The Conversation U.S.
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A nonprofit news organization dedicated to sharing the knowledge of experts with the public, in accessible, trustworthy articles drawing on their research.
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If so, please consider donating to our fall fundraising campaign.
As a thank-you, you’ll receive a downloadable e-book from our series on bold ideas for tackling the housing crisis.
donate.theconversation.com/us?utm_campa...
“Jeffrey Epstein is not unique,” writes a child sex trafficking expert. His case is a classic example of how powerful, often wealthy men exploit vulnerable children – and how low prosecution rates, victim-blaming and systemic failures let trafficking persist.
buff.ly/PUxu2b1
buff.ly/PUxu2b1
‘Jeffrey Epstein is not unique’: What his case reveals about the realities of child sex trafficking
Child sex traffickers are typically white, wealthy men who often insulate themselves from detection and charges, according to a sexual exploitation scholar.
buff.ly
November 23, 2025 at 7:48 PM
“Jeffrey Epstein is not unique,” writes a child sex trafficking expert. His case is a classic example of how powerful, often wealthy men exploit vulnerable children – and how low prosecution rates, victim-blaming and systemic failures let trafficking persist.
buff.ly/PUxu2b1
buff.ly/PUxu2b1
The Trump administration just cut a deal with pharma companies to cut GLP-1 drug prices by hundreds of dollars monthly.
But prices will still be too high for many – and broader policy changes targeting ultraprocessed foods and medical training are needed. buff.ly/7LSOvVJ 🩺
But prices will still be too high for many – and broader policy changes targeting ultraprocessed foods and medical training are needed. buff.ly/7LSOvVJ 🩺
Making GLP-1 weight loss drugs cheaper isn’t enough to address America’s obesity problem – here’s why
Additional policy changes can help change key factors that drive obesity.
buff.ly
November 23, 2025 at 5:14 PM
The Trump administration just cut a deal with pharma companies to cut GLP-1 drug prices by hundreds of dollars monthly.
But prices will still be too high for many – and broader policy changes targeting ultraprocessed foods and medical training are needed. buff.ly/7LSOvVJ 🩺
But prices will still be too high for many – and broader policy changes targeting ultraprocessed foods and medical training are needed. buff.ly/7LSOvVJ 🩺
Colorado's bold move to regulate high-risk #AI systems drew praise from policy analysts and interest from other states. But pressure from #BigTech and concerns about compliance costs have lawmakers reconsidering the law less than a year after it passed. buff.ly/7wyomEM
Colorado is pumping the brakes on first-of-its-kind AI regulation to find a practical path forward
The Colorado AI Act goes into effect next year, but legislators are attempting to repeal and replace it.
buff.ly
November 23, 2025 at 3:24 PM
Colorado's bold move to regulate high-risk #AI systems drew praise from policy analysts and interest from other states. But pressure from #BigTech and concerns about compliance costs have lawmakers reconsidering the law less than a year after it passed. buff.ly/7wyomEM
When you buy a digital item in a game, you're not actually buying it. You're licensing it, and the company can change the terms whenever it wants. A law professor and gamer explains how gamers lost $2 billion on Counter-Strike 2 digital products. buff.ly/BoykS4H
$2B Counter-Strike 2 crash exposes a legal black hole: Your digital investments aren’t really yours
An overnight update to Counter-Strike 2 erased billions of dollars in valuable digital assets that players had accumulated. The law gives them almost no recourse.
buff.ly
November 23, 2025 at 12:48 PM
When you buy a digital item in a game, you're not actually buying it. You're licensing it, and the company can change the terms whenever it wants. A law professor and gamer explains how gamers lost $2 billion on Counter-Strike 2 digital products. buff.ly/BoykS4H
Don’t let food poisoning crash your Thanksgiving dinner
buff.ly/HvFA5mA
buff.ly/HvFA5mA
Don’t let food poisoning crash your Thanksgiving dinner
A few precautions as you prepare your Thanksgiving feast will help keep gastrointestinal distress out of your holiday gathering.
buff.ly
November 23, 2025 at 7:37 AM
Don’t let food poisoning crash your Thanksgiving dinner
buff.ly/HvFA5mA
buff.ly/HvFA5mA
Just follow orders or obey the law? What US troops told us about refusing illegal commands buff.ly/k9fQTGH
Just follow orders or obey the law? What US troops told us about refusing illegal commands
A majority of service members understand the distinction between legal and illegal orders.
buff.ly
November 23, 2025 at 4:36 AM
Just follow orders or obey the law? What US troops told us about refusing illegal commands buff.ly/k9fQTGH
Retailers have quietly tightened return policies (with shorter windows and new fees) to increase their profits.
