Combatting an invisible killer: New WHO air pollution guidelines recommend sharply lower limits

Laura Corlin, Tufts University

The new global air quality guidelines are the World Health Organization’s first update since 2005. Scientists know far more now about the serious risks these pollutants pose to human health.

Taliban, Islamic State arm themselves with weapons US left behind

Nolan Fahrenkopf, University at Albany, State University of New York

Despite efforts to prevent militant groups from getting weapons, they often get their hands on U.S. equipment and use it to attack American troops.

Why America has a debt ceiling: 5 questions answered

Steven Pressman, Monmouth University

Republicans are refusing to support an increase in the debt ceiling, but not doing so risks an unprecedented default. An economist explains why it’s time to get rid of the debt limit once and for all.

Harvard’s decision to ditch fossil fuel investments reflects changing financial realities and its climate change stance

Susan Gary, University of Oregon

The announcement didn’t use the word ‘divest.’ A legal scholar explains why that shouldn’t matter.

Evidence shows that, yes, masks prevent COVID-19 – and surgical masks are the way to go

Laura (Layla) H. Kwong, University of California, Berkeley

Since the coronaviurs first began spreading around the globe, people have debated how effective masks are at preventing COVID-19. A year and a half in, what does the evidence show?

Study shows an abortion ban may lead to a 21% increase in pregnancy-related deaths

Amanda Jean Stevenson, University of Colorado Boulder

Carrying a pregnancy to term is riskier than having an abortion, especially for non-Hispanic Black women.

Spreading HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, is against the law in 37 states – with penalties ranging up to life in prison

Robin Lennon-Dearing, University of Memphis

Current HIV criminal laws increase HIV stigma and discrimination against marginalized people – and negatively affect public health.

How the Satanic Temple is using ‘abortion rituals’ to claim religious liberty against the Texas’ ‘heartbeat bill’

Joseph P. Laycock, Texas State University

The Satanic Temple, a nontheistic group, is invoking the Religious Freedom Restoration Act to challenge Texas’ new anti-abortion law.

Your driver-assist system may be out of alignment… with your understanding of how it works

Steve Casner, NASA

Tesla crashes and the investigations that follow generate a lot of headlines, but the dangers of automotive automation are industrywide. The common denominator is the human behind the wheel.

Psychological ‘specialness spirals’ can make ordinary items feel like treasures – and may explain how clutter accumulates

Jacqueline Rifkin, University of Missouri-Kansas City

Have you ever bought an item and then just not gotten around to using it because the time never felt right? New studies suggest an explanation for what researchers call nonconsumption.

Therapy dogs help students cope with the stress of college life

Christine Kivlen, Wayne State University

Colleges and universities are using therapy dogs as a low-cost way to improve their students’ mental health.

Female leaders in higher education have created more inclusive and open institutions – here are 3 key figures

Thalia Plata, The Conversation

In a webinar hosted by The Conversation, “Women’s Transformative Power in Higher Education and Beyond,” current leaders discussed how their predecessors have shaped higher education.

A giant space rock demolished an ancient Middle Eastern city and everyone in it – possibly inspiring the Biblical story of Sodom

Christopher R. Moore, University of South Carolina

New research suggests that fire from the sky in the form of a small asteroid annihilated a city near the Dead Sea 3,600 years ago.

The Supreme Court has overturned precedent dozens of times in the past 60 years, including when it struck down legal segregation

David Schultz, Hamline University

There is value in observing legal precedent, but sometimes circumstances, logic or judges’ views determine it’s time to overturn it.

New treatments for COVID-19 may stave off the worst effects of the virus

Patrick Jackson, University of Virginia

Medications to treat COVID-19 are in no way a substitute for the vaccine. But under the right circumstances, some show great promise for helping patients.

Today’s graphic

From the story, Political orientation predicts science denial – here’s what that means for getting Americans vaccinated against COVID-19