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Israeli threats to occupy or annex south Lebanon dust off a decades‑old playbook

Israeli threats to occupy or annex south Lebanon dust off a decades‑old playbook

As before, however, any such move into the country would be fraught with the same risks that have bedeviled past Israeli invasions of Lebanon.

yesterday 1

The Conversation

Mireille Rebeiz

Presidential words can turn the unthinkable into the thinkable − for better or for worse

Presidential words can turn the unthinkable into the thinkable − for better or for worse

For years, Donald Trump’s rhetoric has relied on insult, ridicule, threat and contempt. But the scale of violence in his words during the first week...

yesterday 1

The Conversation

Stephanie A. Martin

From a vaccine mascot to business leadership, lessons for the US from Brazil’s public health system in building public trust and keeping it

From a vaccine mascot to business leadership, lessons for the US from Brazil’s public health system in building public trust and keeping it

An enduring sense of ownership led businesses and citizens to defend the country’s public health system.

yesterday 1

The Conversation

Jessica a.j. rich

Why Americans are buying $22 smoothies despite feeling terrible about the economy

Why Americans are buying $22 smoothies despite feeling terrible about the economy

Virtue-signaling and self-care help explain a popular new kind of splurge, even as American shoppers pull back elsewhere.

yesterday 0

The Conversation

Yuanyuan Cui

Mutual aid and self‑sufficiency are key to life near USSR’s contaminated nuclear test zone in Kazakhstan

Mutual aid and self‑sufficiency are key to life near USSR’s contaminated nuclear test zone in Kazakhstan

When I talk about my anthropological fieldwork, many Americans are shocked to learn that “living on a nuclear test site” is even a logical statement.

yesterday 1

The Conversation

Magdalena stawkowski

City animals act in the same brazen ways around the world

City animals act in the same brazen ways around the world

Cities breed smart wildlife because it takes savvy to survive there.

yesterday 1

The Conversation

Daniel T. Blumstein

Water conservation works, but climate change is outpacing it: Phoenix, Denver and Las Vegas offer a glimpse of the future

Water conservation works, but climate change is outpacing it: Phoenix, Denver and Las Vegas offer a glimpse of the future

Cities have the best chance of reducing water use when people actively participate in water conservation, but even that might not be enough in the...

yesterday 1

The Conversation

Renee obringer

Philadelphia’s 40‑year history of protecting undocumented immigrants began with churches hiding refugees from El Salvador

Philadelphia’s 40‑year history of protecting undocumented immigrants began with churches hiding refugees from El Salvador

A historian explores how religious congregations, activists and city officials have supported undocumented immigrants in Philadelphia over the past 40...

yesterday 1

The Conversation

Menika Dirkson

When a president is unfit for office, here’s what the Constitution says can happen

When a president is unfit for office, here’s what the Constitution says can happen

Amid lawmakers’ calls for the president’s removal from office, Americans may be wondering what would come next.

previous day 1

The Conversation

Kirsten Matoy Carlson

Why the Persian Gulf has more oil and gas than anywhere else on Earth

Why the Persian Gulf has more oil and gas than anywhere else on Earth

For sheer abundance and ease of production of oil and natural gas, it simply doesn’t get any better than the Persian Gulf region.

previous day 2

The Conversation

Scott L. Montgomery

1776’s Declaration of Independence inspired Washington’s troops to fight against the odds – and also helped bring in powerful allies

1776’s Declaration of Independence inspired Washington’s troops to fight against the odds – and also helped bring in powerful allies

The Declaration of Independence isn’t just a philosophical breakup letter. It was a strategic move to secure vital support for America after its...

previous day 2

The Conversation

Christopher Magra

US refugee policy for white South Africans is part of a century‑long effort to keep some English‑speaking nations white

US refugee policy for white South Africans is part of a century‑long effort to keep some English‑speaking nations white

Australia, Canada and the US identified themselves as ‘white men’s countries’ in the early 20th century and coordinated immigration restrictions...

previous day 1

The Conversation

John Broich

Israel’s death penalty law has little to do with criminal justice and everything to do with ethno‑nationalism

Israel’s death penalty law has little to do with criminal justice and everything to do with ethno‑nationalism