Before you buy this #BlackFriday, check the fine print of the return policy – just in case.
buff.ly/FV3DzCG
Before you buy this #BlackFriday, check the fine print of the return policy – just in case.
buff.ly/FV3DzCG
Retailers are quietly changing their return policies – here’s why you should be on the lookout this Black Friday
During the pandemic, retailers used generous return policies to win over shoppers. Now, those policies are costing them billions – prompting a widespread rethink.
buff.ly
November 23, 2025 at 2:28 AM
Retailers have quietly tightened return policies (with shorter windows and new fees) to increase their profits.
Before you buy this #BlackFriday, check the fine print of the return policy – just in case.
buff.ly/FV3DzCG
Before you buy this #BlackFriday, check the fine print of the return policy – just in case.
buff.ly/FV3DzCG
Relying on ChatGPT to teach you about a topic leaves you with shallower knowledge than Googling and reading about it, according to new research that compared what more than 10,000 people knew after using one method or the other.
Shared by @gizmodo.com: buff.ly/yAAHtHq
Shared by @gizmodo.com: buff.ly/yAAHtHq
Learning With AI Falls Short Compared to Old-Fashioned Web Search
In virtually all the ways that matter, getting summarized information from AI models was less educational than doing the work of search.
buff.ly
November 22, 2025 at 11:03 PM
Relying on ChatGPT to teach you about a topic leaves you with shallower knowledge than Googling and reading about it, according to new research that compared what more than 10,000 people knew after using one method or the other.
Shared by @gizmodo.com: buff.ly/yAAHtHq
Shared by @gizmodo.com: buff.ly/yAAHtHq
Severe depression among college students has fallen from 23% to 18%, according to recent data, but the mental health crisis on campus persists.
Stress, financial pressure and rising mental health leave still define the student experience.
buff.ly/FNamx9B 🩺
Stress, financial pressure and rising mental health leave still define the student experience.
buff.ly/FNamx9B 🩺
College students are now slightly less likely to experience severe depression, research shows – but the mental health crisis is far from over
College students experience high levels of stress that are often the result of a mix of factors, including academic pressures and financial concerns.
buff.ly
November 22, 2025 at 9:26 PM
Severe depression among college students has fallen from 23% to 18%, according to recent data, but the mental health crisis on campus persists.
Stress, financial pressure and rising mental health leave still define the student experience.
buff.ly/FNamx9B 🩺
Stress, financial pressure and rising mental health leave still define the student experience.
buff.ly/FNamx9B 🩺
AI tools are increasingly offering “emotional support” at work, while also tracking employee moods, stress levels and vulnerabilities.
Researchers warn the line between support and surveillance is getting dangerously thin.
buff.ly/ySmZIew
Researchers warn the line between support and surveillance is getting dangerously thin.
buff.ly/ySmZIew
AI is providing emotional support for employees – but is it a valuable tool or privacy threat?
People are increasingly using AI chatbots for emotional and psychological support. Now, companies are using it to support employees – raising a host of issues.
buff.ly
November 22, 2025 at 7:48 PM
AI tools are increasingly offering “emotional support” at work, while also tracking employee moods, stress levels and vulnerabilities.
Researchers warn the line between support and surveillance is getting dangerously thin.
buff.ly/ySmZIew
Researchers warn the line between support and surveillance is getting dangerously thin.
buff.ly/ySmZIew
During the 1940s and 1950s, attacks against artists showed how fragile the First Amendment can be — and when it’s under attack, “bold and courageous acts of dissent are critical for protecting First Amendment rights for everyone,” according to a researcher who studies the Cold War.
buff.ly/ZGI0XwL
buff.ly/ZGI0XwL
First Amendment in flux: When free speech protections came up against the Red Scare
The congressional anti-communist hearings of the 1940s are a reminder that freedom of speech today is even more fragile than it may seem.
buff.ly
November 22, 2025 at 5:14 PM
During the 1940s and 1950s, attacks against artists showed how fragile the First Amendment can be — and when it’s under attack, “bold and courageous acts of dissent are critical for protecting First Amendment rights for everyone,” according to a researcher who studies the Cold War.
buff.ly/ZGI0XwL
buff.ly/ZGI0XwL
When you buy a digital item in a game, you're not actually buying it. You're licensing it, and the company can change the terms whenever it wants. A law professor and gamer explains how gamers lost $2 billion on Counter-Strike 2 digital products. buff.ly/BoykS4H
$2B Counter-Strike 2 crash exposes a legal black hole: Your digital investments aren’t really yours
An overnight update to Counter-Strike 2 erased billions of dollars in valuable digital assets that players had accumulated. The law gives them almost no recourse.
theconversation.com
November 22, 2025 at 2:28 AM
When you buy a digital item in a game, you're not actually buying it. You're licensing it, and the company can change the terms whenever it wants. A law professor and gamer explains how gamers lost $2 billion on Counter-Strike 2 digital products. buff.ly/BoykS4H
The Trump administration just cut a deal with pharma companies to cut GLP-1 drug prices by hundreds of dollars monthly.
