Not unknown anymore: Black Union soldiers finally honored by name at Civil War battlefield in Vicksburg
Thelma Sims Dukes grew up during the 1940s and 1950s in a segregated Mississippi town steeped in Civil War history. As a small Black girl, she would walk to school through Vicksburg National Military Park — the hilly battlefield where Union and Confederate soldiers...
Survivors of October 7 music festival massacre unite in Tel Aviv to build a healing community
In the months since Hamas’ surprise attack sent them scattering across fields or hiding in desert brush, thousands of survivors of a massacre at a trance festival in Israel have come together as a community to heal. They have found solace in massage therapy, ice...
A failed Bolivian Coup: Reflections on how political violence impacts the lives of ordinary people
Bolivia’s Presidential Palace and main plaza in La Paz were under siege by its top military general and a group of soldiers on June 26. After an intense three-hour standoff that escalated with an armored vehicle and soldiers attempting to break down the palace doors...
Democrats stick with President Biden as he concedes debate fumbles but vows to defend democracy
President Joe Biden worked forcefully on June 28 to quell Democratic anxieties over his unsteady showing in his debate with the criminally convicted ex-president Donald Trump, as elected members of his party closed ranks around him in an effort to shut down talk of...
Trump tries convincing GOP voters that mail balloting is good after falsely blaming it for his 2020 loss
Marta Moehring voted the way she prefers in Nebraska’s Republican primary, in person at her West Omaha polling place. She did not even consider taking advantage of the state’s no-excuse mail-in ballot process. In fact, she would prefer to do away with...
Transgressive jokes: How Trump promotes the use of abusive humor to make hate acceptable
By Nick Butler, Associate Professor, Stockholm University Fox News anchor Sean Hannity interviewed Donald Trump in front of a studio audience in Iowa in December 2023. Hannity asked Trump to guarantee he would not abuse his power or seek retribution if he was...
The little people: Preying on White fears worked for Lester Maddox in the 1960s and for Trump today
By David Cason, Associate Professor in Honors, University of North Dakota In January 1967, after a gubernatorial election that saw neither candidate gain enough votes to win, the Georgia Legislature was faced with a vital decision: the selection of the state’s 75th...
Words and body language: A look at history-making moments from past presidential debates
It could be a well-rehearsed zinger or an offhand, too-loud sigh. Notable moments from past presidential debates demonstrate how the candidates’ words and body language can make them look especially relatable or hopelessly out-of-touch. They also can showcase...
Lost faith: Why supporting democracy is hard for some Americans who feel the economy fails them
By Matthew Wilson, Associate Professor of Political Science, University of South Carolina Americans, it seems, can both value the idea of democracy and not support it in practice. Since 2016, academics and journalists have expressed concerns that formerly secure...
U.S. cybersecurity agency boosts cooperation with states after detecting threats to election systems
The nation’s cybersecurity agency launched a program in February aimed at boosting election security in the states, shoring up support for local offices and hoping to provide reassurance to voters that this year’s presidential elections will be safe and...
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange will walk free in deal to end U.S. legal saga with guilty plea
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange will plead guilty to a felony charge in a deal with the U.S. Justice Department that will allow him to walk free and resolve a long-running legal saga that spanned multiple continents and centered on the publication of a trove of...
Frontline “soldier artists” from Ukraine perform a cultural concert of gratitude for Milwaukee
Wisconsin Ukrainians hosted a special concert for the Milwaukee community on June 15, performed by frontline Ukrainian soldiers as part of the “Music Tour of Gratitude to America,” an initiative to thank the people of the United States for their unwavering...