Journalism

R. Kelly Has Been Convicted Of Sex Crimes Against Black Women. Why Did It Take Nearly 30 Years?
Journalism

R. Kelly Has Been Convicted Of Sex Crimes Against Black Women. Why Did It Take Nearly 30 Years?

A federal jury found R. Kelly guilty of nine criminal charges related to racketeering and sex trafficking in the first high-profile court case focusing on sexual abuse against Black women and girls since the #MeToo movement began. Candice Norwood Originally published by The 19th It took nearly 30 years, dozens of alleged victims, multiple video recordings, an explosive news investigation, a social media campaign, a documentary and two criminal trials before the singer R. Kelly was convicted of sex crimes. A federal jury this week found Kelly guilty of nine criminal charges related to racketeering and sex trafficking that involved recruiting and grooming young women and girls for sex. The six-week trial marked a significant moment: It’s the first high-profile court case focusing on sexu...
The IRL Presents One Good Scare
Journalism

The IRL Presents One Good Scare

During the month of October The IRL presents "One Good Scare". Starting Friday October 1st. and every Friday thereafter we will present an audio or video horror story from around the web. So check back and don't miss our post.
Is It Ethical To Farm Insects For Food Now That More People Are Eating Bugs
Journalism

Is It Ethical To Farm Insects For Food Now That More People Are Eating Bugs

Matan Shelomi, National Taiwan University What is the life of a cricket worth? Insect farming is a rapidly growing industry, with hundreds of companies worldwide rearing insects at industrial scales. The global value of insect farming is expected to surpass US$1.18 billion by 2023. Farmed insects, or “mini-livestock,” refers to insects such as crickets and mealworms raised for the sole purpose of being sold as food or animal feed. These are not the fried tarantulas on a stick hawked to tourists or scorpion lollipops sold as novelties. High-protein insect powder can be used in foods from breads to buns, pasta and protein bars. Such products are already available in countries including the U.S., Switzerland and Finland. As an entomologist who has studied the potential and promotion of e...
People Under Conservator-Ship Aren’t Free To Marry Who They Want – Even Britney Spears
CELEBRITY NEWS, Journalism

People Under Conservator-Ship Aren’t Free To Marry Who They Want – Even Britney Spears

Disability and marriage have an especially fraught relationship in American history. Sara Luterman Originally published by The 19th On Sunday, Britney Spears announced her engagement to her longtime boyfriend, Sam Asghari. Spears’ Instagram account appears to be on hiatus, but a defiant announcement remains on Asghari’s account – a photo of Spears and Asghari kissing, their faces hidden behind Spears’ outstretched, adorned ring finger. While it might look like an ordinary celebrity announcement, it’s actually much more. Spears is claiming a right stripped of her under her conservator-ship: the right to marry. Conservator-ship is a legal arrangement in which someone, usually a family member, is appointed by a judge to manage the finances or daily life of another person due to incapacit...
Black Women Who Experience Racism Are At Higher Risk For Future Health Problems – Brain Scans Show Trauma-Like Effects
Journalism

Black Women Who Experience Racism Are At Higher Risk For Future Health Problems – Brain Scans Show Trauma-Like Effects

Sierra Carter, Georgia State University The Research Brief is a short take about interesting academic work. The big idea Black women who have experienced more racism throughout their lives have stronger brain responses to threat, which may hurt their long-term health, according to a new study I conducted with clinical neuropsychologist Negar Fani and other colleagues. I am part of a research team that for more than 15 years has studied the ways stress related to trauma exposure can affect the mind and body. In our recent study, we took a closer look at a stressor that Black Americans disproportionately face in the U.S.: racism. My colleagues and I completed research with 55 Black women who reported how much they’d been exposed to traumatic experiences, such as childhood abuse and physic...
According To A New Survey – Black, Hispanic And Asian American Donors Give More To Strangers In Need As Well As Social And Racial Justice Causes
Journalism, SOCIAL JUSTICE

According To A New Survey – Black, Hispanic And Asian American Donors Give More To Strangers In Need As Well As Social And Racial Justice Causes

