Mama Ngina Kenyatta at 90: the quiet power behind Kenya's famous political family

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Mama Ngina Kenyatta at 90: the quiet power behind Kenya's famous political family     Few witnessed the building of the young Kenyan state from within as did Ngina Kenyatta, the widow of Kenya’s first president, Jomo Kenyatta. Mama Ngina, as she is known, will mark her 90th birthday on 24 June 2023. She was by her husband’s side when Kenya won independence 60 years ago and for many turbulent years thereafter. Although Kenyatta was polygamous, it was the younger Mama Ngina who took on the roles of first lady. Ngina married Jomo Kenyatta in 1952 at the age of 19. That year, Kenyatta was arrested and subsequently jailed on charges of masterminding the anti-colonial Mau Mau uprising. By then, he had spent years abroad (mainly in England), where he embraced anti-colonialist and Pan-African ideas. Back home he was elected president of Kenya African Union, before becoming the front figure of the Kenya African National Union (KANU), the party that would go on to lead Kenya to independence. Continued here

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What explains Donald Trump's enduring appeal with Republican voters?     Donald Trump has once again been indicted, this time at the federal level for violating the Espionage Act and endangering US security in his handling of classified documents. Unsurprisingly, he maintains his innocence, accusing the Biden administration of “election interference at the highest level” and “weaponization of the Justice Department and the FBI”. This defense, echoed by Fox News, has also been adopted by leading members of the Republican party, including Kevin McCarthy, the Speaker of the House of Representatives.Even his opponents in the primaries, starting with his main rival Ron Desantis, have almost universally embraced the narrative of an indictment that is purely a political attack by Joe Biden on one of the leading contenders for the Republican presidential nomination. Continued here

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Nigeria is Africa's leading rice producer, but still needs more - reusing wastewater for irrigation would boost farming     Rice is one of the staple foods globally, ranking third after wheat and maize in terms of production and consumption. It contributes over 20% of the total calorie intake of the human population.In sub-Saharan Africa rice ranks fourth in production after sorghum, maize and millet. Nigeria is the continent’s leading rice producer and produces over 46% of west Africa’s harvest. Continued here

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Juneteenth and Emancipation Day: How the 'Buy Black' movement is addressing economic inequality     Juneteenth being declared a federal holiday in the United States and Emancipation Day being officially recognized on Aug. 1 in Canada demonstrate significant progress towards creating more equitable societies in North America.Juneteenth — a portmanteau of June and nineteenth — celebrates the emancipation of enslaved African Americans. On June 19, 1865, General Order No. 3 was released. It officially enforced the Emancipation Proclamation in Texas and granted freedom to all remaining enslaved people in the U.S. Continued here

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Grattan on Friday: Liberals come a cropper when they try to dig afresh into the Brittany Higgins story     Two women ended up in tears in the Senate this week, as the Higgins imbroglio exploded yet again and in the process claimed a scalp. But the scalp wasn’t that of Finance Minister Katy Gallagher, who was targeted by the Liberals. Continued here

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Hungry gold miners created Victoria's Murray cod fisheries -     In this edited book extract, Paul Humphries describes how a proposal to feed hungry miners on Victoria’s goldfields led to a Murray cod fishery – and the collapse of cod populations, the effects of which are still with us today.Within months of the discovery of gold in 1851 in the previously sleepy little hamlets of Ballarat, Castlemaine and Bendigo, the Victorian goldfields were out-performing those in California. By 1852, ships hailing from Melbourne were sailing up the River Thames, carrying up to 10 tonnes of gold to London. Continued here

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Listen: Why preserving Indigenous languages is so critical to preserving culture     Language, if we are not thinking about it, can be just a way to get from place A to B, a way to order lunch or a way to pass an exam. But language is much more than a way to communicate with words. This is especially true if you have had your language forcibly removed from you, like the thousands of Indigenous children who survived Canada’s colonial assimilation project. Continued here

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Ukraine war: offensive use of satellite tech a sign of how conflict is increasingly moving into space     Teaching Fellow, School of Strategy, Marketing and Innovation, University of Portsmouth As Ukraine’s counteroffensive got underway, there were credible reports of advances into territory previously occupied by Russian troops. Each day brings news of small gains, a village liberated here and a village liberated there. Continued here

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Bees and hoverflies are key to growing more fruit and veg in cities -- new research     Accessing affordable fruit and vegetables is a significant challenge for the 1.2 million UK residents living in what are known as “food deserts”. People in these neighbourhoods are unable to purchase fresh food within walking distance or via a quick trip on public transport. Instead, they have to choose between shopping at convenience stores with scarce fresh food in stock or spending some of their food budget on transportation. Continued here

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How to make better decisions - using scoring systems     When faced with difficult choices, we often rank the alternatives to see how they stack up. This approach is ubiquitous, used from major business and policy decisions, through to personal choices such as the selection of a university course, place to live, or political voting preference.Typically, criteria are identified and each one is “weighted” according to importance. The options are then scored against each criterion and the weightings applied. But this common approach is frequently flawed and not as rational as it first seems. Continued here

