The Conversation

How populism explains May's stunning UK election upset: Experts react

Written by Terrence Guay, Clinical Professor of International Business, Pennsylvania State University

Corbyn may not have won enough seats to take over Parliament, but he dealt May a serious blow nonetheless. AP Photo/Markus Schreiber

Editor’s note: U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May’s election gamble failed badly as her Conservatives lost 12 seats, leaving them with 318, shy of a majority. It was a stunning loss for a party earlier...

Puerto Rico votes on statehood – fifth time's the charm?

Written by Charles R. Venator-Santiago, Associate Professor of Political Science and El Instituto, University of Connecticut

Puerto Rican citizen gestures during political rally in 2012. AP/Ricardo Arduengo

On June 11, Puerto Ricans will have an opportunity to vote in a nonbinding plebiscite to determine Puerto Rico’s political status.

Local voters will choose among three options: statehood, independence or territorial autonomy – or keeping the status quo.

There...

Tourette syndrome: Finally, something to shout about

Written by Michael Okun, Professor of Neurology, University of Florida

Campers at Twitch and Shout, a camp for teenagers with Tourette, in Winder, Georgia, say goodbye in this 2014 file photo. David Goldman/AP

Tourette syndrome is a mysterious medical curiosity that has puzzled doctors for more than a century. People who have it suffer from tics and other behavioral problems, such as obsessive compulsive traits and...

Most countries score an F on our LGBT human rights report card

Written by Susan Dicklitch-Nelson, Professor of Government and Chair of the Government Department, Franklin & Marshall College

Police in Istanbul,Turkey disperse gay pride demonstrators with a water cannon in June 2015.AP Photo/Emrah Gurel

June is Gay Pride Month, but the sobering reality is that most countries, including the U.S., do not protect sexual minorities.

Our research gives most countries in the world a failing grade in LGBTQ rights, reflecting widespread...

Can the world ever really keep terrorists off the internet?

Written by Shontavia Johnson, Professor of Intellectual Property Law, Drake University

Can the world come together as one to fight terrorism online?rawpixel.com/shutterstock.com

After London’s most recent terror attacks, British Prime Minister Theresa May called on countries to collaborate on internet regulation to prevent terrorism planning online. May criticized online spaces that allow such ideas to breed, and the companies...

Is there a First Amendment right to follow President Trump's Twitter account?

Written by Clay Calvert, Brechner Eminent Scholar in Mass Communication, University of Florida

Can the president block people from seeing his tweets?AP Photo/J. David Ake

President Donald Trump’s fondness for criticizing news organizations, “heckling journalists” and spouting points of public policy via his Twitter account is clear.

News of his nomination of Christopher Wray to be the next FBI director, for example, came...

How TV cultivates authoritarianism – and helped elect Trump

Written by James Shanahan, Dean of the Media School, Indiana University

Many gallons of ink (and megabytes of electronic text) have been devoted to explaining the surprise victory of Donald Trump.

Reasons range from white working-class resentment, to FBI Director James Comey’s decision to reopen the Hillary Clinton email investigation, to low turnout. All likely played some role. It would be a mistake to think...

Want to help animals? Don't forget the chickens

Written by Garrett M. Broad, Assistant Professor of Communication and Media Studies, Fordham University

Most of the money Americans give to animal welfare charities helps causes that aid companion animals.www.shutterstock.com

Summertime is “kitten season” – unspayed female cats go into heat and give birth to more adorable kittens than animal shelters can give away.

That’s why local humane societies encourage prospective pet...

To slow climate change, India joins the renewable energy revolution

Written by Arun Agrawal, Professor of Natural Resources & Environment, University of Michigan

French President Emmanuel Macron, left, welcomes Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, before their meeting at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, Saturday, June 3, 2017. AP Photo/Kamil Zihnioglu

On June 3, two days after President Trump announced that the United States would withdraw from the Paris climate accord, Indian Prime Minister Narendra...

Loving versus Virginia: Exploring biracial identity and reality in America 50 years after a landmark civil rights milestone

Written by Caty Borum Chattoo, Director of the Center for Media & Social Impact, American University School of Communication, American University School of Communication

Mildred and Richard Loving in 1965AP Photo

Fifty years ago, on June 12, 1967, the U.S. Supreme Court handed down one of the most important civil rights decisions in American history, Loving v. Virginia. The landmark case ended the last of the country’s state laws banning interracial marriage – prohibitions described in the case’s...