Editor's note

In response to the accusation that Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh assaulted a girl as a teenager, some commentators have suggested that the misdeeds of youth shouldn’t be held against a person forever. However, Pennsylvania State University professor Eileen Ahlin points out, the criminal justice system often isn’t so forgiving – especially toward people of color. “Interactions with the criminal justice system can impede employment opportunities, reduce access to social services such as welfare and limit housing options,” Ahlin writes.

In the midst of an opioid epidemic, surveys are still the best way to figure out how many Americans are misusing or abusing drugs. But research shows that many people fill out those surveys incorrectly. That means that the data on opioid use in the U.S. is likely full of errors.

And did you experience a crazy hail storm this summer? Colorado State grad student Samuel Childs writes that lots of Americans did. 2018 has been a record year for big hailstones – which come with big risks to people and property. He explains why more reports of baseball-sized hailstones is likely a preview of future trends in a changing climate.

Danielle Douez

Associate Editor, Politics + Society

Top stories

President Donald Trump’s Supreme Court nominee, Brett Kavanaugh. AP Photo/Andrew Harnik

Memo to Kavanaugh’s defenders: Passage of time doesn’t erase youthful mistakes in the criminal justice system, especially for people of color

Eileen M. Ahlin, Pennsylvania State University

Young people of color are disproportionately affected by the lifelong consequences of having a criminal record.

Defining opioids. Darwin Brandis/shutterstock.com

How many Americans really misuse opioids? Why scientists still aren’t sure

Joseph Palamar, New York University Langone Medical Center

Many people may misunderstand the basics about opioids. That prevents researchers from understanding the full scope of the epidemic.

Icy hailstones can do major damage, depending where they land. AP Photo/Nati Harnik

Destructive 2018 hail season a sign of things to come

Samuel Childs, Colorado State University

The future climate that scientists predict for the middle of the United States is one that will foster more hail events with bigger hailstones.

Politics + Society

Education

  • Big game days in college football linked with sexual assault

    Peter Siminski, University of Technology Sydney; Isaac Swensen, Montana State University; Jason Lindo, Texas A&M University

    Reports of sexual assault increase by as much as 41 percent when the local college football team plays, according to researchers who say the increase is related to the drinking culture on campus.

Economy + Business

Environment + Energy

Science + Technology

  • Why do so many people fall for fake profiles online?

    Arun Vishwanath, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York

    Almost every online deception, fraud and scam – even propaganda and misinformation campaigns – begins with a fake social media profile. How do fakers get real people to agree to be friends?

  • Should all Nobel Prizes be canceled for a year?

    Brian Keating, University of California San Diego

    This year's Nobel Prize for literature was nixed because of a sex scandal. Other Nobels have neglected key contributors. Should all prizes be cancelled while criteria for winning is reassessed?

Trending on site

  • The lies we tell on dating apps to find love

    David Markowitz, University of Oregon

    Researchers analyzed troves of messages sent between matches and found that the fibs people tell are usually rational ones that serve a purpose.

  • Is apple cider vinegar good for you? A doctor weighs in

    Gabriel Neal, Texas A&M University

    Does it seem like everyone you know drinks apple cider vinegar, mainly in hopes of losing weight? Vinegar has a long history of high hopes attached to it. A doctor who loves vinegar explains.

  • What the world needs now to fight climate change: More swamps

    William Moomaw, Tufts University; Gillian Davies, Tufts University; Max Finlayson, Charles Sturt University

    Wetlands are some of the world's most undervalued weapons against climate change. They store huge quantities of carbon – but without better protection, many could soon be drained or paved over.

Today’s quote

“Roughly 8,000 of Puerto Rico’s 45,000 small employers have closed up shop over the last year.”

 

Puerto Rico has not recovered from Hurricane Maria

 

Lauren Lluveras

University of Texas at Austin

Lauren Lluveras