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Cutting GST on fresh produce won't help those most in need - a targeted approach works better     Food prices are rising at the fastest rate in almost four decades, with fruit and vegetables up more than 22% in the past year. As often happens during a cost of living crisis, there have been calls to remove the goods and services tax (GST) from fresh produce. But is this actually a good idea? And if not, what alternatives might there be to help people currently struggling to afford fruit and vegetables? Continued here

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Behind the Bleak, Beautiful Stories of Cormac McCarthy     The writer, who died this week at age 89, was an unflinching chronicler of humanity’s brutalityCormac McCarthy rose to fame remarkably late in life. Until the publication of his novel All the Pretty Horses in 1992, just short of his 60th birthday, few outside the literary world knew his name. But the writer, who died on June 13 at age 89, is now recognized as one of the giants of American fiction.  Continued here

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Leaders, Sharing Your Own Mental Health Story Can Help You Become a Better Ally     Celebrities and athletes have increasingly been speaking out about their mental health over the last several years, but organizational leaders have only just started. To fully catalyze societal change and normalize mental health challenges and seeking support, workplaces must also play a part. When leaders of all levels share their personal stories, it reduces stigma and normalizes the ups and downs of being human — especially as a high-performing professional. This type of role-modeling positions vulnerability as a strength instead of a weakness and shows it’s possible to succeed and thrive with a mental health challenge. The author presents best practices for how to tell your leader ally story — and why it matters. Continued here

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A Victorian Visionary's Prescient Case for Animal Rights and Vegetarianism     Each month, I spend hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars keeping The Marginalian going. For seventeen years, it has remained free and ad-free and alive thanks to patronage from readers. I have no staff, no interns, not even an assistant — a thoroughly one-woman labor of love that is also my life and my livelihood. If this labor has made your own life more livable in the past year (or the past decade), please consider aiding its sustenance with a one-time or loyal donation. Your support makes all the difference.Chronicling the history of science at a recent event, the eminent primatologist Frans de Wall lamented the long-burning damage Skinner and the behaviorists of the mid-twentieth century did to our understanding of non-human minds and lives — the way their views stalled science and thwarted empathy. I asked him which of our current paradigms about other animals we will look back upon in another century with the same shamed shudder with which we now look back upon the behaviorists. Without hesitation, he flagged factory farming and the large-scale consumption of animal meat. A century and a half before us, the Victorian visionary Samuel Butler (December 4, 1835–June 18, 1902) bent his gaze past the horizon of his culture’s paradigms, giving impassioned voice to this sentiment and contouring a different moral future for our species in his prophetic 1872 novel Erewhon (public library | public domain). Continued here

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Wegovy: more people may soon be eligible to access weight-loss drug under new pilot scheme     One in four adults in the UK are obese. Obesity is associated with many health conditions including high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, heart attacks, stroke and cancer. The financial cost of obesity to the NHS is an estimated £6 billion a year.In an effort to reduce the burden of obesity on the NHS and cut waiting times, the UK government has announced a £40 million pilot scheme that will explore ways of making the obesity drug Wegovy available to many more patients living in the UK. Continued here

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South Africa is famous for its biodiversity: a new network will store and manage its plant and animal samples     Director, Collections Management, South African National Biodiversity Institute The definition can differ according to context. For the Biodiversity Biobanks South Africa project it’s defined as a repository of biological material that’s not usually of human origin. Continued here

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Food insecurity already affects 12 million US homes -- and reductions in SNAP benefits won't help     Millions of Americans struggle to afford healthy meals and nutritious food. Known as “food insecurity,” this problem was already rising when Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, benefits – previously called food stamps – were cut in 35 states this spring.SciLine interviewed Hilary Seligman, professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, on rising grocery prices, the misconceptions about hunger in the U.S., and how food insecurity diminishes school and work performance.Hilary Seligman: Food insecurity is defined by the U.S. Department of Agriculture as the limited or uncertain access to enough food for a healthy life. Continued here

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You Need to Play 2023's Most Surprising Sports Game ASAP     David Ortiz may be an MLB legend, but today he’s got nothing on Nacho Crisp. Star player for the Moose, Crisp had 2 RBIs in a 6-4 win against Ortiz and the other MLB legends on the Mammotanks. Ortiz went 0-4. Pick up your peanuts and Cracker Jack Big Papi, it’s time to go home. In Super Mega Baseball 4 the rules are different.Unlike other sports titles these days, it isn’t focused on a hyper-realistic recreation of the national pastime. Instead of causing your PS5 to make jet engine sounds as it renders individual blades of Fenway grass, Super Mega Baseball 4 focuses on a fast-but-casual arcade approach that manages to be both instantly approachable and incredibly deep. If you ever played any of the old SNES or Genesis baseball franchises like R.B.I. Baseball, but soured on the stats-heavy sim turn sports games have taken since then, you’ll feel right at home. Continued here

