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politics + society

Can kids go to prison? A legal expert explains how young people can be tried and sentenced as adults

Can kids go to prison? A legal expert explains how young people can be tried and sentenced as adults

Curious Kids is a series for children of all ages. If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, send it to CuriousKidsUS@theconversation.com. Can kids go to prison? – Artie, age 10, New York City The United States has a special justice system for people under

As a philosopher, I’m convinced that Trump isn’t lying − he’s doing something worse

As a philosopher, I’m convinced that Trump isn’t lying − he’s doing something worse

(NASHVILLE) For much of his political career, dishonesty has been without cost for Donald Trump. He entered into national politics with the birther lie, claiming that Barack Obama was not born in the U.S., and that did not prevent Trump from winning the 2016 GOP nomination. His persistent false

1776’s Declaration of Independence inspired Washington’s troops to fight against the odds – and also helped bring in powerful allies

1776’s Declaration of Independence inspired Washington’s troops to fight against the odds – and also helped bring in powerful allies

(KNOXVILLE, TN) A crowd gathered along the waterfront in New York City in the summer of 1776. The scene they witnessed was terrifying. The largest expeditionary force in British history sailed into the American harbor. Over 300 ships brought 32,000 professional soldiers and Hessian mercenaries to crush a rebellion.

James Comey’s Instagram seashell post sits in a murky legal zone between protected political speech and criminal threat

James Comey’s Instagram seashell post sits in a murky legal zone between protected political speech and criminal threat

In the case of United States v. James Brien Comey Jr., the U.S. president’s security is pitted against the bedrock right to free speech enjoyed by Americans. Two federal charges have been lodged against former FBI Director James Comey and are based on his Instagram post that depicted

Tony Carruthers recently survived a lethal injection attempt – the latest man to endure a failed execution

Tony Carruthers recently survived a lethal injection attempt – the latest man to endure a failed execution

(AMHERST, MASS.) Tennessee set out to execute Tony Carruthers on May 21, 2026, but he lived to tell about it. Carruthers, who was sentenced to death for a 1994 triple murder, survived his date with death when the execution team members could find only one suitable vein in which to

For Black women in abusive relationships, gun-control loopholes can engender deadly disparities

For Black women in abusive relationships, gun-control loopholes can engender deadly disparities

(DAVIS, CALIF.) In April 2026, Dr. Cerina Wanzer Fairfax was shot and killed by her husband while their divorce was pending. She had done what she was supposed to do. She had initiated the legal process to leave Justin Fairfax, the former lieutenant governor of Virginia. It didn’t save

Democrats don’t get why they’ve lost most working class voters

Democrats don’t get why they’ve lost most working class voters

Since 2016, when Donald Trump shattered the Democrats’ blue wall by winning working-class voters across the Midwest, a cottage industry has sprung up on the left dedicated to answering a single question: How can Democrats win back the working class? The answers come in different forms. Sometimes it is