FDA-approved RSV vaccine is world's first

Disinfectants and cleaning products harboring toxic chemicals are widely used despite lack of screening for potential health hazards

Courtney Carignan, Michigan State University

Quaternary ammonium compounds, also known as QACs or quats, are commonly used antimicrobials also found in many household products. Soap and water may be a safer bet when cleaning surfaces.

Passport bottleneck is holding up international travel by Americans eager to see the world as COVID-19 eases

Jay L. Zagorsky, Boston University

Precautions taken in response to COVID-19 explain some but not all of the recent long delays in getting a passport.

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.

Judaism’s rituals to honor new mothers are ever-rooted, ever-changing – from medieval embroidery and prayer to new traditions today

Lisa Fishbayn Joffe, Brandeis University

Recent generations of Jewish women have looked to reinvent rituals marking the most meaningful moments in their lives, especially childbirth and motherhood.

On its 75th birthday, Israel still can’t agree on what it means to be a Jewish state and a democracy

Eran Kaplan, San Francisco State University

Israel may no longer be a fledgling state – but it has yet to overcome the basic contradiction that has defined it from the very beginning.

Imran Khan’s arrest: What it means for the former prime minister and Pakistan’s upcoming election

Ayesha Jalal, Tufts University

Protests took hold across Pakistan following the detention of the opposition leader and former cricket star – raising tensions in an election year.

Federal money is coming to fix aging flood control systems – but plans all too often reflect historical patterns and not future risks

Antonio Arenas Amado, Iowa State University; Lu Liu, Iowa State University

As federal funding for infrastructure rolls in, communities run the risk of spending millions of dollars on systems that aren’t built to handle the flood risks ahead.

Black queer college students want to explore their identity – but feel excluded by both Black and LGBTQ student groups

Michael P. Jeffries, Wellesley College

The new book “Black and Queer on Campus” explores the range of experiences that Black LGBTQ students face at colleges across the US.

Astronomers just saw a star eat a planet – an astrophysicist on the team explains the first-of-its-kind discovery

Morgan MacLeod, Harvard University

Stars begin to expand when they run out of fuel and can become thousands of times larger, consuming any planets in the way. For the first time, astronomers have witnessed one such event.

Debunking the Dunning-Kruger effect – the least skilled people know how much they don’t know, but everyone thinks they are better than average

Mindfulness, meditation and self-compassion – a clinical psychologist explains how these science-backed practices can improve mental health

What the Iraq War can teach the US about avoiding a quagmire in Ukraine – 3 key lessons