The Conversation

Shrinking and altering national monuments: Experts assess Interior Secretary Zinke's proposals

Written by Robert B. Keiter, Wallace Stegner Professor of Law, University Distinguished Professor, University of Utah

Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke has proposed shrinking Oregon's Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument and allowing more public access and road maintenance. Bob Wich/BLM, CC BY

Editor’s note: On April 26, 2017, President Trump ordered Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke to review 27 national monuments that had been created or expanded since 1996 and...

Beyond bleach: Mold a long-term problem after flooding and disasters

Written by Katherine Allen, County Extension Director and Family and Consumer Sciences Agent IV, University of Florida

Florentina Amaya of Houston looks at mold damage to her home, Sept. 5, 2017. AP Photo/David J. Phillip

One of the biggest issues surrounding flooding after natural disasters is mold, a problem that can stay with a structure long after floodwaters have receded. Considering that over 17 percent of homes already have some physical condition that...

Healthy choices are neither good or bad; only thinking makes them so

Written by Elliot Berkman, Associate Professor, Psychology, University of Oregon

Healthy choices are more complicated than a devil-angel contest suggests.Serggod/Shutterstock.com

Doing healthy things can feel like a battle between the angel on one shoulder and the devil on the other. The devil impels me to order the bacon burger for lunch, but the angel nudges my hand toward the salad.

This dichotomy goes way back in Western...

Is partisan gerrymandering illegal? The Supreme Court will decide

Written by Jonathan Entin, Professor Emeritus of Law and Adjunct Professor of Political Science, Case Western Reserve University

One person, one vote.David Goldman/AP Photo

One of the first cases that the Supreme Court will hear this term could make a huge difference in how legislative and congressional districts are drawn. In Gill v. Whitford, Wisconsin Democrats claim that Republicans drew lines that virtually guarantee GOP control of both houses of the state legislature.

A...

Defying Trump, Alabama elects Roy Moore – and embraces the same old politics of rage

Written by David Hughes, Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science, Auburn University at Montgomery

The Roy Moore and Luther Strange Republican primary runoff in Alabama wasn’t quiet, staid or dignified.

Set against the backdrop of Strange’s appointment by the former – and now disgraced – Gov. Robert Bentley, Strange and Moore jockeyed to position themselves as President Donald Trump’s most reliable Senate...

Defying Trump, Alabama GOP picks Roy Moore – and embraces the same old politics of rage

Written by David Hughes, Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science, Auburn University at Montgomery

The Roy Moore and Luther Strange Republican primary runoff in Alabama wasn’t quiet, staid or dignified.

Brewing a great cup of coffee depends on chemistry and physics

Written by Christopher H. Hendon, Assistant Professor of Computational Materials and Chemistry, University of Oregon

What can you do to ensure a more perfect brew?Chris Hendon, CC BY-ND

Coffee is unique among artisanal beverages in that the brewer plays a significant role in its quality at the point of consumption. In contrast, drinkers buy draft beer and wine as finished products; their only consumer-controlled variable is the temperature at which you drink them....

What it's like to be gay and in a gang

Written by Vanessa R. Panfil, Assistant Professor of Sociology and Criminal Justice, Old Dominion University

Some gay gang members are open about their sexuality, but others remain in the closet, fearing they could endanger themselves or the status of their gang. Devin/Pexels, FAL

There are many stereotypes of and assumptions about street gangs, just as there are many stereotypes and assumptions about gay men. Pretty much none of those stereotypes...

Interior Secretary Zinke invokes Teddy Roosevelt as model, but his public land policies don't

Written by John Freemuth, Professor of Public Policy and Executive Director, Andrus Center for Public Policy, Boise State University

Public lands along the south fork of the Snake River in southeastern Idaho.BLM, CC BY

Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke’s recommendations to shrink four national monuments and allow fossil fuel development activities on others is just the latest sign that this administration sees natural resource use and extraction as the highest priority for...

How to select a disaster relief charity

Written by David Campbell, Associate Professor of Public Administration, Binghamton University, State University of New York

Actress Jennifer Garner, a Save the Children trustee and ambassador, helped distribute supplies after Hurricane Harvey.Anthony Rathbun/Save the Children via AP Images

Harvey. Irma. Jose. Maria. Massive earthquakes. Epic floods. As with previous disasters, millions of Americans have already made donations to help with the latest ones.

A telethon packe...