Deborah Fuller, University of Washington At a Sept. 4, 2025, hearing before the Senate Finance Committee, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. faced heated questions from numerous senators about his vaccine policies, including his stance on COVID-19 vaccines and mRNA vaccine technology generally. RFK Jr. canceled $500 million of funding for research
Paul Mwebaze, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign If your morning can’t begin without coffee, you’re in good company. The world drinks about 2 billion cups of coffee a day. However, a European Union law might soon affect your favorite coffee beans – and the farmers who grow them. The beans that created this cup of
Anna Kirkland, University of Michigan For almost 40 years, people who suspect they’ve been harmed by a vaccine have been able to turn to a little-known system called the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program – often simply called the vaccine court. The Vaccine Injury Compensation Program was established in 1986 by an act of Congress. MarsBars/iStock
By Peter Boumgarden, Washington University in St. Louis and Dilawar Syed, The University of Texas at Austin Imagine it’s April 2025 and you’re the owner of a small but fast-growing e-commerce business. Historically, you’ve sourced products from China, but the president just announced tariffs of 145% on these goods. Do you set up operations in
Charles J. Russo, University of Dayton With the start of another high school football season around the corner, a long-simmering dispute has heated up: prayers at games. Private schools want to pray over the loudspeaker – at a public facility, during games run by a state association. John Coletti/Photodisc via Getty Images Kennedy v. Bremerton,
Aaron French, Kennesaw State University Back in 2008, The Atlantic sparked controversy with a provocative cover story: Is Google Making Us Stupid? Technology is no substitute for independent thought. SvetaZi/Getty Images In that 4,000-word essay, later expanded into a book, author Nicholas Carr suggested the answer was yes, arguing that technology such as search engines
Kevin Morris, University of Denver and Jaci Gandenberger, University of Denver In a 2022 survey of 3,000 U.S. adults, more than one-third of respondents reported that on most days, they feel “completely overwhelmed” by stress. At the same time, a growing body of research is documenting the negative health consequences of higher stress levels, which
Karen Tan, Middle Tennessee State University “My dedication was questioned.” “Managers or upper management have looked down upon taking time off.” “People think that maybe you’re not as invested in the job, that you’re shirking your duties or something.” The U.S. is the only advanced economy that doesn’t legally mandate a minimum number of vacation
Chris Vagasky, University of Wisconsin-Madison About 600 miles off the west coast of Africa, large clusters of thunderstorms begin organizing into tropical storms every hurricane season. They aren’t yet in range of Hurricane Hunter flights, so forecasters at the National Hurricane Center rely on weather satellites to peer down on these storms and beam back
Julie Leininger Pycior, Manhattan University “Bill Moyers? He’s spectacular!” George Clooney said – and no wonder. I mentioned this legendary television journalist to the actor and filmmaker after Clooney emerged from the Broadway theater where he just had been portraying another news icon: Edward R. Murrow. Or as the Museum of Broadcast Communications put it
Jadey O’Regan, University of Sydney Brian Wilson, leader, songwriter and producer of the Beach Boys, has passed away at age 82. The Beach Boys in 1962 in Los Angeles, California. Brian Wilson is on the left. Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images He leaves behind a legacy of beautiful, joyous, bittersweet and enduring music, crafted over a
by Adam Behr, Newcastle University There’s immense variety in popular music careers, even beyond the extremes of one-hit wonders and the long-haulers touring stadiums into their dotage. There are those who embody a specific era, burning briefly and brightly, and those whose legacy spans decades. Sly Stone performing at Woodstock in August 1969. Zuma Press /
Mark Finlayson, Florida International University and Azwad Anjum Islam, Florida International University It is not often that cold, hard facts determine what people care most about and what they believe. Instead, it is the power and familiarity of a well-told story that reigns supreme. Whether it’s a heartfelt anecdote, a personal testimony or a meme
Danielle K. Brown, Michigan State University On the evening of May 25, 2020, George Floyd was murdered by police outside a grocery store in Minneapolis. Flowers, painted benches, and handmade memorials surround a mural of George Floyd at George Floyd Square on May 18, 2025. Kerem Yucel/AFP via Getty Images From the outset, the incident
Paul Bierman, University of Vermont Look closely at your mobile phone or tablet. Touch-screen technology, speech recognition, digital sound recording, and the internet were all developed using funding from the U.S. National Science Foundation. The National Science Foundation funds America’s next great innovations, including space-related research. Heritage Space/Heritage Images/Getty Images No matter where you live,