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What the right gets wrong about Adam Smith     What to make of Adam Smith? You might have thought we would have straightened this out, given that he only ever wrote two books and it’s been 300 years since he was born. But no. Everyone wants to claim the Scottish philosopher and economist as one of their own. With the exception of Jesus, it’s hard to think of anyone who attracts such radically different interpretations. Part of the problem is that we actually know very little about the man. Smith oversaw the burning of all his unpublished writings as he lay on his death bed – a common practice at the time, but not much help in settling endless arguments. Continued here

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'He just kept going' -     What advice should I give my teenage daughter about what to do when she’s harassed by men in public? This question is, of course, completely understandable. We all want our loved ones to feel safe when they’re out in public. Continued here

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Russians are using age-old military tactic of flooding to combat Ukraine's counteroffensive     Founding Director, Modern War Institute, United States Military Academy West Point On the morning of June 6, 2023, thousands of Ukrainians awoke to the sounds of rushing water following an explosion at the Kakhovka dam on the Dnieper River. Continued here

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The Beatles' 'final' record: Should we bring singers back from the dead?     "I think we're actually on the cusp of something exhilarating and terrifying… it's an alien life form." When Bowie voiced these thoughts in a 1999 interview, he was greeting the creative dawn – or potential cataclysm – of the digital age. His words seem even more spookily resonant several years after his death (the Starman left this world in 2016). The music industry remains in a state of flux, and tech continues to connect realms – and maybe even raise the voices of long-departed singers.More like this: - Paul McCartney's unseen photographs - James Bond and The Beatles - The Beatles' greatest album Continued here

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New book sheds light on surrealist artist Leonora Carrington's extraordinary life and work     Surreal Spaces: The Life and Art of Leonora Carrington, Joanna Moorhead’s latest book on the pioneering surrealist painter and writer who lived from 1917 to 2011, captures a wave of fascination for surrealist women artists. Carrington’s many selves dazzle at every turn in this evocative study of the spaces and places of the artist’s life and work. It showcases her resilience, zest, intellectual curiosity and defiant pursuit of personal autonomy and uncompromising artistic authenticity. Continued here

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Edward Burtynsky's photos show the scars of human-altered landscapes     For more than 40 years, the Canadian photographer Edward Burtynsky has recorded the impact of humans on the Earth in large-scale images that often resemble abstract paintings. The writer Gaia Vince, whose book Nomad Century was published in 2022, interviewed Burtynsky for BBC Culture about his latest project, African Studies.African Studies is now collected in a book and is on display at Flowers Gallery, Hong Kong until 20 May 2023. Continued here

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When homes flood, who retreats and to where? We mapped thousands of buyouts and found the average move is only 7 miles, and race plays a role     After Hurricane Ida hit New Orleans in 2021, Kirt Talamo, a fourth-generation Louisianan, decided it was time to go. He sold his flooded home, purchased his grandmother’s former house on New Orleans’ west bank, which hadn’t flooded, and moved in. It felt good to be back within its familiar walls, but his mind was on the future.“My other house wasn’t supposed to flood, and now insurance costs are going through the roof; it’s bad,” he told us. “I wanted to keep my grandma’s place in the family, but I don’t know how much longer I can stay. I’d love to, but it’s unsustainable.” Continued here

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The lesser-known risk factors for heart disease     Most people know that the risk factors for heart disease are high blood pressure, smoking, raised cholesterol and being overweight. However, many people who have a heart attack do not have any of these traditional risk factors. Research has suggested that conditions such as gout, psoriasis, inflammatory bowel disease and rheumatoid arthritis are also risk factors for heart disease. What they have in common is chronic inflammation. Continued here

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Jewish denominations: A brief guide for the perplexed     As a scholar of modern Jewish history, religion and politics, I am often asked to explain the differences between Judaism’s major denominations. Here is a very brief overview:Two thousand years ago, Jews were divided between competing sects all based on the Jewish scriptures, but with different interpretations. After the Romans destroyed the Jerusalem Temple in 70 C.E., one main group, who called themselves “rabbis” – sages or teachers – began to dominate. What we now know as “Judaism” grew out of this group, technically called “Rabbinic Judaism.” Continued here

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Woeful Victorian poll for state Coalition; Victoria and NSW to lose federal seats as WA gains     Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne A Victorian state Resolve poll for The Age, conducted with the federal May and June Resolve polls from a sample of about 1,000, gave Labor 41% of the primary vote (down one since April), the Coalition just 26% (down four), the Greens 15% (up five), independents 12% (steady) and others 6% (up one). Continued here

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Thinking about a microcredential course? 4 things to consider first     There is increasing talk about microcredentials in higher education. Earlier this week, the federal government announced the first group of courses it is supporting in a microcredential pilot program. Microcredentials have been around in vocational circles for several years but are starting to be offered more widely by universities. The Universities Accord review panel has noted “microcredentials are likely to be increasingly in demand” as industries encourage lifelong learning. Continued here

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Crowdsourcing new constitutions: How 2 Latin American countries increased participation and empowered groups excluded from politics - podcast     Science + Technology Editor & Co-Host of The Conversation Weekly Podcast, The Conversation Over the past few decades, countries across Latin America have witnessed a surge in demands by its people for increased political participation and representation. Colombia and Chile stand out as notable examples of countries responding to these calls with constitutional reform. Continued here