News
Study finds people more cynical toward news more likely to believe misinformation
A study led by the University of Kansas explored news skepticism, news trust and misinformation. Results showed people with more news knowledge had more news skepticism, but those with more news cynicism were more likely to believe misinformation. The results can help improve media literacy and fight misinformation, the authors said.
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Mon, 05/11/2026
Study finds people more cynical toward news more likely to believe misinformation
A study led by the University of Kansas explored news skepticism, news trust and misinformation. Results showed people with more news knowledge had more news skepticism, but those with more news cynicism were more likely to believe misinformation. The results can help improve media literacy and fight misinformation, the authors said.
Mon, 05/11/2026
Scholar sketches a Jewish economic theology
A University of Kansas religious studies scholar has written a new chapter on Jewish economic theology for the St. Andrews Encyclopaedia of Theology. Samuel Brody starts with the biblical injunction against lending money at interest and sketches historical Jewish highlights stretching from the rabbis of the Talmud to the medieval sage Maimonides to Karl Marx.
Mon, 04/13/2026
Research finds efforts to end child marriage in Malawi leave out local knowledge, culture
University of Kansas researchers propose viewing the problem through an African feminist lens that would engage culture, local customs and knowledge to address an issue that has persisted despite legal reforms.
Mon, 04/06/2026
KU researcher proposes strategies for political depolarization in, outside classroom
In two recent publications, a University of Kansas communication studies researcher prescribes constructive approaches to political polarization both in the classroom and in society more broadly.
Mon, 04/06/2026
KU research shows JOBS Act backfired, resulting in acquisitions of companies instead of increasing IPOs
Alex Platt, KU School of Law professor, has published research showing that the JOBS Act of 2012, which was intended to revive the IPO market, has had the opposite effect. Instead of making it easier for companies to go public through the IPO process, it has resulted in "dual-track bias," which has led many companies to sell to larger companies instead.
Wed, 04/01/2026
States that imposed total abortion bans spend millions more in nutritional food programs, research finds
Lilly Springer, doctoral candidate in economics at the University of Kansas, found that states that implemented total abortion bans by the start of 2023 experienced a 1.6% increase in the overall birth rate. They also experience 4.3% and 2.1% increase in monthly postpartum women and formula-fed infant WIC participation, respectively, leading to an additional $6.9 million in food costs.
Wed, 03/25/2026
Study examines effectiveness of politicians’ public denials amid corruption accusations
In a new article, Sofia Vera, an assistant professor of political science at the University of Kansas, investigates how public denials by politicians accused of corruption influence electoral accountability and why positive and negative partisanship shapes voter reactions.
Mon, 03/09/2026
America’s Cold War strategy examined in new handbook of military history
In a new book chapter, Adrian Lewis, the David Pittaway Professor in Military History at the University of Kansas, focuses on the evolution of American strategy, both of containing communism and managing conflict, during the Cold War.
Tue, 03/03/2026
Supreme Court ruling allowing race-based immigration stops hampering relief from government misconduct, legal scholar argues
Sharon Brett, associate professor of law at the University of Kansas, has published a new case study arguing the Supreme Court decision in Noem v. Vasquez Perdomo — and Justice Brett Kavanaugh's concurring opinion — miss the mark legally and factually and continue to make seeking relief from government misconduct exceedingly difficult.
Thu, 02/26/2026
Study shows social capital improves public health, but not equally for all communities
A study from the University of Kansas has found that high levels of social capital, such as civic participation, leads to better public health. However, the improvement was not equal among white and Black populations in the same communities with high levels of social capital, meaning more work is necessary to improve health outcomes for all, according to the authors.
Tue, 02/24/2026
Pandemic, election crises mark ‘critical events’ in declining democratic accountability standards, governance scholar writes
Christopher Koliba, University of Kansas public affairs and administration researcher, has published a new study examining how the COVID-19 pandemic response and perpetuation of false claims about the 2020 presidential election were critical events in declining democratic accountability standards. Scholars and others have important work to do in documenting such cases to learn the effects of democratic backsliding, according to Koliba.
Tue, 02/10/2026
Study explores how women in public sector regulate their emotions at work
New research from the University of Kansas investigates how women employed in the public sector regulate emotions in professional settings. The study found respondents suppress negative emotions more than positive but that efforts to suppress such emotions for professional reasons are not always effective, stifling authenticity.
Tue, 02/03/2026
Law expert’s analysis tracks how international trade is being dismantled
Raj Bhala, University Distinguished Professor of Law at KU, has written an analysis outlining how international trade law is being destroyed, not simply changing. His peer-reviewed work, published in the Transatlantic Law Journal, outlines why this is happening and examines if it can be saved.
Tue, 01/20/2026
Complex motivations of women gun owners revealed in new book
Margaret Kelley, professor of American studies at the University of Kansas, explores the growing phenomenon and misconceptions regarding women gun owners in middle America in a new book, “A Gun of Her Own: The Everyday Lives of Women Who Shoot.”
