Scholars Strategy Network's No Jargon

In the wake of the longest government shutdown in U.S. history, millions of Americans are left wondering what comes next for their healthcare. Professor Miranda Yaver breaks down what fueled the shutdown, why the Affordable Care Act is once again under strain, and what rising healthcare costs will mean for families, healthcare providers, and entire communities. She also previewed her forthcoming book, Coverage Denied, which examines the impact of coverage denials to patient health.

For more on this topic:

• Read Yaver's op-ed in MSNBC: Republicans are trying to turn their attacks on Obamacare into self-fulfilling prophecies

• Read her SSN brief: How Health Insurance Denials Induce Administrative Burdens, and How to Fix It

• Check out her book, Coverage Denied: How Health Insurers Drive Inequality in the United States, which will be published March 2026

• Read Kronick's amicus brief for the Supreme Court case Hamm v. Smith

• Check out her essay in the Sentencing Matters Substack: Why is it So Hard for Courts to Adjust to Advancements in Knowledge of Human Behavior?

• Read her op-ed in the Baltimore Sun: The Criminal Legal System Is Failing People With Intellectual Disabilities

This Election Day is the perfect moment to look beyond the national headlines and focus on what's happening closer to home. As Americans head to the polls, Professor Brian Adams breaks down why state and local elections matter—from the mayors, town councils, and school boards shaping daily life to the policies that affect housing and public safety. He explains how voters make decisions with limited information in these races, the growing partisanship in local politics, and new initiatives aimed at reducing the influence of money in local elections.

For more on this topic:

• Read Adams's article in The Conversation, Local Elections Are Less Partisan Because Voters Will Cross Party Lines When Issues Hit Close to Home, coauthored with Edward L. Lascher Jr. and Danielle Martin

• Check out his book: Citizen Lobbyists: Local Efforts to Influence Public Policy

As access to abortion and contraception are curtailed across much of the U.S., Professor Lina-Maria Murillo explains that today's reproductive rights debates are part of a much longer story. Her research in the U.S.-Mexico borderlands show how race and power have always influenced who can get care and who cannot. She connects how earlier attempts to control women's bodies still shape current laws and discussions, and she shares what history can teach us about defending reproductive freedom now.

For more on this topic:

• Check out Murillo's book, Fighting for Control: Power, Reproductive Care, and Race in the US-Mexico Borderlands

• Read her perspective in the Washington Post: Before Roe v. Wade, U.S. residents sought safer abortions in Mexico

• Read her SSN brief: Reproductive Freedom along the U.S.-Mexico Borderlands

The number of people held in immigration detention centers in the U.S. has exploded in recent years, reaching record highs under multiple administrations. And thanks to the Republican-led budget bill that became law in July, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency has seen a major influx of federal funding, further fueling the expansion of detentions. Professor Nancy Hiemstra explains how detention became a multi-billion-dollar industry, breaking down who profits, who pays, and how communities across the country, not just along the border, have become tied to detention economies.

For more on this topic:

• Check out Hiemstra's book with co-author Deirdre Conlon, Immigration Detention Inc.: The Big Business of Locking up Migrants

• Read the op-ed they co-authored in Newsweek: People Will Die at Alligator Alcatraz

• Read their SSN brief: How Expanded Migrant Detention Drives Profiteering and Leads to Tougher Immigration Policies