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House tax-and -spending bill and other Trump administration changes could make millions of people lose their health insurance coverage

House tax-and -spending bill and other Trump administration changes could make millions of people lose their health insurance coverage

President Donald Trump has promised not to cut Medicaid many times over the past decade, including in the tax-and-spending legislative package he...

yesterday 3

The Conversation

Simon F. Haeder

Southern Baptists’ call for the US Supreme Court to overturn its same-sex marriage decision is part of a long history of opposing women’s and LGBTQ+ people’s rights

Southern Baptists’ call for the US Supreme Court to overturn its same-sex marriage decision is part of a long history of opposing women’s and LGBTQ+ people’s rights

The Southern Baptist Convention has lost 3.6 million members over the past two decades and faces an ongoing sexual abuse crisis. At its June 2025...

yesterday 3

The Conversation

Susan M. Shaw

Supreme Court ignores precedent instead of overruling it in allowing president to fire officials whom Congress tried to make independent

Supreme Court ignores precedent instead of overruling it in allowing president to fire officials whom Congress tried to make independent

What may be one of the U.S. Supreme Court’s most important and far-reaching rulings in decades dropped in late May 2025 in an order that probably...

yesterday 2

The Conversation

Claire B. Wofford

Sly Stone turned isolation into inspiration, forging a path for a generation of music-makers

Sly Stone turned isolation into inspiration, forging a path for a generation of music-makers

In the fall of 1971, Sly and the Family Stone’s “There’s a Riot Goin’ On” landed like a quiet revolution. After two years of silence following the...

yesterday 2

The Conversation

Jose Valentino Ruiz

Protecting the vulnerable, or automating harm? AI’s double-edged role in spotting abuse

Protecting the vulnerable, or automating harm? AI’s double-edged role in spotting abuse

Artificial intelligence is rapidly being adopted to help prevent abuse and protect vulnerable people – including children in foster care, adults in...

yesterday 2

The Conversation

Aislinn Conrad

Data on sexual orientation and gender is critical to public health – without it, health crises continue unnoticed

Data on sexual orientation and gender is critical to public health – without it, health crises continue unnoticed

As part of the Trump administration’s efforts aimed at stopping diversity, equity and inclusion, the government has been restricting how it...

yesterday 5

The Conversation

John R. Blosnich

What does Israel’s strike mean for US policy on Iran and prospects for a nuclear deal?

What does Israel’s strike mean for US policy on Iran and prospects for a nuclear deal?

Israel’s strike on Iranian nuclear and military facilities has pushed the Middle East one step closer to a far wider, more dangerous regional war....

yesterday 0

The Conversation

Javed Ali

Forcible removal of US Sen. Alex Padilla signals a dangerous shift in American democracy

Forcible removal of US Sen. Alex Padilla signals a dangerous shift in American democracy

Democratic leaders and a lone Republican senator, Alaska’s Lisa Murkowski, quickly decried the treatment of U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla of California...

yesterday 0

The Conversation

Charlie Hunt

Colorado’s fentanyl criminalization bill won’t solve the opioid epidemic, say the people most affected

Colorado’s fentanyl criminalization bill won’t solve the opioid epidemic, say the people most affected

Colorado passed the Fentanyl Accountability and Prevention Bill in May 2022. The legislation made the possession of small amounts of fentanyl a...

yesterday 3

The Conversation

Katherine Lemasters

From Washington’s burned letters to Trump’s missing transcripts, partial presidential records limit people’s full understanding of history

From Washington’s burned letters to Trump’s missing transcripts, partial presidential records limit people’s full understanding of history

President Donald Trump’s second term as president will surely go down in history, though of course, just six months into his four-year term, much...

previous day 10

The Conversation

Shannon Bow O&39Brien

AI tools collect and store data about you from all your devices – here’s how to be aware of what you’re revealing

AI tools collect and store data about you from all your devices – here’s how to be aware of what you’re revealing

Like it or not, artificial intelligence has become part of daily life. Many devices – including electric razors and toothbrushes – have become “AI-...

previous day 20

The Conversation

Christopher Ramezan

Two-state solution in the Middle East has been a core US policy for 25 years – is the Trump administration eyeing a change?

Two-state solution in the Middle East has been a core US policy for 25 years – is the Trump administration eyeing a change?

