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A rocket at a launchpad with the sunset in the background.

Blue Origin rocket exploded on launchpad, throwing the future of NASA’s Artemis program into question

Wendy Whitman Cobb, Air University

Four health workers stand in front of a brick building in head-to-toe protective gear as one disinfects the others' gloves.

What’s wrong with how US and Uganda plan to stop Ebola spreading

Katrine L. Wallace, University of Illinois Chicago

PFAS leave fingerprints in your blood – researchers are figuring out how forever chemicals transform in your body to read these clues

Carrie McDonough, Carnegie Mellon University

Illustration of blood vessels with PFOA molecules floating amid red and white blood cells

When ICE ramped up enforcement, US-born workers didn’t see any economic gains

Chloe N. East, University of Colorado Boulder and Elizabeth Cox, University of Colorado Boulder

Construction workers work under the bright sun on a roof of a residential home in Los Angeles, Calif., on July 8, 2025.

Scientists used a method from ecology to identify whether icy moons could hold conditions for life

Gideon Yoffe, Weizmann Institute of Science

A photo of a gray moon with a plume of light and material spraying upward into space from the surface

I’ve been studying racist costume parties for a decade, and colleges are failing at educating the students about why they’re wrong

Ingrid A. Nelson, Bowdoin College

A white sign says 'Bowdoin College' in front of a building and trees on a grassy field.

Chinese American teens experience depression, anxiety at higher rates than peers – here’s why their parents may miss the warning signs

Huaying Wang, Cleveland State University

A girl sits with her face covered on a winding beige and blue staircase with yellow walls.

Far removed from today’s global juggernaut, soccer was born in the well-heeled boarding schools of 19th-century England

Thomas Adam, University of Arkansas

Members of a sports team in an old black and white photo.

It’s not just high gas prices – inflation is now spreading through the US economy

D. Brian Blank, Mississippi State University and Brandy Hadley, Appalachian State University

A red sign at a Conoco station in Denver, Colorado, displays gas prices on May 14, 2026.

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Hand holding magnifying glass over icon of uterus, icons of the heart, lungs, kidney, liver and intestines surrounding it

I’m a doctor who helped rename PCOS to PMOS – a 10-year process of listening to 14,000 patients and health professionals speak on how to improve care

Melanie Cree, University of Colorado Anschutz

Colorado voted to end forced prison labor in 2018 – so why are incarcerated people in the state still working for less than $2 an hour?

Julia Bowling, City University of New York

A rare bipartisan housing victory faces a bigger problem – Americans still can’t afford housing

Kirk McClure, University of Kansas and Alex Schwartz, The New School

Miniature, clear plastic houses laid out side by side in a model of a neighborhood.

Trump administration pledges $100M in aid for Cuba, but only if Catholic or other faith-based groups distribute it

Dulce Suarez, Florida International University

A group of people eat a communal meal served by a nun.

How and where the world’s 2 billion barrels of strategic oil reserves are stockpiled

Gemma Ware, The Conversation

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Should you get a second medical opinion? A surgeon explains why doing so can make you a more confident patient

Danielle Friedman, Quinnipiac University

A doctor holds a tablet and speaks with a woman sitting on an exam table, who wears a serious expression.

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A US green card disintegrating in a man's hand.

How a proposed green card application policy change would disrupt lives by assuming legal immigrants are evading the law

Irina D. Manta, Hofstra University and Cassandra Burke Robertson, Case Western Reserve University

Taylor Swift trademarking her voice and likeness points to a new legal frontier in combating AI deepfakes

Daryl Lim, Penn State

A cardboard cutout of a young blonde woman wearing a teal baseball jersey in the dugout at a baseball stadium.

Is my brain wired to never see a ghost? A psychologist on three factors that make a paranormal experience more likely

Melissa Maffeo, Wake Forest University

Dark hallway with a shadowy light at the end

To ‘86’ occasionally means to kill but usually doesn’t: A linguistic investigation into the Instagram threat charge against James Comey

Phillip M. Carter, Florida International University

Several ceiling lights appear in a room as a man looks forward with a stern expression on his face.

