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Why Syria’s reconstruction may depend on the fate of its minorities

  • Written by Ramazan Kılınç, Professor of Political Science, Kennesaw State University
imageSyrian Christians at the Mariamiya Greek Orthodox Church in old Damascus on Dec. 15, 2024, attend Sunday Mass for the first time since Syrian President Bashar Assad's ouster.AP Photo/Hussein Malla

Tens of thousands of minorities fearing persecution have fled Syria since its takeover by the Sunni Islamist group Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham on Dec. 8,...

Read more: Why Syria’s reconstruction may depend on the fate of its minorities

What is an AI agent? A computer scientist explains the next wave of artificial intelligence tools

  • Written by Brian O'Neill, Associate Professor of Computer Science, Quinnipiac University
imageAI companies offer a vision of AI agents handling ever more complicated tasks for you.VichanChairat/DigitalVision Vectors via Getty Images

Interacting with AI chatbots like ChatGPT can be fun and sometimes useful, but the next level of everyday AI goes beyond answering questions: AI agents carry out tasks for you.

Major technology companies,...

Read more: What is an AI agent? A computer scientist explains the next wave of artificial intelligence tools

Trust in U.S. media hit an all-time low in 2024 − a new survey shows Black midwesterners have found other trusted messengers of news

  • Written by Danielle K. Brown, Professor of Journalism, Michigan State University
imageBlack Detroiters mentioned Fox 2 anchor Maurielle Lue as a trusted messenger.Screenshot from Fox 2 Detroit

In 2024, Gallup reported Americans’ trust in media was at an all-time low.

In 1972, only about 6% of Americans said they had no trust at all in mass media. Between 2020 and 2024, that number teetered between 33% and 39%.

The issue is...

Read more: Trust in U.S. media hit an all-time low in 2024 − a new survey shows Black midwesterners have...

Luigi Mangione isn’t the first alleged criminal to capture many people’s imaginations – and hearts

  • Written by Kimberly Przeszlowski, Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice, Quinnipiac University
imageSuspected shooter Luigi Mangione is led into a Hollidaysburg, Pa., courthouse for an extradition hearing on Dec. 10, 2024. Jeff Swensen/Getty Images

The fatal shooting of Brian Thompson, the chief executive of UnitedHealthcare, on Dec. 4, 2024, in New York City, immediately captured national attention. But many people immediately fixated mostly on...

Read more: Luigi Mangione isn’t the first alleged criminal to capture many people’s imaginations – and hearts

Assault on DEI: Critics use simplistic terms to attack the programs, but they are key to uprooting workplace bias

  • Written by M. Cristina Alcalde, Vice President for Transformational and Inclusive Excellence, Miami University
imageResearch shows a clear connection between employees' sense of satisfaction and how much their employer prioritizes DEI.Just_Super/Getty Images

Prominent politicians have recently increased their attacks on workplace programs that promote diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI. They claim that initiatives that seek to be inclusive are divisive and l...

Read more: Assault on DEI: Critics use simplistic terms to attack the programs, but they are key to uprooting...

Nixon’s official acts against his enemies list led to a bipartisan impeachment effort

  • Written by Ken Hughes, Research Specialist, the Miller Center, University of Virginia
imagePresident Richard Nixon used the government as a weapon against his perceived enemies.Wally McNamee/Corbis Historical

The Nixon administration’s enemies list inspired bipartisan revulsion. Its purpose was, in the immortal words of President Richard Nixon’s White House counsel, to “use the available federal machinery to screw our...

Read more: Nixon’s official acts against his enemies list led to a bipartisan impeachment effort

‘Love Is Blind’ contestants count as employees − new US government agency finding could shake up reality TV production

  • Written by David Arditi, Professor of Sociology, University of Texas at Arlington
image'Love Is Blind' cast members appear at a screening in 2020. Paras Griffin/Getty Images

When members of a reality TV show’s cast sign a contract to participate in a show, they typically do so more for the exposure than the pay – and in many cases they do not earn a dime.

Employers get away with what may appear to be a violation of basic...

Read more: ‘Love Is Blind’ contestants count as employees − new US government agency finding could shake up...

Why natural disasters hit harder in rural school districts

  • Written by Lee Ann Rawlins Williams, Clinical Assistant Professor of Education, Health and Behavior Studies, University of North Dakota
imageSchool buses play a pivotal role in rural areas.Grant Faint/The Image Bank via Getty Images

A week after Hurricane Sandy flooded New York City’s streets and subways in 2012, the city’s schools were back in business. But schools in rural North Carolina did not reopen until almost a month after Hurricane Helene roared through in late...

Read more: Why natural disasters hit harder in rural school districts

Listening for the right radio signals could be an effective way to track small drones

  • Written by Iain Boyd, Director of the Center for National Security Initiatives and Professor of Aerospace Engineering Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder
imageSmall drones can be hard to track at night.Kevin Carter/Getty Images

The recent spate of unidentified drone sightings in the U.S., including some near sensitive locations such as airports and military installations, has caused significant public concern.

Some of this recent increase in activity may be related to a September 2023 change in U.S....

