Perspectives

American politics have reached a point where a radical solution may be needed. It’s worth thinking about, anyway, writes Stephen Legomsky.

If pharmacists wish to regulate themselves, history makes clear they need to define what it means to act in the public interest and ensure that other pharmacists comply. If not, the state has proved more than willing to step in and do the job for them. They may not like the results, writes Elizabeth Chiarello.

Cal Halvorsen and Nancy Morrow-Howell, at the Brown School, co-write an article about the benefits of a federal program aimed at assisting older Americans who left the labor force sooner than they planned to find new opportunities.

A new edition of the leading textbook on public health practice, “Evidence-Based Public Health,” has been released. Two faculty members at the WashU School of Public Health are co-authors: Ross Brownson and Stephanie Mazzucca-Ragan.

Ryan Burge discusses the state of religion in America following the death of Charlie Kirk.

Mary-Kourtney Weck, a project coordinator at Olin Business School’s Graduate Programs office, talks about how she works to create a welcoming environment for students, staff and faculty in Human Resources’ staff spotlight.

Anthony J. Azama, director of WashU Athletics, takes part in a podcast episode to look back on one of the greatest years in Bears sports history, which saw two teams win national championships.

Take time to watch the behavior of the birds around you, and you’ll start to notice social behaviors everywhere, from the ducks in a city pond to the chickadees hunting for insects deep in winter. I hope you’ll watch them with more understanding of their social lives, and with a little bit more wonder, writes Joan Strassman.

By moving away from the binary of “threatening other” versus “assimilated citizen,” this new wave of media challenges the legacy of Orientalism. Instead, they offer characters who reflect the complex realities of Muslim lives that are messy, joyful and evolving, writes Tazeen Ali.

Ultimately, these trends suggest a future where polarization extends beyond politics and into the very fabric of American life – shaping where people worship, who they marry, and how communities form, writes Ryan Burge.