Pandemic laid many college sports teams to rest

+ people who live in airports, shorebird migration ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

When it comes to assessing the economic impact of COVID-19, the focus is often on businesses and jobs. But as noted by Molly Ott and Janet Lawrence, higher education researchers at Arizona State University and the University of Michigan, respectively, the economic fallout from the pandemic has also shut down hundreds of college sports teams. More than just entertainment, college sports offer a chance for student athletes to go pro. For others, Ott and Lawrence observe how college sports teams serve a variety of functions that transcend what takes place on the fields in front of fans.

Also today:

Jamaal Abdul-Alim

Education Editor

Over 5,000 student-athletes were directly affected by a recent wave of shutdowns of intercollegiate sports teams. Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Colleges are eliminating sports teams – and runners and golfers are paying more of a price than football or basketball players

Molly Ott, Arizona State University; Janet Lawrence, University of Michigan

Shutting down sports teams can save schools millions of dollars but create longer-term challenges for enrollment, fundraising and campus life.

Ethics + Religion
Pope’s upcoming visit brings attention to the dwindling population of Christians in Iraq Ramazan Kılınç, University of Nebraska Omaha The events that followed the 2003 US invasion of Iraq started a cycle of violence against the country's minority Christian population. The pope's visit is meant to bring some 'healing and comfort.'

Politics + Society

Why repressive Saudi Arabia remains a US ally

Jeffrey Fields, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences

Saudi's crown prince approved the killing and dismemberment of a Washington Post columnist in 2018, the Biden administration says. So how can the US still see the Saudis as good partners?
Forcibly sterilized during Fujimori dictatorship, thousands of Peruvian women demand justice

Ñusta Carranza Ko, University of Baltimore

Forced sterilization of Indigenous women was a covert part of 'family planning' under Fujimori. Over 200,000 Peruvians underwent tubal ligations between 1996 and 2001 – many without their consent.
News organizations that want journalists to engage with their audience may be setting them up for abuse

Jacob L. Nelson, Arizona State University

News organizations are in low repute. To enhance their credibility, they've encouraged interaction between their journalists and audience members. Is that the best way to build the public's trust?
Most US states don’t have a filibuster – nor do many democratic countries

Joshua Holzer, Westminster College

The US system was designed with more checks and balances than many other successful democracies – the filibuster's main function is to give undue power to a vocal minority.

Environment + Energy
Scientist at work: Tracking the epic journeys of migratory birds in northwest Mexico Julián García Walther, University of South Carolina In northwest Mexico, biologists are building a network of radio towers to track how individual migratory birds move among important wetland areas.

Economy + Business
Elizabeth Warren’s wealth tax would reduce inequality – the problem is it’s probably unconstitutional Beverly Moran, Vanderbilt University Economists estimate the tax on households worth over $50 million could bring in $3 trillion over 10 years, but it will run into constitutional challenges.

Arts + Culture
How some people can end up living at airports for months – even years – at a time Janet Bednarek, University of Dayton Some do so of their own accord, using airport amenities to meet their basic needs. Others, however, would rather be anywhere else – and find themselves at the mercy of bureaucratic wrangling.

Health
Two gaps to fill for the 2021-2022 winter wave of COVID-19 cases Maciej F. Boni, Penn State The US was not ready for the coronavirus pandemic in 2020. What can public health leaders and policymakers do to make sure we don't face another winter of rampant disease?

Trending on site

How does the Johnson & Johnson vaccine compare to other coronavirus vaccines? 4 questions answered

Maureen Ferran, Rochester Institute of Technology

The Johnson & Johnson vaccine is different from the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines in a few important ways that could make it a huge help to global vaccination efforts.
Can vaccinated people still spread the coronavirus?

Deborah Fuller, University of Washington

You've been vaccinated; can you now safely see your friends and family? New research hints that vaccinated people may be less likely to transmit the coronavirus, but they are not 100% in the clear.
Women of color spend more than $8 billion on bleaching creams worldwide every year

Ronald Hall, Michigan State University

Fair skin as a beauty ideal underpins the global bleach cream industry – valued at $8.6 billion. There is a nascent backlash against the practice, which endangers health and can perpetuate racism.

How are we doing?

Tuesday, March 2, 2021

We'd love your feedback on The Conversation US ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

Why you need to keep your vaccination card safe

Tuesday, March 2, 2021

+ QAnon and the Great Disappointment ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

Join us on March 17 for an important conversation with Ernest Freeberg on his latest book, A Traitor to His Species: Henry Bergh and the Birth of the Animal Rights Movement

Tuesday, March 2, 2021

A friend to every friendless beast: The lone man behind the radical idea of animal rights ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

Pandemic laid many college sports teams to rest

Colleges are eliminating sports teams – and runners and golfers are paying more of a price than football or basketball players

Ethics + Religion

Pope’s upcoming visit brings attention to the dwindling population of Christians in Iraq

Politics + Society

Why repressive Saudi Arabia remains a US ally

Forcibly sterilized during Fujimori dictatorship, thousands of Peruvian women demand justice

News organizations that want journalists to engage with their audience may be setting them up for abuse

Most US states don’t have a filibuster – nor do many democratic countries

Environment + Energy

Scientist at work: Tracking the epic journeys of migratory birds in northwest Mexico

Economy + Business

Elizabeth Warren’s wealth tax would reduce inequality – the problem is it’s probably unconstitutional

Arts + Culture

How some people can end up living at airports for months – even years – at a time

Health

Two gaps to fill for the 2021-2022 winter wave of COVID-19 cases

Trending on site

How does the Johnson & Johnson vaccine compare to other coronavirus vaccines? 4 questions answered

Can vaccinated people still spread the coronavirus?

Women of color spend more than $8 billion on bleaching creams worldwide every year

Older messages

How are we doing?

Why you need to keep your vaccination card safe

Join us on March 17 for an important conversation with Ernest Freeberg on his latest book, A Traitor to His Species: Henry Bergh and the Birth of the Animal Rights Movement

How Congress can avoid the next minimum-wage showdown

Is Clubhouse a fad or here to stay?

You Might Also Like

What A Day: Scared of his own shadow war

What’s Happening in the Trump Hush-Money Trial?

The best app to secure your online accounts

Your Two-Day Sale Sneak Peek Is Here

Tuesday Briefing: Donald Trump’s trial begins

Out of the Shadows

Industrial cybersecurity startup opens Seattle office | OpenAI taps AWS leader to lead new Japan office

☕ AI can’t quit you

☕ Feeling (No.) 22

Iran's attack on Israel.