Columns
2025’s words of the year reflect a year of digital disillusionment
December 24 ,2025
hich terms best represent 2025?
Every year, editors for publications ranging from the Oxford English Dictionary to the Macquarie Dictionary of Australian English select a “word of the year.”
:
Every year, editors for publications ranging from the Oxford English Dictionary to the Macquarie Dictionary of Australian English select a “word of the year.”
Roger J. Kreuz
University of Memphis
(THE CONVERSATION) — Which terms best represent 2025?
Every year, editors for publications ranging from the Oxford English Dictionary to the Macquarie Dictionary of Australian English select a “word of the year.”
Sometimes these terms are thematically related, particularly in the wake of world-altering events. “Pandemic,” “lockdown” and “coronavirus,” for example, were among the words chosen in 2020. At other times, they are a potpourri of various cultural trends, as with 2022’s “goblin mode,” “permacrisis” and “gaslighting.”
This year’s slate largely centers on digital life. But rather than reflecting the unbridled optimism about the internet of the early aughts – when words like “w00t,” “blog,” “tweet” and even “face with tears of joy” emoji (\uD83D\uDE02) were chosen – this year’s selections reflect a growing unease over how the internet has become a hotbed of artifice, manipulation and fake relationships.
————–
When seeing isn’t believing
A committee representing the Macquarie Dictionary of Australian English settled on “AI slop” for their word of the year.
Macquarie defines the term, which was popularized in 2024 by British programmer Simon Willison and tech journalist Casey Newton, as “low-quality content created by generative AI, often containing errors, and not requested by the user.”
AI slop – which can range from a saccharine image of a young girl clinging to her little dog to career advice on LinkedIn – often goes viral, as gullible social media users share these computer-generated videos, text and graphics with others.
Images have been manipulated or altered since the dawn of photography. The technique was then improved, with an assist from AI, to create “deepfakes,” which allows existing images to be turned into video clips in surreal ways. Yes, you can now watch Hitler teaming up with Stalin to sing a 1970s hit by The Buggles.
What makes AI slop different is that images or video can be created out of whole cloth by providing a chatbot with just a prompt – no matter how bizarre the request or ensuing output.
—————
Meet my new friend, ChatGPT
The editors of the Cambridge Dictionary chose “parasocial.” They define this as “involving or relating to a connection that someone feels between themselves and a famous person they do not know, a character in a book, film, TV series … or an artificial intelligence.”
These asymmetric relationships, according to the dictionary’s chief editor, are the result of “the public’s fascination with celebrities and their lifestyles,” and this interest “continues to reach new heights.”
As an example, Cambridge’s announcement cited the engagement of singer Taylor Swift and football player Travis Kelce, which led to a spike in online searches for the meaning of the term. Many Swifties reacted with unbridled joy, as if their best friend or sibling had just decided to tie the knot.
But the term isn’t a new one: It was coined by sociologists in 1956 to describe “the illusion” of having “a face-to-face relationship” with a performer.
However, parasocial relationships can take a bizarre or even ominous turn when the object of one’s affections is a chatbot. People are developing true feelings for these AI systems, whether they see them as a trusted friend or even a romantic partner. Young people, in particular, are now turning to generative AI for therapy.
—————
Taking the bait
The Oxford Dictionary’s word of the year is “rage bait,” which the editors define as “online content deliberately designed to elicit anger or outrage by being frustrating, provocative, or offensive, typically posted in order to increase traffic to or engagement with a particular web page or social media content.”
This is only the latest word for forms of emotional manipulation that have plagued the online world since the days of dial-up internet. Related terms include trolling, sealioning and trashposting.
Unlike a hot take – a hasty opinion on a topic that may be poorly reasoned or articulated – rage baiting is intended to be inflammatory. And it can be seen as both a cause and a result of political polarization.
People who post rage bait have been shown to lack empathy and to regard other people’s emotions as something to be exploited or even monetized. Rage baiters, in short, reflect the dark side of the attention economy.
—————
Meaningless meaning
Perhaps the most contentious choice in 2025 was “6-7,” chosen by Dictionary.com. In this case, the controversy has to do with the actual meaning of this bit of Gen Alpha slang. The editors of the website describe it as being “meaningless, ubiquitous, and nonsensical.”
Although its definition may be slippery, the term itself can be found in the lyrics of the rapper Skrilla, who released the single “Doot Doot (6 7)” in early 2025. It was popularized by 17-year-old basketball standout Taylen Kinney. For his part, Skrilla claimed that he “never put an actual meaning on it, and I still would not want to.”
“6-7” is sometimes accompanied by a gesture, as if one were comparing the weight of objects held in both hands. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer recently performed this hand motion during a school visit. The young students were delighted. Their teacher, however, informed Starmer that her charges weren’t allowed to use it at the school, which prompted a clumsy apology from the chastened prime minister.
—————
Throw your hands in the air?
The common element that these words share may be an attitude best described as digital nihilism.
As online misinformation, AI-generated text and images, fake news and conspiracy theories abound, it’s increasingly difficult to know whom or what to believe or trust. Digital nihilism is, in essence, an acknowledgment of a lack of meaning and certainty in our online interactions.
This year’s crop of words might best be summed up by a single emoji: the shrug (\uD83E\uDD37). Throwing one’s hands up, in resignation or indifference, captures the anarchy that seems to characterize our digital lives.
Every year, editors for publications ranging from the Oxford English Dictionary to the Macquarie Dictionary of Australian English select a “word of the year.”
Sometimes these terms are thematically related, particularly in the wake of world-altering events. “Pandemic,” “lockdown” and “coronavirus,” for example, were among the words chosen in 2020. At other times, they are a potpourri of various cultural trends, as with 2022’s “goblin mode,” “permacrisis” and “gaslighting.”
This year’s slate largely centers on digital life. But rather than reflecting the unbridled optimism about the internet of the early aughts – when words like “w00t,” “blog,” “tweet” and even “face with tears of joy” emoji (\uD83D\uDE02) were chosen – this year’s selections reflect a growing unease over how the internet has become a hotbed of artifice, manipulation and fake relationships.
————–
When seeing isn’t believing
A committee representing the Macquarie Dictionary of Australian English settled on “AI slop” for their word of the year.
Macquarie defines the term, which was popularized in 2024 by British programmer Simon Willison and tech journalist Casey Newton, as “low-quality content created by generative AI, often containing errors, and not requested by the user.”
AI slop – which can range from a saccharine image of a young girl clinging to her little dog to career advice on LinkedIn – often goes viral, as gullible social media users share these computer-generated videos, text and graphics with others.
Images have been manipulated or altered since the dawn of photography. The technique was then improved, with an assist from AI, to create “deepfakes,” which allows existing images to be turned into video clips in surreal ways. Yes, you can now watch Hitler teaming up with Stalin to sing a 1970s hit by The Buggles.
What makes AI slop different is that images or video can be created out of whole cloth by providing a chatbot with just a prompt – no matter how bizarre the request or ensuing output.
—————
Meet my new friend, ChatGPT
The editors of the Cambridge Dictionary chose “parasocial.” They define this as “involving or relating to a connection that someone feels between themselves and a famous person they do not know, a character in a book, film, TV series … or an artificial intelligence.”
These asymmetric relationships, according to the dictionary’s chief editor, are the result of “the public’s fascination with celebrities and their lifestyles,” and this interest “continues to reach new heights.”
As an example, Cambridge’s announcement cited the engagement of singer Taylor Swift and football player Travis Kelce, which led to a spike in online searches for the meaning of the term. Many Swifties reacted with unbridled joy, as if their best friend or sibling had just decided to tie the knot.
But the term isn’t a new one: It was coined by sociologists in 1956 to describe “the illusion” of having “a face-to-face relationship” with a performer.
However, parasocial relationships can take a bizarre or even ominous turn when the object of one’s affections is a chatbot. People are developing true feelings for these AI systems, whether they see them as a trusted friend or even a romantic partner. Young people, in particular, are now turning to generative AI for therapy.
—————
Taking the bait
The Oxford Dictionary’s word of the year is “rage bait,” which the editors define as “online content deliberately designed to elicit anger or outrage by being frustrating, provocative, or offensive, typically posted in order to increase traffic to or engagement with a particular web page or social media content.”
This is only the latest word for forms of emotional manipulation that have plagued the online world since the days of dial-up internet. Related terms include trolling, sealioning and trashposting.
