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Sharks and rays get a major win with new international trade limits for 70+ species

Sharks and rays get a major win with new international trade limits for 70+ species

The world’s oceans are home to an exquisite variety of sharks and rays, from the largest fishes in the sea – the majestic whale shark and manta...

previous day 30

The Conversation

Gareth J. Fraser

Trump administration replaces America 250 quarters honoring abolition and women’s suffrage with Mayflower and Gettysburg designs

Trump administration replaces America 250 quarters honoring abolition and women’s suffrage with Mayflower and Gettysburg designs

The culture wars have arrived at the U.S. Mint. Commemorative coins aimed at celebrating America’s 250th anniversary in 2026 were unveiled by the...

previous day 20

The Conversation

Seth T. Kannarr

A Colorado guaranteed income program could help families, but the costs are high

A Colorado guaranteed income program could help families, but the costs are high

In Colorado, full-time workers need to earn an hourly wage of at least $36.79 to afford $2,000 in monthly rent, which is below the federal fair...

previous day 20

The Conversation

Jennifer C. Greenfield

Data centers need electricity fast, but utilities need years to build power plants – who should pay?

Data centers need electricity fast, but utilities need years to build power plants – who should pay?

The amount of electricity data centers use in the U.S. in the coming years is expected to be significant. But regular reports of proposals for new...

previous day 20

The Conversation

Theodore J. Kury

Whether Netflix or Paramount buys Warner Bros., entertainment oligopolies are back – bigger and more anticompetitive than ever

Whether Netflix or Paramount buys Warner Bros., entertainment oligopolies are back – bigger and more anticompetitive than ever

News of Netflix’s bid to buy Warner Bros. last week sent shock waves through the media ecosystem. The pending US$83 billion deal is being described...

previous day 8

The Conversation

Matthew Jordan

How a niche Catholic approach to infertility treatment became a new talking point for MAHA conservatives

How a niche Catholic approach to infertility treatment became a new talking point for MAHA conservatives

Along the 2024 presidential campaign trail, Donald Trump pledged to make in vitro fertilization, or IVF, free – part of his party’s wider push for...

previous day 7

The Conversation

Emma Kennedy

West Bank violence is soaring, fueled by a capitulation of Israeli institutions to settlers’ interests

West Bank violence is soaring, fueled by a capitulation of Israeli institutions to settlers’ interests

Owais Hammam was walking near his home in Khirbet Bani Harith in the West Bank on Dec. 3, 2025, when, according to media reports, he was kidnapped...

previous day 5

The Conversation

Arie Perliger

Can scientists detect life without knowing what it looks like? Research using machine learning offers a new way

Can scientists detect life without knowing what it looks like? Research using machine learning offers a new way

When NASA scientists opened the sample return canister from the OSIRIS-REx asteroid sample mission in late 2023, they found something astonishing....

previous day 4

The Conversation

Amirali Aghazadeh

How I rehumanize the college classroom for the AI-augmented age

How I rehumanize the college classroom for the AI-augmented age

It’s week one of the semester, the first day of class: 20 students, mostly freshmen, sit silently waiting for our English 101 Writing Composition...

previous day 3

The Conversation

Sean Cho Ayres

Sleep problems and depression can be a vicious cycle, especially during pregnancy − here’s why it’s important to get help

Sleep problems and depression can be a vicious cycle, especially during pregnancy − here’s why it’s important to get help

Imagine you got a rough night of sleep. Perhaps you went to bed too late, needed to wake up early or still felt tired when you woke up from what...

previous day 4

The Conversation

Jenalee Doom

What’s at stake in Trump’s executive order aiming to curb state-level AI regulation

What’s at stake in Trump’s executive order aiming to curb state-level AI regulation

President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Dec. 11, 2025, that aims to supersede state-level artificial intelligence laws that the...

previous day 2

The Conversation

Anjana Susarla

Donor-advised funds have more money than ever – and direct more of it to politically active charities

Donor-advised funds have more money than ever – and direct more of it to politically active charities

Charitable giving in the United States has changed significantly in recent years. Two of the biggest changes are the swift growth of donor-advised...

previous day 3

The Conversation

Brian Mittendorf

The Bible says little about Jesus’ childhood – but that didn’t stop medieval Christians from enjoying tales of him as holy ‘rascal’

The Bible says little about Jesus’ childhood – but that didn’t stop medieval Christians from enjoying tales of him as holy ‘rascal’

