Supermassive black holes have masses of more than a million suns – but their growth has slowed as the universe has aged

Fan Zou, Penn State; W. Niel Brandt, Penn State

X-rays emitted around black holes can tell astrophysicists about how fast they’re growing.

Meteorites from Mars help scientists understand the red planet’s interior

James Day, University of California, San Diego

These rare rocks come in a few different types, which can tell geologists about Mars’ volcanic past and hint at its potential habitability.

Immigrant moms feel unsafe and unheard when seeking pregnancy care – here’s how they’d improve Philly’s health care system

Diana Montoya-Williams, University of Pennsylvania

Immigration rhetoric and policies have created a chilling effect for immigrants seeking medical care. Two dozen Latina immigrant mothers share their experiences during pregnancy.

Abortion restrictions harm mental health, with low-income women hardest hit

Brad Greenwood, George Mason University; Gordon Burtch, Boston University; Michaela R. Anderson, University of Pennsylvania

The uptick in anxiety, depression and other mental health issues happened after states enacted bans or restrictions on abortion.

Will a market crash one day be pinned on the Supreme Court? An accounting expert explains why recent rulings have him worried

Paul Griffin, University of California, Davis

By injecting hidden risk into the financial statements of the listed companies monitored by the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Supreme Court may have set the stage for the next recession.

Odds are that gambling on the Biden/Trump competition will further reduce the presidential campaign to a horse race

Allison M. Prasch, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Jason Kido Lopez, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Overseas-based sports betting companies offer wagers in the US on who will clinch a party’s presidential nomination and which candidate will win the election. What does this mean for democracy?

Donald Trump wants to reinstate a spoils system in federal government by hiring political loyalists regardless of competence

Sidney Shapiro, Wake Forest University; Joseph P. Tomain, University of Cincinnati

if political loyalty replaces merit as the basis of key federal appointments, Americans can expect government to be less competent – as Andrew Jackson learned during his administration

Terroir noir: wine’s hidden colonial history needs to be uncorked

Jennifer Regan-Lefebvre, Trinity College

“New world” wines are much more likely to be associated with entrepreneurial growers and terraces of bulging fruit than all the black and indigenous slaves who helped enable them.

When scientific citations go rogue: Uncovering ‘sneaked references’

Why are journalists obsessed with Biden’s age? It’s because they’ve finally found an interesting election story

Trump’s raised fist - how one gesture can be used by Republicans, socialists, fascists, white supremacists and Black athletes

The Conversation U.S. weekly news quiz

Fritz Holznagel, The Conversation

Here’s the first question of this week’s edition:

President Joe Biden said in a July 5 interview that he would drop out of the 2024 presidential race if who told him to?

1. A. “My wife, Jill”
2. B. “Barack Obama”
3. C. "The Lord Almighty"
4. D. "Commander, my talking dog"

Test your knowledge