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Shirtless boy stands before an American flag while blowing a bugle.

Shirtless boy stands before an American flag while blowing a bugle.

Summer camps remain a battleground over what it means to be American

Seth T. Kannarr, University of Tennessee and Derek H. Alderman, University of Tennessee

side angle of crowd shot showing varying ages and races, some dancing, some standing, and others seated on couches in a backyard setting

side angle of crowd shot showing varying ages and races, some dancing, some standing, and others seated on couches in a backyard setting

Techno tourism in Detroit – what do visitors owe the city that created the music?

Carla Vecchiola, University of Michigan-Dearborn

The art of literary translation exposes the limits of AI

Krupa Shandilya, Amherst College

A lone tree in a misty field at dawn.

A lone tree in a misty field at dawn.

30 years after ‘Reasonable Doubt,’ Jay-Z’s career embodies hip-hop’s biggest contradictions

Jabari M. Evans, University of South Carolina

Young Black man sits behind a desk wearing a chain necklace and a baseball hat cocked to the side.

Young Black man sits behind a desk wearing a chain necklace and a baseball hat cocked to the side.

Toy Story 5’s ‘Lilypad’ is an indictment of the world that birthed the ‘iPad Kid’

Aarushi Bhandari, Davidson College

A 10-year-old boy wearing a pink costume sits in the corner of a room and plays on his tablet.

A 10-year-old boy wearing a pink costume sits in the corner of a room and plays on his tablet.

How LGBTQ employees at Kodak risked their careers to build a safer, more inclusive workplace

Tamar Carroll, Rochester Institute of Technology

A group of men and women hold rainbow umbrellas and wear T-shirts reading 'Pride @ Kodak.'

A group of men and women hold rainbow umbrellas and wear T-shirts reading 'Pride @ Kodak.'

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Housing: Visions

Miniature, clear plastic houses laid out side by side in a model of a neighborhood.

Miniature, clear plastic houses laid out side by side in a model of a neighborhood.

A rare bipartisan housing victory faces a bigger problem – Americans still can’t afford housing

Kirk McClure, University of Kansas and Alex Schwartz, The New School

Believe it or not, there was a time when the US government built beautiful homes for working-class Americans to deal with a housing shortage

Eran Ben-Joseph, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

A row of newly built homes.

A row of newly built homes.

What if universal rental assistance were implemented to deal with the housing crisis?

Alex Schwartz, The New School and Kirk McClure, University of Kansas

Silhouettes of a young woman and her daughter on a bed piled with bags of personal belongings.

Silhouettes of a young woman and her daughter on a bed piled with bags of personal belongings.

England’s ‘once in a generation’ housing law takes effect as US housing legislation sits in congressional purgatory

Allyson Gold, Wake Forest University

Hundreds of residential rowhouses are seen from the air.

Hundreds of residential rowhouses are seen from the air.

What the world can learn from Uruguay as the global housing crisis deepens

Jennifer Duyne Barenstein, ETH Zurich and Daniela Sanjinés, ETH Zurich

A brick, two-story apartment complex with sidewalks and greenery in front of it.

A brick, two-story apartment complex with sidewalks and greenery in front of it.

Sports

Seat the rich! World Cup ticket inflation reflects widening gap between haves and have-nots

Stefan Szymanski, University of Michigan

A group of men stand around a large ticket.

A group of men stand around a large ticket.

For Iran’s diaspora, a tough World Cup call: To support the national team or protest – or both?

Shirvin Zeinalzadeh, Arizona State University

A man sits on seating draped in a flag.

A man sits on seating draped in a flag.

Bingles, knuckleballs and ‘Beer Barrel Polka’ – hundreds of forgotten works showcase the eclectic world of baseball scholarship

Tom Reinsfelder, Penn State

Man wearing baseball uniform cocks his arm back to throw a pitch while gripping the ball with the tips of his fingers.

Man wearing baseball uniform cocks his arm back to throw a pitch while gripping the ball with the tips of his fingers.

Haiti at the World Cup is more than an underdog tale – it is the story of global migration

Laurent Dubois, University of Virginia

Two men one with a motorcycle stand in front of a poster of soccer players.

Two men one with a motorcycle stand in front of a poster of soccer players.

