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Buddha’s foster mother played a key role in the orphaned prince’s life – and is a model for Buddhists on Mother’s Day

  • Written by Megan Bryson, Associate Professor of Religious Studies, University of Tennessee
imagePrince Siddhartha with his foster mother Mahaprajapati.A 1910 painting by Maligawage Sarlis. Photo by MediaJet, 2009 via Wikimedia Commons

Mother’s Day offers an opportunity to reflect on what motherhood means in different religions and cultures. As a scholar of Buddhism and gender, I know how complicated Buddhist attitudes toward mothers...

Read more: Buddha’s foster mother played a key role in the orphaned prince’s life – and is a model for...

Why ‘The Calling of Saint Matthew’ by Caravaggio was Pope Francis’ favorite painting − an art historian explains

  • Written by Virginia Raguin, Distinguished Professor of Humanities Emerita, College of the Holy Cross
image'Calling of Saint Matthew,' in Chapel San Luigi.Virginia Raguin, CC BY

Pope Francis left a lasting legacy, not least his appreciation for art. In his 2025 biography, “Hope,” Francis spoke of his admiration for the Baroque painter Caravaggio. He recalled that during his travels to Rome as a cardinal, he prayed in front of the painting...

Read more: Why ‘The Calling of Saint Matthew’ by Caravaggio was Pope Francis’ favorite painting − an art...

From the moment he steps onto the balcony, each pope signals his style of leadership – here’s how Pope Leo XIV’s appearance compares with Pope Francis’ first

  • Written by Daniel Speed Thompson, Associate Professor of Religious Studies, University of Dayton
imageNewly elected Pope Leo XIV waves to pilgrims gathered in St. Peter's Square shortly after his election on May 8, 2025.Vatican Media via AP

As crowds celebrated in St. Peter’s Square, a man in white and red stepped onto the balcony of the basilica, prompting cheers from the plaza.

It was American Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost: Pope Leo XIV,...

Read more: From the moment he steps onto the balcony, each pope signals his style of leadership – here’s how...

A new pope’s first appearance on St. Peter’s balcony is rich with symbols − and Francis’ decision to rein in the pomp spoke volumes

  • Written by Daniel Speed Thompson, Associate Professor of Religious Studies, University of Dayton
imagePope Francis stands at the central balcony of St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican on March 13, 2013, just after being announced as pontiff.AP Photo/Andrew Medichini

As the College of Cardinals gathers in the Sistine Chapel to vote for a new pope, crowds outside will watch for the most dramatic moment of the conclave, when a wisp of white smoke...

Read more: A new pope’s first appearance on St. Peter’s balcony is rich with symbols − and Francis’ decision...

How the US can mine its own critical minerals − without digging new holes

  • Written by Yuanzhi Tang, Professor of Biogeochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology
imagePiles of rare earth oxides praseodymium, cerium, lanthanum, neodymium, samarium and gadolinium.Peggy Greb/USDA-ARS

Every time you use your phone, open your computer or listen to your favorite music on AirPods, you are relying on critical minerals.

These materials are the tiny building blocks powering modern life. From lithium, cobalt, nickel and...

Read more: How the US can mine its own critical minerals − without digging new holes

Can learning cursive help kids read better? Some policymakers think it’s worth a try

  • Written by Shawn Datchuk, Associate Professor of Special Education, University of Iowa
imagePennsylvania is considering legislation that mandates cursive instruction in public schools.Angela Guthrie/iStock via Getty Images

Recently, my 8-year-old son received a birthday card from his grandmother. He opened the card, looked at it and said, “I can’t read cursive yet.”

Then he handed it to me to read.

If you have a child in...

Read more: Can learning cursive help kids read better? Some policymakers think it’s worth a try

Religious charter schools threaten to shift more money away from traditional public schools – and the Supreme Court is considering this idea

  • Written by Derek W. Black, Professor of Law, University of South Carolina
imageThe Supreme Court is considering whether to allow churches to operate charter schools that teach religious topics like the Bible.Jonathan Kirn/The Image Bank via Getty Images

The U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments on April 30, 2025, in what could be the most consequential case for public education since the court started requiring schools to...

Read more: Religious charter schools threaten to shift more money away from traditional public schools – and...

Even judges appointed by Trump are ruling against him

  • Written by Paul M. Collins Jr., Professor of Legal Studies and Political Science, UMass Amherst
imageJudges appointed by Donald Trump are ruling against him during his second presidential term.Zolnierek - iStock/Getty Images Plus

During his first term in office, President Donald Trump appointed 226 federal court judges, including three U.S. Supreme Court justices. Trump successfully installed judges who promotedhispoliticalagenda, including overtur...

Read more: Even judges appointed by Trump are ruling against him

Trump targets NPR and PBS as public and nonprofit media account for a growing share of local news coverage

  • Written by Matthew Powers, Professor of Communication, University of Washington
imageThe Seattle Times currently funds 30 reporter positions through philanthropy.AP Photo/Ted S. Warren

Republicans in Washington have their sights – once again – on defunding public media.

