The mere inclusion of abbreviations, although seemingly benign, start feeling like a brush-off. In other words, whenever a texter chops words down to their bare consonants, recipients sense a lack of effort, which causes them to disengage. It’s a subtle but pervasive phenomenon that most people don’t intuit.
The Conversation
Threatening Diversity Threatens Growth
Dramatic shifts in US policies on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) carry deep economic consequences. Beyond the immediate harm to trans individuals, these policies pose threats to multinational companies that have long defended inclusive workplace values. Their leaders must now navigate a cultural minefield where staying silent risks public backlash, while openly supporting trans employees can invite legal and political complications. The business repercussions of this moral issue could affect everything from brand reputation to talent retention.
Getting to Know Pope Leo XIV
Pope Leo XIV’s choice of a papal name could indicate a point of view. Pope Leo XIII wrote a groundbreaking encyclical in 1891, “Rerum Novarum,” subtitled “On Dignity and Labor.” In this he stressed the rights of workers to unionize and criticized the conditions in which they worked and lived. He also championed other rights the ordinary worker deserved from their bosses and from their government.
The African Penguin May Be Extinct by 2035
In October, the African penguin became the first penguin species in the world to be listed as critically endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. This is a sad record for Africa’s only penguin, and means it is now just one step away from extinction.
Tariffs, Trade Wars and the Great Depression’s Lessons
The 1930s witnessed not only an economic crisis, but also a transformation of the international system fuelled, in part, by misguided political and trade decisions. This historical lesson, as the current case of Trump’s tariffs demonstrates, continues to be ignored by leaders who prioritise short-term populist measures over global economic stability.
If Approved, Religious Charter Schools Will Shift Yet More Money from Traditional Public Schools
The U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments on April 30, 2025, in what could be the most consequential case for public education since the court started requiring schools to desegregate in the years following Brown v. Board of Education. If the court allows churches to operate religious charter schools, the public education system, as Americans know it, will take on an entirely new face and set of financial challenges.
How Trans People Affirmed Their Gender in Medieval Europe
Restrictions on medical care for transgender youth assume that without the ability to medically transition, trans people will vanish. History, however, shows that withholding health care does not make transgender people go away. Scholarship of medieval literature and historical records reveals how transgender people transitioned even without a robust medical system – instead, they changed their clothes, name and social position.
How Groupthink Creates Intolerance
People struggle to express tolerance for different moral values – for instance, about sexual orientation, helping the poor, being a stay-at-home mother and so on. In study after study, people are less willing to help, share with, date, be roommates with and even work for people who have different moral values. Even children and adolescents express more willingness to shun and punish moral transgressors than people who do something personally obnoxious or offensive but not immoral.
Rising Electricity Demand Could Bring Three Mile Island Back to Life
Three Mile Island was the site in 1979 of a partial meltdown at the plant’s Unit 2 reactor. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission calls this event “the most serious accident in U.S. commercial nuclear power plant operating history,” although only small amounts of radiation were released, and no health effects on plant workers or the public were detected. Unit 1 was not affected by the accident. University of Michigan nuclear engineering professor Todd Allen explains what restarting Unit 1 will involve, and why some other shuttered nuclear plants may also get new leases on life.
Social Security Could Run Short on Funds Within a Decade
Under current law, when the trust fund is empty, Social Security can pay benefits only from dedicated tax revenues, which would, by that point, cover only about 79% of promised benefits. Another way to say this is that when that trust fund is depleted, the people who rely on Social Security for some or the bulk of their income would see a sudden 21% cut in their monthly checks in 2036.
Jesse Helms’s Children: The Renewed Push To Defund PBS and NPR
The Republican Party’s long-standing goal of ending federal funding for NPR, the nation’s public radio network, and PBS, its television counterpart, may be near. Across the country, 1,500 independent stations affiliated with NPR and PBS air shows such as “Morning Edition,” “Marketplace,” “PBS NewsHour,” “Frontline” and “Nova.” Some 43 million people tune into public radio every week, and over 130 million watch PBS every year, according to the networks.
How Probation Fuels Mass Incarceration
On any given day, 1.9 million people are incarcerated in more than 6,000 federal, state and local facilities. Another 3.7 million remain under what scholars call “correctional control” through probation or parole supervision. That means one out of every 60 Americans is entangled in the system — one of the highest rates globally. Yet despite its vast reach, the criminal justice system often fails at its most basic goal: preventing people from being rearrested, reconvicted or reincarcerated.
