The Conversation

When Pat and Bob nearly saved health care reform: A lesson in Senatorial bedside manner

Written by Joseph J. Fins, E. William Davis Jr, MD Professor of Medical Ethics, Professor of Medicine and Chief, Division of Medical Ethics, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University

Sen. Robert Dole, Republican of Kansas, left, with Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan, Democrat of New York, on Capitol Hill in 1993.AP Photo/John Duricka

With Senator John McCain’s heroic return and Vice President Mike Pence’s tie-breaking vote on a health care bill July 25, Senate Republicans managed to cobble together 51 votes simply to...

How electric vehicles could take a bite out of the oil market

Written by Amy Myers Jaffe, Executive Director for Energy and Sustainability, University of California, Davis

Sales of electric vehicles are growing fast, especially in Europe.Sopotnicki/Shutterstock.com

When will cars powered by gas-guzzling internal combustion engines become obsolete? Not as soon as it seems, even with the latest automotive news out of Europe.

First, Volvo announced it would begin to phase out the production of cars that run solely on...

The US health economy is big, but is it better?

Written by Diane Dewar, Associate Professor of Health Policy, Management and Behavior, University at Albany, State University of New York

Health care makes up a sizable portion of U.S. GDP.gpoiintstudio/Shutterstock.com

The U.S. health care system is the most expensive in the world. So why does it underperform relative to many peer countries by most measures?

While the Affordable Care Act increased access and coverage, its reforms are years away from full implementation and are now...

Concerned about concussions and brain injuries? 4 essential reads

Written by Lynne Anderson, Senior Editor, Health & Medicine, The Conversation

Michelle Vansickle, center, of Flowery Branch, Ga., during a youth football safety clinic March 18, 2014, in Alpharetta, Ga. AP Photo/Jason Getz

Editor’s note: The following is a roundup of archival stories about concussions, including advice on how to recognize symptoms and explanations of why they can be so dangerous to children.

A study...

Kris Kobach and Kansas' SAFE Act

Written by Chelsie Bright, Assistant Adjunct Professor, Mills College

A Kansas voter prepares to cast her ballot – and prove her identity – in the 2014 midterm elections.AP Photo/Charlie Riedel

If you want to understand President Donald Trump’s voter fraud commission, it helps to study what happened in Kansas.

Six years before Trump was tweeting about stolen elections and unsubstantiated...

100 years ago African-Americans marched down 5th Avenue to declare that black lives matter

Written by Chad Williams, Associate Professor of African and Afro-American Studies, Brandeis University

Silent protest parade in New York against the East St. Louis riots, 1917.Library of Congress

The only sounds were those of muffled drums, the shuffling of feet and the gentle sobs of some of the estimated 20,000 onlookers. The women and children wore all white. The men dressed in black.

On the afternoon of Saturday, July 28, 1917, nearly 10,000...

Stranded in our own communities: Transit deserts make it hard for people to find jobs and stay healthy

Written by Junfeng Jiao, Assistant Professor of Community and Regional Planning and Director, Urban Information Lab, University of Texas at Austin

Many Americans need reliable public transit to get to school or work.Frank Hank, CC BY-SA

As any commuter who has experienced unreliable service or lives miles away from a bus stop will tell you, sometimes public transit isn’t really a viable option, even in major cities.

In our car-loving society, where 85 percent of Americans use a car to...

The bigotry baked into welfare cuts

Written by Sanford Schram, Professor of Political Science, Hunter College, CUNY Graduate Center

Relatively few low-income Americans are getting welfare payments these days.Christine Hoi/Shutterstock.com

The budget blueprint the House of Representatives recently unveiled isn’t a carbon copy of President Donald Trump’s proposal, dubbed “A New Foundation for American Greatness.” But they would both make what’s left...

Helping your student with disabilities prepare for the future

Written by Joseph Madaus, Professor of Education, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, University of Connecticut

Planning is important for any teen on their way to college – but for those with disabilities, it's absolutely imperative.NCVO London, CC BY-SA

Summer is a busy time for high school juniors. They’re getting ready to say goodbye to school as they know it and they’re researching colleges, visiting campuses and trying to figure out...

Glioblastoma, a formidable foe, faces a 'reservoir of resilience' in McCain

Written by Duane Mitchell, Professor of Neurosurgery, University of Florida

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) returned to the Capitol July 25 to cast what was a tie-breaking vote to proceed to debate a bill to repeal Obamacare.AP Photo/Andrew Harnik

As a naval aviator, John McCain was shot down during the Vietnam War and spent five and a half years as a prisoner of war. He received inadequate medical care for injuries that nearly...