HNN Topics

• 
• 7/3/2023
  

  SCOTUS Declares Race-Aware Admissions at Harvard, UNC Unconstitutional

  The decision makes most race-based affirmative action admission policies at selective universities illegal. Historians discuss the decision, the history behind it, and the likely effects. 

• 
• 3/21/2023
  

  The Iraq Invasion Turns 20

  Historians comment on the consequences of the invasion and efforts to control the narrative about how and why the US invaded. 

• 
• 1/4/2023
  

  Republicans (Finally) Rally Around McCarthy as Speaker

  Kevin McCarthy has secured the speakership through apparent deals allowing a group of right-wing hardliners to have greater influence over legislation and more investigative power. Historians followed the voting and discuss what comes next. 

• 
• 8/28/2022
  

  Historians on Trump's Post-Presidential Legal Issues

  Trump's legal difficulties increased significantly with the announcement of a federal indictment on charges related to the improper possession of classified documents at Mar-a-Lago. 

• 
• 8/26/2022
  

  Historians Respond to Biden's Student Debt Relief Order

  How are historians responding to the Biden administration's order to forgive $10,000 of student debt for borrowers with incomes under $125,000?

• 
• 5/26/2022
  

  Historians on the Latest Mass Shooting and the Politics of Guns

  by HNN Staff

  If you are seeing this item in an HNN newsletter, it's happened again. 

• 
• 5/18/2022
  

  Historians on the Mainstreaming of the "Great Replacement" Myth

  by HNN Staff

  This conspiratorial claim of a plot by elites to replace whites with nonwhite and immigrant voters has moved from the far-right fringe to cable news and appears to have played a part in the radicalization of several mass shooters. Historians discuss what it is and what it means. 

• 
• 4/12/2022
  

  The Right's Political Attack on LGBTQ Americans Escalates

  Historians discuss the escalating attacks on LGBTQ Americans. 

• 
• 3/22/2022
  

  Senate Votes to Confirm Ketanji Brown Jackson to SCOTUS After Contentious Hearings

  Historians weigh in on Justice Jackson's historic appointment and the partisanship of the confirmation hearings. 

• 
• 2/22/2022
  

  Historians on the Ukraine Invasion

  Historians weigh in on the unfolding crisis as evidence of widespread attacks on civilians emerges.

• 
• 2/10/2022
  

  Historians on the Harvard Sexual Harassment Scandal

  Two competing open letters pitted Harvard faculty against each other over discipline imposed on anthropology professor John Comaroff. Then a federal lawsuit made the full range of accusations against the professor and the university public. 

• 
• 11/15/2021
  

  Historians on the Kyle Rittenhouse Trial

  As Kyle Rittenhouse's trial advances to jury deliberation, historians weigh in. 

• 
• 11/10/2021
  

  Claiming Academe is Restrictive, Group of Scholars, Pundits and Tech Investors Announce University of Austin

  Is this venture an antidote to academic conformity, or a platform for a circle of like-minded thinkers? Historians weigh in on the University of Austin announcement.

• 
• 9/14/2021
  

  Mandates For COVID Vaccines Spark Controversy

  As Republican governors and legislatures refuse to require vaccination, the Biden administration institutes significant federal mandates. Historians discuss vaccination, choice, and public health.

• 
• 9/2/2021
  

  Mifepristone, the Courts, and the Comstock Act: Historians on the Politics of Abortion Rights

  by HNN Staff

  Conflicting court rulings leave the future of access to a widely used abortion medication in doubt, antiabortion activists openly discuss using a 150 year-old antiobscenity law to enforce a national ban, and Republican politicians face the fallout of unpopular policies. 

• 
• 8/17/2021
  

  After US Withdrawal, Taliban Takes Power Again

  by HNN Staff

  Historians discuss the roots of the Afghan conflict, the conduct of the American invasion and presence, and the consequences of withdrawal. 

• 
• 8/3/2021
  

  New York AG Report: Cuomo Sexually Harassed Multiple Women, Retaliated Against Accuser

  Attorney General Letitia James's report details allegations against the governor by multiple women; Cuomo has rejected calls to resign. 

• 
• 7/27/2021
  

  The House January 6 Commission Hearings

  On October 13, the January 6 Commission held its last hearing before the midterm elections, presenting evidence that the Secret Service knew of plans for violence and voting unanimously to subpoena ex-president Donald Trump.

• 
• 3/30/2021
  

  The Bessemer, Alabama Amazon Union Election Campaign

  Historians look at the just-concluded union election campaign at Amazon's Alabama facilty and await the results. 

• 
• 3/22/2021
  

  Historians Address the Metro Atlanta Shootings

  Historians try to untangle the threads of anti-Asian prejudice, misogyny, evangelical religion, masculinity and gun culture that appear to have contributed to the killing of eight people in Atlanta-area spas.