Hidden in plain sight: Women face subtle forms of discrimination and bias in the workplace

S40

Hidden in plain sight: Women face subtle forms of discrimination and bias in the workplace     Gender discrimination remains a pervasive issue in the workplace. While obvious cases of discrimination against women — like sexist comments or the systematic underpayment of women — dominate headlines, there are subtler, more insidious forms of discrimination that often go unnoticed.Take Kelly, for example, a seasoned marketing manager we recently interviewed as part of a workplace discrimination project. Kelly had diligently worked towards a promotion, only to witness her junior colleague, Mark, receive it instead. This led her to wonder if Mark genuinely outperformed her, or if there was something more nefarious at play. Continued here

S64

The Best Feats for Fighters in 'Baldur's Gate 3' to Inflict Maximum Damage     The tactical combat in Baldur’s Gate 3 can be a major challenge, especially if it’s your first encounter with the rules of Dungeons & Dragons 5th edition. While it may not sound like the most exciting class, having a Fighter on the frontline might be the difference between saving the Forgotten Realms and becoming Beholder food.Choosing Feats is one of the most important parts of building a character, as they can completely change how you approach combat, and you only get a few throughout the game. But Fighters get one extra Feat at level 6, making them some of the most flexible characters. Continued here

�

S63

'Alan Wake 2' Is a Reality-Bending Reinvention of Horror Games     Playing the Alan Wake 2 demo was the closest I’ve ever seen a videogame get to representing how the mind of a writer works, pulling on disparate threads until it all comes together into a bigger picture. It’s one of the most innovative takes on survival horror in years, with dynamic mechanics that literally let you play with reality, creating an ethereal and unsettling experience. After a nearly three-hour hands-on event, Alan Wake 2 is shaping up to be yet another gem from Remedy Entertainment. Our demo was split into two halves, one that followed new protagonist Saga Anderson as she investigates the area around Bright Falls (the town from the first Alan Wake), and a second section that follows Alan himself, who’s trapped in a realm called The Dark Place. There’s an interesting, seemingly intentional, duality that emerges between these two sections, as Saga’s part feels more like your typical spooky survival horror, while Alan’s dives more into psychological elements, with those wild shifting mechanics. Continued here

S60

The Most Promising Time-Travel Movie of 2023 Wastes a Great Premise     It’s important to try and meet a film on its own terms. In the case of 57 Seconds, the new sci-fi thriller starring Josh Hutcherson and Morgan Freeman, the film was made with such a clearly limited budget that it feels unfair to criticize its obvious cheapness. From its basic TV lighting to its occasional VFX mistakes, the film looks and feels like a Disney Channel Original Movie from the 2000s. That isn’t necessarily a knock against it, so much as it’s a component that’s worth addressing, especially for a film that feels, at times, like a truly independent sci-fi gamble.In our current era of ballooning blockbuster budgets and industrywide disinterest in original genre properties, making a film like 57 Seconds has never been harder than it is now. In that sense, the movie is a bit of a miracle, though its redeeming qualities begin and end with the spirit behind its creation. Its clear budgetary constraints and elementary style aside, 57 Seconds falls flat because it’s duller than it should be. It’s a film that has some genuinely interesting sci-fi ideas at the center of them, but it fails to explore them as deeply as it could — and arguably should — have. Continued here

�

S66

The Wildest Superhero Saga of the Decade Just Got Even Better     The Boys’ universe definitely has a specific tone. Based on Garth Ennis’ comic series, the irreverent and overly gory superhero series serves as the perfect retort to the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s family blockbuster formula. But with Gen V, the college-set spinoff premiering September 29 on Prime Video, the CW teen drama gets the same treatment. But what happens when the ultra-lewdness of the “adult” show is mixed into the over-the-top melodrama of Riverdale? The answer is “exactly what you’d expect,” but still incredibly watchable.Gen V begins the way many female-led coming-of-age stories begin: with the protagonist getting her period. But that’s the last predictable event in the life of Marie Moreau (Jaz Sinclair.) Thanks to a unique blood-bending power, she manages to get into Godolkin University, the hottest college for supes. It seems like “God U” only has two main majors: Performing Arts and Crimefighting, making the student population full of the most obnoxious kinds of people: theater kids and future cops. It’s the perfect recipe for drama. Continued here

