The Conversation

Oklahoma’s superintendent orders public schools to teach the Bible – relying on controversial views about religious freedom

Written by Mark Satta, Assistant Professor of Philosophy, Wayne State University

Instruction about the Bible can be legal – the question is how it's done, and what the intent is.Pascal Deloche/Godong/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

In the days since Oklahoma’s state superintendent, Ryan Walters, ordered school districts to teach the Bible, he’s been defending his mandate.

For example, he claimed in an...

One memorable speech can turn around a faltering campaign − how Nixon did it with his ‘Checkers’ talk

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

Richard Nixon poses with his family and their dog, Checkers, in Washington, D.C., in September 1952. Bettmann/Contributor

Twenty years before Watergate, then-Sen. Richard Nixon’s national political ambitions were in peril. He was accused of dipping into a private, $18,000 slush fund to cover expenses, and doubts about the propriety of his...

Navigating mental health treatment options can be overwhelming – a clinical psychologist explains why it’s worth the effort

Written by Bryan Cochran, Professor of Psychology and Director of Clinical Training, University of Montana

Many Americans are not getting the mental health care they need.SDI Productions/E+ via Getty Images

The percentage of Americans seeking mental health treatment nearly doubled between 2004 and 2022, with almost a quarter of the population reporting that they saw a mental health care professional in 2022.

This surge in help-seeking has many potential...

Nevada is a battleground state – and may be a bellwether of more extreme partisanship

Written by Thom Reilly, Professor & Co-Director, Center for an Independent and Sustainable Democracy, School of Public Affairs, Arizona State University

In Nevada, voters can cast a ballot for 'None of These Candidates' in statewide election races.AP Photo/Julie Jacobson

Over the course of Nevada history, no one party has dominated the state’s politics, and its electorate has remained surprisingly balanced in its political leanings. Since becoming a state in 1864, Nevada has had equal...

2024 is not 1968 − and the Democratic convention in Chicago will play out very differently than in the days of Walter Cronkite

Written by Heather Hendershot, Cardiss Collins Professor of Communication Studies and Journalism, Northwestern University

A sign welcomes delegates to the Democratic National Convention in 1968, with helmeted police officers standing by. Bettmann/Getty Images

The presidential nominating conventions every four years are political events, but they are also media events. Since the advent of television, Democratic and Republican national convention organizers have sought...

Wildfire smoke linked to thousands of premature deaths every year in California alone

Written by Rachel Connolly, Research Project Director, University of California, Los Angeles

Wildfire smoke is hard to avoid in California, even in urban neighborhoods.Paul Harris/Getty Images

When wildfires rage, the immediate threat is obvious – but smoke from the fires actually kills far more people than the flames.

As fires become more frequent, that smoke is leading to a public health crisis.

In a new study published in the...

Why the Olympic Games are a ‘civil religious’ ceremony with a global congregation

Written by Terry Shoemaker, Associate Teaching Professor in Religious Studies, Arizona State University

The U.S. gymnastics team selected for the 2024 Paris Olympics celebrates in Minneapolis. AP Photo/Abbie Parr

Fans are getting ready to watch top athletes from around the globe compete in the 2024 Summer Olympics, which start in Paris on July 26. Accompanying the athletic events will be a display of patriotic symbols such as flags and team uniforms...

Britain’s new prime minister has a chance to reset ties with the White House – but a range of thorny issues and the US election make it more tricky

Written by Garret Martin, Senior Professorial Lecturer, Co-Director Transatlantic Policy Center, American University School of International Service

Sir Keir Starmer will follow up election win with trip to Washington D.C.eff Moore/PA Images via Getty Images

The new U.K. prime minister, Sir Keir Starmer, will have just a couple of days to settle into the job before facing his first test on the global stage.

Having presided over a landslide victory for his party on July 4, 2024, Starmer will head...

Detroit’s legacy of housing inequity has caused long-term health impacts − these policies can help mitigate that harm

Written by Roshanak Mehdipanah, Associate Professor in Public Health, University of Michigan

More than half of Detroiters rent Detroit's aging housing stock.Suzanne Tucker/Getty I,ages

Detroiters who face rising rents, poor living conditions and systemic barriers to affordable and safe housing are at greater risk of poor health, our research finds.

We study the connection between housing inequities and health, with the goal of informing...

Fandom usually means tracking your favorite team for years − so why are the Olympics so good at making us root for sports and athletes we tune out most of the time?

Written by Noah Cohan, Assistant Director of American Culture Studies, Washington University in St. Louis

A fan cheers for U.S. tennis players in the men's doubles gold medal match during the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.AP Photo/Victor R. Caivano

Every four years, millions of Americans join billions of their fellow humans across the globe to celebrate the astonishing athletic feats at the Summer Olympics.

Warm-weather sports such as swimming and...