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What the First Amendment doesn’t protect when it comes to professors speaking out on politics

  • Written by Neal H. Hutchens, University Research Professor of Education, University of Kentucky
imageEmployees at public and private colleges do not have the same First Amendment rights. dane_mark/Royalty-free

American colleges and universities are increasingly firing or punishing professors and other employees for what they say, whether it’s on social media or in the classroom.

After the Sept. 10, 2025, killing of conservative activist...

Read more: What the First Amendment doesn’t protect when it comes to professors speaking out on politics

The limits of free speech protections in American broadcasting

  • Written by Michael J. Socolow, Professor of Communication and Journalism, University of Maine
imageFCC Chairman Brendan Carr testifies in Washington on May 21, 2025.Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Image

The chairman of the Federal Communications Commission is displeased with a broadcast network. He makes his displeasure clear in public speeches, interviews and congressional testimony.

The network, afraid of the regulatory agency’s power...

Read more: The limits of free speech protections in American broadcasting

Industrial facilities owned by profitable companies release more of their toxic waste into the environment

  • Written by Mahelet G Fikru, Professor of Economics, Missouri University of Science and Technology
imageToxic chemical pollution can come in many forms, including compounds that float on top of water.Brett Hondow/iStock / Getty Images Plus

How much pollution a facility engaged in production or resource extraction emits isn’t just based on its location, its industry or the type of work it does. That’s what our team of environmental and...

Read more: Industrial facilities owned by profitable companies release more of their toxic waste into the...

Starbucks wants you to stay awhile – but shuttering its mobile-only pickup locations could be a risky move

  • Written by Vivek Astvansh, Associate Professor of Quantitative Marketing and Analytics, McGill University

When Starbucks announced that it would phase out its mobile-order pickup-only locations beginning in 2026, it raised a question: Why abandon a format seemingly built for speed and efficiency?

As Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol explained the decision in an earnings call, the pickup-only stores had a “transactional” feel, lacking “the...

Read more: Starbucks wants you to stay awhile – but shuttering its mobile-only pickup locations could be a...

In defense of ‘surveillance pricing’: Why personalized prices could be an unexpected force for equity

  • Written by Aradhna Krishna, Dwight F. Benton Professor of Marketing, University of Michigan

Surveillance pricing has dominated headlines recently. Delta Air Lines’ announcement that it will use artificial intelligence to set individualized ticket prices has led to widespread concerns about companies using personal data to charge different prices for identical products. As The New York Times reported, this practice involves...

Read more: In defense of ‘surveillance pricing’: Why personalized prices could be an unexpected force for...

New student loan limits could change who gets to become a professor, doctor or lawyer

  • Written by Rodney Coates, Professor of Critical Race and Ethnic Studies, Miami University

As millions of student loan borrowers settle into the school year, many are stressed about how they’ll pay for their degrees. These students may find that the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the big tax and spending bill that President Donald Trump signed into law over the summer, could limit how much they can borrow.

Until recently, graduate...

Read more: New student loan limits could change who gets to become a professor, doctor or lawyer

Supreme Court redistricting ruling could upend decades of voting rights law – and tilt the balance of power in Washington

  • Written by Sam D. Hayes, Assistant professor of politics and policy, Simmons University
imageBlack Louisiana voters and civil rights advocates ask U.S. Supreme Court justices to uphold a fair and representative congressional map in Louisiana v. Callais on March 24, 2025. Jemal Countess/Getty Images

On Oct. 15, 2025, the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in one of the most anticipated cases of the 2025-2026 term, Louisiana v. Callais,...

Read more: Supreme Court redistricting ruling could upend decades of voting rights law – and tilt the balance...

‘Space tornadoes’ could cause geomagnetic storms – but these phenomena, spun off ejections from the Sun, aren’t easy to study

  • Written by Mojtaba Akhavan-Tafti, Associate Research Scientist, University of Michigan
imageFlux ropes (simulated, right) are structures made up of magnetic field lines wrapping around each other like a rope, that look similar to tornadoes on Earth.NOAA, Mojtaba Akhavan-Tafti and Chip Manchester

Weather forecasting is a powerful tool. During hurricane season, for instance, meteorologists create computer simulations to forecast how these...

Read more: ‘Space tornadoes’ could cause geomagnetic storms – but these phenomena, spun off ejections from...

Far fewer Americans support political violence than recent polls suggest

  • Written by Ryan Kennedy, Timashev Chair of Data Analytics and Professor of Political Science, The Ohio State University
imageSome surveys have reported that a large number of Americans are willing to support the use of force for political ends.stellalevi, DigitalVision Vectors/Getty Images

A series of recent events has sparked alarm about rising levels of political violence in the U.S. These episodes include the assassination of political activist Charlie Kirk on Sept....

