Monday, December 30

Tag: essential

E-Cigarettes Get FDA Approval: Essential Reads On The Harms And Benefits Of Vaping
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LIFESTYLE

E-Cigarettes Get FDA Approval: Essential Reads On The Harms And Benefits Of Vaping

Matt Williams, The Conversation After being on the U.S. market for around 15 years, an e-cigarette has, for the first time, been authorized for sale by the Food and Drug Administration. The government agency announced on Oct. 12, 2021, that three products from the vaping company Vuse had been given the green light to be marketed, along with one device in which the approved cartridges are placed. Although limited in scope – the authorization only relates to tobacco-flavored e-cigarettes and not the wider range of flavors that critics say are aimed at younger consumers – the move by the FDA is seen as a major development for the vaping industry. Many manufacturers of e-cigarettes are currently in a state of limbo, with their products still awaiting official authorization. The FDA said th...
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Essential Reads: The Catholic Church Sex Abuse Crisis
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IN OTHER NEWS

Essential Reads: The Catholic Church Sex Abuse Crisis

Molly Jackson, The Conversation Revelations about sexual abuse in the Catholic Church have been emerging for decades. But in the seemingly never-ending stream of investigations and accusations, some stand out. That will likely be true of the report released Oct. 5, 2021, which estimates that more than 200,000 children have been abused by clergy in France since 1950. The authors of the French study spent three years reviewing testimony from nearly 6,500 people. They then came up with their overall projection based on broader demographic data, and made dozens of recommendations: from case-by-case compensation to more sweeping reforms, such as that French bishops consider ordaining married men and giving women a louder voice in church decision-making. The French report’s specific findings...
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4 Essential Reads – What Happened During The Last Government Shutdown?
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POLITICS

4 Essential Reads – What Happened During The Last Government Shutdown?

Matt Williams, The Conversation The U.S. is (once again) staring down the barrel of a government shutdown. Barring progress on a spending bill to fund government agencies past Sept. 30, 2021 – and Democrats are busying themselves trying to get such a measure through Congress – federal workers could find themselves being sent home, or asked not to come in. For how long is uncertain. Over the last few decades, the length of government shutdowns has crept up. The most recent one, which started on Dec. 22, 2018, lasted 35 days, marking the longest shutdown to date. During that period, The Conversation ran a series of articles that helped explain what was at stake, who suffers and why. Below are some insights gleaned by experts from previous government shutdowns that may give a clue as to w...
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3 Essential Reads About The CDC’s Expiring Moratorium As Millions Of Renters Face Eviction And Homelessness
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Journalism

3 Essential Reads About The CDC’s Expiring Moratorium As Millions Of Renters Face Eviction And Homelessness

Bryan Keogh, The Conversation The White House and city officials across the country are scrambling to avoid an eviction crisis. The federal housing eviction moratorium that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention put in place in September 2020 expires on July 31, 2021. After that, millions of Americans who owe tens of billions of dollars in unpaid rent will lose that protection and may face eviction and a loss of their homes. Meanwhile, a group of landlords is suing the U.S. government to recover damages it says its members suffered from not being able to evict tenants who didn’t pay rent. Although Congress allocated more than $46 billion for emergency rental aid, most of it hasn’t reached many of the people who need it as state and local governments struggle to distribute the mo...
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4 Essential Reads: US Families With Kids Are Getting Monthly Payments From The Government
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POLITICS

4 Essential Reads: US Families With Kids Are Getting Monthly Payments From The Government

Emily Schwartz Greco, The Conversation Most U.S. families with children will get six monthly payments from the government in 2021, starting July 15. Parents and guardians may spend this money – $300 per child under 6 and $250 for every kid or teen who is 6 and up – on groceries, computers, child care, sneakers or however else they see fit. Eighty-eight percent of U.S. families with children under 18 are eligible for this new allowance Congress approved in March as part of a coronavirus relief package, which extends the child tax credit to the lowest-earning Americans. In addition to getting either $250 or $300 a month per kid for six months, families will also get a tax credit equal to six more monthly installments at tax time in 2022. The Internal Revenue Service is responsible for deli...
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4 Essential Reads – How Do You Talk To Your Child About Violence?
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Journalism