Carmen M. Nanko-Fernández, Catholic Theological Union The world of sport is “a constellation of many stars,” Pope Francis told La Gazzetta dello Sport, the Italian daily sports newspaper, during a wide-ranging interview in January 2021. Players observe a minute of silence in memory of Pope Francis before the Spanish league soccer match between Real Madrid
Maureen K. Day, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences Shortly after 6 P.M. in Rome, the longed-for sight appeared above the Sistine Chapel: white smoke. Over the course of a day and a half, the more than 130 members of the College of Cardinals had come to a decision on who should lead
Kirby Farah, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences Mexicans representing indigenous soldiers and the French army re-enact the battle of Puebla during Cinco de Mayo celebrations in Mexico City. AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo Many Americans celebrate Cinco de Mayo, but how many actually know the story of the holiday? Contrary to popular belief, Cinco
Josh Shepperd, University of Colorado Boulder The Trump administration’s drive to slash government spending on everything from the arts to cancer research also includes efforts to carry through on the Republican Party’s long-standing goal of ending federal funding for NPR, the nation’s public radio network, and PBS, its television counterpart. Cast members of the children’s
Jeffrey MacKeigan, Michigan State University Cancer research in the U.S. doesn’t rely on a single institution or funding stream − it’s a complex ecosystem made up of interdependent parts: academia, pharmaceutical companies, biotechnology startups, federal agencies and private foundations. As a cancer biologist who has worked in each of these sectors over the past three
Jeffrey Fields, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences Negotiators from Iran and the United States are set to meet again in Oman on April 26, 2025, prompting hopes the two countries might be moving, albeit tentatively, toward a new nuclear accord. The front pages of Iran’s newspapers in a sidewalk newsstand in Tehran,
by Mathew Schmalz, College of the Holy Cross Pope Francis, the Catholic Church’s first Latin American pontiff, has died, the Vatican announced on April 21, 2025. He was 88. Francis had served as pope for 12 eventful years, after being elected on March 13, 2013 after the surprise resignation of Benedict XVI. Prior to becoming
Barnet Sherman, Boston University The Trump administration has recently revoked the visas of more than 1,300 foreign college students – detaining some – and launched immigration enforcement actions on college campuses across the country. This has raised concerns among the more than 1.1 million international students studying at U.S. universities. Headlines are filled with perspectives
by Linggong Kong, Auburn University When Donald Trump pulled back on his plan to impose eye-watering tariffs on trading partners across the world, there was one key exception: China. While the rest of the world would be given a 90-day reprieve on additional duties beyond the new 10% tariffs on all U.S. trade partners, China
Iveta Silova, Arizona State University Many American universities, widely seen globally as beacons of academic integrity and free speech, are giving in to demands from the Trump administration, which has been targeting academia since it took office. Columbia University has been in the crosshairs of the Trump administration. Rudi Von Briel/Photodisc via Getty Images In
Niven Winchester, Auckland University of Technology We now have a clearer picture of Donald Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariffs and how they will affect other trading nations, including the United States itself. Getty Images The US administration claims these tariffs on imports will reduce the US trade deficit and address what it views as unfair and
Deborah Fuller, University of Washington and Patrick Mitchell, University of Washington Nearly every modern medical treatment can be traced to research funded by the National Institutes of Health: from over-the-counter and prescription medications that treat high cholesterol and pain to protection from infectious diseases such as polio and smallpox. The remarkable successes of the decades-old
Donald T. Tomaskovic-Devey, UMass Amherst; Jorge Quesada Velazco, UMass Amherst, and Kevin L. Young, UMass Amherst In 2020, American businesses responded to an unprecedented wave of racial justice protests with an equally unprecedented surge in corporate commitments. Even as President Donald Trump was calling protesters “terrorists,” companies in industries across the U.S. pledged donations, launched
Callie Maddox, Miami University For most baseball fans, hope springs eternal on Opening Day. American women have been playing baseball since at least the 1860s. Ullstein Bild/Getty Images Many of those fans – more than you might think – are women. A 2024 survey found that women made up 39% of those who attended or
Fred L. Pincus, University of Maryland, Baltimore County President Donald Trump issued an executive order on March 20, 2025, that calls for closing the U.S. Department of Education. The Heritage Foundation flag flies over its building on July 30, 2024, in Washington, D.C. Andrew Harnik/Getty Images The president needs congressional approval to shutter the department.
