The Conversation

Why some Arab countries want to shutter Al Jazeera

Written by Philip Seib, Professor of Journalism and Public Diplomacy, University of Southern California, Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism

On June 5 four Arab states – Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt – declared a soft war on Qatar. They had a long list of demands, ordering Qatar to weaken ties with Iran, expel Turkish military forces from the country and take other steps that would reduce Qatar’s influence in the region. They also demanded...

The Supreme Court, religion and the future of school choice

Written by John E. Taylor, Professor of Law, West Virginia University

The Supreme Court's decision in the Trinity Lutheran case is blurring the lines between church and state.aradaphotography/Shutterstock.com

The Supreme Court recently decided that Trinity Lutheran Church should be eligible for a Missouri state grant covering the cost of recycled playground surfaces. Though the state originally rejected the...

Why did sanctions against North Korea's missile program fail?

Written by Daniel Salisbury, Postdoctoral Fellow, Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey

North Korea’s successful test of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), allegedly with the capability to hit Alaska, is the latest in a series of significant advances for the country’s missile program.

North Korea has been seeking to develop long-range missile technology for over 20 years. For much of this period, the...

Trump's friendly meeting with Putin further blurs US-Russia relations

Written by Stephen Benedict Dyson, Associate Professor of Political Science, University of Connecticut

President Donald Trump shakes hands with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the G20 Summit AP Photo/Evan Vucci

It emerged early this morning: a few seconds of grainy footage showing U.S. President Donald Trump shaking hands with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the G-20 summit in Hamburg, Germany.

Trump, the taller man, stoops to meet Putin on...

How being friends with someone who has dementia can be good for you both

Written by Janelle Taylor, Professor, Medical Anthropology, University of Washington

Friendship helps protect against loneliness even when oldsters do not have dementia. It can be especially beneficial for those who do. sirtravelalot/Shutterstock.com

Each year, in the final few hours of the last day of December, many people all across North America gather with friends to raise a glass and sing Robert Burns’ famous ballad,...

Will global warming change Native American religious practices?

Written by Rosalyn R. LaPier, Research Associate of Women's Studies, Environmental Studies and Native American Religion, Harvard Divinity School, Harvard University

What does the shrinking of the Colorado River mean for Native American religions?Ken Lund, CC BY-SA

The Colorado River, one of the longest rivers in the United States, is gradually shrinking. This is partly a result of overuse by municipalities and seasonal drought. The other reason is global warming.

The decline in the river reservoir will have...

Andrew Wyeth and the artist's fragile reputation

Written by Henry Adams, Ruth Coulter Heede Professor of Art History, Case Western Reserve University

Andrew Wyeth stands by a creek on his Chadd's Ford, Pennsylvania property in 1964.AP Photo/Bill Ingraham

I vividly recall my first encounter with Andrew Wyeth’s art when I was 14 years old, in the dingy galleries of Harvard’s Fogg Art Museum.

While giants like Picasso painted a world of artistic contrivance, Wyeth seemed to directly...

Can Congress pressure the White House on human rights?

Written by Sarah Snyder, Associate Professor, American University School of International Service

In June, the Senate tried to block a US$500 million arms sales to Saudi Arabia.

Saudi intervention in Yemen’s civil war has produced high numbers of civilian casualties, human rights abuses and a humanitarian crisis. The White House’s decision to sell arms to the Saudis is just one indication that the Trump administration may be...

Is Trump actually popular in Poland?

Written by Brian Porter-Szücs, Professor of History, University of Michigan

As Donald Trump began speaking in Warsaw at noon on July 6, I was sitting in my apartment a few blocks away.

Police helicopters kept buzzing past my building, and nearly all the main streets were blocked off. A government-sponsored “picnic” was being staged in a field near the National Stadium to celebrate Trump’s visit, and...

How China could use trade to force North Korea to play nice with the West

Written by Greg Wright, Assistant Professor of Economics, University of California, Merced

Chinese President Xi Jinping may be the only person able to rein in North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.AP Photo/Wong Maye-E, Michael Dinneen

North Korea got the world’s attention – and President Donald Trump’s – when it said on July 4 that it had successfully launched an intercontinental ballistic missile for the first time....