For a generation, the promotion of a “two-state solution” to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has been a core pillar of U.S. policy in the Middle...

previous day 4

The Conversation

Dan Arbell

RFK Jr’s shakeup of vaccine advisory committee raises worries about scientific integrity of health recommendations

RFK Jr’s shakeup of vaccine advisory committee raises worries about scientific integrity of health recommendations

On June 11, 2025, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced a slate of eight new members to serve on the Advisory Committee on Immunization...

previous day 4

The Conversation

Santosh Kumar Gautam

Energy Star, on the Trump administration’s target list, has a long history of helping consumers’ wallets and the planet

Energy Star, on the Trump administration’s target list, has a long history of helping consumers’ wallets and the planet

Since the early 1990s, the small blue Energy Star label has appeared on millions of household appliances, electronics and even buildings across the...

previous day 30

The Conversation

Magali A. Delmas

The complex reality of college student mental health: Data reveals both challenges and positive trends

The complex reality of college student mental health: Data reveals both challenges and positive trends

The word “crisis” is used frequently and, I would argue, inaccurately, to depict the psychological well-being of today’s college students. It is...

previous day 7

The Conversation

Jeffrey A. Hayes

How a new bus line in Philadelphia is defying post-pandemic transit trends

How a new bus line in Philadelphia is defying post-pandemic transit trends

When the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority launched the 49 bus route in Philadelphia in early 2019, those who most benefited were...

previous day 5

The Conversation

Julene Paul

Federal R&D funding boosts productivity for the whole economy − making big cuts to such government spending unwise

Federal R&D funding boosts productivity for the whole economy − making big cuts to such government spending unwise

Large cuts to government-funded research and development can endanger American innovation – and the vital productivity gains it supports. The Trump...

previous day 3

The Conversation

Andrew Fieldhouse

AI literacy: What it is, what it isn’t, who needs it and why it’s hard to define

AI literacy: What it is, what it isn’t, who needs it and why it’s hard to define

It is “the policy of the United States to promote AI literacy and proficiency among Americans,” reads an executive order President Donald Trump...

previous day 3

The Conversation

Daniel S. Schiff

Older adults with dementia misjudge their financial skills – which may make them more vulnerable to fraud, new research finds

Older adults with dementia misjudge their financial skills – which may make them more vulnerable to fraud, new research finds

Older adults diagnosed with dementia lose their ability to assess how well they manage their finances, according to a recent study I co-authored in...

previous day 0

The Conversation

Ian Mcdonough

Adolescents who smoke or vape may believe tobacco’s perceived coping benefits outweigh accepted health risks

Adolescents who smoke or vape may believe tobacco’s perceived coping benefits outweigh accepted health risks

Tobacco use in a variety of forms is common in adolescent life today, with over 2.25 million youth using. Huge progress has been made over the past...

previous day 4

The Conversation

Adriana Espinosa

Video games teach students in this class how religion works in the modern world

Video games teach students in this class how religion works in the modern world

Uncommon Courses is an occasional series from The Conversation U.S. highlighting unconventional approaches to teaching. Religion and Gameworlds...

previous day 30

The Conversation

Michael Naparstek

US Army’s image of power and flag-waving rings false to Gen Z weary of gun violence − and long-term recruitment numbers show it

US Army’s image of power and flag-waving rings false to Gen Z weary of gun violence − and long-term recruitment numbers show it

The U.S. Army will celebrate its 250th birthday on Saturday, June 14, 2025, with a parade in Washington, D.C., in which about 6,600 soldiers and...

previous day 40

The Conversation

Jacob Ware

A field guide to ‘accelerationism’: White supremacist groups using violence to spur race war and create social chaos

A field guide to ‘accelerationism’: White supremacist groups using violence to spur race war and create social chaos

A man named Regan Prater was charged with arson for the burning of Highlander Center in New Market, Tennessee, on May 7, 2025. The nonprofit has a...

wednesday 10

The Conversation

Art Jipson

Family homesteads with tangled titles are contributing to rural America’s housing crisis

Family homesteads with tangled titles are contributing to rural America’s housing crisis

Imagine your parents leave you and your siblings a share of land that’s been in your family for generations. Several of your relatives already live...

wednesday 10

The Conversation

Jennifer Pindyck

How was the wheel invented? Computer simulations reveal the unlikely birth of a world-changing technology nearly 6,000 years ago

How was the wheel invented? Computer simulations reveal the unlikely birth of a world-changing technology nearly 6,000 years ago

