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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.
donate.theconversation.com/us?utm_campa...
Chavismo has adapted before – but can Venezuela’s leftist ideology become US friendly and survive? buff.ly/w2lku5O
Chavismo has adapted before – but can Venezuela’s leftist ideology become US friendly and survive?
The ideology named after former Venezuelan leader Hugo Chávez became more authoritarian under Nicolás Maduro. Can the country’s new leader steer it back toward democracy?
buff.ly
January 19, 2026 at 6:22 PM
Chavismo has adapted before – but can Venezuela’s leftist ideology become US friendly and survive? buff.ly/w2lku5O
Most Americans actually like wolves, but when researchers reminded people of their political identities, Democrats became more friendly to wolves and Republicans far more opposed. It’s an interesting study in how politics and social identity can fuel partisan polarization. buff.ly/uJSCLOw
Americans generally like wolves − except when we’re reminded of our politics
New research shows how identity-driven assumptions can turn common ground into conflict.
buff.ly
January 19, 2026 at 5:14 PM
Most Americans actually like wolves, but when researchers reminded people of their political identities, Democrats became more friendly to wolves and Republicans far more opposed. It’s an interesting study in how politics and social identity can fuel partisan polarization. buff.ly/uJSCLOw
Do you really need to read to learn… or can you just listen to podcasts and audiobooks?
Neuroscience shows both reading and listening engage your brain, but not in the same way. ⬇️
Neuroscience shows both reading and listening engage your brain, but not in the same way. ⬇️
January 19, 2026 at 4:28 PM
Do you really need to read to learn… or can you just listen to podcasts and audiobooks?
Neuroscience shows both reading and listening engage your brain, but not in the same way. ⬇️
Neuroscience shows both reading and listening engage your brain, but not in the same way. ⬇️
US military has a long history in Greenland, from mining during WWII to a nuclear-powered Army base built into the ice
US military has a long history in Greenland, from mining during WWII to a nuclear-powered Army base built into the ice
History also shows that many of the fanciful engineering ideas for Greenland failed because they misjudged the island’s harsh climate and dynamic ice sheet.
buff.ly
January 19, 2026 at 3:24 PM
US military has a long history in Greenland, from mining during WWII to a nuclear-powered Army base built into the ice
The US Supreme Court will hear two gun rights cases this year – and, if it stays consistent with its precedents, may reject laws that make most shops off-limits to concealed carry, but uphold restrictions on guns for habitual drug users.
Supreme Court likely to reject limits on concealed carry but uphold bans on gun possession by drug users
The high court recognizes a person’s right to self-defense with firearms but has also upheld the government’s power to enforce limits on that right.
buff.ly
January 19, 2026 at 2:14 PM
The US Supreme Court will hear two gun rights cases this year – and, if it stays consistent with its precedents, may reject laws that make most shops off-limits to concealed carry, but uphold restrictions on guns for habitual drug users.
OpenAI says it will start experimenting with putting ads in the free version of ChatGPT.
This could be the start of AI companies data-mining their users the way social media companies do – and taking it a step further.
This could be the start of AI companies data-mining their users the way social media companies do – and taking it a step further.
Could ChatGPT convince you to buy something? Threat of manipulation looms as AI companies gear up to sell ads
AI companies are gearing up to follow the social media model of monetizing their platforms through advertising. The danger for consumers with AI goes beyond data privacy to covert manipulation.
buff.ly
January 19, 2026 at 1:07 PM
OpenAI says it will start experimenting with putting ads in the free version of ChatGPT.
This could be the start of AI companies data-mining their users the way social media companies do – and taking it a step further.
This could be the start of AI companies data-mining their users the way social media companies do – and taking it a step further.
One year in, the Trump administration has rolled back civil rights enforcement wherever it could—removing Smithsonian exhibits, restoring Confederate monuments, and enabling employer discrimination, a law professor explains.
12 ways the Trump administration dismantled civil rights law and the foundations of inclusive democracy in its first year
At its one-year mark, the Trump administration is dismantling the systems that once helped the US move toward a more open and equal democracy.
buff.ly
January 19, 2026 at 12:14 PM
One year in, the Trump administration has rolled back civil rights enforcement wherever it could—removing Smithsonian exhibits, restoring Confederate monuments, and enabling employer discrimination, a law professor explains.
Oceans carry 90% of global trade making them a frontline of geopolitics.