Politically Motivated Deportations from the Chinese Exclusion Act to Pro-Palestinian Activists
The recent deportation orders targeting foreign students in the U.S. have prompted a heated debate about the legality of these actions, especially as many individuals were facing removal because of their pro-Palestinian advocacy. The current removal orders targeting student activists echo America’s long and lamentable past of jailing and expelling immigrants because of their race or what they say or believe – or all three.
Mark Carney and Canada’s Game-Changing Election
Canada’s 2025 federal election will be remembered as a game-changer. Liberal Leader Mark Carney pulled off a dramatic reversal of political fortunes after convincing voters he was the best candidate to fight annexation threats from the United States. Canadians gave the Liberals their fourth mandate since 2015, although the race against the Conservatives was much closer than polls predicted. Nonetheless, only four months ago, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre had a 25-point lead in public opinion polls and a fairly secure path to victory.
Trump Dictates Press Coverage. His Model: Hungary’s Viktor Orbán
In his first 100 days, Trump asserted new control over the press, starting with those who cover him daily. In February 2025, his administration barred The Associated Press from the Oval Office for using “Gulf of Mexico” rather than adopting the president’s newly named “Gulf of America.”
100 Years of Art Deco
On 28 April 1925, the International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts opened in Paris. It was a landmark event in the evolution of art, architecture and design, and aroused great interest both for the works on display and for their impact.
How Florida Went from Swing State to Solid Republican
Florida has undergone a dramatic political transformation over the past decade from a swing state to Republican stronghold. In 2012, there were almost 1.5 million more registered Democratic voters than Republicans in Florida. In 2020, Democrats’ advantage dropped to about 97,000. And by September 2024, there were almost 1 million more registered Republicans than Democrats.
The Government Is Repurposing Your Data To Spy On You
Data that people provide to U.S. government agencies for public services such as tax filing, health care enrollment, unemployment assistance and education support is increasingly being redirected toward surveillance and law enforcement.
Social Media Before Bedtime Wreaks Havoc on Our Sleep
Poor sleep isn’t just about feeling tired − it’s linked to worsened mental health, emotion regulation, memory, academic performance and even increased risk for chronic illness and early mortality. At the same time, social media is nearly universal among young adults, with 84% using at least one platform daily. While research has long focused on screen time as the culprit for poor sleep, growing evidence suggests that how often people check social media − and how emotionally engaged they are − matters even more than how long they spend online.
Relatively Low Fluoride Levels May Affect Intelligence in Children
A new study found that relatively low exposure to fluoride during the foetal stage (as a result of the mother’s exposure to fluoride) or in the child’s early years may affect their intelligence.
Would Branson-Type Shows at the Kennedy Center Be Such a Bad Thing?
Rather than ridiculing the president’s taste, responses to the takeover would be better placed focusing on more fundamental questions about the role of the U.S. government in the nation’s artistic life. How can a national arts institution best reflect the country’s diverse range of people and interests? Prior to Trump, how well was the Kennedy Center doing at that?
How Pope Francis Mattered
Francis had served as pope for 12 eventful years, after being elected on March 13, 2013 after the surprise resignation of Benedict XVI. Prior to becoming pope, he was Jorge Mario Bergoglio, archbishop of Buenos Aires, and was the first person from the Americas to be elected to the papacy. He was also the first pope to choose Francis as his name, thus honoring St. Francis of Assisi, a 13th-century mystic whose love for nature and the poor have inspired Catholics and non-Catholics alike.
The Law Behind National Monuments’ Creation–and Elimination
One of the new administration’s early orders was for the Department of Interior to review all national monuments for potential oil and gas drilling and mining. At least two national monuments that President Joe Biden created in California are among the new administration’s targets. The avenue for many of these changes is rooted in one century-old law, the Antiquities Act of 1906, signed into law by President Theodore Roosevelt.
The Threat of Deep-Sea Mining
Deep-sea mining can pose a danger to what lives above it, in the midwater ecosystem. If future deep-sea mining operations release sediment plumes into the water column, as proposed, the debris could interfere with animals’ feeding, disrupt food webs and alter animals’ behaviors.