The vote to have death by hanging as the default for Palestinians guilty of killing Israelis represents the further entrenchment of a two-tier legal...

previous day 1

The Conversation

Arie Perliger

¡Ándale! ¡Arriba! Speedy Gonzales set to make his triumphant return to the silver screen

¡Ándale! ¡Arriba! Speedy Gonzales set to make his triumphant return to the silver screen

The comeback story of ‘the fastest mouse in all of Mexico’ reveals how audiences – not cultural gatekeepers – shape the meaning of representation.

previous day 2

The Conversation

Jared Bahir Browsh

Hosting the NFL draft is less about weekend beer sales and more about long‑term brand value

Hosting the NFL draft is less about weekend beer sales and more about long‑term brand value

When the NFL draft comes to town, Pittsburgh will be cast as a destination city – but that comes with risks, too.

previous day 1

The Conversation

Tim derdenger

We teach at a Florida university that agreed to cooperate with ICE – and we worry that it is making our students feel less safe

We teach at a Florida university that agreed to cooperate with ICE – and we worry that it is making our students feel less safe

At least 15 Florida state universities and colleges have signed agreements with Immigration and Customs Enforcement that authorize campus police to...

previous day 2

The Conversation

Anindya Kundu

Massive eye drop recall reflects ongoing issues with manufacturing and FDA inspection

Massive eye drop recall reflects ongoing issues with manufacturing and FDA inspection

The recall potentially affects more than 1 million people. It is the second time the FDA has found sterility issues at the company in three years.

previous day 2

The Conversation

C. Michael White

AI is reengineering drug discovery by speeding up testing and scanning petabytes of data for connections between diseases

AI is reengineering drug discovery by speeding up testing and scanning petabytes of data for connections between diseases

AI is reshaping biomedical research and drug discovery and delivery. But challenges still exist.

previous day 3

The Conversation

Jeffrey skolnick

How does spider venom damage human cells? Researchers uncover the killer mechanism of recluse spider toxin

How does spider venom damage human cells? Researchers uncover the killer mechanism of recluse spider toxin

Not all spider venoms are created equal. Some are harmless to people, while others can be quite dangerous.

monday 1

The Conversation

Matthew cordes

Hormuz closure threatens the global food supply – why grocery price hikes are coming

Hormuz closure threatens the global food supply – why grocery price hikes are coming

Fertilizer is more expensive and in shorter supply. Without the right amounts of fertilizer at specific times, yields drop, food prices increase and...

monday 4

The Conversation

Aya s. chacar

Philadelphia’s founding years were rife with conspiracy fears about ‘godless’ Freemasons and the Illuminati

Philadelphia’s founding years were rife with conspiracy fears about ‘godless’ Freemasons and the Illuminati

In the early days of the United States, Philly was a hotbed of conspiracy theories as fears grew that secret societies sought to dismantle...

monday 1

The Conversation

Derek Arnold

Teenagers and younger kids are learning coded predator phrases like ‘MAP’ online, long before their parents have even heard of it

Teenagers and younger kids are learning coded predator phrases like ‘MAP’ online, long before their parents have even heard of it

MAP, NOMAP and 764 are among the coded terms that all speak to pedophilia. Here’s how families can stay ahead of the risk.

monday 2

The Conversation

Sharlette a. kellum

What gig workers and employees who get tips need to know about the new no‑tax‑on‑tips tax break

What gig workers and employees who get tips need to know about the new no‑tax‑on‑tips tax break

New deductions usually introduce new complexities and the need for better recordkeeping.

monday 1

The Conversation

Annette Nellen

What I learned from analyzing 789 ‘Shark Tank’ pitches: Narcissists get funding if they’re not arrogant or defensive

What I learned from analyzing 789 ‘Shark Tank’ pitches: Narcissists get funding if they’re not arrogant or defensive

The ‘flavor’ of narcissism driving an entrepreneur’s behavior can affect whether a startup wins funding from investors.

monday 2

The Conversation

Paul sanchez ruiz

About 80% of breast cancer biopsies turn out benign – new imaging tool promises clearer diagnoses and fewer biopsies

About 80% of breast cancer biopsies turn out benign – new imaging tool promises clearer diagnoses and fewer biopsies

Ultrasound is often used in breast cancer screening, but it can often provide inconclusive results. Combining it with near-infrared light can help...

monday 2

The Conversation

Quing zhu

What is CREC and how does it shape Pete Hegseth’s religious rhetoric?