Manger scenes displayed around Christmastime usually feature an ox and an ass beside the infant Jesus. According to the Gospel of Luke, Mary placed...

previous day 10

The Conversation

Mary Dzon

Black-market oil buyers will push Venezuela for bigger discounts following US seizure – starving Maduro of much-needed revenue

Black-market oil buyers will push Venezuela for bigger discounts following US seizure – starving Maduro of much-needed revenue

The U.S. seizure of an oil tanker off the Venezuelan coast looks designed to further squeeze the economy of President Nicolás Maduro’s country. The...

thursday 9

The Conversation

Francisco J. Monaldi

Polytechnic universities focus on practical, career-oriented skills, offering an alternative to traditional universities

Polytechnic universities focus on practical, career-oriented skills, offering an alternative to traditional universities

For decades, a four-year college degree was widely seen as the standard path to getting most midlevel jobs in the United States. It was the...

thursday 90

The Conversation

Kelly Droege

Time banks could ease the burden of elder care and promote connection

Time banks could ease the burden of elder care and promote connection

Long-term care for older people is challenging for everyone. The costs are high and the quality of care is unpredictable at best, often falling...

thursday 10

The Conversation

Chao Guo

The dystopian Pottersville in ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ is starting to feel less like fiction

The dystopian Pottersville in ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ is starting to feel less like fiction

Along with millions of others, I’ll soon be taking 2 hours and 10 minutes out of my busy holiday schedule to sit down and watch a movie I’ve seen...

thursday 8

The Conversation

Nora Gilbert

Even with Trump’s support, coal power remains expensive – and dangerous

Even with Trump’s support, coal power remains expensive – and dangerous

As projections of U.S. electricity demand rise sharply, President Donald Trump is looking to coal – historically a dominant force in the U.S....

thursday 10

The Conversation

Hannah Wiseman

The Ivies can weather the Trump administration’s research cuts – it’s the nation’s public universities that have the most to lose

The Ivies can weather the Trump administration’s research cuts – it’s the nation’s public universities that have the most to lose

Most of the media coverage of the federal government’s recent cuts in federal research money for universities has focused on its effects on a...

thursday 6

The Conversation

Todd L. Pittinsky

Hanukkah celebrates both an ancient military victory and a miracle of light – modern Jews can pick from either tradition

Hanukkah celebrates both an ancient military victory and a miracle of light – modern Jews can pick from either tradition

Friends and family will come together to celebrate, share gifts and eat traditional foods as the eight-day Jewish festival of Hanukkah begins on...

thursday 6

The Conversation

Joshua Shanes

AI’s errors may be impossible to eliminate – what that means for its use in health care

AI’s errors may be impossible to eliminate – what that means for its use in health care

In the past decade, AI’s success has led to uncurbed enthusiasm and bold claims – even though users frequently experience errors that AI makes. An...

thursday 4

The Conversation

Carlos Gershenson

Tariffs 101: What they are, who pays them, and why they matter now

Tariffs 101: What they are, who pays them, and why they matter now

The U.S. Supreme Court is currently reviewing a case to determine whether President Donald Trump’s global tariffs are legal. Until recently,...

thursday 4

The Conversation

Kent Jones

‘Are you married?’ Why doctors ask invasive questions during treatment

‘Are you married?’ Why doctors ask invasive questions during treatment

It’s a rare occasion when my worlds of biomedical informatics and serialized lesbian melodrama fandom collide. But that’s exactly what happened...

thursday 5

The Conversation

Jill Inderstrodt

As a former federal judge, I’m concerned by a year of challenges to the US justice system

As a former federal judge, I’m concerned by a year of challenges to the US justice system

The public has been hearing from a lot of federal judges over the past year, much more than normal. That’s because many of them are concerned about...

thursday 3

The Conversation

John E. Jones Iii

AI-generated political videos are more about memes and money than persuading and deceiving

AI-generated political videos are more about memes and money than persuading and deceiving

Zohran Mamdani as a creepy trick-or-treater, Gavin Newsom body-slamming Donald Trump and Hakeem Jeffries in a sombrero. This is not the setup to an...

thursday 2

The Conversation

Lisa Fazio

How one Florida program reduced preterm births – and how it could serve as a model for other communities

How one Florida program reduced preterm births – and how it could serve as a model for other communities

One in 10 babies in the U.S. – nearly 374,000 infants – were born preterm in 2023, meaning before 37 weeks of pregnancy. More than 15% were very...

thursday 4

The Conversation

Loveline Chizobam Phillips

Songbirds swap colorful plumage genes across species lines among their evolutionary neighbors

Songbirds swap colorful plumage genes across species lines among their evolutionary neighbors

People typically think about evolution as a linear process where, within a species, the classic adage of “survival of the fittest” is constantly at...

thursday 2

The Conversation

David Toews

Trump administration’s immigrant detention policy broadly rejected by federal judges

Trump administration’s immigrant detention policy broadly rejected by federal judges

In federal courtrooms across America, a pattern has emerged in cases in which immigrants are being rounded up and jailed without a hearing. That’s...