S52

Grattan on Friday: In the second half of this term Albanese will need to concentrate on delivery     Labor’s national landscape is changing. Daniel Andrews’ abrupt exit from the Victorian premiership this week is the latest development in a wider picture. Just a few months ago, two of the strongest state Labor leaders in recent history were solidly ensconced in Western Australia and Victoria, and Labor had just taken power in New South Wales. Federally, Anthony Albanese retained most of his glow. The Voice referendum was in positive territory (although declining support presaged what was to come). Continued here

� � �

S57

Peter Daou's Theory of Election Interference--by Democrats     Peter Daou, a former aide to Hillary Clinton, recently announced that he had become the campaign manager for Cornel West, the radical socialist professor and public intellectual, who is seeking the Presidential nomination from the Green Party. It was the culmination of a fascinating arc for Daou, who was a legendary figure in the early liberal blogosphere, where he became known for his criticisms of the Bush Administration before joining John Kerry's 2004 Presidential campaign. Four years later, he ran Clinton's digital operation, and became known as one of her most high-profile and vocal online supporters. Then, in 2016, for Clinton's second Presidential run, Daou ran the platform Shareblue, a partisan news site that attacked mainstream coverage of the race and fanatically defended Clinton. By 2020, he had endorsed Bernie Sanders; he subsequently left the Democratic Party. (Before joining West's campaign, he briefly ran Marianne Williamson's.) Daou now says his career as a fanatical Democratic partisan was misguided, and that the entire political system needs to be uprooted; he believes West's campaign is the best vehicle for such a change.I recently spoke by phone with Daou. During our conversation, which has been edited for length and clarity, we discussed how his political outlook shifted, his feelings about Donald Trump, and why he believes the Democratic Party also engages in election interference. Continued here

S58

The Myth-Making of Elon Musk     Elon Musk’s presence in our lives is inescapable: his cars roam our streets, his satellites orbit our skies, and his purchase of Twitter—now known as X—has reshaped the social-media landscape. The staff writers Vinson Cunningham, Naomi Fry, and Alexandra Schwartz discuss a recent biography of Musk, by Walter Isaacson, tracing the familiar archetype of the genius tech founder from the nineteenth-century robber baron to “Batman” ’s Bruce Wayne. The critics examine how, in recent years, the idea of the unimpeachable Silicon Valley founder has lost its sheen. Narratives such as the 2022 series “WeCrashed” tell the story of startup founders who make lofty promises, only to watch their empires crumble when those promises are shown to be empty. “It dovetails for me with the disillusionment of millennials,” Fry says, pointing to the dark mood that the 2007-08 financial crisis and the 2016 election brought to the country. “There’s no longer this blind belief that the tech founder is a genius who should be wholly admired with no reservations.”Personal History by David Sedaris: after thirty years together, sleeping is the new having sex. Continued here

S62

25 Years Ago, an Arcade Classic Redefined an Entire Genre -- And Changed Video Games Forever     The Tetris effect is a term coined to describe when people play so much of the eponymous game that they begin to see its colorful blocks falling downward in their minds. When it comes to rhythm games, those Tetris blocks can be replaced with colorful arrows seared into your brain. Originally released in Japan on September 26, 1998, Konami’s iconic rhythm game rose to popularity thanks to its catchy tunes, fancy footwork, and the enduring social aspect of the game. Twenty-five years later, Dance Dance Revolution is still one of the best rhythm games ever made — and its influence can be felt across the entire video game industry.While rhythm games existed for years before Dance Dance Revolution hit the arcades, with titles like 1996’s PaRappa the Rapper familiarizing audiences with the genre, DDR brought a unique flair that stems from the arcade cabinet’s design. DDR machines are actually two parts: the first being the actual cabinet that displays the game, with the second part bearing a dance pad that sits atop the floor section of the cabinet. Continued here

