Legal sports betting has grown rapidly since 2018. In this policy brief, @joshuagrubbsphd.com (@unm.edu) explains how gambling hurts and calls on policymakers to expand Gambling Disorder treatment and restrict gambling marketing. Learn more: scholars.org/contribution...

Drawing on interviews in South Texas Latino communities, @solisrodolfo.bsky.social (UTRGV) argues that political support for either party is not a measure of Latino identity. Learn more from his @latinonewsnetwork.bsky.social op-ed. ⤵️ latinonewsnetwork.com/democracy/la...

Latino Political Support Alone Doesn’t Tell Us How Strong Latino Identity Is - Latino News Network

Latino voters may share a strong sense of heritage while arriving at very different political conclusions.

latinonewsnetwork.com

From op-eds to a @univision34.bsky.social appearance, @efrenpolipsy.bsky.social shows how SSN can help scholars combine research-based insights with public conversations. ➡️ Read more stories like this in SSN's annual report: scholars.org/sites/schola...

As Nevada lawmakers take on maternal health, Lorraine Garcia (@unlv.edu) argues that they should prioritize two research-backed solutions for better outcomes: birth centers run by midwives and better access to licensed midwives. 🫄Learn more in @nevadacurrent.com: nevadacurrent.com/2026/10/20/a...

Commentary: A midwife solution to Nevada’s maternity care problem • Nevada Current

Nevada recently received an overall failing grade on the March of Dimes 2025 Report Card for key indicators of maternal and infant health. March of Dimes is a leading U.S. nonprofit organization that ...

nevadacurrent.com

Drawing on her experience becoming a mother while earning her PhD, Yasmin Elgoharry(@uconn.bsky.social) explains what universities can do to better support parents. Read the op-ed in @theeduledger.bsky.social: www.theeduledger.com/opinion/arti...

I Became a Mother and a Doctoral Student at the Same Time. Academia Was Not Ready.

Parenting while pursuing a doctorate should not require navigating gaps in pay, health coverage, childcare and institutional support alone.

theeduledger.com

Drawing on my ongoing qualitative research w/ Medicaid beneficiaries across the country, I talked to @scholars.org abt the politics of Medicaid. Medicaid beneficiaries understand BOTH its administrative workings & its political stakes. The more we center their knowledge in our discourse, the better.

Scholars Strategy Network@scholars.org · 6d ago

Why do politicians keep invoking fraud to justify Medicaid cuts? “It’s about politics,” says @povertyscholar.bsky.social (Cornell). She explains why the people most affected have little say in how Medicaid works, and what it would take to change that. 🎧 Listen: scholars.org/podcast/poli...

Why do politicians keep invoking fraud to justify Medicaid cuts? “It’s about politics,” says @povertyscholar.bsky.social (Cornell). She explains why the people most affected have little say in how Medicaid works, and what it would take to change that. 🎧 Listen: scholars.org/podcast/poli...

Violence teaches people to anticipate danger in ordinary moments, but because this way of seeing is learned, it can be unlearned, writes @mkang.bsky.social (@jhu.edu) in this @aeon.co essay. Her team interviewed 99 men in a Chicago program that helped them do just that. 🔗 Learn more:

Early violence is a bad teacher. But the mind can learn anew | Aeon Essays

A world of violence sustains itself through guns, poverty and other social ills, but also through the minds it creates

aeon.co

Join us on Tuesday, Oct. 27 at 2pm ET for a Q&A that will offer practical tips for developing & submitting effective testimony, including strategies for translating academic research into compelling messages for policymakers. ➡️ Register now: scholars.my.salesforce-sites.com/event/home/s...

🗳️ Election Day is just weeks away. For reporters covering voting, state politics, and some of the top issues of this election in these key states, the following experts are available. ⤵️ 🔗 Connect: scholars.org/features/17-...

Does voting Republican mean feeling less Latino? Many Latino Republicans I interviewed valued their ethnoracial background without treating it as a voting obligation. Thanks @scholars.org for editing and pitching: latinonewsnetwork.com/democracy/la...

Latino Political Support Alone Doesn’t Tell Us How Strong Latino Identity Is - Latino News Network

Latino voters may share a strong sense of heritage while arriving at very different political conclusions.

latinonewsnetwork.com

Efrén Pérez@efrenpolipsy.bsky.social · 2w ago

From Rodolfo Soliís, recently minted PhD, former student of mine, and ongoing collaborator 🇲🇽💯 latinonewsnetwork.com/democracy/la... @solisrodolfo.bsky.social @repslab.bsky.social

What should happen to empty juvenile detention facilities? SSN member Daniel Macallair and colleagues took that question to Capitol Hill. Their talks have contributed to the development of a bill to repurpose them for community uses. 🔗 Learn more: scholars.org/features/mem...

In this @hechingerreport.org op-ed, Laura Hamilton (@ucmerced.bsky.social) and Veronica Lerma (@ucdavis.bsky.social) argue that universities shouldn’t cut diversity programs under federal pressure without first asking what the law actually requires. Learn more. ⤵️

In this @hechingerreport.org op-ed, Laura Hamilton (@ucmerced.bsky.social) and Veronica Lerma (@ucdavis.bsky.social) argue that universities shouldn’t cut diversity programs under federal pressure without first asking what the law actually requires. Learn more. ⤵️

🚗 Self-driving cars are on streets in cities throughout the U.S. In this brief, Liana Pennington (Saint Anselm College) explains why lawmakers must set guardrails on police access to self-driving car data before these vehicles become a mobile surveillance network. ➡️ scholars.org/contribution...

