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 […]
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…
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 […]
America Without Letters?
The Danish postal service is preparing to end more than four centuries of letter deliveries, with operations set to stop at the end of the […]
Target’s Costly Identity Crisis
Target’s announcement that longtime CEO Brian Cornell will step down in early 2026 comes at a time when the company faces slumping sales, mounting competition, […]
Why Viewers Are Hoisting the Jolly Roger
In the early 2000s, piracy was the default path for many who wanted music, films, or television shows. Platforms like The Pirate Bay made nearly […]
Zelle Lawsuit: Banks Blame the Victims
New York Attorney General Letitia James has filed a lawsuit against Zelle, accusing the payment platform of enabling widespread fraud and failing to implement basic […]
Texas Clashes Over Quorum Walkout
A recent legal move by Texas Governor Greg Abbott has sparked a debate over the limits of legislative protest and the balance between majority rule […]
NSFW Game Ban Ignites Censorship Fight
A growing controversy has taken shape in the gaming world, one that sits at the intersection of artistic freedom, commerce, and platform policy. Over the […]