Local news and analysis from The Conversation

Highlighting emerging research and expert analysis on issues important to five communities in the U.S. Funded by the Knight Foundation and R.K. Mellon Foundation.

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Statue of woman wearing handkerchief on head and holding fists over heart

Statue of woman wearing handkerchief on head and holding fists over heart

How Harriet Tubman and Philadelphia abolitionists coordinated dangerous journeys to freedom

Nilgun Anadolu-Okur, Temple University and Jeremy Mennis, Temple University

Gerrymandering is unpopular with Florida voters – my recent survey shows why DeSantis pushed it through anyway

Daniel A. Smith, University of Florida

Woman speaks into a megaphone on the floor of the Florida House of Representatives.

Woman speaks into a megaphone on the floor of the Florida House of Representatives.

Thousands of employed Colorado workers need SNAP benefits to make ends meet

Jennifer C. Greenfield, University of Denver

People in orange vests stand under tents with bags of produce.

People in orange vests stand under tents with bags of produce.

Stockings once worn by Philly’s wealthiest man show the value of women’s mending in early America

Emily J. Whitted, UMass Amherst

Pair of old and threadbare knee socks

Pair of old and threadbare knee socks

‘Affordable’ Pittsburgh doesn’t have enough affordable housing – here’s why

Selena E. Ortiz, Penn State

A tight row of brick homes under a blue sky.

A tight row of brick homes under a blue sky.

Detroit

A city worker in reflective clothes stands knee-deep in a flooded street.

A city worker in reflective clothes stands knee-deep in a flooded street.

Heavy rain on snow is testing aging dams across Michigan and Wisconsin – this is the future in a warming world

Richard B. (Ricky) Rood, University of Michigan

Signs of economic instability emerge in Oakland County, one of Michigan’s wealthiest

Grigoris Argeros, Eastern Michigan University and Jordyn Gerwig, Eastern Michigan University

Cars drive on street in a downtown district.

Cars drive on street in a downtown district.

Motown girl group Martha and the Vandellas not only recorded an anthem for the civil rights era – they fought for fair pay and proudly called themselves divas

Austin McCoy, West Virginia University

Three female Motown singers from the 1960s pose for a photo

Three female Motown singers from the 1960s pose for a photo

Cannabis sales and use are high in Michigan – but federal law means research lags behind

Omayma Alshaarawy, Michigan State University

A lighted display shows cannabis products for sale

A lighted display shows cannabis products for sale

We collected data on how 779 Michigan school districts are regulating student cellphones − here are the trends

Justin Heinze, University of Michigan; Brian Jacob, University of Michigan, and Elyse Thulin, University of Michigan School of Public Health

A person wearing sweats and a backward baseball cap holds a pouch against a device mounted on the wall

A person wearing sweats and a backward baseball cap holds a pouch against a device mounted on the wall

Read more Detroit news

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Philadelphia

Illustration of human brain in red and white striped hammock

Illustration of human brain in red and white striped hammock

The new brain break app for Philadelphia students raises questions about more screen time

Mary Jean Tecce DeCarlo, Drexel University

Philadelphia’s 40-year history of protecting undocumented immigrants began with churches hiding refugees from El Salvador

Menika Dirkson, Morgan State University

Two people stand in doorway of church underneath an arch with stained-glass window

Two people stand in doorway of church underneath an arch with stained-glass window

Philadelphia’s founding years were rife with conspiracy fears about ‘godless’ Freemasons and the Illuminati

Derek Arnold, Villanova University

An illustration of George Washington wearing a suit and sash and standing in an ornate building

An illustration of George Washington wearing a suit and sash and standing in an ornate building

We analyzed Philly street scenes and identified signs of gentrification using machine learning trained on longtime residents’ observations

Maya Mueller, Drexel University and Isaac Quaye, Temple University

Street view image of a shuttered grocery store in a gentrifying neighborhood in North Philadelphia.

Street view image of a shuttered grocery store in a gentrifying neighborhood in North Philadelphia.

Workplace relief is coming for employees with symptoms of menstruation, perimenopause and menopause in Philly

Ann Juliano, Villanova University

Woman sits at table with eyes closed and fingers on temples

Woman sits at table with eyes closed and fingers on temples

Read more Philadelphia news

Pittsburgh

A close-up image of a dark brown tick crawling on human skin.

A close-up image of a dark brown tick crawling on human skin.

Ticks are the backyard threat southwestern Pennsylvania homeowners keep ignoring

Danielle Tufts, University of Pittsburgh and Emily Bache, University of Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh’s air pollution estimated to claim 3,000+ lives per year − and EPA rollbacks aren’t helping

Philip Landrigan, Boston College and Ella Whitman, University of Vermont

Downtown city buildings on a cloudy, hazy day.

Downtown city buildings on a cloudy, hazy day.

