School reopening spat echoes 'Lyme war' controversy

An Afghan American scholar describes his fear-filled journey from the chaos at Kabul airport to a plane bound for home in the US

Hanif Sufizada, University of Nebraska Omaha

Hanif Sufizada got caught in Kabul as the Taliban took over. A scholar and resident of the US who works at the University of Nebraska in Omaha, Sufizada describes his experience trying to leave.

Who has the power to say kids do or don’t have to wear masks in school – the governor or the school district? It’s not clear

Jennifer Selin, University of Missouri-Columbia

If it sounds like the law is all over the place on school mask mandates, that’s because it is. The nation’s schools are subject to a complex web of local, state and federal laws.

The US is taking a bite out of its food insecurity – here’s one way to scrap the problem altogether

Craig Gundersen, Baylor University

An economist explains what it would cost to give SNAP benefits to all Americans in households earning up to about $100,000 per year – and why it would be worth it.

When hotter and drier means more – but eventually less – wildfire

Maureen C Kennedy, University of Washington; Don McKenzie, University of Washington; Jeremy Littell, US Geological Survey

Not all forests respond to hotter and drier conditions in the same way.

Lesson from a robot swarm: Change group behavior by talking one-on-one rather than getting on a soapbox

Andreagiovanni Reina, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB)

The collective behavior of robot swarms is a route to making small, simple, inexpensive robots – and offers insights into how people make group decisions and adapt to changes.

Thinking objectively about romantic conflicts could lead to fewer future disagreements

Lindsey Rodriguez, University of South Florida

Disputes are normal in romantic partnerships, but learning to see them from an outsider’s perspective, rather than your biased point of view, could be the key to cutting down on conflicts.

Individual dietary choices can add – or take away – minutes, hours and years of life

Olivier Jolliet, University of Michigan; Katerina S. Stylianou, University of Michigan

A new study puts numbers to the health and environmental benefits – or impacts – of individual foods and shows how small changes can make a significant difference.

US history shows spending on infrastructure doesn’t always end well

Richard White, Stanford University

The lasting problems of infrastructure aren’t of need or construction, but of overbuilding, delayed costs and the challenges of thinking ahead.

Schools can reopen safely – an epidemiologist describes what works and what’s not worth the effort

Brandon Guthrie, University of Washington

Vaccinations, masks and some distancing – along with low community transmission – can help protect students in classrooms and cafeterias.

The Taliban are megarich – here’s where they get the money they use to wage war in Afghanistan

Hanif Sufizada, University of Nebraska Omaha

Because the Taliban’s insurgency is so well financed, the Afghan government must spend enormous sums on war, too. A peace accord would free up funds for basic services, economic development and more.

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