4 Essential Reads – How Do You Talk To Your Child About Violence?

Children are exposed to images of violence almost every day, whether through the media or in real life. Consumption of violent imagery can take a harmful toll on a child’s mental and emotional well-being, research shows. Parents, especially those with young children, may be asking themselves how to talk about violence with their kids. Here are four articles from The Conversation U.S. that offer insight into how to have hard conversations with children about violence. 1. Teach children to be resilient Vanessa LoBlue, an assistant professor of psychology at Rutgers University-Newark, writes about ways parents can foster a supportive environment to help children develop resilience in stressful situations. Genuinely listening to children talk about how they feel not only shows care and acc...
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Essential Reads On America Goes Back To School – Parenting In The Pandemic
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IN OTHER NEWS

Essential Reads On America Goes Back To School – Parenting In The Pandemic

Beyond safety and survival, a paramount question throughout the pandemic has been: When will things get “back to normal”? But as the nation gradually gets vaccinated against COVID-19 and various facets of society begin to reopen, it becomes evident that a return to normalcy poses a whole new set of questions, challenges and concerns. Perhaps nowhere is this more apparent than when it comes to the education and parenting of America’s school-age children, whose childhoods have been uprooted in unparalleled ways since the pandemic struck in early 2020. Here we highlight five articles that help parents and educators better understand and do what it takes to get kids back to their classrooms, friends and regular routines. 1. How can America’s schools safely reopen? That’s a question that Brand...
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5 Essential Reads On Police Violence Against Black Men: As The Derek Chauvin Trial Begins In George Floyd Murder Case
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VIDEO REELS

5 Essential Reads On Police Violence Against Black Men: As The Derek Chauvin Trial Begins In George Floyd Murder Case

The trial of former police officer Derek Chauvin for the murder of George Floyd is underway in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Chauvin, who is white, is charged with second-degree murder, third-degree murder and manslaughter in connection with the death of George Floyd, who was Black, during an arrest last May. For 8 minutes and 46 seconds, Floyd – handcuffed and face down on the pavement – said repeatedly that he could not breathe, while other officers looked on. A video of Floyd’s agonizing death soon went viral, triggering last summer’s unprecedented wave of mass protests against police violence and racism. Chauvin’s murder trial is expected to last up to four weeks. These five stories offer expert analysis and key background on police violence, Derek Chauvin’s record and racism in U.S. law ...
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4 Essential Reads: Wild Weather, About Tornadoes And Thunderstorms
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ENVIRONMENT, VIDEO REELS

4 Essential Reads: Wild Weather, About Tornadoes And Thunderstorms

Springtime in the U.S. is frequently a season for thunderstorms, which can spawn tornadoes. These large storms are common in the South and Southeast in March and April, then shift toward the Plains states in May. Scientists have warned that 2021 could be an active tornado year, partly because of a La Niña climate pattern in the tropical Pacific Ocean. Past research has suggested that La Niña increases the frequency of tornadoes and hail by concentrating hot, humid air over Texas and other Southern states, which helps to promote storm formation. These four articles from The Conversation’s archives explain how tornadoes form, why night tornadoes are more deadly, and how in rare cases thunderstorms can take a different but equally destructive form – a derecho. We also look at a neglected asp...
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4 Essential Reads: A Jolt Of Economic Relief – The US Delivers $1.9 Trillion
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BUSINESS

4 Essential Reads: A Jolt Of Economic Relief – The US Delivers $1.9 Trillion

The U.S. economy and millions of people struggling because of the pandemic are about to get a US$1.9 trillion jolt of stimulating relief. On March 10, the House of Representatives approved a version of President Joe Biden’s coronavirus package that barely squeezed through the Senate. Both votes were almost entirely along party lines. Biden signed the bill into law on March 11. The legislation includes $1,400 relief checks for most Americans, an extension of the $300 supplement for the unemployed, a more generous child tax credit and much more. We turned to our archive to provide some context on this historic legislation. 1. About those $1,400 checks Among the signature – and most popular – features of the package are the $1,400 payments most Americans will soon receive. There was some w...
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