The Conversation

Faculty and students show how reporting is done when a university partners with local news

10/29/2026 The Conversation USA

Some local papers that were on the verge of extinction, like the Solon Economist in Iowa, have teamed up with universities as a way to get staffing and support. Photo from Teri Finneman, CC BYCatherine Bilskie, the advertising and office manager for the newspaper in Solon, Iowa, had seen many local news outlets close. So she was sure her job at the Solon Economist was about to go one Friday morning in February 2024.

How the law protecting Americans from surprise medical bills is driving up healthcare costs

10/29/2026 The Conversation USA

A frequent complaint about the U.S. healthcare system is that predicting how much your care will cost is notoriously difficult. The Good Brigade/DigitalVision via Getty ImagesImagine you get hit by a car. An ambulance brings you to the nearest hospital. Your private health insurance covers emergency care, but the hospital isn’t in your plan’s network.

Budget 2026: experts on what John Healey’s ‘breathing space’ plan means for households

10/28/2026 The Conversation UK

It was a “breathing space” budget from Chancellor John Healey. In the absence of big surprises or bold change, Healey’s trade-off appears to be small reliefs now in exchange for “fresh hope” in the future. Here’s what our experts made of the chancellor’s first budget.

Targeted help with energy costs as bills keep rising

Jonquil Lowe, Visiting Academic, The Open University

1 in 4 Pennsylvanians say they paid out of pocket for their annual checkup. Why isn’t insurance covering these preventive visits?

10/28/2026 The Conversation USA

Patients who think they're getting an annual checkup often end up with an unexpected bill. The Good Brigade/DigitalVision Collection via Getty ImagesI was teaching health economics when a student raised his hand.

Some states are stepping up after federal childcare cuts – and now offer lessons for the future

10/28/2026 The Conversation USA

Paying for childcare remains one of the biggest costs for households, often costing as much as housing.

Plans with cheaper premiums are risky business for Americans seeking lower healthcare costs

10/28/2026 The Conversation USA

If you're going with a lower-cost health insurance plan, make sure to read the fine print.

New restrictions on purchases with SNAP benefits in some states mean fewer convenience stores are accepting them

10/28/2026 The Conversation USA

Many of the stores where people use SNAP benefits are small.

Private equity is buying up more methadone clinics – access to the lifesaving drug isn’t getting easier

10/28/2026 The Conversation USA

Amber Titus, 38, holds a take-home dose of methadone on Sept. 18 in Bisbee Junction, Ariz. Daniela Dawson, CC BY-NDThree times a week, Amber Titus wakes up at 5 a.m. to get ready for the 45-minute drive to the methadone clinic.

Titus, 38, and her husband live with their two young children in Bisbee Junction, Arizona, a rural community near the U.S.-Mexico border. The couple started taking methadone, a medication that treats opioid addiction, in early 2025.

“It’s been a godsend,” she said.

We studied 1,584 data centers – and found the buildings full of machines are tied to modest local job growth

10/27/2026 The Conversation USA

Ohio ranks No. 4 in the U.S. in terms of how many data centers it has, including this one in Springfield. Michael M. Santiago/Getty ImagesData centers require enormous investments: land, buildings, computer equipment and power infrastructure.

Victorian spiritualism capitalised on the desire to transcend death to create new ways of making money

10/26/2026 The Conversation UK

Death has never entirely stopped the living from trying to continue a conversation with their loved ones.

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