Because: The English Language’s Newest Preposition

Linguists are recognizing that, thanks to the Internet, “because” has jumped from being a conjunction to a preposition; probiotics may help cure depression; meanwhile, if Europe’s austerity is an indicator of America’s future, neo-facism is on its way. These discoveries and more below.

On a regular basis, Truthdig brings you the news items and odds and ends that have found their way to Larry Gross, director of the USC Annenberg School for Communication. A specialist in media and culture, art and communication, visual communication and media portrayals of minorities, Gross helped found the field of gay and lesbian studies.

English Has a New Preposition, Because Internet Linguists are recognizing the delightful evolution of the word “because.”

On the Face of It: The Psychology of Electability Few people knew that the country’s thirty-second President was paralyzed.

Can Yogurt Cure Depression? Mice that behave like autistic humans saw many of their symptoms disappear when they ate probiotics, the same kind of healthy bacteria found in many yogurts, CalTech biologist Paul Patterson has just told NPR.

Holy Shit! In the end, about $1.1 billion of contemporary art were purchased during the two-day sale at Christie’s and Sotheby’s.

Think the Tea Party Is Crazy? Europe’s Rising Neo-Fascism Is a Taste of What’s Coming If Austerity Prevails in America American political dysfunction looks pretty bad — but just take a look at what’s going on across the Atlantic.

Why Some Expensive Cities May Be More Affordable Than We Think Most lists of the least affordable metros in America include San Francisco, New York, Boston, and Washington – four cities that share a notable characteristic beyond their hefty housing prices.

Media Control and Indoctrination in the United States This is an excerpt from the just released 2nd edition of Noam Chomsky’s OCCUPY: Class War, Rebellion and Solidarity published by Zuccotti Park Press.

‘Chernobyl Was Transparent Compared to Fukushima’ The operators of Japan’s devastated Fukushima nuclear plant have announced plans to remove 400 tons of highly irradiated spent fuel from the site, in an unprecedented operation that began Monday November 18.

The Gettysburg Address as a Powerpoint On the 150th anniversary of the speech, let’s consider how the corporate world’s native medium might improve it.

Obamacare and Other Republican Ideas Bipartisanship today means Democrats enacting GOP agenda.

Oxford Dictionaries: ‘Selfie’ is Word of the Year Michelle Obama shared one with her “first dog” Bo, Hillary Clinton tweeted one with her daughter Chelsea.

How Many of Your Memories Are Fake? When people with Highly Superior Autobiographical Memory—those who can remember what they ate for breakfast on a specific day 10 years ago—are tested for accuracy, researchers find what goes into false memories.