Presidential candidates' records on key issues

+ microplastics found in breath of dolphins; Hamas leader's death US Edition - Today's top story: AI, cryptocurrencies and data privacy: Comparing the Trump and Harris records on technology regulation [View in browser]( US Edition | 18 October 2024 [The Conversation] [The Conversation]( Top headlines - [The Jewish patriots who fought for American independence]( - [Aquaculture’s impact on animal welfare]( - [Test your smarts with our weekly news quiz]( Lead story When my colleagues and I first mapped out how we wanted to cover the presidential election, the list of ideas seemed to have no limits. So far, we have published about 340 election-related stories, and have many more we are working to publish ahead of Nov. 5. A good portion of this coverage has charted the election’s many surprise twists and turns. We also wanted to provide our readers with comprehensive analysis on a less flashy, but equally important issue, namely: What do we actually know about Kamala Harris’ and Donald Trump’s records on particular topics? [Our series, The candidates’ records,]( casts a wide net. The stories spell out what Harris and Trump have actually done on trade policy or abortion rights, among other issues – not what they say they will do if they are elected. Our hope is that the series will be informative for voters and help them cut through a lot of the promises – and misinformation – driving the election. [ [Get perspectives from around the world with our weekly global newsletter](. ] Amy Lieberman Politics + Society Editor The Federal Trade Commission is one of the main venues for government regulation of big tech and its wares. Alpha Photo/Flickr [AI, cryptocurrencies and data privacy: Comparing the Trump and Harris records on technology regulation]( Anjana Susarla, Michigan State University Big tech and its high-tech products and services play an outsized role in the economy and society. The Trump and Biden-Harris records point to how the next administration might regulate technology. International - [Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar’s death is a defining moment, but it will not end the war]( Ian Parmeter, Australian National University Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is facing pressure on multiple fronts, but he is likely to continue the war to appease the right-wing members of his cabinet. Science + Technology - [Microplastic pollution is everywhere, even in the exhaled breath of dolphins – new research]( Leslie Hart, College of Charleston; Miranda Dziobak, College of Charleston 8 million metric tons of plastic wind up in Earth’s oceans annually, where marine animals are exposed to this pollution and its potential health effects. - [MicroRNA − a new Nobel laureate describes the scientific process of discovering these tiny molecules that turn genes on and off]( Victor Ambros, UMass Chan Medical School Victor Ambros received half of the Nobel Prize for his work on microRNAs. Here he talks about the teamwork – and the nematodes – that made the discovery possible. - [To make nuclear fusion a reliable energy source one day, scientists will first need to design heat- and radiation-resilient materials]( Sophie Blondel, University of Tennessee Fusion reactors get hot − scientists need materials that can take the heat without deforming and deteriorating. Arts + Culture - [Hemingway, after the hurricane]( Verna Kale, Penn State In 1935, a hurricane devastated the Florida Keys, killing over 400 people, many of them World War I veterans. Ernest Hemingway joined the relief efforts – and became enraged at government inaction. Ethics + Religion - [What the history of blasphemy laws in the US and the fight for religious freedom can teach us today]( Kristina M. Lee, University of South Dakota The US has a long history of blasphemy laws, which reflect the complex fight for freedom of religion and speech. - [During the American Revolution, Brits weren’t just facing off against white Protestant Christians − US patriots are diverse and have been since Day 1]( Adam Jortner, Auburn University The soldiers and patriots who made the American Revolution a success included people whose faiths faced discrimination, including Jews and Catholics. Environment + Energy - [Aquaculture could harm animal welfare or protect it, depending on what species the farms raise]( Becca Franks, New York University; Chiawen Chiang, New York University Many sea creatures lead complex, social lives in the wild and are likely to suffer in farmed conditions. But they aren’t mainstays of the aquaculture industry − yet. Election 2024 – the candidates' records [On the US-Mexico border, the records of Trump and Harris reflect the national mood of less immigration, not more]( William McCorkle, College of Charleston Allowing immigrants to settle in the US isn’t just an act of compassion. It’s also been a significant factor in the country’s economic growth, a point both candidates seem hesitant to make. [Health care under Harris versus Trump: A public health historian sizes up their records]( Zachary W. Schulz, Auburn University Harris and Trump have starkly contrasting records on health care. This analysis examines their differing approaches to Medicare, the ACA, drug pricing and other public health efforts. [Drug prices improved under Biden-Harris and Trump − but not for everyone, and not enough]( C. Michael White, University of Connecticut Both Trump and Harris seek to lower drug costs for patients. What headway have they made on realizing this goal? [Kamala Harris’ and Donald Trump’s records on abortion policy couldn’t be more different]( Rachel Rebouché, Temple University Ahead of the election, a reproductive health law scholar lays out the broad strokes of what both Harris and Trump have done regarding abortion policy while in office. [What to expect from federal judges appointed by Trump or Harris − based on what we’ve seen from Trump and Biden picks for the Supreme Court and lower courts]( Paul M. Collins Jr., UMass Amherst A leading expert in the selection of federal judges analyzes the Trump and Harris records regarding judicial nominations. There’s a big difference in their approaches. [Under both Trump and Biden-Harris, US oil and gas production surged to record highs, despite very different energy goals]( Valerie Thomas, Georgia Institute of Technology Trump aggressively supported fossil fuels. The Biden-Harris administration focused on replacing them with clean energy. Yet, data show the US oil and gas industries still thrived under both. [LGBTQ rights: Where do Harris and Trump stand?]( Marie-Amelie George, Wake Forest University Have they expanded or restricted rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans people? A scholar of the LGBTQ community examines the candidates’ records. [Trump and Harris have clashing records on clean energy, but the clean power shift is too broad for any president to control]( Daniel Cohan, Rice University Vice President Kamala Harris has strongly supported clean energy investments, while Donald Trump has railed against them. [Trump and Harris, with starkly different records on labor issues, are both courting union voters]( Robert Forrant, UMass Lowell Union voters are particularly significant in Michigan, Pennsylvania and Nevada, three swing states where the share of voters who belong to unions is above average. [Trump and Harris are sharply divided on science, but share common ground on US technology policy]( Kenneth Evans, Rice University Based on federal budgeting requests from the past 2 administrations, Trump and Harris placed different values on science research funding. [On crime and justice, Trump and Harris records differ widely]( Austin Sarat, Amherst College There are substantial differences between the two candidates, though each of their records contains some interesting twists and turns. Podcast 🎙️ - [Victor Ambros on the team effort behind his Nobel-prize winning discovery of microRNA]( Gemma Ware, The Conversation Listen to one of the 2024 Nobel laureates in physiology or medicine, Victor Ambros, talk about microRNA on The Conversation Weekly podcast. The Conversation News Quiz 🧠- Here’s the first question of [this week’s edition:]( During a town hall meeting on Oct. 14 in Oaks, Pennsylvania, presidential candidate Donald Trump halted the Q&A and spent the final 39 minutes doing what? - A. Explaining the role of quantitative easing in economic policy - B. Mispronouncing "Kamala Harris" - C. Swaying and bopping to music - D. Smothering a baby with kisses [Test your knowledge]( Trending on site - [Socially distanced layout of the world’s oldest cities helped early civilization evade diseases]( - [How dogs were implicated during the Salem witch trials]( - [Black Myth: Wukong – how China’s gaming revolution is fueling its tech power]( - - More of The Conversation [A graphic with the words Election 2024 coverage to help you understand, Read now]( Like this newsletter? 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