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A large white building and protesters on a balcony.

A large white building and protesters on a balcony.

Supreme Court makes prosecution of Trump on obstruction charge more difficult, with ruling to narrowly define law used against him and Jan. 6 rioters

Riley T. Keenan, University of Richmond

Supreme Court rules cities can ban homeless people from sleeping outdoors – Sotomayor dissent summarizes opinion as ‘stay awake or be arrested’

Clare Pastore, University of Southern California

People hold signs reading 'House keys, not handcuffs' and 'Housing solves homelessness'

People hold signs reading 'House keys, not handcuffs' and 'Housing solves homelessness'

How camping bans − like the one the Supreme Court just upheld − can fit into ‘hostile design’: Strategies to push out homeless people

Robert Rosenberger, Georgia Institute of Technology

Around one or two dozen people lie on the ground in emergency blankets, some holding signs, outside a building with tall white pillars.

Around one or two dozen people lie on the ground in emergency blankets, some holding signs, outside a building with tall white pillars.

Woman in red sweatshirt holds signs saying 'Shame on Sacklers' and 'My dead son does NOT release Sacklers."

Supreme Court rejects settlement with OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma over legal protections for the Sackler family that owned the company

Jonathan Lipson, Temple University

Gazans’ extreme hunger could leave its mark on subsequent generations

Hasan Khatib, University of Wisconsin-Madison

A young girl cries as she reaches through bars for food, as other people clamor around her with bowls.

A young girl cries as she reaches through bars for food, as other people clamor around her with bowls.

Biden crashes, Trump lies: A campaign-defining presidential debate

Mary Kate Cary, University of Virginia and Karrin Vasby Anderson, Colorado State University

Two white men dressed in business suits stand behind podiums.

Two white men dressed in business suits stand behind podiums.

ICE detainees suffer preventable deaths − Q&A with a medical researcher about systemic failures

Cara R. Muñoz Buchanan, Harvard Kennedy School

A woman in a white coat presses a stethoscope to the back of a man wearing a red shirt

A woman in a white coat presses a stethoscope to the back of a man wearing a red shirt

Supreme Court sidesteps case on whether federal law on medical emergencies overrides Idaho’s abortion ban

Naomi Cahn, University of Virginia and Sonia Suter, George Washington University

Silhouettes of a judge's gavel and a stethoscope.

Silhouettes of a judge's gavel and a stethoscope.

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A massive holograph of a pink-skinned, blue-haired young woman points at a small man who gazes up at her.

A massive holograph of a pink-skinned, blue-haired young woman points at a small man who gazes up at her.

ChatGPT and the movie ‘Her’ are just the latest example of the ‘sci-fi feedback loop’

Rizwan Virk, Arizona State University

Two bare-chested men sit on the floor, while two others wearing traditional dress wave a plant near them.

Two bare-chested men sit on the floor, while two others wearing traditional dress wave a plant near them.

‘Authentic’ ayahuasca rituals sought by tourists often ignore Indigenous practices and spiritual grounding

Pardis Mahdavi, University of La Verne

Who designed the FGC-9? Unmasking the man behind the world’s most popular 3D-printed gun – podcast

Gemma Ware, The Conversation

Disassembled components of the FGC-9 shadow gun.

Disassembled components of the FGC-9 shadow gun.

Federal funding for major science agencies is at a 25-year low

Chris Impey, University of Arizona

The U.S. Capitol, shown against dark clouds.

The U.S. Capitol, shown against dark clouds.

Welcome to this week’s Conversation news quiz

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5 ways anti-diversity laws affect LGBTQ+ people and research in higher ed

Abbie E. Goldberg, Clark University

A professor wearing a plaid shirt and sweater holds a piece of chalk while a piece of tape covers his mouth. Math equations are on a blackboard in the background.

A professor wearing a plaid shirt and sweater holds a piece of chalk while a piece of tape covers his mouth. Math equations are on a blackboard in the background.

A black and white photo shows a man sitting down in a dark suit while another man stands at a lectern nearby him.

What people say today about the first televised presidential debate, between Nixon and JFK, doesn’t match first reactions in 1960

W. Joseph Campbell, American University School of Communication

Debate offers opportunity for errors, partisan spin − and maybe an opening for change

Susan Fillippeli, Auburn University

Two figures behind lecterns gesture to an audience.

Two figures behind lecterns gesture to an audience.

AI companies train language models on YouTube’s archive − making family-and-friends videos a privacy risk

Ryan McGrady, UMass Amherst and Ethan Zuckerman, UMass Amherst

two teenage girls smile as they stand cheek to cheek

two teenage girls smile as they stand cheek to cheek

Hotbed of corruption: Kenya’s elite have captured the state – unrest is inevitable

Gedion Onyango, London School of Economics and Political Science

People hold signs in a mass demonstration

People hold signs in a mass demonstration

G7 plan to use Russia’s frozen financial assets to help Ukraine fund the war: an economist weighs up the risk and rewards

Sambit Bhattacharyya, University of Sussex

Facade of Russian Central Bank, Moscow

Facade of Russian Central Bank, Moscow

We’re on the side of facts, in the battle against misinformation and disinformation

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A new book to help you understand how work is changing in the 21st Century

Johns Hopkins University Press

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Extreme weather

A man cools his face with water from a fountain while a boy splashes in the water behind him.

