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Voters are starting to act like hard-core sports fans – with dangerous repercussions for democracy

  • Written by Michael Devlin, Associate Professor of Communication, Texas State University
imageThe lines between political fandom and sports fandom have blurred.Wesley Hitt/Getty Images

During Donald Trump’s presidency, the American electorate became more divided and partisan, with research suggesting that the ongoing division is less about policy and more about labels like “conservative” and “liberal.”

Essential...

Read more: Voters are starting to act like hard-core sports fans – with dangerous repercussions for democracy

Trump revived Andrew Jackson's spoils system, which would undo America's 138-year-old professional civil service

  • Written by Barry M. Mitnick, Professor of Business Administration and of Public and International Affairs, University of Pittsburgh
imageA picture of Andrew Jackson hung in the Oval Office during Trump's tenure.AP Photo/Patrick Semansky

The federal government’s core civilian workforce has long been known for its professionalism. About 2.1 million nonpartisan career officials provide essential public services in such diverse areas as agriculture, national parks, defense,...

Read more: Trump revived Andrew Jackson's spoils system, which would undo America's 138-year-old professional...

Invasive tawny crazy ants have an intense craving for calcium – with implications for their spread in the US

  • Written by Ryan Reihart, Teaching Assistant and Ph.D. Candidate of Ecology, University of Dayton
imageMultiple queens ensure colonies have a steady output of workers.Ryan Reihart, CC BY-SA

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

The big idea

In a recent study, my colleagues and I discovered micronutrients in the ground can control populations of invasive crazy ants (Nylanderia fulva).

Tawny crazy ants – named for...

Read more: Invasive tawny crazy ants have an intense craving for calcium – with implications for their spread...

How engineering can contribute to a reimagining of the US public health system

  • Written by Woodrow W. Winchester III, Graduate Program Director, Professional Engineering Programs, University of Maryland, Baltimore County
imageA worker pours dry ice into boxes containing Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine.Morry Gash/Pool/AFP via Getty Images

Of the many things that COVID-19 has made abundantly clear to us, surely one of them is a newfound realization that public health has become increasingly complex. Understanding the challenges to public health – that is, the task of...

Read more: How engineering can contribute to a reimagining of the US public health system

St. Matthew's Cathedral, where Biden attended pre-inauguration Mass, has long been a place where politics and faith meet

  • Written by Steven P. Millies, Associate Professor of Public Theology and Director of The Bernardin Center, Catholic Theological Union
imageJoe and Jill Biden attend Mass at St. Matthew the Apostle before the inauguration.AP Photo/Evan Vucci

Prior to being sworn in as the 46th president of the United States – and only the second Catholic to hold the post – Joe Biden attended Mass.

Accompanied by his wife, Jill Biden, and now-Vice President Kamala Harris and her husband, Doug...

Read more: St. Matthew's Cathedral, where Biden attended pre-inauguration Mass, has long been a place where...

From Biden's giant Bible to Christian flags waved by rioters, 'religion' means different things to different people and different eras

  • Written by Samuel L. Boyd, Assistant Professor of Religious Studies and Jewish Studies, University of Colorado Boulder
imageJill Biden holds the Bible as Joe Biden is sworn in as the 46th president of the United States on Jan. 20, 2021.Saul Loeb/Pool Photo via AP

The Bible featured prominently in the inauguration. In fact, three were used in the swearing-in ceremonies – Kamala Harris used both Thurgood Marshall’s and one belonging to a friend; Joseph Biden...

Read more: From Biden's giant Bible to Christian flags waved by rioters, 'religion' means different things to...

Joe Biden's inaugural address gives hope to the millions who stutter

  • Written by Rodney Gabel, Professor and Founding Director, Binghamton University, State University of New York
imageJoe Biden delivering his inaugural address on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol on January 20, 2021.Alex Wong/Getty Images

President Joe Biden called for American unity after four years of political divisiveness and the “raging fire” it provoked. He promised to be a president for all Americans. “I will fight as hard for those who...

Read more: Joe Biden's inaugural address gives hope to the millions who stutter

Trump’s big gamble to gut US power plant emissions rules loses in court, opening a door for new climate rules

  • Written by Daniel Farber, Professor of Law, University of California, Berkeley
imageFossil fuel power plants contribute to climate change by releasing greenhouse gases that trap heat near Earth's surface.AP Photo/J. David Ake

Joe Biden got a big judicial win for his climate agenda just hours before his inauguration as U.S. president. The case involved federal plans for cutting power plant emissions and a big gamble by the Trump...

Read more: Trump’s big gamble to gut US power plant emissions rules loses in court, opening a door for new...

I'm a First Amendment scholar – and I think Big Tech should be left alone

  • Written by Paul Levinson, Professor of Communication and Media Studies, Fordham University
imageTwitter's ban of Trump has concerned free speech advocates across the political spectrum.Jaap Arriens/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Twitter’s banning of Trump – an action also taken by other social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Snapchat – has opened a fierce debate about freedom of expression and who, if...

