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River diversions are a proven option for rebuilding Louisiana’s vanishing coast
A new year is upon is, one full of new promise and possibilities, and hopefully an end to the pandemic. Mardi Gras is right around the corner, and we are ready to celebrate! We don’t have to worry about the potential for damaging winds, storm surge and floodwaters for months. Right? Well, not quite. Many […]
What Kwanzaa means for Black Americans
Frank Dobson, Vanderbilt University for The Conversation On Dec. 26, millions throughout the world’s African community will start weeklong celebrations of Kwanzaa. There will be daily ceremonies with food, decorations and other cultural objects, such as the kinara, which holds seven candles. At many Kwanzaa ceremonies, there is also African drumming and dancing. It is […]
‘Crisis standards of care’ involve excruciating choices, ethical decisions for hospital staff
Matthew Wynia, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus for The Conversation The Conversation is running a series of dispatches from clinicians and researchers operating on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic. You can find all of the stories here. As the omicron variant brings a new wave of uncertainty and fear, I can’t help reflecting […]
The U.S. is making plans to replace all of its lead water pipes from coast to coast
Gabriel Filippelli, IUPUI for The Conversation The Biden administration has released a plan to accelerate removal of lead water pipes and lead paint from U.S. homes. As a geochemist and environmental health researcher who has studied the heartbreaking impacts of lead poisoning in children for decades, I am happy to see high-level attention paid to this […]
Is Santa’s sleigh zero carbon? The answer lies in reindeer poo
Mike Jeffries, Northumbria University, Newcastle for The Conversation Santa’s sleigh is famously pulled by eight reindeer, nine if you include the luminous Rudolf who pitches in when it’s foggy. The classic eight are Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Vixen and Blitzen. Those last two are an easy-on-the-ear translation of Dutch, but the whole eight sound […]
ProPublica: How one Louisiana billionaire avoided paying federal income tax
This story was written by Jesse Eisinger, Paul Kiel and Jeff Ernsthausen. It was originally published by ProPublica. After the Deepwater Horizon offshore drilling rig exploded in 2010, environmentalists surveying the damage in the Gulf of Mexico came upon a mystery. The water had oil slicks that, because of the currents, couldn’t have originated from […]
LSU lab helps law enforcement solve missing persons cases
This story was written by Annalise Vidrine and Shelly Kleinpeter for LSU Manship News Service and the LSU Cold Case Project. “Can you get me the bone lady?” Since the 1980s, law enforcement officials from across Louisiana have called LSU for help in identifying human remains and finding missing people. This earned Mary Manhein the […]
KKK may have been involved in Louisiana man’s disappearance six decades ago
This story was written by Claire Sullivan and Eternity Honore for the LSU Manship School News Service. Six decades after a Louisiana man’s disappearance and presumed murder, his family is still looking for answers and a body to bury. Carl Ray Thompson, then 26, spotted his cousin’s two-toned Buick on the side of the Ferriday-Vidalia […]
Pfizer’s vaccine for children: A pediatrician explains how it was tested for safety and efficacy
By Debbie-Ann Shirley, University of Virginia Editor’s note: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration have granted approval to Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 5 to 11. Elementary school children in the United States will soon have one more layer of protection to keep them safe from COVID-19. […]
Commentary: Racial discrimination is linked to suicidal thoughts in Black adults and children
By Janelle R. Goodwill of the University of Chicago for The Conversation Frederick Douglass is regarded as one of the most prominent abolitionists the world has ever seen. Alongside his extraordinary contributions as an influential speaker, writer and human rights advocate, Douglass – who was born into slavery and gained freedom in September 1838 – also wrote […]
Flu season paired with COVID-19 increases threat of a ‘twindemic’
By Mark S. Roberts and Richard K. Zimmerman of the University of Pittsburgh for The Conversation As winter looms and hospitals across the U.S. continue to be deluged with severe cases of COVID-19, flu season presents a particularly ominous threat this year. We are researchers with expertise in vaccination policy and mathematical modeling of infectious disease. Our […]
Commentary: Poverty got worse in 2020 as many low-wage workers took the brunt of the economic blows
By Elena Delavega, University of Memphis Poverty in the U.S. increased in 2020 as the coronavirus pandemic hammered the economy and unemployment soared. Those at the bottom of the economic ladder were hit hardest, new figures confirm, suggesting that the recession may have widened the gap between the rich and the poor. The share of […]