Why teaching, nursing and journalism have a retention crisis

How Jefferson and Madison’s partnership – a friendship told in letters – shaped America’s separation of church and state

Steven K. Green, Willamette University

More than 2,000 letters between the two founders are available online. Many attest to their deep commitment to religious freedom.

Supreme Court’s slow roll on deciding Trump’s immunity is the opposite of politics

Claire B. Wofford, College of Charleston

Critics are decrying the long time the Supreme Court has taken to rule in a crucial Trump case, charging that it’s politically motivated to help Trump. A scholar of the court says they’re wrong.

Debate offers opportunity for errors, partisan spin − and maybe an opening for change

Susan Fillippeli, Auburn University

Featuring several unique rules, including no live audience and mics that cut off when it’s not a speaker’s turn, the debate might help shape the 2024 presidential race.

Kidneys from Black donors are more likely to be thrown away − a bioethicist explains why

Ana S. Iltis, Wake Forest University

As it is now, the transplant system treats kidneys from all Black donors as if they are at higher risk for failing, even though only some are.

When people are under economic stress, their pets suffer too – we found parts of Detroit that are animal welfare deserts

Laura A. Reese, Michigan State University

A study in Detroit finds large areas without pet resources, mainly in lower-income and minority neighborhoods. Better access to supplies and services could help owners and animals thrive together.

Lead water pipes created a health disaster in Flint, but replacing them with cheaper plastic − as some cities are doing − carries hidden costs

Rajpreet Grewal, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee; Laodong Guo, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee; Melissa Scanlan, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

Durability and the risk of chemicals being released when pipes heat up are just 2 concerns about plastic pipes.

Climate change is increasing stress on thousands of aging dams across the US

Hiba Baroud, Vanderbilt University

Heavier rainfall and more frequent storms raise the risk of floodwaters running over or around dams, potentially causing them to fail.

Genetic testing cannot reveal the gender of your baby − two genetic counselors explain the complexities of sex and gender

Maggie Ruderman, Boston University; Kimberly Zayhowski, Boston University

Cell-free DNA prenatal screening, sometimes called ‘the gender test,’ cannot determine gender because gender is more than just genes and genitals.

US charitable giving dipped to $557B in 2023, but outlook is getting brighter

Anna Pruitt, Indiana University; Jon Bergdoll, Indiana University

Grants from foundations are gradually growing as a share of all the donations Americans make.

Escalating Israel-Hezbollah clashes threaten to spark regional war and force US into conflict with Iran

Asher Kaufman, University of Notre Dame

A full-blown war between Israel and Hezbollah would likely set the entire region on fire, involving Iran and its proxies, and could drag the US into direct confrontation with Tehran.

With pressure mounting on the Biden administration, its pursuit of Assange was becoming both damaging and untenable

Emma Shortis, RMIT University

The ordeal should prompt deep reflection on the values that underpin Australia’s relationship with its most important security ally, the US.

Even the Supreme Court’s conservative justices are polarized about the state of American politics

Rocks on Rapa Nui tell the story of a small, resilient population − countering the notion of a doomed overpopulated island

What the 3.2 million-year-old Lucy fossil reveals about nudity and shame