Plus: Extreme loyalty not enough for Bondi
| | | | Top headlines Lead story A once-little-known green powder called kratom is at the heart of a growing controversy over the lack of oversight of the herbal supplement – which many people assume is safe simply because it comes from a natural source. Derived from the leaves of a Southeast Asian tree, kratom is marketed by lobbyists and proponents in the natural health industry as being an effective treatment for chronic pain, addiction, mood disorders and other ailments. What's more, it can be easily found in gas stations and convenience stores across the country. But research shows that kratom, which has opioid effects similar to morphine, is far from safe: A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report found that poisonings and hospitalizations from the substance have spiked by 1,200% since 2015, when its popularity began to surge. Andrew Kolodny, a physician from Brandeis University who studies the opioid crisis, explains that the popularity of kratom grew as people searched for safe alternatives to prescription opioids. But amid a vacuum of regulation, kratom has become a scourge of its own – and now, lawmakers are scrambling to catch up and implement laws to curb its use. [How faith and religion drive the world. Sign up for our weekly newsletter, This Week in Religion.] |  | Amanda Mascarelli Senior Health and Medicine Editor | |  Kratom powder is produced by the plant Mitragyna speciosa. iStock via Getty Images Plus Andrew Kolodny, Brandeis University Conflicting claims about kratom are widespread, but scientific evidence makes the risks clear. | Politics + Society | -
Austin Sarat, Amherst College It's not unusual for presidents to select attorneys general who share their views and policy preferences. But Trump has gone far beyond what is usually done. -
Kevin Cope, University of Virginia The court decided Colorado's ban on conversion therapy violated the free speech of a talk therapist. | | Arts + Culture | -
Andrew Urbaczewski, University of Denver In an era of billion-dollar TV deals and million-dollar payments to players, the tax code continues to treat university athletic departments as organizations that promote education and amateur sports. -
Ben Pettis, University of Richmond The action star's death forced fans to reckon with his strange legacy: a real person with a complicated past, and a meme that made him into an immortal symbol of exaggerated masculinity. -
John Haddad, Penn State Hersheypark underwent a total transformation in the 1970s, when candy mascots and thrill rides replaced barn animals and old-timey recreations of Tudor England. | | International | -
Roxane Razavi, Princeton University Once a strong force after the Iranian Revolution, the office of the president slowly diminished over time as power centralized under the supreme leader. | | Economy + Business | -
George E. Mitchell, Baruch College, CUNY Different kinds of Americans are generous in different ways. | | Ethics + Religion | -
Miriam Eve Mora, University of Michigan Denying Jewish men's masculinity, or blaming them for weakening 'traditional' masculinity, has long been part of antisemitism. -
Kamari Maxine Clarke, University of Toronto; Jennifer Burrell, University at Albany, State University of New York; Sara Kendall The expansion of technologies has increased the documentation of violence. But it doesn't always lead to justice since courts often exclude information gathered by families and communities. | | | | The Conversation News Quiz 🧠 | -
Fritz Holznagel, The Conversation Here's the first question of this week's edition: Kalshi and Polymarket are two places online where you can ... - A. Buy banned Chinese medicines
- B. Sell your old wedding dress
- C. Place bets on world events
- D. Meet swingers in your area
Test your knowledge | | |
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