National/regional news and analysis

Kyrgyzstan’s Dordoi Bazaar: a world made from shipping containers and a city within a city

08/03/2026 The Conversation UK

When I left Ainura’s container-shop at the Dordoi Bazaar in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, I found the market eerily quiet. I had not noticed the passing of time, while she generously shared her life story with me.

Walking towards the mini-bus stop at the square in front of the bazaar, the echo of her words mixed with the end-of-day soundscape at Dordoi: the heavy slam of container-shops’ metal doors and the resonant clang of heavy padlocks clicking into place.

Trump administration is withholding more than $1B in Medicaid funds from California and Minnesota, in latest example of weaponizing real and imagined fraud

08/03/2026 The Conversation USA

Federal agents execute a search in December 2025 tied to potential Medicaid fraud in Bloomington, Minn.

Detroit has a shortage of national retailers. What can officials do to attract more chains to the city?

08/03/2026 The Conversation USA

High property taxes in Detroit deter national retailers from opening stores in the city. Sylvia Jarrus for The Washington Post via Getty ImagesDetroit’s borders encompass 139 square miles, a footprint large enough to fit Manhattan, Boston and San Francisco combined.

Britain’s quarter century: wealth and widening inequality

07/31/2026 The Conversation UK

In this second part in our series on how the UK has changed in the past 25 years, we look at the finances of both the nation and individuals, before turning to housing and business.

The economy

Steve Schifferes, honorary research fellow, City St George’s University

Why Andy Burnham is right to want for-profit firms out of social care

07/30/2026 The Conversation UK

For-profit organisations actually worsen many of the core problems with England’s social care systems. Monkey Business Images/ ShutterstockPrime minister Andy Burnham announced on Wednesday his commitment to improving England’s social care system.

Americans feel the sting of high prices every day, so why does the Fed need so many ways to measure inflation?

07/30/2026 The Conversation USA

Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh is pushing for a rethink on how inflation is measured to offer more clarity on the Fed's policy. AP Photo/Mark SchiefelbeinFrom gas to housing to groceries, consumers can’t escape inflation in their everyday lives. So why can’t policymakers agree on what the data is telling them – and if prices are falling fast enough?

The other side of the Taj Mahal: artisan workers struggle to survive while the world enjoys their craft

07/30/2026 The Conversation UK

saiko3p/ShutterstockAgra is known as the home of the Taj Mahal, one of the seven wonders of the world and a bucket-list destination. Visitors marvel at its beauty, but few realise that another Agra exists in its shadow: the Agra of its artisans. These communities hold the essence of the city’s cultural legacy yet remain invisible to many of the people who seek beauty here.

UK drought: crop harvests at severe risk of collapse

07/30/2026 The Conversation UK

Extreme droughts affect farmland and therefore the UK's food system. Ann Dr/ShutterstockMuch of England is now officially in drought. Reservoir levels are being closely monitored by water companies, while farmers are reporting dry soils and poor crop conditions.

Florida’s proposed property tax amendment will require trade-offs – and some residents could end up with higher costs

07/30/2026 The Conversation USA

Florida voters will decide on a major property tax amendment this November.

A government fund of AI stocks to benefit all Americans is a good idea, but hard to pull off

07/30/2026 The Conversation USA

Sen. Bernie Sanders frequently raises concerns about what artificial intelligence could do to American jobs. Heather Diehl/Getty ImagesCreating a government fund to own AI stock and benefit all Americans would require many hard choices.

National/regional news and analysis

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