Kevin A. Schug, University of Texas at Arlington and Alexander Kaplitz, University of Texas at Arlington In 1950, global plastic production was about 2 million tons. It’s now about 400 million tons – an increase of nearly 20,000%. As a material, it has seemingly limitless potential. Plastic is inexpensive to produce while being lightweight and
Charlie Hunt, Boise State University Facing a threat of imminent government shutdown, nine Democrats joined GOP Senate colleagues to defeat a filibuster, moving the six-month government funding bill to final passage in a late-day vote on March 14, 2025. U.S. Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania was one of 10 Democrats who voted to break the
Katherine A. Foss, Middle Tennessee State University As the pandemic accelerated in 2020, U.S. hospitals – including this one in New York City – set up tents to diagnose patients with COVID-19. Misha Friedman via Getty Images Five years ago, on March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared the outbreak of COVID-19 a global
Joanna Fong-Isariyawongse, University of Pittsburgh Investigations into the 1986 Space Shuttle Challenger disaster revealed that key decision-makers worked on little sleep, raising concerns that fatigue impaired their judgment. Similarly, in 1989, the Exxon Valdez oil spill resulted in a massive environmental catastrophe. The official investigation revealed the third mate, in charge of steering the ship,
Maurizio Valsania, Università di Torino If there are any limits to a president’s power, it wasn’t evident from Donald Trump’s speech before a joint session of Congress on March 4, 2025. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images In that speech, the first before lawmakers of Trump’s second term, the president declared vast accomplishments during the brief six weeks
Daniel J. Olson, Purdue University English should be the official language of the United States, says a new executive order signed by President Donald Trump on March 1, 2025. The move follows the Trump administration’s termination of the Spanish-language version of the White House website and its Spanish-language account on X, formerly Twitter. The Obama
Stefan Wolff, University of Birmingham, and Tetyana Malyarenko, National University Odesa Law Academy The visit of Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky to the White House has not gone to plan – at least not to his plan. There were extraordinary scenes as a press conference between Zelensky and Trump descended into acrimony, with the US president
Sidney Shapiro, Wake Forest University and Joseph P. Tomain, University of Cincinnati The U.S. government is attempting to dismantle itself. President Donald Trump has directed the executive branch to “significantly reduce the size of government.” That includes deep cuts in federal funding of scientific and medical research and freezing federal grants and loans for businesses.
Alex Hinton, Rutgers University – Newark At the start of his inaugural address on Jan. 20, 2025, President Donald Trump declared, “The golden age of America begins right now!” Attendees at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Oxon Hill, Md., on Feb. 20, 2025. Andrew Harnick/Getty Images A month later, Trump’s supporters gathered at the
by Philip Klinkner, Hamilton College and Rogers M. Smith, University of Pennsylvania For many Americans, Donald Trump’s head-spinning array of executive orders in the early days of his second term look like an unprecedented effort to roll back democracy and the rights and liberties of American citizens. There’s a long history in the U.S. of
Richard Forno, University of Maryland, Baltimore County The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), President Donald Trump’s special commission tasked with slashing federal spending, continues to disrupt Washington and the federal bureaucracy. According to published reports, its teams are dropping into federal agencies with a practically unlimited mandate to reform the federal government in accordance with
By Ambuj Tewari, University of Michigan State-of-the-art artificial intelligence systems like OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Google’s Gemini and Anthropic’s Claude have captured the public imagination by producing fluent text in multiple languages in response to user prompts. Those companies have also captured headlines with the huge sums they’ve invested to build ever more powerful models. An AI
By Shelley Inglis, University of Dayton Democracy is in trouble, despite popular uprisings and dynamic social movements in Lebanon, Hong Kong and across Europe and Latin America. Scholars say countries across the globe are experiencing a rise in autocratic rule, with declines in democratic ideals and practice. Autocratic rule – also known as authoritarianism –
Chris Impey, University of Arizona A hundred years ago, astronomer Edwin Hubble dramatically expanded the size of the known universe. At a meeting of the American Astronomical Society in January 1925, a paper read by one of his colleagues on his behalf reported that the Andromeda nebula, also called M31, was nearly a million light
Originally published by The 19th Taking office for the second time, President Donald Trump described his view of how to bring about a safer and richer nation and vowed to forcefully enforce a conservative view on gender and race where public policies will not consider racial disparities and will not acknowledge transgender or nonbinary individuals.
