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Supreme Court’s ruling in Louisiana gerrymandering case redefines Voting Rights Act, making it harder to protect minority voting power and altering the landscape of future elections

Supreme Court’s ruling in Louisiana gerrymandering case redefines Voting Rights Act, making it harder to protect minority voting power and altering the landscape of future elections

The conservative majority at the US Supreme Court has issued a ruling in a gerrymandering case that one liberal justice called the ‘now-completed...

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The Conversation

Sam D. Hayes

Trump’s Medicaid fraud crackdown may sound sensible, but it could harm Americans who require long‑term care

Trump’s Medicaid fraud crackdown may sound sensible, but it could harm Americans who require long‑term care

When a home healthcare aide doesn’t show up, the consequences are immediate and can be dire.

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The Conversation

Marc Cohen

Reclassification of marijuana opens doors for much‑needed medical research into the benefits and risks of the drug

Reclassification of marijuana opens doors for much‑needed medical research into the benefits and risks of the drug

This change frees researchers to study cannabis products that most consumers encounter when buying medical marijuana – which could accelerate its...

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The Conversation

Carey s. cadieux

Stockings once worn by Philly’s wealthiest man show the value of women’s mending in early America

Stockings once worn by Philly’s wealthiest man show the value of women’s mending in early America

Stephen Girard’s silk stockings were repaired by multiple women in his household who made his enormous wealth possible.

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The Conversation

Emily j. whitted

Thousands of employed Colorado workers need SNAP benefits to make ends meet

Thousands of employed Colorado workers need SNAP benefits to make ends meet

Colorado’s minimum wage has increased, but not nearly enough to cover the rising cost of food.

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The Conversation

Jennifer C. Greenfield

Can the nearly $1 trillion‑a‑year US military really be depleting key weapons in Iran?

Can the nearly $1 trillion‑a‑year US military really be depleting key weapons in Iran?

Measuring US weapons stockpiles sheds light on future constraints and what Russia and China may learn from the Iran war.

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The Conversation

Michael A. Allen

What courage is, how to build it and why you should take a risk

What courage is, how to build it and why you should take a risk

Courage is widely considered a fundamental human virtue. A professor of psychology and a university president break down the components of courageous...

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The Conversation

Gregory crawford

Students are taught to hide in closets and under tables if there is a school shooting – but does practicing for this possibility keep kids safe?

Students are taught to hide in closets and under tables if there is a school shooting – but does practicing for this possibility keep kids safe?

Most states have some sort of requirement for a minimum number of lockdown drills a year, but there is no set federal guidance.

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The Conversation

James Densley

The race to mine critical minerals for AI and clean energy is creating ‘sacrifice zones’ that harm water and health of world’s poor

The race to mine critical minerals for AI and clean energy is creating ‘sacrifice zones’ that harm water and health of world’s poor

The rapid expansion of critical mineral extraction is trading away human and ecological well-being for technological breakthroughs. There are ways to...

yesterday 2

The Conversation

Abraham nunbogu

UAE’s OPEC exit has been long in the works – and may mark the beginning of a Gulf realignment

UAE’s OPEC exit has been long in the works – and may mark the beginning of a Gulf realignment

The UAE and Saudi Arabia have long been at odds over oil policy. The latest move is also likely to further their broader regional rivalry.

yesterday 2

The Conversation

Kristian Coates Ulrichsen

Tapping your genome with AI and quantum computing could deliver on the promise of personalized medicine – but practical and ethical hurdles remain

Tapping your genome with AI and quantum computing could deliver on the promise of personalized medicine – but practical and ethical hurdles remain

Combining AI with quantum computing could enable doctors and researchers to analyze the human body at an unprecedented molecular level, unlocking...

yesterday 1

The Conversation

Gary skuse

Your local storm forecast is likely based on weather miles away – we’re trying to bring it closer to home

Your local storm forecast is likely based on weather miles away – we’re trying to bring it closer to home

Don’t blame the weatherman. A meteorologist explains where your local weather forecasts really come from, and how storm scientists are trying to...

yesterday 1

The Conversation

Chris Vagasky

Reading gains in Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana are often touted, but don’t show full picture of literacy

