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Francis − a pope who has cared deeply for the poor and opened up the Catholic Church

  • Written by Mathew Schmalz, Professor of Religious Studies, College of the Holy Cross
imagePope Francis during the Palm Sunday Mass at St. Peter's Square on April 2, 2023, in Vatican City.Antonio Masiello/Getty Images

Pope Francis, who remains in critical condition and hospitalized as he battles pneumonia in both lungs, was elected pope on March 13, 2013, after the surprise resignation of Benedict XVI.

Prior to becoming pope, he was Jorge...

Read more: Francis − a pope who has cared deeply for the poor and opened up the Catholic Church

The murder rate in Venezuela has fallen − but both Trump and Maduro are wrong about why

  • Written by Rebecca Hanson, Assistant Professor of Latin American Studies, Sociology and Criminology, University of Florida
imageMembers of government-backed militias take part in a march in Caracas, Venezuela, on Jan. 7, 2025.AP Photo/Matias Delacroix

The body of former Venezuelan army officer Ronald Ojeda was found on Feb. 19, 2024, in a suitcase buried under 5 feet of concrete. Ojeda, accused by Venezuela of plotting against the government, had gone missing nine days...

Read more: The murder rate in Venezuela has fallen − but both Trump and Maduro are wrong about why

How Elon Musk’s deep ties to – and admiration for – China could complicate Trump’s Beijing policy

  • Written by Linggong Kong, Ph.D. Student, Auburn University

Elon Musk holds an outsized influence in the new Trump administration.

As head of his Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, the world’s wealthiest man has enjoyed nearly unfettered political power in slashing and refashioning the federal government as he sees fit. And it has quickly become clear that he has the president’s earon...

Read more: How Elon Musk’s deep ties to – and admiration for – China could complicate Trump’s Beijing policy

Rising house prices don’t just make it harder to become a homeowner – they also widen the racial wealth gap

  • Written by Joe LaBriola, Research Assistant Professor, Survey Research Center, University of Michigan

Homeownership – long a cornerstone of the “the American dream” – is increasingly out of reach for the average American. Over the past four decades, U.S. house prices have risen by 75% in real terms, pushing the costs of homeownership for the typical first-time homebuyer to a record high. At the same time, these rising...

Read more: Rising house prices don’t just make it harder to become a homeowner – they also widen the racial...

3 ways Trump is acting like a king and bypassing the Constitution’s checks and balances on presidential authority

  • Written by David Lopez, University Professor of Law, Rutgers University - Newark
imageDonald Trump's efforts to expand presidential power defy the Constitutional separation of powers.zimmytws/iStock via Getty Images

I learned basic civics in my public school. But mostly, because it was more interesting, I also learned civics after school watching the animated series “Schoolhouse Rock,” often with my abuela – my...

Read more: 3 ways Trump is acting like a king and bypassing the Constitution’s checks and balances on...

Why including people with disabilities in the workforce and higher education benefits everyone

  • Written by Lauren Shallish, Associate Professor of Disability Studies in Education, Rutgers University - Newark
imageThe employment rate for people with disabilities is about half that of nondisabled people.Johner Images via Getty Images

Whether it’s declaring that blindness prevents government employees from doing their jobs or suggesting that hiring workers with intellectual disabilities contributed to Federal Aviation Administration safety lapses, the...

Read more: Why including people with disabilities in the workforce and higher education benefits everyone

As Pennsylvania inches toward legalizing recreational cannabis, lawmakers propose selling it in state-owned dispensaries similar to state liquor stores

  • Written by Daniel J. Mallinson, Associate Professor of Public Policy and Administration, Penn State
imageAdvocates believe Pennsylvania and Hawaii may be the next fronts in recreational cannabis legalization. Spencer Platt/Getty Images

After a long, largely successful march over 25 years to liberalize cannabis laws in the United States, the movement had a tough election in 2024.

Legalization ballot measures failed in Florida, North Dakota and South...

Read more: As Pennsylvania inches toward legalizing recreational cannabis, lawmakers propose selling it in...

Can animals have mental disabilities?

  • Written by Rachel Blaser, Professor of Neuroscience, Cognition and Behavior, University of San Diego

Curious Kids is a series for children of all ages. If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, send it to CuriousKidsUS@theconversation.com.

Are there any animals with mental disabilities? – Adria G.

Max was a fun-loving Labrador retriever who enjoyed going for car rides and greeting clients at his owner’s office. But...

Read more: Can animals have mental disabilities?

How Roman society integrated people who altered their bodies and defied gender norms

  • Written by Tom Sapsford, Assistant professor of Classical Studies, Boston College
imageA relief showing a gallus making sacrifices to the goddess Cybele and Attis.Sailko via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY

A few weeks into his second term, President Donald Trump signed two executive orders restricting the rights of trans workers in the federal government. The first was a renewal of the ban on transgender people joining the U.S. military &nda...

Read more: How Roman society integrated people who altered their bodies and defied gender norms

The quest to extend human life is both fascinating and fraught with moral peril

  • Written by Richard Gunderman, Chancellor's Professor of Medicine, Liberal Arts, and Philanthropy, Indiana University
imageTech entrepreneur Bryan Johnson has made it his life's mission to delay aging and death.Netflix

“Who wants to live forever?” Freddie Mercury mournfully asks in Queen’s 1986 song of the same name.

