By Christopher Briem, Regional Economist, Center for Social and Urban Research, University of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh’s struggle to move beyond steel demonstrates that industry dominance is temporary. Other regions can learn from Pittsburgh’s slow economic recovery.
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By Claudia Strauss, Professor of Anthropology, Pitzer College
Getting SNAP benefits can already be hard, and due to legal changes Congress approved in 2025 it could get harder for many Americans.
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By Stylianos Syropoulos, Assistant Professor of Psychology, Arizona State University
Christina Jinhee Capozzoli, PhD Student in Sustainability, Arizona State University
Lea Barbett, Researcher in Community Psychology, FernUniversität in Hagen
When life feels overwhelming, many people instinctively turn to nature. A walk in a park. Sitting by the ocean. Watching a sunset. Is this just a pleasant feeling, or is there something deeper at work?
A multitude of studies have linked spending time in nature with different aspects of mental health and wellness. For example, immersing oneself in outdoor natural spaces seems to lift depression and influence brain activity patterns. The effect…
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By Dana Johnson, Postdoctoral Fellow in Health Disparities Research, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Laura D. Lindberg, Professor of Sexual and Reproductive Health, Rutgers University
Parental involvement laws and the stigma of teen pregnancy create significant barriers for teenagers seeking abortions. These factors are pushing teens to obtain abortion pills online.
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By Kaitlyn M. Sims, Assistant Professor of Public Policy, University of Denver; Institute for Humane Studies
Kaelyn Lara, Research Assistant, Josef Korbel School of Global and Public Affairs, University of Denver
Leslie Carvalho, Masters student, Josef Korbel School of Global and Public Affairs, University of Denver
As of July 2026, graduate degree programs in nursing, public health, social work, public policy and more will no longer be defined as professional degrees by the Department of Education.
The change limits how much federal financial aid students in those programs can qualify for under new borrowing limits set by the…
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By Susan Smith, Honorary Professor of Geography, University of Cambridge
Habermas was unshakeable in his conviction that people have minds of their own and are free to hope for a better future.
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By Martin Whyte, Associate Professor of Metabolic Medicine, University of Surrey
A new type of daily pill has proven more effective for weight loss and blood sugar control than its currently available counterparts, according to a recent trial. The drug, known as orforglipron, could be a game-changer in the rapidly expanding oral weight-loss drug market.
The advent of the injectable weight-loss drug semaglutide (known better by its brand names Wegovy and Ozempic) marked a distinct shift in the weight-loss drugs market when it became available just a few years ago.
Semaglutide is a class of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) medication. These drugs mimic…
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By Bryan Kirschen, Associate Professor of Spanish and Linguistics, Binghamton University, State University of New York
When Passover arrives each spring, Jewish families around the world gather at their tables to retell a story passed down for thousands of years. At ritual dinners known as Seders, they recount the Exodus, the biblical story of the Israelites’ liberation from slavery in Egypt – asking questions, singing songs and explaining the meaning behind symbolic foods like matzo.
In the United States, most Seders move between English, Hebrew and…
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By Peter Bengtsen, Senior Lecturer in Art History and Visual Studies, Lund University
The British artist Banksy, who is in part famous for being anonymous, has seemingly been unmasked – again. On March 13, Reuters published an investigation that claims to have “revealed, beyond dispute, Banksy’s true identity”.
This is not the first time Banksy’s identity has ostensibly been made public. In addition to previous journalistic inquiries also cited by Reuters,…
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By Simbarashe Ndhleve, Research Scientist: Centre for Global Change, Walter Sisulu University
Hlekani Muchazotida Kabiti, Researcher, Centre for Global Change, Walter Sisulu University
Leonard Chitongo, Senior Lecturer in Human Geography in the Department of Biological & Environmental Sciences, Walter Sisulu University
Across the world, climate governance bodies are finding ways to capture greenhouse gas emissions from the atmosphere and store them in a place where they can’t escape and warm up the planet.
This is known as carbon capture and storage. It’s essential in meeting the global goal of net zero: eliminating all human-caused greenhouse…
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