News by Subject Policy & Ethics

Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health researchers find that strong state firearm laws are associated with fewer firearm homicides--both within the state where the laws are enacted and across state lines. Conversely, weak firearm laws in one state are linked to higher rates of homicides in neighboring states.

A new report analyzing state-level opinions on climate change finds the majority of Americans believe in and want action on climate change--but factors like state politics and local climate play important roles.

Most of the world's leopards are endangered and generally, the number of these shy and stunning cats is decreasing. However, according to a recent study by a researcher from University of Copenhagen and colleagues from China, leopard populations in northern China are on the mend. Discover why below.

Media Alert--MIT Press journal Rapid Reviews: COVID-19 will review preprints on evidence that racial/ethnic disparities are bigger than previously reported, the prevalence of antibodies in healthcare workers, and the effectiveness of 10-day quarantines

Using a variety of public records, researchers from Case Western Reserve University examined every rental property in Cleveland from 2016-18 on factors related to the likelihood that the property could have lead-safety problems.

Analysis suggests that individual measures (including school closure, workplace closure, public events ban, ban on gatherings of more than ten people, requirements to stay at home, and internal movement limits) are associated with a reduction in transmission of SARS-CoV-2 but combined measures are more effective at reducing transmission, according to a modelling study published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases journal.

Despite guidelines plastered on the walls and floors of grocery and retail stores encouraging customers to maintain six-feet of physical distance during the pandemic, many do not. A new study by researchers at the Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management identifies two key messaging components that could improve the persuasiveness of those appeals and trigger compliance.

How the next Congress decides to handle the issue editing human sperm and eggs will affect the science, ethics and financing of genomic editing for decades to come, said Jacob S. Sherkow, a professor of law at Illinois who studies the ethical and policy implications of advanced biotechnologies.

A new analysis of nine years of nationwide data examines the impacts of the Black Lives Matter movement on fatal interactions with police, and on crime and arrests.