White House in turmoil shows why Trump’s no CEO
He campaigned on the notion that his business experience would equip him to 'make America great again,' but running a family company is poor training for the presidency.
Academic rigor, journalistic flair
CEO in White House?
Analysis and Comment
Could your Fitbit data be used to deny you health insurance?
Soon, wearable fitness devices will be able to diagnose diseases. Could that lead insurers to deny coverage to people based on their data alone?
Russia, Trump and the 2016 election: What’s the best way for Congress to investigate?
Research on more than 50 government investigations reveals how partisanship can get in the way of finding answers we all agree on.
What makes a mountain, hill or prairie a ‘sacred’ place for Native Americans?
Pope Francis appears to have defended Native American protests on the North Dakota pipeline issue. Indigenous cultures have a right to defend 'their ancestral relationship to the Earth,' he said.
Trump’s moves on the Dakota Access Pipeline portend more clashes with states
A new federalism? Trump's decision to green-light the Dakota Access Pipeline and early battles with states show a disregard for the sovereignty of domestic government bodies.
Who counts as black?
With the number of multiracial Americans growing, there's a fierce debate in the black community over who's black – and who isn't.
How robots could help chronically ill kids attend school
Students with chronic illness often get only a few hours of education a week. Telepresence robots could let them participate fully in classroom and school activities.
Are fossil fuel companies telling investors enough about the risks of climate change?
The Trump administration may reverse a recent push to require oil companies to disclose more information about climate change risks to investors. Is that a good thing?
Five lessons Trump could learn from Lincoln
The most hated president in US history could teach our new leader a new things.
Netanyahu’s meeting with Trump: Good for Israeli-Palestinian peace?
Israeli settlements are one main reason many observers are increasingly pessimistic about the prospects for peace between Israel and the Palestinians. Can Trump break through?
Galapagos giant tortoises make a comeback, thanks to innovative conservation strategies
The Galapagos Islands' giant tortoises are one of the world's best examples of evolution. Scientists are pioneering new conservation strategies to save them from extinction and restore their habitat.
Personalized medicine may do more to treat rather than prevent chronic diseases
Although genomics research has the potential to revolutionize medicine, it has limitations. It may not do much to prevent many of the leading causes of death.
Why you should know about the New Thought movement
A 19th-century movement, New Thought, came to a have deep influence on the prosperity gospel - that faith could lead one to health and material wealth. What does it tell us about Trump's faith?
Combatting stereotypes: How to talk to your children
For young children, how we speak is often more important than what we say. Even 'positive' generalizations can lead children to adopt negative stereotypes.
Did Abraham Lincoln’s bromance alter the course of American history?
Would Abraham Lincoln ever have become president if he didn't stumble into a dry goods store in Springfield, Illinois, and strike up a friendship with its owner, Joshua Speed?
Why America needs Marvel superhero Kamala Khan now more than ever
The Marvel superhero directly confronts a 'war on terror culture' that regards Muslim-Americans as threats.
America’s always had black inventors – even when the patent system explicitly excluded them
American slaves couldn't hold property – including patents on their own inventions. But that didn't stop black Americans from innovating since the beginning of the country's history.
Will blazing a low-carbon path pay off for California?
California has set ambitious goals for cutting carbon emissions and shifting to a clean energy economy. How will this strategy affect the state's huge economy? An economist weighs the evidence.
Trump’s border plan for Canada? So far, not a wall
Can Canada manage to keep up trade while also meeting US expectations for a safe border?
How best to prepare for epidemics? Strengthen primary care
We need to take a close look at how primary care systems function in places at great risk of epidemic disease, and what we can do to make these systems more resilient.
Think you’re not having enough sex? Try being a senior in assisted living
While it may be a surprise for some, seniors still enjoy sex. But assisted living facilities may work to keep the older lovers apart in an effort to protect them.
Four ways to stay mentally fit if you’re struggling with the political climate
Millions took to protests after Donald Trump was elected, but others took to therapists' offices. Read why the election was harder on some than others, and things you can do to take care of yourself.
Why you should donate your data (as well as your organs) when you die
When Trump’s tweets are angry, the mood of his followers darkens
What Plato can teach you about finding a soulmate
Recovering from disasters: Social networks matter more than bottled water and batteries
Why Tinder is so ‘evilly satisfying’
Trump wants to change Medicaid funding; could his ideas work?
Travel ban
Refugees: Is there room for a middle ground?
Data since 1950s show Americans have always been wary of refugees. A public opinion expert explains current attitudes toward Syrian refugees and what it means for building consensus on policy.
Trump loses appeal, but travel ban fight isn’t over yet
Syrian refugees ‘detrimental’ to Americans? The numbers tell a different story
How a travel ban could worsen doctor shortages in US hospitals and threaten primary care
History shows Trump will face legal challenges to detaining immigrants
Immigration and crime: What does the research say?
