The Conversation

5 elections to watch in 2023 – what's at stake as millions head to the ballot box around the globe

Written by Blessing-Miles Tendi, Associate Professor in the Politics of Africa, University of Oxford

Votes aplenty in 2023smartboy10 via Getty Images

Predicting the outcome of national elections can be a mug’s game. Polls are often wrong, and second-guessing how people will vote months down the line can leave even the most savvy election specialist with egg on their face.

In short, there are too many unknowns – the state of the economy,...

Sepsis is one of the most expensive medical conditions in the world – new research clarifies how it can lead to cell death

Written by Alexander (Sasha) Poltorak, Professor of Immunology, Tufts University

Bacteria (clusters of light pink, surrounded by larger magenta blood cells) can cause deadly infections, but overreactive immune responses can deliver the lethal blow.Scharvik/iStock via Getty Images Plus

Sepsis is a life-threatening condition arising from the body’s overreactive response against an infection, leading it to injure its own...

Calling Deion Sanders a sellout ignores the growing role of clout-chasing in college sports

Written by Jabari M. Evans, Assistant Professor of Race and Media, University of South Carolina

Jackson State Tigers coach Deion Sanders greets right tackle Deontae Graham during the Cricket Celebration Bowl on Dec. 17, 2022. Austin McAfee/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

For most college football coaches, the move from a mid-major conference to a Power Five conference would be met with widespread praise.

Not so for Deion Sanders.

When the Pro...

Committee report focus is not on demonstrators – 5 essential reads on the symbols they carried on Jan. 6

Written by Jeff Inglis, Freelance Editor, The Conversation US

The congressional investigation into Jan. 6, 2021, focused on one man, not the masses.Al Drago/Pool Photo via AP

As the final report emerges from the congressional committee investigating the insurrection on Jan. 6, 2021, the focus is on the role of then-President Donald Trump and those close to him. That’s crucial information, but it leaves...

Jan. 6 committee tackled unprecedented attack with time-tested inquiry

Written by Claire Leavitt, Assistant Professor of Government, Smith College

A Dec. 19, 2022 meeting of the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the U.S. Capitol, in Washington, DC. Getty Images

After 18 months, more than 1,200 interviews and 10 public hearings that presented 70 witnesses’ testimony, the House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6 Attack released its 845-page final report l...

How Democrats won the West

Written by John A. Tures, Professor of Political Science, LaGrange College

Catherine Cortez Masto, a Democrat, celebrates her re-election to a U.S. Senate seat representing Nevada in November 2022.AP Photo/Ellen Schmidt

U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto’s win in Nevada guaranteed that Democrats would retain control of the Senate after the 2022 midterm elections. It also confirmed the strength of the Democratic Party...

LGBTQ Americans are 9 times more likely to be victimized by a hate crime

Written by Andrew Ryan Flores, Visiting Scholar at the Williams Institute and Assistant Professor of Government, American University

Only about 1 in 3 LGBTQ victims of violent hate crimes seek professional help for mental health issues that emerge after an attack.Erik McGregor/LightRocket via Getty Images

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In our recent analysis of the National Crime Victimization Survey, we found that the odds of being a violent hate crime victim for LGBTQ people was nine times greater...

Is Donald Trump's tax avoidance ethical or honorable? 4 essential reads

Written by Bryan Keogh, Deputy Managing Editor and Senior Editor of Economy and Business

Is trying to pay zero taxes ok?AP Photo/José Luis Villegas, Pool

The tax records of Donald Trump, details of which were released on Dec. 21, 2022, show the former president used the same aggressive measures to avoid paying high taxes while in office as he did during his business career. Indeed, he paid zero tax in 2020 – the last full...

Lionel Messi's black cloak: a brief history of the bisht, given to the superstar after his World Cup triumph

Written by Pardis Mahdavi, Provost and Executive Vice President, The University of Montana

Argentina's Lionel Messi is honored with a cloak prior to receiving the World Cup trophy at Lusail Stadium in Lusail, Qatar, on Dec. 18, 2022. AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis

Shortly before Lionel Messi took to the stage to lift up the World Cup trophy, Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani put a black cloak, called a “bisht,” over...

Celine Dion's diagnosis of stiff-person syndrome brought a rare neurological diagnosis into the public eye – two neurologists explain the science behind it

Written by Bhavana Patel, Assistant Professor of Neurology, University of Florida

Celine Dion, performing in London on July 5, 2019. Since her diagnosis, she has rescheduled her tour dates.Brian Rasic/WireImage via Getty Images

The announcement by celebrated singer Celine Dion in early December 2022 that she has stiff-person syndrome – a rare neurological disorder – stunned the world and led to an outpouring of...