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A brief history of presidential inaugural speeches, from George Washington to today

  • Written by Claire Jerry, Political History Curator, Smithsonian Institution
imageAbraham Lincoln's first inauguration on March 4, 1861.Bettmann/Getty Images

The only constitutionally mandated event on Inauguration Day is for the president-elect to take the oath of office. But on the first Inauguration Day, in 1789, George Washington did something else.

He gave a speech.

Every president since has followed his example and...

Read more: A brief history of presidential inaugural speeches, from George Washington to today

Larry Krasner, Kensington, the scrapped Sixers arena − and other key concerns that will shape Philly politics in 2025

  • Written by Richardson Dilworth, Professor of Politics, Drexel University
imagePhiladelphia's City Council approved the proposed Sixers arena on the last day of its 2024 legislative session.AP Photo/Matt Slocum

Campus protests. Homeless encampment clearings. Significant decreases in shootings, homicides and overdose deaths. Protests to “Save Chinatown.” A mass shooting at a SEPTA bus stop. Illegal car meetups....

Read more: Larry Krasner, Kensington, the scrapped Sixers arena − and other key concerns that will shape...

Lightning strikes make collecting a parasitic fungus prized in traditional Chinese medicine a deadly pursuit

  • Written by Daile Zhang, Assistant Professor of Atmospheric Sciences, University of North Dakota
imageCollecting the fungus is a high-risk, high-reward proposition.Kevin Frayer/Getty Images News via Getty Images

In the remote Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, a rare fungus grows inside dead caterpillars. In traditional Chinese medicine, this parasitic fungus is prized for its purported medicinal effects. Known as Ophiocordyceps sinensis –...

Read more: Lightning strikes make collecting a parasitic fungus prized in traditional Chinese medicine a...

LA fires: Why fast wildfires and those started by human activities are more destructive and harder to contain

  • Written by Virginia Iglesias, Interim Earth Lab Director, University of Colorado Boulder
imageA home burns in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles on Jan. 7, 2025. AP Photo/Ethan Swope

Investigators are trying to determine what caused several wind-driven wildfires that have destroyed thousands of homes across the Los Angeles area in January 2025. Given the fires’ locations, and lack of lightning at the time, it’s...

Read more: LA fires: Why fast wildfires and those started by human activities are more destructive and harder...

LA fires: Why fast-moving wildfires and those started by human activities are more destructive and harder to contain

  • Written by Virginia Iglesias, Interim Earth Lab Director, University of Colorado Boulder
imageA home burns in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles on Jan. 7, 2025. AP Photo/Ethan Swope

Investigators are trying to determine what caused several wind-driven wildfires that have destroyed thousands of homes across the Los Angeles area in January 2025. Given the fires’ locations, and lack of lightning at the time, it’s...

Read more: LA fires: Why fast-moving wildfires and those started by human activities are more destructive and...

US secretary of state has an expansive job that could make or break peace deals and key foreign alliances

  • Written by Monica Duffy Toft, Professor of International Politics and Director of the Center for Strategic Studies, The Fletcher School, Tufts University
imageThe secretary of state wears several hats, including managing the day-to-day at the U.S. Department of State.Greg Mathieson/Mai/Getty Images

U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, Donald Trump’s nominee for secretary of state, will testify before the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee as part of his confirmation process on Jan. 15, 2025.

Rubio...

Read more: US secretary of state has an expansive job that could make or break peace deals and key foreign...

When presidents would send handwritten lists of their nominees to the Senate, things were a lot different

  • Written by Peter Kastor, Professor of History & American Culture Studies, Associate Vice Dean of Research, Washington University in St. Louis
imagePresident George Washington, left, and his Cabinet: Henry Knox, secretary of war; Alexander Hamilton, secretary of the Treasury; Thomas Jefferson, secretary of state; and Edmund Randolph, attorney general. Currier and Ives/Bettmann - Getty Images

The new U.S. Senate is getting down to business, and one of its first tasks will be to consider Donald...

Read more: When presidents would send handwritten lists of their nominees to the Senate, things were a lot...

Firefighting planes are dumping ocean water on the Los Angeles fires − why using saltwater is typically a last resort

  • Written by Patrick Megonigal, Associate Director of Research, Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, Smithsonian Institution
imageA firefighting plane dumps water on one of the fires in the Los Angeles area in January 2025.Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

Firefighters battling the deadly wildfires that raced through the Los Angeles area in January 2025 have been hampered by a limited supply of freshwater. So, when the winds are calm enough, skilled...

Read more: Firefighting planes are dumping ocean water on the Los Angeles fires − why using saltwater is...

Mass deportations don’t keep out ‘bad genes’ − they use scientific racism to justify biased immigration policies

  • Written by Shoumita Dasgupta, Professor of Medicine, Assistant Dean of Diversity & Inclusion, Boston University
imageAnti-immigration policies were a key talking point for Republican candidates.Matt Rourke/AP Photo

Threats of mass deportations loom on the post-2024 election horizon. Some supporters claim these will protect the country from immigrants who bring “bad genes” into America. But this is a misguided use of the language of science to give a...

Read more: Mass deportations don’t keep out ‘bad genes’ − they use scientific racism to justify biased...

