All posts tagged: states

Psilocybin use has surged in the United States since 2019

Psilocybin use has surged in the United States since 2019

Published by José

The use of psilocybin—the active compound in so-called “magic mushrooms”—has increased significantly in the United States since 2019, according to a new study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine. Drawing on data from five national sources, researchers found sharp increases in both lifetime and recent use, especially among adults with symptoms of anxiety, depression, and chronic pain. Psilocybin is a naturally occurring hallucinogen found in certain species of mushrooms. It has attracted growing scientific and public attention due to promising early studies suggesting it may help treat depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and substance use disorders. Although not currently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, psilocybin has entered clinical trials and has been decriminalized or legalized in parts of Oregon, Colorado, and several municipalities. This shifting legal landscape has raised questions about whether broader public use is increasing—and what the public health consequences might be. “With efforts to legalize psilocybin mushrooms in Colorado, Oregon, and elsewhere ongoing, we wanted to determine whether there were more people using psilocybin mushrooms now than when legalization …

Trump blocked wind projects, and now 17 states and DC are suing

Trump blocked wind projects, and now 17 states and DC are suing

Published by skeptic

Photo: Equinor Seventeen state attorneys general and DC are fighting a Trump executive order that froze permits and funding for all onshore and offshore wind projects on January 20. The coalition is asking a federal judge to declare the executive order illegal and prevent the Trump administration from obstructing wind energy development. It was filed in federal court in Massachusetts. New York attorney general Letitia James is leading the coalition. James said, “This arbitrary and unnecessary directive threatens the loss of thousands of good-paying jobs and billions in investments, and it is delaying our transition away from the fossil fuels that harm our health and our planet.” Federal agencies have stopped issuing permits for wind projects across the board and even pulled the plug on the fully approved Empire Wind in New York, which was already under construction. Developer Equinor, majority owned by the Norwegian government, went through a seven-year permitting process and is considering separate legal actions. Advertisement – scroll for more content Massachusetts attorney general Andrea Joy Campbell said that Trump’s “attempts to stop …

These Are The Most Taxed States In America

These Are The Most Taxed States In America

Published by skeptic

This graphic, via Visual Capitalist’s Bruno Venditti, is based on research by WalletHub, which ranked states by total tax burden, combining property, income, and sales taxes as a share of personal income. Data is from the Tax Policy Center as of March 2025. Hawaii Tops the Nation in Total Tax Burden Hawaii holds the highest total tax burden in the United States, with residents contributing nearly 14% of their income to state and local governments. This includes 4.2% in income taxes, 2.6% in property taxes, and a substantial 7.2% in sales and excise taxes. Rank State Total Tax Burden 1 Hawaii 13.9% 2 New York 13.6% 3 Vermont 11.5% 4 California 11.0% 5 Maine 10.6% 6 New Jersey 10.3% 7 Illinois 10.2% 8 Rhode Island 10.1% 9 Maryland 10.0% 10 Connecticut 9.9% 11 Minnesota 9.7% 12 New Mexico 9.6% 13 Massachusetts 9.6% 14 Utah 9.5% 15 Ohio 9.4% 16 Kansas 9.3% 17 Iowa 9.2% 18 Indiana 9.1% 19 Mississippi 9.1% 20 Oregon 9.1% 21 Louisiana 8.9% 22 Kentucky 8.9% 23 Virginia 8.9% 24 West Virginia 8.9% …

These Are The U.S. States With The Most Criminals Still At Large

These Are The U.S. States With The Most Criminals Still At Large

Published by skeptic

A study by Spartacus Law Firm ranked U.S. states by the number of criminals still at large, factoring in violent crime rates, solve rates, population, and land area. The final metric—criminals at large per square mile adjusted for population—put California at the top due to its high rate of unsolved violent crimes. California leads U.S. states in criminals still at large, with 303 per square mile when adjusted for population. The state reported 198,000 violent incidents—60% unsolved—leaving nearly 119,000 offenders unaccounted for. Tennessee ranks second with 211 per square mile, driven by the highest violent crime rate nationally (628 per 100K people) and a low 39% solve rate, according to Spartacus Law Firm. Massachusetts takes third at 144 per square mile. Despite a 50% clearance rate and fewer incidents, its small size boosts offender density. Maryland places fourth with 119, mirroring Tennessee’s 39% solve rate but with fewer incidents and a higher population density. Florida is fifth at 97 per square mile, hampered by the lowest clearance rate (30%) among the top ten, resulting in …

An Open Letter to Members of the United States Congress

An Open Letter to Members of the United States Congress

Published by skeptic

From United States Members of the Sisters of Charity Federation As women religious and members of the Sisters of Charity Federation in the United States, we are committed to serving the most vulnerable. United in mission, we embrace our calling to respond to the needs of those living in poverty and on the margins, while also caring for our common home. We can no longer be silent as we witness abrupt and devastating policy changes that threaten the well-being of our communities, particularly the most vulnerable among us. Our faith, along with the values our country was founded on, calls us to act in solidarity with all people, especially those who suffer injustice, exclusion, and hardship. As members of Congress, you bear the profound responsibility of shaping policies that reflect the moral values of justice, compassion, and respect for human rights and human dignity. We urge you to recognize your moral authority in making decisions that impact the lives of countless individuals. Your votes and actions matter—they define our nation’s character and determine whether we …

