June 2026
Americans keep voting for scandal‑prone candidates because they just don’t want the other party to win
Polarization and negative partisanship have lowered the standards for whom Americans are willing to support.
The world agreed to protect 30% of the ocean by 2030 – but marine protection can’t be judged by area alone
So far, about 10% of the ocean has formal protection as countries work toward the 30×30 goal, but many areas are still protected on paper only.
School smartphone bans reflect growing concern over youth mental health and academic performance
Across the US, parents are leading the charge to limit cellphone use in schools.
Colorado criminal cases are dismissed at a higher rate when prosecutors face heavier workloads
When prosecutors’ caseloads increase, so do dismissal rates.
Many college students already have well‑formed cheating habits – that, not AI, is the real problem
Some students might arrive at college with already formed cheating habits, and a mentality that justifies the practice.
How political leaders use combat spectacles to symbolize national power and purpose
For both Roman gladiators and modern-day mixed martial arts participants, physical contests become moral dramas about sacrifice and human limits. That has led today’s fighters to right-wing politics.
Who was the first transgender person?
There is evidence of people who crossed gender boundaries even in ancient civilizations, though the terms naming them have evolved over time.
Prediction markets are opening many new opportunities for unregulated insider trading and unethical bets – in the name of making a game out of politics
The rapidly growing popularity of prediction markets is sparking worries about the markets’ effects on US politics, where campaign staff has bet on its candidate’s electoral performance.
Juneteenth reminds us of Black Americans’ long struggle for education following end of slavery
Enslaved people were not just enslaved physically, but mentally as well. as widespread laws in the South barred enslaved people from receiving an education.
Trump’s US‑Iran ceasefire deal is a costly return to prewar conditions – and resolving nuclear questions will run into the ‘indivisibility problem’
Iran has emerged with its uranium enrichment knowledge intact, its stockpile buried and fresh reason to believe that only a nuclear weapon would have deterred the US-Israel attack.