A mass killing in the Philippines sparks rare scrutiny over counterinsurgency violence – but no wider reckoning

Patrick Peralta, University of Michigan

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U.S.-Iran war

Men with guns stand in front of a large poster at a rally.

The war in Iran – again – points to the strategic shortcomings of assassination as policy of foreign affairs

Brian O'Neill, Georgia Institute of Technology

Why the Iran war is breaking the US-European strategic alliance

Farah N. Jan, University of Pennsylvania

Four heads of state walk in between dozens of flags representing European countries.

The method in Iran’s madness? Closure of Strait of Hormuz echoes a centuries-old Danish play − and is a tragedy for the world order

Vivek Krishnamurthy, University of Colorado Boulder

The shadow of a man in seen pointing at a map

Can the nearly $1 trillion-a-year US military really be depleting key weapons in Iran?

Michael A. Allen, Boise State University

One-way attack drones: Low-cost, high-tech weapons ‘democratize’ precision warfare

Michael C. Horowitz, University of Pennsylvania and Lauren Kahn, Georgetown University

a small delta-wing aircraft flies against a blue sky

World Cup

A goalkeeper dives to make a save in front of a large crowd.

The 1994 World Cup helped rescue ‘the beautiful game’ from mediocrity. On its return to the US, expect more of that beauty

Cesar R. Torres, Penn State

We tested the new World Cup ball – this is what you need to know about how it will fly, dip and swerve

John Eric Goff, University of Puget Sound

A man in red socks places a ball on the turf.

We designed the turf for soccer’s biggest World Cup ever – here’s how we created the same playing experience across 3 countries

John N. Trey Rogers, Michigan State University; Jackie Lyn A. Guevara, Michigan State University; John Sorochan, University of Tennessee, and Ryan Bearss, Michigan State University

France's goalkeeper Hugo Lloris dives but cannot stop a goal on a free kick by Switzerland's Blerim Dzemaili during a World Cup soccer match between Switzerland and France in 2014.

The next World Cup won’t be only about passion for soccer. It will also be about betting obsession

David Nemer, University of Virginia

Soaring ticket prices could help FIFA pull in $15B this World Cup cycle — where does the money come from, where does it go?

Richard Sheehan, University of Notre Dame

250th anniversary of American revolution

A black and white postage stamp with a small red illustration of a hand holding a flaming sword, and the words 'I have sworn...Hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man.'

What Jefferson and Madison would have thought about ‘rededicating’ the US to God

Steven K. Green, Willamette University

America’s founding promise of religious freedom has long coexisted with prejudice, even as many Christians have worked to confront it

David Mislin, Temple University

Several people view artwork displayed on screens outside a brick building.

How America’s independence from England revolutionized US philanthropy

Amanda Moniz, Smithsonian Institution

John Hancock brandishes a document bearing his large signature.

The American Revolution’s triumphant story of democracy and freedom overlooks loyalists who paid a steep price for allegiance to Britain

Kimberly Nath, San Juan College

Black and white illustration of large crowd in colonial dress gathered outside of stately building

America’s musical founding father: ‘Liberty songs’ by a self-taught singer and tanner helped fuel the Revolution

David W. Stowe, Michigan State University

A faded illustration of seven men in formal coats sitting around a table, with a musical score surrounding the image.

Extreme weather and natural disasters

Two women carrying umbrellas laugh as they run through ankle-deep puddles in a city street.

The US is seeing stronger storms, so why are droughts getting worse?

David Boutt, UMass Amherst

Hurricane forecasts have improved dramatically, saving lives, but federal cuts threaten to stretch NOAA resources to breaking point

Brian Tang, University at Albany, State University of New York

A view of a hurricane across an airplane wing

A ‘super El Niño?’ Why it’s too early to forecast one with certainty, but not too soon to prepare

Pedro DiNezio, University of Colorado Boulder

A street scene on a rainy night. One person's umbrella has blown in reverse. A cyclist pedals into the rain. Another person leans into the downpour.

Alaska’s near-record landslide tsunami sent a wave 1,580 feet up the fjord walls – and left clues for building a warning system

Michael E. West, University of Alaska Fairbanks and Ezgi Karasözen, University of Alaska Fairbanks

An aerial view of the landslide area and glacier

Fire is transforming the US West’s public lands – research shows overlooked cost to recreation

Kyle Manley, University of Colorado Boulder

A man with an axe and a hard hat walks in front of bright orange red blazing fire.

