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Published September 7, 2021

The urgency of confronting climate change. A look into America’s deepest ideological divide.  And words of hope from a Rutgers hero.

NJ Spotlight talks to Anthony Broccoli CC’77, GSNB’79,’98 a Distinguished Professor in the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, about the growing frequency of devastating storms like Ida and their link to human causes. “We’ve seen evidence from observations that these heavy rain events are getting more intense, happening more frequently, and some of that is associated with climate change,” says Broccoli. “How much? That’s a question that will require more research in the coming days.” Noting Ida’s horrific impact on communities, Broccoli adds that “becoming more resilient, moving infrastructure out of harm’s way, [and] trying to be better prepared for events like this is something we will need to do.”

NJ Spotlight News | Devastating storms are happening more often. Why?

Claire Gothreau, a research associate at the Center for American Women and Politics, writes for Ms. about the roles that public opinion and the U.S. Supreme Court play in the abortion debate. “Americans generally support safe access to abortion and research suggests that SCOTUS decisions rarely deviate from public opinion,” says Gothreau. “However, by historical standards, the current makeup of the court is very conservative and in terms of the overall ideological makeup of the court, it is likely out of line with the ideology of the modal American citizen.” Gothreau also mentions a recent survey on capital punishment for juvenile offenders, suggesting that the court can, in fact, be insulated from public sentiment.

Ms. | Will shifts in public opinion impact the abortion debate?

Marybeth Gasman, a Distinguished Professor in the Graduate School of Education, writes for Forbes on how to fix the shortage of Black teachers in the United States. Gasman profiles the Sachs Foundation, a Colorado-based nonprofit working to address the scarcity. By reducing financial pressures on Black college students who are considering a teaching career, says Gasman, organizations like the Sachs Foundation can help transform an educational landscape in which role models for low-income students of color are currently far too few.

Forbes | How to fix America’s Black teacher shortage

Entrepreneur and former Scarlet Knight defensive tackle Eric LeGrand SAS’14 appears on The Rachael Ray Show to talk about his ongoing emotional journey and why he formed Team LeGrand to help find a cure for paralysis. “I said to myself when I got injured, ‘I’m only 20 years old. God willing I live for many, many more years. I don’t want to be upset,’” says LeGrand. “You gain a newfound appreciation [of] life when things are taken away from you and you can’t do the things you were able to do before. That’s why I’m so appreciative and thankful for the things that I can do and that’s why I stay so positive and optimistic.”

The Rachael Ray Show | Football player paralyzed making a tackle on what he said to himself post-injury to stay positive

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