Reading gains in Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana are often touted, but don’t show full picture of literacy

While these Southern states made some gains in reading, they weren’t evenly felt across different student populations.

yesterday 2

The Conversation

Brittany adams

More than 140,000 Americans die from COPD each year – here’s why survival depends on more than avoiding smoking

More than 140,000 Americans die from COPD each year – here’s why survival depends on more than avoiding smoking

Research shows that social isolation plays a major role in quality of life and risk of death in people with COPD.

yesterday 1

The Conversation

Olamide asifat

Wearable glucose monitors offer real‑time data, but for healthy people no guidelines exist to interpret the numbers

Wearable glucose monitors offer real‑time data, but for healthy people no guidelines exist to interpret the numbers

Tracking glucose numbers in real time is an increasingly popular wellness trend, but monitoring a constant stream of data can lead to confusion and...

yesterday 2

The Conversation

Liao yue

How the concept of ‘medical freedom’ is reshaping the military’s decades‑long stance on the flu vaccine mandate − and endangering troops’ readiness

How the concept of ‘medical freedom’ is reshaping the military’s decades‑long stance on the flu vaccine mandate − and endangering troops’ readiness

The US military helped create the first flu vaccine to keep service members in action – and the logic for requiring vaccination has not changed.

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The Conversation

Katrine l. wallace

Facial recognition data is a key to your identity – if stolen, you can’t just change the locks

Facial recognition data is a key to your identity – if stolen, you can’t just change the locks

You can change a stolen password or credit card, but you can’t reset your face when your biometric data is breached.

yesterday 1

The Conversation

Jonathan s. weissman

Perseverance doesn’t always pay off for companies – sometimes it’s better to ‘fail fast’

Perseverance doesn’t always pay off for companies – sometimes it’s better to ‘fail fast’

Business culture has long embraced grit as a winning value. But modern examples show that companies will do better if they acknowledge mistakes...

previous day 1

The Conversation

Scott friend

Why is water wet?

Why is water wet?

You can feel wet when you can see water and when you can’t see water. You can also feel dry even when there’s a lot of water vapor in the air –...

previous day 1

The Conversation

Yunyao li

Potential signs of life on distant planets sound exciting – but confirmation can take years

Potential signs of life on distant planets sound exciting – but confirmation can take years

Discoveries of molecules in space that suggest extraterrestrial life are exciting, but they need to be taken with a grain of salt – an astrochemist...

previous day 3

The Conversation

Olivia harper wilkins

Sora’s downfall signals broader problems with AI’s creative utility

Sora’s downfall signals broader problems with AI’s creative utility

AI’s apparent inability to generate interesting and unique images and videos is becoming harder to ignore.

previous day 1

The Conversation

Ahmed Elgammal

Older Americans who vote live longer than those who don’t – new research

Older Americans who vote live longer than those who don’t – new research

Since voters live longer, casting a ballot may be seen as another healthy habit, like going for a run or eating lots of vegetables.

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The Conversation

Sara Konrath

America’s founding promise of religious freedom has long coexisted with prejudice, even as many Christians have worked to confront it

America’s founding promise of religious freedom has long coexisted with prejudice, even as many Christians have worked to confront it

While religious minorities have often faced hostility, many Americans have long believed in religious liberty and a more inclusive society, writes a...

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The Conversation

David Mislin

Texas proposes Bible readings for K‑12 students, reigniting century‑old legal battle over their place in public schools

Texas proposes Bible readings for K‑12 students, reigniting century‑old legal battle over their place in public schools

American courts have legislated the Bible’s role in classrooms for more than a century. Whether it’s constitutional depends on the aims of...

previous day 1

The Conversation

Charles J. Russo

Donkeys are a symbol of endurance for Palestinians – they are also a target of settler violence and care

Donkeys are a symbol of endurance for Palestinians – they are also a target of settler violence and care

From violence to rescue, settler practices involving donkeys are increasingly entangled with Palestinian dispossession.

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The Conversation

Irus Braverman

Latest attack threatening President Trump reflects rising political violence in US

Latest attack threatening President Trump reflects rising political violence in US

The moral dimension of political polarization in the US, where each side views the other as immoral, helps fuel attacks like the one against Trump at...