Unlike a hot take – a hasty opinion on a topic that may be poorly reasoned or articulated – rage baiting is intended to be inflammatory. And it can be seen as both a cause and a result of political polarization.
People who post rage bait have been shown to lack empathy and to regard other people’s emotions as something to be exploited or even monetized. Rage baiters, in short, reflect the dark side of the attention economy.
—————
Meaningless meaning
Perhaps the most contentious choice in 2025 was “6-7,” chosen by Dictionary.com. In this case, the controversy has to do with the actual meaning of this bit of Gen Alpha slang. The editors of the website describe it as being “meaningless, ubiquitous, and nonsensical.”
Although its definition may be slippery, the term itself can be found in the lyrics of the rapper Skrilla, who released the single “Doot Doot (6 7)” in early 2025. It was popularized by 17-year-old basketball standout Taylen Kinney. For his part, Skrilla claimed that he “never put an actual meaning on it, and I still would not want to.”
“6-7” is sometimes accompanied by a gesture, as if one were comparing the weight of objects held in both hands. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer recently performed this hand motion during a school visit. The young students were delighted. Their teacher, however, informed Starmer that her charges weren’t allowed to use it at the school, which prompted a clumsy apology from the chastened prime minister.
—————
Throw your hands in the air?
The common element that these words share may be an attitude best described as digital nihilism.
As online misinformation, AI-generated text and images, fake news and conspiracy theories abound, it’s increasingly difficult to know whom or what to believe or trust. Digital nihilism is, in essence, an acknowledgment of a lack of meaning and certainty in our online interactions.
This year’s crop of words might best be summed up by a single emoji: the shrug (\uD83E\uDD37). Throwing one’s hands up, in resignation or indifference, captures the anarchy that seems to characterize our digital lives.
The #iwasfifteen hashtag and ongoing Epstein coverage show how traffickers exploit the vulnerabilities of teens and tweens
December 24 ,2025
The release of information about the powerful cadre of men associated
with convicted sex offender and accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein –
known as the Epstein files – has been a long time coming.
:
By Anne P. DePrince
University of Denver
(THE CONVERSATION) — The release of information about the powerful cadre of men associated with convicted sex offender and accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein – known as the Epstein files – has been a long time coming.
Under the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which President Donald Trump signed into law in November 2025, the Justice Department must release its documents related to Epstein by Dec. 19, 2025.
But information has been trickling out for months, including more than 20,000 of Epstein’s emails released by members of Congress in November.
In the firestorm of reactions that followed, conservative media figure Megyn Kelly made comments that minimized the victimization of teenagers.
In response to her remarks, a new hashtag, #iwasfifteen, went viral, as celebrities and others took to social media to share photos of themselves as teenagers.
I’m a clinical psychologist who studies intimate violence – from child abuse to domestic violence and sexual assault. After more than two decades in this field, I wasn’t surprised to hear someone minimize the abuse of adolescents. My research and the work of other researchers across the country have shown that victims who disclose their abuse are often met with disbelief and blame.
What did surprise me was how the viral #iwasfifteen hashtag shed light on the dynamics of abuse, pointing to the vulnerabilities that traffickers exploit and the harms they cause.
—————
Abusive tactics in sex trafficking of minors
Unlike stereotypes of teens being kidnapped out of parking lots, people who traffic minors use a range of tactics and build relationships with the teens and tweens they’re targeting. Getting young people to trust and depend on the traffickers is part of entrapping them.
One in-depth 2014 analysis revealed these strategies in action. Researchers looked at more than 40 social service case files of minors who were trafficked and interviewed social service workers.
The researchers found it was common for traffickers to use flattery or romance to entrap adolescents. Some built trust with the teens by helping them out of difficult situations. Meanwhile, the traffickers normalized sex and prostitution as they isolated their victims from their friends and family – all of which echoes the grooming described by victims of Epstein and his accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell.
The research also showed that traffickers kept tight control over the teens, using economic and emotional manipulation. They took their money, blackmailed and shamed them, and threatened harm if they were to leave. As in the Epstein case, many traffickers compelled victims to take part in the trafficking itself, such as by recruiting their friends.
The same kinds of manipulation show up in other studies nationally. A 2019 study found that across more than 1,400 cases, a third of traffickers used threats and psychological coercion to control victims.
Another research team looked across 23 studies of minors who were sex trafficked in the United States and Canada. They found that the youth, who were mostly girls, were entrapped by traffickers who pretended to love or care for them, only to manipulate and abuse them.
The tactics identified by researchers and the reports of how Epstein trapped victims on his island reveal that all the strategies used by traffickers have one thing in common: They create ever more dependence of the victim on the trafficker.
—————
Dependence and betrayal
Adolescence is a time of rapid change – change that traffickers exploit. From the tween through the teen years, young people are forming their identities and learning about romantic relationships, all while their brains are still developing.
During this period of rapid change, they are starting to differentiate and seek autonomy. Yet they remain dependent on the adults in their lives for everything from their psychological needs, such as love, to basic physical needs, such as food and housing.
When victims of trafficking depend – financially, psychologically or physically – on the very person abusing them, it’s a betrayal trauma. In these scenarios, victims depend on the abuser, so they cannot simply leave the situation. Instead, they have to adapt psychologically.
One way to adapt is to minimize awareness of the abuse – or what psychologists call betrayal blindness. In the short term, minimizing awareness of the abuse helps the victim endure the abuse. This could be the difference between life and death for a victim whose abuser might harm them if they try to leave or report the abuse – or for a teen who doesn’t have anywhere else to turn for basic survival.
In the long term, though, betrayal traumas are linked with a host of harms that may affect how victims see themselves and the world around them. Compared with other kinds of traumas, betrayal traumas are linked to more severe psychological and physical health problems.
Betrayal trauma often leads to shame, self-blame and fear and can leave survivors alienated from and distrusting of others. Survivors may also be less likely to disclose abuse perpetrated by someone they trusted. They may even have difficulty remembering what happened to them, which can worsen self-doubt and self-blame.
Making sense of the far-reaching impacts of betrayal trauma can be difficult for survivors – and others who hear their stories later.
—————
Myths and public opinion of victims
When sex traffickers target minors, they use strategies that give others reason to doubt victims. Most people are regularly exposed to misinformation about sexual violence and trafficking through popular media, and that misinformation plays in the perpetrators’ favor.
Researchers started documenting myths about intimate violence decades ago. Since then, research shows that erroneous views of rape, child abuse and sex trafficking persist in media – with consequences for victims.
These myths and misconceptions often seep into the conversation unnoticed, such as when even well-intentioned reporting refers to the girls trafficked by Epstein as “underaged women.” But calling tweens and teens “women” minimizes the age difference with the perpetrators. It also masks the vulnerability of children and adolescents who were victimized by adults.
Myths can include beliefs that intimate violence is rare and always physically violent, and that victims all respond the same way. Myths also tend to minimize the perpetrator’s role while shifting blame to victims for what was done to them, particularly if victims had mental health problems or used substances.
—————
Changing the conversation
With so many myths out there, #iwasfifteen showed one way to change the usual conversation from blaming victims to exposing the ways that abusers exploit tweens and teens. Meeting myths about sex trafficking with research is crucial to putting responsibility where it belongs, on those who traffic youth and perpetrate abuse.
Research shows that the more people buy into myths, the more likely they are to blame victims or not believe them in the first place, including in sex trafficking.
And it’s not only the unsuspecting public that falls for this misinformation. When victims don’t conform to common myths, even law enforcement officers, who are trained to investigate intimate violence, are less likely to believe them.
In this way, the psychological consequences of betrayal trauma – from minimizing the abuse to psychological distress – can feed into myths that people have about intimate violence. Suddenly, it’s easier for friends, family, juries and others to blame victims or not believe them at all.
And, of course, that’s what perpetrators have often told victims all along: No one will believe you. It’s not surprising, then, that victims may take years to come forward, if ever.
University of Denver
(THE CONVERSATION) — The release of information about the powerful cadre of men associated with convicted sex offender and accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein – known as the Epstein files – has been a long time coming.
Under the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which President Donald Trump signed into law in November 2025, the Justice Department must release its documents related to Epstein by Dec. 19, 2025.
But information has been trickling out for months, including more than 20,000 of Epstein’s emails released by members of Congress in November.
In the firestorm of reactions that followed, conservative media figure Megyn Kelly made comments that minimized the victimization of teenagers.
