What Hurricane Michael Meant for Farms, Oil Production, and Nursing Homes
Preliminary estimates of the damage are just coming in.
Francie Diep
Francie Diep is a staff writer at Pacific Standard, where she specializes in health and drug policy and the intersections of culture and science. Previously, she covered science, health, and science policy for Scientific American, Popular Science, and Smithsonian.
What's the Effect of Limiting What Doctors Can Tell Patients About Abortions?
Texas offers Americans a glimpse into what the future may look like if the Trump administration passes new reproductive rules.
After Facing Criticism, a Top Scientific Journal Says: No More 'But Look What Good He's Done'
The letters-to-the-editor section of Science, one of the world's top scientific journals, is taking a new stance on what arguments it will accept about those accused of sexual harassment.
Are Nursing Homes Prepared for Hurricane Michael?
A quick look at Florida state data suggests 5 percent of nursing homes and assisted living facilities in the areas under threat from Hurricane Michael haven't submitted plans to the state for keeping their residents cool and safe.
Trump Is Still a Fan of Stop and Frisk. But Does It Work?
President Trump on Monday echoed arguments from his campaign, but his information seems outdated.
Quantifying the 'Weinstein Effect' One Year Later
Coverage of sexual harassment and assault allegations is up 30 percent compared to the months immediately before the New York Times published its story about Harvey Weinstein.
Are Insurers Doing Their Part to End America's Opioid Epidemic?
A new study asks if insurance policies discourage the overprescribing of opioids and encourage proven alternative pain treatments.
The Government's Latest Hearing on the EPA's Science Transparency Rule Bolstered Outsider Scientists' Opinions
Two of the three invited scientists agreed with the rule, even though other evidence suggests most scientists are against it.
Sexual Harassment and Assault Are Understudied Health Risks
They're linked to high blood pressure, insomnia, and depression.
Francisco Ayala Resigned After a University Inquiry Found Him Guilty of Sexual Harassment. But What Happened to the Federal Grants He Received?
What happens to taxpayer money when scientists are faced with accusations or findings of wrongdoing?
There Are Best Practices for Interviewing Those Who Report Sex Crimes—and Thursday's Senate Hearing Followed None of Them
An expert on how to best investigate sex crimes responds to Christine Blasey Ford's testimony.
The Environmental Protection Agency Puts a Top Children's Health Official on Leave
Researchers are worried that the EPA plans to reduce the Office of Children's Health Protection's influence, or shutter it altogether.
What the Research Says About (the Very Rare Phenomenon of) False Sexual Assault Allegations
Pacific Standard looks at the evidence about people who make false accusations of rape, and how to get the best information during sexual assault cases.
Are Bert and Ernie Gay? We Checked the Research.
Lots of sources have cast the Muppets as queer, for a very long time.
One of the World's Biggest Scientific Societies Just Made It Possible to Strip an Honor From Alleged Harassers
Advocates see this as a concrete signal to the scientific community that bad behavior won't be tolerated.
Some of the Best Data on Human Behavior Is Privately Held by Social Media Companies
How can universities convince them to share that information?
A New Database Tracks the Fate of Hurricane Maria's Indirect Victims
Three organizations collected reports from Puerto Ricans who believed their loved ones died as a result of Hurricane Maria but whose death certificates didn't indicate storm conditions as a cause of death.
A New Website Shows Nearly Half of E.U. Clinical Trial Data Isn't Publicly Disclosed
After making a tool that tracks how well drug testers follow U.S. law, researchers turned to an even bigger market for drug trials: the European Union.
The Government Proposes Weakening Rules on Methane Emissions
The Environmental Protection Agency is proposing to weaken Obama-era rules about leaks of methane, a potent greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming.
How the 2015 Santa Barbara Oil Spill Changed California
Besides the criminal trial that wrapped up on Friday, the state responded with increased regulation and opposition to new drilling.
Here's What It's Like to Argue Before a Judge That You Should Be Able to Get an Abortion Without Telling Your Parents
Most states require parents to be notified or provide consent for a minor to have an abortion, with exceptions for youths who fear abuse as a result. A new study offers a glimpse into what it's like to try to secure an exception.
The White House Disputes That American Wages Are Stagnating
The White House is countering a government agency's findings that Americans' wages haven't grown as quickly as cost of living over the past year.
FEMA Deployed Thousands of Underqualified Staffers to Respond to Disasters in 2017
A new report looks at how the government responded to a quick succession of hurricanes and wildfires last year.
