Young Americans Are Increasingly Rejecting Democratic and Republican Parties

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Young Americans Are Increasingly Rejecting Democratic and Republican Parties: New Poll (Maria)

The author writes, “Americans are increasingly rejecting the two major political parties, according to new polling. Just under half, 45%, of US adults now identify as independents, a new Gallup survey found. That’s a substantial shift from 20 years ago, when close to one-third of Americans said they didn’t identify with Democrats or Republicans. … Younger people in particular are rejecting the parties at much higher rates than older generations.”

What’s Happening in Iran Right Now, Explained (Dana)

From Time: “Iranians have taken to the streets repeatedly over the past 17 years to protest their authoritarian government, but the demonstrations now unfolding appear to be the largest yet. As in previous crackdowns, security forces have responded with riot police, tear gas, and live ammunition. Hundreds, if not thousands, of protesters have been killed. President Donald Trump has repeatedly said the United States would intervene on behalf of the protesters. So far, it has not.”

Minneapolis Duo Details Their Ice Detention, Including Pressure To Rat on Protest Organizers (Reader Steve)

From the AP: “Two Minneapolis residents who have been monitoring immigration officers’ actions during the Trump administration’s latest crackdown say they were detained without charge for several hours in distressing conditions, denied phone calls, and pressured to rat out protest organizers and people living in the country illegally. The accusations leveled by Brandon Sigüenza and Patty O’Keefe suggest that the Department of Homeland Security is employing similar tactics in Minneapolis and St. Paul as it did during the crackdowns in Los Angeles, Chicago, and New Orleans. Federal officers are again using roving patrols, warrantless arrests, and aggressive tactics such as spraying chemical irritants, breaking car windows, and recording protesters, including Renee Good and her vehicle in the moments before an ICE officer fatally shot her.”

Bird Flu Viruses Raise Mounting Concerns Among Scientists (Sean)

The author writes, “In the United States, the term bird flu has become synonymous with a particular virus that has devastated poultry and dairy farms over the past few years. But that virus, called H5N1, is not the only form of bird flu in circulation. Concerned scientists are keeping a close eye on other types, including a fast-changing flu virus called H9N2. In a study published in November, researchers in Hong Kong showed that over the last decade, this virus has acquired mutations that allow it to spread more efficiently among people and to cause more severe disease. H9N2 is often discounted as a threat, because it causes only mild symptoms in poultry. But in people, especially children, the virus can cause more severe illness than the seasonal flu.”

3 Massive Changes You’ll See as the Climate Careens Toward Tipping Points (Laura)

From NPR: “If countries follow through on current promises to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the latest estimates suggest that Earth’s temperature will top out around 2.5 degrees Celsius of warming this century. The latest science also makes clear the profound human costs of exceeding 1.5 degrees Celsius of warming, even temporarily. The planet has warmed about 1.3 degrees Celsius, according to the World Meteorological Organization. And communities are already experiencing more dangerous storms, flooding, and heat waves.  When the planet heats up beyond 1.5 degrees, the impacts don’t get just slightly worse. Scientists warn that massive, self-reinforcing changes could be set off, having devastating impacts around the world. Such changes are sometimes called climate tipping points.”

A Backwards Bible Map That Changed the World (Mili)

The author writes, “Five hundred years ago, a Bible accidentally printed with a backwards map of the Holy Land sparked a revolution in how people imagined geography, borders, and even nationhood. Despite the blunder, the map reshaped the Bible into a Renaissance book and spread new ideas about territorial organization as literacy expanded. Over time, sacred geography evolved into political boundary-making, influencing not only early modern thought but modern attitudes about nation-states.”