The Conversation

Immigrants are unsung heroes of global trade and value creation

Written by Bedassa Tadesse, Professor of Economics, University of Minnesota Duluth

In nearly every country that hosts foreign-born citizens, immigration emerges as a lightning rod for controversy. The economic realities of immigration, however, are far more complex than the negative sound bites suggest.

Far from being a burden, as critics claim, immigrants play pivotal roles in driving innovation, enhancing productivity and...

How Israel’s Netanyahu survives in his job

Written by Shai P. Ginsburg, Associate Professor and Chair, Department of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, Duke University

Demonstrators at an anti-government protest calling for action to secure the release of Israeli hostages on Sept. 12, 2024, in Tel Aviv. Jack Guez/AFP via Getty Images)

After several tumultuous weeks in Israel, mass demonstrations increasingly depict Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as directly responsible for the fate of the hostages still held...

Why the cost of water for poor Black Detroit voters may be key to Kamala Harris winning – or losing – Michigan

Written by Ronald Brown, Professor of Political Science, Wayne State University

Protesters in Detroit rally to support the 2020 election results and other causes.Stephen Zenner/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

The threat of violence was in the air at the TCF Center in Detroit on Nov. 5, 2020, after former President Donald Trump claimed that poll workers in the city were duplicating ballots and that there was an...

Invasive caterpillars can make aspen forests more toxic for native insects – a team of ecologists explains how

Written by Richard L. Lindroth, Vilas Distinguished Achievement & Sorenson Professor Emeritus, University of Wisconsin-Madison

The aspen forest where our team conducted our recent study. Mark R. Zierden

When we walked with a colleague into an aspen forest near Madison, Wisconsin, in the early spring of 2021, we expected to finalize our plans for a research project on several species of insects that live and feed on the trees. Instead, we found a forest laden with fuzzy,...

TRUTH in Labeling Act would heighten the warning for shoppers looking to cut sugar, salt and saturated fat intake

Written by Kimberly Baker, Food Systems and Safety Program Team Director, Clemson University

Only about 40% of consumers frequently read the nutrition label.demaerre/iStock via Getty Images Plus

With rising rates of obesity in the U.S. and increasing attention being paid to the health harms of processed foods, it’s clear that far more could be done to help consumers make healthy food choices.

A bill known as the TRUTH in Labeling Act h...

You want to vote in the 2024 election − here is how to make sure that your voice is heard

Written by Amy Dacey, Executive Director of the Sine Institute of Policy and Politics, American University

It's that time again.Hill Street Studios/DigitalVision via Getty Images

Voting will begin in many states in just a few weeks – Alabama became the first state to begin sending out mail-in ballots on Sept. 11, 2024. It’s one of 10 states that send mail-in ballots to voters more than 45 days before Election Day.

Every state’s...

50 years after the first procedure, Tommy John surgery is more common than ever − especially for young athletes

Written by Ted Spiker, Professor of Journalism, University of Florida

Tommy John pitched in the big leagues from 1963 to 1989 and won 288 games. Only 25 MLB pitchers have won more.

But check out his 27 years of statistics, and you’ll see one year is blank: 1975. That’s because in the fall of 1974, John underwent surgery for a ligament tear in his elbow, an injury once considered career-ending.

John was...

Collaboratively imagining the future can bring people closer together in the present

Written by Zoë Fowler, Graduate Assistant in Psychology, University at Albany, State University of New York

Imagining a joint future may be the first step in building it.Kateryna Kovarzh/iStock via Getty Images Plus

Warm sun on your face, a gentle salty breeze, the sound of ocean waves. Your friend earnestly suggests surfing lessons, and you both laugh as you imagine the two of you gracelessly tumbling through the water.

Could imagining this beachside...

Fed slashes rates by a half-point – what that means for the economy and the presidential election

Written by Michael Walden, Professor and Extension Economist, North Carolina State University

All smiles as Fed Chair Jay Powell signals he's confident he's winning the inflation fight. AP Photo/Ben Curtis

In a widely anticipated move, the Federal Reserve announced on Sept. 18, 2024, that it was cutting its benchmark interest rate by half a percentage point to a range of 4.75% to 5% – the first time the cost of borrowing has been...

Pagers and walkie-talkies over cellphones – a security expert explains why Hezbollah went low-tech for communications

Written by Richard Forno, Principal Lecturer in Computer Science and Electrical Engineering, University of Maryland, Baltimore County

A police officer examines a damaged car after thousands of pagers exploded simultaneously across Lebanon on Sept. 17, 2024.AP Photo/Hussein Malla

Electronic pagers across Lebanon exploded simultaneously on Sept. 17, 2024, killing 12 and wounding more than 2,700. The following day, another wave of explosions in the country came from detonating...