Studying Hooters’ Servers
Declining sales, rising costs and a large debt burden of approximately US$300 million have threatened Hooters’ long-term outlook. A researcher looked into breastaurants and the toll they take on servers. Here are her findings.
How ‘Doge’ Is Eliminating Government Accountability
Mass layoffs at the Department of Health and Human Services are continuing as the agency makes good on its intention, announced on March 27, 2025, to shrink its workforce by 20,000 people. Among workers dismissed in early April were several teams responsible for fulfilling requests for access to previously unreleased government data, information and records under a federal law known as the Freedom of Information Act, or FOIA.
Secular Americans Are Changing the Political Landscape
After climbing for decades, the percentage of Americans with no religion has leveled off. For the past few years, the share of adults who identify as atheist, agnostic or “nothing in particular” has stood at about 29%, according to a major study the Pew Research Center released Feb. 26, 2025. But this hardly means that the “nones,” or their impact on American life, are going away. In fact, their sheer size makes it likely that they will increase in political prominence.
Mario Vargas Llosa the Great
The death of Peruvian author Mario Vargas Llosa (Arequipa, 1936 – Lima, 2025) marks the end of a Golden Age of Latin American literature. Just as there will not be another generation in Spain like that of Cervantes, Lope de Vega, Calderón de la Barca, Tirso de Molina, Góngora and Quevedo, in America there will not be another like that of Vargas Llosa, Gabriel García Márquez, Julio Cortázar, César Vallejo, Pablo Neruda, Jorge Luis Borges, Alejo Carpentier and Carlos Fuentes.
How Could FIFA Award Saudi Arabia 2034 World Cup?
FIFA officially awarded Saudi Arabia the 2034 World Cup. The Gulf Kingdom was the sole bidder. Human rights groups, though, have widely condemned FIFA’s decision – Human Rights Watch warned that there is “a near certainty the 2034 World Cup […] will be stained with pervasive rights violations.”
Supreme Court’s Order to Return Wrongly Deported Man: Rule of Law Matters
The Supreme Court has now said the order to facilitate Abrego García’s return is proper. But the high court also said the district court judge should further clarify its order, being mindful of the president’s authority when it comes to conducting foreign relations. The Salvadoran government seems to be imprisoning Abrego García at the request of the U.S. government.
Foreign Accents Shape the Way We Interact
Foreign accents can have a big impact on the way we interpret meaning. In our increasingly globalised world, foreign accents are an inevitable part of communication, but studies suggest they can create barriers, not just in comprehension but also in perception of the speaker and social interaction.
Universities In Nazi Germany And The Soviet Union Thought Giving In To Government Demands Would Save Their Independence
Across the United States, many universities are dismantling DEI initiatives – closing and rebranding offices, eliminating positions, revising training programs and sanitizing diversity statements – while professors are preemptively self-censoring. While some universities may believe that compliance with the administration will protect their funding and independence, a few historical parallels suggest otherwise.
Tariffs Will Not Bring Back the Glory Days of Manufacturing
There is a broad fetishisation of manufacturing in many countries. One theory is that it is potentially ingrained in human thinking by pre-historic experiences of finding food, fuel and shelter dominating all other activities. But for Trump, the thinking is likely related to a combination of nostalgia for a bygone (somewhat imagined) age of manufacturing, and concern over the loss of quality jobs that provide a solid standard of living for blue collar workers – a core part of his political base.
From Greenland to Fort Bragg, Place Names as Political Tools
Place names are more than just labels on a map. They influence how people learn about the world around them and perceive their place in it. Names can send messages and suggest what is and isn’t valued in society. And the way that they are changed over time can signal cultural shifts.
Israelis Are Calling for Genocide of Palestinians with Impunity
Thirty years ago in Israel, advocating for genocide could land you in prison. Not anymore. Israeli clerics and officials are openly calling for the systematic massacre of Palestinians–genocide–in Gaza. The Israeli legal system is ignoring the rhetoric.
NIH Funding Cuts Will Hit Red States and the Poor Hardest
NIH cuts will be detrimental to the entire country. But they will disproportionately hurt states that traditionally have received very low levels of NIH funding, the majority of which are red states. This is because such states lack resources to develop advanced research infrastructure necessary to compete nationally for NIH funding.
