By Daniel Gover, Senior Lecturer in British Politics, Queen Mary University of London
Despite MPs backing proposals last year to legalise assisted dying in England and Wales, the plan did not become law. The bill failed to complete its passage through the House of Lords – not because peers voted against it, but because a relatively small number proposed an unprecedentedly large list of amendments.…
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By Elena Moore, Professor of Sociology, University of Cape Town
Thokozile Madonko, Research Manager, University of the Witwatersrand
Botswana’s economy is projected to contract by 0.4% in 2026, driven largely by a slowdown in the diamond sector. Diamonds account for a third of fiscal revenues and a quarter of GDP. This means the government has less money to spend, even before making any policy choices.
At the same time, the government has set about reducing debt as a share of GDP by cutting expenditure to stabilise…
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By Jennifer J. Lee, Associate Professor of Law, Temple University
If someone you know is detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, it can be incredibly challenging to find and communicate with them.
For example, it can take several days just to confirm where they are. Even after locating a loved one, it is possible to lose track of them again, as ICE regularly moves people between…
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By Sarah Sheffield, Assistant Professor of Earth Sciences, Binghamton University, State University of New York
If humans had the same arm proportions as a T. rex, a 6-foot-tall person would have arms about 11 inches long.
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By Aaron W. Harrison, Assistant Professor of Chemistry, Trinity University
Hemp-derived THC products are federally legal, for now. A chemist describes the different THC forms these products can contain and the legal restrictions placed on them.
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By Maria Lungu, Postdoctoral Researcher of Law and Public Administration, University of Virginia
Steven L. Johnson, Associate Professor of Commerce, University of Virginia
In Baltimore on Oct. 20, 2025, a 17-year-old student named Taki Allen was sitting outside his high school after football practice when an artificial intelligence-enhanced surveillance camera falsely identified the Doritos bag in his pocket as a gun. Within moments police cars arrived, officers drew their weapons and Allen was forced to his knees and handcuffed while they searched him. All they found was a crumpled bag of chips. The AI’s misidentification and the human decisions…
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By Paulina Maxim, Ph.D. Candidate in Psychology, Georgia Institute of Technology
Habit helps take the mental load off figuring out how to get somewhere. But relying on the familiar can make it harder to adapt to changes to your route and to find better ones.
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By Joanna Woronkowicz, Associate Professor of Public and Environmental Affairs, Indiana University
Doug Noonan, Professor of Public and Environmental Affairs, Indiana University Indianapolis
Opponents of guaranteed-income programs often argue that recipients will simply take the money and be less motivated to do any work whatsoever.
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By Janet McCabe, Visiting Professor of Law and Environmental Affairs, Indiana University
As the Trump administration moves to weaken America’s air pollution rules, it is deploying new legal interpretations that are intended to tie the hands of future administrations for years to come.
In practice, the changes limit the Environmental Protection Agency’s authority under the Clean Air Act. The result allows EPA officials to ignore science, data and the adverse effects their decisions will have on public health and the environment.
But the new interpretations are also designed to apply not…
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By Hélène Nguemgaing, Assistant Clinical Professor of Critical Resources & Sustainability Analytics, University of Maryland
Alan Collins, Professor of Natural Resource Economics, West Virginia University
America was once the global leader in rare earth element production, but as processing moved to China, the US lost capacity and expertise. It can get them back.
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