The Conversation U.S. - News written by researchers and scientists to help you understand

An agent dressed in tactical gear sprays pepper spray directly at a ducking protestor's head from about a foot away.

An agent dressed in tactical gear sprays pepper spray directly at a ducking protestor's head from about a foot away.

‘Less lethal’ crowd-control weapons still cause harm – 2 physicians explain what they are and their health effects

Michele Heisler, University of Michigan and Rohini J. Haar, University of California, Berkeley

Black and white photograph of a Black woman flipping a document on a table beside a white man, a globe behind them.

Black and white photograph of a Black woman flipping a document on a table beside a white man, a globe behind them.

Women have been mapping the world for centuries – and now they’re speaking up for the people left out of those maps

Melinda Laituri, Colorado State University

ICE and Border Patrol in Minnesota − accused of violating 1st, 2nd, 4th and 10th amendment rights − are testing whether the Constitution can survive

Michael J. Lansing, Augsburg University and Yohuru Williams, University of St. Thomas

A man in pain being handled by federal immigration agents.

A man in pain being handled by federal immigration agents.

The Supreme Court may soon diminish Black political power, undoing generations of gains

Robert D. Bland, University of Tennessee

Cleo Fields, then a Louisiana state senator, stands at a lectern.

Cleo Fields, then a Louisiana state senator, stands at a lectern.

Congress has exercised minimal oversight over ICE, but that might change

Claire Leavitt, Smith College

Protesters march down the street in Minneapolis, led by a woman holding a large U.S. flag.

Protesters march down the street in Minneapolis, led by a woman holding a large U.S. flag.

Schools are increasingly telling students they must put their phones away – Ohio’s example shows mixed results following new bans

Corinne Brion, University of Dayton

Two teenage girls stand near lockers and look at a phone and smile in a hallway.

Two teenage girls stand near lockers and look at a phone and smile in a hallway.

‘Inoculation’ helps people spot political deepfakes, study finds

Bingbing Zhang, University of Iowa

an antique syringe sits on a United States flag

an antique syringe sits on a United States flag

Trump wants to shutter the Kennedy Center for 2 years – an arts management professor explains what that portends

E. Andrew Taylor, American University

President Trump is seen standing in a box seat at a fancy theater.

President Trump is seen standing in a box seat at a fancy theater.

Lüften sounds simple – but ‘house-burping’ is more complicated in Pittsburgh

William Bahnfleth, Penn State

An open window in winter.

An open window in winter.

Medicare is experimenting with having AI review claims – a cost-saving measure that could risk denying needed care

Grace Mackleby, University of Southern California and Jeff Marr, Brown University

Smiling robot holding large green checkmark in one hand and large red x in the other.

Smiling robot holding large green checkmark in one hand and large red x in the other.

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An illustration in shades of red, blue and green shows a line of men rowing a boat.

An illustration in shades of red, blue and green shows a line of men rowing a boat.

An epic border: Finland’s poetic masterpiece, the Kalevala, has roots in 2 cultures and 2 countries

Thomas A. DuBois, University of Wisconsin-Madison

A man dressed in dress jacket, jeans and yellow beanie stands on a red carpet with a floral display behind him.

A man dressed in dress jacket, jeans and yellow beanie stands on a red carpet with a floral display behind him.

Philly theaters unite to stage 3 plays by Pulitzer-winning playwright James Ijames

Bess Rowen, Villanova University

Confused by the new dietary guidelines? Focus on these simple, evidence-based shifts to lower your chronic disease risk

Michael I Goran, University of Southern California

Mom and young daughter holding rings of bell pepper over their eyes and smiling

Mom and young daughter holding rings of bell pepper over their eyes and smiling

Data centers told to pitch in as storms and cold weather boost power demand

Nikki Luke, University of Tennessee and Conor Harrison, University of South Carolina

A downed tree blocks a snowy road and touches power lines.

A downed tree blocks a snowy road and touches power lines.