One step forward: the international High Seas Treaty, which goes into effect on Saturday.
buff.ly/eJRPZ1m
#polisky #oceans
One step forward: the international High Seas Treaty, which goes into effect on Saturday.
buff.ly/eJRPZ1m
#polisky #oceans
Global power struggles over the ocean’s finite resources call for creative diplomacy
The expansion of Arctic shipping, scramble for seafloor mining and overfishing are all straining international relationships. But the powers of diplomacy go beyond ocean treaties.
buff.ly
January 19, 2026 at 11:48 AM
Oceans carry 90% of global trade making them a frontline of geopolitics.
One step forward: the international High Seas Treaty, which goes into effect on Saturday.
buff.ly/eJRPZ1m
#polisky #oceans
One step forward: the international High Seas Treaty, which goes into effect on Saturday.
buff.ly/eJRPZ1m
#polisky #oceans
MLK believed civil rights and economic justice were inseparable — and that’s why he pushed for universal basic income: guaranteed cash for everyone to cover basic needs.
buff.ly/7ssoybQ
#MLKDay
buff.ly/7ssoybQ
#MLKDay
Martin Luther King Jr. was ahead of his time in pushing for universal basic income
The policy of providing guaranteed cash incomes has gained momentum in recent years. This tool to tackle inequality has the potential to address racial resentment.
buff.ly
January 19, 2026 at 10:30 AM
MLK believed civil rights and economic justice were inseparable — and that’s why he pushed for universal basic income: guaranteed cash for everyone to cover basic needs.
buff.ly/7ssoybQ
#MLKDay
buff.ly/7ssoybQ
#MLKDay
Raccoons break into liquor stores, scale skyscrapers and pick locks. A behavioral neuroscientist explains what we've been missing about one of the animal kingdom's most underestimated minds. buff.ly/Uxj7boZ
Raccoons break into liquor stores, scale skyscrapers and pick locks – studying their clever brains can clarify human intelligence, too
Trash pandas’ talent for escaping via lab vents may frustrate researchers, but their problem-solving skills make their brains a fascinating area of research.
buff.ly
January 19, 2026 at 9:06 AM
Raccoons break into liquor stores, scale skyscrapers and pick locks. A behavioral neuroscientist explains what we've been missing about one of the animal kingdom's most underestimated minds. buff.ly/Uxj7boZ
A new flu variant, subclade K, is driving record cases, according to an emergency room pediatrician. This strain is hitting children especially hard, with some running fevers above 104° and ending up hospitalized at unusually high rates. buff.ly/8tA3WD0 #Superflu 🩺🧪
New variant of the flu virus is driving surge of cases across the US and Canada
A particularly infectious subvariant of influenza is keeping emergency room numbers high and causing especially severe illness in children.
buff.ly
January 19, 2026 at 7:28 AM
A new flu variant, subclade K, is driving record cases, according to an emergency room pediatrician. This strain is hitting children especially hard, with some running fevers above 104° and ending up hospitalized at unusually high rates. buff.ly/8tA3WD0 #Superflu 🩺🧪
The Trump Administration’s decimation of international aid could result in more than 14 million deaths by 2030, including over 4 million children under 5.
Aid groups are scrambling to find new funding buff.ly/AmcnKcj
Aid groups are scrambling to find new funding buff.ly/AmcnKcj
International aid groups are dealing with the pain of slashed USAID funding by cutting staff, localizing and coordinating better
Doing more with less may not be sustainable for an exhausted workforce over the long term.
buff.ly
January 19, 2026 at 5:35 AM
The Trump Administration’s decimation of international aid could result in more than 14 million deaths by 2030, including over 4 million children under 5.
Aid groups are scrambling to find new funding buff.ly/AmcnKcj
Aid groups are scrambling to find new funding buff.ly/AmcnKcj
American farmers once benefited from an 85-year partnership between agriculture and U.S. foreign policy.
In the first year of the Trump Administration, that all changed. buff.ly/t8yLXm7
In the first year of the Trump Administration, that all changed. buff.ly/t8yLXm7
American farmers, who once fed the world, face a volatile global market with diminishing federal backing
The US government used to have American farmers’ backs, but that support has been dwindling for decades. New subsidies signal big changes for farmers.
buff.ly
January 19, 2026 at 4:48 AM
American farmers once benefited from an 85-year partnership between agriculture and U.S. foreign policy.