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Movies

A running, smiling cartoon mouse wearing a yellow sombrero painted as graffiti on a red, brick wall.

A running, smiling cartoon mouse wearing a yellow sombrero painted as graffiti on a red, brick wall.

¡Ándale! ¡Arriba! Speedy Gonzales set to make his triumphant return to the silver screen

Jared Bahir Browsh, University of Colorado Boulder

‘Hamnet’ is making audiences break down in tears – and upending beliefs about male grief

Jeanette Tran, Drake University

A young, handsome, forlorn-looking man stares off into the distance.

A young, handsome, forlorn-looking man stares off into the distance.

As the Oscars approach, Hollywood grapples with AI’s growing influence on filmmaking

Holly Willis, University of Southern California

A glitchy-looking golden Oscar statuette set up against a black backdrop.

A glitchy-looking golden Oscar statuette set up against a black backdrop.

Do animals have a future on Hollywood sets?

Cynthia Chris, City University of New York

A bearded man wrestles with a large, brown bear in the snow.

A bearded man wrestles with a large, brown bear in the snow.

How Dracula became a red-hot lover

Stanley Stepanic, University of Virginia

A young man in a top hat rests his chin on the shoulder of a young woman who looks uncomfortable.

A young man in a top hat rests his chin on the shoulder of a young woman who looks uncomfortable.

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Visual art

AI-generated fantasies of US intervention reveal how desperation has narrowed Cuba’s political horizons

Michael J. Bustamante, University of Miami

cartoon on the left and AI image on the right showing Americans as Cuba's liberators

cartoon on the left and AI image on the right showing Americans as Cuba's liberators

Sora’s downfall signals broader problems with AI’s creative utility

Ahmed Elgammal, Rutgers University

Michelangelo hated painting the Sistine Chapel – and never aspired to be a painter to begin with

Anna Swartwood House, University of South Carolina

A woman in a museum gallery views of sketched portrait of a young man wearing a hat.

A woman in a museum gallery views of sketched portrait of a young man wearing a hat.

AI-induced cultural stagnation is no longer speculation − it’s already happening

Ahmed Elgammal, Rutgers University

A young Asian woman peers out of a glass elevator in a shopping mall.

A young Asian woman peers out of a glass elevator in a shopping mall.

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Music

A cardboard cutout of a young blonde woman wearing a teal baseball jersey in the dugout at a baseball stadium.

A cardboard cutout of a young blonde woman wearing a teal baseball jersey in the dugout at a baseball stadium.

Taylor Swift trademarking her voice and likeness points to a new legal frontier in combating AI deepfakes

Daryl Lim, Penn State

Antonia Bembo fled Venice to escape her abusive husband – over three centuries later, her opera finally takes the stage

Claire Fontijn, Wellesley College

A painting of an early-19th century boulevard in Paris, featuring a large arch, pedestrians and ornate apartment buildings.

A painting of an early-19th century boulevard in Paris, featuring a large arch, pedestrians and ornate apartment buildings.

After the execution of James G. Broadnax in Texas, questions persist over use of rap lyrics as evidence

A.D. Carson, University of Virginia

A young male inmate with a goatee wearing a white shirt speaks into a landline phone while seated.

A young male inmate with a goatee wearing a white shirt speaks into a landline phone while seated.

Motown’s Black women songwriters and producers were the invisible architects behind the pop music juggernaut

Margena A. Christian, University of Illinois Chicago

Woman stands in front of podium

Woman stands in front of podium

Clergy protests against ICE turned to a classic – and powerful – American playlist

David W. Stowe, Michigan State University

Three people bundled up in jackets, two of them wearing stoles over their shoulders, kneel outside.

Three people bundled up in jackets, two of them wearing stoles over their shoulders, kneel outside.

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Literature and writing

A young woman seated in a chair in a wood paneled room surrounded by shelves with zines and a wall with various images and flyers tacked to it.

A young woman seated in a chair in a wood paneled room surrounded by shelves with zines and a wall with various images and flyers tacked to it.

DIY zines are helping queer communities tell their own stories and craft their own culture

Rachel Schneider, Missouri University of Science and Technology

Despite all the likes, literallys and dropped g’s, English isn’t decaying before our eyes

Valerie M. Fridland, University of Nevada, Reno

A fork lifts alphabet pasta letters that spell out 'help.'

