Is the Melbourne Cup losing its appeal? Here’s what the numbers reveal
The Melbourne Cup, a 3,200–metre race for horses more than three years old, has long been called “the race that stops ...
Congress has been dodging responsibility for tariffs for decades – now the Supreme Court will decide how far presidents can go alone
On Nov. 5, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear one of the most consequential trade cases in decades. The justices will decide whether...
Signatures meant more in Mesopotamia than they do now − what cylinder seals say about ancient and modern life
An Akkadian cylinder seal, circa 2350-2150 B.C.E., depicts a contest scene. The image on the right shows the impression the seal w...
Strict school vaccine mandates work, and parents don’t game the system − new research
Families are increasingly seeking nonmedical exemptions to routine childhood vaccines, making communities more vulnerable to preve...
Trump is changing student loan forgiveness rules – barring some public workers from getting relief, but resuming it for others
Student loan debt has continued to rise in the country over the past few decades. William Potter/iStock/Getty Images Plu…
The military’s diversity rises out of recruitment targets, not any ‘woke’ goals
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth speaks to senior military leaders in Quantico, Va., on Sept. 30, 2025. Andrew Harnik/P…
Amateur hour in Congress: How political newcomers fuel gridlock and government shutdowns
Legislative progress depends on bipartisanship − but amateur lawmakers undermine it with their inexperience as leg…
Why can’t every country get along with each other? It comes down to resources, inequality and perception
Cooperation can easily turn into conflict to protect national interests.Staff Sgt. Jamal SutterCurious Kids is a series …
Private equity firms are snapping up mobile home parks − and driving out the residents who can least afford to…
In mobile home parks, like this one in Fairfax, Va., residents often own the home itself but rent the lot where the home…
Investors prefer ‘I’ over ‘we’ when CEOs apologize
When corporate crises hit, the public looks to the CEO. From product recalls to workplace discrimination, to customer mi…
Bangladesh’s accession to the UN Water Convention has a ripple effect that could cause problems with India
A boat crosses the Buriganga River in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on Oct. 5, 2025. MD Abu Sufian Jewel/NurPhoto via Getty ImagesW…
All government shutdowns disrupt science − in 2025, the consequences extend far beyond a lapse in funding
The government shutdown will continue until Congress can pass a bill reopening it. Samuel Corum/AFP via Getty ImagesU.S…
Unpaid ‘women’s work’ is worth $427 billion, new research shows. See how much your unpaid labour is worth
Canva/The Conversation, CC BY-SAAll those thousands of hours that Australians put towards unpaid household work and care…
Trump’s squeeze of Venezuela goes beyond ‘Monroe doctrine’ – in ideology, intent and scale, it’s unprecedented
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro points at a map in September 2025. AP Photo/Jesus VargasA massive military bu…
The shutdown – and the House’s inaction – helps pave Congress’ path to irrelevance
Where's Congress? The institution is unwilling to assert itself as an equal branch of government.4X6, iStock/Getty Image…
‘Only death can protect us’: How the folk saint La Santa Muerte reflects violence in Mexico
A devotee carrying his daughter rests his hand on the glass to an altar to La Santa Muerte in Tepito in Mexico City. AP…
Symbolism of cemetery plants: How flowers, trees and other botanical motifs honor those buried beneath
The popularity of rural cemeteries spurred the development of the first city parks. Heritage Art/Heritage Images via Get…
It’s always been hard to make it as an artist in America – and it’s becoming only harder
About 2.4 million Americans are artists, or 1% of the workforce.Ian Forsyth/Getty Images“Being an artist is not vi…