The answer: Quite a few people – so much so that life extension has long been a cottage industry.

As a physician and scholar in...

Read more: The quest to extend human life is both fascinating and fraught with moral peril

More Articles ...

  1. I went to CPAC as an anthropologist to see how Trump supporters are feeling − for them, a ‘golden age’ has begun
  2. Trump’s moves to strip employment protections from federal workers threaten to make government function worse – not better
  3. Brazil coup charges could end Bolsonaro’s political career − but they won’t extinguish Bolsonarismo
  4. A Palestinian film is an Oscars favorite − so why is it so hard to see?
  5. A Palestinian-Israeli film is an Oscars favorite − so why is it so hard to see?
  6. We study mass surveillance for social control, and we see Trump laying the groundwork to ‘contain’ people of color and immigrants
  7. Survey shows immigrants in Florida – even US citizens – are less likely to seek health care after passage of anti-immigrant laws
  8. Colliding plasma ejections from the Sun generate huge geomagnetic storms − studying them will help scientists monitor future space weather
  9. Making sex deadly for insects could control pests that carry disease and harm crops
  10. From ancient emperors to modern presidents, leaders have used libraries to cement their legacies
  11. How allies have helped the US gain independence, defend freedom and keep the peace – even as the US did the same for our friends
  12. A fiscal crisis is looming for many US cities
  13. Trump’s threats on Greenland, Gaza, Ukraine and Panama revive old-school US imperialism of dominating other nations by force, after decades of nuclear deterrence
  14. Trump’s move to closer ties with Russia does not mean betrayal of Ukraine, yet – in his first term, Trump was pretty tough on Putin
  15. p53 is both your genome’s guardian and weakness against cancer – scientists are trying to repair or replace it when it goes awry
  16. Trump order boosts school choice, but there’s little evidence vouchers lead to smarter students or better educational outcomes
  17. The leadership hack that drives success: Being trustworthy
  18. CDC layoffs strike deeply at its ability to respond to the current flu, norovirus and measles outbreaks and other public health emergencies
  19. In pushing for Ukraine elections, Trump is falling into Putin-laid trap to delegitimize Zelenskyy
  20. DEI programs are designed to help white people too – here’s how
  21. Greenland’s rapidly melting ice and landslide-prone fjords make the oil and minerals Trump covets dangerous to extract
  22. Deportation fears create ripple effects for immigrants and their communities
  23. How medical treatments devised for war can quickly be implemented in US hospitals to save lives
  24. Traumatic brain injuries have toxic effects that last weeks after initial impact − an antioxidant material reduces this damage in mice
  25. The dangers of ‘Jekyll and Hyde leadership’: Why making amends after workplace abuse can hurt more than it helps
  26. Investors value corporate tax responsibility – at least when the company is based somewhere with a lot of inequality, research shows
  27. Trans people affirmed their gender without medical help in medieval Europe − history shows how identity transcends medicine and law
  28. Why community pharmacies are closing – and what to do if your neighborhood location shutters
  29. Many gluten-free foods are high in calories and sugar, low on fiber and protein, and they cost more − new research
  30. Deporting millions of immigrants would shock the US economy, increasing housing, food and other prices
  31. Firing civil servants and dismantling government departments is how aspiring strongmen consolidate personal power – lessons from around the globe
  32. Nat King Cole’s often overlooked role in the Civil Rights Movement
  33. Philly’s Chinatown has a rich tradition of activism – the Sixers arena fight was just one of many to preserve the neighborhood
  34. How California can rebuild safer, more resilient cities after wildfires without pricing out workers
  35. How Oscar-nominated screenwriters attempt to craft authentic dialogue, dialects and accents
  36. Cutting funding for science can have consequences for the economy, US technological competitiveness
  37. Trump has purged the Kennedy Center’s board, which in turn made him its chair – why does that matter?
  38. Why is water different colors in different places?
  39. Why do skiers sunburn so easily on the slopes? A snow scientist explains
  40. Who are Ismaili Muslims and how do their beliefs relate to the Aga Khan’s work?
  41. Evolving intelligent life took billions of years − but it may not have been as unlikely as many scientists predicted
  42. Congress, not the president, decides on government spending − a constitutional law professor explains how the ‘power of the purse’ works
  43. How Americans really feel about deporting immigrants – 3 charts explain the conflicting headlines from recent polls
  44. How to find climate data and science the Trump administration doesn’t want you to see
  45. Nonprofits get more donations when they vary their Facebook fundraising messages − new research
  46. Parents can soon use QR codes to reveal heavy metal content in baby food
  47. ‘Emilia Pérez’ was nominated for 13 Oscars. Why do so many people hate it?
  48. ‘For You’: What to know about news on TikTok
  49. Enzymes are the engines of life − machine learning tools could help scientists design new ones to tackle disease and climate change
  50. 60 years of progress in expanding rights is being rolled back by Trump − a pattern that’s all too familiar in US history