It's not just national parks that are crowded

US charitable donations fell to $499 billion in 2022 as stocks slumped and inflation surged

Patrick Rooney, Indiana University; Anna Pruitt, Indiana University; Jon Bergdoll, Indiana University

Giving receded as many Americans saw their purchasing power decline, straining household budgets.

Passengers whose flights are canceled or delayed may soon get better treatment in the US – where airlines have long set their own rules

Janet Bednarek, University of Dayton

Consumers and politicians are pushing for greater protections for air travelers. A historian explains why the US trails the EU and Canada when it comes to passenger rights.

Saving lives from extreme heat: Lessons from the deadly 2021 Pacific Northwest heat wave

Jason Vogel, University of Washington; Brian G. Henning, Gonzaga University

A new report lays out steps communities can take to help their residents survive heat waves as the risk of dangerous temperatures rises.

Graffiti has undergone a massive shift in a few quick decades as street art gains social acceptance

Stefano Bloch, University of Arizona

In the last decade, some graffiti writers have moved from outlaw taggers to sought-after artists.

AI could shore up democracy – here’s one way

Bruce Schneier, Harvard Kennedy School; Nathan Sanders, Harvard University

Public comment could soon swamp government officials and representatives, thanks to AI, but AI could also help spot compelling stories from constituents.

As Ukraine takes the fight to Russians, signs of unease in Moscow over war’s progress

Peter Rutland, Wesleyan University

Putin was put on the defensive during an increasingly rare Q&A over the war’s progress. Meanwhile, disquiet among potential rivals is growing.

The tree of life has been a powerful image in Jewish tradition for thousands of years – signifying much more than immortality

Samuel L. Boyd, University of Colorado Boulder

In the beginning of the Bible, the tree of life represents what sets humans apart from divinity – but other texts use the symbol to depict mankind’s relationship with God.

On International Yoga Day, lessons from the first American yogi – Henry David Thoreau

Jeremy David Engels, Penn State

A scholar of yoga and meditation explains how yoga is part of humanity’s global heritage and what can be learned from its long and complex global history.

Missing Titanic sub: what are submersibles, how do they communicate, and what may have gone wrong?

Ugandan church waged rebellion against tradition – today’s homophobic views are at odds with history

How a 400 million year old fossil changes our understanding of mathematical patterns in nature