S65

Star Wars Just Fixed One Very Strange Anakin Skywalker Plot Hole     Despite becoming the most famous movie villain of all time, it turns out, Anakin Skywalker was a pretty good teacher before he turned to evil. Sneakily, the TV series Ahsoka is rehabilitating the nurturing, mentor aspect of Anakin, a side of him that we rarely got to see in Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith. And, in Episode 7, “Dreams and Madness,” one very specific loose thread about Anakin’s role as a Jedi Master has been clarified — with a personal touch. Spoilers ahead.In “Dreams and Madness,” we see Ahsoka practicing her lightsaber forms on her ship, as a hologram of Anakin Skywalker (circa the Clone Wars) encourages her about all the things he wants her to remember. This isn’t a Force Ghost of Anakin, but, as we learn, one of at least “20 more,” training holograms he made at some point during the Clone Wars when young Ahsoka became his Padawan. Like the flashbacks in Episode 5, this glimpse of Anakin has him rocking his armor from The Clone Wars animated series, something that Hayden Christensen never originally got to wear in his two films. Anakin mentions to Ahsoka all the opponents she might face on the battlefield, including General Grievous, Asajj Ventress, and Count Dooku. Ironically, Anakin himself never actually fought General Grievous in The Clone Wars series because, in Revenge of the Sith, Grievous had never met Anakin in person before. Meanwhile, though Asajj Ventress is a canonical Star Wars Dark Jedi, she has never been glimpsed in live-action before, so even hearing her name in this episode is a big deal. Continued here

S61

You Need to Watch the Most Innovative Sci-Fi Reboot of the Century For Free on Amazon ASAP     In the original 1968 Planet of the Apes, the apes treat time-traveling human astronaut Colonel George Taylor (Charlton Heston) as a pet, even giving him a cutesy nickname: Bright Eyes. Whether this inspired the name of the indie rock band is unclear, but it packs an emotional oomph. Within the first few minutes of 2011’s Rise of the Planet of the Apes, the film weaponizes the name Bright Eyes, but inverts its emotional impact. In this reboot, Bright Eyes is an ape, and the mother of the future. Given the various controversies surrounding James Franco, Rise may not have the greatest legacy as a stand-alone film. But the 21st-century Apes franchise is much bigger than Franco, and while the series is better known for its two excellent sequels, the fact the first film works at all is a minor miracle. This reboot disguised as a prequel is streaming now on Amazon’s Freevee, and for serious sci-fi aficionados, it’s worth a second look. Continued here

S70

'Ahsoka' Episode 7 Theory Explains a Baffling Coruscant Mystery     Star Wars has painted itself into a corner with the Mandoverse. Though Thrawn’s introduction in Ahsoka established a major new threat, he can’t actually wreak that much havoc. We already know the New Republic survives until decades later, when it eventually falls to the First Order, so the status quo can’t really change.But what seemed like a plot hole in the sequel trilogy could actually be the result of Thrawn’s evil ways — and could also be a clue to the upcoming Star Wars movie written and directed by Mandoverse overseer Dave Filoni. Continued here

S53

Too often learning 'British history' means learning 'English history' - but overburdened schoolteachers are not to blame     How much do you really know about the history of the United Kingdom? What passes for “British history” is, all too often, merely the history of England with bits of the histories of Scotland, Wales and Ireland tacked on when they affected events in England. In a radio interview some years ago, the BBC presenter Nicky Campbell put it to me that, fun though the Romans or Tudors might be, only history nerds are interested in the Glorious Revolution of 1688. “You say that because you’re in London,” I replied. “You wouldn’t say it if you were in Belfast.” Continued here

