PANDEMICSThe Battle of the SARS-CoV-2 Variants Published 10 January 2022 In order to fight the pandemic in the long term, it is crucial to understand why one variant prevails over another. A new study has provided important answers by comparing the spread and transmission of different emerging variants in parallel. In order to fight the pandemic

EXTREMISMWhat Prevention and Treatment of Substance Dependence Can Tell Us About Addressing Violent Extremism By Ryan Andrew Brown, Rajeev Ramchand, Todd C. Helmus Published 10 January 2022 Hate, violence, and their co-occurrence—violent extremism—represent increasing threats to society. Experts say that in order to deal effectively with extremism, there is a need for new approaches and

METAVERSE & EXTREMISMThe Metaverse Offers a Future Full of Potential – for Terrorists and Extremists, Too By Joel S. Elson, Austin C. Doctor, and Sam Hunter Published 10 January 2022 The metaverse is an immersive virtual reality version of the internet where people can interact with digital objects and digital representations of themselves and others,

OUR PICKSMore Americans Are Saying They’re ‘Vaxxed and Done’ | Supply Chain Woes | One Major Driver of America’s Murder Spike, and more Published 10 January 2022 ·  Why More Americans Are Saying They’re ‘Vaxxed and Done’ ·  DHS Warns of Uptick in Threats to Lawmakers, Extremist Online Chatter ·  Why More American Children Are Dying by Gunfire

EARTHQUAKE RESILIENCEEnhancing Earthquake Resilience by Updating Steel Building Standard Published 10 January 2022 Since the mid-1990s, a type of steel column that commonly features slender cross-sectional elements has become more prevalent in buildings along the West Coast of the United States and in other seismically active regions. Although these columns have complied with modern design

PANDEMICSMore Trusting Societies Have Been More Successful at Reducing Coronavirus Cases and Deaths Published 6 January 2022 Countries where people have more trust in each other have been more successful in bringing down waves of coronavirus cases and deaths, a new study shows. Researchers found there is a “threshold effect” in nations where at least 40

PANDEMICSExperts Call on Biden Administration to Change Pandemic Plan By Stephanie Soucheray Published 6 January 2022 On Thursday, members of the Biden administration’s COVID-19 pandemic transition team called on the president to shift his approach to the virus, accepting that it will be endemic and that new variants could emerge and arguing that the country

EXTREMISMA Year After January 6, Is Accelerationism the New Terrorist Threat? By Bruce Hoffman Published 6 January 2022 Far-right extremists are attempting to incite an insurrection to hasten the downfall of what they see as a deeply corrupt U.S. government. Some could resort to deadly acts of terrorism. Among the many memorable images captured by photographers

OUR PICKS: JANUARY 6 – ONE YEAR ONJan. 6: Meaning, Significance, Ramifications Published 6 January 2022 ·  Anniversary of a Disgrace ·  The Insurrection, One Year On ·  The Real Tragedy of Jan. 6 Is That It’s Still Not Over ·  The Jan. 6 Insurrectionists Aren’t Who You Think They Are ·  How Did We Not See It Coming? · 

DEMOCRACY WATCHThe “Sore Loser Effect”: Rejecting Election Results Can Destabilize Democracy and Drive Terrorism By James Piazza Published 6 January 2022 Acceptance of electoral defeat, something political scientists call “loser’s consent,” is essential for stability and order in democracies. The refusal by a candidate or a party to accept defeat a potentially dangerous situation for