If you have a purebred dog, it’s likely that he or she looks fairly similar to other dogs of the same breed, especially when it comes to the color of their coats. But what happens if a purebred puppy doesn’t look exactly like its siblings when it’s born? Chances are, it might not be a...
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Why Joe Biden Was Denied Communion at a Church
Former Vice President Joseph Biden, who is a Roman Catholic, recently stopped on the campaign trail to attend Sunday Mass at a church in Florence, South Carolina. But the pastor, Robert Morey, refused to give him communion. Morey said Biden’s support for legalized abortion contradicts the unity between “God, each other and the church.” As...
‘Joker’ Fans Flocking to a Bronx Stairway Highlights Tension of Media Tourism
New York’s newest tourist attraction isn’t a museum, park or art installation. It’s a stairway. Sandwiched between apartment buildings in the Bronx, it’s been dubbed by moviegoers the “Joker Stairs,” earning its name and fame after being featured prominently in “Joker.” Since the film’s release, fans have flocked to the stairs, where they’ve been posing...
Embracing Sustainable Practices Would Help Some Winery Tasting Rooms Stand Out
Wineries in the mid-Atlantic region should consider recycling and encouraging their customers to bring bottles to their tasting rooms for refilling to distinguish their businesses from so many others, according to a team of wine-marketing researchers who surveyed consumers. With competition to attract visitors stiff and still growing among the hundreds of wineries in the...
School Spending Cuts Triggered by Great Recession Linked to Sizable Learning Losses for Students in Hardest Hit Areas
Substantial school spending cuts triggered by the Great Recession were associated with sizable losses in academic achievement for students living in counties most affected by the economic downturn, according to a new study published today in AERA Open, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Educational Research Association. The estimated declines in student math and English language arts achievement...
Student Body Diversity Goals & Giving Parents a Say in Where Their Child Goes to School
A new algorithm achieves school diversity goals while allowing parents to still have a say in where their child attends. The only caveat with the model is there is no way to control the size of a school, so diversity changes may have more of an impact on smaller schools. In order to reach goals,...
Research Finds a New Way to Reduce Food Waste
Pity the poor blemished banana. In a society that equates beauty with quality, the perception that blemished produce is less desirable than its perfect peers contributes to 1.3 billion tons of wasted food a year globally. That, in turn, raises the cost and environmental impact of feeding the world’s population. Researchers are suggesting a potential...
School District Secessions in the South Have Deepened Racial Segregation Between School Systems
Since 2000, school district secessions in the South have increasingly sorted white and black students, and white and Hispanic students, into separate school systems, weakening the potential to improve school integration, according to a new study published today in AERA Open, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Educational Research Association. The study, conducted by Kendra Taylor (Sanametrix), Erica...
Police Less Proactive After Negative Public Scrutiny
Public safety officers know that their profession could draw them into the line of fire at any moment, as it did recently for six officers wounded in a shooting standoff in Philadelphia. Yet, in an age when cellphone videos of police misconduct can go viral, the new social phenomenon of “cop shaming” is causing performance...
Comparing Your House to Your Neighbors’ Can Lead to Dissatisfaction
Satisfaction with your home can depend on its size compared to your neighbors’ homes, according to new Iowa State University research. Daniel Kuhlmann, assistant professor of community and regional planning, found that people are more likely to be dissatisfied with their house if it is smaller than their neighbors’. His study was published last week...