By Jason Oliver Evans, University of Virginia Since 1983, when President Ronald Reagan signed Martin Luther King Jr. Day into law, many Americans have observed the federal holiday to commemorate the life and legacy of the civil rights leader, Baptist minister and theologian. MLK Day volunteers typically perform community service that continues King’s fight to
Billy J. Stratton, University of Denver “There’s a sort of evil out there,” says Sheriff Truman in an episode of David Lynch’s iconic TV series, “Twin Peaks.” Lynch, the director of ‘Twin Peaks’ and ‘Mulholland Drive,’ died in January 2024 at the age of 78. Hector Mata/AFP via Getty Images That line gets to the
Patrick Megonigal, Smithsonian Institution A firefighting plane dumps water on one of the fires in the Los Angeles area in January 2025. Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images Firefighters battling the deadly wildfires that raced through the Los Angeles area in January 2025 have been hampered by a limited supply
Tyler Garner, University of Texas at Arlington “I’m tracking my macros.” Most whole foods contain more than one kind of macro. carlosgaw/E+ via Getty Images “I’ll pass on that, it doesn’t fit in my macros.” “I’m on the Macro Diet.” Macros seem to come up often in the corners of the internet and social media
Robert C. Donnelly, Gonzaga University Former President Jimmy Carter, who died on Dec. 29, 2024, at age 100 at his home in Plains, Georgia, was a dark horse Democratic presidential candidate with little national recognition when he beat Republican incumbent Gerald Ford in 1976. The introspective former peanut farmer pledged a new era of honesty
Ted Olson, East Tennessee State University The Bob Dylan biopic “A Complete Unknown,” starring Timothée Chalamet, focuses on Dylan’s early 1960s transition from idiosyncratic singer of folk songs to internationally renowned singer-songwriter. Dylan and singer-songwriter Mimi Farina relax at the Viking Hotel in Newport, R.I., in July 1964. John Byrne Cooke Estate/Getty Images As a
Ken Hughes, University of Virginia The Nixon administration’s enemies list inspired bipartisan revulsion. Its purpose was, in the immortal words of President Richard Nixon’s White House counsel, to “use the available federal machinery to screw our political enemies.” President Richard Nixon used the government as a weapon against his perceived enemies. Wally McNamee/Corbis Historical The
Stephen Lind, University of Southern California It’s hard to imagine a holiday season without “A Charlie Brown Christmas.” The 1965 broadcast has become a staple – etched into traditions across generations like decorating the tree or sipping hot cocoa. In 2024, the beloved special is streaming on Apple TV+. Apple TV+ But this beloved TV
Anurag Srivastava, West Virginia University Across the U.S. and worldwide, energy demand is soaring as data centers work to support the wide and growing use of artificial intelligence. These large facilities are filled with powerful computers, called servers, that run complex algorithms to help AI systems learn from vast amounts of data. High-voltage transmission lines
Alexandra Plakias, Hamilton College The holidays offer many opportunities for awkward moments. Political discussions, of course, hold plenty of potential. But any time opinions differ, where estrangements have caused lingering rifts, or when behaviors veer toward the inappropriate, awkwardness can set in. ‘I don’t even know what to say to that.’ Catherine Falls Commercial/Moment via
Andrew J. Hoffman, University of Michigan Home insurance rates are rising in the United States, not only in Florida, which saw tens of billions of dollars in losses from hurricanes Helene and Milton but across the country. Hurricane Beryl tore up homes in Freeport, Texas, in July 2024. Brandon Bell/Getty Images) According to S&P Global
Angie Brown, Quinnipiac University Knee injuries are common in athletes, accounting for 41% of all athletic injuries. But knee injuries aren’t limited to competitive athletes. In our everyday lives, an accident or a quick movement in the wrong direction can injure the knee and require medical treatment. A quarter of the adult population worldwide experiences
Jordan Batchelor, Arizona State University; Charles Max Katz, Arizona State University; and Taylor Cox, Arizona State University Mounting evidence shows that veterans need targeted suicide prevention services. adamkaz/E+ via Getty Images America’s military veterans make up about 6% of the adult population but account for about 20% of all suicides. That means that each day,
