How abortion confusion led to mifepristone ruling

How will the Supreme Court’s decision on mifepristone affect abortion access? 4 questions answered

Jamie Rowen, UMass Amherst; Tami S. Rowen, University of California, San Francisco

The Supreme Court’s ruling on mifepristone keeps the drug accessible for now, but its future is still in limbo.

Global shipping is under pressure to stop its heavy fuel oil use fast – that’s not simple, but changes are coming

Don Maier, University of Tennessee

Shipping companies have billions invested in fleets that were built to last decades. Now, the US is calling for zero emissions by 2050, and the EU is raising the cost of fossil fuel use.

Arbor Day should be about growing trees, not just planting them

Karen D. Holl, University of California, Santa Cruz; Pedro Brancalion, Universidade de São Paulo

Planting trees is a popular way to do something for nature, but putting seedlings in the ground is just the first step. And without long-term care, those sprouts may not last.

Can rainbows form in a circle? Fun facts on the physics of rainbows

Partha Chowdhury, UMass Lowell

Each rainbow is personal – the rainbow you see isn’t exactly the same rainbow the next person sees. It’s all in the eye of the beholder.

For Republican presidential hopefuls, Iowa is still the first political beauty contest

Steffen W. Schmidt, Iowa State University

Democrats may have pushed Iowa out of the early-state presidential nominating lineup, but Republicans are sticking with Iowa first.

‘Stand your ground’ laws empower armed citizens to defend property with violence – a simple mistake can get you shot, or killed

Caroline Light, Harvard University

Laws shielding from prosecution those who kill and maim citing self-defense have spread across the states and may be fueling a ‘shoot now, think later’ mindset among homeowners.

Fast fashion still comes with deadly risks, 10 years after the Rana Plaza disaster – the industry’s many moving pieces make it easy to cut corners

Ravi Anupindi, University of Michigan

Ten years after the collapse at Rana Plaza in Bangladesh, the garment industry’s deadliest disaster, reforms are incomplete. The opaqueness of today’s complex supply chain is part of the problem.

Prescription drugs’ fine print is important – a toxicologist explains how to decode package inserts to take medications safely and increase their effectiveness

Brad Reisfeld, Colorado State University

Don’t be intimidated by the package insert that comes with your medication. Learning how to read it can help you better understand how drugs work.

The US is about to blow up a fake warship in the South China Sea – but naval rivalry with Beijing is very real and growing

Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas moves to reverse the legacy of his predecessor, Thurgood Marshall

Human metapneumovirus, or HMPV, is filling ICUs this spring – a pediatric infectious disease specialist explains this little-known virus