Most of these great items come from my Twitter feed or Facebook news feed. Follow me on Twitter and on Facebook for more fascinating videos, articles, essays and criticism. Read past recommendations from this series here.
1. Occupy Wall Street Protesters Shifting to College Campuses
By Malia Wollan and Elizabeth A. Harris | The New York Times | Nov. 13
“As city officials around the country move to disband Occupy Wall Street encampments amid growing concerns over health and public safety, protesters have begun to erect more tents on college campuses.”
2. Turkey: Van a ‘ghost city’ after quakes
By Kyle Kim | GlobalPost | Nov. 14
“The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies estimate 50,000 people have been affected by the earthquake in Van province and as much as 3,700 buildings that survived the quakes could be unfit for habitation.”
3. Breast milk stem cells may bypass ethical dilemmas
By Linda Geddes | New Scientist | Nov. 14
“Embryonic-like stem cells have been isolated from breast milk in large numbers. The discovery raises the possibility of sourcing stem cells for regenerative medicine, without the need to destroy embryos.”
4. China in Africa
By David Cohen | China Power :: The Diplomat | Nov. 15
“He Wenping has argued that the end of the Cold War gave China a window of opportunity in Africa: ‘The continent is being marginalized in the diplomatic strategies of major Western countries. However, China is as always committed to developing relations with Africa.’ However, China has also run into unfamiliar problems with its Africa plans, pushing it toward international institutions and norms.”
5. 19 true things generals can’t say in public about the Afghan war: A helpful primer
By Tom Ricks | The Best Defense :: Foreign Policy | Nov. 9
“So, general, read this now and believe it later-but keep your lip zipped. Maybe even keep a printout in your wallet and review before interviews.”
6. The pollinator crisis: What’s best for bees
By Sharon Levy | Nature | Nov. 9
“Pollinating insects are in crisis. Understanding bees’ relationships with introduced species could help.”
7. Texas Cities at Risk of Running Out of Water
By Ryan Murphy | The Texas Tribune | Nov. 13
“Eighteen communities … are on the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality’s ‘high priority’ water list, which covers cities and towns that either could run out of water within six months if nothing changes (like rainfall or a new pipeline connection) or do not know how much water they have remaining.”
8. US soldier retraces Afghan steps of dead brother
By David Goldman | Associated Press | Nov. 10
“Andrew Ferrara has come a long way to take this path. His immediate mission, as he leads his U.S. Army platoon up the mountain, is to find a trigger point from which insurgents set off the bombs. … But the 24-year-old 2nd lieutenant from California has a broader goal in being here. Here is where he can forge a bond with his older brother Matthew, who was killed in the same rugged mountains of Afghanistan’s Kunar province while leading a platoon of his own four years ago.”
9. Harry Pachon dies at 66; Latino scholar and activist
By Elaine Woo | Los Angeles Times | Nov. 9
“Under his leadership, the Tomas Rivera Policy Institute at USC expanded and sharpened its mission of researching Latino issues.”
10. Aliens don’t need a moon like ours
By David Shiga | New Scientist | Nov. 13
“It seems planets don’t need a big satellite like Earth’s in order to support life, increasing the number on which life could exist.”
Tell your friends!
stillness of heart 