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The Conversation

James Piazza

What to know about sex trafficking as Pittsburgh hosts the NFL draft

What to know about sex trafficking as Pittsburgh hosts the NFL draft

The NFL draft will bring increased demand and risks for trafficking. Here’s what Pittsburgh needs to know, from warning signs to local prevention...

24.04.2026 3

The Conversation

Mary Burke

Justice Department’s effort to strip citizenship from naturalized Americans could face widespread judicial pushback

Justice Department’s effort to strip citizenship from naturalized Americans could face widespread judicial pushback

Denaturalization risks becoming a tool of political control, creating a permanent vulnerability for more than 20 million naturalized Americans.

24.04.2026 3

The Conversation

Cassandra Burke Robertson

China surpasses US in research spending – the consequences extend far beyond scientific ranking and clout

China surpasses US in research spending – the consequences extend far beyond scientific ranking and clout

Scientific innovation has been driving US economic growth for decades. Losing that edge means losing access to the technologies and brainpower that...

24.04.2026 1

The Conversation

Caroline Wagner

‘Affordable’ Pittsburgh doesn’t have enough affordable housing – here’s why

‘Affordable’ Pittsburgh doesn’t have enough affordable housing – here’s why

For a quarter of its residents, Pittsburgh isn’t an affordable place to live. A contested housing policy is at the center of efforts to change that.

24.04.2026 4

The Conversation

Selena e. ortiz

You probably wouldn’t notice if an AI chatbot slipped ads into its responses

You probably wouldn’t notice if an AI chatbot slipped ads into its responses

People who interacted with different AI chatbots in a study didn’t realize the bots were including veiled advertising in their replies

24.04.2026 4

The Conversation

Brian jay tang

What is black garlic? How heat and humidity turn a pungent ingredient mild and slightly sweet

What is black garlic? How heat and humidity turn a pungent ingredient mild and slightly sweet

A food chemist explains how black garlic is made, and how its health benefits are promising but still under-researched.

24.04.2026 2

The Conversation

Mavra javed

Boom in cremation hides surprising truths about what Americans really want when they die

Boom in cremation hides surprising truths about what Americans really want when they die

A new study suggests that the decades-long march toward cremation may not last forever – particularly if Gen Z’s preferences pan out.

24.04.2026 3

The Conversation

Tanya D. Marsh

Meloni and Trump’s cooling relationship marks the failure of an EU‑MAGA middle ground

Meloni and Trump’s cooling relationship marks the failure of an EU‑MAGA middle ground

Italy’s right-wing leader was once seen as Trump’s main ally in Western Europe – but not so anymore.

24.04.2026 4

The Conversation

Julia Khrebtan-Hörhager

‘Just war’ has guided Catholic thinking on conflict for centuries – including criticism of Iran war

‘Just war’ has guided Catholic thinking on conflict for centuries – including criticism of Iran war

Just war theory, developed over centuries, focuses on six criteria for assessing whether a conflict is justified.

24.04.2026 3

The Conversation

Valerie Morkevicius

What the Declaration of Independence does – and doesn’t – say about God

What the Declaration of Independence does – and doesn’t – say about God

Debates about religion’s role in America often circle back to the country’s founding documents.

24.04.2026 2

The Conversation

Thomas Tweed

Trump administration’s indictment of the Southern Poverty Law Center breaks with norms – and may lack evidence of criminal wrongdoing

Trump administration’s indictment of the Southern Poverty Law Center breaks with norms – and may lack evidence of criminal wrongdoing

It’s unusual for federal authorities to take this kind of action when federal funding is not involved. And the SPLC does not accept government grants.

24.04.2026 3

The Conversation

Beth Gazley

Heavy rain on snow is testing aging dams across Michigan and Wisconsin – this is the future in a warming world

Heavy rain on snow is testing aging dams across Michigan and Wisconsin – this is the future in a warming world

Days of intense rain and snowmelt overwhelmed old dams and breached roads, forcing evacuations. Nearly half the counties in Michigan – often seen as...

