News

Amalia Perez, 17, of Takoma Park, Md., checks in as she votes for the first time on Nov. 5, 2013, in her community, which has allowed 16- and 17-year-old voters to participate in local elections. The new Vote 16 Research Network led by the University of Maryland will study the impact of the lowered voting age in Takoma Park and other municipalities in the state.

The Arctic climate system is undergoing rapid change, from rising sea and air temperatures to melting glaciers to the loss of permafrost and snow cover on land. As the Arctic thaws, maritime and commercial activities in the region are expanding, presenting new opportunities—as well as societal and cultural challenges. Habitats are eroding, and food systems are disrupted.

In his new book, English Professor Robert Levine (below) explores the failure of Reconstruction through the lens of abolitionist Fredrick Douglass' changing view of President Andrew Johnson, who took office after the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. It was a year of presidential impeachment and struggles over African American voting rights—wait, are we talking about 2021 or 1868?