But prices will still be too high for many – and broader policy changes targeting ultraprocessed foods and medical training are needed. buff.ly/7LSOvVJ 🩺
But prices will still be too high for many – and broader policy changes targeting ultraprocessed foods and medical training are needed. buff.ly/7LSOvVJ 🩺
Making GLP-1 weight loss drugs cheaper isn’t enough to address America’s obesity problem – here’s why
Additional policy changes can help change key factors that drive obesity.
buff.ly
November 22, 2025 at 1:07 AM
The Trump administration just cut a deal with pharma companies to cut GLP-1 drug prices by hundreds of dollars monthly.
But prices will still be too high for many – and broader policy changes targeting ultraprocessed foods and medical training are needed. buff.ly/7LSOvVJ 🩺
But prices will still be too high for many – and broader policy changes targeting ultraprocessed foods and medical training are needed. buff.ly/7LSOvVJ 🩺
The CDC and FDA have narrowed COVID-19 vaccine eligibility to seniors and high-risk groups but broader access remains possible through off-label use—a common practice in medicine that doctors can prescribe for purposes beyond initial FDA approval buff.ly/NyjIpSX #VaccinesWork 🩺
Off-label use of COVID-19 vaccines was once discouraged but has become common amid new guidelines
A cascade of changes to eligibility guidelines for the updated COVID-19 vaccines left Americans unsure whether they could still get the shot. That’s where off-label use comes in.
buff.ly
November 22, 2025 at 12:02 AM
The CDC and FDA have narrowed COVID-19 vaccine eligibility to seniors and high-risk groups but broader access remains possible through off-label use—a common practice in medicine that doctors can prescribe for purposes beyond initial FDA approval buff.ly/NyjIpSX #VaccinesWork 🩺
Pepper spray deployed into an inflatable frog costume during Portland protests in October 2025 sparked a movement.
Now Amazon has a category to shop for ‘protest costumes’ buff.ly/5tg0Aa3
Now Amazon has a category to shop for ‘protest costumes’ buff.ly/5tg0Aa3
The plague of frog costumes demonstrates the subversive power of play in protests
‘Protest costumes’ are now a category on Amazon. Protesters use them to soften their public image at a time when ICE is calling them ‘violent’ and ‘Antifa,’ showing the subversive power of humor.
theconversation.com
November 21, 2025 at 11:03 PM
Pepper spray deployed into an inflatable frog costume during Portland protests in October 2025 sparked a movement.
Now Amazon has a category to shop for ‘protest costumes’ buff.ly/5tg0Aa3
Now Amazon has a category to shop for ‘protest costumes’ buff.ly/5tg0Aa3
John Fetterman's leap from mayor of a borough with fewer than 2,000 residents to U.S. senator is not typical. But it reflects a broader trend of small-city mayors launching national political careers over the past decade. buff.ly/ixHbI8Q
John Fetterman is an unusual politician – but his rise from borough mayor to US senator reflects a recent trend
NAFTA and the decline of American community have created a new path for mayors of small and midsized cities to reach national office.
theconversation.com
November 21, 2025 at 10:04 PM
John Fetterman's leap from mayor of a borough with fewer than 2,000 residents to U.S. senator is not typical. But it reflects a broader trend of small-city mayors launching national political careers over the past decade. buff.ly/ixHbI8Q
Real reader feedback to @fritzholz.bsky.social: "I wanted to say 'thank you' for your highly entertaining Friday weekly quizzes. Your clever distractors never fail to make me laugh and I look forward to your quiz every Friday - the highlight of my week!"
This click might end your week with a laugh:
This click might end your week with a laugh:
The Conversation U.S. weekly news quiz
Test your knowledge with a weekly quiz drawn from some of our favorite stories.
theconversation.com
November 21, 2025 at 10:02 PM
Real reader feedback to @fritzholz.bsky.social: "I wanted to say 'thank you' for your highly entertaining Friday weekly quizzes. Your clever distractors never fail to make me laugh and I look forward to your quiz every Friday - the highlight of my week!"
