The new secretary of state once called the Iran nuclear deal 'unconscionable.' If he supports Trump's instinct to scrap the agreement on May 12, it could unleash violence across the volatile Mideast.
Teachers and students wave to motorists in Peoria, Ariz.
AP Photo/Matt York
Richard Lachmann, University at Albany, State University of New York
While the White House scrambles to fill the VA's top post, the agency's deep issues of inadequate funding and low access for veterans continue to fester.
Sens. Bob Corker and Bob Menendez look on during the second round of questioning of Secretary of State-designate Mike Pompeo.
AP Photo/Alex Brandon
Capri Cafaro, American University School of Public Affairs
Senate confirmation for many of President Trump's nominees has been tough. In this speed read, The Conversation asks: What is Senate confirmation, and why do we do it?
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan in 2017.
AP/Alexei Druzhinin, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo
Armenian Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan was just deposed. His party's still in power, though, and he could end up ruling anyway, behind a curtail like the Wizard of Oz.
Strong enough to do the job.
Peretz Partensky/flickr
The 10,300 women serving in fire departments across the US face ill-fitting gear, hostility and sexism. But in the end, they say, people "don't care you're a woman when their house is on fire.'
An immigrant woman shows the footprints of her daughter who was born in the in the U.S.
AP Photo/Eric Gay
Researchers found stark differences in child mental health and infant mortality rates, depending on whether immigrant mothers were covered by inclusive policies or not.
Unas 200 mil mujeres argentinas marcharon el 8 de marzo para el Día Internacional de la Mujer, muchas reclamando la legalización del aborto.
AP Photo/Tomas F. Cuesta
La posible legalización del aborto en Argentina abre debate sobre temas sociales importantes hasta ahora relegados, como la inequidad salarial, las licencias parentales y la representación política.
Some 200,000 Argentinean women marched on March 8 for International Women’s Day. Many proclaimed their support for legalizing abortion.
AP Photo/Tomas F. Cuesta
A new bill that would legalize abortion in Argentina has spurred surprise debate on the gender pay gap, parental leave and political representation. Will Argentinean women finally get their due?
National Memorial for Peace and Justice.
AP Photo/Brynn Anderson
Although fewer black women were lynched in the US than men, their stories have been marginalized. Will a new memorial in Alabama help make their sacrifices known?
President Donald Trump and former FBI Director James Comey.
AP Photo/Evan Vucci, left, and Andrew Harnik
There's a trade-off when presidents appoint loyalists. A loyalist may not be as competent as the position demands, but he or she may satisfy the president by carrying out his agenda.
How many LGBT people live in the U.S.?
REUTERS/Elijah Nouvelage
The 2020 census will count same-sex couples across the US. A broader count of the LGBT population would be even better.
Macron and Trump, seen here meeting in September 2017, have reportedly developed a good working relationship despite their many ideological differences.
Kevin Lamarque/Reuters
Garret Martin, American University School of International Service
Trump is rolling out the red carpet for Macron's visit to Washington. But the French president has some tough talks ahead, as the two leaders discuss thorny issues like trade and the Iran deal.
Copies of the memos written by former FBI Director James Comey.
AP Photo/Susan Walsh
Greek tragedies shed light into human nature's darker corners. They can also illuminate the character of former FBI chief James Comey, whose unbending adherence to principles evokes ancient themes.
Fair housing protest in Seattle, Washington, 1964.
Jmabel/Wikimedia Commons
Where people live in the US is still often influenced by racial discrimination. Is the federal government doing enough to carry out the vision of the civil rights era legislation?
Sen. Chuck Schumer of N.Y., accompanied by Democratic members of the House and Senate in late 2017.
AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana
The Democratic Party is a mishmash of causes and interest groups. The party's future will be determined by how its leaders balance and align the interests of its diverse factions.
Protestors demonstrate inside a Philadelphia Starbucks, where two black men were arrested.
REUTERS/Mark Makela
Starbucks is giving this training to its employees, but it’s still so new that there's no standard format and little research yet on whether it's effective.
Preschool today, success tomorrow.
AP Photo/Elaine Thompson
Cuba has a new president — and for the first time in six decades his last name is not Castro. Who is Miguel Díaz-Canel, the man who inherits a Cuba born of Fidel's 1959 revolution?
The Second Amendment used to be absent from constitutional law classes. No more.
Shutterstock
The Second Amendment was barely taught in constitutional law classes two decades ago. That changed after a 2008 Supreme Court ruling that ensured a federal right to keep and bear arms.
Oprah’s ‘Time’s up!’ speech at the Golden Globes got people talking about her candidacy in 2020.
NBC
Getting to the White House would mean overcoming issues of race and gender.
Cambodian villagers walk to a courtroom before appeal hearings for two Khmer Rouge senior leaders facing charges of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity.
AP Photo/Heng Sinith
Research on profound human suffering requires more than intellectual understanding of legal and political mechanics. It requires a human journey that goes deeply into victims' experiences and needs.
President Donald Trump, left, and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
AP Photo/Andrew Harnik
US-Japan relations are under pressure. As leaders of the two countries meet this week, a scholar tells the story of the exchange program that made such a difference to American attitudes toward Japan.
The Spanish hotel chain Meliá has big plans for Cuba. So did the Trump Organization, up until its CEO was elected president of the United States.
Desmond Boylan/Reuters
As president, Donald Trump has taken a harsh stance toward Cuba. But his real estate company has tried twice to open Trump properties on the Communist island, allegedly even skirting the law to do so.