Fri, 01/16/2026
KU professor leads project to document history, preserve KC-based movement to fight for better restaurant pay
Tadeo Weiner Davis, assistant professor of social welfare at the University of Kansas, earned a grant to preserve materials of Stand Up KC, a movement dedicated to earning better pay for fast food and casual restaurant workers, and record oral histories of those involved.
Wed, 01/14/2026
Study shows how kidnapping of athlete's father influenced society, president across continents
Two media scholars at the University of Kansas have published a study analyzing media coverage of the 2023 kidnapping of soccer star Luis "Lucho" Diaz's father.
Tue, 12/16/2025
Superman’s bygone battle with hate group provides strategy for thwarting modern conspiracy theories
In a new book chapter, Colin McRoberts, associate teaching professor of business at the University of Kansas, traces the story of Superman’s battle with the Ku Klux Klan in a 1946 radio serial and suggests it may provide strategies for thwarting the damage done by conspiracy theories.
Mon, 11/17/2025
Study finds Marion County Record raid created ‘shared press distress’ among fellow journalists
Research from the University of Kansas has found that the raid on the Marion County Record newspaper in rural Kansas created “shared press distress” among fellow small town journalists. Shortly after the raid, journalists reported feeling distress and asked questions about if such raids would continue to be allowed and what it would mean for their journalistic practices.
Mon, 11/10/2025
Study finds Kansas City fare-free bus policy attracted new riders, increased overall use
A University of Kansas study found that following Kansas City's policy implementation of fare-free bus service, new riders were attracted to the service and overall usage increased, among other changes. Traditionally marginalized communities were especially affected by the change, showing that such a policy has equity benefits, the study author said.
Thu, 11/06/2025
Attitudes toward immigration become more polarized during electoral periods, study finds
In a new study, Sofia Vera, assistant professor of political science at the University of Kansas, examines how the issue of immigration affects voters, finding that a strong partisan polarization occurs close to an election, but once it is over, both sides begin to converge in the middle.
Mon, 10/27/2025
Study documents wind regulations across all Kansas counties, can help guide energy policies nationwide
Researchers at the University of Kansas have published a study based on the Kansas Energy Transition Atlas. The site documents wind energy regulations across all 105 of the state's counties, and findings from the study document which regions of the state tend to have enabling or blocking restrictions, how agriculture influences policy, whether voting habits play a part and more.
Tue, 10/14/2025
Study finds group reflective practice beneficial to planning commissions, staff, yet rarely used
A University of Kansas researcher conducted a study on how staffing reports for planning commissions could be improved. The results showed that group reflective practice, or simply making time for elected officials and staffers to discuss why they do what they do, can lead to better practice.
Tue, 10/07/2025
Untold story of AIDS in the Midwest ‘Heartland’ revealed in new book
A new book shares the untold story of AIDS in the Midwest heartland, where unlikely coalitions cultivated their own distinct strategies for survival that became a surprising and lasting blueprint for LGBTQ politics today.
Wed, 09/03/2025
New book tells story of Kansas labor court that both flirted with fascism, stood up for workers' rights
KU professor Ben Merriman tells the story of the Kansas Court of Industrial Relations in a new book. The author shares how it was the only such court in the nation and the legacy it has for American labor law today.
Fri, 08/29/2025
Democracies’ ‘de-risking’ strategies for trading with China compared in new study
In a new paper, Jack Zhang, assistant professor of political science at the University of Kansas, compares the “de-risking” strategies the U.S. and Japan employ by analyzing legislative measures to identify products considered a security risk when trading with China.
Mon, 08/25/2025
Researcher outlines ‘cluster of topics’ for legal approach to address global climate crises
KU Law scholar John Head has outlined the ecological, cultural, global and legal reforms necessary to address climate crises around the world in a new article for the University of Missouri-Kansas City Law Review. While the political reality may seem unlikely to address the issue, Head addresses why it is necessary and what steps could be taken.
Tue, 08/19/2025
Law scholar examines water law approaches around the world, analyzing how nations protect vital resource
Robin Kundis Craig, an environmental law expert at the University of Kansas, has written a chapter in “Comparative Environmental Law,” examining and comparing how countries around the world approach water law.
Tue, 08/12/2025
Study traces history of legislation to help low-income households pay for energy
A new article by Uma Outka, William R. Scott Professor of Law at the University of Kansas, traces the history of how American legislation has helped low-income households pay for energy. The scholar suggests the topic should not only be considered part of poverty law, but expanded via energy law as well.
Mon, 07/21/2025
Women activists seek to raise Tanzanian girls’ age of consent from 15 to 18
In a new scholarly article, Agnes Phoebe Muyanga, doctoral candidate in women, gender & sexuality studies at the University of Kansas, investigates the steps women’s organizations, activists and advocates are taking to raise the age of consent from 15 to 18 years old for girls in Tanzania.
Mon, 07/14/2025
Study finds cities with proactive, risk-tolerant governing styles most likely to have ambitious climate strategies
A new study from KU has found that cities that base their governance style on a proactive, learning-oriented and risk-tolerant approach are the mostly likely to have implemented ambitious climate resilience strategies. The study also introduces the concept of transformative governance capacity, a measure that can gauge how cities approach climate readiness.