Moldy cheese or sour-smelling chicken might be tempting to some to risk eating rather than to waste food. But spoiled foods can contain microbial toxins that range from causing stomach trouble to severe illness. A toxicologist explains why we need to be cautious:
The Conversation
Why you can salvage moldy cheese but never spoiled meat − a toxicologist advises on what to watch out for
Molds and bacteria can produce dangerous toxins − and they don’t taste very good, either.
Drones can spray as much farmland in an hour as 30 to 100 workers spraying manually. That efficiency could displace crop-spraying jobs, even as the technology creates new skilled employment opportunities: https://buff.ly/DNt1olg
Trump’s military strikes on boats near Venezuela have killed 43 people the administration claims were drug smugglers. A former Pentagon analyst questions whether there’s any real strategy behind the largest Caribbean deployment since the Cuban Missile Crisis. https://buff.ly/GCxSia2
The USDA has more than $5 billion in emergency funds available to cover SNAP benefits but is refusing to spend them during the government shutdown. It's the first time in the history of the program that the federal government has refused to spend those funds
The Conversation
SNAP benefit freeze will leave millions nationwide struggling to pay for food – including 472,711 people in Philadelphia
Starting Nov. 1, 2025, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits will stop being distributed in Pennsylvania due to the federal government...
Construction workers in Charleston uncovered the remains of 36 African Americans in 2013, hidden for 200 years. Communities across the U.S.are demanding recognition for Black cemeteries and using these sites for collective healing and reconciliation. https://buff.ly/FZ46kdy
If ACA (also known as Obamacare) subsidies end, the average marketplace plan premium could more than double, from $74 to $159 per month. https://buff.ly/g09UM1n
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that Russia successfully tested a nuclear-powered cruise missile. An aerospace engineer explains how the missiles work and what Russia’s claimed test means for global strategic stability: https://buff.ly/KXYO5jS
Most U.S. states require clergy to report suspected child abuse, but most also exempt information learned during confession. Washington's approach was unusual – and it took a federal court case to resolve the clash between protecting children and protecting religious freedom.
The Conversation
Washington state settles controversy over child abuse law that tested the limits of ‘priest-penitent’ privilege
Two groups of clergy challenged a Washington state law meant to help fight child abuse – but which could have required clergy to break the seal o...
Teaching a child to swim reduces drowning risk by up to 88%. The CDC's drowning prevention program reached 22,000 children in 2024 at $110 per child before being eliminated by the Trump administration. https://buff.ly/xQ1pTzl
Washington has framed China as a "pacing threat" − a rival that sets the tempo of global competition. Here’s what that means.
The Conversation
US leaders view China as a ‘pacing threat’ − has Washington enough stamina to last the race?
The term refers to a power whose military capabilities are approaching that of the dominant power. But for the US, seeing China this way comes with...