The best legal arguments against Trump’s immigration ban
Trump’s immigration order is bad foreign policy
I’m a US doctor just back from Sudan, where hospitality from Muslims greeted me everywhere
Trump’s immigration ban: Will it undercut American soft power?
What’s gone wrong in the seven countries Trump included in his ban? Essential reads
Even before sanctuary cities, here’s how black Americans protected fugitive slaves
North Dakota Access Pipeline
What makes a mountain, hill or prairie a ‘sacred’ place for Native Americans?
Pope Francis appears to have defended Native American protests on the North Dakota pipeline issue. Indigenous cultures have a right to defend 'their ancestral relationship to the Earth,' he said.
How will native tribes fight the Dakota Access Pipeline in court?
More than an easement: A scholar of Native American law lays out the legal arguments in the Dakota Access Pipeline and why they matter to all of us.
Five reasons why the North Dakota pipeline fight will continue in 2017
Why the Native American pipeline resistance in North Dakota is about climate justice
How the archaeological review behind the Dakota Access Pipeline went wrong
Victory at Standing Rock reflects a failure of US energy and climate policy
Why understanding Native American religion is important for resolving the Dakota Access Pipeline crisis
Misinformation
You are the new gatekeeper of the news
Before you share another article on Facebook, consider your responsibility to make sure what you post is true.
2017 isn’t ‘1984’ – it’s stranger than Orwell imagined
Trump isn’t lying, he’s bullshitting – and it’s far more dangerous
The challenge facing libraries in an era of fake news
Experts’ roundtable: The future of journalism in Trump’s America
Why do we fall for fake news?
Unbelievable news? Read it again and you might think it’s true
US-Mexico relations
Scientist at work: Tracking muskoxen in a warming Arctic
How is rapid warming in the Arctic affecting animals that are adapted to cold? A wildlife biologist is using many techniques to find out, including stalking muskoxen in a polar bear costume.
Black History Month
Research and Expert Database
Editors’ Picks
Songs of worship: Why we sing to the Lord
Sacred music joins people in a collective expression - whether of joy, sorrow or protest.
Does an anomaly in the Earth’s magnetic field portend a coming pole reversal?
Are we headed to a magnetic reversal and all the global disruption that would bring? Enter archaeomagnetism. A look at the archaeological record in southern Africa provides some clues.
Why politicians think they know better than scientists – and why that’s so dangerous
Scientists are concerned that politics will trump evidence in the new administration. A researcher of political psychology explains why these worries matter far beyond questions of science.
Trump’s vow to ‘destroy’ Johnson Amendment could wreak havoc on charitable world
President Trump recently repeated his pledge to eliminate the 63-year-old law, which bans charities from engaging in political activities, at the National Prayer Breakfast.
Should scientists engage in activism?
In the wake of the Flint water crisis and with a new notably anti-science president, U.S. scientists are reevaluating how to navigate the tension between speaking out and a fear of losing research funding.
Are you really anonymous online? Your friends on Twitter may give you away
You might think you're anonymous when you're browsing the web. But a new study shows that browsing history can often be tied to your real-world identity.
Music training speeds up brain development in children
Several brain regions engage in an amazing symphony to produce music. What then are the benefits of music training on a child?
Why time seems to fly – or trickle – by
Time is fixed, but people experience hours, months and days in very different ways. One researcher has spent decades exploring this universal phenomenon.
As Trump mulls another ‘reset’ with Russia, he should consider perils of Big Oil diplomacy
As Trump explores warmer ties to Russia, he'd be wise to brush up on the history of past resets and the role the oil industry played in each one. The results weren’t good.
Far beyond crime-ridden depravity, darknets are key strongholds of freedom of expression online
The darknet, like the open internet, is not immune from illegal activity. But many darknet users are there in search of 'hacker ethics' values such as privacy and free speech.
Circadian rhythms and the microbiome: Disrupting daily routine of gut microbes can be bad news for whole body
New research suggests our gut microbes have their own circadian rhythms that in turn influence our organ functions. Is this an explanation for how disrupting our daily patterns can cause health problems?
How can we predict the hottest year on record when weather forecasts are so uncertain?
For the third consecutive year, it's the hottest year ever. A climate scientist explains how these predictions are made and why they're completely different from forecasting the weather.
Rural America matters to all Americans
Are you part of the 86 percent of Americans who do not live in rural America? Here's why Trump's choice to lead the USDA matters to you.
Staying politically neutral is more dangerous for companies than you think
Companies historically have avoided taking stands on contentious issues, but new research suggests consumers punish businesses that don't stand up for their core values.
Evidence from states shows why Trump’s brand of Carrier-style dealmaking won’t work
States have been using tax breaks and other incentives like the kind Trump dangled before Carrier for years. There's little evidence they work, and in fact they may lead to widening inequality.
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