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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...

As the Kremlin eyes a thaw with the White House, Russia’s pro-war hawks aren’t too happy

  • Written by Adam Lenton, Assistant Professor of Politics & International Affairs, Wake Forest University
imageRussian President Vladimir Putin attends a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Moscow on Feb. 23, 2025.Sergei Bobylyov/AFP via Getty Images

At face value, the Kremlin has plenty to celebrate after U.S. and Russian officials held high-level bilateral talks on the war in Ukraine for the first time since the full-scale...

Read more: As the Kremlin eyes a thaw with the White House, Russia’s pro-war hawks aren’t too happy

The science behind airplane deicing – a mechanical engineer explains how chemistry and physics make flying a more uplifting experience

  • Written by Andrew Sommers, Professor of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, Miami University
imageA worker deices an airplane at the airport in Brussels. AP Photo/Virginia Mayo

If you are a frequent flyer, you’ve probably been at the airport waiting to jet somewhere on a winter trip when the voice of an airline employee announces over the intercom that there will be a slight delay while the plane gets deiced. But how does this process...

Read more: The science behind airplane deicing – a mechanical engineer explains how chemistry and physics...

Maple seeds’ unique spinning motion allows them to travel far even in the rain, a new study shows

  • Written by Andrew Dickerson, Associate Professor of Mechanical, Aerospace and Biomedical Engineering, University of Tennessee
imageWinged seeds called samaras grow on maple trees. These are seeds from the Japanese maple, _Acer palmatum_.AlessandroZocc/iStock via Getty Images Plus

When wind or other disturbances detach winged maple seeds called samaras from their parent tree, they spin through the air – and can even spin when it’s raining. Impacts by high-speed...

Read more: Maple seeds’ unique spinning motion allows them to travel far even in the rain, a new study shows

Is a united European voice possible in the age of Trump, Putin and far-right politics? Germany’s new leader intends to find out

  • Written by Julia Khrebtan-Hörhager, Associate Professor of Critical Cultural & International Studies, Colorado State University
imageCould Friedrich Merz be the man to speak for Europe?Sean Gallup/Getty Images

“Who do I call if I want to speak to Europe?”

The question was famously attributed to former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger and refers to the historical inability of the political entity of Europe to coordinate on a united front in the global arena.

And...

Read more: Is a united European voice possible in the age of Trump, Putin and far-right politics? Germany’s...

Brutalism – the architectural style that dared to summon a new world from the ashes of World War II

  • Written by Michael Allen, Visiting Assistant Professor of History, West Virginia University
imageBoston City Hall, which was completed in 1968, is considered a classic example of Brutalist architecture. Yunghi Kim/The Boston Globe via Getty Images

Some viewers of “The Brutalist” are probably getting their first taste of Brutalism, the architectural style that gives the film its name.

The film, which has been nominated for 10...

Read more: Brutalism – the architectural style that dared to summon a new world from the ashes of World War II

More Americans of all political stripes support government benefits for low-income people − and Black Lives Matter could be a big reason why

  • Written by Karyn Vilbig, PhD Student in Sociology, New York University
imageA protester leads a Black Lives Matter rally in San Francisco on June 3, 2020.Josh Edelson/AFP via Getty Images

For all the apparent division over Black Lives Matter, the movement may have had a widespread and positive impact on Americans’ support for policies that help the poor.

Since the Black Lives Matter movement launched in 2013, several...

Read more: More Americans of all political stripes support government benefits for low-income people − and...

Trump administration sets out to create an America its people have never experienced − one without a meaningful government

  • Written by Sidney Shapiro, Professor of Law, Wake Forest University
imageA worker removes letters from the U.S. Agency for International Development building.Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images

The U.S. government is attempting to dismantle itself.

President Donald Trump has directed the executive branch to “significantly reduce the size of government.” That includes deep cuts in federal funding of scientific and...

Read more: Trump administration sets out to create an America its people have never experienced − one without...

Managers can help their Gen Z employees unlock the power of meaningful work − here’s how

  • Written by Kelly Kennedy, Ed.D., Director of Transformative Learning, University of Connecticut

Finding fulfilling and motivating work is a challenge for many people, but it can be especially difficult for those just starting their careers. And as Generation Z professionals – those born between 1997 and 2012 – increasingly seek personalized career paths, managers are tasked with helping employees find meaning in their roles while...

Read more: Managers can help their Gen Z employees unlock the power of meaningful work − here’s how

More Articles ...

