The Conversation

‘Love Is Blind’ contestants count as employees − new US government agency finding could shake up reality TV production

Written by David Arditi, Professor of Sociology, University of Texas at Arlington

'Love Is Blind' cast members appear at a screening in 2020. Paras Griffin/Getty Images

When members of a reality TV show’s cast sign a contract to participate in a show, they typically do so more for the exposure than the pay – and in many cases they do not earn a dime.

Employers get away with what may appear to be a violation of basic...

Why natural disasters hit harder in rural school districts

Written by Lee Ann Rawlins Williams, Clinical Assistant Professor of Education, Health and Behavior Studies, University of North Dakota

School buses play a pivotal role in rural areas.Grant Faint/The Image Bank via Getty Images

A week after Hurricane Sandy flooded New York City’s streets and subways in 2012, the city’s schools were back in business. But schools in rural North Carolina did not reopen until almost a month after Hurricane Helene roared through in late...

Listening for the right radio signals could be an effective way to track small drones

Written by Iain Boyd, Director of the Center for National Security Initiatives and Professor of Aerospace Engineering Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder

Small drones can be hard to track at night.Kevin Carter/Getty Images

The recent spate of unidentified drone sightings in the U.S., including some near sensitive locations such as airports and military installations, has caused significant public concern.

Some of this recent increase in activity may be related to a September 2023 change in U.S....

At 88, Pope Francis dances the tango with the global Catholic Church amid its culture wars

Written by David M. Lantigua, Associate Professor of Theology, Co-Director of the Cushwa Center for the Study of American Catholicism, University of Notre Dame

Jorge Mario Bergoglio was 17 years old when he first received his vocation to become a priest. It happened on Sept. 21, 1953 – the beginning of spring in Buenos Aires – during a spontaneous visit to the confessional, or what Catholics call the sacrament of reconciliation.

This spiritual turning point for the future Pope Francis has been...

More than 60 years later, Langston Hughes’ ‘Black Nativity’ is still a pillar of African American theater

Written by Dominic Taylor, Acting Chair of Theater, School of Theater, Film and Television, University of California, Los Angeles

Students at Jackson State University in Mississippi present their annual production of 'Black Nativity' in 2017. Charles A. Smith/Jackson State University/Historically Black Colleges & Universities via Getty Images

During the end of every calendar year, a particular holiday performance pops up in African American communities and cultural...

Vaccine misinformation distorts science – a biochemist explains how RFK Jr. and his lawyer’s claims threaten public health

Written by Mark R. O'Brian, Professor and Chair of Biochemistry, University at Buffalo

Many fatal childhood illnesses can be prevented with vaccination.Westend61/Getty Images

Vaccinations provide significant protection for the public against infectious diseases and substantially reduce health care costs. Therefore, it is noteworthy that President-elect Donald Trump wants Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a leading critic of childhood...

No flood gauges, no warning: 99% of US streams are off the radar amid rising flash flood risks – we saw the harm in 2024

Written by Julie Arbit, Researcher at the Center for Social Solutions, University of Michigan

Heavy rain sent Great Brook raging over its banks in Plainfield, Vt., in July 2024. AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey

Flooding is one of the deadliest and costliest natural disasters in the U.S., causing billions of dollars in damage each year. In 2024 alone, floods destroyed homes in over a dozen states and claimed more than 165 lives.

Southeast Texas was hit...

I’m a former assistant DA who works with survivors of sex trafficking − here’s why a recent Philly sting marks a shift in how Pennsylvania confronts the commercial sex industry

Written by Shea Rhodes, Director of the Institute to Address Commercial Sexual Exploitation, School of Law, Villanova University

Philadelphia County led the state with 19 human trafficking convictions in 2023.RichLegg/E+ Collection via Getty Images

Pennsylvania Attorney General Michelle Henry and the Pennsylvania State Police announced the arrests of 22 people connected to a long-standing, Philadelphia-based human trafficking ring on Oct. 22, 2024.

This investigation is the...

At Hanukkah, a celebration of eternal light − from the desert tabernacle to synagogues today

Written by Alan Avery-Peck, Kraft-Hiatt Professor in Judaic Studies, College of the Holy Cross

A celebration of eternal light − and hope.Alan Avery-Peck

My earliest religious memory is of our synagogue’s Ner Tamid: the decorative electric lamp that hangs in every sanctuary, above the ark holding the Torah scrolls.

This lamp, I learned from parents and teachers, was an eternal light – the literal meaning of the Hebrew term...

Trump’s 2017 tax cuts expire soon − study shows they made income inequality worse and especially hurt Black Americans

Written by Beverly Moran, Professor Emerita of Law, Vanderbilt University

President Donald Trump arrives at the White House after passing the Tax Cut and Jobs Act on Dec. 20, 2017.AP Photo/Evan Vucci

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, a set of tax cuts Donald Trump signed into law during his first term as president, will expire on Dec. 31, 2024. As Trump and Republicans prepare to negotiate new tax cuts in 2025, it’s worth...