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How the Supreme Court limiting abortion access could harm the economy and women’s well-being
By Michele Gilman, University of Baltimore A leaked draft suggests the Supreme Court is ready to overturn Roe v. Wade, the landmark case that gave women the right to terminate a pregnancy. But reproductive health isn’t just about abortion, despite all the attention the procedure gets. It’s also about access to family planning services, contraception, […]
Study shows an abortion ban may lead to a 21% increase in pregnancy-related deaths
By Amanda Jean Stevenson, University of Colorado Boulder A Texas law bans nearly all abortions, and other states have indicated that they likely will follow suit. But the research is clear that people who want abortions but are unable to get them can suffer a slew of negative consequences for their health and well-being. As […]
Yes, US economy may be slowing, but don’t forget it’s coming off the hottest year since 1984
By D. Brian Blank, Mississippi State University The U.S. economy unexpectedly shrank in the first quarter, according to gross domestic product data released on April 28, 2022. While the reasons were technical and weren’t seen as signs of weakness, they add to worries that the U.S. might be headed for another recession as the Federal […]
Elon Musk and oligarchs of the ‘Second Gilded Age’ can both sway public, exploit their data
By Nolan Higdon, California State University, East Bay During the Gilded Age of the late 19th century, and the early decades of the 20th century, U.S. captains of industry such as William Randolph Hearst and Jay Gould used their massive wealth to dominate facets of the economy, including the news media. They were, in many […]
States look to community colleges to fill labor gap
By: Caitlin Dewey, Stateline Monique Acosta began the month of March as a pre-K classroom assistant in Arizona, with no credential beside her high school degree. She ended it with a certification in a booming branch of electronics and started applying to entry-level jobs at Boeing. For four hours a day, over 10 days total, […]
Right to protest important tenet in Ohio, America at large
By Randy Cunningham The rights to protest in Ohio have been under assault for the past three years as the state legislature has been on a major campaign to repeal those rights in bits and pieces. The campaign has been in reaction to high-profile national protests such as the pipeline protests at Standing Rock, and […]
$35 insulin cap is welcome, popular, and bipartisan. But Congress may not pass it anyway.
By Michael McAuliff, Kaiser Health News Democrats in the Senate are primed this month to make their first attempt at salvaging one of the most popular elements of President Joe Biden’s stalled Build Back Better plan — the proposal to cap insulin costs at $35 a month. It might not go well. That’s true even […]
As COVID slogs on, seniors find fortitude waning and malaise growing
By Judith Graham, Kaiser Health News Late one night in January, Jonathan Coffino, 78, turned to his wife as they sat in bed. “I don’t know how much longer I can do this,” he said, glumly. Coffino was referring to the caution that’s come to define his life during the COVID-19 pandemic. After two years […]
Appeal in Sarah Palin’s libel loss could set up Supreme Court test of media freedom rule
By Bill Kovarik, Radford University To the numerous challenges facing the U.S. media in recent years, add a libel case against The New York Times – lost by Sarah Palin, but now seemingly headed to appeal and perhaps on to the highest court in the land. On Feb. 15, 2022, a jury rejected Palin’s claim. […]
Record-breaking rapid DNA sequencing promises timely diagnosis for thousands of rare disease cases
By Kevin Doxzen, Arizona State University For children suffering from rare diseases, it usually takes years to receive a diagnosis. This “diagnostic odyssey” is filled with multiple referrals and a barrage of tests, seeking to uncover the root cause behind mysterious and debilitating symptoms. A new speed record in DNA sequencing may soon help families […]
Radicalization pipelines: How targeted advertising on social media drives people to extremes
By Jeanna Matthews, Clarkson University Have you had the experience of looking at some product online and then seeing ads for it all over your social media feed? Far from coincidence, these instances of eerily accurate advertising provide glimpses into the behind-the-scenes mechanisms that feed an item you search for on Google, “like” on social […]
How the Vietnam War pushed MLK to embrace global justice, not only civil rights at home
By Anthony Siracusa, University of Colorado Boulder On July 2, 1964, Martin Luther King Jr. stood behind President Lyndon Baines Johnson as the Texan signed into law the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Although not the first civil rights bill passed by Congress, it was the most comprehensive. King called the law’s passage “a great […]