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Trump administration

A person sits and reads a book on stone steps, with leafy trees behind them.

Education Department is investigating whether Smith College’s admissions violate Title IX – but this law doesn’t actually apply to the case

Marie-Amelie George, Wake Forest University

Chilling effects of Trump’s war on free speech extend far beyond campus walls – and that’s the point

Bruce Schneier, Harvard Kennedy School and Jon Penney, Harvard University; York University, Canada

Dozens of police officers walk in unison through a college campus.

Shutting down federal bee labs threatens bees, beekeepers and the US food system

Jennie L. Durant, University of California, Davis

Where will money for the ‘Anti-Weaponization Fund’ come from? This man has been warning of Judgment Fund abuse for years

Paul Figley, American University

Lots of rolls of $100 banknotes, set against a bright yellow background.

When a president settles his own lawsuit to create a fund for allies, fundamental questions about justice arise

Austin Sarat, Amherst College

A huge banner with the image of President Trump hangs on a large, columned building.

International

A sculpture depicting the breaking of chains.

The forgotten story of abolition in revolutionary France – the first emancipation

Jeremy D. Popkin, University of Kentucky

Cuba needs a long-term solution to its energy crisis

Luisa Blanco, Pepperdine University; Institute for Humane Studies and Isabella Elias, Pepperdine University

2 small lights show on a darkened Havana street

Why Javier Milei’s inflation ‘miracle’ in Argentina is more of a mirage

Gemma Ware, The Conversation

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Why has the US indicted former Cuban President Raúl Castro?

James Trapani, Western Sydney University

An old man in military uniform smiles and waves a small Cuban flag

Baloch insurgency: Suicide bombs and uptick in violence threaten Pakistan, regional security

Amira Jadoon, Clemson University and Saif Tahir, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington

A burnt out vehicle is seen on a street.

New research in health and science

How does your body lose weight? An obesity doctor explains why one size doesn’t fit all in weight loss

Kim Pfotenhauer, Michigan State University

Long COVID will cost the US an estimated $8 billion over just 3 years due to healthcare burden, managing symptoms and loss to the workforce

Bruce Y. Lee, City University of New York and Hannah Dimmick, CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Public Policy

Empty workspace with a table and two chairs next to a window.

People with premenstrual dysphoric disorder have higher rates of suicidal thinking, planning and attempts

Eliza Zhitnik, UMass Amherst and Jamie Hartmann-Boyce, UMass Amherst

A woman sits on the floor with her hands clasped around her abdomen as if uncomfortable, as she leans against a couch with her head back.

Can peptide injections help people recover from injuries? Here’s what you need to know

Flynn McGuire, University of Utah

Close-up of athletes holding colorful kettlebells during cross training class

Sleep apnea compromises far more than a good night’s rest – 2 neuroscientists outline the risks and the need for better diagnosis

Erika Yamazaki, Northwestern University and Ken A. Paller, Northwestern University

Down-facing view of a young woman covering her ears with a pillow while her partner snores in bed.

Artificial intelligence

Pope Leo smiles while standing before a large ceremonial chair, dressed in white papal robes.

Pope Leo XIV compares AI to the Industrial Revolution – as new alternatives to big AI firms take shape

Nathan Schneider, University of Colorado Boulder

AI is replacing humans in responding to some surveys – but simulated opinions are not the same as public opinion

Ambuj Tewari, University of Michigan

Five yellow boxes, one with a checkmark in it

Your bank’s AI just blocked your payment – what can you do?

Pragati Awasthi, Drexel University

A blue Visa credit card rests on a grey laptop.

Should AIs be required to report a human user contemplating violence?

Anat Lior, Drexel University

A group of young people, some holding flowers, stand in front of a collection of flowers on the ground

AI interviewers can’t connect with people the way human researchers can – they can produce only data, not meaning

Kelley Cotter, Penn State; Ankolika De, Penn State, and Priya C. Kumar, Penn State

Person standing amid an array of glowing text bubbles, back to camera, against a neon magenta background

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