Brazil's murky economic outlook is bad news for Lula

‘Acts that defy humanity:’ 3 essential reads on police brutality, race and the power of video evidence

Howard Manly, The Conversation

The death of a Black motorist after a beating by five Black Memphis police officers has triggered national outrage over police brutality and systemic racism with the U.S. criminal justice system.

Pain of police killings ripples outward to traumatize Black people and communities across US

Denise A. Herd, University of California, Berkeley

Evidence shows that many Black Americans experience police killings of unarmed Black people – even those they do not know – as traumatic events, causing acute physical and emotional distress.

Sheriffs who see themselves as ultimate defenders of the Constitution are especially worried about gun rights

Mirya Holman, Tulane University; Emily Farris, Texas Christian University

A significant number of county sheriffs across the US have a particular – and false – view of their role in defending Americans’ constitutional rights.

Meet Bayard Rustin, often-forgotten civil rights activist, gay rights advocate, union organizer, pacifist and man of compassion for all in trouble

Jerald Podair, Lawrence University

Bayard Rustin led a long and complicated life dedicated to the fight for equal rights. Targeted by the FBI, Rustin became a close adviser to Martin Luther King Jr.

US debt default could trigger dollar’s collapse – and severely erode America’s political and economic might

Michael Humphries, Touro University

The mere threat of a default was enough to see the US’s credit rating downgraded in 2021. The consequences of a default actually happening could be dire, an economist warns.

How evangelicals moved from supporting environmental stewardship to climate skepticism

Neall Pogue, University of Texas at Dallas

It was in the 1990s that the idea of Christian environmental stewardship disappeared from the rhetoric of the religious right, paving the way for the anti-environmental position it holds today.

Why are there prisons? An expert explains the history of using ‘correctional’ facilities to punish people

Joshua Long, UMass Lowell

Prisons and jails have a long history, but they weren’t always used for the same kinds of punishment.

Does this cause cancer? How scientists determine whether a chemical is carcinogenic – sometimes with controversial results

Brad Reisfeld, Colorado State University

The WHO’s International Agency for Research on Cancer convenes a panel of scientific experts to review available evidence on whether specific chemicals or occupational exposures may cause cancer.

Limits to computing: A computer scientist explains why even in the age of AI, some problems are just too difficult

Jie Wang, UMass Lowell

In the age of AI, people might wonder if there’s anything computers can’t do. The answer is yes. In fact, there are numerous problems that are beyond the reach of even the most powerful computers.

FDA advisory committee votes unanimously in favor of a one-shot COVID-19 vaccine approach – 5 questions answered

Starbucks fans are steamed: The psychology behind why changes to a rewards program are stirring up anger, even though many will get grande benefits

Device transmits radio waves with almost no power – without violating the laws of physics