Read more: I'm a First Amendment scholar – and I think Big Tech should be left alone

Biden is inheriting a wrecked economy, but Democrats have a record of avoiding recession and reducing unemployment

  • Written by William Chittenden, Associate Dean for Graduate Programs and Presidential Fellow, Texas State University
imageDemocrats control both the White House and Congress for the first time in 10 years.AP Photo/Alex Brandon

On day one, President Joe Biden will have to manage a devastated economy – much as he and former President Barack Obama did 12 years ago.

What can the country expect?

Forecasting how the economy will perform under a new president is...

Read more: Biden is inheriting a wrecked economy, but Democrats have a record of avoiding recession and...

More Articles ...

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  2. How law enforcement is using technology to track down people who attacked the US Capitol building
  3. Stickiness is a weapon some plants use to fend off hungry insects
  4. Police, soldiers bring lethal skill to militia campaigns against US government
  5. Armed groups from Capitol riot pose longer-term threat to Biden presidency
  6. Janet Yellen confirmed as first female US Treasury secretary – here’s what she can do about climate change
  7. What Janet Yellen can do about climate change as US Treasury secretary
  8. Big Tech's swift reaction to Capitol rioters reveals new face of corporate political power – and a threat to American democracy
  9. Why do presidential inaugurations matter?
  10. What does the vice president do?
  11. Is COVID-19 infecting wild animals? We're testing species from bats to seals to find out
  12. Trump sees power as private property – a habit shared by autocrats throughout the ages
  13. Tooth or consequences: Even during a pandemic, avoiding the dentist can be bad for your oral health
  14. For these students, using data in sports is about more than winning games
  15. My research helped uncover a long-lost right-wing provocateur – but then I turned away from her work
  16. Biden can transform the US from a humanitarian laggard into a global leader – here's how
  17. Cheaper solar power means low-income families can also benefit – with the right kind of help
  18. Zoom work relationships are a lot harder to build – unless you can pick up on colleagues' nonverbal cues
  19. Figs show that nonnative species can invade ecosystems by forming unexpected partnerships
  20. Biden has a congressional shortcut to cancel Trump’s regulatory rollbacks, but it comes with risks
  21. How to stay safe with a fast-spreading new coronavirus variant on the loose
  22. More health inequality: Black people are 3 times more likely to experience pulse oximeter errors
  23. Trump supporters seeking more violence could target state capitols during inauguration – here's how cities can prepare
  24. A white supremacist coup succeeded in 1898 North Carolina, led by lying politicians and racist newspapers that amplified their lies
  25. What is the 'boogaloo' and who are the rioters who stormed the Capitol? 5 essential reads
  26. Does 'deplatforming' work to curb hate speech and calls for violence? 3 experts in online communications weigh in
  27. How the Ebenezer Baptist Church has been a seat of Black power for generations in Atlanta
  28. Neighborhoods with MLK streets are poorer than national average and highly segregated, study reveals
  29. Why the news media may not want to share Capitol riot images with the police
  30. Symbols of white supremacy flew proudly at the Capitol riot – 5 essential reads
  31. White supremacists who stormed US Capitol are only the most visible product of racism
  32. How Trump's language shifted in the weeks leading up to the Capitol riot – 2 linguists explain
  33. Nonprofits helped organize the pro-Trump rally before the Capitol siege – but they probably won't suffer any consequences
  34. The Capitol siege recalls past acts of Christian nationalist violence
  35. Cities can help migrating birds on their way by planting more trees and turning lights off at night
  36. That time private US media companies stepped in to silence the falsehoods and incitements of a major public figure ... in 1938
  37. Francis Galton pioneered scientific advances in many fields – but also founded the racist pseudoscience of eugenics
  38. What you need to know about the new COVID-19 variants
  39. Trump's Twitter feed shows 'arc of the hero,' from savior to showdown
  40. The far-right rioters at the Capitol were not antifa – but violent groups often blame rivals for unpopular attacks
  41. The simple reason West Virginia leads the nation in vaccinating nursing home residents
  42. The great polio vaccine mess and the lessons it holds about federal coordination for today's COVID-19 vaccination effort
  43. Capitol siege raises questions over extent of white supremacist infiltration of US police
  44. The perils of associating 'white' with 'privilege' in the classroom
  45. The Confederate battle flag, which rioters flew inside the US Capitol, has long been a symbol of white insurrection
  46. Does reopening schools cause COVID-19 to spread? It's complicated
  47. Mega Millions jackpot is $750 million – where does all the lottery tax revenue really go?
  48. The price of a drug should be based on its therapeutic benefits – not just what the market will bear
  49. Americans have unrealistic expectations for a COVID-19 vaccine
  50. Is impeaching President Trump 'pointless revenge'? Not if it sends a message to future presidents