The Conversation

In ‘Nobody Wants This,’ rom-com gets century-old tropes with a new twist – the cute rabbi

Written by Samira Mehta, Associate Professor of Women and Gender Studies & Jewish Studies, University of Colorado Boulder

Adam Brody and Kristen Bell attend a fan screening for Netflix's 'Nobody Wants This' in New York City.Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for Netflix

Twenty years ago, the television show “The O.C.” invented the word “Chrismukkah.” Main character Seth Cohen, played by Adam Brody, described his interfaith family’s December...

UAW is threatening new, smaller strikes against Stellantis − while contending with pressure from a court-appointed monitor

Written by Marick Masters, Professor Emeritus of Business, Wayne State University

UAW members rally outside a Stellantis assembly plant in Michigan in August 2024.AP Photo/Tom Krisher

The United Auto Workers is taking steps toward holding strikes that could interfere with some of Stellantis’ operations in the United States. Stellantis, formed in 2021 through a merger, is the international automaker that makes Chrysler,...

What to expect from federal judges appointed by Trump or Harris − based on what we’ve seen from Trump and Biden picks for the Supreme Court and lower courts

Written by Paul M. Collins Jr., Professor of Legal Studies and Political Science, UMass Amherst

A pediment on the U.S. Supreme Court promising that justice is the guardian of liberty.Kimm Baker/Moment/Getty Images

The past eight years have clearly demonstrated that who sits on the federal courts matters.

The country has watched the Supreme Court take a sharp turn to the right on issues such as abortion, the Second Amendment and presidential...

While Republicans are downplaying abortion ahead of November, Democrats are leaning in on the issue

Written by Linda C. McClain, Professor of Law, Boston University

Abortion rights demonstrators rally in Scottsdale, Ariz., on April 24, 2024, protesting a near total ban that Arizona briefly had in place. Frederic J. Brown via Getty Images

Each major election over the past two years has prompted the refrain: “Abortion is on the ballot.” That is certainly true of the upcoming presidential election...

More and more, business schools want to show they’re making a positive impact on society. But how should they measure it?

Written by Andrew Gaudes, Professor in Entrepreneurship and Former Dean, Goodman School of Business, Brock University

Business schools shape more than just business.iStock/Getty Images Plus

Back in 1970, the economist Milton Friedman famously argued that businesses have a single responsibility: to increase profit. For decades, the so-called “Friedman doctrine” amounted to dogma in certain circles, including at many business schools.

A lot has changed...

Cities are clearing encampments, but this won’t solve homelessness − here’s a better way forward

Written by Deyanira Nevárez Martínez, Assistant Professor of Urban and Regional Planning, Michigan State University

Police officers watch a homeless man follow their order to break down his tent in Venice, Calif., in July 2024. Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

Homelessness is a rare issue in American politics that does not cut neatly along party or ideological lines. It can be hard to predict who will support or oppose measures to expand...

Gut microbe imbalances could predict a child’s risk for autism, ADHD and speech disorders years before symptoms appear

Written by Angelica P. Ahrens, Assistant Research Scientist in Data Science and Microbiology, University of Florida

Microbes can influence the connection between the gut and the brain.JDawnInk/DigitalVision Vectors via Getty Images

Early screening for neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism is important to ensure children have the support they need to gain the essential skills for daily life. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that all children be...

Why CNN is changing up its polling for 2024

Written by W. Joseph Campbell, Professor Emeritus of Communication, American University School of Communication

Political surveys conducted for CNN and other major media outlets can shape the nation's perception of a presidential race. Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

Polls of the 2020 presidential election were at their collective worst in 40 years.

No misfire that year was more striking than CNN’s. Its final poll before the election estimated that Joe Biden...

Philly block parties can lead to small boosts in voter turnout, new research suggests

Written by Tanika Raychaudhuri, Assistant Professor of Political Science, Rice University

Thousands of block parties take place in Philadelphia each year.NurPhoto via Getty Images

Block parties – a beloved summer tradition in many Philadelphia neighborhoods – can lead to small increases in voter turnout among Philadelphia residents.

In a new peer-reviewed study published in the Urban Affairs Review, my colleagues and I found...

Russia’s new ideological battlefield: The militarization of young minds

Written by Julia Khrebtan-Hörhager, Associate Professor of Critical Cultural & International Studies, Colorado State University

Youth take part in an action to mark the ninth anniversary of the Russian annexation of Crimea from Ukraine.AP Photo

Over the summer of 2024, some 250 Russian children traveled to North Korea for a 10-day-long kids camp. Framed as cultural diplomacy, the event was the result of a new youth exchange launched in 2022 that sees Russian youth compete...