Second Amendment gets vaunted status in SCOTUS gun ruling

US tragedies from guns have often – but not always – spurred political responses

Robert Spitzer, State University of New York College at Cortland

Congress tends to be most likely to act after an assassination or assassination attempt of historic proportions or mass shootings. But sometimes lawmakers do nothing beyond debate new measures.

The Supreme Court tends to save the biggest rulings for last – a constitutional expert explains a few good reasons

Stefanie Lindquist, Arizona State University

The Supreme Court held off at least another day before announcing a ruling on abortion rights. High profile cases take more time to finalize, but there are also political and public relations factors.

Would closing the ‘boyfriend loophole’ in gun legislation save lives? Here’s what the research says

April M. Zeoli, Michigan State University

Congress is edging closer to pushing through its first gun control legislation in 30 years. Included in the bill is a provision to expand a firearm ban to dating partners accused of domestic violence.

Wealth of nations: Why some are rich, others are poor – and what it means for future prosperity

Amitrajeet A. Batabyal, Rochester Institute of Technology

Economic growth of countries needs many ingredients. Getting the recipe just right is important.

Helping Afghanistan after earthquake will be hard: 3 questions answered

Mohammad Qadam Shah, Seattle Pacific University

Concerns about Afghanistan’s Taliban leaders have made the rest of the world wary of sending money, and many foreign aid workers have already fled.

How do painkillers actually kill pain? From ibuprofen to fentanyl, it’s about meeting the pain where it’s at

Rebecca Seal, University of Pittsburgh Health Sciences; Benedict Alter, University of Pittsburgh Health Sciences

Different painkillers provide relief in different ways. The most effective medication is the one that best targets the type of pain you’re experiencing with minimal side effects.

Google’s powerful AI spotlights a human cognitive glitch: Mistaking fluent speech for fluent thought

Kyle Mahowald, The University of Texas at Austin College of Liberal Arts; Anna A. Ivanova, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

Fluent expression is not always evidence of a mind at work, but the human brain is primed to believe so. A pair of cognitive linguistics experts explain why language is not a good test of sentience.

Misinformation will be rampant when it comes to COVID-19 shots for young children – here’s what you can do to counter it

Jaime Sidani, University of Pittsburgh Health Sciences; Beth Hoffman, University of Pittsburgh Health Sciences; Maya Ragavan, University of Pittsburgh Health Sciences

With COVID-19 shots finally available for infants and preschoolers, knowing how to combat misinformation on social media and elsewhere could be more important than ever.

5 tips for parents of new kindergartners who are younger than their classmates

Gregory Fabiano, Florida International University

Kindergartners who are relatively younger than their classroom peers are at risk for doing less well in school. A clinical psychologist explains how to reduce those problems.

Ukraine war: all eyes on Lithuania as sanctions close Russian land access to Kaliningrad

Women are at greater risk of stroke, the more miscarriages or stillbirths they’ve had

Art, freedom and drag invasions: the history of New York’s Fire Island as a gay sanctuary