Wendy Chen, Texas Tech University and Una Osili, IUPUI More than a year after protesters around the world responded to the tragic deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and other people of color, U.S. donors of all backgrounds are still responding to calls for an end to deep-rooted racial inequities. To learn more about these giving patterns, the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy teamed up with the nonpartisan research organization NORC at the University of Chicago to survey 1,535 Americans from Sept. 14 to Oct. 6, 2020. Our survey, which has a margin of sampling error for all respondents of plus or minus 5 percentage points, indicates that giving to racial and social justice is on the rise – especially among donors of color. We highlighted these find...
Tesla Bot Raises Serious Concerns – But Probably Not The Ones You Think
Journalism

Tesla Bot Raises Serious Concerns – But Probably Not The Ones You Think

Elon Musk announced a humanoid robot designed to help with those repetitive, boring tasks people hate doing. Musk suggested it could run to the grocery store for you, but presumably it would handle any number of tasks involving manual labor. Predictably, social media filled with references to a string of dystopian sci-fi movies about robots where everything goes horribly wrong. As troubling as the robot futures in movies like I, Robot, The Terminator and others are, it’s the underlying technologies of real humanoid robots – and the intent behind them – that should be cause for concern. Musk’s robot is being developed by Tesla. It’s a seeming departure from the company’s car-making business, until you consider that Tesla isn’t a typical automotive manufacturer. The so-called “Tesla Bot” ...
For Millions Of Out-Of-Work Americans The Pandemic Hardship Is About To Get A Lot Worse
Journalism, SOCIETY, WORK

For Millions Of Out-Of-Work Americans The Pandemic Hardship Is About To Get A Lot Worse

WORK Jeffrey Kucik, University of Arizona and Don Leonard, The Ohio State University Millions of unemployed Americans are set to lose pandemic-related jobless benefits after Labor Day – just as surging cases of coronavirus slow the pace of hiring. In all, an estimated 8.8 million people will stop receiving unemployment insurance beginning on Sept. 6, 2021. An additional 4.5 million will no longer get the extra US$300 a week the federal government has been providing to supplement state benefits. But with the pandemic still raging thanks to the rise of the delta variant, particularly in Southern states, the expiration of these benefits seems ill-timed. While some claim that the aid is no longer needed and doing more harm than good, we believe that the data tell another story. Benefits lo...
Instead Of Sitting Still At Their Desks – Students Learn Better When They Move Their Bodies
EDUCATION, Journalism

Instead Of Sitting Still At Their Desks – Students Learn Better When They Move Their Bodies

Education Katie Headrick Taylor, University of Washington My son’s kindergarten teachers, holding class on Zoom last year, instructed: “Eyes watching, ears listening, voices quiet, bodies still.” However, I noticed my 6-year-old’s hands would stay busy with items found around our house, building with Legos, shaping clay or doodling with a crayon. While some might describe this child as being “off task,” research suggests his manipulation of materials actually aroused his mind, allowing it to focus on the required task. As a parent of two school-aged children and a professor and researcher of learning with technology, I believe current models of remote education are inefficient for learning, teaching and productivity. That’s because sitting in front of a computer screen subdues, or com...
Our Children Are Being Suspended For Petty Reasons – Forcing Black Parents To Take Off From Work And Sometimes Lose Their Jobs
Journalism

Our Children Are Being Suspended For Petty Reasons – Forcing Black Parents To Take Off From Work And Sometimes Lose Their Jobs

Journalism Charles Bell, Illinois State University When “Mike,” the father of a ninth grade student, got a call from his daughter’s school, the first thing he asked was: “How important is this?” “They said, ‘Well, it’s important,’” Mike told me during an interview for my research. When Mike went to his daughter’s school to see what was the problem, school officials told him his daughter was being suspended for giving a boy a hug. He ended up missing out on some of his hourly wages to deal with the situation. “I was like, ‘Nah. Not only am I missing out on some hours at work, I’m missing out on some important meetings, and also commitments that I have made, to come up here and talk about suspensions, a five-day suspension for giving somebody a hug,” Mike told me. “That’s one of the thi...