The Conversation

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

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

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

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

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,

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

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

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,

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’

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

Robert Goldman, American University The killing of Israeli civilians by Hamas and retaliatory airstrikes on the densely populated Gaza Strip by Israel raises numerous issues under international law. Warring parties are duty-bound to minimize civilian casualties. Ahmad Hasaballah/Getty Images Indeed, President Joe Biden made express reference to the “laws of war” in comments he made at

Daniel E Bergan, Michigan State University If you’re going to write to your legislator, do your homework on the issues. digitalskillet/ iStock / Getty Images Plus Suppose you have an issue you are really passionate about – taxes, gun control or some other important policy. You want to do more than vent on social media,

Kevin J. Krizek, University of Colorado Boulder Retractable bollards can be used to signal priority areas on streets for smaller vehicles, cyclists, and pedestrians. Eugene Nekrasov/Getty Images Plus Deadly traffic incidents have declined in most developed countries in recent years. But in the U.S. they’re becoming more common. Deaths in motor vehicle crashes rose more

The progestin-only pill Opill could be available in early 2024. Lucas Berenbrok, University of Pittsburgh and Marian Jarlenski, University of Pittsburgh On July 13, 2023, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved a drugmaker’s application for the first daily over-the-counter birth control pill for people seeking to prevent pregnancy. Kwangmoozaa/iStock via Getty Images The pill,

Thomas A. Durkin, Loyola University Chicago and Joseph Ferguson, Loyola University Chicago Former President Donald Trump on his airplane on June 10, 2023, two days after his federal indictment. Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images Lawyer Thomas A. Durkin has spent much of his career working in national security law, representing clients in a

Sayonnha Mandal, University of Nebraska Omaha Passwords could soon become passé. Effective passwords are cumbersome, all the more so when reinforced by two-factor authentication. But the need for authentication and secure access to websites is as great as ever. Enter passkeys. Passkeys are digital credentials stored on your phone or computer. They are analogous to

Erica Neuman, University of Dayton Dog-walking income is taxable. Robert Nickelsberg/Getty Images Do you rent out your home a few weekends a year through Airbnb? Sell stuff on Etsy? Get paid for pet-sitting? If you, like many Americans, make at least US$600 a year with a side hustle of any kind, the way you pay taxes

Meteorologists began warning about severe weather with the potential for tornadoes several days before storms tore across the Southeast and the Central U.S. in late March 2023. At one point, more than 28 million people were under a tornado watch. But pinpointing exactly where a tornado will touch down – like the tornadoes that hit

Lori Amber Roessner, University of Tennessee “I am a farmer, an engineer, a businessman, a planner, a scientist, a governor, and a Christian,” Jimmy Carter said while introducing himself to national political reporters when he announced his campaign to be the 39th president of the United States in December 1974. As journalists and historians consider

Karen Musalo, University of California College of the Law, San Francisco Anticipating a potential surge of migrants at the southern border, the Biden administration on Feb. 21, 2023, announced a crackdown on those seeking asylum after unlawfully entering the U.S. The proposed rule change – which would see the rapid deportation of anyone who had

Taylor Grasso, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus Detox diets are often touted as a way to cleanse the body after the excess food and drinks that come with the holidays. These diets promise quick results and can particularly entice people around the new year, when there tends to be a renewed focus on health