Daniel J. Mallinson, Penn State Pennsylvania was for months considered the key swing state that would decide the 2024 election. Candidates, political parties and advocacy groups spent over US$1 billion courting the commonwealth’s small number of persuadable voters. People gather at McGillin’s Olde Ale House in Philadelphia as election results trickle in. Ed Jones/AFP via
Kate Starbird, University of Washington and Stephen Prochaska, University of Washington On Sept. 20, 2024, a newspaper in Montana reported an issue with ballots provided to overseas voters registered in the state: Kamala Harris was not on the ballot. Election officials were able to quickly remedy the problem, but it was not before accusations began to
Mark Satta, Wayne State University Shortly after Donald Trump was inaugurated as president of the United States in January 2017, George Orwell’s 1949 novel “Nineteen Eighty-Four” shot to the top of Amazon’s bestseller list. Apparently, lots of people thought Orwell had something relevant to say in that political moment. Donald Trump hugs an American flag
Robert Shand, American University When it comes to education policy, former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris not only have mostly distinct visions but also distinct track records. Donald Trump and Kamala Harris present dueling platforms for U.S. education. Getty Images Harris is calling for a wider role for the federal government and
Alauna Safarpour, Gettysburg College The country is unlikely to know who wins the battleground state of Pennsylvania on election night. That’s because of a quirk in Pennsylvania’s laws. An official Pennsylvania mail-in ballot, seen in Pittsburgh, Oct. 3, 2024. AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar I am an assistant professor of political science at Gettysburg College in Gettysburg,
Rosalyn R. LaPier, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign I am a direct descendant of family members who were forced as children to attend either a U.S. government-operated or church-run Indian boarding school. They include my mother, all four of my grandparents and the majority of my great-grandparents. A photograph archived at the Center for Southwest
Jennifer Selin, Arizona State University Rumors and lies about government responses to natural disasters are not new. Politics, misinformation, and blame-shifting have long surrounded government response efforts. President Joe Biden delivers remarks on the effects of Hurricane Milton on Oct. 10, 2024, in Washington, D.C. Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images When Hurricane Harvey hit Houston in 2017,
James R. Elliott, Rice University; Dominic Boyer, Rice University, and Phylicia Lee Brown, Rice University Hundreds of industrial facilities with toxic pollutants were in Hurricane Helene’s path as the powerful storm flooded communities across the Southeast in late September 2024. An overturned industrial storage tank in Asheville, N.C., shows the power of fast-moving flood water.
Shuang-Ye Wu, University of Dayton Summer 2024 was officially the Northern Hemisphere’s hottest on record. In the United States, fierce heat waves seemed to hit somewhere almost every day. High pressure in the middle layers of the atmosphere acts as a dome or cap, allowing heat to build up at the Earth’s surface. NOAA Phoenix
Nathan H. Dize, Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance continues to defend the false claim that migrants in Springfield, Ohio, have been abducting and eating area cats and dogs. A man in Tucson, Arizona, carries an AI-generated image referencing falsehoods spread by Donald Trump and his
Valerie Thomas, Georgia Institute of Technology The United States is producing more oil and natural gas today than ever before, and far more than any other country. So, what roles did the Trump-Pence and Biden-Harris administrations play in this surge? Both administrations supported banning some offshore drilling, but also saw rises in oil and gas
Mikel Delgado, Purdue University and Judith Stella, Purdue University Many people have seen dogs fetch, but cats like to get into the game too. Despite their very different hunting and play styles, fetching appears to combine elements of predatory and social behavior for both species. Throw it for me! Purple Collar Pet Photography/Moment, via Getty
Farhad Tabatabaei, University of Delaware Eco-friendly hotels increasingly are asking guests to forgo daily housekeeping or use their towels more than once. At the same time, hospitality researchers have long assumed that guests find these efforts to promote sustainability inconvenient and undesirable. My research, however, suggests that this is not – or is no longer