What's at Stake If Brett Kavanaugh Ascends to the Supreme Court
It's about Roe v. Wade, as well as the myriad protections supporters say flow from the 1973 Supreme Court decision.
Senators Across the Country Weigh in on a Unionization Fight in South Carolina
In their bid to unionize, one relatively small group of Boeing workers in the South has lately drawn some bigger-name supporters.
After Filing a Big Climate Assessment, California Commits to 100 Percent Renewables
California is moving to require that the state gets 100 percent of its electricity from carbon-free sources—such as wind, solar, and nuclear power—by 2045.
The Department of Justice Is Totally Wrong About Supervised Injection Sites
There are real reasons to debate whether it's worth opening these facilities in communities, but Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein instead relies on unscientific fear-mongering.
Amid the Federal Government's Climate Change Skepticism, States and Counties Are Doing Their Own Climate Assessments
They're not trying to resist the Trump administration—they just need a plan for the future.
In the Latest Effort to Replicate Scientific Studies, Only 62 Percent Hold Up Under Scrutiny
Nevertheless, scientists see some progress on the problem of reproducibility.
Women Pay More Than Men for Deodorant—and Mortgages
A new study shows that unfair pricing by gender exists across different markets.
Dispatches: Filing a FOIA Request
News and notes from Pacific Standard staff and contributors.
The EPA Publishes Its Proposed Replacement for the Clean Power Plan
The Environmental Protection Agency published on Tuesday a proposed rule to replace Obama-era proposed regulations on coal power plants.
We're Getting Better at Saving Seabirds After Oil Spills
A new study of brown pelicans after the Refugio oil spill in California shows how far oil rehabilitation techniques have come in the last few decades.
Federal Scientists Are Worried About Policies That Harm America's Most Vulnerable Populations
In an anonymous survey, government scientists expressed concerns about plans to reduce focus and research on racial and sexual minorities and the poor.
Oregon Considers Ending Coverage of Opioid Painkillers for Chronic Pain
Officials hope to curb overdoses that they think are caused by the overprescription of opioid painkillers to chronic pain patients.
Could a Name Change Increase Support for Safe Injection Sites?
A study shows that people feel differently about "overdose prevention sites" and "safe consumption sites."
A Gas Company Settles for $119.5 Million for the Biggest Methane Leak in U.S. History
The leak, which began in October of 2015, led to the release of an estimated 109,000 metric tons of methane into the atmosphere.
The Trump Administration's Science Budget Memo Leaves Out Climate Science
Every similar pre-Trump memo that Pacific Standard found from the last 15 years identified climate science as a top priority.
California's Fires Are Affecting Cities' Air Quality Dozens of Miles Away
One idea for a long-term fix: Communities could designate clean air centers where residents can spend time in filtered air for free.
As Groups Gear Up to Challenge Roe v. Wade, Advocates Say All Pregnant Women's Rights Are at Risk
Legal scholars have long argued that Roe protects more than just abortion access.
California's Carr Fire Is Already Among the State's Most Destructive in Recent History
Wildfires in the state are getting bigger and more costly.
Trump Picks a Meteorologist for the White House's Top Science Position
Trump has announced he is nominating meteorologist Kelvin Droegemeier to direct the Office of Science and Technology Policy.
Google Lets Addiction Treatment Ads Back Onto Its Search Results Pages
Google began notifying addiction treatment providers last week that they're allowed to buy ads on the search engine's results pages.
In a Hearing About Addiction Treatment Companies' Sketchy Advertising Practices, CEOs Ask for More Regulation
Normally trade groups lobby for less government oversight, but not in this case.
One More Thing That Lowers People's Trust in the News: Seeing Others' Ratings of Articles
Lack of trust in the news in the U.S. runs deep.
The Government May Have Deported 463 Migrant Parents Whose Children Remain in the U.S.
A progress reports shows that hundreds of migrant parents whose children remain in United States shelters may have been deported.
Sixty Percent of Americans Believe Russia Interfered in the 2016 Election
New polling shows that the majority of Americans now believe Russia interfered in the last presidential election.
Thirteen Million American Kids Went to Schools Last Year Where Officials Found Elevated Levels of Lead in the Drinking Water
An additional 18 million kids attended schools where officials didn't test the drinking water for lead, or where officials didn't know whether they had tested.
Opponents Show Up in Force at a Hearing for the EPA's Controversial 'Secret Science' Rule
The rule's architects aren't really seeking better science, opponents argue.
After a Report Criticizing Obamacare Removals From Medicaid.gov Starts to Circulate, the Law Gets a Boost on Medicaid's History Page
The update was totally unrelated to the report, a Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services spokesman says.