Presidential candidates – and fear – stalk the land

+ vampire bats, ghost pics and how binging on candy affects your gut US Edition - Today's top story: 'Each bears his own ghosts': How the classics speak to these days of fear, anger and presidential candidates stalking the land [View in browser]( US Edition | 31 October 2024 [The Conversation] [The Conversation]( Top headlines - [Where Harris and Trump stand on trade]( - [The psychology of gun ownership]( - [Rust Belt’s often ignored non-white voters]( Lead story I’m a politics editor, and I mostly work with authors who are social scientists. But I know that there are some subjects that a poet and classicist can tackle best. Last weekend, I sent an email to Rachel Hadas, who fits that description. “I would like you to write about fear,” I wrote. “More than any other election that I can remember, this one is characterized by fear.” By Sunday evening, Hadas, an English professor at Rutgers University - Newark, had sent a draft of the story. She begins: “[Fear stalks the land, including the Upper West Side](.” Her wit moves quickly into wisdom, as she describes how we don’t need Halloween to scare ourselves. “Walled up in our silos, we fear what the people in the other silo might inflict on us. The frightening visions have different names and faces, but everyone seems to fear the future.” Here’s her comforting thought: “Our fear can bring us together.” But don’t get comfortable: “It can also tear us apart.” On another very important note: We are glad you’re here, reading this newsletter, because you’re the reason we do what we do. We aren’t part of a huge media group, and neither are we owned by a billionaire. We are no one’s vanity project and bear no one’s family name. We are a small, independent, nonprofit and nonpartisan newsroom, funded by readers like you, and universities and foundations that believe an accurately informed electorate is better for the country and the world. There’s no one to tell us what to write and what not to write. For the monthly cost of a subscription to a billionaire’s paper, you could [make a real difference to our bottom line](. Naomi Schalit Senior Editor, Politics + Democracy Election season is spooky season. George Peters/Getty [‘Each bears his own ghosts’: How the classics speak to these days of fear, anger and presidential candidates stalking the land]( Rachel Hadas, Rutgers University - Newark As the election nears, it seems everyone is afraid. Science + Technology - [Americans own guns to protect themselves from psychological as well as physical threats]( Nick Buttrick, University of Wisconsin-Madison Owning a gun can influence your outlook, both fueling a sense of danger in the world around you and holding out the promise of rescuing you from those fears. - [In Hawaii, parasites and viruses team up in the battle against fruit flies – an entomologist explains the implication for global pest control]( Kelsey Coffman, University of Tennessee Fruit flies wreak havoc on crops in Hawaii, but a type of parasitoid wasp armed with a biological weapon has helped keep the pests at bay. Election 2024 - [Rust Belt voters aren’t all white, but election coverage of the region often ignores the concerns of people of color there]( Christabel Devadoss, Middle Tennessee State University US election coverage often portrays rural America as entirely white and conservative. This narrow view obscures the issues that matter to other voters. - [The next president will play a key role in shaping US trade policy – here’s what voters need to know]( Bedassa Tadesse, University of Minnesota Duluth The past two administrations had vastly different records, and past is likely to be a prologue this year. - [Independent voters think for themselves and stay out of politics – 3 essential reads]( Jeff Inglis, The Conversation Despite the power that political independents are anticipated to have over the election results, there’s a lot that remains unknown about this group. Economy + Business - [Tariffs are back in the spotlight, but skepticism of free trade has deep roots in American history]( Erik Guzik, University of Montana The use of national tariffs in the US began in 1791, led by Alexander Hamilton, and grew throughout the 19th century, in what became known to many as the American System. Politics + Society - [New Orleans schools still separate and unequal 70 years after Brown v. Board of Education]( Connie L. Schaffer, University of Nebraska Omaha; Martha Graham Viator, Rowan University; Meg White, Stockton University On Nov. 15, 1960, four Black first graders desegregated New Orleans schools. One of them was Tessie Prevost, who died in July 2024 with the promises of the post-Brown era still unfulfilled. Environment + Energy - [Climate change is making it harder for people to get the care they need]( Maria S. Floro, American University Without comprehensive public and global support for care provision and the integration of care in the climate agenda, unmet care needs will only grow and inequalities will widen. Podcast 🎙️ - [Fear, hope and the economy: what is motivating Americans as they decide who to vote for]( Gemma Ware, The Conversation; Naomi Schalit, The Conversation Political scientist Jesse Rhodes speaks to The Conversation Weekly podcast about the latest results of the UMass Amherst poll on Americans’ attitudes about Kamala Harris and Donald Trump. Halloween 👻 [Why is Halloween spending growing when Americans are supposedly cutting back?]( [How dogs were implicated during the Salem witch trials]( [Victorian ghost photographs amused viewers with spooky thrills]( [The ancient Irish get far too much credit for Halloween]( [Vampire bats – look beyond the fangs and blood to see animal friendships and unique adaptations]( [Horror movies are as much a mainstay of Halloween as trick or treat − but why are they so bloody?]( [Halloween candy binges can overload your gut microbiome – a gut doctor explains how to minimize spooking your helpful bacteria]( [The whip-poor-will has been an omen of death for centuries − what happened to this iconic bird of American horror?]( Trending on site - [Making a Snickers bar is a complex science − a candy engineer explains how to build the airy nougat and chewy caramel of this Halloween favorite]( - [Why do we use gasoline for small vehicles and diesel fuel for big vehicles?]( - [Why do people still back Trump, after everything? 5 things to understand about MAGA supporters’ thinking]( Today's graphic 📈 [Based on how much money US immigrants sent overseas in 2022, scholars estimated how much they earned and, from there, how much productivity they provided to the U.S. economy. The study estimated immigrants' total contribution to the U.S. economy exceeded $2 trillion in 2022.]( From the story, [Proof that immigrants fuel the US economy is found in the billions they send back home]( - - More of The Conversation [A graphic with the words On the Records: Comparing where Trump and Harris stand on key issues]( Like this newsletter? You might be interested in our weekly and biweekly emails: • [Weekly Highlights]( • [Science Editors' Picks]( • [Giving Today]( [New!] • [This Week in Religion]( • [Politics Weekly]( • [Global Perspectives]( • [Global Economy & Business]( Follow us on social media: • [Bluesky]( • [Mastodon]( • [Threads]( • [Nostr]( • [LinkedIn]( • [Instagram]( • [Facebook]( • Or [get a daily text from us]( - - About The Conversation We're a nonprofit news organization dedicated to bringing you facts and trustworthy analysis to [help you make sense of our complex world](. 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