In the first year of the Trump Administration, that all changed. buff.ly/t8yLXm7
In the first year of the Trump Administration, that all changed. buff.ly/t8yLXm7
Saint Thecla, a second-century woman, survived being burned at the stake, faced lions and killer seals in an arena, and became an early example of women preaching and baptizing. buff.ly/X5Yhxpw
Thecla, the beast fighter: The saint who faced down lions and killer seals is one of many ‘leading ladies’ in early Christian texts
The Christian apocrypha, texts not included in the Bible, include stories of Jesus’ female followers – including St. Thecla.
buff.ly
January 19, 2026 at 2:28 AM
Saint Thecla, a second-century woman, survived being burned at the stake, faced lions and killer seals in an arena, and became an early example of women preaching and baptizing. buff.ly/X5Yhxpw
Americans check their phones over 140 times daily. And reading comprehension scores are declining.
Pausing for just a few seconds to critically evaluate information can counteract the mental habits that make us susceptible to misinformation, according to a literacy expert. buff.ly/XMSkj6d
Pausing for just a few seconds to critically evaluate information can counteract the mental habits that make us susceptible to misinformation, according to a literacy expert. buff.ly/XMSkj6d
Deep reading can boost your critical thinking and help you resist misinformation – here’s how to build the skill
Reading comprehension scores are tanking, and fewer Americans are picking up books. But practicing deep reading can help you process content more carefully and keep you from falling for…
buff.ly
January 19, 2026 at 12:47 AM
Americans check their phones over 140 times daily. And reading comprehension scores are declining.
Pausing for just a few seconds to critically evaluate information can counteract the mental habits that make us susceptible to misinformation, according to a literacy expert. buff.ly/XMSkj6d
Pausing for just a few seconds to critically evaluate information can counteract the mental habits that make us susceptible to misinformation, according to a literacy expert. buff.ly/XMSkj6d
Before Venezuela’s oil, there were Guatemala’s bananas.
U.S. policy in Latin America has long been shaped by business interests — but rarely with today’s level of openness (thread) ⬇️
buff.ly/NGVFvzB
U.S. policy in Latin America has long been shaped by business interests — but rarely with today’s level of openness (thread) ⬇️
buff.ly/NGVFvzB
Before Venezuela’s oil, there were Guatemala’s bananas
US lawmakers who opposed Guatemala’s democratically elected leaders alleged communist subterfuge. They didn’t mention the United Fruit Company’s complaints before the 1954 coup.
buff.ly
January 18, 2026 at 11:03 PM
Before Venezuela’s oil, there were Guatemala’s bananas.
U.S. policy in Latin America has long been shaped by business interests — but rarely with today’s level of openness (thread) ⬇️
buff.ly/NGVFvzB
U.S. policy in Latin America has long been shaped by business interests — but rarely with today’s level of openness (thread) ⬇️
buff.ly/NGVFvzB
Indigenous communities in the Philippines and Morocco built terraced mountain farms centuries ago to manage rainfall and drought. Those systems offer lessons for living with climate uncertainty today.
buff.ly/LgevSCN
#climatesky
buff.ly/LgevSCN
#climatesky
How mountain terraces have helped Indigenous peoples live with climate uncertainty
As climate extremes intensify, adaptation debates favor new technologies. Terraces in the Philippines and Morocco show how people modified their landscapes to respond to past climate shifts.
buff.ly
January 18, 2026 at 8:48 PM
Indigenous communities in the Philippines and Morocco built terraced mountain farms centuries ago to manage rainfall and drought. Those systems offer lessons for living with climate uncertainty today.
buff.ly/LgevSCN
#climatesky
buff.ly/LgevSCN
#climatesky
China is taxing condoms and birth control to boost births. Demographers say it won’t work: A 13% hike on contraceptives is nothing compared with the $77,000 cost of raising a child — and China’s fertility slide is driven by economics, not access to protection. buff.ly/NdvWcYF
China’s new condom tax will prove no effective barrier to country’s declining fertility rate
The Asian giant is grappling with a dramatic population decline, with a fertility rate of 1.0, well below the 2.1 replacement rate.
buff.ly
January 18, 2026 at 5:14 PM
China is taxing condoms and birth control to boost births. Demographers say it won’t work: A 13% hike on contraceptives is nothing compared with the $77,000 cost of raising a child — and China’s fertility slide is driven by economics, not access to protection. buff.ly/NdvWcYF
From bilingual workshops to comics and podcasts, scientists from marginalized communities are redefining science communication as relationship-building, not just information sharing. buff.ly/nDa1EtR
Science is best communicated through identity and culture – how researchers are ensuring STEM serves their communities
Scientists have traditionally focused on educating the public on science or correcting misinformation. But researchers from marginalized communities often have broader goals in science communication.