Imagine you’re a copper miner in southeastern Europe in the year 3900 B.C.E. Day after day you haul copper ore through the mine’s sweltering...

wednesday 10

The Conversation

Kai James

How your air conditioner can help the power grid, rather than overloading it

How your air conditioner can help the power grid, rather than overloading it

As summer arrives, people are turning on air conditioners in most of the U.S. But if you’re like me, you always feel a little guilty about that....

wednesday 4

The Conversation

Johanna Mathieu

Politics based on grievance has a long and violent history in America

Politics based on grievance has a long and violent history in America

Recently, President Donald Trump declared that he is “bringing Columbus Day back from the ashes.” He hopes to make up for the removal of...

wednesday 5

The Conversation

Peter C. Mancall

You’re probably richer than you think because of the safety net – but you’d have more of that hidden wealth if you lived in Norway

You’re probably richer than you think because of the safety net – but you’d have more of that hidden wealth if you lived in Norway

How wealthy are you? Like most people, you probably would do some math before answering this question. You would add up the money in your bank...

wednesday 3

The Conversation

Robert Manduca

We surveyed 1,500 Florida kids about cellphones and their mental health – what we learned suggests school phone bans may have important but limited effects

We surveyed 1,500 Florida kids about cellphones and their mental health – what we learned suggests school phone bans may have important but limited effects

In Florida, a bill that bans cellphone use in elementary and middle schools, from bell to bell, recently sailed through the state Legislature. Gov....

wednesday 3

The Conversation

Justin D. Martin

Antagonism to transgender rights is tied to the authoritarian desire for social conformity – not just partisan affiliation

Antagonism to transgender rights is tied to the authoritarian desire for social conformity – not just partisan affiliation

Since becoming president, Donald Trump has aggressively sought to fulfill his campaign promise to reverse the Biden administration’s protection of...

wednesday 5

The Conversation

Tatishe Nteta

A portrait taken in North Philly in the 1980s reconnects poet with cherished memories of her own beloved father

A portrait taken in North Philly in the 1980s reconnects poet with cherished memories of her own beloved father

To celebrate Father’s Day, The Conversation U.S. asked Philadelphia anthropologist, playwright and poetic ethnographer Kimmika Williams-Witherspoon...

wednesday 4

The Conversation

Kimmika Williams-Witherspoon

World’s most powerful ex-New Yorker gets a DC military parade, not a ticker-tape celebration in Manhattan’s Canyon of Heroes

World’s most powerful ex-New Yorker gets a DC military parade, not a ticker-tape celebration in Manhattan’s Canyon of Heroes

Donald Trump’s plan for a military parade on June 14, 2025, officially to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army as well as coinciding...

10.06.2025 5

The Conversation

Lincoln Mitchell

How the ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ positions US energy to be more costly for consumers and the climate

How the ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ positions US energy to be more costly for consumers and the climate

When it comes to energy policy, the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” – the official name of a massive federal tax-cut and spending bill that House...

10.06.2025 20

The Conversation

Daniel Cohan

Do you know how to prepare for your digital life after death? CU Boulder’s student-run clinic has some advice

Do you know how to prepare for your digital life after death? CU Boulder’s student-run clinic has some advice

From family photos in the cloud to email archives and social media accounts, the digital lives of Americans are extensive and growing. According to...

10.06.2025 10

The Conversation

Dylan Thomas Doyle

100 years ago, the Social Gospel movement pushed to improve workers’ lives – but also to promote its vision of Christian America

100 years ago, the Social Gospel movement pushed to improve workers’ lives – but also to promote its vision of Christian America

President Donald Trump has praised the Gilded Age, which he believes was a time of immense national prosperity thanks to tariffs, no income tax,...

10.06.2025 10

The Conversation

Christina Littlefield

Where is the center of the universe?

Where is the center of the universe?

About a century ago, scientists were struggling to reconcile what seemed a contradiction in Albert Einstein’s theory of general relativity....

10.06.2025 10

The Conversation

Rob Coyne

For Trump’s ‘no taxes on tips,’ the devil is in the details

For Trump’s ‘no taxes on tips,’ the devil is in the details

President Donald Trump’s promise to eliminate taxes on tips may sound like a windfall for service workers — but the fine print in Congress’...

10.06.2025 8

The Conversation

Jay L. Zagorsky

Trump–Xi call boosts Chinese president’s tough man image — and may have handed him the upper hand in future talks

Trump–Xi call boosts Chinese president’s tough man image — and may have handed him the upper hand in future talks

On June 5, U.S. President Donald Trump held a phone call with Chinese President Xi Jinping. It marked the first direct conversation between the two...

