The Conversation - The costs of emergency exits on planes

Students do better and schools are more stable when teachers get mental health support

Lee Ann Rawlins Williams, University of North Dakota

Mental health for teachers carries critical benefits for students.

Extreme cold still happens in a warming world – in fact climate instability may be disrupting the polar vortex

Mathew Barlow, UMass Lowell

While the world can expect fewer severe cold events as average temperatures rise, people still need to be prepared for wintery blasts.

A Supreme Court ruling on fishing for herring could sharply curb federal regulatory power

Robin Kundis Craig, University of Southern California

An important but controversial legal doctrine, known as Chevron deference, is at issue in two fishing cases. The outcome could affect many sectors across the nation.

Not all underwater reefs are made of coral − the US has created artificial reefs from sunken ships, radio towers, boxcars and even voting machines

Avery Paxton, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; D'amy Steward, University of Guam

Artificial reefs are structures that humans put in place underwater that create habitat for sea life. A new study shows for the first time how much of the US ocean floor they cover.

Women presidential candidates like Nikki Haley are more likely to change their positions to reach voters − but this doesn’t necessarily pay off

Shawn J. Parry-Giles, University of Maryland; David Kaufer, Carnegie Mellon University

Nikki Haley is the latest American female politician to shift her language, depending on whom she is talking to and where. But this tactic has a flip side, prompting criticism of her as inconsistent.

US law permits charities to encourage voting and help voters register, making GOP concerns about this assistance unfounded

Philip Hackney, University of Pittsburgh

A professor of nonprofit law explains why drafting any restrictions on charities requires proceeding with great care.

Conflict over William Penn statue removal in Philadelphia misses a point – Penn himself might have objected to it

Andrew Murphy, University of Michigan

A proposal to remove William Penn’s statue from a Philadelphia park was pulled after public outcry. Penn’s biographer says his Quaker religion may well have disapproved of such a statue.

Nicaragua released imprisoned priests, but repression is unlikely to relent – and the Catholic Church remains a target

Kai M. Thaler, University of California, Santa Barbara

When President Daniel Ortega returned to power in 2006, church figures supported him. Violent repression after the 2018 protests has soured the relationship and made clergy targets for intimidation.

What are the principles of civilian immunity in war? A scholar of justice in war explains

J. Toby Reiner, Dickinson College

Just-war theory insists that civilians are not legitimate targets. However, civilian immunity does not provide blanket protection from harm.

Bill Belichick’s hidden playbook – the 19th century origins of ‘The Patriot Way’

Rich Hanley, Quinnipiac University

The coach’s legendary terseness and his rejection of technological trends belie a wealth of knowledge about the game and its history.

Church without God: How secular congregations fill a need for some nonreligious Americans

What’s the best diet for healthy sleep? A nutritional epidemiologist explains what food choices will help you get more restful z’s

Ethiopia’s deal with Somaliland upends regional dynamics, risking strife across the Horn of Africa