S69

Foldable Screens are Making Laptops Interesting Again     Foldable displays have earned a cult following in smartphone design, giving us a more functional and fun alternative to the ever-popular glass bricks. Given their popularity, It was only a matter of time before the technology made it to laptops, giving us something different from the traditional clamshell. On that front, LG just announced its first foldable laptop, the Gram Fold, which comes just a couple of weeks after HP threw its hat into the ring with the Spectre Foldable PC. This foldable laptop design isn’t brand new, but the recent surge feels like the start of a big shift in design language. Continued here

S67

Einstein Was Right, Again: Novel Experiment Proves Antigravity Doesn't Exist     It turns out that Einstein was right yet again. A recent experiment just proved that antigravity doesn’t exist and we probably won’t ever get to use antimatter to levitate or build a perpetual motion machine or power warp drives (sorry, Star Trek). Antimatter itself is very real. Made of particles that mostly behave like regular matter, but their electrical charges are reversed, an anti-proton looks just like a proton but has a negative charge, while an anti-electron (or positron) looks and moves just like an electron but has a positive charge. When a bit of antimatter bumps into a bit of matter, they explode so dramatically that all of their combined mass is converted into energy. Continued here

S54

Inside a Trump 2024 Rally in Iowa     Last week, Benjamin Wallace-Wells, who writes about politics for The New Yorker, went to Dubuque, Iowa, to attend a Trump rally. Wallace-Wells is now covering his third Trump campaign for President. This time, what stood out to him most was how much the rhetoric of the G.O.P. has shifted in the course of those three cycles. The former President, once an insurgent and inflammatory voice, now just sounds like an ordinary Republican. Wallace-Wells joins Tyler Foggatt to discuss what he heard from voters in Iowa, what he has observed in the broader Republican field, and why Donald Trump’s 2024 lead has been so significant.Personal History by David Sedaris: after thirty years together, sleeping is the new having sex. Continued here

S55

How the AR-15 Became an American Brand     Last summer, when the release of the video for “Try That in a Small Town,” a single by the country-music star Jason Aldean, generated a small storm of controversy, it was mentioned, often as an aside, that Aldean had been onstage on October 1, 2017, at the Route 91 Harvest Festival, in Las Vegas. That night, as Aldean performed a song called “When She Says Baby,” a man named Stephen Paddock began firing from the thirty-second floor of Mandalay Bay, a nearby resort and casino, into the crowd below. In the span of about ten minutes, Paddock shot more than a thousand bullets, killing fifty-eight people and wounding more than four hundred others before killing himself. In video recorded as the first bursts of gunfire sounded, Aldean stops singing, then flees the stage.It was a coincidence that put Aldean in Vegas on that particular night, but releasing “Try That in a Small Town,” a song extolling vigilante justice, six years later was a choice. The music video splices together footage from anti-police protests and convenience-store robberies to form an impression of national disarray; its lyrics include the lines “Got a gun that my granddad gave me / They say one day they’re gonna round up.” Aldean left the Las Vegas massacre out of his sizzle reel of American disorder, instead projecting a fantasy of control. Watching the video last summer, I couldn’t help recalling, given Aldean’s association with a mass shooting, that one thing that was tried in a small town in recent American history was the massacre that killed nineteen children in Uvalde, Texas, last year; that law enforcement in that small town waited in the halls for an hour without confronting the shooter; that the small town’s only pediatrician later testified to Congress about identifying the dead by the cartoons on their clothes because their bodies were too damaged. Considered in this light, “Try That in a Small Town” becomes an allegory about posturing over perceived threats to national integrity while ignoring the lived reality of a horror too disturbing to mediate. Continued here

S59

The Funniest Line in 'Ahsoka' Episode 7 Is a Brutal Jedi Diss      Grand Admiral Thrawn isn’t exactly the master tactician we were expecting, but he does get one fact painfully right about the Jedi. When Ahsoka finally arrives on the far-flung planet Peridia in Episode 7 of her namesake show, her first move is to hide from her attackers in a storm of debris, which leads to one of the all-time greatest burns in Star Wars history.“Jedi are very good at hiding,” Thrawn snarls. “They’ve been practicing that for years.” Continued here