buff.ly
January 18, 2026 at 3:24 PM
From bilingual workshops to comics and podcasts, scientists from marginalized communities are redefining science communication as relationship-building, not just information sharing. buff.ly/nDa1EtR
Most Americans actually like wolves, but when researchers reminded people of their political identities, Democrats became more friendly to wolves and Republicans far more opposed. It’s an interesting study in how politics and social identity can fuel partisan polarization. buff.ly/uJSCLOw
Americans generally like wolves − except when we’re reminded of our politics
New research shows how identity-driven assumptions can turn common ground into conflict.
buff.ly
January 18, 2026 at 1:07 PM
Most Americans actually like wolves, but when researchers reminded people of their political identities, Democrats became more friendly to wolves and Republicans far more opposed. It’s an interesting study in how politics and social identity can fuel partisan polarization. buff.ly/uJSCLOw
US military has a long history in Greenland, from mining during WWII to a nuclear-powered Army base built into the ice
US military has a long history in Greenland, from mining during WWII to a nuclear-powered Army base built into the ice
History also shows that many of the fanciful engineering ideas for Greenland failed because they misjudged the island’s harsh climate and dynamic ice sheet.
buff.ly
January 18, 2026 at 12:14 PM
US military has a long history in Greenland, from mining during WWII to a nuclear-powered Army base built into the ice
The US Supreme Court will hear two gun rights cases this year – and, if it stays consistent with its precedents, may reject laws that make most shops off-limits to concealed carry, but uphold restrictions on guns for habitual drug users. buff.ly/FgdkYs0
Supreme Court likely to reject limits on concealed carry but uphold bans on gun possession by drug users
The high court recognizes a person’s right to self-defense with firearms but has also upheld the government’s power to enforce limits on that right.
buff.ly
January 18, 2026 at 9:06 AM
The US Supreme Court will hear two gun rights cases this year – and, if it stays consistent with its precedents, may reject laws that make most shops off-limits to concealed carry, but uphold restrictions on guns for habitual drug users. buff.ly/FgdkYs0
OpenAI says it will start experimenting with putting ads in the free version of ChatGPT.
This could be the start of AI companies data-mining their users the way social media companies do – and taking it a step further. buff.ly/q6d0qMq
This could be the start of AI companies data-mining their users the way social media companies do – and taking it a step further. buff.ly/q6d0qMq
Could ChatGPT convince you to buy something? Threat of manipulation looms as AI companies gear up to sell ads
AI companies are gearing up to follow the social media model of monetizing their platforms through advertising. The danger for consumers with AI goes beyond data privacy to covert manipulation.
theconversation.com
January 18, 2026 at 5:35 AM
OpenAI says it will start experimenting with putting ads in the free version of ChatGPT.
This could be the start of AI companies data-mining their users the way social media companies do – and taking it a step further. buff.ly/q6d0qMq
This could be the start of AI companies data-mining their users the way social media companies do – and taking it a step further. buff.ly/q6d0qMq
One year in, the Trump administration has rolled back civil rights enforcement wherever it could—removing Smithsonian exhibits, restoring Confederate monuments, and enabling employer discrimination, a law professor explains. buff.ly/UJJFsI9
12 ways the Trump administration dismantled civil rights law and the foundations of inclusive democracy in its first year
At its one-year mark, the Trump administration is dismantling the systems that once helped the US move toward a more open and equal democracy.
theconversation.com
January 18, 2026 at 4:48 AM
One year in, the Trump administration has rolled back civil rights enforcement wherever it could—removing Smithsonian exhibits, restoring Confederate monuments, and enabling employer discrimination, a law professor explains. buff.ly/UJJFsI9
Supreme Court is set to rule on constitutionality of Trump tariffs – but not their wisdom
Supreme Court is set to rule on constitutionality of Trump tariffs – but not their wisdom
Justices are currently looking at whether Trump’s tariffs are constitutional. But that ruling won’t shed any light on whether they are wise.
buff.ly
January 18, 2026 at 2:57 AM
Supreme Court is set to rule on constitutionality of Trump tariffs – but not their wisdom