What is CREC and how does it shape Pete Hegseth’s religious rhetoric?

Hegseth is a member of the CREC, whose beliefs are rooted in a 20th-century movement called Christian Reconstructionism. The movement calls for the...

monday 2

The Conversation

Samuel Perry

Lebanon’s political elites are using displacement and humanitarian crisis to delay elections again

Lebanon’s political elites are using displacement and humanitarian crisis to delay elections again

With the return of Israeli forces, the Lebanese parliament scrapped elections scheduled for May. The move is a recurring theme in the country’s...

05.04.2026 2

The Conversation

Jasmin Lilian Diab

US and Iran: A brief history of how decades of mistrust and bad blood led to open warfare

US and Iran: A brief history of how decades of mistrust and bad blood led to open warfare

Some major events in the history of US-Iran relations highlight differences between the countries’ views, but others have presented real...

04.04.2026 5

The Conversation

Jeffrey Fields

What a US attorney general actually does – a law professor spells it out

What a US attorney general actually does – a law professor spells it out

The combined political and legal roles and responsibilities of the US attorney general can create conflicts. Some attorneys general yielded to...

03.04.2026 5

The Conversation

Jennifer Selin

What does the US attorney general actually do? A law professor explains

What does the US attorney general actually do? A law professor explains

The combined political and legal roles and responsibilities of the US attorney general can create conflicts. Some attorneys general yielded to...

03.04.2026 6

The Conversation

Jennifer Selin

Toxic dust from California’s shrinking Salton Sea is harming children’s lung growth – our study tracked the impact in 700 kids

Toxic dust from California’s shrinking Salton Sea is harming children’s lung growth – our study tracked the impact in 700 kids

A new study reveals how the lake bed’s toxic dust impairs lung development in children living nearby.

03.04.2026 3

The Conversation

Jill Johnston

The two lives of Chuck Norris

The two lives of Chuck Norris

The action star’s death forced fans to reckon with his strange legacy: a real person with a complicated past, and a meme that made him into an...

03.04.2026 7

The Conversation

Ben pettis

Supreme Court ruling on Colorado conversion therapy case is not a clear win for conservatives

Supreme Court ruling on Colorado conversion therapy case is not a clear win for conservatives

The court decided Colorado’s ban on conversion therapy violated the free speech of a talk therapist.

03.04.2026 4

The Conversation

Kevin Cope

Why the manosphere has an antisemitism problem

Why the manosphere has an antisemitism problem

Denying Jewish men’s masculinity, or blaming them for weakening ‘traditional’ masculinity, has long been part of antisemitism.

03.04.2026 5

The Conversation

Miriam Eve Mora

Why Americans give: New research finds 5 distinct profiles for generosity

Why Americans give: New research finds 5 distinct profiles for generosity

Different kinds of Americans are generous in different ways.

03.04.2026 4

The Conversation

George E. Mitchell

The costume maker who convinced Hersheypark to embrace candy mascots and ‘chocolatize’ their old‑timey theme park

The costume maker who convinced Hersheypark to embrace candy mascots and ‘chocolatize’ their old‑timey theme park

Hersheypark underwent a total transformation in the 1970s, when candy mascots and thrill rides replaced barn animals and old-timey recreations of...

03.04.2026 3

The Conversation

John Haddad

Pam Bondi’s extreme political loyalty to Trump wasn’t enough to save her job

Pam Bondi’s extreme political loyalty to Trump wasn’t enough to save her job

It’s not unusual for presidents to select attorneys general who share their views and policy preferences. But Trump has gone far beyond what is...

02.04.2026 3

The Conversation

Austin Sarat, Opinion Contributor

Iran’s president appeals to Americans − but does his office still hold any real power?

Iran’s president appeals to Americans − but does his office still hold any real power?

Once a strong force after the Iranian Revolution, the office of the president slowly diminished over time as power centralized under the supreme...