10.12.2025 2

The Conversation

Cassandra Burke Robertson

2026’s abortion battles will be fought more in courthouses and FDA offices than at the voting booth

2026’s abortion battles will be fought more in courthouses and FDA offices than at the voting booth

In 2026, the biggest battles over abortion will not be at the polls. There will be a few contested measures on state ballots. Next year, Nevada’s...

10.12.2025 7

The Conversation

Rachel Rebouché

From FIFA to the LA Clippers, carbon offset scandals are exposing the gap between sports teams’ green promises and reality

From FIFA to the LA Clippers, carbon offset scandals are exposing the gap between sports teams’ green promises and reality

If you go to a pro sports event today, there’s a good chance the stadium or arena will be powered at least in part by renewable energy. The team...

10.12.2025 3

The Conversation

Brian P. Mccullough

New industry standards and tech advances make pre-owned electronics a viable holiday gift option

New industry standards and tech advances make pre-owned electronics a viable holiday gift option

Electronic gifts are very popular, and in recent years, retailers have been offering significant discounts on smartphones, e-readers and other...

10.12.2025 4

The Conversation

Suvrat Dhanorkar

Germany’s plan to deport Syrian refugees echoes 1980s effort to repatriate Turkish guest workers

Germany’s plan to deport Syrian refugees echoes 1980s effort to repatriate Turkish guest workers

For 14 years while Syria’s brutal civil war raged, Germany provided a safe haven for those fleeing the violence. Now, a year after that conflict...

10.12.2025 2

The Conversation

Michelle Lynn Kahn

From early cars to generative AI, new technologies create demand for specialized materials

From early cars to generative AI, new technologies create demand for specialized materials

Generative artificial intelligence has become widely accepted as a tool that increases productivity. Yet the technology is far from mature. Large...

10.12.2025 2

The Conversation

Peter Müllner

Doulas play essential roles in reproductive health care – and more states are beginning to recognize it

Doulas play essential roles in reproductive health care – and more states are beginning to recognize it

A growing share of Americans, especially in rural areas, are losing access to reproductive health care. At the same time, American women are dying...

10.12.2025 4

The Conversation

Adetola F. Louis-Jacques

Exposure to neighborhood violence leads some Denver teens to use tobacco and alcohol earlier, new study shows

Exposure to neighborhood violence leads some Denver teens to use tobacco and alcohol earlier, new study shows

High levels of neighborhood violence increase the risk of Latino and African American teens in Denver starting to use alcohol and tobacco,...

10.12.2025 1

The Conversation

Anna Maria Santiago

Young, undocumented immigrants are finding it increasingly hard to attend college as South Carolina and other states restrict in-state tuition or ban them altogether

Young, undocumented immigrants are finding it increasingly hard to attend college as South Carolina and other states restrict in-state tuition or ban them altogether

The Trump administration’s aggressive deportation policies have heightened stress among the country’s approximately 14 million immigrants who are...

09.12.2025 10

The Conversation

William Mccorkle

6 myths about rural America: How conventional wisdom gets it wrong

6 myths about rural America: How conventional wisdom gets it wrong

Roughly 1 in 5 Americans live in rural areas – places the federal government defines based on small populations and low housing density. Yet many...

09.12.2025 9

The Conversation

Tim Slack

US oil industry doesn’t see profit in Trump’s ‘pro-petroleum ’ moves

US oil industry doesn’t see profit in Trump’s ‘pro-petroleum ’ moves

As the Trump administration makes announcement after announcement about its efforts to promote the U.S. fossil fuel industry, the industry isn’t...

09.12.2025 6

The Conversation

Skip York

Newly discovered link between traumatic brain injury in children and epigenetic changes could help personalize treatment for recovering kids

Newly discovered link between traumatic brain injury in children and epigenetic changes could help personalize treatment for recovering kids

A newly discovered biological signal in the blood could help health care teams and researchers better understand how children respond to brain...