Climate change threatens the Winter Olympics’ future – and even snowmaking has limits for saving the Games

Steven R. Fassnacht, Colorado State University and Sunshine Swetnam, Colorado State University

A ski jump with snow on it but not on the land around it. A snow cannon is visible on the ski jump.

A ski jump with snow on it but not on the land around it. A snow cannon is visible on the ski jump.

Reclaiming water from contaminated brine can increase water supply and reduce environmental harm

Mervin XuYang Lim, University of Arizona

A group of circular industrial ponds stand next to an oceanside beach.

A group of circular industrial ponds stand next to an oceanside beach.

A giant screen shows a man's face while a crowd cheers.

A giant screen shows a man's face while a crowd cheers.

Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl show is part of long play drawn up by NFL to score with Latin America

Jared Bahir Browsh, University of Colorado Boulder

Stroke survivors can counterintuitively improve recovery by strengthening their stronger arm – new research

Candice Maenza, Penn State and Robert Sainburg, Penn State

Person in scrubs encouraging a person lifting one dumbell

Person in scrubs encouraging a person lifting one dumbell

Federal power meets local resistance in Minneapolis – a case study in how federalism staves off authoritarianism

Nicholas Jacobs, Colby College; Institute for Humane Studies

Hundreds of protesters march through a street in the cold.

Hundreds of protesters march through a street in the cold.

Clergy protests against ICE turned to a classic – and powerful – American playlist

David W. Stowe, Michigan State University

Three people bundled up in jackets, two of them wearing stoles over their shoulders, kneel outside.

Three people bundled up in jackets, two of them wearing stoles over their shoulders, kneel outside.

Certain brain injuries may be linked to violent crime – identifying them could help reveal how people make moral choices

Christopher M. Filley, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus; Isaiah Kletenik, Harvard University, and Patricia Churchland, University of California, San Diego

Nighttime shot of a crime scene blocked off with yellow police tape

Nighttime shot of a crime scene blocked off with yellow police tape

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NASA’s Artemis II plans to send a crew around the Moon to test equipment and lay the groundwork for a future landing

Margaret Landis, Arizona State University

A banner reading 'Lets Go!' with the NASA Artemis program and Artemis II mission patch is attached to a fence in front of the Artemis II rocket stack after it rolled out to the launchpad.

A banner reading 'Lets Go!' with the NASA Artemis program and Artemis II mission patch is attached to a fence in front of the Artemis II rocket stack after it rolled out to the launchpad.

Building with air – how nature’s hole-filled blueprints shape manufacturing

Anne Schmitz, University of Wisconsin-Stout

A bee sitting on a honeycomb

A bee sitting on a honeycomb

I’m a former FBI agent who studies policing, and here’s how federal agents in Minneapolis are undermining basic law enforcement principles

Luke William Hunt, University of Alabama; Institute for Humane Studies

A line of people in military outfits, wearing masks and helmets.

A line of people in military outfits, wearing masks and helmets.

US exit from the World Health Organization marks a new era in global health policy – here’s what the US, and world, will lose

Jordan Miller, Arizona State University

Computer-generated image of DNA spiral being attacked by mpox virus.

Computer-generated image of DNA spiral being attacked by mpox virus.

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Extreme weather and natural disasters

People shovel out cars parked along a road in Boston.

People shovel out cars parked along a road in Boston.

Over 100 deaths linked to January storms – here’s how to stay safe when cold, snowy weather moves in

Brett Robertson, University of South Carolina

How the polar vortex and warm ocean intensified a major US winter storm

Mathew Barlow, UMass Lowell and Judah Cohen, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

People bundled tightly against the cold on city street.

People bundled tightly against the cold on city street.

The world is in water bankruptcy, UN scientists report – here’s what that means

Kaveh Madani, United Nations University

People of all backgrounds stand in line with jugs to fill with water.

People of all backgrounds stand in line with jugs to fill with water.

The western US is in a snow drought, and storms have been making it worse

Alejandro N. Flores, Boise State University

A ski slope with grass on either side and snowboarders walking on dry ground.

A ski slope with grass on either side and snowboarders walking on dry ground.

