Climate change threatens 1 million plant and animal species. Warmer oceans could lose a sixth marine life. Global warming is a major risk to the economy. Humanity’s impact on the planet is increasingly plain to see. In response, cities, states and countries increasingly are vowing to get all of their electricity from carbon-free or carbon-neutral sources in the next few decades. But is that even possible, and would it be enough?
Monday is officially the end of the Supreme Court’s term, and there’s still a full docket of cases left to decide, including a case on a controversial Census question. This week, justices ruled in favor of less-biased legislative districts in Virginia, supported keeping a large cross on public land, and overturned a Mississippi death row inmate’s conviction. None of the rulings lined up neatly along the court’s usual liberal/conservative battle lines.
Cars are getting smarter and safer. Newer models often come with features that let vehicles alert drivers to hazards or even act independently to avoid crashes. But the safety features aren’t doing much to lower the cost of car insurance — sometimes even increasing it because the systems themselves are expensive to replace.
Kentucky’s Mitch McConnell has been in the Senate since 1984, and over that long tenure has been a good friend to one of his state’s major industries: tobacco. A trove of once-secret documents reviewed by NPR shows McConnell worked in lockstep with the tobacco lobby, fighting laws limiting smoking and casting doubt on its health risks. All of which makes public health advocates very skeptical about his new push to raise the age for buying tobacco.
NPR and two local stations recently reported some districts were dramatically underreporting how often their students were restrained or secluded. This week, the Government Accountability Office confirmed that Education Department data on the practices are essentially worthless. This FAQ explains more how students are restrained or secluded, how the methods are regulated and what the alternatives to them are.
Watfa and Jeelan were 5 and 6 when they were kidnapped by the Islamic State. Neither girl remembers her own last name, or much about being Yazidi. What they remember, and what they want most of all, is to return to the widow who’d served as a surrogate mother to them and taught them the ways of the Caliphate.
As more U.S. jurisdictions legalize recreational marijuana, it’s proven a risk for unintended consumers: Dogs, who ingest their owner’s supply, half-eaten edibles, or something worse sniffed out in public. Here’s how to spot if your furry friend is high as a kite, and what to do next. | 
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