S49

Australian universities have dropped in the latest round of global rankings - should we be worried?     Every year, Times Higher Education – a global higher education publication – ranks universities around the world. This one of three prominent international ranking systems for universities. Its 2024 list has just been released and includes 1,904 universities across 108 countries. Continued here

S46

A journey of discovery and identity formation: The Dictionary of Lost Words makes its wonderful stage debut     Russell Fewster has worked with State Theatre Company of South Australia in co-ordinating the second year course State Theatre Masterclass at the University of South Australia.The Dictionary of Lost Words follows Esme as she navigates the patriarchal world of Victorian England. While her father and colleagues construct the Oxford English Dictionary, Esme begins to form her own dictionary – particularly the words spoken by women and the working class who have been excluded. Continued here

S68

One 'Ahsoka' Line Fixes the Most Confusing Star Wars Twist     The main events of the Skywalker saga are more or less all written. We know Darth Sidious, aka Emperor Palpatine, orchestrates the fall of the Galactic Republic. We know he’s eventually defeated by his own apprentice, and his Empire falls. And thanks to the Star Wars sequels, we also know Palpatine finds a way back a few decades later, to establish his regime anew in the form of the First Order. But the circumstances of his return have been frustratingly muddy, which leaves series like The Mandalorian and Ahsoka to fill in the blanks.The latter has been diligently working to make sense of the First Order’s rise, from New Republic negligence to the emergence of the Imperial Remnant. It’s mostly working, but it’s silly that these shows even have to explain one of the laziest villain reveals in history. Continued here

S56

"Thank You for Speaking While I'm Interrupting": The Crosstalk Chaos of the Second Republican Debate     It took about a half hour for the Republican Presidential debate on Wednesday night to descend from merely being very boring to unrecoverable chaos. Tim Scott, the U.S. senator from South Carolina, asked Vivek Ramaswamy, the founder of a biotech company, how he could accuse his rivals of being "bought and paid for" when he himself was "just in business with the Chinese Communist Party and the same people who funded Hunter Biden."Ramaswamy, whom none of the other Republican candidates for President can really seem to stand, either politically or in the most basic human way, spread his arms dramatically to indicate the others onstage. "These are good people, who are tainted by a broken system . . ." Continued here

S50

What causes lithium-ion battery fires? Why are they so intense? And how should they be fought? An expert explains     Picture this: you’re cruising down the Great Ocean Road in your brand newelectric vehicle (EV), the ocean to your left and the wind in your hair. But what if I told you this idyllic drive could turn into a nightmare, with the faint smell of something burning? This month we have had at least two large lithium-ion battery fires in Australia – one in the Sydney airport car park and another one more recently at the Bouldercombe battery storage site in Queensland. Continued here

S44

4 ways to support someone with dementia during extreme heat     Our ability to adapt our behaviour to changes in temperature takes a significant amount of thought and decision making. For example, we need to identify suitable clothing, increase our fluid intake, and understand how to best keep the house cool. A person with dementia may find some or all these things challenging. These and other factors mean, for someone with dementia, extreme heat can be deadly. Continued here

S51

Strange Way of Life review: Pedro Almod     Every genre film is engaged – as self-aware genre pastiches like the Scary Movie (2000) and Scream (1996) franchises cannily acknowledge – in a conversation with its predecessors. The western, the longest-lived of all major genres, has been commenting on and reworking its own traditions since the silent era. Director and screenwriter Pedro Almodóvar’s new self-styled “queer western”, Strange Way of Life, is no exception. Across its brief 30-minute runtime, Almodóvar reworks classical genre motifs – a stranger riding into town, ageing fellow outlaws now on opposite sides of the law, a desert pursuit and a Mexican standoff. But he does this in the novel context (for the western) of a love story between former gunslingers. Jake (Ethan Hawke) is now installed as sheriff of a small desert town, and Silva (Pedro Pascal) is his sometime fellow outlaw, friend – and lover. Continued here

