The Conversation

Housing instability complicates end-of-life care for aging unhoused populations

Written by Pilar Ingle, Postdoctoral Researcher in Social Work, University of Denver

People who are unhoused use emergency rooms for medical care. Halfpoint Images/GettyImages

Research estimates that one-third or more of the unhoused population in the U.S. is age 50 or older.

Unhoused people of all ages face high rates of chronic and serious illness. They also die at younger ages compared with people who are not unhoused.

Yet, there...

How the small autonomous region of Puntland found success in battling Islamic State in Somalia

Written by Ido Levy, PhD Candidate, School of International Service, American University

Soldiers with the Puntland Defense Forces.Photo by Carolyn Van Houten/The Washington Post via Getty Images

On Feb. 24, 2025, members of the Puntland Defense Forces posed next to a sign in Arabic that proclaimed the mountain town of Sheebaab as a “province” of the Islamic State group. The town, located in Somalia’s autonomous...

What ancient animal fables from India teach about political wisdom

Written by John Nemec, Professor of Indian Religions and South Asian Studies, University of Virginia

An illustration from an Arabic translation of a story in the 'Pañcatantra,' a collection of animal fables.Photo12/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

In today’s volatile world, where wars can be fought over territory, commerce can be abruptly subjected to tariffs, and friendly nations can turn hostile after a single election,...

Hip-hop can document life in America more reliably than history books

Written by A.D. Carson, Associate Professor of Hip-Hop, University of Virginia

Faculty, staff and students, including then-Ph.D. student A.D. Carson, protest at Clemson University in 2016.AP Photo/Jeffrey Collins

Describing my 2017 appointment as a faculty member, the University of Virginia dubbed me the school’s “first” hip-hop professor. Even if the job title and the historic nature of the appointment...

The hidden power of marathon Senate speeches: What history tells us about Cory Booker’s 25-hour oration

Written by Charlie Hunt, Assistant Professor of Political Science, Boise State University

Sen. Cory Booker walks toward reporters after delivering a record-setting 25-hour speech for the U.S. Senate at the Capitol on April 1, 2025, in Washington, D.C. Win McNamee/Getty Images

Democratic U.S. Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey made history on April 1, 2025, when he stood on the Senate floor and spoke for 25 hours and five minutes, delivering...

More than just chips: Chinese threats and Trump tariffs could disrupt lots of ‘made in Taiwan’ imports − disappointing US builders, cyclists and golfers alike

Written by Jay L. Zagorsky, Associate Professor Questrom School of Business, Boston University

A cargo ship and containers are seen at the Port of Keelung in Taiwan on April 3, 2025. I-HWA CHENG/AFP via Getty Images

What would the United States stand to lose economically if its current access to the Taiwanese market were upended or totally restricted?

This seemingly theoretical question about the longtime U.S. trading partner has taken on...

Being alone has its benefits − a psychologist flips the script on the ‘loneliness epidemic’

Written by Virginia Thomas, Assistant Professor of Psychology, Middlebury

Studies show that choosing ‘me time’ is not a recipe for loneliness but can boost your creativity and emotional well-being.FotoDuets/iStock via Getty Images Plus

Over the past few years, experts have been sounding the alarm over how much time Americans spend alone.

Statistics show that we’re choosing to be solitary for more of our...

Abolition wasn’t fueled by just moral or economic concerns – the booming whaling industry also helped sink slavery

Written by Topher L. McDougal, Professor of Economic Development & Peacebuilding, University of San Diego

An engraving of whalers at sea attacking a whale with a harpoon from 1820.Kean Collection/Getty Images

Historians have long debated whether the end of slavery in the United States was primarily driven by moral campaigns or economic changes. But what if both perspectives are looking at only part of the puzzle?

We are experts in economic development a...

Florida is home to about 341,000 immigrants from Venezuela and Haiti who may soon lose residency, work permits

Written by Mercedes Vigon, Associate professor of Journalism, Florida International University

An activist protests the lifting of TPS status for Venezuelans in Doral, Fla. AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell

Florida leads the nation in the number of immigrants with Temporary Protected Status, or TPS.

Soon after taking office, the Trump administration moved to scale back protections for the largest groups of these immigrants – those from Haiti...

The Trump administration says Tren de Aragua is a terrorist group – but it’s really a transnational criminal organization. Here’s why the label matters.

Written by Ernesto Castañeda, Professor, and Director, Center for Latin American and Latino Studies, American University

Venezuelan immigrants, whom the Trump White House says are members of the Tren de Aragua gang, arrive in El Salvador on March 31, 2025. El Salvador Press Presidency Office/Anadolu via Getty Images

The U.S. State Department declared on Feb. 20, 2025, that the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, as well as some Mexican drug cartels, are now considered...