Paternity leave is more than just a perk, argues @drat758.bsky.social of @uwmadison.bsky.social in this @time.com op-ed. Thomas shares how a father’s engagement in infancy is linked to better outcomes for kids and urges changes from both lawmakers and employers. time.com/article/2026...

Paternity Leave Is More Than a Perk. It Builds a Baby’s Brain

Paternity leave and a father’s engagement during infancy is associated with better cognitive, social, and emotional regulation outcomes for the child, writes Alvin Thomas.

time.com

In this @theconversation.com op-ed, @spitzerb.bsky.social (@sunycortland.bsky.social) explains why the upcoming SCOTUS hearing on assault weapons will “bring to a head the multi-decade dispute over restricting assault weapons that extends far beyond legal arguments.” Learn more. ⤵️

Why the assault weapons debate is a culture debate

The Supreme Court’s decision to hear two assault weapons cases caps a multi-decade dispute over restricting assault weapons that extends far beyond legal arguments.

theconversation.com

In MoCo, Maryland, a proposed bill would give some public school teachers $2.5k/year in property tax credits. In this @moderatelymoco.bsky.social op-ed, @noraegordon.bsky.social argues it won’t make homes meaningfully more affordable or improve schools. Learn more. ⤵️

Opinion: The County Council's $2,500 MCPS Tax Credit

Nora Gordon argues Bill 48-26's $2,500 property tax credit for MCPS employees is a bonus for fewer than one in five, not housing affordability.

moderatelymoco.com

We're excited to share our 2025-26 academic year annual report! It powerfully demonstrates that SSN is a community that reminds us that policy engagement matters—and that scholars’ contributions can make a real difference. 🔗 Read about the year’s accomplishments: scholars.org/sites/schola...

As chapter activity ramps up for a new academic year, we’re looking back to celebrate the chapters and leaders who built energizing spaces for scholars to connect their research with policymakers, journalists, and civic leaders. 🏆 Congratulations to our 2025–26 chapter award winners!

Presidential nominations were once controlled by party leaders, who were able to keep dangerous contenders off the ballot. Larry Jacobs (University of Minnesota) argues that check has broken down, and Trump is the result. He offers a key fix. In @thehill.com: thehill.com/opinion/camp...

Breaking the tyranny of extremists

Political scientist Lawrence R. Jacobs argues that urgent reforms to the presidential nomination process are required to prevent the rise of populism and protect the rule of law.

thehill.com

Is it Columbus Day or Indigenous Peoples’ Day—and what does that choice say about whose history America celebrates? In our latest podcast episode, @kerrijmalloy.bsky.social explains why the debate goes beyond a name on the calendar. 🎧 Listen to the full ep: www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Y_Z...

We are thrilled to welcome @joshuagrubbsphd.com (@unm.edu) to the network! Grubbs' research focuses on gambling disorder, sports betting, alcohol and substance use, and compulsive sexual behavior. Learn more from Grubbs' SSN member profile: scholars.org/scholar/josh...

🤝 How can climate advocates build coalitions with labor? In this brief, Geoffrey Henderson (@umich.edu) shares lessons on coalition building from interviewing labor & climate advocates. Key takeaway: coalitions need well-designed policies and inclusive processes. 🔗 scholars.org/contribution...

🗳️ With early voting underway and Election Day just weeks away, the mechanics of the 2026 midterms are becoming a story in their own right. For reporters covering the midterms, the following experts are available to provide commentary and analysis. 👇 🔗 Connect: scholars.org/features/9-e...

Super thrilled to be a part of this cohort! Thank you!

Scholars Strategy Network@scholars.org · 3w ago

📰 Meet the 2026–27 SSN Media Fellows! Over the next year, these 10 SSN members will work with mentors from across the network and SSN national staff to expand their media work across television, radio, print, op-eds, and social media. 👇 🔗 Meet them: scholars.org/media-fellow...

📰 Meet the 2026–27 SSN Media Fellows! Over the next year, these 10 SSN members will work with mentors from across the network and SSN national staff to expand their media work across television, radio, print, op-eds, and social media. 👇 🔗 Meet them: scholars.org/media-fellow...

New research from @anitaraj.bsky.social of @newcombinstitute.bsky.social shows that ~two-thirds of women have experienced abuse from a partner, with the numbers increasing for trans people. Raj says the solution lies in building community responses. In @19thnews.org:

Violence against women and trans people is worse than previously thought, new research finds

Nearly two-thirds of women have experienced abuse from a spouse or romantic partner. The numbers are even higher for trans people.

19thnews.org

This year marks 25 years since Portugal decriminalized the possession of all drugs for personal use. @robglover.bsky.social & Karyn Sporer explain the real lesson behind the law's success: it's not decriminalization itself, but the broader system Portugal built around it. In @theconversation.com:

Portugal decriminalized drugs 25 years ago, but the real lesson is what it built around this policy

Portugal’s remarkable public health strides after changing its approach to drugs may not be replicable in other countries absent broader systemic reforms.

theconversation.com

In this insidehighered.com piece, Elizabeth Niehaus of @ucfreespeech.bsky.social argues that institutions must recognize faculty civic engagement as part of their democratic mission, and support it the same way they support teaching and research. Learn more. ⤵️ www.insidehighered.com/opinion/view...

Supporting Civic Engagement Is About Faculty Too (opinion)

To fulfill Its democratic mission, higher ed must better support faculty civic engagement too.

insidehighered.com