Read more: Listening for the right radio signals could be an effective way to track small drones

At 88, Pope Francis dances the tango with the global Catholic Church amid its culture wars

  • Written by David M. Lantigua, Associate Professor of Theology, Co-Director of the Cushwa Center for the Study of American Catholicism, University of Notre Dame

Jorge Mario Bergoglio was 17 years old when he first received his vocation to become a priest. It happened on Sept. 21, 1953 – the beginning of spring in Buenos Aires – during a spontaneous visit to the confessional, or what Catholics call the sacrament of reconciliation.

This spiritual turning point for the future Pope Francis has been...

Read more: At 88, Pope Francis dances the tango with the global Catholic Church amid its culture wars

More Articles ...

  1. More than 60 years later, Langston Hughes’ ‘Black Nativity’ is still a pillar of African American theater
  2. Vaccine misinformation distorts science – a biochemist explains how RFK Jr. and his lawyer’s claims threaten public health
  3. No flood gauges, no warning: 99% of US streams are off the radar amid rising flash flood risks – we saw the harm in 2024
  4. I’m a former assistant DA who works with survivors of sex trafficking − here’s why a recent Philly sting marks a shift in how Pennsylvania confronts the commercial sex industry
  5. At Hanukkah, a celebration of eternal light − from the desert tabernacle to synagogues today
  6. Trump’s 2017 tax cuts expire soon − study shows they made income inequality worse and especially hurt Black Americans
  7. How liberals lost comedy − and helped Trump win
  8. Is news bias fueled by journalists supplying slanted views or readers’ demanding them? An economist weighs in
  9. Colleges’ career success stats don’t tell the whole story about how their graduates are doing after they get their degree
  10. 5 of the most frustrating health insurer tactics and why they exist
  11. Cómo la canela, la nuez moscada y el jengibre se convirtieron en los aromas de las vacaciones de invierno, lejos de sus orígenes tropicales
  12. Cómo la Navidad se convirtió en una tradición navideña estadounidense, con un Papá Noel, regalos y un árbol
  13. How nostalgia led to the invention of the first Christmas card
  14. Retailers that make it harder to return stuff face backlash from their customers
  15. Why does red wine cause headaches? Our research points to a compound found in the grapes’ skin
  16. Supporting a grieving loved one on holidays and special occasions: Practical tips from a clinical psychologist
  17. After wildfires, ranchers face 2-year delay to graze cattle on federal land – is it doing more harm than good?
  18. How does the International Space Station orbit Earth without burning up?
  19. Twins were the norm for our ancient primate ancestors − one baby at a time had evolutionary advantages
  20. How cities are reinventing the public-private partnership − 4 lessons from around the globe
  21. Black adults with long COVID report higher levels of hopelessness and suicidal thoughts − new research
  22. Only 0.16% of all US charitable giving supports LGBTQ+ groups despite recent increases
  23. How humanities classes benefit students in the workplace and combat loneliness
  24. Marco Rubio is no friend of Havana − but does Trump’s pick for secretary of state mean Cuba policy is set?
  25. FBI director guides the agency in confronting complex international threats, investigating federal crimes and running 55 field offices
  26. Ferns’ ability to evolve ‘backward’ offers insights into the meandering path of evolution
  27. Response to CEO killing reveals antipathy toward health insurers − but entire patchwork system is to blame for ill feeling
  28. Why ‘A Charlie Brown Christmas’ almost didn’t air − and why it endures
  29. Brain inflammation may be the reason behind muscle fatigue after infection and injury
  30. We developed a way to use light to dismantle PFAS ‘forever chemicals’ – long-lasting environmental pollutants
  31. Stop and think: An undervalued approach in a world that short-circuits thoughtful political judgment
  32. Why Quincy Jones should be prominently featured in US music education − his absence reflects how racial segregation still shapes American classrooms
  33. Santa, maybe? Why we have different names for who ‘hurries down the chimney’ on Christmas
  34. South Korea shook a presidential power grab – failure to impeach now risks damaging democracy
  35. NASA’s crew capsule had heat shield issues during Artemis I − an aerospace expert on these critical spacecraft components
  36. Vaccines and values: When you’re having a tough conversation about medicine, don’t just pile on evidence − listen to someone’s ‘moral foundations’
  37. Why winter makes you more vulnerable to colds – a public health nurse explains the science behind the season
  38. 15% of global population lives within a few miles of a coast − and the number is growing rapidly
  39. ‘Administrative law’ sounds dry but likely will be key to success or failure of Trump’s plans for government reform
  40. Why the religious beliefs of Trump defense pick Pete Hegseth matter
  41. We interviewed 30 Black public school teachers in Philadelphia to understand why so many are leaving the profession
  42. US role in Syria is unclear in wake of Assad’s fall from power
  43. What the US Supreme Court will consider when it rules on gender-affirming care for trans children
  44. What’s next for Albertsons after calling off its $25B grocery merger with Kroger: More lawsuits
  45. Assad’s fall in Syria will further weaken Hezbollah and curtails Tehran’s ‘Iranization’ of region
  46. Blood tests are currently one-size-fits-all − machine learning can pinpoint what’s truly ‘normal’ for each patient
  47. High rises made out of wood? What matters in whether ‘mass timber’ buildings are sustainable
  48. Trump wants to use the Alien Enemies Act to deport immigrants – but the 18th-century law has been invoked only during times of war
  49. Why being forced to precisely follow a curriculum harms teachers and students
  50. US secretary of education helps set national priorities in a system primarily funded and guided by local governments