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The Conversation U.S.

@us.theconversation.com

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A nonprofit news organization dedicated to sharing the knowledge of experts with the public, in accessible, trustworthy articles drawing on their research. Free to read, without paywalls or ads.

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The Conversation U.S. @us.theconversation.com · 16d

Are you with us in the fight against misinformation?

If so, please consider donating to our fall fundraising campaign.

As a thank-you, you’ll receive a downloadable e-book from our series on bold ideas for tackling the housing crisis.

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The Conversation U.S. @us.theconversation.com · 12m

How weather changes cause migraines – a neurologist explains the triggers and what you can do to ease the pain: buff.ly/kQvbQi9

How weather changes cause migraines – a neurologist explains the triggers and what you can do to ease the pain

Storm systems, heat waves, bright sunlight, even lightning – for millions of people, weather changes can bring on painful headaches.

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The Conversation U.S. @us.theconversation.com · 13m

⛈️“Is it just in my head, or is there a storm coming?” Weather changes are one of the most commonly reported migraine triggers.

Danielle Wilhour, a neurologist at University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, explains why shifts in weather can bring on migraines & how to ease the pain.

The Conversation U.S. @us.theconversation.com · 1h

A law professor warns: James Comey’s indictment shows what happens when presidents turn prosecutors into political weapons — a hallmark of authoritarian rule.

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James Comey’s indictment is a trademark tactic of authoritarians

The former FBI director’s indictment breaks a principle that has protected American democracy for 50 years.

The Conversation U.S. @us.theconversation.com · 2h

If George Washington heard Pete Hegseth’s “warrior ethos” speech, he’d probably raise an eyebrow, according to an American history professor.

For Washington, real strength came from self-control and being morally grounded.

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Where George Washington would disagree with Pete Hegseth about fitness for command and what makes a warrior

Washington’s ‘warrior ethos’ was grounded in decency, temperance and the capacity to act with courage without surrendering to rage. That ideal built an army – and in time, a republic.

The Conversation U.S. @us.theconversation.com · 3h

As it is said, history repeats itself. FBI Director Patel sees his job resting solely on pleasing the president.

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#polisky

History is repeating itself at the FBI as agents resist a director’s political agenda

FBI director Kash Patel says he is making the bureau more accountable. Critics charge him with purging it of anyone not perceived as loyal to President Trump.

The Conversation U.S. @us.theconversation.com · 5h

Free speech wasn’t part of the original Constitution. It took fierce debate, and a change of heart from James Madison, to make the First Amendment.

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#polisky #freespeech

Why free speech rights got left out of the Constitution – and added in later via the First Amendment

The First Amendment – and the freedom of speech it guarantees – is considered a fundamental element of American freedom and identity. But it wasn’t even part of the original Constitution.

The Conversation U.S. @us.theconversation.com · 7h

Trump’s first months back in office have tested the limits of presidential power.

Now, the Supreme Court seems ready to erase many of those limits — embracing the “unitary executive theory”, a Republican idea from the 1980s that could make the presidency all-powerful.

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The Supreme Court is headed toward a radically new vision of unlimited presidential power

Recent rulings indicate that the high court is leaning toward expanding the type of presidential power that is more emblematic of dictatorship than democracy.

The Conversation U.S. @us.theconversation.com · 9h

Tribal colleges have expanded access to higher education for Native students.

With median tuition of just $3,572, these affordable institutions focus on serving Native American students while teaching #Indigenous history, culture and language.

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Tribal colleges and universities aren’t well known, but are a crucial steppingstone for Native students

While more Native Americans living on reservations attend college than in decades prior, just 10.3% earned college degrees in 2020.

The Conversation U.S. @us.theconversation.com · 10h

“I think Comey’s indictment is momentous because it tests a principle that has protected American democracy for 50 years: Presidents should not direct prosecutors to charge their political enemies,” according to a law professor who studies legal ethics.

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#polisky #freespeech

James Comey’s indictment is a trademark tactic of authoritarians

The former FBI director’s indictment breaks a principle that has protected American democracy for 50 years.

The Conversation U.S. @us.theconversation.com · 11h

How the government shutdown is making the air traffic controller shortage worse and leading to flight delays buff.ly/p7IliYa

How the government shutdown is making the air traffic controller shortage worse and leading to flight delays

Air traffic controllers are considered essential workers and required to work without pay during the shutdown, but there are reports some are calling in sick in greater numbers than usual.

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The Conversation U.S. @us.theconversation.com · 12h

We’re once again ranked #1 among most-read U.S. nonprofit news sites, according to @niemanlab.org 👏

Our mission to share fact-based journalism keeps reaching new audiences .

We’re in great company on the list, which includes @propublica.org, @blockclubchi.bsky.social and other great nonprofits.

The Conversation U.S. @us.theconversation.com · 13h

A new report card for the state of some of our most precious natural areas shows mixed grades

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Natural World Heritage sites under growing threat, but bright spots remain

Many of these extraordinary places are increasingly at risk due to escalating climate change, invasive species, and and a lack of consistent funding to protect them.

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The Conversation U.S. @us.theconversation.com · 14h

Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado wins Nobel Peace Prize for her fight, despite controversial past and not always advocating a peaceful strategy

María Corina Machado’s peace prize follows Nobel tradition of awarding recipients for complex reasons

Venezuelan opposition leader is the latest in a long list of controversial laureates.