02.04.2026 3

The Conversation

Roxane razavi

The nonprofit status of NCAA athletic departments is starting to raise questions

The nonprofit status of NCAA athletic departments is starting to raise questions

In an era of billion-dollar TV deals and million-dollar payments to players, the tax code continues to treat university athletic departments as...

02.04.2026 3

The Conversation

Andrew urbaczewski

Kratom poisonings surged 1,200% over the past decade, and regulators are struggling to keep up with the dangers

Kratom poisonings surged 1,200% over the past decade, and regulators are struggling to keep up with the dangers

Conflicting claims about kratom are widespread, but scientific evidence makes the risks clear.

02.04.2026 3

The Conversation

Andrew Kolodny

75 years after she led a student strike that helped end school segregation, Barbara Rose Johns now stands in the US Capitol where Robert E. Lee once did

75 years after she led a student strike that helped end school segregation, Barbara Rose Johns now stands in the US Capitol where Robert E. Lee once did

In December 2025, the statue of Barbara Rose Johns replaced that of Robert E. Lee as one of the two Virginians displayed in the U.S. Capitol. Here’s...

02.04.2026 5

The Conversation

Jonathan Entin

Irresponsible parental gun ownership could become a factor in custody disputes

Irresponsible parental gun ownership could become a factor in custody disputes

Evolving views about parental gun ownership and liability will likely have ramifications in custody battles.

02.04.2026 4

The Conversation

Marcia Zug

Better urban design could help save Florida’s threatened Big Cypress fox squirrel

Better urban design could help save Florida’s threatened Big Cypress fox squirrel

The Big Cypress fox squirrel is losing its habitat to urban and suburban development. But a few design changes could help to save this and other...

02.04.2026 5

The Conversation

Eve Bohnett

Bypass the Strait of Hormuz with nuclear explosives? The US studied that in Panama and Colombia in the 1960s

Bypass the Strait of Hormuz with nuclear explosives? The US studied that in Panama and Colombia in the 1960s

For decades, the US seriously pursued the idea of ‘peaceful nuclear explosions.’

02.04.2026 6

The Conversation

Christine Keiner

AI’s fluency in other languages hides a Western worldview that can mislead users − a scholar of Indonesian society explains

AI’s fluency in other languages hides a Western worldview that can mislead users − a scholar of Indonesian society explains

Research shows that a hidden American worldview can shape AI advice in ways that are culturally misleading.

02.04.2026 5

The Conversation

Gareth barkin

For adults with ADHD – or even those with just some symptoms – using smart strategies to start and complete tasks can make all the difference

For adults with ADHD – or even those with just some symptoms – using smart strategies to start and complete tasks can make all the difference

Learning to recognize thought patterns that lead to avoidance, and breaking tasks down into small parts, can help people overcome the mental barriers...

02.04.2026 5

The Conversation

Laura E. Knouse

MLB doubles down on gambling with new Polymarket deal

MLB doubles down on gambling with new Polymarket deal

For over a century, baseball rejected gambling to preserve the game’s integrity. Now, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred says embracing gambling will do...

02.04.2026 4

The Conversation

Michael delayo

How Iranian hackers pose a threat to US critical infrastructure

How Iranian hackers pose a threat to US critical infrastructure

A cyberattack on a US corporation illustrates how state-aligned hackers operate, and how damage in war today isn’t always visible or geographically...

02.04.2026 3

The Conversation

William Akoto

Getting $750 a month didn’t end homelessness – but our study shows it still improved the lives of homeless people

Getting $750 a month didn’t end homelessness – but our study shows it still improved the lives of homeless people

The study found that regularly getting cash made it easier for many homeless people to meet their immediate and personal needs.

02.04.2026 6

The Conversation

Benjamin f. henwood

SpaceX and OpenAI IPOs are unlikely to bring skyrocketing returns that Amazon and Apple did, as companies go public later in life and early investors cash out

SpaceX and OpenAI IPOs are unlikely to bring skyrocketing returns that Amazon and Apple did, as companies go public later in life and early investors cash out

In the old days, companies like Apple and Amazon went public early to access cash to grow. These days, soon-to-be-public companies are already flush...

02.04.2026 4

The Conversation

Brad badertscher