The Research Brief is a short take about interesting academic work.

The big idea

Despite facing a global health crisis and economic recession, more than half of all U.S. households – 56% – expressed some...

`Fox News is up to five times more likely to use the word “hate” in its programming than its main competitors, according to our new study of how cable news channels use language.

Fox particularly uses the term when explaining opposition...

After Kenya’s 2007 election, as incumbent President Mwai Kibaki declared victory, the opposition alleged the election had...

It seems like each day scientists report more dire consequences of climate change on animals and plants worldwide. Birds that are migrating later in the year can’t find enough food. Plants are flowering before their insect pollinators hatch. Prey...

Politicians deepen existing divides when they use inflammatory language, such as hate speech, and this makes their societies more likely to experience political violence and terrorism. That’s the conclusion from...

As if a fraudulent election and months of mass protest weren’t enough drama for Belarus, its embattled authoritarian leader went ahead and inaugurated himself as president in a...

The deaths of Breonna Taylor, George Floyd and most recently Dijon Kizzee at the hands of officers come in an age when overpolicing and underserving minority communities has, as some experts believe, resulted in a “legitimacy crisis” in American...

On Erin Gruwell’s first day as a high school English teacher, she faced a classroom of 150 “at risk” freshmen. Most of these kids, statistically, were going to fail. They were tough, their young lives already defined by...

Demand for cosmetic treatments, including botox and fillers, has surged since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Dermatologists and plastic surgeons are attributing the boom to patients wanting to put their best face forward for online Zoom meetings, as well as...

George Floyd’s death highlighted how even a minor alleged infraction – in his case, over a fake $20 bill – can lead to a fatal interaction with law enforcement.

As a result, a coalition of advocacy organizations, criminal justice reform...