Helping people who had their homes stolen in Detroit

Plus: Wikipedia's volunteers, tween safety and hot homes ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

US Edition - Today's top story: Deed fraud can cause vulnerable Detroiters to lose their homes – here's why it's hard to catch the thieves View in browser 27 June 2026 US Edition   Welcome to the Saturday edition of The Conversation U.S.’s Daily newsletter. When I first chatted with Donovan McCarty about his work at the Housing Justice Clinic at Michigan State University, I knew I needed to help him share his clients’ stories. McCarty works with victims of deed fraud. It’s a problem not only in Detroit, but in New York, Boston, Miami and Philadelphia. Fraudsters take advantage of legal owners of real estate by forging signatures to record a phony transfer of property ownership – and then sometimes go so far as to change the locks and have the owners evicted. When McCarty was approached with his first case of this brazen crime, he found the facts hard to believe. Now he is not only helping people hold onto their homes, but he’s looking for legislative fixes to protect property owners. This week we also liked articles about the inspiring poems some young Americans are writing, why the founders separated church and state, and what supermassive black holes are. Did somebody forward this email to you? Subscribe to our daily and weekly newsletters here.   Eleanore Catolico Detroit Editor   Deed fraud victim Kim Page sits on her front steps in Detroit on June 12, 2026. Nic Antaya/The Conversation Deed fraud can cause vulnerable Detroiters to lose their homes – here’s why it’s hard to catch the thieves Donovan McCarty, Michigan State University Deed fraud is a persistent problem in the Detroit area. Only a fraction of victims get justice. The numbers for Wikipedia tell a story of change – and stress. Mateusz Slodkowski/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images What 20 million bans reveal about the strain on Wikipedia’s volunteers Ryan McGrady, UMass Amherst Wikipedia has grown steadily in size and importance, but a shrinking core of volunteer administrators is straining the organization.   Aid is on the way after Venezuela’s earthquakes, but it’s not clear how quickly it can get there Dulce Suarez, Florida International University If you want to help, an aid expert advises you to donate cash to nonprofits involved in local rescue and recovery efforts. In 2 landmark decisions, the Supreme Court expands gun rights for concealed carry holders and casual drug users Morgan Marietta, University of Tennessee Two recent Supreme Court rulings suggest the high court is so pro-gun it has decided it must also be pro-drugs. I have spent the past 6 months reading hundreds of poems by young people – I was surprised to find hope, not despair Sean Murphy, Shenandoah University Young poets wrestled with loneliness, fractured families, violence and other challenges – but also showed an unwillingness to surrender to despair. The US founders’ other revolutionary choice: Separating religion and government Peter C. Mancall, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences European colonial powers linked church and state. But the founders of the United States broke from that idea as surely as they broke from Britain. Beyond car seats and childproof pill bottles: A child psychologist explains how to empower kids to make safer choices David C. Schwebel, University of Iowa Unintentional injuries kill 20 US children every day. Building a family culture of safety can help them learn to make wise choices. What are supermassive black holes? Everything you need to know – and what astronomers are still learning – about these mysterious objects Mary Ogborn, Penn State Black holes are a mainstay in sci-fi movies. How do these massive black holes, spread throughout our universe, actually work in real life?   Heat waves can leave homes dangerously hot – even for young, healthy adults, as Texas shows Trump doesn’t own the government – even though he acts as if Congress is not his equal in constitutional power and authority US Supreme Court opens the courthouse door to lawsuits tied to Cuba’s property seizures 6 decades after the fact Why it’s OK to say ‘namaste’ in yoga class Childhood experiences of LGBTQ+ stigma can harm romantic relationships decades later – psychologists explain how to reconnect with yourself and your partner The hidden burnout crisis facing social media marketers From Belfast to Washington, a familiar script of the ‘dangerous migrant’ has emerged 30 years after ‘Reasonable Doubt,’ Jay-Z’s career embodies hip-hop’s biggest contradictions How everyone pays the cost for patents on seeds, and private companies get rich from keeping them secret The Conversation's News Quiz Fill in the blank from this week's headline: "_______________ outbreak in Philadelphia in 1976 was mysterious and deadly" Shriners' virus Legionnaires’ disease Toastmasters' plague Elks' infestation     You’re receiving this newsletter from The Conversation 303 Wyman Street, Suite 300 Waltham, MA 02451 Forward to a friend  •  Unsubscribe