Nearly 60% of SNAP recipients are children or adults over 60. And the maximum monthly benefit for a single person is $298 – well below what many say is needed for a nutritious diet. A political scientist who has researched nutrition programs explains how the program works:

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Who gets SNAP benefits to buy groceries and what the government pays for the program – in 5 charts

Nearly 60% of Americans enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program are either children under 18 or adults who are 60 or older.

Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson is withholding the oath of office from Arizona's newly elected representative Adelita Grijalva, citing the government shutdown. A law scholar who analyzes government institutions looks at the historic precedents.

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House speaker’s refusal to seat Arizona representative is supported by history and law

House speakers have had the power to determine when the oath is administered, and courts have been reluctant to weigh in on that influence.

Constant, conflicting and false information from the White House causes the public to see truth as relative and dismiss those who disagree as untruthful. It's a tactic with historical ties to 1930s Nazi Germany and modern extremist movements, according to a journalism scholar.

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Overwhelm the public with muzzle-velocity headlines: A strategy rooted in racism and authoritarianism

The unrelenting diet of chaotic, contradictory headlines that Americans face today echoes an antidemocratic playbook from the past.

A generic blood pressure drug called prazosin is being recalled due to cancer-causing nitrosamine contamination. A 2025 study found generics made in India carry 54% higher risk of serious adverse events compared to U.S.-made versions.

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FDA recall of blood pressure pills due to cancer-causing contaminant may point to higher safety risks in older generic drugs

As the generics market for a particular drug gets crowded, competition on price might be driving quality issues that could harm patients.

The national opioid settlement gives local governments lots of money, and flexibility to fund much-needed prevention, treatment and recovery programs tailored to local needs. But officials in Pennsylvania and elsewhere are uncertain about what qualifies as an eligible use of the money.

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Pennsylvania counties face tough choices on spending $2B opioid settlement funds

Local governments have a lot of freedom on how to spend the funds, but there’s also confusion and a feeling of moral responsibility to spend wise...

ICE is building a 24/7 social media monitoring program that would scan Facebook, TikTok, Instagram and dozens of other platforms. Private contractors would turn public posts into enforcement leads fed directly into government databases.

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Always watching: How ICE’s plan to monitor social media 24/7 threatens privacy and civic participation

ICE’s dragnet is expanding across social media, putting everyone’s digital lives into the realm of border and immigration enforcement.

Researchers examining Florida's Nature Coast found something rare and wonderful: seagrass meadows that have thrived for centuries, offering a blueprint for what successful coastal conservation can look like. #GoodNews

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Seashells from centuries ago show that seagrass meadows on Florida’s Nature Coast are thriving

Scientists are using mollusk shells to evaluate the health of Florida’s seagrass ecosystems.

Zohran Mamdani's last name tells the story of centuries of trade routes, migration patterns and cultural exchange across continents. “Mamdani” reveals how names carry histories we often overlook, according to a religious studies professor.

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Zohran Mamdani’s last name reflects centuries of intercontinental trade, migration and cultural exchange

Mamdanis belong to the Khoja community, who were categorized by the British in the early 19th century as “Hindoo Mussalman” because their tradi...

The U.S. has cut electricity emissions by nearly 30% since 1995 even as the population grew 28% and the economy doubled in size. Energy efficiency improvements and a shift toward cleaner power sources explain how. #COP30

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How the US cut climate-changing emissions while its economy more than doubled

A fast drop in coal use played a big role, but there was more, as these charts show.

Congressional oversight has roots going back to 1790, but Pam Bondi’s recent hearing shows how much the tone has shifted. Political scientists trace the power from its roots to Watergate to today's made-for-social-media confrontations.

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A brief history of congressional oversight, from Revolutionary War financing to Pam Bondi

Congress has played an important role in holding federal agencies accountable since the late 1700s, but oversight can also devolve into a political...