The Conversation - Looking back on 2024's deadly flooding

5 of the most frustrating health insurer tactics and why they exist

Monica S. Aswani, University of Alabama at Birmingham; Paul Shafer, Boston University

The murder of a health care insurance executive has brought scrutiny to the ways that insurance companies can make it difficult for insured patients to get the care they need.

Vaccine misinformation distorts science – a biochemist explains how RFK Jr. and his lawyer’s claims threaten public health

Mark R. O'Brian, University at Buffalo

Many claims about the dangers of vaccines come from misrepresenting scientific research papers.

Why a recent sting in northeast Philly marks a shift in how Pennsylvania confronts the commercial sex industry

Shea Rhodes, Villanova University

The Pennsylvania attorney general’s investigation targeted not only the suspected leader of the trafficking ring, but also the alleged financial manager, drivers and customers.

At Hanukkah, a celebration of eternal light − from the desert tabernacle to synagogues today

Alan Avery-Peck, College of the Holy Cross

The Hanukkah story centers on rekindling the eternal light in the Temple, a symbol of God’s presence. Similarly, the Ner Tamid above the ark in synagogues is never supposed to go out.

How liberals lost comedy − and helped Trump win

Nick Marx, Colorado State University; Matt Sienkiewicz, Boston College

Programs geared toward liberals like ‘The Daily Show’ once held a monopoly on political comedy. Not so anymore.

Trump’s 2017 tax cuts expire soon − study shows they made income inequality worse and especially hurt Black Americans

Beverly Moran, Vanderbilt University

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act from Trump’s first administration harmed many middle-class and low-income taxpayers. But Black people got it the worst, says an expert on race and taxation.

Is news bias fueled by journalists supplying slanted views or readers’ demanding them? An economist weighs in

Tin Cheuk Leung, Wake Forest University

Liberal-leaning stories tend to stay longer on The New York Times’ homepage, even when controlling for popularity. We found the same thing of conservative stories in The Wall Street Journal.

Retailers that make it harder to return stuff face backlash from their customers

Huseyn Abdulla, University of Tennessee

Even those consumers who said they usually don’t return any products often reacted negatively during an experiment that simulated what happens when shoppers face stricter rules.

Colleges’ career success stats don’t tell the whole story about how their graduates are doing after they get their degree

Kerry Shackett, Champlain College; Patricia Boera, Champlain College

Colleges point to certain statistics when they talk about where their graduates land. But what might they be leaving out? A career education specialist weighs in.

Maternity care in Ghana is meant to be free, but it’s not – and many can’t afford it

Edmund Wedam Kanmiki, The University of Queensland; Cheryl A. Moyer, University of Michigan; Gilbert Abotisem Abiiro, University for Development Studies; Kennedy A. Alatinga, SD Dombo University of Business and Integrated Development Studies

Families in Ghana still pay for maternal health services despite the country’s policy of free care.

Why the religious beliefs of Trump defense pick Pete Hegseth matter

Why does red wine cause headaches? Our research points to a compound found in the grapes’ skin

What is the universe expanding into if it’s already infinite?