In response to her remarks, a new hashtag, #iwasfifteen, went viral, as celebrities and others took to social media to share photos of themselves as teenagers.
I’m a clinical psychologist who studies intimate violence – from child abuse to domestic violence and sexual assault. After more than two decades in this field, I wasn’t surprised to hear someone minimize the abuse of adolescents. My research and the work of other researchers across the country have shown that victims who disclose their abuse are often met with disbelief and blame.
What did surprise me was how the viral #iwasfifteen hashtag shed light on the dynamics of abuse, pointing to the vulnerabilities that traffickers exploit and the harms they cause.
—————
Abusive tactics in sex trafficking of minors
Unlike stereotypes of teens being kidnapped out of parking lots, people who traffic minors use a range of tactics and build relationships with the teens and tweens they’re targeting. Getting young people to trust and depend on the traffickers is part of entrapping them.
One in-depth 2014 analysis revealed these strategies in action. Researchers looked at more than 40 social service case files of minors who were trafficked and interviewed social service workers.
The researchers found it was common for traffickers to use flattery or romance to entrap adolescents. Some built trust with the teens by helping them out of difficult situations. Meanwhile, the traffickers normalized sex and prostitution as they isolated their victims from their friends and family – all of which echoes the grooming described by victims of Epstein and his accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell.
The research also showed that traffickers kept tight control over the teens, using economic and emotional manipulation. They took their money, blackmailed and shamed them, and threatened harm if they were to leave. As in the Epstein case, many traffickers compelled victims to take part in the trafficking itself, such as by recruiting their friends.
The same kinds of manipulation show up in other studies nationally. A 2019 study found that across more than 1,400 cases, a third of traffickers used threats and psychological coercion to control victims.
Another research team looked across 23 studies of minors who were sex trafficked in the United States and Canada. They found that the youth, who were mostly girls, were entrapped by traffickers who pretended to love or care for them, only to manipulate and abuse them.
The tactics identified by researchers and the reports of how Epstein trapped victims on his island reveal that all the strategies used by traffickers have one thing in common: They create ever more dependence of the victim on the trafficker.
—————
Dependence and betrayal
Adolescence is a time of rapid change – change that traffickers exploit. From the tween through the teen years, young people are forming their identities and learning about romantic relationships, all while their brains are still developing.
During this period of rapid change, they are starting to differentiate and seek autonomy. Yet they remain dependent on the adults in their lives for everything from their psychological needs, such as love, to basic physical needs, such as food and housing.
When victims of trafficking depend – financially, psychologically or physically – on the very person abusing them, it’s a betrayal trauma. In these scenarios, victims depend on the abuser, so they cannot simply leave the situation. Instead, they have to adapt psychologically.
One way to adapt is to minimize awareness of the abuse – or what psychologists call betrayal blindness. In the short term, minimizing awareness of the abuse helps the victim endure the abuse. This could be the difference between life and death for a victim whose abuser might harm them if they try to leave or report the abuse – or for a teen who doesn’t have anywhere else to turn for basic survival.
In the long term, though, betrayal traumas are linked with a host of harms that may affect how victims see themselves and the world around them. Compared with other kinds of traumas, betrayal traumas are linked to more severe psychological and physical health problems.
Betrayal trauma often leads to shame, self-blame and fear and can leave survivors alienated from and distrusting of others. Survivors may also be less likely to disclose abuse perpetrated by someone they trusted. They may even have difficulty remembering what happened to them, which can worsen self-doubt and self-blame.
Making sense of the far-reaching impacts of betrayal trauma can be difficult for survivors – and others who hear their stories later.
—————
Myths and public opinion of victims
When sex traffickers target minors, they use strategies that give others reason to doubt victims. Most people are regularly exposed to misinformation about sexual violence and trafficking through popular media, and that misinformation plays in the perpetrators’ favor.
Researchers started documenting myths about intimate violence decades ago. Since then, research shows that erroneous views of rape, child abuse and sex trafficking persist in media – with consequences for victims.
These myths and misconceptions often seep into the conversation unnoticed, such as when even well-intentioned reporting refers to the girls trafficked by Epstein as “underaged women.” But calling tweens and teens “women” minimizes the age difference with the perpetrators. It also masks the vulnerability of children and adolescents who were victimized by adults.
Myths can include beliefs that intimate violence is rare and always physically violent, and that victims all respond the same way. Myths also tend to minimize the perpetrator’s role while shifting blame to victims for what was done to them, particularly if victims had mental health problems or used substances.
—————
Changing the conversation
With so many myths out there, #iwasfifteen showed one way to change the usual conversation from blaming victims to exposing the ways that abusers exploit tweens and teens. Meeting myths about sex trafficking with research is crucial to putting responsibility where it belongs, on those who traffic youth and perpetrate abuse.
Research shows that the more people buy into myths, the more likely they are to blame victims or not believe them in the first place, including in sex trafficking.
And it’s not only the unsuspecting public that falls for this misinformation. When victims don’t conform to common myths, even law enforcement officers, who are trained to investigate intimate violence, are less likely to believe them.
In this way, the psychological consequences of betrayal trauma – from minimizing the abuse to psychological distress – can feed into myths that people have about intimate violence. Suddenly, it’s easier for friends, family, juries and others to blame victims or not believe them at all.
And, of course, that’s what perpetrators have often told victims all along: No one will believe you. It’s not surprising, then, that victims may take years to come forward, if ever.
School shootings dropped in 2025 — but schools are still focusing too much on safety technology instead of prevention
December 23 ,2025
Active shootings represent a very small percentage of on-campus university violence.
:
By James Densley
Metropolitan State University
(THE CONVERSATION) — Active shootings represent a very small percentage of on-campus university violence.
But among those that do happen, there are patterns. And as law enforcement officials continue to investigate the Dec. 13, 2025, Brown University shooting, similarities can be seen with other active shooter cases on college campuses that scholar James Densley has studied. “They tend to happen inside a classroom, and there tends to be multiple victims,” Densley explains.
The Brown University tragedy, in which a shooter killed two students and injured nine more, marks the fourth deadly shooting at a U.S. university in 2025.
The Department of Education in Rhode Island, where Brown University is located, said on Dec. 16 that it is urging local elementary and secondary schools to review safety protocols.
Amy Lieberman, the education editor at The Conversation U.S., spoke with Densley about how schools have been given what he describes as an “impossible mandate” to try to prevent shootings.
—————
What is the overall trajectory of school shootings over the past few years?
K-12 school shootings appear to be trending downward, at least in the past two years. But we actually saw the largest jumps in this type of violence in the three to five years leading up to 2024, which trends closely with the broader rise in homicide and violent crime we saw in the pandemic era.
In 2025, there have been 230 school shooting incidents in the U.S. – still a staggeringly high number. This compares with 336 school shootings in 2024, 352 in 2023, 308 in 2022, and 257 in 2021.
How this relates to an increase in schools trying to institute security measures to prevent shootings is an open question. But it’s true that many schools are experimenting with certain solutions, like cameras, drones, AI threat detection, weapons scanners, panic apps and facial recognition, even if there is only weak or emerging evidence about how well they work.
Schools are treated as the front line, because the larger, structural solutions are too difficult to confront. It is much easier to blame schools after a tragedy than to actually address firearm access, grievance pathways – meaning how a person becomes a school shooter – and the other societal problems that are creating these tragedies.
—————
How have schools responded to the rise of school shootings in recent years?
Schools are being asked to solve a societal gun violence problem that they didn’t create and they cannot control. Even the best-run school cannot eliminate all risks when causes accumulate outside of their purview. These attacks are rare but catastrophic, and they create an impossible mandate for schools because when they occur, schools are told it reflects a failure in their preparation. Educators are expected to be teachers, social workers, threat assessors and first responders. It normalizes fear and shifts the responsibility downward.
There is a growing school safety industry that markets fear as a solvable, technical problem. It promises faster ways to detect weapons, for example, but the evidence base for those products is thin, proprietary or nonexistent. One example is an AI detection software that mistook a bag of Doritos for a gun, resulting in a large police response.
Schools are pressured to buy something from these companies to show they are doing something. But some of these systems create false positives, and, more importantly, they shift attention away from human relationships. Technology alone cannot resolve grievances, replace trust and create belonging, but most schools are focused on technology as a means of prevention.
—————
How effective are other prevention systems schools have put in place?
