Plus: authenticity is bound by justice
| | | | Top headlines Lead story It's now considered a human rights violation, but even the ancients knew that attacking an enemy's water source was an excellent way to win a fight quickly. As hostilities continue between the U.S. and Israel on one side and Iran on the other, damage has been reported at two plants along the Persian Gulf coast that turn seawater into drinking water. Both events appear to have been caused by debris from attacks on port facilities nearby or from interceptions of drone attacks. Michael Christopher Low, a historian of the Middle East, reports that as many as 100 million people's lives depend on the more than 400 desalination plants in the region – which includes all 10 of the world's largest ones. This isn't the first time those facilities have been targeted in times of conflict, Low explains. But with Iran as one belligerent, the amount and sophistication of weaponry available to target water sources is much higher than in the past. [How faith and religion drive the world. Sign up for our weekly newsletter, This Week in Religion.] |  | Jeff Inglis Environment + Energy Editor | |  The Ras al-Khair water desalination plant in eastern Saudi Arabia is just one of many along the Persian Gulf coast. Fayez Nureldine/AFP via Getty Images Michael Christopher Low, University of Utah Key sources of drinking water have been targets in past conflicts. And Iranian strikes have already hit close to some. | Environment + Energy | -
Antonio Machado Allison, Wesleyan University The Orinoco Basin is one of the most biodiverse places on the planet. It's also rich in oil, gold and critical minerals crucial to modern technology. | | Ethics + Religion | -
Kenneth Andrew Andres Leonardo, Hamilton College Contemporary culture seems obsessed with authenticity – but the question of how to be 'sincere' in modern society has troubled philosophers for centuries. -
Eric Lob, Florida International University Media reports have cast the son of slain Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as a top candidate for supreme leader. A scholar of Iranian politics explains how the succession process has never been free or fair. | | Science + Technology | -
Carolina Rossini, UMass Amherst A lawsuit against Meta and Google avoids the issue of liability for content and focuses on allegations that social media platforms themselves are harmful by design. | | Economy + Business | -
Olivier Sterck, University of Oxford An economist proposes a new method of estimating the scope of poverty in different countries. -
Peter McGraw, University of Colorado Boulder In an era of family-friendly workplaces, how can employers treat single people without kids fairly? | | Health + Medicine | -
Max Crowley, Penn State Public health depends on long-term planning, and when that planning is interrupted, some programs never recover. -
Terrence Liu, University of Utah Policymakers are still deciding whether to make some types of Medicare coverage for telehealth permanent. Studies show it helps older adults get more consistent health care. | | Politics + Society | -
Kenneth Michael White, Kennesaw State University Conflict between Washington and the states is perennial and by design. Lack of clarity about who's in charge on what issue keeps power from becoming concentrated. | | Education | -
Fred L. Pincus, University of Maryland, Baltimore County The Trump administration is reportedly working on a revised version of the higher education proposal. | | Podcast 🎙️ | -
Gemma Ware, The Conversation Simon Mabon talks to The Conversation Weekly podcast about how the evolution of the relationship between Iran and its Gulf neighbours. | | | | The Conversation News Quiz 🧠 | -
Fritz Holznagel, The Conversation Here's the first question of this week's edition: Shortly after the first bombs were dropped in the U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran on Feb. 28, President Donald Trump issued a video that included which four-word message for the people of Iran? - A. "We come in peace"
- B. "Take over your government"
- C. "You've been very naughty"
- D. "Please like and subscribe"
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