The Conversation

America’s designs on annexing Canada have a long history − and record of political failures

Written by G. Patrick O'Brien, Assistant Teaching Professor of History, University of Tampa

Donald Trump has repeatedly raised the specter of annexing Canada since his inauguration to a second term as president.

The president’s rhetoric about making Canada “the 51st state” may seem to project confidence, a 21st-century vision of manifest destiny, a belief in the United States’ right and obligation to expand.

Trump...

What is Tren de Aragua? How the Venezuelan gang started − and why US policies may only make it stronger

Written by Verónica Zubillaga, Mellon Visiting Professor, University of Illinois Chicago

A viral surveillance video allegedly shows armed members of the Tren de Aragua gang at an apartment building in Aurora, Colo.RJ Sangosti/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images

When the U.S. government deported 177 Venezuelans on Feb. 20, 2025, the Department of Homeland Security alleged that 80 of the deportees were members of the...

The only ‘winner’ here is Putin: Ukraine unites in response to Trump-Zelenskyy spat and resigns itself to new reality

Written by Lena Surzhko Harned, Associate Teaching Professor of Political Science, Penn State

A trap or a misstep? Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy sit-down with Donald Trump and JD Vance heads south.AP Photo/ Mystyslav Chernov

“A president just disrespected America in the Oval Office. It wasn’t Zelenskyy.”

That was the verdict of the editorial team at the Kyiv Independent, one of Ukraine’s leading media...

How Trump’s compulsion to dominate sabotages dealmaking, undermines democracy and threatens global stability

Written by Karrin Vasby Anderson, Professor of Communication Studies, Colorado State University

U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the Oval Office on Feb. 28, 2025.Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

Journalists covering the Feb. 28, 2025, Oval Office meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described it as a “jaw-dropping” “spectacle” and a...

Making English the official US language can’t erase the fact that the US has millions of Spanish speakers and a long multilingual history

Written by Daniel J. Olson, Professor of Linguistics and Spanish, Purdue University

English should be the official language of the United States, says a new executive order signed by President Donald Trump on March 1, 2025. The move follows the Trump administration’s termination of the Spanish-language version of the White House website and its Spanish-language account on X, formerly Twitter.

Both were abruptly shut down...

As flu cases break records this year, vaccine rates are declining, particularly for children and 65+ adults

Written by Annette Regan, Adjunct Associate Professor of Epidemiology, University of California, Los Angeles

It's not too late to get a flu shot.Fat Camera/E+ via Getty Images

In February 2025, flu rates spiked to the highest levels seen in at least 15 years, with flu outpacing COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations for the first time since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has classified this flu...

Texas records first US measles death in 10 years – a medical epidemiologist explains how to protect yourself and your community from this deadly, preventable disease

Written by Daniel Pastula, Professor of Neurology, Medicine (Infectious Diseases), and Epidemiology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus

Young children are especially vulnerable to measles. Bilanol via Getty Images

On Feb. 26, 2025, Texas health officials announced the death of a child in a measles outbreak – the first measles death in the United States since 2015. The outbreak was first identified in early February in Gaines County, Texas, where just 82% of kindergartners are...

Coastal economies rely on NOAA, from Maine to Florida, Texas and Alaska – even if they don’t realize it

Written by Christine Keiner, Chair, Department of Science, Technology, and Society, Rochester Institute of Technology

U.S. fishing industries, both commercial and recreational, rely on healthy coastal areas.Wolfgang Kaehler/LightRocket via Getty Images

Healthy coastal ecosystems play crucial roles in the U.S. economy, from supporting multibillion-dollar fisheries and tourism industries to protecting coastlines from storms.

They’re also difficult to manage,...

Just having a pet doesn’t help mental health – but pet-owners with secure relationships with their pets are less depressed

Written by Brian N. Chin, Assistant Professor of Psychology, Trinity College

How emotionally close you are to your pet is not necessarily a good measure of how your relationship affects your well-being.Nattalia Nuñez/Unsplash, CC BY-ND

For many people, pets provide unconditional love, companionship and a sense of security. But not all human-pet relationships are beneficial, and some may contribute to stress and...

What are conflicts of interest and what can be done about them?

Written by Archon Fung, Professor of Citizenship and Self-Government, Harvard Kennedy School

The phrase is often lobbed around, but what does it really mean?Frank Brennan/iStock via Getty Images Plus

Americans’ trust in government and politicians is at record lows. In a 2022 Pew Research survey, about two-thirds of respondents said that all or most people who run for office want to serve their own personal interests rather than the...