Extreme heat waves aren’t ‘just summer’: How climate change is heating up the weather, and what we can do about it

Mathew Barlow, UMass Lowell and Jeffrey Basara, UMass Lowell

Climate change is increasing stress on thousands of aging dams across the US

Hiba Baroud, Vanderbilt University

Water pours through a dam and flows around one side of the structure.

Water pours through a dam and flows around one side of the structure.

2024’s violent tornado season has been one of the most active on record − a meteorologist explains the weather behind the outbreaks

William Gallus, Iowa State University

A woman pulls a religious statue out from among debris. A splintered home and scattered clothing are around her.

A woman pulls a religious statue out from among debris. A splintered home and scattered clothing are around her.

6 tips for staying safe in extreme summer heat if you’re a runner, cyclist or anyone else spending time outdoors

Susan Yeargin, University of South Carolina

A man runs past the WWII Memorial on a hot day in Washington, D.C., with the Lincoln Memorial in the background

A man runs past the WWII Memorial on a hot day in Washington, D.C., with the Lincoln Memorial in the background

Lightning season is here: Fast facts and how to stay safe, from a meteorologist

Chris Vagasky, University of Wisconsin-Madison

The stadium scoreboard is still lit up, but fans are headed away from the seating areas as a lighting bold strikes nearby

The stadium scoreboard is still lit up, but fans are headed away from the seating areas as a lighting bold strikes nearby

Read more on extreme weather

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Elections around the world

Diplomacy, sanctions and soft power have failed to deter Iran’s anti-West agenda − could a new Iranian president change that?

Nakissa Jahanbani, Penn State and Daniel P. Colletti, United States Military Academy West Point

A large crowd of Iranian supporters of Masoud Pezeshkian gather in Tehran; in the foreground, a young woman shouts her endorsement while holding up a campaign sign.

A large crowd of Iranian supporters of Masoud Pezeshkian gather in Tehran; in the foreground, a young woman shouts her endorsement while holding up a campaign sign.

UK and US elections: 2 very different systems united by a common political language

Garret Martin, American University School of International Service

A man in a white shirt drinks a cup of tea surrounded by other people.

A man in a white shirt drinks a cup of tea surrounded by other people.

Politics is still both local and personal – but only for independents, not for Democrats or Republicans

Shanna Pearson-Merkowitz, University of Maryland and Joshua J. Dyck, UMass Lowell

A person looks to one side while crossing a city street.

A person looks to one side while crossing a city street.

Indian election was awash in deepfakes – but AI was a net positive for democracy

Vandinika Shukla, Harvard Kennedy School and Bruce Schneier, Harvard Kennedy School

a computer screen shows a man with white hair and beard in front of oragne, green and white flags with a series of bright dots outlining his mouth, nose and eyes

a computer screen shows a man with white hair and beard in front of oragne, green and white flags with a series of bright dots outlining his mouth, nose and eyes

Read more global election coverage

New research in health and science

A small metal capsule carried by three parachutes lands in a body of water.

The science behind splashdown − an aerospace engineer explains how NASA and SpaceX get spacecraft safely back on Earth

Marcos Fernandez Tous, University of North Dakota

FDA authorized the sale of menthol-flavored e-cigarettes – a health policy expert explains how the benefits may outweigh the risks

Jamie Hartmann-Boyce, UMass Amherst

A variety of e-cigarette products lying flat on a white surface.

A variety of e-cigarette products lying flat on a white surface.

Lead water pipes created a health disaster in Flint, but replacing them with cheaper plastic − as some cities are doing − carries hidden costs

Rajpreet Grewal, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee; Laodong Guo, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and Melissa Scanlan, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

A stack of blue plastic water pipes under a blue sky

A stack of blue plastic water pipes under a blue sky

Genetic testing cannot reveal the gender of your baby − two genetic counselors explain the complexities of sex and gender

Maggie Ruderman, Boston University and Kimberly Zayhowski, Boston University

Illustration of one pink and one blue DNA helices intertwining, with pink X's and blue Y's floating around the background

Illustration of one pink and one blue DNA helices intertwining, with pink X's and blue Y's floating around the background

The world’s fourth mass coral bleaching is underway, but well-connected reefs may have a better chance to recover

Annalisa Bracco, Georgia Institute of Technology

Spiky brown corals release white particles into the dark surrounding water

Spiky brown corals release white particles into the dark surrounding water

Read more new science research

You might also like…

A person holds five baseball-sized hailstones in two hands.

How does hail grow to the size of golf balls and even grapefruit? The science behind this destructive weather phenomenon

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

Pope Francis may have surprised many by inviting comedians to the Vatican, but the value of humor has deep roots in Catholic tradition

Joanne M. Pierce, College of the Holy Cross

Several men in black suits laughing while standing in front of a man wearing a white gown and cap.

Several men in black suits laughing while standing in front of a man wearing a white gown and cap.

How the surrealists used randomness as a catalyst for creative expression

Mark Robert Rank, Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis

Black and white photo of young man with thin mustache lying in a bathtub, fully clothed, while sketching on a piece of paper.

Black and white photo of young man with thin mustache lying in a bathtub, fully clothed, while sketching on a piece of paper.

College may not be the ‘great equalizer’ − luck and hiring practices also play a role, a sociologist explains

Jessi Streib, Duke University

A woman with a look of uncertainty wears a black graduation cap.

A woman with a look of uncertainty wears a black graduation cap.

More women in venture capital doesn’t mean more funding for female-led businesses, new research suggests − here’s why

Lei (Jeremy) Xu, University of Missouri-St. Louis

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https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/group-asia-businessman-together-create-a-mutually-royalty-free-image/902558326

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