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Day: April 7, 2018

Why is it so stressful to talk politics with the other side?

Bridge Agents

(Conversation) – People disagree all the time, but not all disagreements lead to the same levels of stress. Even though people can be passionate about their favorite sport teams, they can argue about which basketball team is the best without destroying friendships. In the workplace, co-workers can often dispute strategies and approaches without risking a long-term fallout. Political conversations, on the other hand, seem to have become especially challenging in recent years. Stories of tense Thanksgiving dinners and of Facebook friends being unfriended have become commonplace. Why does this happen?…

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If You Want to Kill Drug Dealers, Start with Big Pharma

Bridge Agents

US (OtherWords) – At a recent rally in New Hampshire, Donald Trump called for the death penalty for drug traffickers as part of a plan to combat the opioid epidemic in the United States. At a Pennsylvania rally a few weeks earlier, he called for the same. Now his administration is taking steps toward making this proposal a reality. Attorney General Jeff Sessions issued a memo on March 21 asking prosecutors to pursue capital punishment for drug traffickers — a power he has thanks to legislation passed under President Bill Clinton. Time and…

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How do you tell the kids that Grandma is in jail for resisting nuclear weapons?

Bridge Agents

(WNV) – “Our grandma is in jail,” Madeline tells a woman wrestling a shopping cart at Target. “She went over a war fence and tried to make peace,” Seamus adds helpfully. “They arrested her, and she is in jail now.” “Where?” the woman asks, looking from them to me in disbelief and maybe pity. “We don’t remember,” the kids say, suddenly done with their story and ready to make passionate pleas for the colorful items in the dollar section over the woman’s shoulder. “Georgia,” I say, but I don’t have…

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Is Crime Really on the Rise in the United States?

Bridge Agents

If you were to read or watch the news, you would get a very bleak picture of what is going on in the world right now. Every time you turn around, you hear another story of someone being murdered, a break-in, or some other criminal spree. Whether these are happening near you or not, it can be demoralizing. But is crime really on the rise in the United States right now? How is Crime Reported To understand if crime is on the rise, you need to understand how crime is…

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