The forgotten history of Memorial Day
Preparing to decorate graves, May 1899Library of CongressIn the years following the bitter Civil War, a former Union general took a holiday originated by former Confederates and helped spread it acros...
How Christian media is shaping American politics
President Donald Trump with televangelist Rev. Pat Robertson.AP Photo/Steve HelberFor Americans growing up between the 1950s and the 1980s, religion was not a regular presence on television. Aside fro...
Why the Catholic church is 'hemorrhaging' priests
Priests are Catholicism’s greatest figures: shepherds who manage believers’ relationship with the divine. But, as Pope Francis recently acknolwedged, their numbers are dwindling. In fact, ...
Informants aren't spies – they're essential FBI tools
The FBI Building in Washington, DCAPPresident Donald Trump tweeted this week that he would order the Department of Justice to investigate whether the FBI, under President Barack Obama, had “infi...
How one 'Rosie the Riveter' poster won out over all the others and became a symbol of female empowerment
During the war, the poster on the left, painted by J. Howard Miller, was only on display for only two weeks. Norman Rockwell's, on the other hand, was seen by millions.Nick Lehr/The ConversationSevent...
Self-cloning Asian tick causing worry in New Jersey
The female longhorned tick, _Haemaphysalis longicornis_, crawling on a leaf.Jim Occi, Rutgers Center for Vector Biology, CC BY-NC-NDNew Jersey has a new visitor, and it’s not welcome.No one is q...
Bendable concrete, with a design inspired by seashells, can make US infrastructure safer and more durable
Fractured concrete pavement slabs on a street in Canton, Mich.Victor Li, CC BY-NDSpring construction season is underway, and many tons of concrete wil…
New migraine drug: A neurologist explains how it works
Pain from migraine headaches is a major cause of disability. A new drug could prevent them, in some cases.R. Nial Bradshaw/Flickr, CC BY-SAThe FDA ann…
A brief history of American winemaking
A cellar worker steams American oak wine barrels before their use at Silver Oak Cellars in Oakville, Calif. AP Photo/Eric RisbergThe American love af…
Why we hate making financial decisions – and what to do about it
Financial decisions can be a real maze. Andrii Vodolazhskyi/Shutterstock.comThe advice to use your head, not your heart, might not be helpful after al…
What's wrong with secret donor agreements like the ones George Mason University inked with the Kochs
Students and faculty members have protested arrangements GMU made with donors.AP Photo/Matt BarakatGeorge Mason University President Ángel Cabr…
Federal judge rules Trump's Twitter account is a public forum
The president uses his Twitter feed to make official announcements.AP Photo/J. David AkeA federal judge in New York has ruled that President Donald Tr…
Peer rejection isn't the culprit behind school shootings
Peer rejection is common among school shooters, but does that explain their actions?Sabphoto/www.shutterstock.omWhenever a school shooting takes place…
Venezuela is now a dictatorship
Fewer than half of Venezuela’s registered voters participated in the South American country’s May 20 election, punishing a government they…
Some Sunnis voted for a Shiite – and 3 more takeaways from the Iraqi election
An Iraqi woman shows her ink-stained finger after voting in the first national election since the declaration of victory over the Islamic State group…
Why medicine leads the professions in suicide, and what we can do about it
Suicide is more prevalent among doctors than any other profession. Burnout could be a reason.Iuri Silvestre/Shutterstock.comEarlier this month, one of…
Women's higher education was pioneered by evangelical Christian leaders
Evangelical Christian educator, Paige Patterson.AP Photo/Erik S. Lesser, FileSouthern Baptist Convention leader Paige Patterson was asked to step down…
Would Rachel Carson eat organic?
'Silent Spring' author Rachel Carson testifies before a Senate Government Operations Subcommittee in Washington, D.C. on June 4, 1963. Carson urged Co…
What's in your genome? Parents-to-be want to know
By In The Light Photography/shutterstock.comEvery parent-to-be wants a healthy baby. And, when offered an opportunity, most couples want to know whic…
How 'media snacks' – from HQ Trivia to Candy Crush – are transforming the workplace
A quick distraction is at our fingertips – and app developers know it. JrCasas/Shutterstock.comWhen Snow White sang “Whistle While You Wor…
Could protest curb school violence? Lessons from the opt-out movement
Students walk out of school in March 2018 as part of a nationwide protest against gun violence.Lynne Sladky/APIn the wake of the Santa Fe, Texas, scho…
Personality tests with deep-sounding questions provide shallow answers about the 'true' you
A quirky quiz probably isn't going to tell you much about your innermost essence.StunningArt/Shutterstock.comHave you ever clicked on a link like &ldq…
How Stacey Abrams' 'black girl magic' turned Georgia a bit more blue
Abrams savors her victory.AP Photo/John BazemoreOn May 22, 2018, Stacey Abrams, an African-American, 44-year-old former attorney, Georgia General Asse…
Wall Street regulations need a facelift, not a minor Dodd-Frank makeover
Wall Street needs a new face.AP Photo/Frank Franklin IIRepublicans finally managed to roll back some of the Wall Street regulations passed by Congress…
What are these 'levels' of autonomous vehicles?
What can this car do on its own, and what does it still need human help with?AP Photo/Gene J. PuskarAs automated and autonomous vehicles become more c…
The right-wing origins of the Jerusalem soccer team that wants to add 'Trump' to its name
Throughout its storied history, the Beitar Jerusalem soccer team has won 13 state titles.AP Photo/Ariel SchalitIn a nod of appreciation to Donald Trum…
As more solar and wind come onto the grid, prices go down but new questions come up
Solar lowers prices and shifts when daily peak demand hours are.Duke Energy, CC BY-NC-NDWind and solar energy are growing rapidly in the U.S. As these…