09.12.2025 4

The Conversation

Lacey W. Heinsberg

You care about fairness at work – so why do you feel like a fake?

You care about fairness at work – so why do you feel like a fake?

Most people care about fairness at work and want to support colleagues who face marginalization – for example, people of color, women and people...

09.12.2025 1

The Conversation

Meg Warren

Sabrina Carpenter’s and Chapelle Roan’s sexy pop hits have roots in the bedroom ballads of Teddy Pendergrass and Philly soul

Sabrina Carpenter’s and Chapelle Roan’s sexy pop hits have roots in the bedroom ballads of Teddy Pendergrass and Philly soul

When Sabrina Carpenter’s provocative 2024 pop single “Bed Chem” plays on the radio, and I hear the lyrics “But I bet we’d have really good...

09.12.2025 3

The Conversation

Jared Bahir Browsh

Pope Leo XIV’s visits to Turkey and Lebanon were about religious diplomacy

Pope Leo XIV’s visits to Turkey and Lebanon were about religious diplomacy

On his visit to Turkey and Lebanon between Nov. 27 and Dec. 2, 2025, Pope Leo XIV met with political and religious leaders, celebrated Mass and...

09.12.2025 1

The Conversation

Ramazan Kilinç

Outside the West, the Kundalini tradition presents a model of the ‘divine feminine’ beyond binary gender

Outside the West, the Kundalini tradition presents a model of the ‘divine feminine’ beyond binary gender

The notion of the divine feminine is a recurring motif in American pop culture, playing with the assumptions people make when referring to God –...

09.12.2025 1

The Conversation

Anya Foxen

Lower-cost space missions like NASA’s ESCAPADE are starting to deliver exciting science – but at a price in risk and trade‑offs

Lower-cost space missions like NASA’s ESCAPADE are starting to deliver exciting science – but at a price in risk and trade‑offs

After a yearslong series of setbacks, NASA’s Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers, or ESCAPADE, mission has finally begun its...

09.12.2025 1

The Conversation

Ari Koeppel

Sabrina Carpenter’s and Chappell Roan’s sexy pop hits have roots in the bedroom ballads of Teddy Pendergrass and Philly soul

Sabrina Carpenter’s and Chappell Roan’s sexy pop hits have roots in the bedroom ballads of Teddy Pendergrass and Philly soul

When Sabrina Carpenter’s provocative 2024 pop single “Bed Chem” plays on the radio, and I hear the lyrics “But I bet we’d have really good...

09.12.2025 6

The Conversation

Jared Bahir Browsh

PFAS in pregnant women’s drinking water puts their babies at higher risk, study finds

PFAS in pregnant women’s drinking water puts their babies at higher risk, study finds

When pregnant women drink water that comes from wells downstream of sites contaminated with PFAS, known as “forever chemicals,” the risks to their...

08.12.2025 8

The Conversation

Derek Lemoine

Are sanctuary policing policies no more than a public relations facade?

Are sanctuary policing policies no more than a public relations facade?

In early 2025, in an effort to facilitate its deportation goals, the Trump administration entered into hundreds of agreements with local police...

08.12.2025 3

The Conversation

Nick Lehr

What does it mean to be a new national park? Ocmulgee Mounds in Georgia may soon find out

What does it mean to be a new national park? Ocmulgee Mounds in Georgia may soon find out

Ocmulgee Mounds, a site in central Georgia with 12,000 years of Indigenous history, may be on the verge of becoming the newest U.S. national park....

08.12.2025 1

The Conversation

Seth T. Kannarr

How keeping down borrowing costs for mortgages and other loans is built into the Fed’s ‘dual mandate’

How keeping down borrowing costs for mortgages and other loans is built into the Fed’s ‘dual mandate’

What’s the point of monetary policy? For most of us, the main impact tends to be how much we have to pay to borrow to buy a house or car. But for...

08.12.2025 3

The Conversation

Arabinda Basistha

The law meets its limits – what ‘Nuremberg’ reveals about guilt, evil and the quest for global justice

The law meets its limits – what ‘Nuremberg’ reveals about guilt, evil and the quest for global justice

The film “Nuremberg” depicts events surrounding the post-World War II International Military Tribunal – the first and best-known of the Nuremberg...

08.12.2025 2

The Conversation

B.b. Blaber