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Fungal infections known as valley fever could spike this fall - 3 epidemiologists explain how to protect yourself

  • Written by Jennifer Head, Assistant Professor of Epidemiology, University of Michigan
imageAs the climate warms and landscapes become drier, researchers fear that valley fever could spread across other regions of the U.S.Carolyn Van Houten/The Washington Post via Getty Images

As the climate warms, the southwestern U.S. is increasingly experiencing weather whiplash as the region swings from drought to flooding and back again. As a result,...

Read more: Fungal infections known as valley fever could spike this fall - 3 epidemiologists explain how to...

Who is Tim Walz? Understanding the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party can help make sense of the VP candidate

  • Written by Gabriel Paxton, PhD Candidate, Boston University
imageDemocratic vice presidential nominee Tim Walz thanks supporters after serving ice cream at the Minnesota State Fair on Sept. 1, 2024. Stephen Maturen/Getty Images

Since Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris selected Tim Walz as her running mate in August 2024, political commentators have offered various takes on Walz – is he...

Read more: Who is Tim Walz? Understanding the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party can help make sense of...

The audacity of Kamala Harris’ laughter – and the racist roots of Trump’s derision

  • Written by Betsy Huang, Professor of English, Clark University
imageA split image of Donald Trump and Kamala Harris during the presidential debate on Sept. 10, 2024. Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu/Getty Images

Just when the summer uproar over Donald Trump calling his potential rival “Laffin’ Kamala” and “Cackling Copilot Kamala Harris” was beginning to subside, an apparent new round of attacks b...

Read more: The audacity of Kamala Harris’ laughter – and the racist roots of Trump’s derision

Airdropping vaccines to eliminate canine rabies in Texas – two scientists explain the decades of research behind its success

  • Written by Rodney E. Rohde, Regents' Professor & Chair, Medical Laboratory Science, Texas State University
imageRabies is a fatal disease for both animals and people.CDC/Barbara Andrews

Rabies is a deadly disease. Without vaccination, a rabies infection is nearly 100% fatal once someone develops symptoms. Texas has experienced two rabies epidemics in animals since 1988: one involving coyotes and dogs in south Texas, and the other involving gray foxes in west...

Read more: Airdropping vaccines to eliminate canine rabies in Texas – two scientists explain the decades of...

Why do people still back Trump, after everything? 5 things to understand about MAGA supporters’ thinking

  • Written by Alex Hinton, Distinguished Professor of Anthropology; Director, Center for the Study of Genocide and Human Rights, Rutgers University - Newark
imageSupporters watch Donald Trump speak at a rally in Uniondale, N.Y., on Sept. 18, 2024.Spencer Platt/Getty Images

For many people, especially those leaning left, Donald Trump’s disqualifications to be president seem obvious, prompting some to question: How could anyone still vote for Trump?

Some of the evidence Trump’s critics cite...

Read more: Why do people still back Trump, after everything? 5 things to understand about MAGA supporters’...

Diet-related diseases are the No. 1 cause of death in the US – yet many doctors receive little to no nutrition education in med school

  • Written by Nathaniel Johnson, Assistant Professor of Nutrition and Dietetics, University of North Dakota
imageNearly 60% of respondents to one medical school survey said they received no nutritional education at all.Peter Dazeley/The Image Bank via Getty Images

On television shows like “Grey’s Anatomy,” “The Resident” and “Chicago Med,” physicians seem to always have the right answer.

But when it comes to nutrition...

Read more: Diet-related diseases are the No. 1 cause of death in the US – yet many doctors receive little to...

Can you change your personality? Psychology research says yes, by tweaking what you think and do

  • Written by Shannon Sauer-Zavala, Associate Professor of Psychology & Licensed Clinical Psychologist, University of Kentucky
imageMaking a personality change could help you live the life you want.lechatnoir/E+ via Getty Images

Have you ever taken a personality test? If you’re like me, you’ve consulted BuzzFeed and you know exactly which Taylor Swift song “perfectly matches your vibe.”

It might be obvious that internet quizzes are not scientific, but...

Read more: Can you change your personality? Psychology research says yes, by tweaking what you think and do

Local government controls your roads, schools and utilities − but that doesn’t mean the US president doesn’t touch your life in important ways

  • Written by Zoe Nemerever, Professor of Political Science, Auburn University
imageThe top of the ticket often gets the most attention.Alex Brandon/AP Photo

“All politics is local” is a common refrain – and yet, it is also true that the president has some unique powers.

I am an expert on state policymaking, and I’m teaching presidential politics at Auburn University during this election season. Researching...

Read more: Local government controls your roads, schools and utilities − but that doesn’t mean the US...

What is ‘dark money’ political spending, and how does it affect US politics?

  • Written by Emily Lau, Staff Attorney, State Democracy Research Initiative, University of Wisconsin-Madison
imageWhere exactly did this money come from?Manuel Augusto Moreno/Moment via Getty Images

Every campaign season brings renewed attention to the amount of money influencing American politics, and who is spending it, and for what purposes. In particular, people are concerned about what is called “dark money.” For instance, recent media...

