The Conversation

What Robert F. Kennedy Jr. didn’t tell you about ‘Operation Northwoods,’ the false flag operation he loves to denounce

Written by Ken Hughes, Research Specialist, the Miller Center, University of Virginia

U.S. President John F. Kennedy, right, confers with his brother, Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, at the White House on Oct. 1, 1962, during the buildup of military tensions that became the Cuban missile crisis later that month. AP Photo

Something’s missing from Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s accounts of “Operation Northwoods.”...

From invasive species tracking to water security – what’s lost with federal funding cuts at US Climate Adaptation Science Centers

Written by Bethany Bradley, Professor of Biogeography and Spatial Ecology, UMass Amherst

Mahonia bealei, also known as Beale's barberry or leatherleaf mahonia, is invasive but still sold for landscaping.HQ Flower Guide via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA

When the Trump administration began freezing federal funding for climate and ecosystem research, one of the programs hit hard was ours: the U.S. Geological Survey’s Climate...

Just follow orders or obey the law? What US troops told us about refusing illegal commands

Written by Charli Carpenter, Professor of Political Science, UMass Amherst

There are certain situations in which the military should not fall in line.Bo Zaunders/Corbis Documentary via Getty Images

As the Trump administration carries out what many observers say are illegal military strikes against vessels in the Caribbean allegedly smuggling drugs, six Democratic members of Congress issued a video on Nov. 18, 2025,...

Colorado is pumping the brakes on first-of-its-kind AI regulation to find a practical path forward

Written by Stefani Langehennig, Assistant Professor of Practice, Daniels College of Business, University of Denver

Colorado was first to pass comprehensive AI legislation in the U.S.wildpixel/Getty Images

When the Colorado Artificial Intelligence Act passed in May 2024, it made national headlines. The law was the first of its kind in the U.S. It was a comprehensive attempt to govern “high-risk” artificial intelligence systems across various...

The plague of frog costumes demonstrates the subversive power of play in protests

Written by Anya M. Galli Robertson, Assistant Professor of Sociology, University of Dayton

Demonstrators in frog costumes during the "No Kings" protest on Oct. 18, 2025, in Portland, Ore. Mathieu Lewis-Rolland/Getty Images

When the center of protests against immigration enforcement switched recently to Charlotte, North Carolina, so did the frogs.

Back in October 2025, an agent with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the agency...

John Fetterman is an unusual politician – but his rise from borough mayor to US senator reflects a recent trend

Written by Richardson Dilworth, Professor of Politics, Drexel University

U.S. Sen. John Fetterman arrives on Capitol Hill on Nov. 10, 2025, to vote to open the government. Andrew Harnik via Getty Images

Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman – among the eight Democrats who voted to end the federal government shutdown – has always been a unique character and a sly self-promoter.

His political brand is that of an...

Making GLP-1 weight loss drugs cheaper isn’t enough to address America’s obesity problem – here’s why

Written by David B. Sarwer, Professor of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Temple University

Polling shows that 1 in 8 Americans have tried GLP-1 drugs.zimmytws/iStock via Getty Images Plus

The Trump administration is making a significant effort to reduce the cost of weight loss drugs. Its agreement with pharmaceutical giants, announced Nov. 6, 2025, will reduce the monthly prices of these medications by hundreds of dollars.

For the past...

Off-label use of COVID-19 vaccines was once discouraged but has become common amid new guidelines

Written by Shannon Fyfe, Assistant Professor of Law and Assistant Professor of Philosophy, Washington and Lee University

Getting a COVID-19 vaccine is trickier now than in years past, but still possible.d3sign/Moment via Getty Images

Following the federal government’s changes to COVID-19 vaccine eligibility and recommendations in 2025, many people are wondering whether they can get COVID-19 vaccines for themselves or their children.

In May 2025, the U.S. Food...

From ‘mail-order brides’ to ‘passport bros,’ the international dating industry often sells traditional gender roles

Written by Julia Meszaros, Associate Professor of Sociology, Texas A&M University-Commerce

For many American men, the draw of the international dating industry is the idea of 'more traditional' women.Kurgenc/iStock via Getty Images Plus

Fifteen years ago, when I started studying the international dating industry, few people took the subject seriously. The term “mail-order bride” was treated as a punch line – something...

$2B Counter-Strike 2 crash exposes a legal black hole: Your digital investments aren’t really yours

Written by João Marinotti, Associate Professor of Law, Indiana University

In late October 2025, as much as US$2 billion vanished from a digital marketplace. This wasn’t a hack or a bubble bursting. It happened because one company, Valve, changed the rules for its video game Counter-Strike 2, a popular first-person shooter with a global player base of nearly 30 million monthly users.

For years, its players have...