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What is Tren de Aragua? How the Venezuelan gang started − and why US policies may only make it stronger

  • Written by Verónica Zubillaga, Mellon Visiting Professor, University of Illinois Chicago
imageA viral surveillance video allegedly shows armed members of the Tren de Aragua gang at an apartment building in Aurora, Colo.RJ Sangosti/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images

When the U.S. government deported 177 Venezuelans on Feb. 20, 2025, the Department of Homeland Security alleged that 80 of the deportees were members of the...

Read more: What is Tren de Aragua? How the Venezuelan gang started − and why US policies may only make it...

The only ‘winner’ here is Putin: Ukraine unites in response to Trump-Zelenskyy spat and resigns itself to new reality

  • Written by Lena Surzhko Harned, Associate Teaching Professor of Political Science, Penn State
imageA trap or a misstep? Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy sit-down with Donald Trump and JD Vance heads south.AP Photo/ Mystyslav Chernov

“A president just disrespected America in the Oval Office. It wasn’t Zelenskyy.”

That was the verdict of the editorial team at the Kyiv Independent, one of Ukraine’s leading media...

Read more: The only ‘winner’ here is Putin: Ukraine unites in response to Trump-Zelenskyy spat and resigns...

How Trump’s compulsion to dominate sabotages dealmaking, undermines democracy and threatens global stability

  • Written by Karrin Vasby Anderson, Professor of Communication Studies, Colorado State University
imageU.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the Oval Office on Feb. 28, 2025.Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

Journalists covering the Feb. 28, 2025, Oval Office meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described it as a “jaw-dropping” “spectacle” and a...

Read more: How Trump’s compulsion to dominate sabotages dealmaking, undermines democracy and threatens global...

Making English the official US language can’t erase the fact that the US has millions of Spanish speakers and a long multilingual history

  • Written by Daniel J. Olson, Professor of Linguistics and Spanish, Purdue University

English should be the official language of the United States, says a new executive order signed by President Donald Trump on March 1, 2025. The move follows the Trump administration’s termination of the Spanish-language version of the White House website and its Spanish-language account on X, formerly Twitter.

Both were abruptly shut down...

Read more: Making English the official US language can’t erase the fact that the US has millions of Spanish...

As flu cases break records this year, vaccine rates are declining, particularly for children and 65+ adults

  • Written by Annette Regan, Adjunct Associate Professor of Epidemiology, University of California, Los Angeles
imageIt's not too late to get a flu shot.Fat Camera/E+ via Getty Images

In February 2025, flu rates spiked to the highest levels seen in at least 15 years, with flu outpacing COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations for the first time since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has classified this flu...

Read more: As flu cases break records this year, vaccine rates are declining, particularly for children and...

Texas records first US measles death in 10 years – a medical epidemiologist explains how to protect yourself and your community from this deadly, preventable disease

  • Written by Daniel Pastula, Professor of Neurology, Medicine (Infectious Diseases), and Epidemiology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus
imageYoung children are especially vulnerable to measles. Bilanol via Getty Images

On Feb. 26, 2025, Texas health officials announced the death of a child in a measles outbreak – the first measles death in the United States since 2015. The outbreak was first identified in early February in Gaines County, Texas, where just 82% of kindergartners are...

Read more: Texas records first US measles death in 10 years – a medical epidemiologist explains how to...

Coastal economies rely on NOAA, from Maine to Florida, Texas and Alaska – even if they don’t realize it

  • Written by Christine Keiner, Chair, Department of Science, Technology, and Society, Rochester Institute of Technology
imageU.S. fishing industries, both commercial and recreational, rely on healthy coastal areas.Wolfgang Kaehler/LightRocket via Getty Images

Healthy coastal ecosystems play crucial roles in the U.S. economy, from supporting multibillion-dollar fisheries and tourism industries to protecting coastlines from storms.

They’re also difficult to manage,...

Read more: Coastal economies rely on NOAA, from Maine to Florida, Texas and Alaska – even if they don’t...

Just having a pet doesn’t help mental health – but pet-owners with secure relationships with their pets are less depressed

  • Written by Brian N. Chin, Assistant Professor of Psychology, Trinity College
imageHow emotionally close you are to your pet is not necessarily a good measure of how your relationship affects your well-being.Nattalia Nuñez/Unsplash, CC BY-ND

For many people, pets provide unconditional love, companionship and a sense of security. But not all human-pet relationships are beneficial, and some may contribute to stress and...

Read more: Just having a pet doesn’t help mental health – but pet-owners with secure relationships with their...

What are conflicts of interest and what can be done about them?

  • Written by Archon Fung, Professor of Citizenship and Self-Government, Harvard Kennedy School
imageThe phrase is often lobbed around, but what does it really mean?Frank Brennan/iStock via Getty Images Plus

Americans’ trust in government and politicians is at record lows. In a 2022 Pew Research survey, about two-thirds of respondents said that all or most people who run for office want to serve their own personal interests rather than the...

Read more: What are conflicts of interest and what can be done about them?

