The Conversation

Trump White House goes 300+ days without a press briefing – why that's unprecedented

Written by Charles Bierbauer, Distinguished Professor and Dean Emeritus, University of South Carolina

The White House logo is displayed in the press briefing room of the White House in Washington, D.C. on Jan. 31, 2020. Getty/Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP

Journalists learn to adapt to current conditions, be they storms or tantrums, vagaries of nature or whims of officials. White House correspondents these days should be well past their withdrawal...

By filing for bankruptcy, the Boy Scouts may compensate more survivors of sexual abuse

Written by Pamela Foohey, Associate Professor of Law, Indiana University

Thousands of Americans, including James Kretschmer, say they experienced sexual abuse as Boy Scouts.AP Photo/David J. Phillip

The Boy Scouts of America has filed for bankruptcy to figure out how to fairly compensate thousands of survivors of alleged sexual abuse who accuse the Scouts of neglecting to protect them.

Revelations regarding decades of...

The ancient Greeks had alternative facts too – they were just more chill about it

Written by Joel Christensen, Associate Professor of Classical Studies, Brandeis University

Understandings of truth may be found in the Muses' words.Jacopo Tintoretto's The Muses/Wikpedia

In an age of deepfakes and alternative facts, it can be tricky getting at the truth. But persuading others – or even yourself – what is true is not a challenge unique to the modern era. Even the ancient Greeks had to confront different...

US-Taliban truce begins, feeding hope of a peaceful, more prosperous Afghanistan

Written by Elizabeth B. Hessami, Faculty Lecturer, Johns Hopkins University

Taliban fighters surrender their weapons in Jalalabad, Nangarhar province, Afghanistan, Feb. 8, 2020. Saifurahman Safi/Xinhua via Getty Images

If a seven-day truce between the United States and the Taliban holds until Feb. 28, 2020, Afghanistan’s decades-long conflict may finally end. A peace deal could be signed as soon as Feb. 29, according...

As US and Taliban plan to sign accord, Afghanistan must prepare for peace

Written by Elizabeth B. Hessami, Faculty Lecturer, Johns Hopkins University

Taliban fighters surrender their weapons in Jalalabad, Nangarhar province, Afghanistan, Feb. 8, 2020. Saifurahman Safi/Xinhua via Getty Images

After a week-long truce signed Feb. 22 between the United States and the Taliban appears to have held, a peace deal may finally end Afghanistan’s decades-long conflict.

The accord, slated for signing...

After US and Taliban sign accord, Afghanistan must prepare for peace

Written by Elizabeth B. Hessami, Faculty Lecturer, Johns Hopkins University

US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad and Taliban co-founder Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar sign an agreement ending the US's 18-year war in Afghanistan, Doha, Feb. 29, 2020. GIUSEPPE CACACE/AFP via Getty Images

The United States has signed a peace deal with the Taliban, an armed insurgency promoting an...

Paying all blood donors might not be worth it

Written by Gretchen Chapman, Professor of Psychology, Carnegie Mellon University

The rewards for doing this usually aren't monetary.Glenn Koenig/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

The Abstract features interesting research and the people behind it.

Gretchen Chapman is a decision scientist who explores what makes it more likely that people will get vaccinated or engage in other behaviors that are good for public health. We asked...

What the Trump budget says about the administration's health priorities

Written by Simon F. Haeder, Assistant Professor of Public Policy, Pennsylvania State University

President Donald Trump's budget request for fiscal year 2021. AP photo / J. Scott Applewhite

The Trump administration recently released its budget blueprint for the 2021 fiscal year, the first steps in the complex budgetary process.

The final budget will reflect the input of Congress, including the Democratic House of Representatives, and will...

The Culinary Union of Nevada takes a pass on endorsing – here's why that may be a winning political strategy

Written by Ruben J. Garcia, Professor of Law, Co-Director of UNLV Workplace Law Program, University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Rather than cooking up a storm, the Culinary's role in the Democratic primary could be a recipe for success.Patrick Semansky/AP Photo

A picket line outside the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas proved to be a hot ticket for most Democratic hopefuls aiming to pick up a vote or two ahead of the Nevada caucuses.

Elizabeth Warren turned up with donuts to...

Federal Pell Grants help pay for college – but are they enough to help students finish?

Written by Laura Perna, Professor of Higher Education, University of Pennsylvania

Students who rely heavily on financial aid tend to be concentrated in non-selective colleges, new research shows.Ariel Skelly/Getty Images

Pell Grants are one way the federal government helps people pay for college.

During the 2020 to 2021 school year, eligible students can receive up to US$6,345 through the program, depending on where they go to...