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Supreme Court allows public charge clause that kept Nazi-era refugees from the US

  • Written by Laurel Leff, Associate Professor of Journalism, Northeastern University
President Donald Trump congratulates newly naturalized citizens via a recorded message at the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Miami field office.AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee

During the Nazi era, roughly 300,000 additional Jewish refugees could have gained entry to the U.S. without exceeding the nation’s existing quotas.

The primary...

Read more: Supreme Court allows public charge clause that kept Nazi-era refugees from the US

Why we knock on wood

  • Written by Rosemary V. Hathaway, Associate Professor of English, West Virginia University
Knocking on wood may be a holdover from the pagan days of Europe, when tree spirits were believed to bring luck. www.shuterstock.com

Ever said something like, “I’ve never gotten a speeding ticket” – and then quickly, for luck, rapped your knuckles on a wooden table or doorframe?

Americans accompany this action by saying,...

Read more: Why we knock on wood

Has Trump proposed a Middle East peace plan – or terms of surrender for the Palestinians?

  • Written by Yehudah Mirsky, Professor of Near Eastern and Judaic Studies, Brandeis University
Pondering peace in the Middle East or processing political problems at home?Susan Walsh/AP Photo

January 28, 2020, is a date that will be remembered in Middle Eastern history – but it will take some time before anyone knows for sure how it will be remembered.

The day didn’t start well for Benjamin Netanyahu. Israel’s...

Read more: Has Trump proposed a Middle East peace plan – or terms of surrender for the Palestinians?

Limiting Senate inquiry ignores Founders' intent for impeachment

  • Written by Clark D. Cunningham, W. Lee Burge Chair in Law & Ethics; Director, National Institute for Teaching Ethics & Professionalism, Georgia State University
Benjamin Franklin was a leading voice in the debates framing the Constitution.Howard Chandler Christy/Architect of the Capitol

Senators will soon decide whether to dismiss the articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump without hearing any witnesses. In making this decision, I believe they should consider words spoken at the...

Read more: Limiting Senate inquiry ignores Founders' intent for impeachment

Britain's Brexit divorce is here – but the bickering over alimony payments and who gets the house is only beginning

  • Written by Garret Martin, Professorial Lecturer, American University School of International Service
The main immediate impact of Brexit is that UK lawmakers will have to vacate the EU Parliament. AP Photo/Francisco Seco

On Jan. 31, 2020, the United Kingdom formally ceases to be a member of the European Union, 1,317 days after citizens of the U.K. narrowly voted to do so in their Brexit referendum.

So what happens now? Does it mean the U.K. and...

Read more: Britain's Brexit divorce is here – but the bickering over alimony payments and who gets the house...

The US economy produced about $21.7 trillion in goods and services in 2019 - but what does GDP really mean?

  • Written by Dan Sichel, Professor of Economics, Wellesley College
It's just dollars and cents.mrfiza/Getty Images

Editor’s note: The Bureau of Economic Analysis reported on Jan. 30 that U.S. Gross Domestic Product climbed to an estimated nominal value of US$21.7 trillion. But what does that really mean? We asked Dan Sichel, an economist at Wellesley College, to explain what goes into that massive number...

Read more: The US economy produced about $21.7 trillion in goods and services in 2019 - but what does GDP...

The US economy produced about $21.7 trillion in goods and services in 2019 – but what does GDP really mean?

  • Written by Dan Sichel, Professor of Economics, Wellesley College
It's just dollars and cents.mrfiza/Getty Images

Editor’s note: The Bureau of Economic Analysis reported on Jan. 30 that U.S. Gross Domestic Product climbed to an estimated nominal value of US$21.7 trillion. But what does that really mean? We asked Dan Sichel, an economist at Wellesley College, to explain what goes into that massive number...

Read more: The US economy produced about $21.7 trillion in goods and services in 2019 – but what does GDP...

Is the coronavirus outbreak as bad as SARS or the 2009 influenza pandemic? A biologist explains the clues

  • Written by Maciej F. Boni, Associate Professor of Biology, Pennsylvania State University
A man wearing a face mask prays at Erawan shrine in Bangkok, Thailand, Jan. 29, 2020. Thailand has five reported cases of coronavirus.AP Photo/Gemunu Amarasinghe

As the new coronavirus continues to cross international borders, the two key questions on public health officials’ minds are: ‘How deadly is it?’ and ‘Can it be...

Read more: Is the coronavirus outbreak as bad as SARS or the 2009 influenza pandemic? A biologist explains...