West Coast levee failures show growing risks from America’s aging flood defenses

Farshid Vahedifard, Tufts University

An arial view of a neighborhood inudated with flood water and the river behind where the levee breached.

An arial view of a neighborhood inudated with flood water and the river behind where the levee breached.

Read more articles related to extreme weather

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ICE and immigration

A map of the world.

A map of the world.

Suspending family-based immigrant visas weakens US families and the economy

Sothy Eng, University of Hawaii

Afghan migrants stranded in Pakistan after the US suspends refugee resettlement

Mehr Mumtaz, The Ohio State University

Several women hold placards in a park.

Several women hold placards in a park.

From Colonial rebels to Minneapolis protesters, technology has long powered American social movements

Ray Brescia, Albany Law School

several men in tactical gear stand near several people holding up smartphones

several men in tactical gear stand near several people holding up smartphones

ICE not only looks and acts like a paramilitary force – it is one, and that makes it harder to curb

Erica De Bruin, Hamilton College

A woman is grabbed by federal agents who are in a cluster around her.

A woman is grabbed by federal agents who are in a cluster around her.

A government can choose to investigate the killing of a protester − or choose to blame the victim and pin it all on ‘domestic terrorism’

Stephanie A. (Sam) Martin, Boise State University

A speech bubble with barbed wire superimposed on it

A speech bubble with barbed wire superimposed on it

Read more on U.S. immigration policies

Trump administration

Big rigs drive toward the camera with smog obscuring the port cranes behind them.

Big rigs drive toward the camera with smog obscuring the port cranes behind them.

Trump’s climate policy rollback plan relies on EPA rescinding its 2009 endangerment finding – but will courts allow it?

Gary W. Yohe, Wesleyan University

US military action in Iran risks igniting a regional and global nuclear cascade

Farah N. Jan, University of Pennsylvania

A man and a woman walk past a massive billboard showing stars and stripes.

A man and a woman walk past a massive billboard showing stars and stripes.

How the Supreme Court might protect the Fed’s independence by using employment law in Trump v. Cook

Elizabeth C. Tippett, University of Oregon

A woman wearing formal attire and pearls looks off into the distance.

A woman wearing formal attire and pearls looks off into the distance.

EPA’s new way of evaluating pollution rules hands deregulators a sledgehammer and license to ignore public health

Janet McCabe, Indiana University

A view across the Ohio River to two coal plants, with steam rising.

A view across the Ohio River to two coal plants, with steam rising.

The end of ‘Pax Americana’ and start of a ‘post-American’ era doesn’t necessarily mean the world will be less safe

Peter Harris, Colorado State University

President Trump holds up a document he's signed regarding the formation of an international Board of Peace.

President Trump holds up a document he's signed regarding the formation of an international Board of Peace.

Read more about the Trump administration

International

A woman in a parka leans over a child who is wearing a knit cap.

A woman in a parka leans over a child who is wearing a knit cap.

Denmark’s generous child care and parental leave policies erase 80% of the ‘motherhood penalty’ for working moms

Alexandra Killewald, University of Michigan

What Franco’s fascist regime in Spain can teach us about today’s America

Rachelle Wilson Tollemar, University of St. Thomas

Protesters covered in black make a fascist salute at a protest in Madrid.

Protesters covered in black make a fascist salute at a protest in Madrid.

Greenland’s Inuit have spent decades fighting for self-determination

Susan A. Kaplan, Bowdoin College and Genevieve LeMoine, Bowdoin College

Three people walk through a town with a large snow-covered mountain in the background.

Three people walk through a town with a large snow-covered mountain in the background.

How Iran shut down the internet and built a sophisticated system of digital control

Gemma Ware, The Conversation

A man walks past an anti-US mural in Iran

A man walks past an anti-US mural in Iran

Lebanon’s orchards have been burnt, wildlife habitat destroyed by Israeli strikes – raising troubling international law questions

Mireille Rebeiz, Dickinson College and Josiane Yazbeck, Université La Sagesse

Smoke rises over a hilly rural landscape.