S42

NZ Election 2023: latest poll trends show the left regaining some ground and NZ First as possible kingmaker     Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne For the purposes of this analysis, the National and ACT parties are counted as the right coalition; Labour, the Greens and Te Pāti Māori/the Māori party are the left coalition. I am not counting NZ First towards either coalition, as they have supported both left and right in the past. Continued here

S43

We should use Australia's environment laws to protect our 'living wonders' from new coal and gas projects     David Karoly is a Councillor on the Climate Council Australia. He provided an expert report in support of the initial reconsideration request made by the Environment Council of Central Queensland to the Minister for the Environment.David is also a Member of the Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists.From Kakadu and the Great Barrier Reef in the North, to the Snowy Mountains in the Southeast, and jarrah and marri forests in the Southwest, Australia is home to incredibly diverse ecosystems. Many of our plants, animals, birds and fish are found nowhere else in the world. Continued here

S48

In fractious debate, GOP candidates find common ground on cause of inflation woes and need for school choice     It was a night in which even “the great communicator” himself may have struggled to be heard.At the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in California on Sept. 27, 2023, seven Republican candidates looking to become the leading challenger to the absent GOP frontrunner Donald Trump interrupted, cross-talked and bickered – often to the exasperation of the debate moderators. Continued here

S47

The green energy surge still isn't enough for 1.5 degrees. We'll have to overshoot, adapt and soak up carbon dioxide     It was a rare bit of good news on climate. The International Energy Agency this week released its latest net zero roadmap, showing it was still just possible to hold global heating to 1.5℃. In the last two years, we’ve seen major global investment in clean energy, spurred on by energy independence concerns raised by the war in Ukraine, as well as intensifying extreme weather. Continued here

S45

Beyond the PwC scandal, there's a growing case for a royal commission into Australia's ruthless corporate greed     Accounting and consulting group PwC has been front page news ever since its chief executive Tim Seymour stepped down “effectively immediately” in May, when the firm said it had “betrayed the trust” of Australians and promised an independent review of its governance, accountability and culture.That review, conducted by former Telstra chief Ziggy Switkowski, was published on Wednesday, along with an assurance from the firm that it would implement the recommendations. Continued here

S41

The enduring appeal of a century-old German film about queer love     When the silent German movie Anders als die Andern (Different from the Others) premiered on May 28, 1919, in Berlin, it was an instant audience success.On the basis of a fictional romance between two men, the film hoped to inform its viewers about the innateness of homosexuality in order to dispel public conceptions of same-sex relations as aberrations of nature. Continued here

S2

Thorny Talent and AI Challenges Now: 5 Experts Speak     Our special report on innovation systems will help leaders guide teams that rely on virtual collaboration, explores the potential of new developments, and provides insights on how to manage customer-led innovation.Our special report on innovation systems will help leaders guide teams that rely on virtual collaboration, explores the potential of new developments, and provides insights on how to manage customer-led innovation.If you ask leaders about their toughest leadership challenges right now, you’ll hear wide-ranging concerns about both talent management and artificial intelligence. Seeking fresh insights and advice for leaders on both topics, we spoke with MIT Sloan Management Review authors at the most recent Academy of Management (AOM) event in Boston. Continued here

S3

Sound Business: The Promise of Audio Machine Learning Technologies     Our special report on innovation systems will help leaders guide teams that rely on virtual collaboration, explores the potential of new developments, and provides insights on how to manage customer-led innovation.Our special report on innovation systems will help leaders guide teams that rely on virtual collaboration, explores the potential of new developments, and provides insights on how to manage customer-led innovation.Sounds are everywhere — the chatter and babble of humans and animals, the whirring and thrumming of machines, the background hum of the natural environment, and the murmur of bees on a summer day. These sounds provide crucial input to our decision-making, whether as pedestrians crossing the road or as engineers testing the safety of a vehicle or machine. Continued here

