Prairie potholes in South Dakota are important breeding and feeding areas for many types of birds. Under the Clean Water Rule, farmers cannot fill them in or discharge pollutants into them without a permit.
Laura Hubers, USFWS/Flickr
President Trump signed an executive order to roll back the 2015 Clean Water Rule. Two water experts explain why the rule alarms farmers and ranchers concerned about over-regulation.
Bill Celis, University of Southern California, Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism
From the treatment of black World War II veterans to Emmett Till's murder, the black press helped lay the groundwork for the civil rights movement. What role can it play today?
Professional surfers have called for culling sharks to reduce the risk of attacks. A shark biologist explains why culling will not work and surfers should accept risk when they enter the water.
As America becomes more diverse, many think it will also become more progressive. But one analysis of demographic trends points to gains for Republicans.
Trump has indicated he wants to eliminate the National Endowment for the Arts in his budget to save money. The impact on many US museums could be devastating.
New research shows that exposure to fine particulate air pollution may double the risk of dementia in older women by increasing growth of beta-amyloid plaques in the brain.
From Chinese laborers to 'bad hombres,' the US settler mentality has perpetuated an immigration system that pushes out unwanted groups and bypasses the Constitution.
Following through on campaign promises to forcibly evict several million illegal immigrants, Trump has set in motion a plan to deport those with criminal records. But doing so won't come cheap.
Around the world, Muslims and non-Muslims celebrate Sufi saints and gather together for worship in their shrines, offering an example of pluralism. But groups such as IS oppose this.
Can California's wet weather make earthquakes more likely? Scientists are still learning about what triggers these events. Even human activity can be a culprit.
Each Mardi Gras, 25 million pounds of beads hit the streets of New Orleans. One researcher went to the Chinese factories that make them – and spoke to the workers who believe the beads will be given to royalty.
A new report from the National Academies of Science and Medicine outlines conditions that have to be met before gene editing that results in heritable genomic changes can be considered.
Trump has reversed Obama's landmark guidance allowing transgender students the bathroom of their choice. Here's what you need to know about the controversy.
A screen shot of open enrollment for 2017 Obamacare plans. Open enrollment is now closed, and opponents hope it will be closed forever.
Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP
Darius Lakdawalla, University of Southern California and Anup Malani, University of Chicago
Opinions are strong about the Affordable Care Act, but not everyone understands what the nearly 1,000-page law does. In case you missed the high points of the law, here's a primer to help.
Scientists are concerned that politics will trump evidence in the new administration. A researcher of political psychology explains why these worries matter far beyond questions of science.
Looking for a lifelong Valentine? Psychologists suggest taking a closer look at your best friend. The things we want in a good friend are many of the same things we expect from a romantic partner.
Trump poses with his brain trust.
Mark Lennihan/AP Photo
He campaigned on the notion that his business experience would equip him to 'make America great again,' but running a family company is poor training for the presidency.
Director Asghar Farhadi wins the award for best screenplay at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival.
Yves Herman/Reuters
Their critiques may be more gentle, their attacks more circumspect – but they are resonant nonetheless. And when filmmakers like Farhadi confront Trump, they're on familiar turf: They've seen his type back home.
The Statue of Liberty has been a welcoming sight for immigrants for decades.
Susan Ragan/AP Photo
Trump's plans to build a wall with Mexico and deport millions of people in the US illegally cast immigrants as an economic threat to Americans. The evidence suggests otherwise.
Both sea ice and government data are disappearing.
U.S. Geological Survey, flickr
Morgan Currie, University of California, Los Angeles and Britt S. Paris, University of California, Los Angeles
Activists today are racing to save climate records from the Trump administration. Secret archives were a powerful way to fight hostile political climates throughout history – from the Nazis to the Islamic State.
Lincoln in 1858; Trump in his official White House portrait, 2017.
Abraham Byers/unknown
Dozens of governments have been using the insights from the burgeoning field to 'nudge' citizens in ways that improve their well-being. But some worry Trump might use it for less altruistic ends.
Are we headed to a magnetic reversal and all the global disruption that would bring? Enter archaeomagnetism. A look at the archaeological record in southern Africa provides some clues.
With the number of multiracial Americans growing, there's a fierce debate in the black community over who's black – and who isn't.
Lyndon Johnson, who was friends with evangelist Billy Graham, wasn’t targeting religious groups when he pushed his eponymous amendment in 1954.
AP Photo
President Trump recently repeated his pledge to eliminate the 63-year-old law, which bans charities from engaging in political activities, at the National Prayer Breakfast.
When scientists stand up, do they lose standing?
Liz Lemon
In the wake of the Flint water crisis and with a new notably anti-science president, U.S. scientists are reevaluating how to navigate the tension between speaking out and a fear of losing research funding.
You might think you're anonymous when you're browsing the web. But a new study shows that browsing history can often be tied to your real-world identity.
How does music training in early childhood help the developing brain?
woodleywonderworks
Time is fixed, but people experience hours, months and days in very different ways. One researcher has spent decades exploring this universal phenomenon.
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