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 […]
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…
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 […]
Iryna Zarutska’s Murder and Media
The fatal stabbing of 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska on a Charlotte, North Carolina, light rail train has reignited both horror over a brutal act […]
Broken Dreams at Publishers Clearing House
Publishers Clearing House began in the 1950s as a direct mail business focused on magazine subscriptions. Over the decades it became a household name, largely […]
Is Age Verification Online Possible?
The debate over age verification laws escalated this summer when two major decentralized social networks took opposing but telling approaches. Bluesky announced it was pulling […]
Is Google Killing Android Sideloading?
Sideloading is the process of installing apps on a smartphone from outside the official app store. On Android, this has long been a feature that […]