Posts

Trump’s Asylum Rhetoric Is Rooted in the Mariel Boatlift

Image
A t the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Donald Trump described the migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border as “the greatest invasion in History .” He claimed migrants and asylum seekers were “coming from prisons. They’re coming from jails. They’re coming from mental institutions and insane asylums.” He repeated this claim at the National Association of Black Journalists Convention. This led to multiple social media posts charging Trump with co NFL ating two meanings of the word “asylum.” But Trump’s co NFL ation of asylum seekers with patients from mental Health facilities is a trope many decades in the making. In fact, it likely comes from the way in which the 1980s, in particular, shaped his thinking and view of the world. By claiming migrants were coming from institutions, Trump made a veiled reference to one of the most intense immigration crises of the 1980s: the Mariel boatlift. And he’s not alone. Narratives about Mariel, frequently grounded in false information, have h

Your heart changes in size and shape with exercise – this can lead to heart problems for some athletes and gym rats

Exercise has long been recognized by clinicians, scientists and public health officials as an important way to maintain health throughout a person’s lifespan. It improves overall fitness, helps build strong muscles and bones, reduces the risk of chronic disease, improves mood and slows physical decline. Exercise can also significantly reduce the risk of developing conditions that negatively affect heart heath, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and obesity. But large amounts of exercise throughout life may also harm the heart, leading to the development of a condition called athletic heart. As the Sports cardiology director at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, I’m often asked how much and what kind of exercise is necessary to get the benefits of exercise . Many people also wonder about the risks of exercise , and what happens if you exercise too much. The American Heart Association generally recommends 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercis

Will the Kansas City Chiefs make Chris Jones the highest-paid defensive tackle in the NFL?

Image
Chris Jones, the most sought-after free agent in the NFL leading up to the 2024 season , has decided to remain with the Kansas City Chiefs. After signing a five-year contract with the team, he has become the highest-paid defensive tackle in the league. Jones’ agents from Katz Brothers Sports confirmed to NFL Network that the contract includes a $95 million guarantee . Additionally, the Chiefs have included an option in his contract to exclusively negotiate with him and not use the franchise tag again. He gets a 5-year deal that includes $95M practically guaranteed. The highest paid DT. https://t.co/w2Xub4OpR0 — Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 10, 2024 The five-time Pro Bowl guest finished the 2023 regular season with 30 tackle s, 13 for yards lost, 29 quarterback hits, 10.5 sacks, and four pass deflection s, earning him his second first-team All-Pro nod. Related stories NFL 2024 NFL Draft: What is a compensatory pick? What teams will get them? NFL QB carousel on the move! Jones was

Why We Still Read Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations

I n the middle of the second century CE, the most powerful man in the Western world sat in the legionary fortress of Carnuntum, by the River Danube, contemplating the fact that one day nobody would remember his name. “Near is your forgetfulness of all things,” he wrote, “and near the forgetfulness of you by all” —but he spoke too soon. More than eighteen hundred years after his demise, probably from plague, we’re still talking about Marcus Aurelius. In fact, we’re going on about him more than ever. That’s largely due to the long-standing popularity of the Meditations , the notes he wrote for himself about how to apply Stoic philosophy in daily life. It’s the book Paul Gia MMA ti’s character gives everyone as a Christmas present in The Holdovers (2023): ”For my money,” he says, “it’s like the Bible, the Koran and the Bhagavad Gita all rolled up into one.” It can safely be called a self-help classic. You might be excused for thinking that the problems faced by a Roman Emperor would be of

How ‘Women’s Empowerment’ Lost Its Meaning

Image
O n Wednesday, after a disappointing showing in the Super Tuesday primaries,Nikki Haley—the first Republican woman to win a presidential primary contest—announced that she is suspending her campaign. When she does, some will no doubt remember her, as an article in the conservative National Review suggested, as “an example of female empowerment.” But she’s certainly not alone. In just the first week of February, Tulsa, Okla., held a “celebration of female empowerment”; Woman’s Day magazine featured “women empowerment songs”; and the Bechtel corporation announced its “pioneering women’s empowerment program” in Saudi Arabia. Now, with Women's History Month in full swing, examples of women’s empowerment are seemingly everywhere, appearing regularly in stories on politics, business, and popular culture. A quick Google search of the term yields more than 17 million hits. Various websites list the “9 best charities for women’s em power ment,” “10 NGOs working for women’s em power ment,

Heat vs Mavericks Picks, Predictions & Odds Tonight - NBA

Image
It’s a matchup of teams with deep playoff aspirations but very contrasting styles as Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks host Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat on Thursday night . Doncic and the Mavs have stumbled a bit coming out of the All-Star break, dropping five of their last six games overall. Meanwhile, Jimmy Buckets and the Heat appear to be playing their best basketball of the season as they ramp up for the stretch run. Despite this, the NBA odds have Dallas as the home favorite for this matchup. Does that mean there is betting value in Miami as a road underdog? I break it all down and bring you the best bet in my NBA picks and predictions for Heat vs. Mavericks on March 7.  Heat vs Mavericks odds Heat vs Mavericks predictions It feels like the All-Star break was the worst thing to happen to the Dallas Mavericks. Luka Doncic and his teammates were cruising. The Mavs had made some sound tweaks to their roster at the trade deadline and had won six in a row. The

What a Mughal Princess Can Teach Us About Feminist History

I n 2001, four rigorous graduate years into honing my scholarship as a feminist historian of Mughal India, I stepped in to help build the Program for the Study of Women, Gender, and Sexuality at Johns Hopkins. On my first day, as I waited to grab a coffee in Gilman Hall, a prominent male historian congratulated me and then asked a question. “Tell me: why do we still need this program? I included a chapter on women in my recent book.” The assumption that “women” might be separated out from the story of time, place, and wider landscape of desires and summarily relegated to a single chapter is exactly why this program was needed. It’s also exactly why feminist history is needed, too. At its core, feminist history is embedded in the idea of excavating otherwise expunged experiences, dissociated from our worldview, of non-dominant people such as women, queer people, enslaved persons. The trade of the feminist historian is the practice of looking where we habitually don't look—or have be

Alzheimer's may be caused by immune cells thinking brain cells are bacteria, expert says

Image
The pursuit of a cure for Alzheimer's disease is becoming an increasingly competitive and contentious quest with recent years witnessing several important controversies. In July 2022, Science magazine reported that a key 2006 research paper, published in the prestigious journal Nature, which identified a subtype of brain protein called beta-amyloid as the cause of Alzheimer's, may have been based on fabricated data. One year earlier, in June 2021, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration had approved aducanumab, an antibody-targeting beta-amyloid, as a treatment for Alzheimer's, even though the data supporting its use were incomplete and contradictory. Some physicians believe aducanumab never should have been approved, while others maintain it should be given a chance. With millions of people needing an effective treatment, why are researchers still fumbling in this quest for a cure for what is arguably one of the most important diseases confronting humankind? Escaping t