Trump order pushes states to handle preparing for disasters : NPR

Trump order pushes states to handle preparing for disasters : NPR

Published by Sam

Responding to disasters like Hurricane Helene in North Carolina takes thousands government workers and millions of dollars, something states rely on the federal government for. Mario Tama/Getty Images/Getty Images North America hide caption toggle caption Mario Tama/Getty Images/Getty Images North America President Trump has signed an executive order directing state and local governments to “play a more active and significant role” in preparing for disasters. For months, Trump has said he’s considering getting rid of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the country’s disaster response arm. “I say you don’t need FEMA, you need a good state government,” Trump said while visiting the Los Angeles fires in January. “FEMA is a very expensive, in my opinion, mostly failed situation.” But emergency management experts say Trump’s order technically wouldn’t do much to shift responsibility. Currently, local and state governments are already in charge of disasters. The question is whether the Trump administration will begin withdrawing the federal resources and funding that states rely on. When a major hurricane, flood or wildfire hits, FEMA starts working on a …

How the United States turned the world economy into a battlefield

How the United States turned the world economy into a battlefield

Published by skeptic

Sign up for the Smarter Faster newsletter A weekly newsletter featuring the biggest ideas from the smartest people Notice: JavaScript is required for this content. We’ve all experienced the illusion of knowledge. This cognitive bias leads us to walk around overconfident in the depth of our understanding of how the world works. We believe we know how zippers zip, the internet connects, and local politics work until someone asks us to explain. We then suddenly find ourselves fumbling for an answer that sounds plausible. This happened to me last year when my son asked me to explain sanctions. I’ve been reading about them in the news for most of my adult life. Sanctions imposed on Iran to ice its nuclear program. Sanctions on Russia for invading Crimea. Sanctions on Venezuela for anti-democratic corruption. The list goes on, yet I barely stammered a respectable answer: “They’re economic penalties placed on a country to compel it to change something. I think they mostly have to do with the oil. So boats are probably involved … somehow. Maybe …

mapping science-policy programmes in the United States  – Evidence & Policy Blog

mapping science-policy programmes in the United States  – Evidence & Policy Blog

Published by skeptic

K. L. Akerlof, Todd Schenk, Adriana Bankston, Jessica L. Rosenberg, Anne-Lise K. Velez, Lisa Eddy and Nikita Lad This blog post is based on the Evidence & Policy article, ‘Training researchers to engage in policy in the United States: mapping the growth and diversity of programme models’. In recent years, state-level programmes that support the engagement of scientists in public policy have been growing across the United States. These initiatives offer training, networking and government placements to help bridge the gap between research and policymaking. However, little data exist on the structure, goals and impacts of these programmes. A recent study describes this evolving national landscape, using programmes in Virginia as a case study. The rise of science policy trainingA growing number of programmes seek to prepare researchers for active roles in policy. These initiatives include: Academic programmes offering courses, certificates, degrees and workshops in science policy. Student organisations that provide training and networking opportunities. Government placements and fellowships that immerse researchers in legislative and executive roles. This study identified 174 science policy programmes across …

Who Is Running the United States?

Who Is Running the United States?

Published by José

Like many Americans lately, I am seized with curiosity about who is actually running the government of the United States. For that reason, I watched Sean Hannity’s Fox News interview tonight with President Donald Trump and Elon Musk. But I am still not sure who’s in charge. If there is a headline from the interview, it is that the president of the United States feels that he requires the services of a multi-billionaire to enforce his executive orders. Trump complained that he would write these “beautiful” executive orders, that would then languish in administrative limbo. Musk, for his part, explained how the president is the embodiment of the nation and that resisting his orders is the same as thwarting the will of the people. Hannity, of course, enthusiastically supported all of this whining about how hard it is to govern a superpower. In other words, it was an hour of conversation among three men who have no idea how American democracy works. The goal of the interview, I assume, was to calm some of the …

Mid-Atlantic States Brace For Another Winter Blast

Mid-Atlantic States Brace For Another Winter Blast

Published by skeptic

Another midweek winter storm is expected to bring heavy snow and ice from Kansas through the Ohio Valley and into the Mid-Atlantic. This wintry system overlaps with a polar vortex pouring Arctic air into the central and eastern areas of the Lower 48.  Meteorologist Kelly Cass wrote on X, “Another winter storm from the plains/midwest to the east. Oh, and yes, some snow for parts of the south too!” Cass provided snow total forecasts through Wednesday for parts of the Midwest and Southeast.  More notably, the forecast through Thursday for the Mid-Atlantic states shows the potential for a major winter storm that could impact Raleigh, Richmond, Washington, D.C., Baltimore, and Philadelphia. Meteorologist Ava Marie of local media outlet WBAL in Baltimore provided a more in-depth snow forecast for the Washington–Baltimore metro area. It was me. 😉 I spent all weekend wishing away the snowstorm, and voila, the models continue to decrease the snow for Baltimore. I’ll let you know if that changes, but that’s the best data we have for now. Are you bummed? Or relieved? @wbaltv11 …