GOP shutdown threat is the wrong way to win a budget war − history shows a better strategy for reducing the deficit

Raymond Scheppach, University of Virginia

Shutting down the government won’t help reduce the deficit. Here’s what would.

Just 3 Nobel Prizes cover all of science – how research is done today poses a challenge for these prestigious awards

Jeffrey I. Seeman, University of Richmond

The Nobel Prize categories were set up more than a century ago. Since then, science has grown and evolved in unpredictable ways.

AI disinformation is a threat to elections − learning to spot Russian, Chinese and Iranian meddling in other countries can help the US prepare for 2024

Bruce Schneier, Harvard Kennedy School

ChatGPT and its ilk give propagandists and intelligence agents a powerful new tool for interfering in politics. The clock is ticking on learning to spot this disinformation before the 2024 election.

Supreme Court supermajority will clarify its constitutional revolution this year, deciding cases on guns and regulations

Morgan Marietta, University of Texas at Arlington

The Supreme Court in recent terms has upended the interpretation of core laws. This term, the justices will decide just how far this revolution goes.

Shutdowns are a uniquely American drama − in the UK, it’s just not Parliament’s cup of tea

Garret Martin, American University School of International Service

With the US government seemingly heading toward a potentially painful federal shutdown, a scholar explains why such events never occur in the UK.

US Supreme Court refuses to hear Alabama’s request to keep separate and unequal political districts

Henry L. Chambers Jr., University of Richmond

Since 2020, Alabama lawmakers have failed to draw political districts that give Black voters an equal chance of selecting political candidates that represent their interests.

Lessons for today from the overlooked stories of Black teachers during the segregated civil rights era

Marlee Bunch, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

During the civil rights era, Black teachers were valued members of the community and often taught generations of family members.

The ‘Barbie’ and ‘Star Wars’ universes are entertaining, but they also unexpectedly can help people understand why revolutions happen

Michael A. Allen, Boise State University; Julie VanDusky-Allen, Boise State University

Before a revolution can take place, the oppressed first have to recognize that they actually do not have many rights.

The fight for 2% − how residuals became a sticking point for striking actors

David Arditi, University of Texas at Arlington

Studios say the number is unrealistic − that it amounts to actors not assuming any financial risk for content that flops. But actors simply want to adapt existing payout models to changing technology.

Sci-fi books are rare in school even though they help kids better understand science

Emily Midkiff, University of North Dakota

Despite their scarcity, science fiction books are highly sought after by elementary school students.

From pests to pollutants, keeping schools healthy and clean is no simple task

Janet Hurley, Texas A&M University

For students to learn in a safe, healthy environment, school administrators must deal with a myriad of potential environmental contaminants, from allergens to cockroaches.

French schools’ ban on abayas and headscarves is supposedly about secularism − but it sends a powerful message about who ‘belongs’ in French culture

Carol Ferrara, Emerson College

Catholicism, ‘Frenchness’ and secularism are often conflated in French culture, a scholar writes, while non-Christian traditions are viewed with suspicion.

Spyware can infect your phone or computer via the ads you see online – report

The complex chemistry behind America’s spirit – how bourbon gets its distinctive taste and color

This Christian text you’ve never heard of, The Shepherd of Hermas, barely mentions Jesus − but it was a favorite of early Christians far and wide