History shows that Congress can play an important role in checking a president's power.
Academic rigor, journalistic flair
Presidential power
Presidents Day celebrates the American president – not only as a political leader, but as a moral leader. But can a president be a person of strong moral character, as well as a strong leader?
Analysis and Comment
Calvin Coolidge, during one stretch of his presidency, was getting 15 hours of shut-eye each day, while William Howard Taft was known for nodding off during public events.
Despite the uncertainties – and dangers – of retaliating against suspected cyberattackers, a surprising number of companies and countries are exploring doing just that.
Throughout the world, unique sites of natural and cultural heritage are protected for future generations. But what about sites on the moon that represent the beginning of the human space age?
Amazon nixed plans to build a headquarters in Long Island City after some New Yorkers questioned the wisdom of offering billions in tax breaks in exchange for job promises. A Texas study suggests they had reason to worry.
Although US debt may be at eye-popping levels, an economist explains why it shouldn't keep you up at night.
Through a three-day strike, Denver teachers got rid of a bonus-based pay system that they say was unfair. An education policy expert explains what the end of bonus-based pay means for Denver schools.
An Obama administration veteran offers some insights from his experience about driving massive increases in clean energy.
These shipments are rarely just about saving lives.
Henry W. Grady wanted to promote northern investment in the South – and he was willing to ignore lynchings and the exploitation of black labor.
Being the media-savvy women that they were, suffragists realized they needed to come up with a meaningful, recognizable brand.
Despite impassioned pleas for gun control legislation after 2018's mass shooting at a Florida high school, Congress has failed to pass meaningful reform. Why doesn't policy follow public opinion?
President Trump recently announced in his State of the Union message that his administration will eliminate HIV within 10 years. He did not mention the social factors that must be addressed.
In January, measles returned to the Pacific Northwest, while Ebola resurged in the Congo. It would take a lot more research for scientists to be able to stop threats like these in their tracks.
The public was shocked by the blackface image on Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam's yearbook page. But if blackface is now taboo, there was a time when it played a big role in American culture.
It's often more effective, cheaper and less controversial than other efforts to confront climate change.
Zero tolerance policies in America's schools are declining, but you might not be able to tell since so many practices get lumped under the 'zero tolerance' label, a school discipline expert says.
When it comes to picking a new password, people's resistance to change can make them less secure online.
A cancer diagnosis is one of the scariest of all. The pain and fear are worsened by a confusing landscape of bills, opaque billing systems and changing insurance rules, rates and reimbursements.
Relying only on sanctions against North Korea may not be a productive way to get the country to give up its nuclear arms. Offering relief and aid may be more effective.
Pope Francis is meeting bishops for a global summit to discuss sexual abuse by clergy. Such a response, says an expert, is part of a past pattern, unlikely to bring a lasting change.
Satellites hundreds of miles overheard are helping scientists to predict drought, track floods and see how climate change is changing access to water resources.
As Congress and President Trump struggle to devise a coherent immigration policy along the US southern border, there are lessons from ancient history that could prove instructive.
A new piece of performance art features a lookalike Ivanka Trump vacuuming crumbs. Not only is it a cutting commentary on labor and gender, but it also highlights the complicity of the viewer.
The government shutdown provided a short-term version of what some activists have long wanted: A government small enough so that you could 'drag it into the bathroom and drown it in the bathtub.'
Research and News
Teens get a bad rap as selfish, dangerous risk-takers. But neuroscience and psychology research is revising that image: Adolescents are primed to help those around them, with positive benefits for all.
Women are more prone to immune-related diseases like allergies and irritable bowel syndrome. But this may be due to the fact that they have super-strong immune systems.
Urban farming can make it easier for city residents to obtain healthy, affordable food. But to raise big yields from small pieces of land, farmers need training and support.
Healthcare
The Trump administration's proposal to lower drug prices focuses on discounts. A health policy scholar argues that the US could learn from Europe's system of measuring drug value and effectiveness.
Many pieces leading to Alzheimer's disease have been identified. To put the pieces together, one scholar argues that the government should launch a Manhattan Project-scale effort to find a cure.
Love in the Digital Age
If you're having issues with your partner, one of you might need a nice dose of humility.
It might be human nature to undervalue what's chugging along doing fine while imagining there's a mythical 'best' partner out there somewhere. A psychology researcher has advice.
Russia
Russia's efforts to sow discord, discontent and chaos extend far beyond the US, including into leading media outlets in the Arab world.
A Cold War era treaty helped dismantle more than 2,500 missiles between the US and Russia.
Leer en español
Con el testimonio de violencia extrema, corrupción política, intriga internacional e innovación empresarial, el juicio ha revelado cuán poderosos son realmente los carteles de México.
Leer un texto en una pantalla o escuchar un podcast activa áreas del cerebro de manera muy similar a cuando estamos en la situación que el lenguaje describe.
Research and Expert Database
Analysis from academics around the world
Editor's Picks
Intimacy with robots is closer than you think, and cities are already fighting the advent of sexbot brothels. Yet society has barely begun to explore their implications.
Three philosophers put up a booth at the entrance to a New York City subway, so people could come to them with questions. They got hit with some real zingers.
Some covers are recorded as a nod to the legacy of the original, only to end up becoming the definitive version of the song.
Brazil's scorpion infestation, which is terrorizing residents of São Paulo and other major cities, is a classic 'wicked problem.' That means officials must think outside-the-box to fix it.
Will your marriage be better if you and your partner are genetically compatible? Is there any evidence that certain genes make someone a better or worse partner? And if so, which genes should we test?
Minorities are driving the bicycling boom, but bike infrastructure investments often neglect their needs. A new study explores what riders in low-income and minority neighborhoods want.
As politically polarized as the country may seem, when it comes to marijuana, Americans across the spectrum have changed their minds. A new study says it's all thanks to the media.
A philosopher argues that moral responsibility for past transgressions can actually change over time. The test lies in how deeply an individual has changed.
Facebook users no longer see the site as a confidant. They're struggling with how to deal with a messy codependence – and whether to just break up and move on with healthier friends.
Jamal Khashoggi's brutal murder happened at a consulate, a space not subject to the laws of the host country, Turkey. That means the alleged murderers did not fear interference by local authorities.
Parents have engaged in forms of 'sharenting' for generations. The digital age has complicated things, but while critics make some valid points, they're not seeing the forest for the trees.
Howard Thurman, a mentor to MLK, first met Gandhi during a visit to India in 1936. He came to understand nonviolence as a force more powerful than hate that had the power to transform the world.
Cannabidiol, or CBD, is being touted in popular culture as a miracle cure-all. From creams to gummies and more, CBD has exploded onto the health scene. But what does the science actually say?
When you study volcanoes at mid-ocean ridges, doing fieldwork means becoming an aquanaut – diving thousands of feet to the ocean floor in the submersible Alvin, trading tight quarters for amazing views.
Hospitals are now required to post their prices online. This approach is unlikely to change US health care – but better price transparency tools could actually reduce costs.
Most Read past week
- Sex robots are here, but laws aren’t keeping up with the ethical and privacy issues they raise
- The ‘real’ St. Valentine was no patron of love
- Bike-friendly cities should be designed for everyone, not just for wealthy white cyclists
- Ivanka and her tower of crumbs
- Venomous yellow scorpions are moving into Brazil’s big cities – and the infestation may be unstoppable
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