23.04.2026 3

The Conversation

Richard B. Rood

Supreme Court’s ‘shadow docket’ brings hasty decisions with long‑lasting implications, outside of its usual careful deliberation

Supreme Court’s ‘shadow docket’ brings hasty decisions with long‑lasting implications, outside of its usual careful deliberation

What is the Supreme Court’s ‘shadow docket’ and why is it important?

23.04.2026 2

The Conversation

Wayne Unger

Why the Southeast is burning – extreme drought is only part of the reason

Why the Southeast is burning – extreme drought is only part of the reason

The southeastern US has been in drought for months. With the wind and unusually low humidity, it’s facing perfect conditions for spreading fires.

23.04.2026 1

The Conversation

Zachary Handlos

New reading textbooks, same problem: Why children’s reading scores in the US aren’t rising

New reading textbooks, same problem: Why children’s reading scores in the US aren’t rising

There are many literacy textbooks available but no clear way to determine which ones are the best – and most likely to turn kids into better readers.

23.04.2026 3

The Conversation

Shawn Datchuk

The new brain break app for Philadelphia students raises questions about more screen time

The new brain break app for Philadelphia students raises questions about more screen time

The Philadelphia School District is rolling out a Flyers-branded app that’s supposed to get kids moving by following an avatar on a screen.

23.04.2026 4

The Conversation

Mary jean tecce decarlo

Many churches, synagogues and mosques are built around families – and they’re struggling to respond to rising singles

Many churches, synagogues and mosques are built around families – and they’re struggling to respond to rising singles

The increasing percentage of Americans who are not married or in a long-term partnership is testing employers, marketers and religious institutions.

23.04.2026 3

The Conversation

Peter Mcgraw

School gardens help students learn science and connect with agriculture – but making them happen isn’t easy

School gardens help students learn science and connect with agriculture – but making them happen isn’t easy

In an urbanized and globalized world, most kids aren’t directly connected to agriculture. School gardens can help them learn where their food comes...

23.04.2026 4

The Conversation

Shelley Mitchell

What we lose when artificial intelligence does our shopping

What we lose when artificial intelligence does our shopping

Retailers are racing to hand your shopping over to AI. Consumers are right to be wary – and not just about privacy.

23.04.2026 4

The Conversation

Mark Bartholomew

Extreme rain on snow is testing aging dams across Michigan and Wisconsin – this is the future in a warming world

Extreme rain on snow is testing aging dams across Michigan and Wisconsin – this is the future in a warming world

Days of intense rain and snowmelt overwhelmed old dams and breached roads, forcing evacuations. Nearly half the counties in Michigan – often seen as...

22.04.2026 3

The Conversation

Richard B. Rood

If Justice Alito resigns before the midterms, a Trump nominee to the Supreme Court is likely to sail through confirmation

If Justice Alito resigns before the midterms, a Trump nominee to the Supreme Court is likely to sail through confirmation

If a Supreme Court justice retires before the November midterms, this is how Trump and Senate Republicans can successfully confirm a successor.

22.04.2026 4

The Conversation

Paul M. Collins Jr.

Sorry, Tampa Bay, mixed‑use districts don’t reverse the dismal economics of sports venues

Sorry, Tampa Bay, mixed‑use districts don’t reverse the dismal economics of sports venues

Tampa residents, take note: The Battery has delivered for the Atlanta Braves, but not for Georgia taxpayers.

22.04.2026 5

The Conversation

J.c. bradbury

Sorry, Tampa, mixed‑use districts don’t reverse the dismal economics of sports venues

Sorry, Tampa, mixed‑use districts don’t reverse the dismal economics of sports venues

Tampa residents, take note: The Battery has delivered for the Atlanta Braves, but not for Georgia taxpayers.

22.04.2026 7

The Conversation

J.c. bradbury

Chernobyl at 40: Secret Stasi files reveal extent of Soviet misinformation campaign over nuclear disaster

Chernobyl at 40: Secret Stasi files reveal extent of Soviet misinformation campaign over nuclear disaster

Once classified files from East Germany reveal the extent of Soviet actions to hide the true extent of catastrophe.

22.04.2026 6

The Conversation

Lauren cassidy