The Conversation

What next for the EPA? Here's what Reagan did

Written by Seema Kakade, Assistant Professor of Law and Director, Environmental Law Clinic, University of Maryland

Rep. Dan Kildee, D-Mich., speaks about EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt and the state of the EPA during a protest on April 25, 2018, in Washington. AP Photo/Alex Brandon

Scott Pruitt’s resignation as EPA administrator caught many by surprise because President Donald Trump had repeatedly supported Pruitt’s efforts to dismantle...

We estimate China only makes $8.46 from an iPhone – and that's why Trump's trade war is futile

Written by Jason Dedrick, Professor, Syracuse University

The Trump administration’s tariffs on China have so far targeted mostly industrial goods like aircraft engines and gas compressors. But the administration has also threatened to slap tariffs on US$200 billion in other goods if the dispute continues.

No list of goods has been released, but the list would have to include consumer electronics,...

Poland's judicial purge another step toward authoritarian democracy

Written by Brian Porter-Szücs, Professor of History, University of Michigan

Crowds protesting the forced retirement of judges, in front of Poland's Supreme Court building, WarsawAP/Czarek Sokolowski

Since the elections of 2015, Poland has been ruled by the Law and Justice Party (Prawo i Sprawiedliwość, or PiS), a far-right nationalist group that has transformed the country beyond recognition.

Poland had once been...

Support for refugees increases when refugees participate in integration programs

Written by Paul van Lange, Professor of Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

The executive branch has a fair amount of power to open or close U.S. borders, as the U.S. Supreme Court confirmed in its recent decision to uphold President Donald Trump’s travel ban.

But ultimately, as in most democracies, a country’s leadership needs at least some support from citizens for its decisions. What influences how people...

Sex and gender diversity is growing across the US

Written by Georgiann Davis, Associate Professor of Sociology, University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Transgender student Gavin Grimm sued to be allowed to use the boy's bathroom in his school. AP/Steve Helber

Across the United States, more people of all ages are identifying as something other than male or female.

According to the Williams Institute at UCLA, which studies sexual orientation and gender identity law and public policy, the percentage...

The monster festival: A pilgrimage to small town America

Written by Joseph P. Laycock, Assistant Professor of Religious Studies, Texas State University

A restaurant in Bishopville, S.C. markets the town's association to the Lizard Man.Joseph P. Laycock, Author provided

One of my hobbies is dragging my patient wife to small towns to study beliefs and practices related to cryptozoology – the hunt for creatures, from Bigfoot to the Loch Ness Monster, whose existence hasn’t been...

A novel 'smart' antibiotic may target most common bacterial infection contracted in US hospitals

Written by David B. Stewart, Associate Professor of Surgery, University of Arizona

_Clostridium difficile_ bacteria causes diarrhea and inflammation of the colon. By Kateryna Kon/shutterstock.com

The most common microbe you are likely to pick up during a hospital stay in the United States is Clostridium difficile. This pathogen secretes toxins that trigger diarrhea and colitis, sickening 500,000 patients annually. It kills approxi...

Pre-existing conditions: The age group most vulnerable if coverage goes away

Written by Marcia G. Ory, Regents and Distinguished Professor, Associate Vice President for Strategic Partnerships and Initiatives, Texas A&M University

People ages 50-64 begin to develop chronic conditions for which they need coverage. Doing away with insurance for pre-existing conditions puts this group at risk. Syda Productions/Shutterstock.com

A widely shared New Yorker cartoon heralded “70 as the new 50” with the implications that being 50 was a joyous and healthy age. More than...

What the Nazis driving people from homes taught philosopher Hannah Arendt about the rights of refugees

Written by Kathleen B. Jones, Professor Emerita of Women's Studies, San Diego State University

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Facing a political revolt over immigration policies from the Christian Social Union partner in her coalition government, German Chancellor Angela Merkel agreed to a compromise, which would create “transit zones” or refugee camps along Germany’s southern border.

Under the agreement, migrants would be housed in designated...

Coping with heat waves: 5 essential reads

Written by Jennifer Weeks, Environment + Energy Editor, The Conversation

The sun sets behind the Statue of Liberty, July 1, 2018.AP Photo/Andres Kudacki, File

Oppressive heat across much of North America since the end of June has buckled roads and driven Major League Baseball players off the field. July is the warmest time of year for much of the nation, so more heat waves could develop in the coming weeks. These...