10.06.2025 3

The Conversation

Linggong Kong

Dismal ticket sales, grumblings from fans and clubs – is FIFA’s latest attempt to establish a global club game doomed before it starts?

Dismal ticket sales, grumblings from fans and clubs – is FIFA’s latest attempt to establish a global club game doomed before it starts?

The FIFA World Club Cup, which kicks off in the U.S. on June 14, 2025, may seem like a new competition. Certainly, soccer’s governing body, FIFA,...

10.06.2025 0

The Conversation

Stefan Szymanski

LGBTQ+ patients stay up-to -date on preventive care when their doctors are supportive, saving money and lives throughout society

LGBTQ+ patients stay up-to -date on preventive care when their doctors are supportive, saving money and lives throughout society

When LGBTQ patients are unsure if they can be open about their identity and related health needs, it becomes more difficult for them to access...

10.06.2025 1

The Conversation

Nathaniel M. Tran

Ancient fossils show how the last mass extinction forever scrambled the ocean’s biodiversity

Ancient fossils show how the last mass extinction forever scrambled the ocean’s biodiversity

About 66 million years ago – perhaps on a downright unlucky day in May – an asteroid smashed into our planet. The fallout was immediate and severe....

10.06.2025 2

The Conversation

Stewart Edie

Binge drinking brake found in mouse brains, offering future path to treating alcohol abuse – new research

Binge drinking brake found in mouse brains, offering future path to treating alcohol abuse – new research

Despite the profound human, social and economic costs of alcohol abuse, existing treatments have failed to provide meaningful relief. Excessive...

10.06.2025 3

The Conversation

Gilles Martin

Teens say they can access firearms at home, even when parents lock them up, new research shows

Teens say they can access firearms at home, even when parents lock them up, new research shows

More than half of U.S. teens living in households with firearms believe they can access and load a firearm at home. Even when their parents report...

10.06.2025 2

The Conversation

Katherine G. Hastings

Trump orders Marines to Los Angeles as protests escalate over immigration raids, demonstrating the president’s power to deploy troops on US soil

Trump orders Marines to Los Angeles as protests escalate over immigration raids, demonstrating the president’s power to deploy troops on US soil

President Donald Trump ordered a contingent of about 700 Marines to Los Angeles on June 9, 2025, in response to what Secretary of Defense Pete...

09.06.2025 8

The Conversation

William C. Banks

‘Who controls the present controls the past’: What Orwell’s ‘1984’ explains about the twisting of history to control the public

‘Who controls the present controls the past’: What Orwell’s ‘1984’ explains about the twisting of history to control the public

When people use the term “Orwellian,” it’s not a good sign. It usually characterizes an action, an individual or a society that is suppressing...

09.06.2025 30

The Conversation

Laura Beers

NCAA will pay its current and former athletes in an agreement that will transform college sports

NCAA will pay its current and former athletes in an agreement that will transform college sports

The business of college sports was upended after a federal judge approved a settlement between the NCAA and former college athletes on June 6,...

09.06.2025 10

The Conversation

Joshua Lens

Americans still have faith in local news − but few are willing to pay for it

Americans still have faith in local news − but few are willing to pay for it

Many Americans say they have lost trust in national news – but most still believe they can rely on the accuracy of local news. In 2023, trust in...

09.06.2025 10

The Conversation

Jennifer Hoewe

If people stopped having babies, how long would it be before humans were all gone?

If people stopped having babies, how long would it be before humans were all gone?

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...

09.06.2025 7

The Conversation

Michael A. Little

How school choice policies evolved from supporting Black students to subsidizing middle-class families

How school choice policies evolved from supporting Black students to subsidizing middle-class families

School voucher programs that allow families to use public funds to pay tuition to attend private schools have become increasingly popular. Thirteen...

09.06.2025 2

The Conversation

Kendall Deas

Lafayette helped Americans turn the tide in their fight for independence – and 50 years later, he helped forge the growing nation’s sense of identity

Lafayette helped Americans turn the tide in their fight for independence – and 50 years later, he helped forge the growing nation’s sense of identity

America is nearing the 250th anniversary of its revolutionary birth, the Declaration of Independence. July 4, 2026, will mark a milestone – and a...

09.06.2025 4

The Conversation

Matthew Smith