If a school shooter is an outsider trying to attack the building, having a single point of entry, access control or multiple locks on doors creates time and space, which are essential for delaying an attacker until law enforcement can arrive, thus mitigating casualties.
But the evidence shows that nearly all school shooters are either current or former students at the school. They are very familiar with entry and exit points, and they are potentially already inside the building before the school can act on a potential threat of violence.
So, what happens if a school locks down, but you are actually locking the shooter in a room with their potential victims? What if students are forced to hide when it would be safer to run? What if you have a door that locks only from the inside and a student or staff member uses that room to bully or sexually assault another student? We’re building schools to protect against the rare events, but we are not mitigating the more common problems they face.
Students are being asked to practice preventing their own deaths in active shooter drills and learn in environments designed around worst-case scenarios. In general, interpersonal violence and spillover of community violence, like gang-related shootings, are the most common form of school shooting. Most shootings at schools occur in parking lots or at sports events, but we do very little to prepare for those types of scenarios.
—————
Are there any benefits, then, to schools having certain non-tech safety measures in place, like making sure every person has an ID?
Of course, you don’t want strangers walking around in a school building. The fact that someone coming to the school has to get their ID scanned and wear a badge makes perfect sense, not just to prevent shootings but to also prevent theft and assaults and other risks.
The paradox is that school shooters tend to be children already affiliated with the school, and when someone walks in already firing, checkpoints and metal detectors are useless. Historically, several mass shootings in K-12 schools have started outside of the building then moved inside. The issue is not slipping past barriers but overwhelming them in seconds with irresistible force.
—————
Absent policy change, what is the clearest way to prevent school shootings, according to current evidence?
Evidence shows that we often see signs of a crisis or withdrawal beforehand from school attackers. And that is why school-based behavioral threat assessment and management is so important. It is really about noticing changes in behavior and having the authority to intervene early. This is not about profiling people or relying on law enforcement alone. It is about having a structured, team-based process for identifying concerning behavior, assessing risk and coordinating appropriate supports – such as counseling – to prevent harm before it occurs. So often in these cases, people had a gut feeling that something was off with a particular student, but they didn’t know what to share or who to share it with.
For decades we’ve invested far more in responding to school shootings once they occur rather than in preventing them. You can lock doors and run drills, but no school can become a fortress.
Attackers leak warning signs in advance. Real prevention is about creating human systems that get upstream of this.
Metropolitan State University
(THE CONVERSATION) — Active shootings represent a very small percentage of on-campus university violence.
But among those that do happen, there are patterns. And as law enforcement officials continue to investigate the Dec. 13, 2025, Brown University shooting, similarities can be seen with other active shooter cases on college campuses that scholar James Densley has studied. “They tend to happen inside a classroom, and there tends to be multiple victims,” Densley explains.
The Brown University tragedy, in which a shooter killed two students and injured nine more, marks the fourth deadly shooting at a U.S. university in 2025.
The Department of Education in Rhode Island, where Brown University is located, said on Dec. 16 that it is urging local elementary and secondary schools to review safety protocols.
Amy Lieberman, the education editor at The Conversation U.S., spoke with Densley about how schools have been given what he describes as an “impossible mandate” to try to prevent shootings.
—————
What is the overall trajectory of school shootings over the past few years?
K-12 school shootings appear to be trending downward, at least in the past two years. But we actually saw the largest jumps in this type of violence in the three to five years leading up to 2024, which trends closely with the broader rise in homicide and violent crime we saw in the pandemic era.
In 2025, there have been 230 school shooting incidents in the U.S. – still a staggeringly high number. This compares with 336 school shootings in 2024, 352 in 2023, 308 in 2022, and 257 in 2021.
How this relates to an increase in schools trying to institute security measures to prevent shootings is an open question. But it’s true that many schools are experimenting with certain solutions, like cameras, drones, AI threat detection, weapons scanners, panic apps and facial recognition, even if there is only weak or emerging evidence about how well they work.
Schools are treated as the front line, because the larger, structural solutions are too difficult to confront. It is much easier to blame schools after a tragedy than to actually address firearm access, grievance pathways – meaning how a person becomes a school shooter – and the other societal problems that are creating these tragedies.
—————
How have schools responded to the rise of school shootings in recent years?
Schools are being asked to solve a societal gun violence problem that they didn’t create and they cannot control. Even the best-run school cannot eliminate all risks when causes accumulate outside of their purview. These attacks are rare but catastrophic, and they create an impossible mandate for schools because when they occur, schools are told it reflects a failure in their preparation. Educators are expected to be teachers, social workers, threat assessors and first responders. It normalizes fear and shifts the responsibility downward.
There is a growing school safety industry that markets fear as a solvable, technical problem. It promises faster ways to detect weapons, for example, but the evidence base for those products is thin, proprietary or nonexistent. One example is an AI detection software that mistook a bag of Doritos for a gun, resulting in a large police response.
Schools are pressured to buy something from these companies to show they are doing something. But some of these systems create false positives, and, more importantly, they shift attention away from human relationships. Technology alone cannot resolve grievances, replace trust and create belonging, but most schools are focused on technology as a means of prevention.
—————
How effective are other prevention systems schools have put in place?
If a school shooter is an outsider trying to attack the building, having a single point of entry, access control or multiple locks on doors creates time and space, which are essential for delaying an attacker until law enforcement can arrive, thus mitigating casualties.
But the evidence shows that nearly all school shooters are either current or former students at the school. They are very familiar with entry and exit points, and they are potentially already inside the building before the school can act on a potential threat of violence.
So, what happens if a school locks down, but you are actually locking the shooter in a room with their potential victims? What if students are forced to hide when it would be safer to run? What if you have a door that locks only from the inside and a student or staff member uses that room to bully or sexually assault another student? We’re building schools to protect against the rare events, but we are not mitigating the more common problems they face.
Students are being asked to practice preventing their own deaths in active shooter drills and learn in environments designed around worst-case scenarios. In general, interpersonal violence and spillover of community violence, like gang-related shootings, are the most common form of school shooting. Most shootings at schools occur in parking lots or at sports events, but we do very little to prepare for those types of scenarios.
—————
Are there any benefits, then, to schools having certain non-tech safety measures in place, like making sure every person has an ID?
Of course, you don’t want strangers walking around in a school building. The fact that someone coming to the school has to get their ID scanned and wear a badge makes perfect sense, not just to prevent shootings but to also prevent theft and assaults and other risks.
The paradox is that school shooters tend to be children already affiliated with the school, and when someone walks in already firing, checkpoints and metal detectors are useless. Historically, several mass shootings in K-12 schools have started outside of the building then moved inside. The issue is not slipping past barriers but overwhelming them in seconds with irresistible force.
—————
Absent policy change, what is the clearest way to prevent school shootings, according to current evidence?
Evidence shows that we often see signs of a crisis or withdrawal beforehand from school attackers. And that is why school-based behavioral threat assessment and management is so important. It is really about noticing changes in behavior and having the authority to intervene early. This is not about profiling people or relying on law enforcement alone. It is about having a structured, team-based process for identifying concerning behavior, assessing risk and coordinating appropriate supports – such as counseling – to prevent harm before it occurs. So often in these cases, people had a gut feeling that something was off with a particular student, but they didn’t know what to share or who to share it with.
For decades we’ve invested far more in responding to school shootings once they occur rather than in preventing them. You can lock doors and run drills, but no school can become a fortress.
Attackers leak warning signs in advance. Real prevention is about creating human systems that get upstream of this.
From snow to sunshine, global destinations shape Christmas in unexpected ways
December 23 ,2025
Christmas looks different depending on where you are in the world. It
might be a frosted garden outside an Irish manor, a family suite
transformed into a tropical holiday playground or a mountain lodge where
the season settles in with firelight, glittering snow and the kind of
quiet you only find in the Rockies.
:
Jennifer Allen, Food Drink Life
Christmas looks different depending on where you are in the world. It might be a frosted garden outside an Irish manor, a family suite transformed into a tropical holiday playground or a mountain lodge where the season settles in with firelight, glittering snow and the kind of quiet you only find in the Rockies. These places each offer a distinctive way to experience December, proving that the month can feel magical whether you’re surrounded by candlelit tradition or bright, sun-drenched coastlines.
What sets these destinations apart isn’t a single definition of celebration but the personality they bring to it. Some lean into centuries-old architecture and culinary craftsmanship, others build fun environments for families and many let their landscapes lead the mood. Each creates a holiday atmosphere that feels uniquely its own, but all manage to capture the spirit of the season in ways that feel authentic rather than manufactured.
