There’s no evidence work requirements for Medicaid recipients will boost employment, but they are a key piece of Republican spending bill

Past experience suggests that adding work requirements to Medicaid will strip health services from millions of American without increasing employment.

Colin Gordon, Professor of History, University of Iowa • conversation
May 29, 2025 ~10 min

Americans die earlier at all wealth levels, even if wealth buys more years of life in the US than in Europe

New research shows that Americans’ personal wealth is not enough to compensate for factors that affect how long people live, such as health behaviors, education or social support.

Irene N. Papanicolas, Professor of Health Services, Policy and Practice, Brown University • conversation
April 9, 2025 ~5 min


The UK’s food system is broken. A green new deal for agriculture could be revolutionary

A transition from animal proteins to more plant products could help with the food crisis while offering farmers a more sustainable income.

Benjamin Selwyn, Professor of International Relations and International Development, Department of International Relations, University of Sussex • conversation
Feb. 28, 2025 ~8 min

In many of Appalachia’s flood-ravaged areas, residents have little choice but rebuild in risky locations

The latest floods exposed the deep vulnerability of many mountain communities in eastern Kentucky, where land ownership patterns and other barriers to recovery can leave residents with few options.

Kristina P. Brant, Assistant Professor of Rural Sociology, Penn State • conversation
Feb. 26, 2025 ~13 min

Why people rebuild in Appalachia’s flood-ravaged areas despite the risks

The latest floods exposed the deep vulnerability of many mountain communities in eastern Kentucky, where land ownership patterns and other barriers to recovery can leave residents with few options.

Kristina P. Brant, Assistant Professor of Rural Sociology, Penn State • conversation
Feb. 26, 2025 ~13 min

Big lithium plans for Imperial Valley, one of California’s poorest regions, raise a bigger question: Who should benefit?

The promised ‘white gold rush’ would extract lithium alongside geothermal power production. The mineral is used in EV batteries, but even this less-polluting mining raises local health concerns.

Chris Benner, Professor, and Director, Institute for Social Transformation, University of California, Santa Cruz • conversation
Sept. 26, 2024 ~11 min

Coastal cities’ growing hurricane vulnerability is fed by both climate change and unbridled population growth

Fast population growth has left more people in flood-prone areas of Gulf Coast communities, including Houston and New Orleans. Often, those residents at most risk are the most socially vulnerable.

Wanyun Shao, Associate Professor of Geography, University of Alabama • conversation
Sept. 11, 2024 ~7 min

Heat risk isn’t just about the highs: Large daily temperature swings can harm human health – maps show who is affected most

Mapping daily temperature variations across the US revealed stark differences between wealthy and poor neighborhoods, and large differences by race.

Emily Smith-Greenaway, Associate Professor of Sociology, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences • conversation
Aug. 7, 2024 ~8 min


America faces a power disconnection crisis amid dangerous heat: In 27 states, utilities can shut off electricity for nonpayment even in a heat wave

One in 4 American households is at risk of losing power because of the high cost of energy. Over 30% of those disconnections are in summer, when heat gets dangerous.

David Konisky, Lynton K. Caldwell Professor, Indiana University • conversation
July 17, 2024 ~9 min

‘It’s a deep emotional ride’ – 12 young people in Philly’s toughest neighborhoods explain how violence disrupts their physical and mental health

A social science researcher followed a dozen teens from different neighborhoods in North, West and Northeast Philadelphia, tracking their family histories and heart rates as they navigated daily life.

Kalen Flynn, Research Scientist, Center for Guaranteed Income Research, University of Pennsylvania • conversation
April 30, 2024 ~10 min

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