On May 1, 2025, President Donald Trump issued an executive order calling for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the nonprofit that helps fund...

Read more: Trump targets NPR and PBS as public and nonprofit media account for a growing share of local news...

Peace Corps isn’t just about helping others − it’s a key part of US public diplomacy

  • Written by Thomas J Nisley, Professor of Government and International Affairs, Kennesaw State University
imagePeace Corps volunteers pose with the U.S. flag after they are sworn in during a 2002 event in Burkina Faso. Issouf Sanogo/AFP via Getty Images

Since President Donald Trump returned to the White House in January 2025, his administration has slashed the work of many U.S. government agencies, including those focused on foreign policy. Now, there is...

Read more: Peace Corps isn’t just about helping others − it’s a key part of US public diplomacy

More Articles ...

  1. Being honest about using AI at work makes people trust you less, research finds
  2. Predictive policing AI is on the rise − making it accountable to the public could curb its harmful effects
  3. Ancient Mars may have had a carbon cycle − a new study suggests the red planet may have once been warmer, wetter and more favorable for life
  4. Running with a stroller: 2 biomechanics researchers on how it affects your form − and risk of injury
  5. Pope Francis encouraged Christian-Muslim dialogue and helped break down stereotypes
  6. Worsening allergies aren’t your imagination − windy days create the perfect pollen storm
  7. National security advisers manage decision-making as advocates or honest brokers
  8. A pope of the Americas: What Francis meant to 2 continents
  9. In Yemen, Trump risks falling into an ‘airpower trap’ that has drawn past US presidents into costly wars
  10. Teachers and librarians are among those least likely to die by suicide − public health researchers offer insights on what this means for other professions
  11. Hurricane forecasts are more accurate than ever – NOAA funding cuts could change that, with a busy storm season coming
  12. How was the Earth built?
  13. Philly’s forgotten history as a hub of anarchism with a thriving radical Yiddish press
  14. Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s wrongful deportation case is more about individual rights than the Trump administration’s foreign policy
  15. What is the biggest gaffe, blooper or blunder that a recent president has made? It may depend on what your definition of ‘is’ is
  16. The Women’s Health Initiative has shaped women’s health for over 30 years, but its future is uncertain
  17. Trump and many GOP lawmakers want to end all funding for NPR and PBS − unraveling a US public media system that took a century to build
  18. How millions of people can watch the same video at the same time – a computer scientist explains the technology behind streaming
  19. A Michigan research professor explains how NIH funding works − and what it means to suddenly lose a grant
  20. A law seeks to protect children from sex offenders − 20 years later, the jury is still out
  21. When presidents try to make peace: What Trump could learn from Teddy Roosevelt, Carter, Clinton and his own first term
  22. Children in military families face unique psychological challenges, and the barriers to getting help add to the strain
  23. Despite Supreme Court setback, children’s lawsuits against climate change continue
  24. Whether GDP swings up or down, there are limits to what it says about the economy and your place in it
  25. Some ‘Star Wars’ stories have already become reality
  26. Fleeting fireflies illuminate Colorado summer nights − and researchers are watching
  27. What makes people flourish? A new survey of more than 200,000 people across 22 countries looks for global patterns and local differences
  28. Deporting international students risks making the US a less attractive destination, putting its economic engine at risk
  29. As heated tobacco products reenter the US market, evidence on their safety remains sparse – new study
  30. What causes RFK Jr.’s strained and shaky voice? A neurologist explains this little-known disorder
  31. Is a faith-based charter school a threat to religious freedom, or a necessity to uphold it? The weighty decision lies with the Supreme Court
  32. Guns in America: A liberal gun-owning sociologist offers 5 observations to understand America’s culture of firearms
  33. Terrorists weigh risks to their reputation when deciding which crises to exploit − new research
  34. The woman who turned the Met Gala into the biggest party of the year
  35. Pandas and politics − from World War II to the Cold War, zoos have always been ideological
  36. The legal limits of Trump’s crackdown on sanctuary cities like Philadelphia
  37. Trump seeks to reshape how schools discipline students
  38. In the $250B influencer industry, being a hater can be the only way to rein in bad behavior
  39. From the Chinese Exclusion Act to pro-Palestinian activists: The evolution of politically motivated deportations
  40. AI is giving a boost to efforts to monitor health via radar
  41. Forensics tool ‘reanimates’ the ‘brains’ of AIs that fail in order to understand what went wrong
  42. What is a downburst? These winds can be as destructive as tornadoes − we recreate them to test building designs
  43. How rising wages for construction workers are shifting the foundations of the housing market
  44. Bees, fish and plants show how climate change’s accelerating pace is disrupting nature in 2 key ways
  45. How a reading group helped young German students defy the Nazis and find their faith
  46. ‘Agreeing to disagree’ is hurting your relationships – here’s what to do instead
  47. Young bats learn to be discriminating when listening for their next meal
  48. RFK Jr. said many autistic people will never write a poem − even though there’s a rich history of neurodivergent poets and writers
  49. Whooping cough is making a comeback, but the vaccine provides powerful protection
  50. No whistleblower is an island – why networks of allies are key to exposing corruption