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After decades of being celebrated at mostly the local level, Juneteenth – the long-standing holiday that commemorates the arrival of news of emancipation and freedom to enslaved Black people in Galveston, Texas, in 1865 – became a federal holiday in 2021. In honor of this year’s Juneteenth, The Conversation reached out to Wake Forest University […]

The total solar eclipse on April 8 won’t just be a wondrous astronomical event—it’s projected to be one of the biggest drivers of travel in the United States this year. The Great American Eclipse expects between 1 and 4 million people to travel to see the eclipse; that doesn’t include the 31 million Americans who […]

People have looked at the sky for millennia in awe of all the celestial wonders happening above. Even today, with advanced technology and a more nuanced understanding of our solar system and the galaxies beyond, we continue to look to the sky with a great sense of fascination. The most anticipated celestial event of 2024 […]

About a week before the removal of the Great Works Dam on the Penobscot River in Old Town, Maine, Dan Kusnierz dragged his sons to the riverside to take their picture in front of the aging structure. They had just come from a little league game. “They were being goofy and didn’t understand it,” Kusnierz, […]

Whether you’re returning to the town you grew up in, visiting family across the country, or driving down the street to a friend’s house, traveling tends to be a key part of the November and December holidays across the U.S. In 2023, AAA estimated 55.4 million people would travel 50 miles or more from home […]

As a result of federal COVID-19 school relief funding amounting to $192 billion, spending to support public school teachers and students increased. At the same time, student transportation and food expenditures decreased, according to a 2021 survey from the Association of School Business Officials. National tutoring service HeyTutor analyzed data from the National Center for […]

By 2050, global sea levels could increase by 1 foot from where they were at the start of the millennium. Iconic beaches, large city centers, and quaint coastal towns will all have to be adapted for higher water levels. Sea level rise means more than just coastal land eaten up by the ocean. It will […]

Open an American history textbook from the last 50 years to the women’s suffrage chapter, and you will likely find a summary that places Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton at the forefront of the movement and Seneca Falls as a key location for women’s right to vote. The 1848 Seneca Falls convention has […]

Cultivating a flower garden that serves as a serene landscape while supporting a healthy ecosystem requires the right plants, care, and—perhaps most importantly—pollinators. Pollinators, from bees to bats, provide essential support for more than one-third of the world’s edible crops by moving pollen between flowers, helping plants reproduce in the process. Among the most beloved pollinators is the […]

In late June 2021, a high-pressure atmospheric system settled over Seattle to create an inescapable heat dome. Jean-Paul Yafali, a resident of nearby Kent, Washington, thanked his good luck for the two secondhand air-conditioning units that a friend had given him back in 2019. He wasn’t used to this kind of stifling heat — not […]

The federal government directed billions in assistance to local governments during the coronavirus pandemic so they would not have to cut essential services just as residents needed them most. Now those governments are wrestling with the fallout from exceptionally high inflation, including the increasing costs of services, materials, and labor. Cities and towns throughout the […]

In the early hours of June 28, 1969, the New York Police Department unwittingly helped start the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement. At the time, clubs with gay or lesbian patrons weren’t allowed to serve alcohol, but the Stonewall Inn still served booze to their customers, giving police cause to raid the bar. The clientele pushed […]

At the start of 2023, in accordance with HB 1467 passed in 2022, Florida schools made national headlines as teachers and librarians covered shelves with tarps and removed books from circulation. Under the new law, all materials in school libraries and on reading lists must be reviewed by a media specialist who completed a Florida […]

In a stunning display of the financial potential of legal cannabis, states across the U.S. have collected a combined total of more than $15.1 billion in tax revenue from adult-use cannabis sales since 2014. As cannabis business owners navigate regulations that can change by state and face growing competition for everything from suppliers to business […]

The United States is a vibrant tapestry of racial and ethnic groups. However, the nation’s teaching workforce does not adequately represent the country’s cultural richness. The latest data from the National Center for Education Statistics, which is from the 2017-2018 school year, reveals that around 21% of public school teachers are people of color. This […]

You wouldn’t think that anyone would forget to collect a tax refund, but it happens. Typically, taxpayers have three years to file and claim their tax returns. However, because the 2020 tax season coincided with the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the filing deadline for 2019 earnings has been extended until July 17, 2023. Anyone […]

As of September 2022, there are just over 167,000 American veterans of World War II alive, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Since most are over 90 years old, it is estimated that three in every 10 will pass away in 2023. More than 16 million people served in the U.S. Armed Forces […]

Gambling in the United States brought in a record $60.4 billion in revenue in 2022, according to the American Gaming Association. The vast majority of that year’s revenue was from in-person gambling, but online betting accounted for about a fifth of that. Just a few states across the U.S. saw the most gaming revenue growth. […]

Americans spent $93 billion on travel in February 2023—5% above 2019 (before COVID-19) and 9% above 2022, according to the U.S. Travel Association. As more and more people venture out to make up for the last few pandemic-ridden years, you might be looking to go a little farther off the beaten path to avoid the […]

There is a clear life cycle for virtually everything humans have created, including baby names. What was popular or trendy 10, 50, or even 100 years ago often isn’t popular now, while other trends cycle back into popularity every few years—or even decades. The 1980s saw plenty of babies named after the British royal family […]

You’ve done everything on your checklist. Got pet insurance and found a great, affordable veterinarian. Didn’t forget to puppy-proof the house and scanned high and low for the best quality dog food. Just one important thing left to decide: What will you name your new furry family member? In the past century, our furry best […]

A paper published by the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce in 2011, titled “The College Payoff,” analyzed the ever-present debate about the financial worthiness of a college degree, many times obtained through ballooning debt. The study found that over a lifetime, “bachelor’s degree holders earn 31% more than those with an associate’s degree […]

National College Decision Day falls on May 1st, and students are expected to finalize their choice of college to attend by that date. The best college for a student can depend on many factors, such as geographic location, tuition cost, and the student’s SAT scores. Additionally, one of the most significant aspects to consider when […]

American history conjures images of tricorn hats, the “Star-Spangled Banner,” and cobblestone streets in quaint colonial towns. While the colonial era is certainly part of American history, it’s only one small part of it. Evidence of humans inhabiting North America dates back 13,000 years, with some indication of human settlements stretching back as far as […]

Plastic is harming our planet, overflowing landfills and polluting oceans. But it’s also bad for our personal health. Growing evidence links phthalates — chemicals used to soften and form plastics — to a wide variety of adverse conditions, including hormone disruption, insulin resistance, and reproductive dysfunction. Humans have generated more than 6.3 billion metric tons […]

The United States has lost 44.3 million hectares of tree cover in just the past two decades. A hectare is about 2.5 acres, and this cumulative loss represents a 16% decrease in tree cover nationwide since 2000. This is equivalent to 17.4 gigatons of carbon dioxide emissions. Deforestation presents a distinct threat to most of […]

Yellowstone National Park regularly receives over 4 million visitors during its peak season. Its geothermal features, wildlife, and scenery make it one of the most popular parks in the U.S. But last June, park officials closed the more than 2 million acre park for over a week due to historic levels of flooding. Reports later […]

According to National Center for Education Statistics, 16 million individuals attend post-secondary institutions in the United States each year. Over the years, the average cost of college has risen dramatically. While there are several different post-secondary educational pathways that students can take, the one most commonly discussed is a four-year bachelor’s degree from an accredited […]

The global climate is changing. And according to numerous scientific experts, nothing will be spared from its effects—no acre of land, no human being, and no animal will be completely insulated from the changes that will occur over the next century. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s latest report, issued in April 2022, warned that […]