The Conversation

Happy Sunday − and welcome to the best of The Conversation U.S. Here are a few of our recently published stories:

In recent years, I’ve struggled to get back into the running routine I used to follow religiously. I tend to blame a lack of discipline – clearly the problem is my failure to push myself to lace up my shoes and hit the road, right? An article we published last week suggested another cause: a lack of stillness. That is, maybe the missing ingredient to reclaiming my exercise goals is mindfulness.

“Research shows that mindfulness meditation can help facilitate this pursuit of health goals through stillness, and that getting started is easier than you might think – no Buddhist monk robes or silent retreats required,” writes Masha Remskar, a psychologist and behavioral scientist at Arizona State University who studies ways to help people live healthier lives.

In her article, which also got high marks from many other readers, Remskar explains why mindfulness helps you get and stay healthy, and how to squeeze it into your daily routine.

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Bryan Keogh

Managing Editor

Readers' picks

Mindfulness won’t burn calories, but it might help you stick with your health goals

Masha Remskar, Arizona State University

A growing body of research suggests that mindfulness has applications well beyond mental health, and that people who meditate are more likely to fulfill their health goals.

NASA will say goodbye to the International Space Station in 2030 − and welcome in the age of commercial space stations

John M. Horack, The Ohio State University

The International Space Station has hosted astronauts and spacefarers continually for 25 years.

More Americans meet criteria for high blood pressure under new guidelines

William Cornwell, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus

The new guidelines, updated for the first time since 2017, lower the threshold for hypertension treatment and offer a more personalized approach.

US touts collaborative plan to tackle Mexico’s drug cartels – but initiative is met with denial and mistrust south of the border

Aileen Teague, Texas A&M University

President Claudia Sheinbaum walks a fine line between appeasing Washington and not alienating voters at home.

Detroit’s Gordie Howe bridge is poised to open as truck traffic between US-Canada slows – low-income residents are deciding whether to stay or go

Paul Draus, University of Michigan-Dearborn

As the immense bridge was built, the neighborhood of Delray lost residents and landmarks.

Editors' picks

Trump’s targeting of ‘enemies’ like James Comey echoes FBI’s dark history of mass surveillance, dirty tricks and perversion of justice under J. Edgar Hoover

Betty Medsger, San Francisco State University

Donald Trump has a partisan ally running the FBI. He’s urged retribution against his perceived enemies. Will today’s FBI repeat the vast, unconstitutional persecutions of the J. Edgar Hoover era?

Even a brief government shutdown might hamper morale, raise costs and reduce long-term efficiency in the federal workforce

Gonzalo Maturana, Emory University; Andrew Teodorescu, Stanford University; Christoph Herpfer, University of Virginia

A study of the 2013 shutdown that lasted 16 days revealed long-term negative effects on federal workers and led to weakened government performance.

UK, France and other Western nations recognize Palestinian state ahead of UN meetings – but symbolic action won’t make statehood happen

Maha Nassar, University of Arizona

The majority of UN members already recognize a Palestinian state. Some prominent Western states are following suit – but to what end?

Hobbits of Flores evolved to be small by slowing down growth during childhood, new research on teeth and brain size suggests

Tesla Monson, Western Washington University; Andrew Weitz, Western Washington University

New research on the size relationship between brains and wisdom teeth suggests that bigger brains aren’t necessarily the driving force in human evolution.

How the First Amendment protects Americans’ speech − and how it does not

Ray Brescia, Albany Law School

Free speech is not absolute, nor does the Constitution protect only speech Americans like.

News Quiz 🧠

  • The Conversation U.S. weekly news quiz

    Fritz Holznagel, The Conversation

    Test your knowledge with a weekly quiz drawn from some of our favorite stories. Questions this week on Argentina, TikTok's fate and stuffed animals.