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Washington Post’s turnaround on its opinion pages is returning journalism to its partisan roots − but without the principles

Joseph Jones, West Virginia University

The editorial section of a newspaper is a way for society to have a conversation with itself. Should news outlets limit these conversations?

Why was it hard for the GOP – which controls Congress – to pass its spending bill?

Charlie Hunt, Boise State University

Without Democratic votes to break a Senate filibuster, the GOP would not have been able to pass its stopgap spending bill and avert a government shutdown.

Saudi Arabia’s role as Ukraine war mediator advances Gulf nation’s diplomatic rehabilitation − and boosts its chances of a seat at the table should Iran-US talks resume

Kristian Coates Ulrichsen, Rice University

Perception as a neutral country has helped Gulf state position itself as a crucial diplomatic player in Ukraine-Russia war. It also serve’s kingdom’s self-interest.

Tornadoes, climate change and why Dixie is the new Tornado Alley

Ernest Agee, Purdue University

Tornadoes caused widespread destruction, including at least 39 deaths, over the weekend. In an article from 2022, a tornado scientist explains why tornadoes are getting more common and more intense, and are shifting eastward to a new tornado hot spot.

Remembering China’s Empress Dowager Ling, a Buddhist who paved the way for future female rulers

Stephanie Balkwill, University of California, Los Angeles

The empress, like many other rulers at the time, legitimized her reign through Buddhism, portraying herself either as a Buddha or as a patron of Buddhists.

Fewer deaths, new substances and evolving treatments in Philly’s opioid epidemic − 4 essential reads

Kate Kilpatrick, The Conversation

Philly’s opioid addiction crisis is constantly evolving. Local health care workers and researchers explain some of the latest substances, side effects and treatments.

Colorado and other states have expanded access to abortion, but not for adolescents

Kate Coleman-Minahan, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus

Colorado enshrined the right to abortion in its Constitution, but it still requires minors to seek consent from a parent.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr says vitamin A protects you from deadly measles. Here’s what the study he cites actually says

Evangeline Mantzioris, University of South Australia

No, taking vitamin A is not going to protect you from catching measles, whatever Robert F. Kennedy Jr suggests. Here’s what will.

Trump’s first term polarized teens’ views on racism and inequality

Laura Wray-Lake, University of California, Los Angeles

A social scientist tracking adolescents’ beliefs and behaviors over time was uniquely positioned to document changes in teens’ worldviews after Trump’s 2016 election.

What was the first thing scientists discovered? A historian makes the case for Babylonian astronomy

James Byrne, University of Colorado Boulder

Science uses careful, organized observations and tests to construct theories that are recorded, passed on to others and built on.

Museums have tons of data, and AI could make it more accessible − but standardizing and organizing it across fields won’t be easy

Bradley Wade Bishop, University of Tennessee

Every field has its own standard for what data gets recorded for specimens archived in a museum collection, which can make research difficult.

The US military has cared about climate change since the dawn of the Cold War – for good reason

Paul Bierman, University of Vermont

During the Cold War, the US poured support into Arctic military outposts and climate research amid fears of a Russian invasion. Climate change is still on the military’s radar as a threat multiplier.

From pulpits to protest, the surprising history of the phrase ‘pride and prejudice’

Margie Burns, University of Maryland, Baltimore County

The phrase appeared on thousands of pages unrelated to Jane Austen before and during her life – and was a favorite phrase of the abolitionists.

America’s clean air rules boost health and the economy − here’s what EPA’s new deregulation plans ignore

Mass layoffs at Education Department signal Trump’s plan to gut the agency

The psychology behind anti-trans legislation: How cognitive biases shape thoughts and policy