—————
Christmas at Cashel Palace Hotel, Ireland
In County Tipperary’s Golden Vale, Cashel Palace Hotel spends December wrapped in elegance. The Palladian manor glows with firelight, evergreen garlands and the soft shine of antique decor, all set beneath views of the Rock of Cashel rising just beyond the grounds. Inside, the staff builds a holiday experience that feels warm and thoughtful, from artfully decorated common rooms to well-placed details that show genuine affection for the season.
Guests move easily between festive afternoon teas, Michelin-starred dining, winter wellness treatments and walks through the gardens, where the crisp air and quiet, meandering pathways bring a sense of calm. When the property is dressed for Christmas, it becomes one of those rare places that looks exactly like the holiday postcards people save in drawers for years.
—————
Holiday escapes in Kananaskis, Canadian Rockies
Kananaskis in Alberta delivers Christmas in its most cinematic form. Snow settles deep in the valleys, trails wind through hushed forests and the lodge lights glow against the mountains as if someone scripted the scene. People here take winter hospitality seriously, and it shows in the atmosphere: fires crackle, the pace softens and families and couples alike settle into a slower, unhurried way of moving through the day.
At Black Diamond Club, a part of Pomeroy Kananaskis Mountain Lodge, the holidays take on a refined tone. Guests meet attentive service, elevated dining and a sense of privacy that makes the stay feel restorative. Nothing feels rushed; the experience focuses on comfort and the quiet luxury of being tucked into the mountains in December.
The main lodge brings a more energetic holiday mood. Children move between seasonal activities and play spaces while adults gather over cocktails or sip something warm by the fire. It’s an easy, joyful environment where tradition meets fresh mountain air, and where a simple moment, like roasting s’mores or watching the snowfall, can feel like the highlight of the trip.
—————
The festive season at Beaches Turks and Caicos
For families dreaming of a holiday that trades snow for surf, Beaches Turks and Caicos creates a bright, spirited Christmas by the sea. The resort’s new Elf on the Shelf Caribbean Vacation Suite is a standout experience, turning a stay into a playful holiday story complete with Scout Elf-themed decor, games, books and a cocoa bar designed for wide eyes and early mornings. Outside, the patio pops with candy-colored accents and views of the turquoise water.
The Jingle Shell Butler adds an element of surprise that kids remember long after the trip ends, delivering treats, shimmering bubble baths and small magical moments that shape the holiday experience. The wider resort carries that festive energy with Candyland-style Sweet Island Soirees, outdoor movies, crafts and storytime events that keep families entertained without overwhelming them. It’s a sunny take on Christmas that feels both easy and memorable.
—————
A Parisian holiday on the Seine with Uniworld
Uniworld’s new Magical Parisian Holiday itinerary brings December in France to life with a mix of cultural depth, elegant design and winter charm. The seven-night sailing starts and ends in Paris, guiding guests from the city’s glowing boulevards to festive countryside towns where chateaus shine with lights and Christmas markets bustle with vendors selling ornaments, pastries and handmade gifts.
Guests join a private tour of Versailles, including access to secret apartments rarely seen by the public, along with a choral performance inside Rouen Cathedral and an evening at Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte, one of the most elaborately decorated estates in France. The S.S. Joie de Vivre elevates the experience with Parisian-inspired interiors, seasonal menus and warm service that encourages travelers to slow down and take in the holiday atmosphere. It’s a Christmas journey built for people who appreciate history, culture and the quieter beauty of winter in France.
—————
Coastal calm in Costa Mujeres, Mexico
North of Cancun, Costa Mujeres offers a softer, more relaxed version of a tropical holiday. Wide white-sand beaches, clear water and a growing collection of modern luxury resorts give the area an easygoing feel that pairs well with December travel. It’s close enough to Isla Mujeres and the cultural landmarks of the Yucatán for meaningful day trips, yet far enough from the busier hotel zones to keep the pace peaceful.
Five-star all-inclusive properties, including SLS Playa Mujeres, bring a polished edge to the region. Guests find spacious rooms, stylish design, abundant dining options and the kind of service that makes a holiday week feel genuinely restful. Families appreciate the balance of kid-friendly amenities and grown-up spaces, while beach lovers get warm breezes and bright blue water in place of winter chill. It’s the kind of destination that reminds travelers how different and refreshing Christmas can feel when celebrated under the sun.
—————
A holiday experience wherever you go
No matter where you find yourself in December, the setting has a way of shaping the season. Snow, sand and city lights; each offers a special place to enjoy the season with family and friends. Whether it’s the hush of winter in the mountains, the glow of a historic city or the sound of waves on a warm coastline, the holidays often feel most memorable when discovered somewhere new.
—————
Jennifer Allen is a retired chef turned traveler, cookbook author and nationally syndicated journalist; she’s also a co-founder of Food Drink Life, where she shares expert travel tips, cruise insights and luxury destination guides. A recognized cruise expert with a deep passion for high-end experiences and off-the-beaten-path destinations, Jennifer explores the world with curiosity, depth and a storyteller’s perspective. Her articles are regularly featured on the Associated Press Wire, The Washington Post, Seattle Times, MSN and more.
What sets these destinations apart isn’t a single definition of celebration but the personality they bring to it. Some lean into centuries-old architecture and culinary craftsmanship, others build fun environments for families and many let their landscapes lead the mood. Each creates a holiday atmosphere that feels uniquely its own, but all manage to capture the spirit of the season in ways that feel authentic rather than manufactured.
—————
Christmas at Cashel Palace Hotel, Ireland
In County Tipperary’s Golden Vale, Cashel Palace Hotel spends December wrapped in elegance. The Palladian manor glows with firelight, evergreen garlands and the soft shine of antique decor, all set beneath views of the Rock of Cashel rising just beyond the grounds. Inside, the staff builds a holiday experience that feels warm and thoughtful, from artfully decorated common rooms to well-placed details that show genuine affection for the season.
Guests move easily between festive afternoon teas, Michelin-starred dining, winter wellness treatments and walks through the gardens, where the crisp air and quiet, meandering pathways bring a sense of calm. When the property is dressed for Christmas, it becomes one of those rare places that looks exactly like the holiday postcards people save in drawers for years.
—————
Holiday escapes in Kananaskis, Canadian Rockies
Kananaskis in Alberta delivers Christmas in its most cinematic form. Snow settles deep in the valleys, trails wind through hushed forests and the lodge lights glow against the mountains as if someone scripted the scene. People here take winter hospitality seriously, and it shows in the atmosphere: fires crackle, the pace softens and families and couples alike settle into a slower, unhurried way of moving through the day.
At Black Diamond Club, a part of Pomeroy Kananaskis Mountain Lodge, the holidays take on a refined tone. Guests meet attentive service, elevated dining and a sense of privacy that makes the stay feel restorative. Nothing feels rushed; the experience focuses on comfort and the quiet luxury of being tucked into the mountains in December.
The main lodge brings a more energetic holiday mood. Children move between seasonal activities and play spaces while adults gather over cocktails or sip something warm by the fire. It’s an easy, joyful environment where tradition meets fresh mountain air, and where a simple moment, like roasting s’mores or watching the snowfall, can feel like the highlight of the trip.
—————
The festive season at Beaches Turks and Caicos
For families dreaming of a holiday that trades snow for surf, Beaches Turks and Caicos creates a bright, spirited Christmas by the sea. The resort’s new Elf on the Shelf Caribbean Vacation Suite is a standout experience, turning a stay into a playful holiday story complete with Scout Elf-themed decor, games, books and a cocoa bar designed for wide eyes and early mornings. Outside, the patio pops with candy-colored accents and views of the turquoise water.
The Jingle Shell Butler adds an element of surprise that kids remember long after the trip ends, delivering treats, shimmering bubble baths and small magical moments that shape the holiday experience. The wider resort carries that festive energy with Candyland-style Sweet Island Soirees, outdoor movies, crafts and storytime events that keep families entertained without overwhelming them. It’s a sunny take on Christmas that feels both easy and memorable.
—————
A Parisian holiday on the Seine with Uniworld
Uniworld’s new Magical Parisian Holiday itinerary brings December in France to life with a mix of cultural depth, elegant design and winter charm. The seven-night sailing starts and ends in Paris, guiding guests from the city’s glowing boulevards to festive countryside towns where chateaus shine with lights and Christmas markets bustle with vendors selling ornaments, pastries and handmade gifts.
