The Conversation

Tense decision-making as CDC joins FDA in recommending Pfizer booster shot for 65 up, people at high risk and those with occupational exposure to COVID-19

Written by Matthew Woodruff, Instructor of Human Immunology, Emory University

The FDA and CDC are recommending use of a third shot, or "booster dose" for certain groups of people in the U.S. Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images

Following the recommendations of its vaccine advisory committee, the Food and Drug Administration gave emergency use authorization to Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine booster dose for...

What goes into a disaster kit and go-bag? Here's a checklist for everything from hurricanes to wildfires and other storms

Written by Brett Robertson, Assistant Professor of Communication, University of South Carolina

Disasters can happen anywhere at any time. Be prepared.fstop123 via Getty Images

When disasters hit, they can mean days to weeks without power, and sometimes they allow just enough time to grab a bag of supplies and go. Now is the time to prepare, well before the disaster is on your doorstep.

I study ways to improve disaster communications....

What goes into a disaster kit and go-bag? Here's a checklist for wildfires, hurricanes and other storms

Written by Brett Robertson, Assistant Professor of Communication, University of South Carolina

Disasters can happen anywhere at any time. Be prepared.fstop123 via Getty Images

I study ways to improve disaster communications....

Fall is prime hurricane and wildfire season: Are your disaster kit and go-bag ready?

Written by Brett Robertson, Assistant Professor of Communication, University of South Carolina

Disasters can happen anywhere at any time. Be prepared.fstop123 via Getty Images

Another hurricane is brewing in the Atlantic, and dozens of large fires are burning in the U.S. West, including one threatening homes on the outskirts of Redding, California. When disasters hit, they can mean days to weeks without power, and sometimes they allow just...

Haitian migrants at the border: An asylum law scholar explains how US skirts its legal and moral duties

Written by Karen Musalo, Professor of International Law, University of California, Hastings

U.S. envoy resigned over "inhumane" treatment of Haitian migrantsAP Photo/Felix Marquez

The U.S.’s top envoy to Haiti resigned abruptly on Sept. 22, 2021, over the Biden administration’s “inhumane” treatment of Haitian migrants crossing the border via Mexico into Texas.

The resignation came amid debate over the U.S. decision...

Preliminary research finds that even mild cases of COVID-19 leave a mark on the brain – but it's not yet clear how long it lasts

Written by Jessica Bernard, Associate Professor, Texas A&M University

The new findings, although preliminary, are raising concerns about the potential long-term effects of COVID-19.Yuichiro Chino via Getty Images

With more than 18 months of the pandemic in the rearview mirror, researchers have been steadily gathering new and important insights into the effects of COVID-19 on the body and brain. These findings are...

Federal police reform talks have failed – but local efforts stand a better chance of success

Written by Thaddeus L. Johnson, Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice and Criminology, Georgia State University

Another door closes on federal police reform.Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

Bipartisan talks over police reform ended with no agreement on Sept. 22, 2021, with House Democrats and Republicans blaming each other for the lack of progress.

It isn’t the first time that reform at a federal level has been attempted – nor...

Long power outages after disasters aren't inevitable – but to avoid them, utilities need to think differently

Written by Seth Blumsack, Professor of Energy and Environmental Economics and International Affairs, Penn State

Power poles downed by Hurricane Ida in Houma, Louisiana, Aug. 30, 2021.Nick Wagner/Xinhua via Getty Images

A busy 2021 Atlantic hurricane season is in full swing. The year’s 18th named storm, Sam, has become a hurricane. Meanwhile, some residents in the parts of Louisiana hit hardest by Hurricane Ida in late August are still waiting for their...

What Harvard’s humanist chaplain shows about atheism in America

Written by Penny Edgell, Professor of Sociology, University of Minnesota

People in attend a talk at the American Atheists National Convention in 2014. Many Americans remain distrustful of atheists, surveys show.AP Photo/Rick Bowmer

At the end of August 2021, Harvard University’s organization of chaplains unanimously elected Greg Epstein as president. Epstein – the atheist, humanist author of “Good...

How conservative comic Greg Gutfeld overtook Stephen Colbert in ratings to become the most popular late-night TV host

Written by Nick Marx, Associate Professor of Film and Media Studies, Colorado State University

In August 2021, comedian Greg Gutfeld's weeknight talk show 'Gutfeld!' became the highest-rated late-night talk show in the U.S.Gary Miller/Getty Images

In August 2021, Fox News’ “Gutfeld!,” a late-night comedy-talk show hosted by right-wing pundit Greg Gutfeld, overtook “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” in overall...