Two Democratic senators are pushing for legislation to change the Federal Aviation Administration's standards around seat sizing and spacing on aircrafts. Sens. Tammy Duckworth and Tammy Baldwin have introduced a new bill, which would also require the FAA to set new standards for aircraft evacuations that are more realistic in case of emergencies. The agency currently requires passengers to be able to evacuate within 90 seconds of an emergency. Advocates worry this may not be enough time given the cramped conditions.
BRAIN STUDY
It turns out the shape and size of our brains could have a lot to do with how our brains actually function. A new study published in the journal Nature challenges the idea that our thoughts, behavior and feelings are based on interconnected neurons communicating with each other. The study doesn't dispute the theory but found that the unique shapes and curves in each of our brains impact our thoughts and behavior. One of the researchers compares the brain to a pond saying the shape of a pond affects the waves and ripples created by a pebble. The study's lead author said the findings offer new opportunities to understand the effects of diseases such as dementia and stroke.
Five people were killed and two children were wounded in a shooting in Philadelphia as police arrested a suspect who was wearing a bulletproof arrest. Meanwhile in Fort Worth, Texas, three died and eight were hurt as police said several men were shooting at random near a festival celebrating July 4th.
Lawyers for Civil Rights, a nonprofit based in Boston, is filing the civil rights complaint on behalf of Black and Latino community groups in New England, alleging that Harvard’s admissions system violates the Civil Rights Act.
Tobacco manufacturers have started posting new warning signs about cigarettes in over 200,000 stores across the country, one of the final steps in a lawsuit filed by the Justice Department against Big Tobacco in 1999.
Pope Francis' appointment to lead a Vatican office that oversees sexual abuse allegations was called 'baffling' and 'troubling' by a U.S.-based accountability group.