Guests join a private tour of Versailles, including access to secret apartments rarely seen by the public, along with a choral performance inside Rouen Cathedral and an evening at Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte, one of the most elaborately decorated estates in France. The S.S. Joie de Vivre elevates the experience with Parisian-inspired interiors, seasonal menus and warm service that encourages travelers to slow down and take in the holiday atmosphere. It’s a Christmas journey built for people who appreciate history, culture and the quieter beauty of winter in France.
—————
Coastal calm in Costa Mujeres, Mexico
North of Cancun, Costa Mujeres offers a softer, more relaxed version of a tropical holiday. Wide white-sand beaches, clear water and a growing collection of modern luxury resorts give the area an easygoing feel that pairs well with December travel. It’s close enough to Isla Mujeres and the cultural landmarks of the Yucatán for meaningful day trips, yet far enough from the busier hotel zones to keep the pace peaceful.
Five-star all-inclusive properties, including SLS Playa Mujeres, bring a polished edge to the region. Guests find spacious rooms, stylish design, abundant dining options and the kind of service that makes a holiday week feel genuinely restful. Families appreciate the balance of kid-friendly amenities and grown-up spaces, while beach lovers get warm breezes and bright blue water in place of winter chill. It’s the kind of destination that reminds travelers how different and refreshing Christmas can feel when celebrated under the sun.
—————
A holiday experience wherever you go
No matter where you find yourself in December, the setting has a way of shaping the season. Snow, sand and city lights; each offers a special place to enjoy the season with family and friends. Whether it’s the hush of winter in the mountains, the glow of a historic city or the sound of waves on a warm coastline, the holidays often feel most memorable when discovered somewhere new.
—————
Jennifer Allen is a retired chef turned traveler, cookbook author and nationally syndicated journalist; she’s also a co-founder of Food Drink Life, where she shares expert travel tips, cruise insights and luxury destination guides. A recognized cruise expert with a deep passion for high-end experiences and off-the-beaten-path destinations, Jennifer explores the world with curiosity, depth and a storyteller’s perspective. Her articles are regularly featured on the Associated Press Wire, The Washington Post, Seattle Times, MSN and more.
Supreme Court case about ‘crisis pregnancy centers’ highlights debate over truthful advertising standards
December 22 ,2025
The latest Supreme Court case related to abortion is not technically
about the legal right to have one. When the court heard oral arguments
on Dec. 2, 2025, the word “abortion” came up only three times. The first
instance was more than an hour into the 82-minute hearing.
:
Carly Thomsen, Rice University
(THE CONVERSATION) — The latest Supreme Court case related to abortion is not technically about the legal right to have one. When the court heard oral arguments on Dec. 2, 2025, the word “abortion” came up only three times. The first instance was more than an hour into the 82-minute hearing.
Instead, First Choice Women’s Resource Centers Inc. v. Platkin hinges on whether First Amendment rights to freedom of speech and association give a chain of five crisis pregnancy centers in New Jersey the right to protect its donor records from disclosure to state authorities. The centers are Christian nonprofits that try to stop pregnant women from obtaining abortions.
There are more than 2,500 of them across the United States.
I’ve done extensive research regarding crisis pregnancy centers, and I’ve written about that work in more than a dozen articles in academic journals, books and the media.
—————
Resembling doctors’ offices in appearance only
Many critics of the centers call them “fake clinics” because the centers appear to be medical facilities when they are not.
Often, their waiting rooms look like those at doctors’ offices, and their volunteers wear white lab coats or medical scrubs. And they offer free services that people think of as medical, such as pregnancy tests and ultrasounds. But these pregnancy tests are typically the same kind that drugstores sell over the counter.
They’re able to function without medical professionals because it’s generally legal in the U.S. to operate ultrasound machines without any specialized training. They ask clients to read their own pregnancy tests so they can avoid laws regarding medical licensing.
Under current law, crisis pregnancy centers don’t need to tell their clients that they are not medical clinics. Nor must they disclose that they don’t provide abortions or birth control.
After California enacted a law that would force the centers to provide their clients with accurate information, the Supreme Court ruled in 2018 that it was unconstitutional.
The centers also don’t have to tell their clients that they are not bound by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, or HIPAA, or other patient privacy laws. They don’t have to say that few, if any, members of their staff are licensed medical professionals or that their ultrasounds are not typically intended to diagnose anything.
Crisis pregnancy centers far outnumber the 765 abortion clinics operating across the United States as of 2024 – two years after the Supreme Court allowed states to ban abortion in its Dobbs v. Jackson ruling.
—————
Deceptive by design
The centers’ deceptive tactics appear before clients walk through their doors.
A team of researchers found that 91.3% of crisis pregnancy center websites misleadingly imply that they provide medical services.
In many cases, as I’ve previously explained, these centers are branded confusingly, with names suggesting they are clinics that provide abortions.
Their websites and mobile vans are often emblazoned with medical imagery.
Many operate near abortion clinics, adding to the confusion.
Researchers found that 80% of crisis pregnancy center websites include false information about abortion, including that it is linked to mental health issues, infertility and breast cancer.
All of these claims have been disproved. Many major medical organizations have issued statements to this effect, including the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the American Psychological Association and the Mayo Clinic.
In response to these concerns, crisis pregnancy centers often reference the goods and services they offer to women in need. But the resources they offer are often slim – far less than what is necessary to care for a baby – and may be contingent on participation in the Christian centers’ classes on parenting and other topics.
First Choice, when asked for comment, said that it “provides women and families free, compassionate care, including ultrasounds, educational resources, baby clothes and food.”
—————
First Choice’s practices
First Choice, the organization that brought this case, uses many of these tactics.
Four of its five centers in New Jersey are located within one mile of an abortion clinic.
Its homepage includes a photo of a woman dressed like a medical professional, wearing teal scrubs with a stethoscope around her neck.
The chain’s name, First Choice Women’s Resource Center, uses the language of “choice,” which has long been associated with the abortion rights movement.
First Choice’s website suggests that abortion can lead to depression, eating disorders and addiction. It makes claims about the prevalence of what it calls “post-abortion stress disorder,” a nonmedical term used by anti-abortion activists who have sought to falsely frame abortion as if it is something most women regret.
In reality, long-term studies show that 95% of women who have had abortions believe they made the right decision.
—————
State consumer fraud investigation
In November 2023, New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin began investigating First Choice Women’s Resource Center to see whether the nonprofit had violated state consumer fraud laws by misrepresenting its services to clients, donors and the public.
Part of that probe, which was interrupted by the litigation that culminated in this Supreme Court case, included requesting documents about the center’s donors.
The next month, First Choice sued Platkin in federal court. The lawsuit asserted that the First Amendment protects the privacy of First Choice’s donors.
A district court and appeals and court determined that this case should be heard in state court.
But instead of pursuing the case at the state level, First Choice appealed directly to the Supreme Court, which decided in June 2025 to take the case.
New Jersey’s fraud investigation and the “sweeping subpoena” it issued “may chill First Amendment freedoms,” said attorney Erin Hawley, when she argued the case before the Supreme Court on behalf of First Choice.
Following oral arguments, Platkin released a statement that said “First Choice – a crisis pregnancy center operating in New Jersey – has for years refused to answer questions about its operations in our state and the potential misrepresentations it has been making.”
—————
Analyzing training manuals
Many crisis pregnancy centers like First Choice are affiliated with large networks that provide training materials.
For example, First Choice is affiliated with Heartbeat International, a Christian anti-abortion global network, which says that it has 45,000 active volunteers. Because those volunteers undergo training, I’ve been learning more about the centers by examining the network’s volunteer and staff manuals.
I’ve analyzed nearly 1,600 pages of these materials put together by large anti-abortion networks, including Heartbeat International. Along the way, I’ve tracked medical misinformation and references to confidentiality, privacy and data retention.
These training guides instruct volunteers to highlight the “medical services” their center provides and to omit “Christian language” from their branding and materials.
But the manuals I examined indicate that advancing their religious beliefs, rather than providing health care, is the centers’ primary goal. One manual says, “Heartbeat International is convinced that the loving outreach of a pregnancy center in the name of Jesus Christ is the most valuable ‘service’ provided, no matter what else is on the list of services.”
Heartbeat International’s Talking About Abortion manual includes medical misinformation about the supposed risks of having an abortion, such as cancer and mortality risks. It encourages volunteers to share these claims with clients.
