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Using an optimality theoretic analysis, this study offers a conception of the problem of plural realization in Eastern Andalusian Spanish (EAS) where plural suffix /s/ was deleted diachronically that differs from other accounts that assign the EAS plural an underlying suffixal /s/ synchronically. Using alignment constraints, we argue that plural /s/ does not appear in the underlying form synchronically in EAS, but that instead the plural morpheme is represented by a floating [–ATR]PL feature that aligns to the right edge of the word and spreads left. The [–ATR] feature, represented phonetically as a laxing or opening of vowels, applies to all mid vowels, low vowels in word final position, and combines with vowel epenthesis to explain Eastern Andalusian pluralization tendencies in words with final consonants. We discuss the behavior of high vowels, which can be transparent to harmony, and focus in particular on the plural of words that end in a final stressed vowel that have been rarely discussed in the EAS literature. We develop an optimality-theoretic analysis on the Granada variety and extend that analysis to other varieties with somewhat different patterns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Building on the controversial charge of Netflix imperialism made in 2019 by Canadian Broadcasting Corporation president Catherine Tait, this piece attempts to develop a theoretical and technical framework for understanding whether the American content provider/streaming service is engaging in 'media imperialism' by rapidly and expansively importing its service into other nations--often to the chagrin of governments and other media companies. Reading a variety of textual sources ranging from trade publications to industry press outlets to popular autobiographies, we will argue that the company is engaged in a hybrid form of media imperialism and platform imperialism through a variety of industrial practices: vertical integration built around a proprietary platform, transnational scaling up of production at a rapid pace, and engaging in corporate practices that systematically disregard accountability and legal regulation. The article ends with examining how national governments and inter-imperialist rivalries might complicate Netflix's ambitions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article delineates key links between right-wing populism and epidemiological denialism. Building on a comparative analysis of central tropes from Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro's 2018 campaign and his public-facing response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we argue that his engagement during both periods employs two key elements of right-wing populism: Antielitism, or the view that the political establishment is irredeemably disconnected from the citizenry, and anti-pluralism, or the blaming of political and social problems on scapegoat populations. During the COVID-19 outbreak, this denigration of public trust fuels denialism or the systemic attempt to downplay severity to minimize public response. Developing a thematic analysis around Bolsonaro's speeches, interviews, and personal social media, we address how anti-elitist and anti-pluralist strategies from the 2018 campaign inform the pandemic response. These include the discrediting of governmental bodies, the villainization of progressive activists, and the assignation of blame on foreign actors. Our goal is to provide an in-depth case study of how communication bolstering epidemiological denialism is propagated--an increasingly vital conversation as right-wing populism and health misinformation proliferate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]