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 […]
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…
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 […]
Christians Killing Christians in Michigan
On September 28, 2025, a Sunday worship service at a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints congregation in Grand Blanc Township, Michigan, became the […]
Harvard Controversy at Center of Tylenol Debate
In a press conference that stretched for more than an hour, President Trump once again positioned himself against mainstream science, this time taking aim at […]
Disney, the FCC, and Free Speech
When ABC announced it was suspending Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night program following remarks about the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, the move appeared at first […]
Trey Reed and Mississippi’s Past
Content warning: This article discusses suicide and racially motivated violence, including lynching. The death of 21-year-old Demartravion “Trey” Reed at Delta State University has left […]
The Charlie Kirk Fallout and Free Speech Wars
Since the rise of social media, people have been fired for what they have said online. In the early days, that often meant posts about […]
Charlie Kirk, Gun Rights, and a Violent End
Charlie Kirk, the co-founder of Turning Point USA and one of the most recognizable faces of modern conservative activism, was shot and killed while speaking […]