Florida Could Target 341,000 Haitian and Venezuelan Migrants for Expulsion
Florida leads the nation in the number of immigrants with Temporary Protected Status, or TPS. Of those, 59% are Venezuelan and 35% are Haitian. Homeland Security Director Kristi Noem issued a termination notice that canceled TPS for Venezuelan recipients as of April 7. Then a judge intervened. But the judge’s order doesn’t stop the expulsion of Haitians.
Cory Booker’s Challenge
The Democrats have been under intense pressure to find an effective way to challenge US President Donald Trump without control of either chamber of Congress or a de facto opposition leader. They may have just found one in New Jersey Senator Cory Booker.
How Tariffs Wreck Trust in the United States
What’s really at stake in the sweeping tariffs just imposed on American allies and other countries is trust – America’s long-standing reputation as a stable and predictable destination for global investment. And once that trust is lost, it’s incredibly hard to win back.
A Presidential Order Manipulates U.S. History Through the Smithsonian
Of course, history is contested. There will always be a variety of views about what should be included and excluded from America’s story. But most recent debates center on how much attention should be given to the history of the nation’s accomplishments over its darker chapters. The Smithsonian, as a national institution that receives most of its funds from the federal government, has sometimes found itself in the crosshairs.
Presidential Term Limits Are There for a Reason
No one is supposed to serve more than two full terms as president, according to the 22nd Amendment. The only way someone can serve more than two terms is if they served less than two years in a previous term in which they weren’t elected president. It is worth understanding why the two-term tradition was considered so important that it was turned into constitutional law the first time it was violated.
Marine Le Pen’s Familiar Victim Narrative
Marine Le Pen, figurehead of France’s Rassemblement National (RN), one of the most established far-right parties in Europe, has been found guilty of embezzling funds from the European parliament. Le Pen is highly unlikely to be able to stand as a candidate in the next presidential election in 2027.
That Time Change Affects Your Body and Mind Longer Than You Realize
Your biological internal clock is controlled in a small region of the brain called the hypothalamus. It regulates hormone release, body temperature and metabolism. So if your circadian rhythm is out of kilter, those things will be disrupted too.
Ukraine’s Minerals Explained
Ukraine is often recognised for its vast agricultural lands and industrial heritage, but beneath its surface lies one of the world’s most remarkable geological formations, the “Ukrainian Shield”. These geological processes created favourable geological conditions for forming several mineral deposits including lithium, graphite, manganese, titanium and rare earth elements. All these are now critical for modern industries and the global green energy transition.
Freedom of Expression, the Extreme Right’s New Totem
Won with great difficulty by citizens against the powers of the State and the Church in the 18th century, freedom of expression is now brandished like a totem by the bosses of social networks and by the extreme right.
The Heritage Foundation’s Long War Against the Education Department
The Heritage Foundation first called for limiting the federal role in education in 1981. That’s when it issued its first Mandate for Leadership, a book offering conservative policy recommendations. It renewed the call in its Project 2025, a conservative political initiative to revamp the federal government.
Bezos’s Washington Post About Face
Journalists report news to inform the public, while editors and opinion writers analyze and explain news, putting facts into a larger context to aid understanding. Jeff Bezos is throwing that model of journalism out. Opinion and analysis in the Post will limit itself to one particular apparently libertarian viewpoint: what Bezos calls personal liberties and free markets.
What You Should Know About What TikTok Calls News
Here are three crucial things to know about news you get on TikTok: What videos count as news, how they got to you, and what you should do when you see them. These are three of what media researchers know as the “5 C’s” of news literacy: content, circulation and consumption. While they can be applied to any kind of news use, they are especially important for TikTok, where anyone can create content, and the algorithm decides what we see.
Americans Still Believe They Live in a Compassionate Country
A new study on the state of compassion in America by the Muhammad Ali Center, which the late boxer co-founded 20 years ago in Louisville, Kentucky, to advance social justice, found that the desire to help others still animates many Americans despite the nation’s current polarization and divisive politics. Cities with high compassion scores have more community engagement and civic participation than those with low scores.
The Hidden Epidemic of Violence Against Nurses
An alarming 8 in 10 nurses face violence at work. As a result, health care workers are more than four times as likely to be injured by workplace violence than workers in all other industries combined. Despite these staggering numbers, the full extent of this epidemic may not be fully understood because nurses and other health care workers chronically underreport violent encounters.