The ongoing federal government shutdown has entered its second month, driven largely by a standoff over the future of the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) enhanced […]
We Know How to Prevent Black Lung. So Why Are Workers Still Dying?
There was a time when black lung was considered an inevitable consequence of working in a coal mine. Miners spent decades underground breathing coal dust, and many eventually developed the respiratory disease that became one of the most recognizable occupational hazards in America. We know better now. Scientists have understood the connection between inhaling dust and developing serious lung disease for generations. Workplace regulations have been written specifically to limit those exposures. Monitoring programs exist. Protective equipment exists. Medical screening exists. And yet American workers are still developing severe, sometimes fatal lung diseases caused by what they breathe on the…
The 9/11 Victims We’re Still Learning About
Twenty-five years after the September 11th terrorist attacks, researchers are preparing to study a group of people whose experiences have received considerably less attention than those of the firefighters, police officers, and other adults who responded to the disaster. They were children. Some were old enough to remember the planes striking the World Trade Center. Others were infants. Some were still in the womb. Many lived in Lower Manhattan or attended school nearby and were exposed to the enormous cloud of dust and debris created when the towers collapsed. Now, a major federal research effort is being established to examine…
The Cost of Closing Forest Research
The U.S. Forest Service is closing 23 research and development facilities across more than a dozen states as part of a sweeping reorganization of the agency. The move has received considerably less attention than many of the administration's other changes to the federal government, but its implications reach far beyond the offices and employees directly affected. The Forest Service conducts research into some of the most fundamental questions facing America's forests. Its scientists study wildfires, invasive species, forest diseases, water resources, wildlife, and the ways forests respond to changing environmental conditions. The agency says the research itself is not being…
Where Is the Opioid Settlement Money Going?
When opioid manufacturers, distributors, and other companies agreed to pay billions of dollars to settle lawsuits over their role in the nation's opioid crisis, the…
America’s Historic Drop in Homicides Deserves More Attention
For years, Americans have been told that crime is one of the country's most pressing problems. Political campaigns have been built around fears of rising…
When AI Reads Your Medical Records
For years, artificial intelligence in health care was largely discussed as a future technology. Doctors might someday use AI to identify diseases, analyze medical images,…
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 Cost of Closing Forest Research
The U.S. Forest Service is closing 23 research and development facilities across more than a dozen states as part of a sweeping reorganization of the…
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…
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…
We Know How to Prevent Black Lung. So Why Are Workers Still Dying?
There was a time when black lung was considered an inevitable consequence of working in a coal mine. Miners spent decades underground breathing coal dust,…
The 9/11 Victims We’re Still Learning About
Twenty-five years after the September 11th terrorist attacks, researchers are preparing to study a group of people whose experiences have received considerably less attention than…
When Faith Meets the AI Bubble
Former Intel CEO Patrick Gelsinger’s latest career move has raised eyebrows far beyond the tech world. After stepping down from Intel and facing a shareholder […]
SNAP, Paychecks Stuck in Shutdown Gridlock
A prolonged federal government shutdown is beginning to have ripple effects across the country, raising concerns for millions of Americans who rely on federal paychecks […]
Ballroom Politics: The East Wing Comes Down
The announcement that the entire East Wing of the White House is being demolished to make way for a new ballroom has generated widespread debate—not […]
No Kings, Big Crowds—But Lasting Impact?
On Saturday, October 18, 2025, “No Kings” demonstrations took place in all 50 states, with organizers reporting more than 2,700 events and a turnout they […]
JD Vance Shrugs at Hate
Politico recently published a cache of internal Telegram messages shared over several months by leaders within the Young Republican National Federation and affiliated state organizations. […]
Shutdown Blame at the Airport
Airports across the United States have declined to broadcast a video distributed by the Department of Homeland Security in which Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem […]
AI Videos and the Future of Deception
Artificial intelligence is entering a new phase with the rise of tools like Meta’s “Vibes” and OpenAI’s Sora 2, which allow anyone to instantly generate […]
Gov’t Shutdown: Blame Border & Bathrooms, Cut Healthcare
For all the rhetoric surrounding the current government shutdown, one talking point has risen above the rest. Republicans insist that Democrats forced the shutdown in […]
Hegseth’s Military Purge
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s recent speech at Marine Corps Base Quantico, paired with the policy memo he issued, has raised significant concerns about the direction […]