By Richard Dawkins “There are verses about corona in the Quran.” This was the e-mail I just received from a Muslim zealot. He didn’t name the prophetic verses themselves so I did a bit of Googling and came up with a learned article written by a Muslim “scholar”1: http://muslimmirror.com/eng/probable-mention-of-a-covid-19-like-pandemic-in-the-quran/ I read it and was bowled …

by Richard Dawkins Donald Trump was surely right when he said, in 2012, “The electoral college is a disaster for a democracy . . . A total sham and a travesty”. And he confirmed his sensible view on November 13th, 2016 (after winning the election by the Electoral College system, but losing the popular vote) …

By the Editors Scientific American has never endorsed a presidential candidate in its 175-year history. This year we are compelled to do so. We do not do this lightly. The evidence and the science show that Donald Trump has badly damaged the U.S. and its people—because he rejects evidence and science. The most devastating example is …

By Valerie Strauss Education Secretary Betsy DeVos has quietly dropped a controversial rule directing states to give private schools a bigger share of federal coronavirus aid than Congress had intended after a federal judge ruled that it violated the law. The case involved the distribution of about $13.5 billion that Congress included in its $2 trillion …

By Elena Trueba Millions of children and their families are navigating a world without in-person school this fall, as the Covid-19 pandemic continues. A nationwide surge in homeschooling seemed far-fetched six months ago, but today, 60 percent of parents say they are likely to pursue at-home learning options this fall. These options extend far beyond remote learning …

By Azeez Intizar and Sabrina Majed Independent Bangladesh has witnessed both military rule and the establishment of democratic institutions; throughout, the press have continued to suffer at the hands of not only various censorship laws, but also a number of sedition and criminal libel laws. With increasing use of social media in the recent decade, …

By Shannon Stirone, Kenneth Chang, and Dennis Overbye High in the toxic atmosphere of the planet Venus, astronomers on Earth have discovered signs of what might be life. If the discovery is confirmed by additional telescope observations and future space missions, it could turn the gaze of scientists toward one of the brightest objects in …

By Hemant Mehta Saundra McDowell recently ran for governor of Missouri, only to get blown out in last month’s Republican primary. The MAGA cultist earned 12% of the GOP vote, compared to 75% earned by the sitting Gov. Mike Parson. But I just want to give you an idea of how batshit crazy she is just in case she ever decides …