Across the Country
National News
Top headlines from national outlets, refreshed every 15 minutes. Each story opens on the original publisher’s site.
Physics Nobel highlights Antarctica’s role in exploring the cosmos
For more than a century, scientists have treated Antarctica’s environments as windows into worlds beyond Earth.
The Conversation
Americans can now see a famous portrait of the Pacific Islander who captivated 18th-century England for the first time
Joshua Reynolds’ 1776 ‘Portrait of Omai’ portrays a commoner from Tahiti as a nobleman, reflecting European fantasies and assumptions about Pacific cultures.
The Conversation
Ancient people relied on genetic variation already present in wild plants to domesticate crops like rice and corn
New genomic tools let scientists dig into the family trees of crops like rice, corn and adzuki beans to learn more about how they transitioned from wild plants to domesticated crops.
The Conversation
I teach doctors how to interpret test results – and the labels ‘normal’ and ‘abnormal’ often hide what matters most
Labeling medical test results as ‘normal’ or ‘abnormal’ helps clinicians make quick judgments when diagnosing patients. But this binary approach to interpreting tests can lead to fatal errors.
The Conversation
Turmoil within Dolly Parton’s estate underscores the precariousness of family businesses after founders die
Even when there’s a will, there’s a way for things to go awry.
The Conversation
Anne Carson’s Nobel-winning, genre-defying work bridges the gap between ancient Greek literature and modern life
Whether via her fill-in-the-blank translations or guest appearances on indie rock albums, Anne Carson has infused antiquity with a contemporary tongue
The Conversation
Why fall yard care could start with doing less – but not nothing
Fallen leaves provide essential winter habitat for native pollinators and provide natural mulch for the soil. If you have to clear some leaves, don’t get rid of them entirely: Move them out of sight.
The Conversation
How Hurricane Isaias broke through to become the first Atlantic hurricane in an eerily quiet 2026 season
An atmospheric scientist explains what’s been going on in the atmosphere, and how El Niño and the jet stream both play important roles.
The Conversation
What we talk about when we talk about US strategic ‘credibility’ – from Vietnam to Iran
‘Credibility is on the line’ has long been a refrain guiding U.S. foreign policy.
The Conversation
When abortion and surrogacy law collide, contracts can’t answer the hardest questions
A custody battle over a newborn with a heart condition raised a question courts have rarely faced: Can anyone be forced to end a pregnancy?
The Conversation
The oil market that sets today’s gas prices was invented in western Pennsylvania
A historian traces how Oil City brokers, then John D. Rockefeller, then futures exchanges decided what the world pays for crude – and why no one entity does today.
The Conversation
Why faculty diversity at universities still lags far behind the changing demographics of college students
College faculties have become more diverse since the 1970s, but college faculty of color still often find that they feel marginalized among their peers.
The Conversation
Students from military families are often misunderstood in US public schools – a retired military officer and behavioral health expert explains what schools can do
Students from military families have specific experiences and needs that require support from their schools.
The Conversation
Iraqi Kurds sees opportunities – and risks – in the withdrawal of US troops
The region may become less of a target for groups seeking to pressure the United States. But the Kurds also have less security support now, should they need it.
The Conversation
Data centers make heat all year long – here’s how the ground can hold onto it until winter
Rocks deep underground can be used to hold heat until it’s needed.
The Conversation
We blasted mobile homes with hurricane-force winds to test how they fail – and found clues for making affordable housing safer
Engineers are using a unique test facility called the Wall of Wind to develop housing that’s both affordable and disaster-resistant. Their tests show the magnitude of the challenge.
The Conversation
Sexual assault survivors’ stories may shift over time – a psychologist explains why it doesn’t mean they’re lying
The brain’s acute response to the trauma of sexual assault can block a person’s ability to accurately assess what they experienced.
The Conversation
A molecule’s ‘handedness’ can determine whether it’s an effective drug – 4 examples of pharmaceuticals where chirality matters
The 2026 Nobel Prize in chemistry gave a hand to handed molecules – and the processes chemists use to create them.
The Conversation
Why the assault weapons debate is a culture debate
The Supreme Court’s decision to hear two assault weapons cases caps a multi-decade dispute over restricting assault weapons that extends far beyond legal arguments.
The Conversation
What the law says about armed officers at polling places
What does the law say about armed officials at the polls? That’s one of four questions that a legal scholar answers as Trump administration threats have piled up about voting in the midterms.
The Conversation
Meet the ‘independent voters’ who will likely decide which party triumphs in the 2026 midterm elections
Republicans and Democrats need to make inroads with independent voters. But the themes that motivate the party faithful may not sit well with independents, who tend to recoil against partisan rancor.
The Conversation
‘Make this face look gay’: AI models alter faces to give people stereotypical ‘gay,’ ‘straight’ or ‘criminal’ features
AI models will refuse to say whether a person’s face looks gay or straight, but they will alter images of faces to fit stereotypes of gay and straight.
The Conversation
Leap seconds have helped keep clocks synchronized with Earth’s rotation, but their time may be over – here’s why
If you think about leap years, it may seem like humans have a very odd way of measuring time. Sometimes, timekeepers even have to add extra seconds to clocks.
The Conversation
AI is changing pilgrims’ journeys, but sacred journeys have always adapted to new technology
From the printing press to smartphone apps, technology has continually transformed the experience of sacred journeys. A scholar of trails and walking explains the history.
The Conversation
Handling of rape allegations at Cornell shows why so many assaults go unreported – victims don’t trust the institutions that are supposed to help them
Only 7% of sexual assault victims reported contacting local police.
The Conversation
How Jim Bakker became the Johnny Carson of Christian TV
Bakker’s ‘PTL Club’ existed at the nexus of evangelical Christianity and American pop culture.
The Conversation
IceCube is built on decades of research into tiny ‘ghost particles’ – but it was the first to find neutrinos coming from deep space
IceCube looks for high energy neutrinos from space. It joins the ranks of complementary experiments that study neutrinos originating closer to home.
The Conversation
Many drugs have mirror chemical structures, one helpful and the other harmful – a Nobel-winning discovery allows chemists to make either on demand
From thalidomide to resveratrol, molecules with the exact same chemical properties can have drastically different effects in the body depending on how they’re arranged in space.
The Conversation
From jargon to impact: Teaching undergraduates the art of public communication
Teaching public storytelling to students can help them communicate better in the world.
The Conversation
These state supreme court races could decide abortion access and trans rights
Ohio, North Carolina and Michigan have open seats on their state supreme court, and these hotly contested races will influence how those courts rule in several high-stakes cases.
The Conversation