What a Muslim folk trickster can teach us about the danger of holding a single worldview

By Perin Gürel, Associate Professor of American Studies, University of Notre Dame

White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller told CNN in January 2026 that “we live in a world … that is governed by strength, that is governed by force, that is governed by power” – what he called the “iron laws of the world.”

This “might-makes-right” mindset, which seems to permeate the Trump administration, sees the world through a singular prism and leaves little room for understanding others or their perspectives. Although President Donald Trump

Read complete article

~	Seeds of Exchange reveals the untold story of the plant collectors who connected Canton and London in the 18th century

~	Edible orchids are being overharvested in the Mediterranean – how to protect these astonishing blooms

~	What intentional communities can teach us about resilience amid global instability

~	Ukraine is countering the impact of the war in Iran by attacking Russian energy facilities

~	It’s a sing-off! Myth-busting about birds and sex when it comes to defending the nest

~	Why Trump can’t just decree changes to voting by mail – a former federal judge explains how the president’s executive order is ‘a solution looking for a problem’

~	How personal finance advice is getting political, thanks to ‘finfluencers’

~	High school yearbooks focus on the fun students had, obscuring the pain people also experienced

~	HEPA air purifiers may boost brain power in adults over 40 – new research

~	Rotavirus cases in children are rising – but a highly effective vaccine has slashed hospitalizations from the virus by 80% in 2 decades