Arizona and New Mexico are burning – here's why

The Southwest is on fire, iconic deserts and towns are at risk and one governor is calling for a disaster declaration

Molly Hunter, University of Arizona

Fire season is getting longer, and the result is transforming iconic desert ecosystems. The start to 2022 has been so dire, one governor called for a federal disaster declaration.

Allowing E15 fuel year-round won’t increase sales very much, but it’s a symbolic victory for corn ethanol advocates

Aaron Smith, University of California, Davis

Allowing the sale of gasoline that’s 15% ethanol year-round won’t have much impact on gas prices, but recent research shows that growing corn for fuel affects the climate – for the worse.

Fed hopes biggest rate hike in 22 years tames inflation without recession or stagflation: 3 essential reads on what it all means

Bryan Keogh, The Conversation

The Fed lifted its benchmark interest rate by half a percentage point as it fights raging inflation.

How a Supreme Court decision limiting access to abortion could harm the economy and women’s well-being

Michele Gilman, University of Baltimore

In past rulings, the court has acknowledged that there’s a connection between the ability of women to control their reproductive lives and the economic health of the nation.

Giving people money with no strings attached is good for their health, dozens of studies indicate

Sze Yan Liu, Montclair State University

A global team of researchers analyzed 34 studies of unconditional cash-transfer programs administered in low- and middle-income countries.

You’ve likely heard of the brain’s gray matter – here’s why the white matter is important too

Christopher Filley, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus

Long overlooked by scientists, white matter may provide clues to some of the brain’s greatest mysteries.

New eye drops can help aging people see better – an optometrist explains how Vuity treats presbyopia

Robert Bittner, University of Pittsburgh Health Sciences

As people age, their eyes lose the ability to focus on close objects. A new eye drop treatment called Vuity can improve vision without the need for glasses, contacts or surgery.

If Roe v. Wade is overturned, there’s no guarantee that people can get abortions in liberal states, either

Amanda Jean Stevenson, University of Colorado Boulder; Kate Coleman-Minahan, University of Colorado Denver

25 states aren’t expected to ban abortion if the Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade. But limits on abortion in these places, too, make it an uncertain refuge for people seeking abortions elsewhere.

Nanoparticles are the future of medicine – researchers are experimenting with new ways to design tiny particle treatments for cancer

Duxin Sun, University of Michigan

The COVID-19 mRNA vaccines put nanomedicine in the spotlight as a potential way to treat diseases like cancer and HIV. While the field isn’t there yet, better design could help fulfill its promise.

A white librettist wrote an opera about Emmett Till – and some critics are calling for its cancellation

Anita Gonzalez, Georgetown University

Many Black audiences are justifiably weary of works about their community told from white perspectives. But authorship isn’t always black and white.

‘Walking through Europe’s door, singing’ – How Eurovision helps define Europe’s boundaries (and why Ukraine will likely win)

Robert Deam Tobin, Clark University

Politics have never been that far away from the Eurovision Song Contest. Since its inception, the annual event has reflected the political culture and geopolitical realities of Europe.

Blasting out Earth’s location with the hope of reaching aliens is a controversial idea – two teams of scientists are doing it anyway

Russia’s weaponization of natural gas could backfire by destroying demand for it

Fed hopes for ‘soft landing’ for the US economy, but history suggests it won’t be able to prevent a recession