This click might end your week with a laugh:
This click might end your week with a laugh:
Colorado's bold move to regulate high-risk #AI systems drew praise from policy analysts and interest from other states. But pressure from #BigTech and concerns about compliance costs have lawmakers reconsidering the law less than a year after it passed. buff.ly/7wyomEM
Colorado is pumping the brakes on first-of-its-kind AI regulation to find a practical path forward
The Colorado AI Act goes into effect next year, but legislators are attempting to repeal and replace it.
theconversation.com
November 21, 2025 at 9:26 PM
Colorado's bold move to regulate high-risk #AI systems drew praise from policy analysts and interest from other states. But pressure from #BigTech and concerns about compliance costs have lawmakers reconsidering the law less than a year after it passed. buff.ly/7wyomEM
From ‘mail-order brides’ to ‘passport bros,’ the international dating industry often sells traditional gender roles
From ‘mail-order brides’ to ‘passport bros,’ the international dating industry often sells traditional gender roles
At times of economic anxiety, ‘traditional’ gender roles often resurge – part of the appeal for men looking for brides abroad.
buff.ly
November 21, 2025 at 8:48 PM
From ‘mail-order brides’ to ‘passport bros,’ the international dating industry often sells traditional gender roles
Off-label use of COVID-19 vaccines was once discouraged but has become common amid new guidelines
Off-label use of COVID-19 vaccines was once discouraged but has become common amid new guidelines
A cascade of changes to eligibility guidelines for the updated COVID-19 vaccines left Americans unsure whether they could still get the shot. That’s where off-label use comes in.
buff.ly
November 21, 2025 at 8:12 PM
Off-label use of COVID-19 vaccines was once discouraged but has become common amid new guidelines
Don’t let food poisoning crash your Thanksgiving dinner
Don’t let food poisoning crash your Thanksgiving dinner
A few precautions as you prepare your Thanksgiving feast will help keep gastrointestinal distress out of your holiday gathering.
buff.ly
November 21, 2025 at 7:48 PM
Don’t let food poisoning crash your Thanksgiving dinner
Just follow orders or obey the law? What US troops told us about refusing illegal commands buff.ly/k9fQTGH
Just follow orders or obey the law? What US troops told us about refusing illegal commands
A majority of service members understand the distinction between legal and illegal orders.
theconversation.com
November 21, 2025 at 7:39 PM
Just follow orders or obey the law? What US troops told us about refusing illegal commands buff.ly/k9fQTGH
Reposted by The Conversation U.S.
The Democratic lawmakers' video about refusing illegal orders: Many service members "do understand the distinction between legal and illegal orders, the duty to disobey certain orders, and when they should do so," say two @umassamherst.bsky.social scholars theconversation.com/just-follow-...
Just follow orders or obey the law? What US troops told us about refusing illegal commands
A majority of service members understand the distinction between legal and illegal orders.
theconversation.com
November 21, 2025 at 4:52 PM
The Democratic lawmakers' video about refusing illegal orders: Many service members "do understand the distinction between legal and illegal orders, the duty to disobey certain orders, and when they should do so," say two @umassamherst.bsky.social scholars theconversation.com/just-follow-...
Reposted by The Conversation U.S.
Relying on ChatGPT to teach you about a topic leaves you with shallower knowledge than Googling and reading about it, according to new research that compared what more than 10,000 people knew after using one method or the other.
Shared by @gizmodo.com: buff.ly/yAAHtHq
Shared by @gizmodo.com: buff.ly/yAAHtHq
November 21, 2025 at 11:48 AM
Relying on ChatGPT to teach you about a topic leaves you with shallower knowledge than Googling and reading about it, according to new research that compared what more than 10,000 people knew after using one method or the other.
Shared by @gizmodo.com: buff.ly/yAAHtHq
Shared by @gizmodo.com: buff.ly/yAAHtHq
Retailers have quietly tightened return policies (with shorter windows and new fees) to increase their profits.
Before you buy this #BlackFriday, check the fine print of the return policy – just in case.
buff.ly/FV3DzCG
Before you buy this #BlackFriday, check the fine print of the return policy – just in case.
buff.ly/FV3DzCG
Retailers are quietly changing their return policies – here’s why you should be on the lookout this Black Friday
During the pandemic, retailers used generous return policies to win over shoppers. Now, those policies are costing them billions – prompting a widespread rethink.
buff.ly
November 21, 2025 at 12:48 PM
Retailers have quietly tightened return policies (with shorter windows and new fees) to increase their profits.
Before you buy this #BlackFriday, check the fine print of the return policy – just in case.
buff.ly/FV3DzCG
Before you buy this #BlackFriday, check the fine print of the return policy – just in case.
buff.ly/FV3DzCG