NewsPronto

 
The Times Real Estate

.

The Conversation

4 reasons why the US might want to buy Greenland – if it were for sale, which it isn’t

  • Written by Scott L. Montgomery, Lecturer, Jackson School of International Studies, University of Washington

President-elect Donald Trump has sparked diplomatic controversy by suggesting the U.S. needs to acquire Greenland for reasons of “national security” and refusing to definitively rule out using military force to do so. Greenland, a self-governing Danish territory, “is not for sale,” said Denmark’s prime minister, Mette...

Read more: 4 reasons why the US might want to buy Greenland – if it were for sale, which it isn’t

What’s an H-1B visa? A brief history of the controversial program for skilled foreign workers

  • Written by Gabrielle Clark, Assistant Professor of Political Science and Public Law, California State University, Los Angeles
imageU.S. President-elect Donald Trump, Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk and Donald Trump Jr. watch an Ultimate Fighting Championship bout.Kena Betancur/AFP via Getty Images

Republicans are feuding over how many people can obtain H-1B visas, permits that allow foreign professionals to legally work in the United States. Today an estimated 600,000 foreigners...

Read more: What’s an H-1B visa? A brief history of the controversial program for skilled foreign workers

Job of homeland security secretary is to adapt almost continuously to pressures from the department, the public and the world at large

  • Written by Frank J. Cilluffo, Director, McCrary Institute for Cyber and Critical Infrastructure Security, Auburn University

The secretary of homeland security is the newest permanent member of the president’s Cabinet, overseeing the sprawling agencies and missions of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and an annual budget exceeding US$62.2 billion.

Overall, the department – and the secretary who leads it – is charged with protecting the nation...

Read more: Job of homeland security secretary is to adapt almost continuously to pressures from the...

The power of friendship: How a letter helped create an American bestseller about antisemitism

  • Written by Rachel Gordan, Assistant Professor of Religion and Jewish Studies, University of Florida
imageThe novel about reporter Phil Green, which was soon made into a film, put prejudice and hypocrisy in the spotlight.John Springer Collection/Corbis via Getty Images

Eighty years ago, the Jewish American novelist Laura Z. Hobson was contemplating her next writerly move and was seeking a little help from her friends.

“Gentleman’s Agreement,&...

Read more: The power of friendship: How a letter helped create an American bestseller about antisemitism

Vaccine hesitancy among pet owners is growing – a public health expert explains why that matters

  • Written by Simon F. Haeder, Associate Professor of Public Health, Texas A&M University
imagePet owners, too, are starting to become concerned about the side effects of vaccines.Noah Seelam/AFP via Getty Images

When most people think about vaccines, they typically think about humans: Experts warn that when large numbers of people are unvaccinated, it can lead to severe consequences, including disease outbreaks and higher rates of illness...

Read more: Vaccine hesitancy among pet owners is growing – a public health expert explains why that matters

A brief history of presidential inaugural speeches, from George Washington to today

  • Written by Claire Jerry, Political History Curator, Smithsonian Institution
imageAbraham Lincoln's first inauguration on March 4, 1861.Bettmann/Getty Images

The only constitutionally mandated event on Inauguration Day is for the president-elect to take the oath of office. But on the first Inauguration Day, in 1789, George Washington did something else.

He gave a speech.

Every president since has followed his example and...

Read more: A brief history of presidential inaugural speeches, from George Washington to today

Larry Krasner, Kensington, the scrapped Sixers arena − and other key concerns that will shape Philly politics in 2025

  • Written by Richardson Dilworth, Professor of Politics, Drexel University
imagePhiladelphia's City Council approved the proposed Sixers arena on the last day of its 2024 legislative session.AP Photo/Matt Slocum

Campus protests. Homeless encampment clearings. Significant decreases in shootings, homicides and overdose deaths. Protests to “Save Chinatown.” A mass shooting at a SEPTA bus stop. Illegal car meetups....

Read more: Larry Krasner, Kensington, the scrapped Sixers arena − and other key concerns that will shape...

Lightning strikes make collecting a parasitic fungus prized in traditional Chinese medicine a deadly pursuit

  • Written by Daile Zhang, Assistant Professor of Atmospheric Sciences, University of North Dakota
imageCollecting the fungus is a high-risk, high-reward proposition.Kevin Frayer/Getty Images News via Getty Images

In the remote Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, a rare fungus grows inside dead caterpillars. In traditional Chinese medicine, this parasitic fungus is prized for its purported medicinal effects. Known as Ophiocordyceps sinensis –...

Read more: Lightning strikes make collecting a parasitic fungus prized in traditional Chinese medicine a...

LA fires: Why fast wildfires and those started by human activities are more destructive and harder to contain

  • Written by Virginia Iglesias, Interim Earth Lab Director, University of Colorado Boulder
imageA home burns in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles on Jan. 7, 2025. AP Photo/Ethan Swope

Investigators are trying to determine what caused several wind-driven wildfires that have destroyed thousands of homes across the Los Angeles area in January 2025. Given the fires’ locations, and lack of lightning at the time, it’s...

