Well-researched stories from around the web that bridge the gap between news and scholarship. Brought to you each Tuesday from the editors of JSTOR Daily.

How trees talk (Smithsonian Magazine)
by Richard Grant
Trees send nutrients to each other through vast fungal networks, recognize relatives when their roots touch, and communicate with pheromones and sounds. Is describing them in human terms scientific malpractice, or a smart way to break out of our old assumptions?

Code-switching classes (The Atlantic)
by William Brennan
A huge part of the gap between black and white academic achievement may be related to the effort involved in code-switching between African-American English and the dialect spoken at school. But getting teachers to address the issue is enormously controversial.

Here come the stinkbugs (The New Yorker)
by Kathryn Schulz
“Magnificent and dastardly” stinkbugs can eat almost anything, survive all manner of human assault, and join together in the tens of thousands. Your house, or the orchard that grows your apples, might be their next target.

Frankenstein’s many faces (Public Books)
by Daisy Hay
Frankenstein turned 200 this year, having been appropriated over the years as a metaphor for Irish nationalists, GMO foods, and Donald Trump. A reboot in Baghdad recalls parts of the story we sometimes forget.

Which voters stayed home in 2016? (The New York Times)
by Sean McElwee, Jesse H. Rhodes, Brian F. Schaffner, and Bernard L. Fraga
A huge amount of media attention has gone to voters who switched from Obama to Trump in 2016. But nearly as many Obama voters simply stayed home. Who are they, and what do they want from the next presidential candidate?

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