What is a super spreader? An infectious disease expert explains

  • Written by Elizabeth McGraw, Professor of Entomology and Director of the Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics, Pennsylvania State University
Whether by biology or behavior, some people in the crowd will transmit coronavirus to more than the average number of others.AP Photo/Kin Cheung

As the emerging Wuhancoronavirus outbreak dominates the daily news, you might be wondering just how the pathogen is working its way around the world. This virus travels from place to place by infecting one...

Read more: What is a super spreader? An infectious disease expert explains

Harvey Weinstein's 'false memory' defense is not backed by science

  • Written by Anne P. DePrince, Professor of Psychology, University of Denver
Harvey Weinstein leaves for the day during his trial on charges of rape and sexual assault, in New York, Jan. 28, 2020. AP Photo/Craig Ruttle

Much like the defense of Bill Cosby, media mogul Harvey Weinstein’s defense team says they’ll bring up “false memories” during his trial on multiple charges of sexual assault. In...

Read more: Harvey Weinstein's 'false memory' defense is not backed by science

More Articles ...

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  2. Modern tomatoes are very different from their wild ancestors – and we found missing links in their evolution
  3. Union gunboats didn't just attack rebel military sites – they went after civilian property, too
  4. 4 myths the Trump team promoted about Andrew Johnson
  5. Preventing genocide in Myanmar: Court order tries to protect Rohingya Muslims where politics has failed
  6. Brain organoids help neuroscientists understand brain development, but aren't perfect matches for real brains
  7. I track murder cases that use the 'gay panic defense,' a controversial practice banned in 9 states
  8. Britain is about to leave the EU – what's next?
  9. Islamophobia in the US did not start with Trump, but his tweets perpetuate a long history of equating Muslims with terrorism
  10. The meme endorsement you might have missed – and why it matters for 2020
  11. Hidden by a pleasant scent: The health consequences of flavor in e-cigarettes
  12. Beware the brokered convention that breaks up the party
  13. E-cig flavors may be more than alluring; they could cause damage themselves
  14. Teaching kids how to make guitars can get them hooked on engineering
  15. Why legislation is needed to make Holocaust education more prominent in public schools: 5 questions answered
  16. Worried about accidentally harassing a woman? Don't be
  17. When will there be a coronavirus vaccine? 5 questions answered
  18. A secret reason Rx drugs cost so much: A global web of patent laws protects Big Pharma
  19. Puerto Rico earthquakes imperil island's indigenous heritage
  20. Despite defeats, the Islamic State remains unbroken and defiant around the world
  21. Americans on the right and left change their minds after hearing where Trump stands
  22. Young California ranchers are finding new ways to raise livestock and improve the land
  23. Is workplace rudeness on the rise?
  24. Hate cancel culture? Blame algorithms
  25. After the trial's over, President Trump's impeachment battles could determine who holds real power in the US government
  26. Gay rights dispute is pulling apart the United Methodist Church, after decades of argument
  27. Obesity, second to smoking as the most preventable cause of US deaths, needs new approaches
  28. Don't be fooled – most independents are partisans too
  29. How Minneapolis made Prince
  30. Why it's unclear whether private programs for 'troubled teens' are working
  31. What is white-nose syndrome in bats?
  32. Study finds ethics can be taught – in finance, at least
  33. How CEOs, experts and philosophers see the world's biggest risks differently
  34. Atmospheric river storms can drive costly flooding – and climate change is making them stronger
  35. Does impeachment need a crime? Not according to framers of the Constitution
  36. If it's below 40 degrees in South Florida, the forecast calls for falling iguanas
  37. 5 obstacles that stop many students from taking an internship
  38. Why your zodiac sign is probably wrong
  39. In the terrorism fight, Trump has continued a key Obama policy
  40. Winning worker hearts and minds is key to companies achieving their green goals
  41. Are you in danger of catching the coronavirus? 5 questions answered
  42. The serious consequence of exercising too much, too fast
  43. 200 years of exploring Antarctica – the world's coldest, most forbidding and most peaceful continent
  44. When lesbians led the women's suffrage movement
  45. Precedent? Nah, the Senate gets to reinvent its rules in every impeachment
  46. Joaquin Phoenix's lips mocked - here's what everyone should know about cleft lip
  47. Joaquin Phoenix's lips mocked – here's what everyone should know about cleft lip
  48. Reclaman a Cuba por detención prolongada de un disidente – pero ¿es José Daniel Ferrer un prisionero político?
  49. African Americans take on more debt for grad school – but the payoff is also bigger
  50. US and Cuba spar over jailed dissident – but is José Daniel Ferrer really a political prisoner?