Category: Pet Life
Catholics now make up little more than half Brazil’s population
Census finds just 56.7% in world’s biggest Catholic country follow Roman church as evangelical numbers rise Home to the world’s largest Catholic population, Brazil has once again witnessed a decline in the faith’s following, according to new figures released by the country’s national statistics institute (IBGE). Thirty years ago, Catholics made up 82.9% of Brazil’s…
Supreme Court grants DOGE access to confidential Social Security records
By Nina Totenberg , Anuli Ononye The Supreme Court, on Friday, for now gave the DOGE team launched by Elon Musk unfettered access to information collected by the Social Security Administration, data that includes Social Security numbers, medical and mental health records, and family court information. In an unsigned order, the court, acting at the…
This ‘Tower of Worms’ Is a Squirming Superorganism
This ‘Tower of Worms’ Is a Squirming Superorganism Scientists have captured the first videos of wild roundworms forming living, wriggling towers that behave as one big superorganism By Jacek Krywko edited by Allison Parshall Roundworms tagged with glowing proteins create a tower in the lab. Join Our Community of Science Lovers! When food runs out,…
Dehorning rhinos reduces poaching by 80%, study finds
Cutting off the animals’ horns more effective than traditional protection methods such as rangers and costs less, say experts Cutting the horns off rhinos causes a large reduction in poaching, according to a new study, which raises questions about the effectiveness of expensive anti-poaching techniques used to protect the African mammals. Poaching for horn is…
Math Proves That Everything Really Is Becoming More Complicated over Time
Our World Is Getting More Complicated. Here’s the 19th-Century Math That Proves It Nothing in the cosmos is in equilibrium, which means entropy is on the rise By Manon Bischoff edited by Daisy Yuhas This is not an “everything used to be better” rant. It’s just a sober observation: the world used to be simpler. And that…
Engineered Viruses Are Transforming Neuroscience and Treating Brain Disease
Engineered Viruses Make Neurons Glow and Treat Brain Disease Neuroscientists can now make precise genetic tweaks to the neurons that are most affected by brain diseases such as Parkinson’s, Huntington’s and ALS By Allison Parshall edited by Jeanna Bryner Different populations of cells in the mouse brain, each one targeted with high specificity by one…
Iranian FM stresses cooperation after watchdog report on rising uranium stockpile
By The Associated Press DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — The Iranian Foreign Minister spoke by phone with the director of the U.N.’s nuclear watchdog agency early Sunday morning after a report from the agency said Iran is further increasing its stockpile of uranium enriched to near weapons-grade levels. Writing on Telegram, Abbas Araghchi said he…
Travis Barker’s Daughter Alabama Barker Gets Cute New Family Member
Alabama Barker—the 19-year-old daughter of Travis Barker and Shanna Moakler—revealed that she adopted a new French Bulldog puppy, writing alongside a snap of her with the dog, “I love my new baby.” Alabama Barker has a new furry BFF. The 19-year-old daughter of Travis Barker and his ex Shanna Moakler revealed that she recently adopted…
Kylie Jenner Details Timothée Chalamet Red Carpet Debut
Kylie Jenner reflected on her awards season style, that saw her stepping out alongside boyfriend Timothée Chalamet and gushed about the look she wore for their red carpet debut. Kylie Jenner is making sure these fashion details are completely known. The Kylie Cosmetics founder—who appeared alongside boyfriend Timothée Chalamet during the 2025 award season—recently detailed…
American doctors look to relocate to Canada to avoid the Trump administration
By Brett Kelman Earlier this year, as President Donald Trump was beginning to reshape the American government, Michael, an emergency room doctor who was born, raised, and trained in the United States, packed up his family and left the country. Michael now works in a small-town hospital in Canada. KFF Health News and NPR granted…
Judge rules suit challenging DOGE and Elon Musk’s power over government can continue
Stephen Fowler A judge ruled Tuesday that a lawsuit alleging Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency are illegally wielding power over federal government operations can move forward. U.S. District Court Judge Tanya Chutkan’s 42-page order in the lawsuit, filed by several Democratic state attorneys general, denies a motion to dismiss the case, but…
Bird Flu Vaccine for Cows Passes Early Test
Bird Flu Vaccine for Cows Passes Early Test Researchers have tested an mRNA vaccine against avian influenza in calves with promising results By Humberto Basilio & Nature magazine Join Our Community of Science Lovers! As bird flu sweeps across US poultry and cattle farms, researchers are racing to find ways to contain the outbreaks before…
DolphinGemma Could Enable AI Communication with Dolphins
Building an LLM for Dolphin Chatter A large language model for dolphin vocalization could let us better understand these beloved marine mammals By Melissa Hobson, Rachel Feltman, Fonda Mwangi & Alex Sugiura Rachel Feltman: For Scientific American’s Science Quickly, I’m Rachel Feltman. There are a few animals that pretty much everyone likes: fluffy pandas, cute…
