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GOP lawmakers eye SNAP cuts, which would scale back benefits that help low-income people buy food at a time of high food prices

GOP lawmakers eye SNAP cuts, which would scale back benefits that help low-income people buy food at a time of high food prices

Congress may soon consider whether to cut spending on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, the main way the government helps low-income...

yesterday 8

The Conversation

Tracy Roof

Land reparations are possible − and over 225 US communities are already working to make amends for slavery and colonization

Land reparations are possible − and over 225 US communities are already working to make amends for slavery and colonization

Ever since the United States government’s unfulfilled promise of giving every newly freed Black American “40 acres and a mule” after the Civil War,...

yesterday 2

The Conversation

Sara Safransky

Planned blackouts are becoming more common − and not having cash on hand could cost you

Planned blackouts are becoming more common − and not having cash on hand could cost you

Are you prepared for when the power goes out? To prevent massive wildfires in drought-prone, high-wind areas, electrical companies have begun...

yesterday 1

The Conversation

Jay L. Zagorsky

America the secular? What a changing religious landscape means for US politics

America the secular? What a changing religious landscape means for US politics

After climbing for decades, the percentage of Americans with no religion has leveled off. For the past few years, the share of adults who identify...

yesterday 1

The Conversation

David Campbell

Why a presidential term limit got written into the Constitution – the story of the 22nd Amendment

Why a presidential term limit got written into the Constitution – the story of the 22nd Amendment

Only one person, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, has ever served more than two terms as president of the United States. This is for two reasons. First,...

yesterday 0

The Conversation

Mark Satta

Doctor shortages have hobbled health care for decades − and the trend could be worsening

Doctor shortages have hobbled health care for decades − and the trend could be worsening

Americans are increasingly waiting weeks or even months to get an appointment to see a health care specialist. This delay comes at a time when the...

previous day 20

The Conversation

Rochelle Walensky

Measles can ravage the immune system and brain, causing long-term damage – a virologist explains

Measles can ravage the immune system and brain, causing long-term damage – a virologist explains

The measles outbreak that began in west Texas in late January 2025 continues to grow, with 400 confirmed cases in Texas and more than 50 in New...

previous day 10

The Conversation

Peter Kasson

Bird flu could be on the cusp of transmitting between humans − but there are ways to slow down viral evolution

Bird flu could be on the cusp of transmitting between humans − but there are ways to slow down viral evolution

Disease forecasts are like weather forecasts: We cannot predict the finer details of a particular outbreak or a particular storm, but we can often...

previous day 10

The Conversation

Ron Barrett

Massive cuts to Health and Human Services’ workforce signal a dramatic shift in US health policy

Massive cuts to Health and Human Services’ workforce signal a dramatic shift in US health policy

On March 27, 2025, Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. announced plans to dramatically transform the...

previous day 10

The Conversation

Simon F. Haeder

Why do dogs love to play with trash?

Why do dogs love to play with trash?

Curious Kids is a series for children of all ages. If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, send it to...

previous day 2

The Conversation

Nancy Dreschel

Jets from powerful black holes can point astronomers toward where − and where not − to look for life in the universe

Jets from powerful black holes can point astronomers toward where − and where not − to look for life in the universe

One of the most powerful objects in the universe is a radio quasar – a spinning black hole spraying out highly energetic particles. Come too close...

previous day 3

The Conversation

David Garofalo

The Panama Canal’s other conflict: Water security for the population and the global economy

The Panama Canal’s other conflict: Water security for the population and the global economy

The Panama Canal is one of the most important waterways in the world, with about 7% of global trade passing through. It also relies heavily on...

previous day 3

The Conversation

Karina Garcia

As ‘right to die’ gains more acceptance, a scholar of Catholicism explains the position of the Catholic Church

As ‘right to die’ gains more acceptance, a scholar of Catholicism explains the position of the Catholic Church

An individual’s “right to die” is becoming more accepted across the globe. Polls show that most Americans support allowing doctors to end a...

previous day 3

The Conversation

Mathew Schmalz

What is a ‘revisionist’ state, and what are they trying to revise?

What is a ‘revisionist’ state, and what are they trying to revise?

Once upon a time, “revisionist power” was a term reserved for nations trying to overturn the postwar liberal order – the usual suspects being...

previous day 2

The Conversation

Andrew Latham

Trump’s use of the Alien Enemies Act to deport Venezuelans to El Salvador sparks legal questions likely to reach the Supreme Court

Trump’s use of the Alien Enemies Act to deport Venezuelans to El Salvador sparks legal questions likely to reach the Supreme Court

A federal appeals court on March 26, 2025, upheld a temporary block on President Donald Trump’s deportation of hundreds of Venezuelan immigrants,...

previous day 2

The Conversation

Jennifer Selin

Stone tool discovery in China shows people in East Asia were innovating during the Middle Paleolithic, like in Europe and Middle East

Stone tool discovery in China shows people in East Asia were innovating during the Middle Paleolithic, like in Europe and Middle East

New technologies today often involve electronic devices that are smaller and smarter than before. During the Middle Paleolithic, when Neanderthals...

previous day 2

The Conversation

Ben Marwick

US earthquake safety relies on federal employees’ expertise

US earthquake safety relies on federal employees’ expertise

Earthquakes and the damage they cause are apolitical. Collectively, we either prepare for future earthquakes or the population eventually pays the...

previous day 2

The Conversation

Jonathan P. Stewart

How is classified information typically shared and can officials declassify secrets whenever they want? A national security expert explains

How is classified information typically shared and can officials declassify secrets whenever they want? A national security expert explains

U.S. District Judge James Boasberg on March 27, 2025, ordered top Trump administration officials to preserve records of their messages sent on the...