The Conversation U.S. @us.theconversation.com · 15h

100 years after quantum mechanics was born, the 2025 Nobel Prize in Physics honors three pioneers who brought quantum mechanics into the macroscopic world, creating "artificial atoms" in electrical circuits that paved the way for quantum computing.
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From artificial atoms to quantum information machines: Inside the 2025 Nobel Prize in physics

2025’s Nobel Prize in Physics is a tribute to the scientists who first discovered quantum behaviors in a macroscopic electrical circuit.

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The Conversation U.S. @us.theconversation.com · 16h

Consumer sentiment remains steady despite the government shutdown, according to the latest University of Michigan survey. Lower-income Americans show less optimism than richer people since April.
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Government shutdown hasn’t left consumers glum about the economy – for now, at least

Consumer sentiment remained flat in October, compared to the previous month. But history shows a prolonged federal shutdown can impact how people feel about the economy.

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The Conversation U.S. @us.theconversation.com · 1d

For war-weary Syria, potential benefits of a security pact with Israel comes with big risks, explains an expert on the Middle East.

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For war-weary Syria, potential benefits of security pact with Israel comes with big risks

A US-backed diplomatic push is trying to end months of Israeli attacks on Syria with a bilateral security pact. But concluding an agreement may prove a tall order.

The Conversation U.S. @us.theconversation.com · 1d

People often joke that their favorite snack is “like crack.” But can someone really be addicted to food?

There is a consensus emerging that food addiction is a real phenomenon, explains an addiction psychiatrist with experience in treating eating disorders and obesity.

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The Conversation U.S. @us.theconversation.com · 1d

PSA: it’s time to get your flu shot.

New flu vaccines are available for the 2025-2026 season, targeting three main virus strains. It's important to remember that the virus changes every year, making annual vaccination an important part of staying healthy. buff.ly/v2KTr6y
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Flu season has arrived – and so have updated flu vaccines

Despite some confusion around changing vaccine guidelines, the CDC still recommends an annual flu shot for everyone 6 months and older.

The Conversation U.S. @us.theconversation.com · 1d

Anybody who has seen a friend through tough times – or been the one who was supported – can tell you that keeping track of what a friend does for you isn’t what friendships are about.

Sometimes, friendship is about helping just because your friend is in need: buff.ly/GE8RGAF

Friendships aren’t just about keeping score – new psychology research looks at why we help our friends when they need it

Friendship isn’t a tit-for-tat balance sheet, but that’s how researchers have traditionally defined it. New studies are refining the model to be less about transactions and truer to real life.

The Conversation U.S. @us.theconversation.com · 1d

The phrase “coming out” didn’t start as a public declaration — it began in the shadows, among coded phrases and hidden communities.

Over time, it became a political act, a rallying cry, and a model for other social movements.

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🏳️🌈 #LGBTQHistoryMonth

The history of ‘coming out,’ from secret gay code to popular political protest

In the 1950s, ‘coming out’ meant quietly acknowledging one’s sexual orientation. Today, the term is used by a broad array of social movements.

The Conversation U.S. @us.theconversation.com · 1d

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), which were the discovery awarded with this year’s Nobel Prize in chemistry, could revolutionize molecular sensing. These tiny structures can detect specific gases and vapors, opening new possibilities for health and environmental monitoring.

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Our engineering team is making versatile, tiny sensors from the Nobel-winning ‘metal-organic frameworks’

By trapping different molecules, metal-organic frameworks could make for efficient breath sensors that predict lung disease, cancer or diabetes.

The Conversation U.S. @us.theconversation.com · 1d

“Mortgage applications are very long, so there’s plenty of opportunity to make mistakes.” But successful mortgage fraud prosecutions are rare – in 2024, Americans were 7x more likely to be hit by lightning than convicted of mortgage fraud.
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NY AG Letitia James charged with mortgage fraud – a crime seldom prosecuted and rarely resulting in prison

In 2024, seven times more Americans were struck by lightning than were convicted of federal mortgage fraud.

The Conversation U.S. @us.theconversation.com · 1d

How pollution and the microbiome interact with Tregs, the immune system regulators whose discovery was honored with the Nobel Prize

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How pollution and the microbiome interact with Tregs, the immune system regulators whose discovery was honored with the Nobel Prize

Researchers are gaining insights into how external factors like air pollutants, diet and medications, and even microbes in the gut interact with regulatory T cells, for better or for worse.

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The Conversation U.S. @us.theconversation.com · 1d

Charlie Kirk’s assassination has led to more attention on the relationship between political rhetoric and political violence.

A constitutional law professor explains how gun proliferation complicates the problem by making political violence much easier to carry out.

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Political violence: What can happen when First Amendment free speech meets Second Amendment gun rights

Political violence, made easier to carry out by the proliferation of guns, harms democracy by shifting the field of political disagreement from debate to aggression.

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The Conversation U.S. @us.theconversation.com · 1d

Trump is freezing $350 million in education grants for Minority-Serving Institutions, including $250 million for Hispanic-Serving Institutions. The move puts federal funding at risk for over 600 colleges serving 1.5 million Hispanic students, according to an ethnic studies scholar.

Trump is cutting funding to universities with large Hispanic student populations – here’s what to know

Hispanic-Serving Institutions enroll over 60% of all Hispanic undergraduates in the US and include large schools like Florida International University.