What’s a constitutional crisis? Here’s how Trump’s recent moves are challenging the Constitution’s separation of powers

  • Written by Jeffrey Schmitt, Professor of Law, University of Dayton
imagePresident Donald Trump's various actions that appear to overstep the power of the executive office are creating what many legal scholars call a constitutional crisis. VladSt/DigitalVision Vectors via Getty Images

In a short few weeks, President Donald Trump has upended many core parts and functions of the U.S. government. He dismantled the U.S....

Read more: What’s a constitutional crisis? Here’s how Trump’s recent moves are challenging the Constitution’s...

More Articles ...

  1. As the Kremlin eyes a thaw with the White House, Russia’s pro-war hawks aren’t too happy
  2. The science behind airplane deicing – a mechanical engineer explains how chemistry and physics make flying a more uplifting experience
  3. Maple seeds’ unique spinning motion allows them to travel far even in the rain, a new study shows
  4. Is a united European voice possible in the age of Trump, Putin and far-right politics? Germany’s new leader intends to find out
  5. Brutalism – the architectural style that dared to summon a new world from the ashes of World War II
  6. More Americans of all political stripes support government benefits for low-income people − and Black Lives Matter could be a big reason why
  7. Trump administration sets out to create an America its people have never experienced − one without a meaningful government
  8. Managers can help their Gen Z employees unlock the power of meaningful work − here’s how
  9. Identifying brands as Black-owned can pay off for businesses
  10. What is a charter school, really? Supreme Court ruling on whether Catholic charter is constitutional will hinge on whether they’re public or private
  11. Israel’s bombing of Gaza caused untold environmental damage − recovery will take effort and time
  12. Anti-DEI guidance from Trump administration misinterprets the law and guts educators’ free speech rights
  13. What’s the shape of the universe? Mathematicians use topology to study the shape of the world and everything in it
  14. AIs flunk language test that takes grammar out of the equation
  15. Philadelphia continues long history of Black-led protest meetings aimed at fighting racial inequity and prejudice
  16. Parrotfish support healthy coral reefs, but they’re not a cure-all, and sometimes cause harm
  17. Why people rebuild in Appalachia’s flood-ravaged areas despite the risks
  18. In many of Appalachia’s flood-ravaged areas, residents have little choice but rebuild in risky locations
  19. States that impose severe prison sentences accomplish the opposite of what they say they want
  20. How ticket-splitting voters could shape the 2026 midterms
  21. Cutting Medicaid and federal programs are among 4 key Trump administration policy changes that could make life harder for disabled people
  22. USAID’s apparent demise and the US withdrawal from WHO put millions of lives worldwide at risk and imperil US national security
  23. How Nutriset, a French company, has helped alleviate hunger and create jobs in some of the world’s poorest places
  24. Germany’s chancellor-in-waiting prioritizes ‘real’ independence from the US − but what does that mean and is it achievable?
  25. A hazy legal landscape means people can get high on hemp products, even where pot is prohibited
  26. Butchers, bakers, candlestick-makers − and prostitutes: The women working behind the scenes in papal Avignon
  27. 500 years ago, German peasants revolted – but their faith that the Protestant Reformation stood for freedom was dashed by Martin Luther and the nobility
  28. How early voting on campuses can boost election turnout – not only for students but for residents, too
  29. Trump’s claims of vast presidential powers run up against Article 2 of the Constitution and exceed previous presidents’ power grabs
  30. Generative AI is most useful for the things we care about the least
  31. Selenium is an essential nutrient named after the Greek goddess of the Moon − crucial to health, it may help prevent and treat cancer
  32. Colorado is tackling air pollution in vulnerable neighborhoods by regulating 5 air toxics
  33. If US attempts World Bank retreat, the China-led AIIB could be poised to step in – and provide a model of global cooperation
  34. Francis − a pope who has cared deeply for the poor and opened up the Catholic Church
  35. The murder rate in Venezuela has fallen − but both Trump and Maduro are wrong about why
  36. How Elon Musk’s deep ties to – and admiration for – China could complicate Trump’s Beijing policy
  37. Rising house prices don’t just make it harder to become a homeowner – they also widen the racial wealth gap
  38. 3 ways Trump is acting like a king and bypassing the Constitution’s checks and balances on presidential authority
  39. Why including people with disabilities in the workforce and higher education benefits everyone
  40. As Pennsylvania inches toward legalizing recreational cannabis, lawmakers propose selling it in state-owned dispensaries similar to state liquor stores
  41. Can animals have mental disabilities?
  42. How Roman society integrated people who altered their bodies and defied gender norms
  43. The quest to extend human life is both fascinating and fraught with moral peril
  44. I went to CPAC as an anthropologist to see how Trump supporters are feeling − for them, a ‘golden age’ has begun
  45. Trump’s moves to strip employment protections from federal workers threaten to make government function worse – not better
  46. Brazil coup charges could end Bolsonaro’s political career − but they won’t extinguish Bolsonarismo
  47. A Palestinian film is an Oscars favorite − so why is it so hard to see?
  48. A Palestinian-Israeli film is an Oscars favorite − so why is it so hard to see?
  49. We study mass surveillance for social control, and we see Trump laying the groundwork to ‘contain’ people of color and immigrants
  50. Survey shows immigrants in Florida – even US citizens – are less likely to seek health care after passage of anti-immigrant laws