Author: TheConversation

By Shaun Narine, Professor of International Relations and Political Science, St. Thomas University (Canada) Donald Trump’s tariffs against most of the world tanked stock markets, disrupted the U.S. bond market, and destabilized the global economy. Trump has economically and politically threatened American allies, shattering the unity of the Western world. But Trump’s chaos may have inadvertently produced an opportunity to create a better world. Some western commentators argue that the U.S. has been a benevolent superpower. That may have been true for a small group of mostly Western states that have benefited from American domination. But much of the...

By Laura Madokoro, Associate Professor of History, Carleton University Sanctuary cities in the United States, which limit local cooperation with federal immigration enforcement, have drawn the ire of Donald Trump during both of his administrations. Border czar Tom Homan said in July 2025 that the Trump administration would target sanctuary cities across the country and “flood the zone” with agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to pursue deportation goals. I am a historian of migration. I have found that the concept of sanctuary takes many forms, from gestures of kindness and advocacy to more formal approaches such as...

By Erran Carmel, Professor of Business, American University Kogod School of Business; and Joseph Garbowski, Master’s student, American University In the first months of Donald Trump’s second term as president, his policies, from sweeping tariffs and aggressive immigration enforcement to attacks on diversity, equity, and inclusion, have thrown U.S. businesses into turmoil, leading to a 26-point decline in CEO confidence. Yet despite this volatility, many American corporations have remained notably restrained in their public responses. This might come as a surprise. After all, in recent decades, CEOs have become increasingly willing to speak out about social and political issues....

By Laura Beers, Professor of History, American University When people use the term “Orwellian,” it’s not a good sign. It usually characterizes an action, an individual or a society that is suppressing freedom, particularly the freedom of expression. It can also describe something perverted by tyrannical power. It is a term used primarily to describe the present, but whose implications inevitably connect to both the future and the past. In his second term, President Donald Trump has revealed his ambitions to rewrite America’s official history to, in the words of the Organization of American Historians, “reflect a glorified narrative...

By Angshuman K. Kashyap, PhD candidate in Health Communication, University of Maryland In today’s digital world, people routinely turn to the internet for health or medical information. In addition to actively searching online, they often come across health-related information on social media or receive it through emails or messages from family or friends. It can be tempting to share such messages with loved ones, often with the best of intentions. As a global health communication scholar studying the effects of media on health and development, I explore artistic and creative ways to make health information more engaging and accessible,...