None of that information, which includes official-sounding statistics, is backed by peer-reviewed scientific research.
—————
Client privacy not protected
Although First Choice sued in part due to concerns about its donors’ privacy, crisis pregnancy centers do not necessarily protect the privacy of the health data they collect from their clients.
The training manuals use the language of HIPAA, referencing the policy itself or its protections of private medical data. At the same time, the manuals inform volunteers that crisis pregnancy centers are “not governed by HIPAA” precisely because they are not medical clinics.
Instead, the manuals make clear that the centers can offer clients the opportunity to request confidentiality. But as stated in Heartbeat International’s Medical Essentials training manual, they “are under no obligation to accept or abide” by that request.
To New Jersey Attorney General Platkin, these kinds of approaches seemed worthy of investigation.
—————
Fewer obstacles ahead?
Should the Supreme Court majority rule in favor of First Choice, I believe states may have more trouble trying to investigate crisis pregnancy centers’ practices, while anti-abortion networks may face even fewer obstacles to their efforts to publicize medical misinformation.
Indeed, Aimee Huber, First Choice’s executive director, has said she hopes other states would “back off” any other efforts to probe crisis pregnancy centers.
But based on my 20 years of experience researching crisis pregnancy centers, I also believe that this case can be helpful for abortion rights supporters because it shows that the crisis pregnancy center industry understands that greater public awareness of its practices may restrict its power.
Heartbeat International did not respond to a request for comment by The Conversation.
Instead, First Choice Women’s Resource Centers Inc. v. Platkin hinges on whether First Amendment rights to freedom of speech and association give a chain of five crisis pregnancy centers in New Jersey the right to protect its donor records from disclosure to state authorities. The centers are Christian nonprofits that try to stop pregnant women from obtaining abortions.
There are more than 2,500 of them across the United States.
I’ve done extensive research regarding crisis pregnancy centers, and I’ve written about that work in more than a dozen articles in academic journals, books and the media.
—————
Resembling doctors’ offices in appearance only
Many critics of the centers call them “fake clinics” because the centers appear to be medical facilities when they are not.
Often, their waiting rooms look like those at doctors’ offices, and their volunteers wear white lab coats or medical scrubs. And they offer free services that people think of as medical, such as pregnancy tests and ultrasounds. But these pregnancy tests are typically the same kind that drugstores sell over the counter.
They’re able to function without medical professionals because it’s generally legal in the U.S. to operate ultrasound machines without any specialized training. They ask clients to read their own pregnancy tests so they can avoid laws regarding medical licensing.
Under current law, crisis pregnancy centers don’t need to tell their clients that they are not medical clinics. Nor must they disclose that they don’t provide abortions or birth control.
After California enacted a law that would force the centers to provide their clients with accurate information, the Supreme Court ruled in 2018 that it was unconstitutional.
The centers also don’t have to tell their clients that they are not bound by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, or HIPAA, or other patient privacy laws. They don’t have to say that few, if any, members of their staff are licensed medical professionals or that their ultrasounds are not typically intended to diagnose anything.
Crisis pregnancy centers far outnumber the 765 abortion clinics operating across the United States as of 2024 – two years after the Supreme Court allowed states to ban abortion in its Dobbs v. Jackson ruling.
—————
Deceptive by design
The centers’ deceptive tactics appear before clients walk through their doors.
A team of researchers found that 91.3% of crisis pregnancy center websites misleadingly imply that they provide medical services.
In many cases, as I’ve previously explained, these centers are branded confusingly, with names suggesting they are clinics that provide abortions.
Their websites and mobile vans are often emblazoned with medical imagery.
Many operate near abortion clinics, adding to the confusion.
Researchers found that 80% of crisis pregnancy center websites include false information about abortion, including that it is linked to mental health issues, infertility and breast cancer.
All of these claims have been disproved. Many major medical organizations have issued statements to this effect, including the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the American Psychological Association and the Mayo Clinic.
In response to these concerns, crisis pregnancy centers often reference the goods and services they offer to women in need. But the resources they offer are often slim – far less than what is necessary to care for a baby – and may be contingent on participation in the Christian centers’ classes on parenting and other topics.
First Choice, when asked for comment, said that it “provides women and families free, compassionate care, including ultrasounds, educational resources, baby clothes and food.”
—————
First Choice’s practices
First Choice, the organization that brought this case, uses many of these tactics.
Four of its five centers in New Jersey are located within one mile of an abortion clinic.
Its homepage includes a photo of a woman dressed like a medical professional, wearing teal scrubs with a stethoscope around her neck.
The chain’s name, First Choice Women’s Resource Center, uses the language of “choice,” which has long been associated with the abortion rights movement.
First Choice’s website suggests that abortion can lead to depression, eating disorders and addiction. It makes claims about the prevalence of what it calls “post-abortion stress disorder,” a nonmedical term used by anti-abortion activists who have sought to falsely frame abortion as if it is something most women regret.
In reality, long-term studies show that 95% of women who have had abortions believe they made the right decision.
—————
State consumer fraud investigation
In November 2023, New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin began investigating First Choice Women’s Resource Center to see whether the nonprofit had violated state consumer fraud laws by misrepresenting its services to clients, donors and the public.
Part of that probe, which was interrupted by the litigation that culminated in this Supreme Court case, included requesting documents about the center’s donors.
The next month, First Choice sued Platkin in federal court. The lawsuit asserted that the First Amendment protects the privacy of First Choice’s donors.
A district court and appeals and court determined that this case should be heard in state court.
But instead of pursuing the case at the state level, First Choice appealed directly to the Supreme Court, which decided in June 2025 to take the case.
New Jersey’s fraud investigation and the “sweeping subpoena” it issued “may chill First Amendment freedoms,” said attorney Erin Hawley, when she argued the case before the Supreme Court on behalf of First Choice.
Following oral arguments, Platkin released a statement that said “First Choice – a crisis pregnancy center operating in New Jersey – has for years refused to answer questions about its operations in our state and the potential misrepresentations it has been making.”
—————
Analyzing training manuals
Many crisis pregnancy centers like First Choice are affiliated with large networks that provide training materials.
For example, First Choice is affiliated with Heartbeat International, a Christian anti-abortion global network, which says that it has 45,000 active volunteers. Because those volunteers undergo training, I’ve been learning more about the centers by examining the network’s volunteer and staff manuals.
I’ve analyzed nearly 1,600 pages of these materials put together by large anti-abortion networks, including Heartbeat International. Along the way, I’ve tracked medical misinformation and references to confidentiality, privacy and data retention.
These training guides instruct volunteers to highlight the “medical services” their center provides and to omit “Christian language” from their branding and materials.
But the manuals I examined indicate that advancing their religious beliefs, rather than providing health care, is the centers’ primary goal. One manual says, “Heartbeat International is convinced that the loving outreach of a pregnancy center in the name of Jesus Christ is the most valuable ‘service’ provided, no matter what else is on the list of services.”
Heartbeat International’s Talking About Abortion manual includes medical misinformation about the supposed risks of having an abortion, such as cancer and mortality risks. It encourages volunteers to share these claims with clients.
None of that information, which includes official-sounding statistics, is backed by peer-reviewed scientific research.
—————
Client privacy not protected
Although First Choice sued in part due to concerns about its donors’ privacy, crisis pregnancy centers do not necessarily protect the privacy of the health data they collect from their clients.
The training manuals use the language of HIPAA, referencing the policy itself or its protections of private medical data. At the same time, the manuals inform volunteers that crisis pregnancy centers are “not governed by HIPAA” precisely because they are not medical clinics.
Instead, the manuals make clear that the centers can offer clients the opportunity to request confidentiality. But as stated in Heartbeat International’s Medical Essentials training manual, they “are under no obligation to accept or abide” by that request.
To New Jersey Attorney General Platkin, these kinds of approaches seemed worthy of investigation.
—————
Fewer obstacles ahead?
Should the Supreme Court majority rule in favor of First Choice, I believe states may have more trouble trying to investigate crisis pregnancy centers’ practices, while anti-abortion networks may face even fewer obstacles to their efforts to publicize medical misinformation.
Indeed, Aimee Huber, First Choice’s executive director, has said she hopes other states would “back off” any other efforts to probe crisis pregnancy centers.