S4

How billion-dollar store makeovers are taking on the 'retail apocalypse'     At JCPenney stores across the US, shoppers may notice a fresh paint smell, better lighting and shiny new signage – with even more improvements planned for the coming months. Centralised checkout counters are replacing registers once spread across multiple departments, and posters promise a "new and improved shopping experience" once the remodels are complete. Change is afoot at the retailer, and not just in the form of upgraded carpet (though that, too, is on the list).The updates are part of a $1bn (£808m) investment the company announced in late August – a pricey effort to reinvigorate the brand following a high profile 2020 bankruptcy and subsequent restructuring. The funds will be partly dedicated to slicker technology and improved e-commerce features, but much of the focus remains on JCPenney's more than 650 physical stores.  Continued here

S5

The Creator film review: A 'jaw-droppingly distinctive' sci-fi     The Creator belongs to an endangered species, in that it's a Hollywood science-fiction epic that isn't based on a video game, a comic, or a film you've seen already. That doesn't mean that it's wholly original. There are echoes of The Terminator, Blade Runner and Star Wars all through it – not surprisingly, given that its director and co-writer, Gareth Edwards, directed Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. But the world Edwards and his team have built is jaw-droppingly distinctive, with its own sombre mood and worn and grimy look. Back when Rogue One came out in 2016, Edwards said that he wanted to make a Star Wars film that reflected "the reality of war". If he didn't quite manage it then, he gets a lot closer with The Creator.More like this:- Could Jeffrey Wright win the best actor Oscar?- Emily Blunt is the only reason to watch Pain Hustlers- Lee could be Winslet's best role yet Continued here

S6

What is an abaya - and why does it cause such controversy in France? A scholar of European studies explains     Worn by some Muslim women, an abaya is a long, loose-fitting, robelike garment that covers the entire body, except for the face, hands and feet. Through the abaya, women can express their religious identity and dedication to following Islamic guidelines regarding modest attire. In more conservative social circles, the abaya is part of expected dress conforming to social norms and culture. In Saudi Arabia, for example, women were required to wear an abaya until 2018. Continued here

S7

Philly undercounts students who are homeless - here's what parents need to know to advocate for their child     Stacey Havlik consults to the National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth (NAEHCY) as a member of their Higher Education Committee. She is affiliated with NAEHCY. For thousands of Philadelphia kids, the return to school this fall was made more difficult because they don’t have a secure place to call home. Continued here

S8

Harassment and abuse perceived to harm poor women less - new research finds a 'thicker skin' bias     People think sexual harassment and domestic abuse are less harmful for women in poverty than for higher-income women, according to four studies involving 3,052 Americans conducted by my colleagues and me. We also found that people believe women in poverty require less help and support when experiencing these kinds of sexual misconduct. The harassment events described inappropriate behavior from a co-worker, such as sexual comments and unwanted advances, while domestic abuse events included threats, demeaning comments and physical violence from the woman’s partner. In some of the studies, participants also rated how much social support or bystander intervention would be necessary for these events. Continued here

S9

Why central banks should stop raising interest rates     Mortgage borrowers breathed a sign of relief following a recent pause in the Bank of England’s 14-month campaign of base rate hikes.Led by the US Federal Reserve, many of the world’s major central banks, including the European Central Bank (ECB) and the Bank of England, have been hiking their main rates of interest for more than a year in a bid to slow rapid price inflation. Continued here

S10

Hip-hop on trial: When can a rapper's lyrics be used as evidence in a criminal case?     When police arrested Nevada rapper Kenjuan McDaniel on a murder charge in August 2023, they cited a music video he posted on YouTube that they say includes details of a 2021 killing that had not been made public.McDaniel, who uses the social media handle TheBiggestFinn4800, had previously been considered a person of interest in the case. His lyrics included: “Parked the car / double back on feet / the smartest way to slide / drove in / double lock yo man / make sure you get yo bod’.” Continued here