From Myanmar to Gaza, Ukraine to Sudan – 2024 was another grim year, according to our mass atrocity index

  • Written by Collin J. Meisel, Associate Director of Geopolitical Analysis, Pardee Institute, University of Denver
imageA doctor stands near bodies lined up for identification in the Gaza Strip on April 25, 2024.AFP via Getty Images

With major conflicts in Africa, the Middle East, Europe and Southeast Asia, 1 in 8 people worldwide were exposed to conflict in 2024 – proving another fraught year in terms of human suffering on a mass scale. In fact, 111 countries...

Read more: From Myanmar to Gaza, Ukraine to Sudan – 2024 was another grim year, according to our mass...

More Articles ...

  1. One way Trump could help revive rural America’s economies
  2. Is capitalism falling out of favor? We analyzed 400,000 news stories to find out
  3. Trump’s canal canard obscures a truth: Panama just wants to run its shipping passage without interference from China or the US
  4. What the dead, the uncanny and the monstrous tell us about human nature
  5. Why does a rocket have to go 25,000 mph to escape Earth?
  6. From watts to warheads: Secretary of energy oversees big science research and the US nuclear arsenal
  7. Secretary of defense must perform a ‘delicate dance’ between the president, Congress and the public
  8. Wildfires can contaminate drinking water systems with harmful chemicals − here’s what Los Angeles needs to know
  9. Philly sports fans consider themselves ‘gritty’ − but it’s merely a myth used to fuel their passion
  10. An eye for an eye: People agree about the values of body parts across cultures and eras
  11. How the EPA administrator protects public health, air, water and the environment
  12. With more Americans able to access legalized marijuana, fewer are picking up prescriptions for anti-anxiety medications – new research
  13. Even 1 drink a day elevates your cancer risk – an expert on how alcohol affects the body breaks down a new government report
  14. Funding public schools based on enrollment in the previous year may help keep their budgets more stable, research shows
  15. Many ‘impact investors’ aren’t fully tracking whether their investments are good for society or the environment − new research
  16. From anecdotes to AI tools, how doctors make medical decisions is evolving with technology
  17. Southern California is extremely dry, and that’s fueling fires − maps show just how dry
  18. Trump gets an ‘unconditional discharge’ in hush money conviction − a constitutional law expert explains what that means
  19. Wildfire smoke inside homes can create health risks that linger for months − tips for cleaning and staying safe
  20. How the U.S. could in fact make Canada an American territory
  21. 2024’s extreme ocean heat leaves 2 mysteries to solve
  22. 2024’s extreme ocean heat breaks records again, leaving 2 mysteries to solve
  23. Trump’s Greenland bid is really about control of the Arctic and the coming battle with China
  24. Germany and US have long been allies - that could change with Trump
  25. Birkin handbags, Walmart’s ‘Wirkin’ and the meme-ification of class warfare
  26. How midlife became a crisis
  27. Trees ‘remember’ wetter times − never having known abundant rain could buffer today’s young forests against climate change
  28. I study modern-day slavery − and here’s what I’ve learned about how enslavers try to justify their actions
  29. 3 myths about rural education that are holding students back
  30. How the world fell in love with plastic without thinking through the consequences – podcast
  31. How Santa Ana winds fueled the deadly fires in Southern California
  32. Trump won’t rule out force to take Greenland – a country with a complex colonial history
  33. Trump’s push to control Greenland echoes US purchase of Alaska from Russia in 1867
  34. Want to quit vaping this year? Here’s what the evidence shows so far about effective strategies
  35. 3 ways Trump’s EPA could use the language of science to weaken pollution controls
  36. Logging off life but living on: How AI is redefining death, memory and immortality
  37. Nuclear fusion could one day be a viable clean energy source – but big engineering challenges stand in the way
  38. Selfish or selfless? Anti-natalists say they’re going child-free to protect the kids they won’t have
  39. Interior secretary manages vast lands that all Americans share − and can sway the balance between conservation and development
  40. Gender balance in computer science and engineering is improving at elite universities but getting worse elsewhere
  41. Who owns that restaurant? The answer can affect food safety in unexpected ways, researchers find
  42. Jean-Marie Le Pen died knowing his extremist far-right politics have been successfully mainstreamed in France
  43. Vitamin deficiency may be why you’re so tired – a nutritional neuroscientist explains how to kickstart your energy by getting essential nutrients in a well-rounded diet, along with more sleep and exercise
  44. Unlikely bedfellows: How platform companies shortchange porn performers and ride-hailing drivers alike
  45. Providing driver’s licenses to undocumented immigrants improves birth outcomes, research shows
  46. Technology is supposed to decrease teacher burnout – but we found it can sometimes make it worse
  47. Brain monitoring may be the future of work – how it’s used could improve employee performance or worsen discrimination
  48. Planning for spring’s garden? Bees like variety and don’t care about your neighbors’ yards
  49. Trudeau taps out: How Trump’s taunts and tariff threats added to domestic woes confronting Canada’s long-standing PM
  50. Americans’ rage at insurers goes beyond health coverage – the author of ‘Delay, Deny, Defend’ points to 3 reforms that could help