Smoke rises over a hilly rural landscape.

Read more world news

New research in health and science

A figure skater lifts another on his hip on the ice

A figure skater lifts another on his hip on the ice

From ski jumping to speedskating, winter sports represent physics in action

Amy Pope, Clemson University

Aerial lidar mapping can reveal archaeological sites while overlooking Indigenous peoples and their knowledge

Christopher Hernandez, Loyola University Chicago

aerial photo of the shadow of a plane cast on green treetops

aerial photo of the shadow of a plane cast on green treetops

PFAS are turning up in the Great Lakes, putting fish and water supplies at risk – here’s how they get there

Christy Remucal, University of Wisconsin-Madison

A view of the Lake Superior shoreline, with pine trees on sharp cliffs and wide expanse of blue water.

A view of the Lake Superior shoreline, with pine trees on sharp cliffs and wide expanse of blue water.

Innovations in asthma care can improve the health of Detroiters living with this chronic disease

Arjun Mohan, University of Michigan

Emergency department sign stands outside of Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit

Emergency department sign stands outside of Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit

Can shoes alter your mind? What neuroscience says about foot sensation and focus

Atom Sarkar, Drexel University

Illustration of shoe with splashes of color emanating around it

Illustration of shoe with splashes of color emanating around it

Read more new science research

Artificial intelligence

Colorful illustration of a finger pushing a button with a red heart symbol on it.

Colorful illustration of a finger pushing a button with a red heart symbol on it.

Whether it’s Valentine’s Day notes or emails to loved ones, using AI to write leaves people feeling crummy about themselves

Julian Givi, West Virginia University; Colleen P. Kirk, New York Institute of Technology, and Danielle Hass, West Virginia University

Short on resources, special educators are using AI – with little knowledge of the effects

Seth King, University of Iowa

A special education teachers uses an iPad to communicate with an autistic child.

A special education teachers uses an iPad to communicate with an autistic child.

Grammys’ AI rules aim to keep music human, but large gray area leaves questions about authenticity and authorship

Mark Benincosa, West Virginia University

cartoon illustration of a pair of robot hands, one playing piano and the other writing music

cartoon illustration of a pair of robot hands, one playing piano and the other writing music

AI-induced cultural stagnation is no longer speculation − it’s already happening

Ahmed Elgammal, Rutgers University

A young Asian woman peers out of a glass elevator in a shopping mall.

A young Asian woman peers out of a glass elevator in a shopping mall.

Artificial metacognition: Giving an AI the ability to ‘think’ about its ‘thinking’

Ricky J. Sethi, Fitchburg State University; Worcester Polytechnic Institute

A wind-up toy robot looking in a mirror

A wind-up toy robot looking in a mirror

Read more stories on artificial intelligence

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A groundhog pauses beside budding wildflowers.

Groundhogs are lousy forecasters but valuable animal engineers – and an important food source

Steven Sullivan, Miami University

Is the whole universe just a simulation?

Zeb Rocklin, Georgia Institute of Technology

illustration of planet Earth overlaid by outlines of cubes

illustration of planet Earth overlaid by outlines of cubes

800 years after his death, the legends and legacy of Francis of Assisi endure

Vanessa Corcoran, Georgetown University

A painting of a haloed man bending toward a group of birds, while a woman in a nun’s habit stands beside him.

A painting of a haloed man bending toward a group of birds, while a woman in a nun’s habit stands beside him.

Funny, tender, goofy – Catherine O'Hara lit up the screen every time she showed up

Ben McCann, Adelaide University

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Catherine O'Hara poses for a photo in 2025

Life isn’t all diamonds – money and fame don’t shield the many ‘Real Housewives’ facing criminal charges

C. Clare Strange, Drexel University

A woman with long dark hair and a beige coat holds the arm of a tall man wearing a black suit and blue tie and walks away from a building, with police nearby.

A woman with long dark hair and a beige coat holds the arm of a tall man wearing a black suit and blue tie and walks away from a building, with police nearby.

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