A fork lifts alphabet pasta letters that spell out 'help.'

Artemis II moonshot reflects a spacefaring vision present in Jules Verne’s 19th-century novel

Anastasia Klimchynskaya, Illinois Wesleyan University

The Earth, partially shadowed, visible beyond the lunar horizon.

The Earth, partially shadowed, visible beyond the lunar horizon.

Thousands of AI-written, edited or ‘polished’ books are being sold – an eerie echo of Orwell’s ‘novel-writing machines’

Laura Beers, American University

An open book with text in binary code, set against a red background.

An open book with text in binary code, set against a red background.

If using ChatGPT is cheating, what about ghostwriting? The old debate behind a new panic

Emily Hodgson Anderson, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences

See-through hands type on a computer keyboard.

See-through hands type on a computer keyboard.

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Media

TMZ descends on Washington in a test of whether tabloid tactics can serve the public interest

Angelica Kalika, University of Colorado Boulder

A TMZ microphone is seen among a bouquet of microphones from other media outlets.

A TMZ microphone is seen among a bouquet of microphones from other media outlets.

As goes CBS Radio News, so goes the idea that news media should serve the public interest

Matthew Jordan, Penn State

Black and white photograph of a young man wearing a suit and reading from a piece of paper into a radio microphone.

Black and white photograph of a young man wearing a suit and reading from a piece of paper into a radio microphone.

The two lives of Chuck Norris

Ben Pettis, University of Richmond

Young, fit man with blonde, shoulder length hair and a beard poses in a field wearing blue jeans and a tight, white t-shirt.

Young, fit man with blonde, shoulder length hair and a beard poses in a field wearing blue jeans and a tight, white t-shirt.

As Jeff Bezos dismantles The Washington Post, 5 regional papers chart a course for survival

Dan Kennedy, Northeastern University

People work at their desks in The Washington Post's newsroom.

People work at their desks in The Washington Post's newsroom.

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History

Young Black man tugs on his blue and red soccer jersey during a match.

Young Black man tugs on his blue and red soccer jersey during a match.

FIFA’s Haiti jersey ban echoes the long campaign to discredit and downplay the Haitian Revolution

Julia Gaffield, William & Mary

Why are buttons and zippers on different sides of men’s and women’s clothes?

JuYoung Lee, Mississippi State University and Caroline Kobia, Mississippi State University

Closeup view of a white button against blue-and-white striped textile

Closeup view of a white button against blue-and-white striped textile

As renaissance fairs become big business, can they retain their counterculture roots?

Katrina Stack, University of Tennessee and Reagan Yessler, Pellissippi State Community College

A line of actors dressed in colorful 16th-century garb.

A line of actors dressed in colorful 16th-century garb.

The costume maker who convinced Hersheypark to embrace candy mascots and ‘chocolatize’ their old-timey theme park

John Haddad, Penn State

Statues of a smiling and waving Hershey's Kiss, Hershey's Chocolate Bar and Reese's Peanut Butter Cup

Statues of a smiling and waving Hershey's Kiss, Hershey's Chocolate Bar and Reese's Peanut Butter Cup

The inspiring and tragic story of Mabel Stark, America’s most famous female tiger trainer

Alessandro Meregaglia, Boise State University

Black and white photo of a young woman striking a defiant pose while supporting a tiger standing on its hind legs.

Black and white photo of a young woman striking a defiant pose while supporting a tiger standing on its hind legs.

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Gender and sexuality

Who was the first transgender person?

Ky Merkley, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and Nick Winters, Northwestern University

statue of a sphinx

statue of a sphinx

How Amazon workers made glamour a form of protest

Eileen G'Sell, Washington University in St. Louis

Looksmaxxing isn’t just a TikTok trend – it often reflects severe body image issues in teen boys and young men

Jordyn Tovey, University of Michigan

Young man with curly hair examining his face in the mirror.

Young man with curly hair examining his face in the mirror.

What ‘gooning’ reveals about intimacy in a world cordoned off by screens

Jennifer Pollitt, Temple University

A close-up of the face of a man wearing glasses, with the reflection of a woman wearing a bikini in the lens.

A close-up of the face of a man wearing glasses, with the reflection of a woman wearing a bikini in the lens.