  1. Identifying brands as Black-owned can pay off for businesses
  2. What is a charter school, really? Supreme Court ruling on whether Catholic charter is constitutional will hinge on whether they’re public or private
  3. Israel’s bombing of Gaza caused untold environmental damage − recovery will take effort and time
  4. Anti-DEI guidance from Trump administration misinterprets the law and guts educators’ free speech rights
  5. What’s the shape of the universe? Mathematicians use topology to study the shape of the world and everything in it
  6. AIs flunk language test that takes grammar out of the equation
  7. Philadelphia continues long history of Black-led protest meetings aimed at fighting racial inequity and prejudice
  8. Parrotfish support healthy coral reefs, but they’re not a cure-all, and sometimes cause harm
  9. Why people rebuild in Appalachia’s flood-ravaged areas despite the risks
  10. In many of Appalachia’s flood-ravaged areas, residents have little choice but rebuild in risky locations
  11. States that impose severe prison sentences accomplish the opposite of what they say they want
  12. How ticket-splitting voters could shape the 2026 midterms
  13. Cutting Medicaid and federal programs are among 4 key Trump administration policy changes that could make life harder for disabled people
  14. USAID’s apparent demise and the US withdrawal from WHO put millions of lives worldwide at risk and imperil US national security
  15. How Nutriset, a French company, has helped alleviate hunger and create jobs in some of the world’s poorest places
  16. Germany’s chancellor-in-waiting prioritizes ‘real’ independence from the US − but what does that mean and is it achievable?
  17. A hazy legal landscape means people can get high on hemp products, even where pot is prohibited
  18. Butchers, bakers, candlestick-makers − and prostitutes: The women working behind the scenes in papal Avignon
  19. 500 years ago, German peasants revolted – but their faith that the Protestant Reformation stood for freedom was dashed by Martin Luther and the nobility
  20. How early voting on campuses can boost election turnout – not only for students but for residents, too
  21. Trump’s claims of vast presidential powers run up against Article 2 of the Constitution and exceed previous presidents’ power grabs
  22. Generative AI is most useful for the things we care about the least
  23. Selenium is an essential nutrient named after the Greek goddess of the Moon − crucial to health, it may help prevent and treat cancer
  24. Colorado is tackling air pollution in vulnerable neighborhoods by regulating 5 air toxics
  25. If US attempts World Bank retreat, the China-led AIIB could be poised to step in – and provide a model of global cooperation
  26. Francis − a pope who has cared deeply for the poor and opened up the Catholic Church
  27. The murder rate in Venezuela has fallen − but both Trump and Maduro are wrong about why
  28. How Elon Musk’s deep ties to – and admiration for – China could complicate Trump’s Beijing policy
  29. Rising house prices don’t just make it harder to become a homeowner – they also widen the racial wealth gap
  30. 3 ways Trump is acting like a king and bypassing the Constitution’s checks and balances on presidential authority
  31. Why including people with disabilities in the workforce and higher education benefits everyone
  32. As Pennsylvania inches toward legalizing recreational cannabis, lawmakers propose selling it in state-owned dispensaries similar to state liquor stores
  33. Can animals have mental disabilities?
  34. How Roman society integrated people who altered their bodies and defied gender norms
  35. The quest to extend human life is both fascinating and fraught with moral peril
  36. I went to CPAC as an anthropologist to see how Trump supporters are feeling − for them, a ‘golden age’ has begun
  37. Trump’s moves to strip employment protections from federal workers threaten to make government function worse – not better
  38. Brazil coup charges could end Bolsonaro’s political career − but they won’t extinguish Bolsonarismo
  39. A Palestinian film is an Oscars favorite − so why is it so hard to see?
  40. A Palestinian-Israeli film is an Oscars favorite − so why is it so hard to see?
  41. We study mass surveillance for social control, and we see Trump laying the groundwork to ‘contain’ people of color and immigrants
  42. Survey shows immigrants in Florida – even US citizens – are less likely to seek health care after passage of anti-immigrant laws
  43. Colliding plasma ejections from the Sun generate huge geomagnetic storms − studying them will help scientists monitor future space weather
  44. Making sex deadly for insects could control pests that carry disease and harm crops
  45. From ancient emperors to modern presidents, leaders have used libraries to cement their legacies
  46. How allies have helped the US gain independence, defend freedom and keep the peace – even as the US did the same for our friends
  47. A fiscal crisis is looming for many US cities
  48. Trump’s threats on Greenland, Gaza, Ukraine and Panama revive old-school US imperialism of dominating other nations by force, after decades of nuclear deterrence
  49. Trump’s move to closer ties with Russia does not mean betrayal of Ukraine, yet – in his first term, Trump was pretty tough on Putin
  50. p53 is both your genome’s guardian and weakness against cancer – scientists are trying to repair or replace it when it goes awry