But based on my 20 years of experience researching crisis pregnancy centers, I also believe that this case can be helpful for abortion rights supporters because it shows that the crisis pregnancy center industry understands that greater public awareness of its practices may restrict its power.
Heartbeat International did not respond to a request for comment by The Conversation.
Cooking with Love: Pastry strips of goodness
December 22 ,2025
Indeed, it’s the patience one needs for making puff pastry. The method
is not arduous, but the length of time required can test one’s patience.
When chef Frank, of the five-star pastry section of The Diplomat Hotel,
taught me to make the puff pastry my thoughts were, “When will the day
end so I can escape?” But after making puff pastry once, the results
compelled me to make it even at home.
:
Majida Rashid
Have patience. All things are difficult before they become easy.
— Saadi Shirazi
Indeed, it’s the patience one needs for making puff pastry. The method is not arduous, but the length of time required can test one’s patience. When chef Frank, of the five-star pastry section of The Diplomat Hotel, taught me to make the puff pastry my thoughts were, “When will the day end so I can escape?” But after making puff pastry once, the results compelled me to make it even at home.
Making the dough was easy. Only a little butter is used for the dough. But incorporating the remaining butter in the dough was challenging. Full puff pastry uses equal amount of butter and flour in weight. The ratio of butter, for three-quarter and half pastry, changes to 75 percent and 50 percent butter, respectively.
At the Diplomat Hotel, we made the dough first thing in the morning and chilled it for over an hour. Next, we took out the dough, rolled it into a big rectangle, put some of the butter on half of the rectangle, and folded the butter-less half over it. Then using short strokes the dough was rolled forward on all sides. This was repeated again and the dough was chilled for another hour or so. The process was repeated several times. It took many hours to have ready-to-use pastry. Another caveat for making this pastry is that everything, including the rolling pin, has to be thoroughly chilled.
But for the following delights, I took a short cut and bought a packet of frozen puff pastry sheets! They can accompany tea or coffee.
The day before cooking, refrigerate the frozen pastry overnight. While grated cheddar cheese is available, I prefer to grate mine. Only coriander leaves should be used to impart a delicate flavor. To loosen the stiffness of the parchment paper, scramble it in hands.
Cheese Twists
(Serves 3-4)
Yields 12- 14 pieces.
Ingredients
1 teaspoon cumin seeds, optional
1 Jalapeño pepper
1/2 cup loosely packed coriander leaves
1/4 lb sharp cheddar cheese, thinly shredded
1 sheet puff pastry
1 egg, slightly beaten
Directions
Preheat oven at 360º F.
Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
Dry roast the cumin seeds and transfer them into a bowl.
Roughly crush them with the back of a wooden spoon.
Carefully cut away the outer green of the Jalapeño into thin strips. Score each strip lengthwise into small thin strips and chop them finely.
Some of the seeds can also be chopped and added, if so desired.
Finely chop the coriander leaves.
Mix together the cheese, the cumin and chopped greens.
Lightly dust a clean counter with all-purpose flour.
Place the pastry sheet and roll it out into a thin sheet.
Halve the sheet.
Sprinkle cheese mixture on top of the one half.
Brush all sides of the pastry sheet with the egg.
Cover it with the remaining half of the sheet and press the sides together.
Egg wash the top of the pastry.
Cut into thin strips and gently twist each strip.
Place them on the parchment paper and bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes.
Increase the heat to 400 ºF and bake for further 15 minutes.
Remove from the oven and cool slightly.
Transfer onto an oblong serving platter.
Serve immediately.
Cinnamon Strips
(Serves 3-4)
Yields 12- 14 Twists.
Ingredients
10 cardamom seeds, optional
1 sheet of puff pastry at room temperature.
Slightly less than 1/2 cup fine sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon powder
1 tablespoon salted butter, softened
1 egg, slightly beaten
Directions
Preheat oven at 400ºF.
Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
Grind the cardamoms.
Lightly dust the counter with all-purpose flour.
Place the pastry sheet and roll it out to a thin sheet.
Halve the sheet.
Spread the butter on one of the sheets.
Reserve two tablespoons of sugar-cinnamon mixture and sprinkle the remaining on the buttered sheet
Brush the sides with the egg.
Place the other half on the top and press the sides together.
Brush the top with the egg.
Sprinkle with the reserved sugar-cinnamon mixture.
Cut into equal strips.
Bake for 15 minutes.
Transfer onto an oblong serving dish and serve immediately.
— Saadi Shirazi
Indeed, it’s the patience one needs for making puff pastry. The method is not arduous, but the length of time required can test one’s patience. When chef Frank, of the five-star pastry section of The Diplomat Hotel, taught me to make the puff pastry my thoughts were, “When will the day end so I can escape?” But after making puff pastry once, the results compelled me to make it even at home.
Making the dough was easy. Only a little butter is used for the dough. But incorporating the remaining butter in the dough was challenging. Full puff pastry uses equal amount of butter and flour in weight. The ratio of butter, for three-quarter and half pastry, changes to 75 percent and 50 percent butter, respectively.
At the Diplomat Hotel, we made the dough first thing in the morning and chilled it for over an hour. Next, we took out the dough, rolled it into a big rectangle, put some of the butter on half of the rectangle, and folded the butter-less half over it. Then using short strokes the dough was rolled forward on all sides. This was repeated again and the dough was chilled for another hour or so. The process was repeated several times. It took many hours to have ready-to-use pastry. Another caveat for making this pastry is that everything, including the rolling pin, has to be thoroughly chilled.
But for the following delights, I took a short cut and bought a packet of frozen puff pastry sheets! They can accompany tea or coffee.
The day before cooking, refrigerate the frozen pastry overnight. While grated cheddar cheese is available, I prefer to grate mine. Only coriander leaves should be used to impart a delicate flavor. To loosen the stiffness of the parchment paper, scramble it in hands.
Cheese Twists
(Serves 3-4)
Yields 12- 14 pieces.
Ingredients
1 teaspoon cumin seeds, optional
1 Jalapeño pepper
1/2 cup loosely packed coriander leaves
1/4 lb sharp cheddar cheese, thinly shredded
1 sheet puff pastry
1 egg, slightly beaten
Directions
Preheat oven at 360º F.
Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
Dry roast the cumin seeds and transfer them into a bowl.
Roughly crush them with the back of a wooden spoon.
Carefully cut away the outer green of the Jalapeño into thin strips. Score each strip lengthwise into small thin strips and chop them finely.
Some of the seeds can also be chopped and added, if so desired.
Finely chop the coriander leaves.
Mix together the cheese, the cumin and chopped greens.
Lightly dust a clean counter with all-purpose flour.
Place the pastry sheet and roll it out into a thin sheet.
Halve the sheet.
Sprinkle cheese mixture on top of the one half.
Brush all sides of the pastry sheet with the egg.
Cover it with the remaining half of the sheet and press the sides together.
Egg wash the top of the pastry.
Cut into thin strips and gently twist each strip.
Place them on the parchment paper and bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes.
Increase the heat to 400 ºF and bake for further 15 minutes.
Remove from the oven and cool slightly.
Transfer onto an oblong serving platter.
Serve immediately.
Cinnamon Strips
(Serves 3-4)
Yields 12- 14 Twists.
Ingredients
10 cardamom seeds, optional
1 sheet of puff pastry at room temperature.
Slightly less than 1/2 cup fine sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon powder
1 tablespoon salted butter, softened
1 egg, slightly beaten
Directions
Preheat oven at 400ºF.
Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
Grind the cardamoms.
Lightly dust the counter with all-purpose flour.
Place the pastry sheet and roll it out to a thin sheet.
Halve the sheet.
Spread the butter on one of the sheets.
Reserve two tablespoons of sugar-cinnamon mixture and sprinkle the remaining on the buttered sheet
Brush the sides with the egg.
Place the other half on the top and press the sides together.
Brush the top with the egg.
Sprinkle with the reserved sugar-cinnamon mixture.
Cut into equal strips.
Bake for 15 minutes.
Transfer onto an oblong serving dish and serve immediately.
headlines Detroit
headlines National
- Former judge sentenced to 12 years in prison for using public funds for vacations, personal purchases
- ACLU and BigLaw firm use ‘Orange is the New Black’ in hashtag effort to promote NY jail reform
- Attorney sentenced to 25 years in prison after taking client money for gambling
- Ex-DLA Piper partner accused of assault by former associate
- Legal leaders shoulder more stress, new survey shows
- Some noncitizens may have Second Amendment rights, federal appeals court says
