The Conversation

What is originalism? Did it underpin the Supreme Court's ruling on abortion and guns? Debunking the myths

Written by Ilan Wurman, Associate Professor of Law, Arizona State University

Is originalism now the dominant Supreme Court ideology?AP Photo/Patrick Semansky

Recent Supreme Court decisions overturning Roe v. Wade and expanding gun rights in the U.S. have led some legal experts to declare the “triumph of originalism.”

The court’s opinions do, in fact, reflect originalist methodology to an important extent....

Cotton breeders are using genetic insights to make this global crop more sustainable

Written by Serina Taluja, Ph.D. Candidate in Genetics and Genomics, Texas A&M University

A cotton field in Lubbock, TexasAP Photo/LM Otero

Products derived from the cotton plant show up in many items that people use daily, including blue jeans, bedsheets, paper, candles and peanut butter. In the United States cotton is a US$7 billion annual crop grown in 17 states from Virginia to Southern California. Today, however, it’s at risk....

There is no one Islamic interpretation on ethics of abortion, but the belief in God's mercy and compassion is a crucial part of any consideration

Written by Zahra Ayubi, Associate Professor of Religion, Dartmouth College

Islamic ethics allow for many views on abortion, depending on what kind of scriptural sources are considered and by whom.SDI Productions/E+ via Getty Images

As a scholar of Islamic ethics, I’m often asked, “What does Islam say about abortion?” – a question that has become even more salient since the U.S. Supreme Court...

Boris Johnson's messy political legacy of lies, scandals and delivering Brexit to his base

Written by Garret Martin, Senior Professorial Lecturer, Co-Director Transatlantic Policy Center, American University School of International Service

Will Boris Johnson be back? The chances may be slim.Carl Court/Getty Images

Boris Johnson, the now outgoing prime minister of the United Kingdom, had wanted to follow in the footsteps of his idol Winston Churchill and be remembered as a leader of consequence. He aspired to greatness and desired to stay in office longer than the 11 years enjoyed by...

Scapegoating rap hits new low after July Fourth mass shooting

Written by A.D. Carson, Assistant Professor of Hip-Hop, University of Virginia

Flowers are laid near the scene of a mass shooting during a Fourth of July parade in Highland Park, Ill.Jim Vondruska/Getty Images

When local police named 22-year-old Robert E. Crimo III as “a person of interest” in the July 4 mass shootings in an affluent Chicago suburb, several news outlets described him in headlines as a...

No, submitting junk data to period tracking apps won't protect reproductive privacy

Written by Katie Siek, Professor and Chair of Informatics, Indiana University

Social media is flush with advice urging non-menstruating people to use period tracking apps in order to trip up the apps' algorithms.Westend61 via Getty Images

Social media users posted ideas about how to protect people’s reproductive privacy when the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, including entering “junk” data into apps...

Gun reform finally passed Congress after almost three decades of failure – what changed?

Written by Monika L. McDermott, Professor of Political Science, Fordham University

President Joe Biden with first lady Jill Biden, speaking before signing into law the gun safety bill on June 25, 2022. AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais

Gun control legislation almost never passes Congress, even when there is widespread public support for action in the wake of mass shootings such as those in Buffalo and Uvalde.

That’s why w...

Access to reproductive health care has been harder for Black and brown women – overturning Roe made it harder

Written by Kimala Price, Professor of Women’s Studies, San Diego State University

An abortion rights activists is detained on June 30, 2022, during a rally near the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, D.C. Nicholas Kamm/AFP via Getty Images)

In a mere few days after the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, at least seven states banned abortion.

And even...

The patriotic Virgin: How Mary's been marshaled for religious nationalism and military campaigns

Written by Dorian Llywelyn, President, Institute for Advanced Catholic Studies, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences

A mural in Kyiv depicts the Virgin Mary cradling a U.S.-made anti-tank weapon, a Javelin, which is considered a symbol of Ukraine's defense against Russia.AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky

Ever since Russia began its invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, analysts picking apart Vladimir Putin’s motives and messaging about the war have looked to religion...

SEC's climate disclosure plan could be in trouble after a recent Supreme Court ruling, but a bigger question looms: Does disclosure work?

Written by Lily Hsueh, Associate Professor of Economics and Public Policy, Arizona State University

Factories can be large sources of greenhouse gas emissions. Joe Sohm/Visions of America/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is considering requiring publicly traded U.S. companies to disclose the climate-related risks they face. Republican state officials, emboldened by a recent Supreme Court ruling,...