Read more: LA fires: Why fast wildfires and those started by human activities are more destructive and harder...

LA fires: Why fast-moving wildfires and those started by human activities are more destructive and harder to contain

  • Written by Virginia Iglesias, Interim Earth Lab Director, University of Colorado Boulder
imageA home burns in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles on Jan. 7, 2025. AP Photo/Ethan Swope

Investigators are trying to determine what caused several wind-driven wildfires that have destroyed thousands of homes across the Los Angeles area in January 2025. Given the fires’ locations, and lack of lightning at the time, it’s...

Read more: LA fires: Why fast-moving wildfires and those started by human activities are more destructive and...

More Articles ...

  1. US secretary of state has an expansive job that could make or break peace deals and key foreign alliances
  2. When presidents would send handwritten lists of their nominees to the Senate, things were a lot different
  3. Firefighting planes are dumping ocean water on the Los Angeles fires − why using saltwater is typically a last resort
  4. Mass deportations don’t keep out ‘bad genes’ − they use scientific racism to justify biased immigration policies
  5. From Myanmar to Gaza, Ukraine to Sudan – 2024 was another grim year, according to our mass atrocity index
  6. One way Trump could help revive rural America’s economies
  7. Is capitalism falling out of favor? We analyzed 400,000 news stories to find out
  8. Trump’s canal canard obscures a truth: Panama just wants to run its shipping passage without interference from China or the US
  9. What the dead, the uncanny and the monstrous tell us about human nature
  10. Why does a rocket have to go 25,000 mph to escape Earth?
  11. From watts to warheads: Secretary of energy oversees big science research and the US nuclear arsenal
  12. Secretary of defense must perform a ‘delicate dance’ between the president, Congress and the public
  13. Wildfires can contaminate drinking water systems with harmful chemicals − here’s what Los Angeles needs to know
  14. Philly sports fans consider themselves ‘gritty’ − but it’s merely a myth used to fuel their passion
  15. An eye for an eye: People agree about the values of body parts across cultures and eras
  16. How the EPA administrator protects public health, air, water and the environment
  17. With more Americans able to access legalized marijuana, fewer are picking up prescriptions for anti-anxiety medications – new research
  18. Even 1 drink a day elevates your cancer risk – an expert on how alcohol affects the body breaks down a new government report
  19. Funding public schools based on enrollment in the previous year may help keep their budgets more stable, research shows
  20. Many ‘impact investors’ aren’t fully tracking whether their investments are good for society or the environment − new research
  21. From anecdotes to AI tools, how doctors make medical decisions is evolving with technology
  22. Southern California is extremely dry, and that’s fueling fires − maps show just how dry
  23. Trump gets an ‘unconditional discharge’ in hush money conviction − a constitutional law expert explains what that means
  24. Wildfire smoke inside homes can create health risks that linger for months − tips for cleaning and staying safe
  25. How the U.S. could in fact make Canada an American territory
  26. 2024’s extreme ocean heat leaves 2 mysteries to solve
  27. 2024’s extreme ocean heat breaks records again, leaving 2 mysteries to solve
  28. Trump’s Greenland bid is really about control of the Arctic and the coming battle with China
  29. Germany and US have long been allies - that could change with Trump
  30. Birkin handbags, Walmart’s ‘Wirkin’ and the meme-ification of class warfare
  31. How midlife became a crisis
  32. Trees ‘remember’ wetter times − never having known abundant rain could buffer today’s young forests against climate change
  33. I study modern-day slavery − and here’s what I’ve learned about how enslavers try to justify their actions
  34. 3 myths about rural education that are holding students back
  35. How the world fell in love with plastic without thinking through the consequences – podcast
  36. How Santa Ana winds fueled the deadly fires in Southern California
  37. Trump won’t rule out force to take Greenland – a country with a complex colonial history
  38. Trump’s push to control Greenland echoes US purchase of Alaska from Russia in 1867
  39. Want to quit vaping this year? Here’s what the evidence shows so far about effective strategies
  40. 3 ways Trump’s EPA could use the language of science to weaken pollution controls
  41. Logging off life but living on: How AI is redefining death, memory and immortality
  42. Nuclear fusion could one day be a viable clean energy source – but big engineering challenges stand in the way
  43. Selfish or selfless? Anti-natalists say they’re going child-free to protect the kids they won’t have
  44. Interior secretary manages vast lands that all Americans share − and can sway the balance between conservation and development
  45. Gender balance in computer science and engineering is improving at elite universities but getting worse elsewhere
  46. Who owns that restaurant? The answer can affect food safety in unexpected ways, researchers find
  47. Jean-Marie Le Pen died knowing his extremist far-right politics have been successfully mainstreamed in France
  48. Vitamin deficiency may be why you’re so tired – a nutritional neuroscientist explains how to kickstart your energy by getting essential nutrients in a well-rounded diet, along with more sleep and exercise
  49. Unlikely bedfellows: How platform companies shortchange porn performers and ride-hailing drivers alike
  50. Providing driver’s licenses to undocumented immigrants improves birth outcomes, research shows