House by winning the Electoral College, even as Hillary Clinton won about half a million votes more than Trump. In response, some are calling for a national popular vote to decide the election. Josh Tucker, a politics professor at New York University, joins Alison Stewart to discuss.
=====In Georgia, primary election chaos highlights a voting system deeply flawed Jun 22, 2020 6:35 PM EDT
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by Miles O'Brien 22/6/20 PBS NEWS
Georgia experienced major problems with its voting processes during a primary election earlier in June. People waited in line up to eight hours to cast ballots, and poll workers struggled with new machines on which they hadn’t been trained due to the pandemic. What do Georgia’s election issues mean for other state primaries -- and for American democracy more broadly?
The real reason we have an Electoral College: to protect slave states
There’s too much news and too little context. At Vox, we’ll help you understand what really matters. We report urgently on the most important stories shaping our world, but we also spend time on issues the rest of the media neglects.
Republican bid to alter Nebraska's electoral system to boost Trump stymied
Sept 23 (Reuters) - A last-minute Republican effort to award Nebraska's five Electoral College votes on a winner-take-all basis - a change that would help Donald Trump's odds of winning the White House - appeared doomed on Monday, after a key Republican lawmaker said he opposed the proposal despite lobbying from Trump's allies.
Lebanese candidates push for change in a corrupt electoral system
Lebanon is going through one of the worst economic crises in recent history. Food and fuel prices are way up. Certain medicines are hard to find. Power outages sometimes drag on for days. Tomorrow, voters have a chance to hold the ruling establishment to account in parliamentary elections. But NPR's Arezou Rezvani in Beirut explains, it won't be easy for new candidates to break through a system that's built to keep the same usual parties in charge.
US election: how does the electoral college voting system work?
by Richard Hargy 4/11/24 THE CONVERSATION
On November 5, millions of Americans will cast their votes for president, with the vast majority deciding between Democrat Kamala Harris or Republican Donald Trump. This historic election, however, is not determined by a singular national poll, but rather a state-by-state contest. Many people outside the US, and some inside, do not understand how this complicated system works.
How has the Electoral College survived, despite being perennially unpopular?
A majority of Americans — more than 60% — support abolishing the Electoral College, according to a September report by the Pew Research Center. But the system has survived an unprecedented number of attempts to change it.
Making elephants dance - a guide to Germany's electoral system
by Thomas Escritt 23/9/21 Reuters
BERLIN (Reuters) - Sixty million voters, casting twice as many votes for 47 parties, leading to a parliament that could have anywhere from 700 to as much as 1,000 legislators - the German electoral system is baffling even to Germans.
Fox News settles blockbuster defamation lawsuit with Dominion Voting Systems
by David Folkenflik 18/4/23 npr
Judge Eric Davis of the Delaware Superior Court announced the settlement from the bench on Tuesday afternoon ahead of the trial's scheduled start.
All politicians “game” the system. The question is how?
There’s too much news and too little context. At Vox, we’ll help you understand what really matters. We report urgently on the most important stories shaping our world, but we also spend time on issues the rest of the media neglects.
Election system needs an overhaul, but it's not that easy
by Deborah Charles 8/11/12 Reuters
Election Day problems have become commonplace in the United States in recent general elections. But a comment by President Barack Obama offered a glimmer of hope that problems that have dogged voting for years might finally be addressed.
