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+ what guns symbolize for Americans US Edition - Today's top story: Was there anything real about Elvis Presley? [View in browser]( US Edition | 26 June 2022 [The Conversation]( Welcome to Sunday. The top 5 most-read stories of the week are displayed below. Below that are five editors’ selections that we want to make sure you don’t miss. You can also get the most-read stories in [a magazine-style e-book.]( Rulings this week from the Supreme Court will change American society. The court overturned 50 years of precedent guaranteeing a federal right to abortion on Friday – just one day after a decision that broadened the right to bear arms in public. One thing is clear: Where you live will now have a greater impact on how you live. Two stories we published Friday afternoon explain how state laws will be more important than ever in a post-Roe America. Stefanie Lindquist, who teaches law and political science at Arizona State University, writes about how the abortion decision shifts power in unexpected ways – for example, by making [state constitutions and their interpretation by state judges more important](. And while some states have passed laws to protect the right to abortion, in Missouri and at least [eight other states]( abortion is already illegal. Naomi Cahn of the University of Virginia explains [“trigger laws” and the different ways they work](. Next week, we’ll be watching for the high court’s decision in West Virginia v. EPA, and we’ll bring you stories about new COVID boosters and the history of congressional oversight. Emily Costello Managing Editor Readers' picks Pinpointing Elvis Presley’s true persona can depend on when and whom you ask. Don Cravens/Getty Images [Was there anything real about Elvis Presley?]( Michael T. Bertrand, Tennessee State University Presley never wrote a memoir. Nor did he keep a diary. His music could have been a window into his inner life, but he didn’t even write his songs. - [Wiccan celebration of summer solstice is a reminder that change, as expressed in nature, is inevitable]( Helen A. Berger, Brandeis University For Wiccans, midsummer, with the maximum hours of sunlight, is the time for celebrating new life. - [How do drugs know where to go in the body? A pharmaceutical scientist explains why some medications are swallowed while others are injected]( Tom Anchordoquy, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus From tablets and patches to ointments and infusions, the best way to deliver a drug is the one that gets the right amount to the right place. - [What is a heat dome? An atmospheric scientist explains the weather phenomenon baking large parts of the country]( William Gallus, Iowa State University Heat domes are a dangerous part of summer weather. - [Predictable and consistent parental behavior is key for optimal child brain development]( Tallie Z. Baram, University of California, Irvine Parents are often the primary source of information that children receive from their environment. How consistent parents’ interactions with their children are matters. Editors' picks Temporary security fencing surrounds the U.S. Supreme Court building, ahead of its decision on abortion. Stefani Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images [State courts from Oregon to Georgia will now decide who – if anyone – can get an abortion under 50 different state constitutions]( Stefanie Lindquist, Arizona State University State supreme courts have a relatively low profile in the US. That’s going to change now that they will be under political pressure to decide whether abortion is protected in state constitutions. - [What triggers the ‘trigger laws’ that could ban abortions?]( Naomi Cahn, University of Virginia There are 13 states with so-called ‘trigger laws’ that aim to ban abortion now that the Supreme Court has overturned Roe v. Wade. But what actually must happen for the laws to take effect? - [Juneteenth celebrates just one of the United States’ 20 emancipation days – and the history of how emancipated people were kept unfree needs to be remembered, too]( Kris Manjapra, Tufts University Known as Juneteenth in Texas, Emancipation Days symbolized America’s attempt to free the enslaved across the nation. But those days were unable to prevent new forms of economic slavery. - [Look at 3 enduring stories Americans tell about guns to understand the debate over them]( Greg Dickinson, Colorado State University; Brian L. Ott, Missouri State University The ways Americans talk about firearms is full of contradictions, two communication scholars explain – and that powerfully shapes the country’s approach to gun policy. - [Google’s powerful AI spotlights a human cognitive glitch: Mistaking fluent speech for fluent thought]( Kyle Mahowald, The University of Texas at Austin College of Liberal Arts; Anna A. Ivanova, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Fluent expression is not always evidence of a mind at work, but the human brain is primed to believe so. A pair of cognitive linguistics experts explain why language is not a good test of sentience. Download the new e-book edition We are providing a magazine version of five stories in this newsletter to read on a tablet, e-reader or on paper. [Try it out]( and reply to this email to tell us what you think. Like this newsletter? You might be interested in our other weekly emails: [Science Editors' Picks]( • [This Week in Religion]( • [Politics Weekly]( About The Conversation: We're a nonprofit news organization dedicated to [helping academic experts share ideas with the public](. We can give away our articles thanks to the help of foundations, universities and readers like you. 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