29.03.2025 10

The Conversation

Dakota Rudesill

Cuts to science research funding cut American lives short − federal support is essential for medical breakthroughs

Cuts to science research funding cut American lives short − federal support is essential for medical breakthroughs

Nearly every modern medical treatment can be traced to research funded by the National Institutes of Health: from over-the-counter and prescription...

28.03.2025 60

The Conversation

Deborah Fuller

Want to stay healthier and fulfilled later in life? Try volunteering

Want to stay healthier and fulfilled later in life? Try volunteering

As gerontologists – social scientists who study aging populations – we envision a future in which older people leave a doctor’s visit with a...

28.03.2025 20

The Conversation

Cal J. Halvorsen

From censorship to curiosity: Pope Francis’ appreciation for the power of history and books

From censorship to curiosity: Pope Francis’ appreciation for the power of history and books

In January 2025, while doing research at the Vatican archives, I heard Pope Francis’ Sunday prayers in St. Peter’s Square. The pope reflected on...

28.03.2025 20

The Conversation

Joelle Rollo-Koster

We analyzed racial justice statements from the 500 largest US companies and found that DEI officials really did have an influence

We analyzed racial justice statements from the 500 largest US companies and found that DEI officials really did have an influence

In 2020, American businesses responded to an unprecedented wave of racial justice protests with an equally unprecedented surge in corporate...

28.03.2025 10

The Conversation

Donald T. Tomaskovic-Devey

Myanmar’s civil war: How shifting US-Russia ties could tip balance and hand China a greater role

Myanmar’s civil war: How shifting US-Russia ties could tip balance and hand China a greater role

While the United States talked military assistance and minerals with Ukraine, Russia did the same with one of its few remaining allies: Myanmar. On...

28.03.2025 9

The Conversation

Tharaphi Than

First year of Georgia’s ‘foreign agent’ law shows how autocracies are replicating Russian model − and speeding up the time frame

First year of Georgia’s ‘foreign agent’ law shows how autocracies are replicating Russian model − and speeding up the time frame

Autocracy is on the move worldwide and becoming more resilient. One of the driving forces behind this phenomenon is something scholars call “...

28.03.2025 4

The Conversation

Anastasiya Zavyalova

Chronic kidney disease often goes undiagnosed, but early detection can prevent severe outcomes

Chronic kidney disease often goes undiagnosed, but early detection can prevent severe outcomes

For a disease afflicting 35.5 million people in the U.S., chronic kidney disease flies under the radar. Only half the people who have it are...

28.03.2025 5

The Conversation

Eleanor Rivera

As federal environmental priorities shift, sovereign Native American nations have their own plans

As federal environmental priorities shift, sovereign Native American nations have their own plans

Long before the large-scale Earth Day protests on April 22, 1970 – often credited with spurring significant environmental protection legislation –...

28.03.2025 6

The Conversation

Alyssa Kreikemeier

‘Everyday discrimination’ linked to increased anxiety and depression across all groups of Americans

‘Everyday discrimination’ linked to increased anxiety and depression across all groups of Americans

People who most frequently encounter everyday discrimination – those subtle snubs and slights of everyday life – are more likely to suffer from...

28.03.2025 4

The Conversation

Monica Wang

What ‘The White Lotus’ gets wrong about the meaning and goals of common Buddhist practices

What ‘The White Lotus’ gets wrong about the meaning and goals of common Buddhist practices

The new season of “The White Lotus” is set on a luxury resort on the Thai island of Koh Samui. This comedy-drama series, which critiques wealthy...

27.03.2025 7

The Conversation

Brooke Schedneck

Losing your job is bad for your health, but there are things you can do to minimize the harm

Losing your job is bad for your health, but there are things you can do to minimize the harm

The Trump administration’s firing and furloughing of tens of thousands of federal workers and contractors have obviously caused economic hardship...

27.03.2025 3

The Conversation

Jeffrey Anvari-Clark

Ecological disruptions are a risk to national security

Ecological disruptions are a risk to national security

When the natural environment is stretched beyond its ability to meet basic human needs for food, clean air, drinkable water and shelter, it is not...

27.03.2025 3

The Conversation

Bradley J. Cardinale

Women are reclaiming their place in baseball

Women are reclaiming their place in baseball

For most baseball fans, hope springs eternal on Opening Day. Many of those fans – more than you might think – are women. A 2024 survey found that...

27.03.2025 5

The Conversation

Callie Maddox

Signal is not the place for top secret communications, but it might be the right choice for you – a cybersecurity expert on what to look for in a secure messaging app

Signal is not the place for top secret communications, but it might be the right choice for you – a cybersecurity expert on what to look for in a secure messaging app

When top White House defense and national security leaders discussed plans for an attack on targets in Yemen over the messaging app Signal, it...

27.03.2025 1

The Conversation

Frederick Scholl

Wild marmots’ social networks reveal controversial evolutionary theory in action

Wild marmots’ social networks reveal controversial evolutionary theory in action

It probably feels obvious that having a close friend can influence your well-being. But do the groups that you’re a part of also affect your well-...

27.03.2025 2

The Conversation

Conner Philson