The Conversation

Why the federal government isn't prosecuting the officer who choked Eric Garner

Written by Caren Morrison, Associate Professor of Law, Georgia State University

Gwen Carr, Eric Garner's mother, says the federal government should have filed charges.AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews

The Justice Department won’t file federal charges against the New York City police officer who put Eric Garner into the chokehold that led to his death. With the statute of limitations having run out, the case, legally, is closed.

The...

Washington state's big bet on 'free college'

Written by William Zumeta, Professor of Public Policy and Governance and Professor of Education, University of Washington

Washington state has passed a measure to cover college tuition for students from low- and moderate-income families.VDB Photos/Shutterstock.com

Washington state doesn’t have a problem finding educated people to work in its booming high-tech economy – it’s just most of those people come from out of state.

This is why Washington...

Better design could make mobile devices easier for seniors to use

Written by Edward Henry Steinfeld, SUNY Distinguished Professor of Architecture, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York

If all of these devices really work together, they can be a bigger help than any one of them alone.Pro Image Content/Shutterstock.com

A loud “bing” sounded as we drove onto the highway access ramp. I didn’t see a message on our car’s screen. Was it my phone or my wife’s? Was it a calendar alert, or did one of us...

The dysfunctional debt ceiling and why we should kill it: 5 questions answered

Written by Steven Pressman, Professor of Economics, Colorado State University

Treasury Secretary Mnuchin is taking 'extraordinary measures' to avoid busting the debt ceiling. AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana

Editor’s note: The U.S. government maxed out its national credit card in March and has been moving money around ever since to avoid running out of cash. Very soon the Treasury Department will reach the limits of this...

A giant leap for humankind -- future Moon missions will include diverse astronauts and more partners

Written by Sara M. Langston, Assistant Professor of Spaceflight Operations, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University

This second era of space exploration will include a diverse corp of astronauts.studiostoks/Shutterstock.com

As NASA celebrates the 50th anniversary of the historic Moon landing with a live TV broadcast and events, there is a focus on recognizing the contributions of the thousands of men and women who made the Apollo 11 mission possible. This year...

Home birth may start babies off with health-promoting microbes

Written by Joan Combellick, Assistant Clinical Professor of Midwifery, Yale University

What are the differences between planned assisted childbirth with midwife at home versus delivery with obstetrician at a hospital?M-SUR/Shutterstock.com

For all of human history, babies have been born where their mothers lived – whether in a house, hut or cave. Only in the last century has birth moved out of the home and into the hospital....

How the Volkswagen Beetle sparked America's art car movement

Written by John A. Heitmann, Professor Emeritus of History, University of Dayton

A 'back-to-back' Beetle rolls along the road at the 2006 Houston Art Car Parade. D.L./flickr, CC BY-SA

With a mariachi band playing along, the last Volkswagen Beetle rolled off the assembly line of a Mexican factory on July 10.

Originally created in Germany at the behest of Adolf Hitler, the Beetle ended up being exported around the world, and every...

Justice Stevens, Babe Ruth and the best law clerk assignment ever

Written by Merritt McAlister, Assistant Professor of Law, University of Florida

U.S. Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens winds up to throw out the first pitch before the start of the Chicago Cubs game on Sept. 14, 2005.AP Photo/Jeff Roberson

When I saw Justice John Paul Stevens this May at a gathering of his former law clerks to celebrate his 99th birthday, we discussed what he told me was the “easiest”...

Voices from an age of uncertain work – Americans miss stability and a shared sense of purpose in their jobs

Written by David L. Blustein, Professor of Counseling Psychology, Boston College

Work isn't as stable as it once was.fizkes/Shutterstock.com

On the surface, the well-being of the American worker seems rosy. Unemployment in the U.S. hovers near a 50-year low, and employers describe growing shortages of workers in a wide array of fields.

But looking beyond the numbers tells a different story. My new book, “The Importance of...

Trump wasn't the first president to confront the Supreme Court – and back down

Written by Bethany Berger, Wallace Stevens Professor of Law, University of Connecticut

A key presidential election is approaching. The U.S. Supreme Court hears a case with powerful political implications. The court rules, but the populist president doesn’t care. Our national commitments – to the Constitution, to morality, to the rule of law – seem at risk. Then, the president backs down. The nation survives.

This...