Read more: Far fewer Americans support political violence than recent polls suggest

Why are elements like radium dangerous? A chemist explains radioactivity and its health effects

  • Written by Kelling Donald, Professor of Chemistry, University of Richmond
imageRadioactive elements release particles that can damage cells. MirageC/Moment via Getty Images

Curious Kids is a series for children of all ages. If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, send it to CuriousKidsUS@theconversation.com.

“What is radium and why is it dangerous?” – Aurora, 10, Laredo, Texas

The element...

Read more: Why are elements like radium dangerous? A chemist explains radioactivity and its health effects

More Articles ...

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  3. What are climate tipping points? They sound scary, especially for ice sheets and oceans, but there’s still room for optimism
  4. How the government shutdown is making the air traffic controller shortage worse and leading to flight delays
  5. Natural World Heritage sites under growing threat, but bright spots remain
  6. María Corina Machado’s peace prize follows Nobel tradition of awarding recipients for complex reasons
  7. From artificial atoms to quantum information machines: Inside the 2025 Nobel Prize in physics
  8. Government shutdown hasn’t left consumers glum about the economy – for now, at least
  9. Government shutdown hasn’t left US consumers glum about the economy – for now, at least
  10. A white poet and a Sioux doctor fell in love after Wounded Knee – racism and sexism would drive them apart
  11. The new president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will inherit a global faith far more diverse than many realize
  12. New president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints inherits a global faith far more diverse than many realize
  13. Political violence: What can happen when First Amendment free speech meets Second Amendment gun rights
  14. Trump is cutting funding to universities with large Hispanic student populations – here’s what to know
  15. Our engineering team is making versatile, tiny sensors from the Nobel-winning ‘metal-organic frameworks’
  16. How pollution and the microbiome interact with Tregs, the immune system regulators whose discovery was honored with the Nobel Prize
  17. Friendships aren’t just about keeping score – new psychology research looks at why we help our friends when they need it
  18. Flu season has arrived – and so have updated flu vaccines
  19. Can you really be addicted to food? Researchers are uncovering convincing similarities to drug addiction
  20. For war-weary Syria, potential benefits of security pact with Israel comes with big risks
  21. A Denver MD has spent 2 decades working with hospitalized patients experiencing homelessness − here’s what she fears and what gives her hope
  22. In 1776, Thomas Paine made the best case for fighting kings − and for being skeptical
  23. Refinery fires, other chemical disasters may no longer get safety investigations
  24. Gaza peace plan risks borrowing more from Tony Blair’s failures in the Middle East than his success in Northern Ireland
  25. Metal-organic frameworks: Nobel-winning tiny ‘sponge crystals’ with an astonishing amount of inner space
  26. Nobel Prize in physics awarded for ultracold electronics research that launched a quantum technology
  27. For Trump’s perceived enemies, the process may be the punishment
  28. James Comey’s indictment is a trademark tactic of authoritarians
  29. Why higher ed’s AI rush could put corporate interests over public service and independence
  30. Winning a bidding war isn’t always a win, research on 14 million home sales shows
  31. Jane Fonda, other stars, revive the Committee for the First Amendment – a group that emerged when the anti-communist panic came for Hollywood
  32. Geothermal energy has huge potential to generate clean power – including from used oil and gas wells
  33. Seasonal allergies may increase suicide risk – new research
  34. Federal shutdown deals blow to already hobbled cybersecurity agency
  35. 1 gene, 1 disease no more – acknowledging the full complexity of genetics could improve and personalize medicine
  36. Even small drops in vaccination rates for US children can lead to disease outbreaks
  37. From the pulpit to the picket line: For many miners, religion and labor rights have long been connected in coal country
  38. Tribal colleges and universities aren’t well known, but are a crucial steppingstone for Native students
  39. The Supreme Court is headed toward a radically new vision of unlimited presidential power
  40. Wings, booze and heartbreak – what my research says about the hidden costs of sports fandom
  41. Why free speech rights got left out of the Constitution – and added in later via the First Amendment
  42. More young adults are living with their parents than previous generations did
  43. Health insurance subsidy standoff pits affordable care for millions against federal budget constraints
  44. How does your immune system stay balanced? A Nobel Prize-winning answer
  45. What are solar storms and the solar wind? 3 astrophysicists explain how particles coming from the Sun interact with Earth
  46. Watchdog journalism’s future may lie in the work of independent reporters like Pablo Torre
  47. A fragmented legal system and threat of deportation are pushing higher education out of reach for many undocumented students
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  49. How to conduct post-atrocity research – key insights from practitioners in the field
  50. Hamas has run out of options – survival now rests on accepting Trump’s plan and political reform