AI’s growing appetite for power is putting Pennsylvania’s aging electricity grid to the test

Shixiang (Woody) Zhu, Carnegie Mellon University

Smoke puffs out of a power plant with an American flag in the foreground of the photo.

Smoke puffs out of a power plant with an American flag in the foreground of the photo.

What to know about sex trafficking as Pittsburgh hosts the NFL draft

Mary Burke, Carlow University and Rachel Seamans, Carlow University; Case Western Reserve University

Close-up of a stage with a sign that reads 'NFL Draft Pittsburgh.'

Close-up of a stage with a sign that reads 'NFL Draft Pittsburgh.'

Why rural hospitals in Pennsylvania and across the country are closing in increasing numbers – 5 myths about rural health care

Shayann Ramedani, Penn State and Daniel R. George, Penn State

View from hallway of an empty hospital bed in an emergency department room

View from hallway of an empty hospital bed in an emergency department room

South Florida

illustration of a stadium surrounded by trees, businesses and high rises

illustration of a stadium surrounded by trees, businesses and high rises

Sorry, Tampa Bay, mixed-use districts don’t reverse the dismal economics of sports venues

J.C. Bradbury, Kennesaw State University

Hurricanes devastated Florida’s East Coast – then seagrass made an unexpected comeback

Stephanie Insalaco-Wyner, Southwestern University and Hannah V. Herrero, University of Tennessee

Mosquito Lagoon at sunset

Mosquito Lagoon at sunset

How a new mapping tool helps Florida planners protect wildlife corridors as the state grows

Sarah Lockhart, University of Florida and Thomas Hoctor, University of Florida

Alligator crossing a road in Florida

Alligator crossing a road in Florida

We teach at a Florida university that agreed to cooperate with ICE – and we worry that it is making our students feel less safe

Anindya Kundu, Florida International University and Ryan W. Pontier, Florida International University

People are seen in shorts and shirts and backpacks walking along a cobblestone path with trees around them.

People are seen in shorts and shirts and backpacks walking along a cobblestone path with trees around them.

Better urban design could help save Florida’s threatened Big Cypress fox squirrel

Eve Bohnett, University of Florida

Big Cypress fox squirrel rests on a tree branch

Big Cypress fox squirrel rests on a tree branch

Read more South Florida news

Colorado

A man is reaching up to a machine in a dairy production facility.

A man is reaching up to a machine in a dairy production facility.

Agricultural work is dangerous – but good communication can save lives in Colorado

Morgan Valley, Colorado State University and Lorann Stallones, Colorado State University

1914 Ludlow Massacre took lives of 25 miners and family members during bitter strike for fair wages and conditions

Robert Forrant, UMass Lowell

A black and white photo of a man standing in front of burned canvas tents.

A black and white photo of a man standing in front of burned canvas tents.

Supreme Court ruling on Colorado conversion therapy case is not a clear win for conservatives

Kevin Cope, University of Virginia

People stand in line on sunny day outside the U.S. Supreme Court building.

People stand in line on sunny day outside the U.S. Supreme Court building.

Winter’s alarmingly low snowpack offers a glimpse of the changing rhythm of water in the western US

Imtiaz Rangwala, University of Colorado Boulder

A few across a mountain stream near Lake Tahoe and land covered in snow.

A few across a mountain stream near Lake Tahoe and land covered in snow.

New federal student loan limits affect social work graduate students, with impacts for survivors of domestic violence in Colorado and elsewhere

Kaitlyn M. Sims, University of Denver; Institute for Humane Studies; Kaelyn Lara, University of Denver, and Leslie Carvalho, University of Denver

A person in a black cloak holds a square academic cap.

A person in a black cloak holds a square academic cap.

Read more Colorado news

Most read stories

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

John Haddad, Penn State

How a 22-year-old George Washington learned how to lead, from a series of mistakes in the Pennsylvania wilderness

Christopher Magra, University of Tennessee

George Washington depicted as a young surveyor.

George Washington depicted as a young surveyor.

Broncos say their new stadium will be ‘privately financed,’ but ‘private’ often still means hundreds of millions in public resources

Geoffrey Propheter, University of Colorado Denver

People walk toward a large building with a sign that says "Empower Field at Mile High."

People walk toward a large building with a sign that says "Empower Field at Mile High."

I study rat nests − here’s why rodents make great archivists

Alexandria Mitchem Hansen, Columbia University

Brown rat on the ground outdoors holds red berry-like fruit in its hands

Brown rat on the ground outdoors holds red berry-like fruit in its hands

Colorado ranks among the highest states in the country for flu – an emergency room physician describes why the 2025-26 flu season is hitting hard

Jean Hoffman, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus

Woman in a blue scrub top coughs in a hospital bed while a person in the background in a doctor's coat rub their hands together.

Woman in a blue scrub top coughs in a hospital bed while a person in the background in a doctor's coat rub their hands together.

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