Tam Nguyen, University of Dayton CAPTCHAs are those now ubiquitous challenges you encounter to prove that you’re a human and not a bot when you go to log in to many websites. It’s not easy for computers to tell humans from other computers posing as humans. Andrii Shelenkov/Stock via Getty Images Websites and mobile apps
Dae Hee Kwak, University of Michigan On June 5, 2024, the Boston Red Sox placed relief pitcher Chris Martin on the 15-day injured list. It wasn’t for a sore shoulder, a tight elbow, or a tweaked groin. Teammates check on Boston Red Sox pitcher Chris Martin after he fell to the ground fielding a ball
Kevin J. McMahon, Trinity College Polarization is both essential to a functioning democracy and a threat to it. Too little disagreement among citizens and leaders is unlikely to produce the fruitful political debate that leads to better policy and law. Too much dissension – especially if groups form opposing camps closed off from one another
Julie Maslowsky, University of Michigan Adolescence and young adulthood is a time of identity formation, when young people figure out who they are and who they want to be. One of the ways they do this is by considering the world around them, paying attention to social issues and starting to understand their society and
by Ian Brodie, Cape Breton University, and Moira Marsh, Indiana University Sometimes lameness – not laughter – is the point. “Dad, I’m hungry.” “Hi, hungry. I’m Dad.” If you haven’t been asleep for the past 20 years, you’ll probably recognize this exchange as a dad joke. The term dad joke is credited to a 1987
William McCorkle, College of Charleston As debate over U.S. immigration policy heats up during the 2024 presidential campaign, separating fact from fiction on the U.S.-Mexico border becomes increasingly difficult. Asylum-seekers at the Rio Grande near the U.S.-Mexico border in Matamoros, Mexico, on May 11, 2023. Alfredo Estrella/AFP via Getty Images In May 2023, shortly after
Arie Perliger, UMass Lowell Eight months after Israel invaded the Gaza Strip, some critics observe that the Israeli military hasn’t met either of its goals of destroying Hamas and rescuing all of the remaining 133 hostages Hamas is holding. Protesters wave Israeli flags and protest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem on May 20,
Chih-Ling Liu, Lancaster University and Robert Kozinets, USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism Here mum, I’ve bought you something! Fizkes/Shutterstock After your daughter spends the weekend visiting, a surprise gift seems like a kind gesture – until you open it and find a vacuum cleaner. What does this say about her visit and what
Katrina Burgess, Tufts University While campaigning in Iowa last September, former President Donald Trump made a promise to voters if he were elected again: “Following the Eisenhower model, we will carry out the largest domestic deportation operation in American history,” he said. Trump, who made a similar pledge during his first presidential campaign, has recently
Frank Scannapieco, University at Buffalo, and Ira Lamster, Stony Brook University (The State University of New York) C. Everett Koop, the avuncular doctor with a fluffy white beard who served as the U.S. surgeon general during the Reagan administration, was famous for his work as an innovative pediatric surgeon and the attention he paid to
Joe Árvai, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences As artificial intelligence creeps further into people’s daily lives, so do worries about it. At the most alarmist are concerns about AI going rogue and terminating its human masters. But behind the calls for a pause on the development of AI is a suite of
Randall W. Parkinson, Florida International University Wetlands have flourished along the world’s coastlines for thousands of years, playing valuable roles in the lives of people and wildlife. They protect the land from storm surges, stop seawater from contaminating drinking water supplies, and create habitat for birds, fish, and threatened species. Wetlands at Blackwater National Wildlife
H. James Gilmore, Flagler College and Tracy Halcomb, Flagler College Former MLB executive Pat Gillick won three World Series titles and served as general manager of four baseball teams from the 1970s to 2000s. Texas Rangers scout Brian Williams takes notes at Roberto Clemente Stadium in Carolina, Puerto Rico. H. James Gilmore and Tracy Halcomb,
Lee D. Han, University of Tennessee A container ship rammed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore around 1:30 a.m. on March 26, 2024, causing a portion of the bridge to collapse into Baltimore Harbor. Officials called the event a mass casualty and were searching for people in the waters of the busy port.
