Plus: The return of El Niño
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Top headlines
Lead story Linguist Carol Rose Little has seen firsthand where language and the court system collide. Her article today opens with two farmworkers detained by ICE in Oregon, speakers of the Mayan language Mam who were never given an interpreter. Although courts have held that the right to an interpreter is constitutionally protected, that right means little when courts and officers are unaware of linguistic needs. Little has worked with defendants whom court officials suspected of having learning disabilities but, in reality, simply had been given interpretation in the wrong language. Witnesses with foreign accents are seen as less believable, and speakers of nonstandard English are perceived to be guiltier. Jurors, Little argues, need help separating how someone talks from whether they are credible. As she explains, the instinct to judge someone by their speech is often rooted in bias against their race or socioeconomic background. Her article shows how a failure to understand language diversity threatens the fairness of the legal system for immigrants and citizens alike. But it’s a hopeful story, too, when one considers what broader linguistic education could bring: greater support, and maybe even respect, for different languages and dialects. [How faith and religion drive the world. Sign up for our weekly newsletter, This Week in Religion.] |
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Heather Buckner Politics + Society Editor |
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A court interpreter checks the day’s schedule of assignments. AP Photo/Brennan Linsley
Carol Rose Little, University of Oklahoma Federal protections promise a fair trial in a language you understand, but for millions who speak lesser-known languages, courts can’t keep that promise. |
Environment + Energy |
Dillon Amaya, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration El Niño can trigger intense periods of extreme ocean warming known as marine heat waves that can devastate marine life. Buket Altınçelep, UMass Boston Efforts to protect land and environmental resources, including fighting climate change, often end up displacing people who have lived in those places for generations. |
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Economy + Business |
Christopher Briem, University of Pittsburgh New census data shows population decline is spreading across America. Planning for growth may be actively making things worse. Brad Badertscher, University of Notre Dame In the old days, companies went public early to access cash to grow. These days, soon-to-be-public companies are already flush with cash from private finance. |
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World Cup |
Shirvin Zeinalzadeh, Arizona State University Iran’s team faces a hostile reception from the US government and some of its brethren in the diaspora. Yet others hope the event will trump politics — for now. Gemma Ware, The Conversation Listen to football historian John Sloop trace the history of soccer in the US on The Conversation Weekly podcast. |
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Science + Technology |
Anjana Susarla, Michigan State University The executive order is voluntary for AI companies but aligns with AI safety experts on the potential for harm. Charles J. Dimitroff, Florida International University; Lee Seng Lau, Florida International University CAR-T therapy engineers a patient’s own immune cells to fight cancer. Making these cels more resilient can make treatments more effective. |
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Ethics + Religion |
Shreyans Goenka, Virginia Tech; Sankar Sen, Baruch College, CUNY Before asking whether inclusion is good for business, we should ask whether it is the right thing to do, two scholars argue. |
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Arts + Culture |
Karen Stollznow, University of Colorado Boulder; Griffith University In 1866, the topic became so controversial that the Société de Linguistique de Paris banned discussions about language origins altogether. |
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International |
Brandon Marc Finn, University of Michigan In Agbogbloshie, Ghana, thousands of young women and men burn electronic waste to extract minerals at a cost to their health. They need more protection. |
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The Conversation News Quiz 🧠 |
Here’s the first question of this week's edition: Commercial use of drones is expected to soar if the Federal Aviation Administration enacts a proposal known as Part 108, which specifically states that pilots can fly drones ...
- A. Heavier than 2 pounds
- B. With speakers playing ads
- C. Beyond their line of sight
- D. Loaded with hot, fresh burritos
Test your knowledge More of The Conversation
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About The ConversationWe're a nonprofit news organization dedicated to bringing you facts and trustworthy analysis to help you make sense of our complex world. We can give away our articles thanks to the help of foundations, universities and readers like you. |
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