Read more about gender and sexuality

Cities

Elderly people walk along a sidewalk in front of storefronts, including one with a sign reading 'Hebrew Religious Articles.'

Elderly people walk along a sidewalk in front of storefronts, including one with a sign reading 'Hebrew Religious Articles.'

Lower East Side street named for ‘King of Comics’ Jack Kirby, a nod to one of the countless kids of immigrants who shaped the genre

Miriam Eve Mora, University of Michigan

Yellow vehicles work on construction grounds to the right of a stately, white residence.

Yellow vehicles work on construction grounds to the right of a stately, white residence.

In his efforts to remake federal architecture, Trump repudiates the ‘republican ideals’ that have long informed it

Kevin D. Murphy, Vanderbilt University

Read more about cities

Television

Smiling man poses while wearing a glittering red, white and blue American flag vest.

Smiling man poses while wearing a glittering red, white and blue American flag vest.

5 reasons Stephen Colbert is one of the most important satirists in American history

Sophia A. McClennen, Penn State

TikTok’s popular microdramas shrink TV into bite-sized chunks

Jessica Maddox, University of Georgia and Krysten Stein, University of Cincinnati

Young Black woman speaks into a microphone while seated in a white sofa chair on a stage.

Young Black woman speaks into a microphone while seated in a white sofa chair on a stage.

HBO’s ‘The Pitt’ nails how hospital cyberattacks create chaos, endanger patients and disrupt critical care

Jeffrey Tully, University of California, San Diego and Christian Dameff, University of California, San Diego

Medical staff from the fictional Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center stabilize a patient.

Medical staff from the fictional Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center stabilize a patient.

Why ‘The West Wing’ went from a bipartisan hit to a polarized streaming comfort watch over 2 decades, reflecting profound shifts in media and politics

Karrin Vasby Anderson, Colorado State University and Nick Marx, Colorado State University

Eight happy people standing close to each other in front of a large American flag.

Eight happy people standing close to each other in front of a large American flag.

Life isn’t all diamonds – money and fame don’t shield the many ‘Real Housewives’ facing criminal charges

C. Clare Strange, Drexel University

A woman with long dark hair and a beige coat holds the arm of a tall man wearing a black suit and blue tie and walks away from a building, with police nearby.

A woman with long dark hair and a beige coat holds the arm of a tall man wearing a black suit and blue tie and walks away from a building, with police nearby.

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Lifestyle

A mom, a dad and two young kids traverse rocky terrain as birds fly over them.

A mom, a dad and two young kids traverse rocky terrain as birds fly over them.

Why fatherhood matters more than ever before

Darby Saxbe, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences

What we misunderstand about absent fathers

Matthew Alemu, University of Michigan; Northeastern University

Close-up of man's arm with a space between his daughter's arm, suggesting distance and coldness.

Close-up of man's arm with a space between his daughter's arm, suggesting distance and coldness.

Older Americans are often compelled to keep working – and then criticized for not stepping aside

Lee Ann Rawlins Williams, University of North Dakota

A sharply dressed older woman ducks into a car.

A sharply dressed older woman ducks into a car.

Food

Juneteenth’s real meaning is written on the plates of smoked meats, potato salad and watermelon

Bobby J. Smith II, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Man holds an aluminum tray of grilled meats in the foreground while a large number of people socialize in the background.

Man holds an aluminum tray of grilled meats in the foreground while a large number of people socialize in the background.

Butter or margarine? A food scientist describes their subtle chemical deviations and how they can affect your baked goods

Rosemary Trout, Drexel University

A square pat of margarine melting in a pan

A square pat of margarine melting in a pan

What is black garlic? How heat and humidity turn a pungent ingredient mild and slightly sweet

Mavra Javed, Michigan State University

A whole bulb of black fermented garlic and both a peeled and unpeeled clove on a dark wooden table.

A whole bulb of black fermented garlic and both a peeled and unpeeled clove on a dark wooden table.

Philadelphia was once a sweet spot for chocolatiers and other candymakers who made iconic treats for Valentine’s Day and other holidays

Jared Bahir Browsh, University of Colorado Boulder

Old black-and-white photographs of different boxes of chocolate

Old black-and-white photographs of different boxes of chocolate

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