By Alex Wermer-Colan, Academic and Research Director, Loretta C. Duckworth Scholars Studio, Temple University Libraries, Temple University
SaraGrace Stefan, PhD Student in English, Temple University
Over the past decade, a growing movement to restrict access to books in public schools and libraries has spread across the country. Every year, there are hundreds of attempts to challenge or ban books, targeting thousands of titles.
According to the nonprofit free speech advocacy group PEN America, there have been nearly 16,000 book bans in U.S. public schools and libraries since 2021, a number not seen since…
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By James Densley, Professor of Criminal Justice, Metropolitan State University
Jillian Peterson, Professor of Criminal Justice, Hamline University
Tragedies like the Sept. 28, 2025, shooting at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints chapel in Michigan are part of a longer pattern.
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By Jane Barter, Professor, Department of Religion and Culture, University of Winnipeg
Empathy has been painted by the U.S. political right as a vice, informed by Catholic theology. This is a misreading of the role of empathy according to Catholic doctrine.
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By Robert Danisch, Professor, Department of Communication Arts, University of Waterloo
Whether left or right, practising the politics of cancellation is always a mistake. Inclusion is always the antidote and the best method of problem-solving.
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By Tom Birkett, Professor of Old English and Old Norse, University College Cork
Was the FBI chief sending a message to white supremacists? It’s more likely Patel’s Valhalla reference was a clumsy attempt to call Kirk a hero.
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By Helena Gillespie, Associate Pro Vice Chancellor for Student Inclusion and Professor of Learning and Teaching in Higher Education, University of East Anglia
Keir Starmer’s recent speech at the Labour conference placed the UK at a “fork in the road”, telling the audience that there is a choice between “renewal or decline”.
Schools, colleges and higher education providers might be pleased to hear that the prime minister sees that education has an important role to play in this renewal. However, the details of the plans contain some challenges – as well as opportunities – for universities, colleges and young people.
Starmer’s vision for a changed…
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By Maria Ahmad, PhD Candidate, Cognitive Neuroscience, Psychology and Language Sciences, UCL
One of the biggest navigation challenges is knowing where you are in the open ocean without tools or devices. This remarkable skill is exemplified by the ancient techniques once used by expert navigators of the Marshall Islands, a chain of low-lying coral islands and atolls situated between Hawaii and the Philippines.
Together with a cognitive neuroscientist, philosopher, Marshallese anthropologist and two Indigenous sailors, I was part of a sailing expedition that aimed to explore how Marshallese sailors use their environment to find their way at sea. Aboard Stravaig, a 42ft (12m)…
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By Jiao Wang, Assistant Professor of Economics, University of Sussex Business School, University of Sussex
Donald Trump’s recent state visit to the UK ended without the removal of steel tariffs, which the host nation had been hoping for. For months, the US president’s array of “liberation day” tariffs have sparked controversy and caused chaos for America’s trading partners.
Ultimately, the US expects to collect more than US$50 billion (£37 billion) a month in revenues from these tariffs. This figure, from US commerce secretary Howard Lutnick,…
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By Will Shüler, Vice-Dean of Education and Senior Lecturer, School of Performing and Digital Arts, Royal Holloway University of London
The play makes a clear statement about Indhu Rubasingham’s thoughts on the power of the theatre and what audiences might expect under her leadership.
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By Hélène Bourdeloie, Sociologue, maîtresse de conférences en sciences de l’information et de la communication à l’université Sorbonne Paris Nord et chercheuse au LabSIC et associée au Centre Internet et Société (CIS– CNRS), Université Sorbonne Paris Nord
In Saudi Arabia, smartphones offer women new avenues of empowerment, even as they remain tools of surveillance in a society where gender inequality persists.
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