Banning queer books, in the Middle Ages and today

Latest inflation figures are good news – even if they give a lot of people heartburn

Christopher Decker, University of Nebraska Omaha

Investors, homebuyers and central bankers all have reason to be irritated by the latest data, and inflation isn’t licked just yet. But the numbers also show reason for optimism.

Biden’s labor report card: Historian gives ‘Union Joe’ a higher grade than any president since FDR

Erik Loomis, University of Rhode Island

Biden is arguably the most pro-union occupant of the White House since the New Deal.

Who is Robert Fico? Slovakia’s controversial prime minister in stable but serious condition after assassination attempt

Jan Culik, University of Glasgow

The prime minister remains in hospital after being shot at close range.

You should call House members ‘representatives,’ because that’s what they are − not ‘congressmen’ or ‘congresswomen’

Daniel Wirls, University of California, Santa Cruz

Members of the House of Representatives relish their connection to their districts and their constituents. So why are they called “Congressman” or “Congresswoman” instead of “Representative”?

Preying on white fears worked for Georgia’s Lester Maddox in the ’60s − and is working there for Donald Trump today

David Cason, University of North Dakota

Ardent segregationist Lester Maddox became governor of Georgia after earning the admiration of white voters by refusing to integrate his chicken restaurant.

Plant-based meat alternatives are trying to exit the culture wars – an impossible task?

S. Marek Muller, Texas State University; David Rooney, The University of Texas at Austin

As vegan meat companies lose revenue, one company is trying a new packaging approach to bring in new consumers. But this step is unlikely to help end the ‘Meat Culture War.’

Humans have been altering nature for thousands of years – to shape a sustainable future, it’s important to understand that deep history

Todd Braje, University of Oregon

Understanding how humans came to exert such enormous pressure on Earth’s ecosystems can inform more sustainable ways of living.

College students in Austin, Texas, have dwelled in windowless rooms for years − here’s why the city finally decided to ban them

Juan Miró, The University of Texas at Austin

Students in windowless rooms are reporting anxiety, depression and fatigue. A professor of architecture says developers need to let the light shine in.

Assisted dying: Canada grapples with plans to extend euthanasia to people suffering solely from mental illness

Gemma Ware, The Conversation

Psychiatrist Karandeep Sonu Gaind speaks to The Conversation Weekly podcast on why he’s a vocal opponent of Canada’s expansion of its medically assisted dying laws to people with solely mental illness.

Confusion over how pregnancy dates are measured is widespread – and makes for uninformed debate over abortion limits

Binge drinking is a growing public health crisis − a neurobiologist explains how research on alcohol use disorder has shifted

It’s OK to mow in May − the best way to help pollinators is by adding native plants