Andrea Merchak, University of Florida Probiotics have been getting a lot of attention recently. These bacteria, which you can consume from fermented foods, yogurt or even pills, are linked to a number of health and wellness benefits, including reducing gastrointestinal distress, urinary tract infections and eczema. But can they improve your mood, too? The difference
Regina Smyth, Indiana University Long lines of Russians endured subzero temperatures in January 2024 to demand that anti-Ukraine war candidate Boris Nadezhdin be allowed to run in the forthcoming presidential election. It was protest by petition – a tactic that reflects the legacy of Alexei Navalny, the longtime Russian pro-democracy campaigner. Authorities say Navalny, a
Rodney Benson, New York University and Victor Pickard, University of Pennsylvania For the journalism industry, 2024 is off to a brutal start. Most spectacularly, the Los Angeles Times recently slashed more than 20% of its newsroom. Though trouble had long been brewing, the layoffs were particularly disheartening because many employees and readers hoped the Times’
Ryan Raul Bañagale, Colorado College February 12, 1924, was a frigid day in New York City. But that didn’t stop an intrepid group of concertgoers from gathering in midtown Manhattan’s Aeolian Hall for “An Experiment in Modern Music.” The organizer, bandleader Paul Whiteman, wanted to show how jazz and classical music could come together. So
Jonathan Wynn, UMass Amherst and Daniel Skinner, Ohio University Does living near a hospital make you more likely to get the health care you need? Scholars interviewed people living near the University of Colorado Hospital to assess whether it’s a good neighbor. John Greim/LightRocket via Getty Images Even though the federal government requires nonprofit hospitals
Joan Donovan, Boston University An unknown number of New Hampshire voters received a phone call on Jan. 21, 2024, from what sounded like President Joe Biden. A recording contains Biden’s voice urging voters inclined to support Biden and the Democratic Party not to participate in New Hampshire’s Jan. 23 GOP primary election. Republicans have been
Robin Kundis Craig, University of Southern California The Supreme Court heard oral argument on Jan. 17, 2024, in two cases that center on fisheries management but could have broad impacts on federal regulatory power. Two cases centered on Atlantic herring could have widespread impacts on federal regulation. Joe Raedle/Getty Images The question at the core
Kaitlin Woolley, Cornell University, and Paul Stillman, San Diego State University It’s a familiar start-of-the-year scene. You’ve committed to a healthier lifestyle and are determined that this time is going to be different. Your refrigerator is stocked with fruits and veggies, you’ve tossed out processed foods, and your workout routine is written in pen in
Mark A. Graber, University of Maryland In 2024, former President Donald Trump will face some of his greatest challenges: criminal court cases, primary opponents and constitutional challenges to his eligibility to hold the office of president again. The Colorado Supreme Court has pushed that latter piece to the forefront, ruling on Dec. 19, 2023, that
Alexes Harris, University of Washington, and Alex R. Piquero, University of Miami In today’s American criminal legal system, courts impose fines and fees as a means to punish people and hold them accountable for legal violations. Several U.S. states are eliminating criminal fines and fees for people who can’t afford them. Getty Images At times,
Michael Blake, University of Washington On Nov. 16, 2023, the bipartisan House Committee on Ethics issued a scathing report on the behavior of Rep. George Santos, finding that Santos had engaged in “knowing and willful violations of the Ethics in Government Act.” That committee’s Republican chair later introduced a motion to expel Santos from Congress.
Christopher P. Scheitle, West Virginia University Given popular portrayals, you would be forgiven for assuming that the type of person who is a scientist is not the type of person who would be religious. Consider the popular television show “The Big Bang Theory,” which is about friends who nearly all have advanced degrees in physics,
Katrina Stack, University of Tennessee and Rebecca Sheehan, Oklahoma State University On Nov. 19, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln traveled to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, to dedicate a cemetery at the site of the bloodiest battle of the Civil War. Four months before, about 50,000 soldiers had lost their lives at the Battle of Gettysburg, later seen as
Dustin Cole, Auburn University Reports of lengthy shipping delays for vessels traveling through the Panama Canal this year have highlighted the critical but often overlooked role that fresh water plays across global supply chains. Drier than normal conditions in Panama, brought on by El Niño, have left the region drought-stricken and water levels in the
Patrice McMahon, University of Nebraska-Lincoln The results of Poland’s parliamentary elections held on Oct. 15, 2023, have been lauded as a blow against populism – and they may also hold important lessons for reversing democracy’s decline. Donald Tusk looks set to lead the governing coalition, in large part thanks to female voters. Omar Marques/Getty Images