Read more: What is ‘dark money’ political spending, and how does it affect US politics?

Climate change is easier to study when it’s presented as a game

  • Written by Ian Thacker, Assistant Professor of Educational Psychology, The University of Texas at San Antonio
imageA playful approach can make the often complicated subject of climate change easier to understand.Victor Habbick Visions/Science Photo Library via Getty Images

Climate change is among the more difficult but important topics to teach to young people. It involves complicated science and data, and it can be really depressing, given the bleak picture it...

Read more: Climate change is easier to study when it’s presented as a game

More Articles ...

  1. Continuing crackdown on churches and NGOs moves Nicaragua further from democracy to authoritarianism
  2. What America’s history can teach us about debates on religious freedom and its importance for democracy
  3. America is increasingly dependent on foreign doctors − but their path to immigration is getting harder
  4. Lebanese civilians are fleeing the south, fearing an Israeli invasion − a look back at 1982 suggests they have every reason to worry
  5. US home insurance rates are rising fast – hurricanes and wildfires play a big role, but there’s more to it
  6. Why home insurance rates are rising so fast across the US – climate change plays a big role
  7. A brief history of former presidents running for reelection: 3 losses, 1 win and 1 still TBD
  8. No, immigrants aren’t eating dogs and cats – but Trump’s claim is part of an ugly history of myths about immigrant foodways
  9. On the US-Mexico border, the records of Trump and Harris reflect the national mood of less immigration, not more
  10. How to archive your photos in the digital age
  11. Parents with disabilities have faced discrimination for years in the US, but new rules will help ensure that child welfare systems treat them more fairly
  12. Customers like diversity from brands − but can smell hypocrisy a mile away
  13. Sri Lankans throw out old guard in election upset: What nation’s new Marxist-leaning leader means for economy, IMF loans
  14. Can you trust companies that say their plastic products are recyclable? US regulators may crack down on deceptive claims
  15. Mixed emotions – neuroscience is exploring how your brain lets you experience two opposite feelings at once
  16. View politics critically but charitably and with good old common sense: cowboy commentator Will Rogers’ wisdom for 2024
  17. Gun violence in Philadelphia plummeted in 2024 − researchers aren’t sure why, but here are 3 factors at play
  18. How sheriffs define law and order for their counties depends a lot on their views − and most are white Republican men
  19. Here’s how to maintain healthy smartphone habits
  20. Sharks and rays leap out of the water for many reasons, including feeding, courtship and communication
  21. Climate change is a pollution problem, and countries know how to deal with pollution threats – think DDT and acid rain
  22. A video game based on the Chinese novel ‘Journey to the West’ is the most recent example of innovative retelling of this popular story
  23. Inside the collapse of Disney’s America, the US history-themed park that almost was
  24. Goodwill created a new high school for dropouts − it led to better jobs and higher wages
  25. A weakened Hezbollah is being goaded into all-out conflict with Israel – the consequences would be devastating for all
  26. Why can’t it always be summer? It’s all about the Earth’s tilt
  27. Gentrification isn’t inevitable − it can hinge on how residents view their neighborhood
  28. Trump and Harris vocabularies signal their different frames of mind
  29. Men are carrying the brunt of the ‘loneliness epidemic’ amid potent societal pressures
  30. Wind phones help the bereaved deal with death, loss and grief − a clinical social worker explains the vital role of the old-fashioned rotary phone
  31. Half of Black gay men will be diagnosed with HIV, despite highly effective preventive treatments − why?
  32. College can be confusing for first-generation students – but it doesn’t have to be
  33. Self-forgiveness is more than self-comfort − a philosopher explains
  34. Nepal’s revamped truth commissions will need to go beyond ‘ritualism’ to deliver justice to civil war victims
  35. Rare Florida fossil finally ends debate about how porcupine jaws and tails evolved
  36. Pager attack on Hezbollah was a sophisticated ‘booby-trap’ operation − it was also illegal
  37. Immigrants are unsung heroes of global trade and value creation
  38. How Israel’s Netanyahu survives in his job
  39. Why the cost of water for poor Black Detroit voters may be key to Kamala Harris winning – or losing – Michigan
  40. Invasive caterpillars can make aspen forests more toxic for native insects – a team of ecologists explains how
  41. TRUTH in Labeling Act would heighten the warning for shoppers looking to cut sugar, salt and saturated fat intake
  42. You want to vote in the 2024 election − here is how to make sure that your voice is heard
  43. 50 years after the first procedure, Tommy John surgery is more common than ever − especially for young athletes
  44. Collaboratively imagining the future can bring people closer together in the present
  45. Fed slashes rates by a half-point – what that means for the economy and the presidential election
  46. Pagers and walkie-talkies over cellphones – a security expert explains why Hezbollah went low-tech for communications
  47. Preventive care is free by law, but many Americans get incorrectly billed − especially if you’re poor, a person of color or don’t have a college degree
  48. What the jet stream and climate change had to do with the hottest summer on record − remember all those heat domes?
  49. What James Earl Jones can teach us about activism and art in times of crisis
  50. To American revolutionaries, patriotism meant fair dealing with one another