The courts routinely deal with questions that judges cannot answer through legal precedent alone. What caused an environmental disaster? How reliable is a particular scientific […]
When Politics Enters the Science: The Fight Over What Judges Should Know
The courts routinely deal with questions that judges cannot answer through legal precedent alone. What caused an environmental disaster? How reliable is a particular scientific test? What does the available research tell us about a disputed health risk? When those questions arise, judges often turn to scientific experts and reference materials to help them understand complicated evidence. That process is now at the center of an unusual controversy involving the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, the Federal Judicial Center, and a chapter about climate science that was written to help judges evaluate scientific evidence. The chapter was included…
Why States Are Worried About SNAP
For decades, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, better known as SNAP, has operated as a partnership between the federal government and the states. The federal government has traditionally paid for food benefits while states have shared responsibility for administering the program. Although disagreements over funding and eligibility have been common, the basic financial structure remained largely unchanged. That is beginning to change. New federal rules tied to state payment error rates are creating a financial challenge that many states have never faced before. States with higher administrative error rates could soon be required to contribute a portion of the cost…
Can We Trust Food Safety?
Americans rarely think about the complex system that keeps the food supply safe. They purchase a bag of lettuce, a container of fruit, or a packaged meal and generally assume that government regulators, food producers, and distributors have already done the work necessary to protect them. That trust is essential. The United States has one of the largest and most sophisticated food safety systems in the world, involving federal agencies, state health departments, laboratories, farmers, processors, and retailers. Yet when something goes wrong, that trust can quickly become fralettucegile. The recent Cyclospora outbreak linked to shredded iceberg lettuce has raised…
Why States Are Worried About SNAP
For decades, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, better known as SNAP, has operated as a partnership between the federal government and the states. The federal…
The Battle Over the 25-Foot Rule
A person standing on a sidewalk with a smartphone can now document events that previously might have gone unnoticed. A traffic stop, a protest, an…
The Growing Alarm Over Facial Recognition and ICE Detentions
For years, debates about facial recognition technology largely centered on local police departments, airport security, and private sector data collection. More recently, however, a different…
The Evolution of Artificial Intelligence
Artificial intelligence has moved from a largely academic concept to a central force shaping modern technology. Today, AI systems influence how people search for information,…
When Politics Enters the Science: The Fight Over What Judges Should Know
The courts routinely deal with questions that judges cannot answer through legal precedent alone. What caused an environmental disaster? How reliable is a particular scientific…
Can We Trust Food Safety?
Americans rarely think about the complex system that keeps the food supply safe. They purchase a bag of lettuce, a container of fruit, or a…
Why Financial Literacy Matters More Than Ever
For generations, financial literacy has been viewed as a personal skill that helps people budget wisely, save for retirement, and avoid unnecessary debt. Today, it…
How Speculators Move Gas Prices
For most Americans, the price of gasoline feels deeply personal. It determines commuting costs, shipping prices, airline tickets, and, indirectly, the cost of groceries and…
Can We Trust Food Safety?
Americans rarely think about the complex system that keeps the food supply safe. They purchase a bag of lettuce, a container of fruit, or a…
How Worried Should We Be About Hantavirus?
News about outbreaks of rare viruses tends to trigger a familiar cycle of anxiety. Headlines spread quickly, social media speculation accelerates, and comparisons to COVID-19…
Why States Are Worried About SNAP
For decades, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, better known as SNAP, has operated as a partnership between the federal government and the states. The federal […]
Can We Trust Food Safety?
Americans rarely think about the complex system that keeps the food supply safe. They purchase a bag of lettuce, a container of fruit, or a […]
The Battle Over the 25-Foot Rule
A person standing on a sidewalk with a smartphone can now document events that previously might have gone unnoticed. A traffic stop, a protest, an […]
Why Financial Literacy Matters More Than Ever
For generations, financial literacy has been viewed as a personal skill that helps people budget wisely, save for retirement, and avoid unnecessary debt. Today, it […]
Can America’s Power Grid Handle the Future?
Every summer brings familiar headlines about record temperatures, soaring electricity demand, and pleas from utilities asking customers to conserve energy during the hottest hours of […]
Wildfire Season Has Changed Forever
Wildfires have become one of the most recognizable symbols of a changing risk landscape in the United States. Each year, images of neighborhoods surrounded by […]
Kash Patel’s Spoiler Problem
For generations, successful law enforcement investigations have depended on a simple principle: keep suspects guessing. Whether investigators are pursuing a fugitive, dismantling a conspiracy, or […]
The Pest We Thought We Beat
For decades, the New World screwworm was considered a solved problem in the United States. Through sustained eradication campaigns and international coordination, the parasite was […]
Are More Voting Rights in Retreat?
The U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision allowing Alabama to use a Republican-favored congressional map for the 2026 midterm elections has reignited a longstanding debate about […]