Across the Country
National News
Top headlines from national outlets, refreshed every 15 minutes. Each story opens on the original publisher’s site.
Why your boss matters more than remote or hybrid work when it comes to burnout and job satisfaction
A return to the office can mean very different things to different workers, which is why this debate often produces conflicting answers.
The Conversation
AI can help with academic research but doesn’t always get it right – here are some tips to check the information you receive
AI is quickly changing. These tips from university librarians can help people keep pace with the shifts as they approach their research.
The Conversation
Armed poll watchers: New Jersey’s 1981 racist voter intimidation campaign is a cautionary tale ahead of 2026 midterms
An armed voter suppression campaign in New Jersey in 1981 finds echoes today in the Trump administration’s persistent efforts to suppress the vote and undermine trust in elections nationwide.
The Conversation
Missing ambassadors, inexperienced appointees – is Washington dropping the diplomatic ball?
Almost half of US ambassador jobs remain vacant. Meanwhile, political appointees are outnumbering career diplomats being put forward.
The Conversation
AI behaves more like a brain than a database – cognitive science’s role in its origin story helps explain why
Modern AI owes its existence to both cognitive and computer science. What you envision as its origin story can influence how you understand what large language models can do.
The Conversation
Your cells keep a record of every workout you’ve ever done – and those gains persist even after a break from exercise
‘Use it or lose it’ isn’t quite true when it comes to the health benefits of exercise. Cells across the body retain a memory of training that lasts longer than once thought.
The Conversation
I’m a physicist who worked on the Nobel-winning neutrino search – here’s how a cubic kilometer of Antarctic ice became a telescope for ghost particles from space
The 2026 Nobel Prize in physics recognizes Francis Halzen’s vision in building an unusual telescope in Antarctica, as well as the neutrino discoveries it’s made.
The Conversation
Flu season is near – here’s a guide to available vaccines
Getting vaccinated is the best way to reduce your risk of severe illness and complications from the flu.
The Conversation
Columbus’ own writings reveal how tightly religion and conquest were intertwined from the start
The ‘Book of Prophecies’ shows how Columbus recast brutal colonization as a divine mission.
The Conversation
What is a professional patient advocate, and why might you need one?
Family members can offer invaluable support to patients, but a trained advocate can provide an objective perspective as well as knowledge of resources that families may lack.
The Conversation
Why people keep looking for Noah’s Ark in a natural rock formation in Turkey: A scholar of early Christianity explains
A formation known as Durupınar, just a few miles from the Iranian border in Turkey, has been associated with Noah’s Ark for nearly 70 years.
The Conversation
Does your sleep tracker get it right? A Pittsburgh neuroscientist weighs in
Can a sensor on your wrist really tell how your brain slept? Here’s what happens when sleep trackers go up against polysomnography, the clinical gold standard.
The Conversation
This year’s primary elections showcase some of the problems with US electoral system
Primary winners represent the views of a small group of people who turn out inconsistently and often do not even represent the the views of the parties’ voters, to say nothing of the general public.
The Conversation
Why older lawmakers may wait too long to step aside
Many older incumbents are on the ballot for the 2026 midterms, adding to America’s debate over the wisdom of aging politicians delaying their retirement.
The Conversation
Why old dogs might be able to teach Alzheimer’s researchers new tricks
As dogs age, their brains undergo similar changes to human brains, making them a valuable natural model to study dementia and other neurodegenerative diseases.
The Conversation
Optogenetics wins the Nobel – one neuroscience breakthrough in a line of technological innovations helping scientists map and control the brain
Neuroscientific advances follow a pattern of visualizing the brain, measuring its function and then controlling it. Optogenetics may lead to a new era of medical treatment.
The Conversation
US migrant flights to Liberia evoke troubling history of sending people deemed unwanted to the West African nation
In the 1800s, West Africa became a focal point for efforts to remove Black people from America. The arrival of free people later gave the country its name.
The Conversation
Fewer Americans are getting help buying groceries from SNAP benefits as states grapple with the program’s cascade of changes
Some of these changes have already taken effect. Others that are a year or more away could make it hard for some states to keep participating in the program at all.
The Conversation
Why it’s more important than ever to jump-start entrepreneurial careers from the college classroom
Hands-on learning about building a business is something students of all majors can benefit from.
The Conversation
What 1,000 years of golden roses tell us about popes’ authority and influence, from Leo IX to Leo XIV
Popes have bestowed golden roses on warriors, rulers, women – and, increasingly in recent decades, shrines.
The Conversation
2026 midterms could be the end of Pennsylvania’s split legislature, with effects on affordability, election reform, marijuana and more
Pennsylvania has a split legislature, and both chambers are up for grabs in the 2026 midterms.
The Conversation
We’ve tracked $80M of spending on almost 170 AI-generated political ads this year – it’s weird
Almost 170 ads and $80 million in spending and only 31% with a disclaimer: Here’s what researchers found when they tracked AI in this year’s campaign ads.
The Conversation
Whether it’s banning books or preventing Macklemore from touring, silencing artists often backfires
A large-scale study of library circulation finds that attempts to censor books often boost their readership.
The Conversation
Why can’t people regenerate limbs like salamanders?
Understanding how certain animals can regenerate entire organs and limbs could help heal injuries in people.
The Conversation
Florida’s limited ban on Flock cameras only scratches the surface of widespread surveillance concerns
The sudden proliferation of Flock cameras and abuses has led to a response from Florida lawmakers, but they have stopped short of regulating this technology and its uses.
The Conversation
Hunter-gatherer societies are often put on a pedestal as paragons of equality – but the reality is more complicated
Hunter-gatherers do not always seek total equality, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t egalitarian.
The Conversation
Cornell 7 case puts a spotlight on fraternity misconduct – and the limits of universities’ power to stop it
While universities can suspend and expel students for committing sexual violence and other kinds of illegal misconduct, they face logistical and financial limits to preventing such behavior.
The Conversation
US regulators want to make corporate earnings reports less frequent, but investors have doubts
No federal rule proposal has ever generated so much opposition.
The Conversation
White nationalism’s appeal runs deeper than partisan politics
Nearly 1 in 7 white men under 30 in the US support white nationalism, and partisanship alone doesn’t explain who’s drawn to it.
The Conversation
More than 50 years after a North Dakota school district burned copies of Kurt Vonnegut’s ‘Slaughterhouse-Five,’ the anti-war novel is still being censored
The battle over the novel offers a window into America’s long-running fight over what students should be allowed to read.
The Conversation