David R. Brockman and Edward M. Emmett discuss three high-profile bills introduced by Texas lawmakers in 2023 and their connection to a broader movement that seeks to privilege Christianity in public schools.
Over half of all Americans live in a state where cannabis is legalized. And yet, the federal government has not reclassified marijuana since 1970. According to the Controlled Substances Act, it is considered a “Schedule 1” substance — the same classification as heroin and crack cocaine with no accepted medical use.
Victoria Jupp, Gary J. Hale, Lisa PittmanFebruary 9, 2024
Prioritizing the safety and capacity of reconstruction workers can speed up the disaster recovery process and make communities more resilient to future hazards, write Drs. William Brett Perkison and Bill Christian, researchers at UTHealth Houston.
William Brett Perkison, Bill ChristianOctober 23, 2023
On September 13, 1993, Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Negotiator Mahmoud Abbas met at the White House to sign a Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government Arrangements — commonly referred to as the “Oslo Accord.” The Accord stated that Israel accepted the PLO as the representative of the Palestinians, and the PLO renounced terrorism and recognized Israel’s right to exist in peace.
Social distancing and stay-at-home measures provided scientists with a natural experiment to study social phenomena that hinge precisely on human mobility and contact — including criminal activity. A study by Center for the U.S. and Mexico experts and co-authors explores the relationship between COVID-19 and criminal activity in Mexico.
Sean Fiorella, Tony Payan, Daniel Potter, Rodrigo Montes de OcaJuly 23, 2023
Precision psychiatry promises to more accurately diagnose and treat patients. Brain health experts call for European researchers, policymakers and industry to work together to advance the field and give Europe a competitive edge.
Marion Leboyer, Paweł Świeboda, Harris A. Eyre, Veronique Briquet-LaugierJune 5, 2023
In the United States, drug overdose deaths are on the rise. In 2022, CDC researchers reported that 110,236 people died from an overdose in a single 12-month period, setting a new record. Synthetic opioid overdose deaths, primarily due to fentanyl, increased nearly 7.5-fold from 2015 to 2021. In Texas, the number of fentanyl-related deaths rose dramatically — from 883 deaths in 2020 to 1,672 deaths in 2021. While Republican lawmakers in Texas have previously opposed harm reduction policies, many have signaled a desire to take policy action to combat the crisis in the 2023 legislative session.
David M. Satterfield, Edward M. Emmett, The Honorable Ed Gonzalez, Katharine Neill Harris, The Honorable Kim OggMarch 8, 2023
In a study for the British Journal of Political Science, the authors found that Muslim religious leaders weaken their perceived religious authority when they engage with politics.
A.Kadir Yildirim, Sharan Grewal, Mirjam Künkler, Scott WilliamsonJuly 28, 2022
Companies developing stem cell-based interventions should work with policymakers and patient advocates to address risks for current and future patients and to protect clinical research and the reputation of the field, write the authors. Read their full article in Cell & Gene Therapy Insights (free registration).
In a joint letter, a group of scientists calls on U.S. policymakers and the nation's scientific communities to avoid shunning Russian scientists and academics for the actions of Russia's government in light of the invasion of Ukraine.