Where Did Viruses Come From?

 
There are fossils of viruses, of sorts, preserved in the DNA of the hosts that they’ve infected. Including you. This molecular fossil trail can help us understand where viruses came from, how they evolved and even whether viruses are alive.

Marches Across the U.S. Protest Separation of Migrant Families

Tim Arango and Kayla Cockrel The New York Times
Demonstrators in Los Angeles were joined by activists in dozens of other cities across the country on Thursday evening to protest the separation of migrant families under President Trump’s zero-tolerance crackdown on illegal immigration.

Rebooting Poor People’s Campaign 50 Years Later

Russell Contreras Chicago Sun-Times
The new Poor People's Campaign is preparing for 40 days of non-violent "direct action" in about 30 states that will climax with a rally in Washington this June.

Boy White American

Amy O'Reilly Tar River Poetry
Amy O’Reilly’s “Boy White American” puts her finger not so gently on the dangers in a Trumpian universe of gender roles.

The Dangers of Conflating Anti-Zionism With Anti-Semitism

Donna Nevel Truthout
We cannot ignore the structures of oppression within Zionism. A recent article in the Forward that asserts, claiming most Jews support Zionism, if you leave out Zionism from social justice struggles, then you are saying Jews aren’t welcome.

Choosing to Study Medicine in Cuba

Anakwa Dwamena The New Yorker
The Latin American School of Medicine, or E.L.A.M., was established by the Cuban government, in 1999. All of the students are international. Many come from Asia, Africa, and the United States, coming from low-income and marginalized communities.

The U.S. Government’s Border War Against Children

Scott McLemee Inside Higher Ed
Reports of the forcible separation of parents and children at the border by U.S. immigration authorities tell only part of the story of the violence now being directed against hard-won norms of civil society.