Sleep Aids Can Be Uneven and Expensive, Leaving Anxious Patients Lacking
One Woman’s Pharmaceutical Journey to a Good Night’s Sleep When insomnia took hold of this journalist, she relied on her science reporting to find a medication that (mostly) worked By Rachel Nuwer This Nature Outlook is editorially independent, produced with financial support from Avadel. I never had issues with sleep until the COVID-19 pandemic. A…
These students protested the Gaza war. Trump’s deportation threat didn’t silence them
Adrian Florido When, in early March, one of Mahmoud Khalil’s classmates at Columbia University heard that immigration agents had come for him, she triple-locked her door, terrified she might be next. “I just absolutely broke down, because he has a green card,” she said. As a student with only a temporary visa, she reasoned they’d…
12,000 chicks found abandoned in postal truck raise concerns about animal shipping
By Lydia Calitri A Delaware animal shelter is working to find new homes for thousands of chicks that were left abandoned in a U.S. Postal Service truck for three days. Delaware’s Department of Agriculture said it received a call earlier this month from USPS saying the Postal Service had an “undeliverable box of baby birds.”…
‘Heart Lamp’ wins International Booker, with stories of India’s Muslim women and girls
Andrew Limbong The writer and advocate Banu Mushtaq and translator Deepa Bhasthi have won this year’s International Booker Prize for their book Heart Lamp. The book is the first short story collection to win the prize, which awards the best fiction translated into English. “Heart Lamp is something genuinely new for English readers,” wrote Max…
Iceland’s Orca Pods Mysteriously Include Baby Pilot Whales
Friend or Food: Why Are Iceland’s Orcas Taking in Pilot Whales? Newborn pilot whales have been spotted mysteriously swimming among pods of orcas. Scientists are trying to puzzle out how the pilot whale calves got there and what happened to them By Marina Wang edited by Andrea Thompson A neonate long-finned pilot whale surfaces in…
All of the Celebrity Kids Who Have Competed on American Idol
Though Baylee Littrell, son of Backstreet Boys alum Brian Littrell, was eventually eliminated from the 23rd season of American Idol, he joined a long line of contestants with celebrity parents. Thousands audition, millions vote and on May 18 one contestant will be crowned the country’s next American Idol. But season 23’s top five—Breanna Nix, Jamal…
Bird-Watching Is Better When You Unplug
The Wonders of Bird-Watching without Tech By Derek Lovitch edited by Kate Wong A Boreal Owl emerges from its roost to begin its evening of hunting activities in Northern Minnesota. The Boreal Owl is a tiny but fierce gnome of the deep boreal forest—the belt of cold, wet, largely coniferous forest that encircles the North…
Losing faith: Rural religious colleges are among the most endangered
From Hechinger Report By Jon Marcus DAVENPORT, Iowa — The Catholic prayer for the faithful echoed off the limestone walls and marble floor of the high-ceilinged chapel. The prayer implored God to comfort the poor and the hungry. The sick and the suffering. The anxious and the afraid. Then it took an unexpected turn. “Lord,…
Julia Roberts Mourns Death of Beloved Dog Myrtle After 19 Years
Oscar winner Julia Roberts shared a heartwarming message while sharing the passing of her and husband Danny Moder’s dog Myrtle, who lived for 19 years. Julia Roberts has said goodbye to a woman’s best friend. In a touching tribute, the Oscar winner announced the sad news that her beloved dog Myrtle has died after spending…
Yuval Raphael, a Hamas attack survivor, is representing Israel at Eurovision
By Itay Stern TEL AVIV, Israel — This week the Eurovision Song Contest is underway in Basel, Switzerland. The world’s largest song competition includes contestants representing 37 countries — including Israel, whose presence is sparking protest because of the war in Gaza. Israel’s representative in the competition, 24-year-old Yuval Raphael, is set to perform a…
This Strange Mutation Explains the Mystifying Color of Orange Cats
This Strange Mutation Explains the Mystifying Color of Orange Cats Your orange cat may host a never-before-seen genetic pathway for color pigmentation, according to new studies By Gayoung Lee edited by Lauren J. Young Cats are arguably perfect. At least, evidence suggests that felines, which have evolved with minimal variation and maximal efficiency, have reached…
Newly Discovered Fossil Tracks May Rewrite Early History of Reptiles
Newly Discovered Fossil Tracks May Rewrite Early History of Reptiles Fossilized claw tracks discovered in Australia show that the animal group that includes reptiles, mammals and birds formed earlier than expected By Rita Aksenfeld & Nature magazine Illustration of an amniote animal thought to have left fossilized claw prints in Victoria, Australia. Join Our Community…
Denver air traffic controllers had 2-minute communications outage, FAA official says
Jaclyn Diaz Pilots flying into Denver International Airport on Monday couldn’t communicate with air traffic controllers for about two minutes due to multiple radio transmitter failures, a leading official with the Federal Aviation Administration confirmed to members of Congress on Thursday. Frank McIntosh, the deputy chief operating officer at the FAA, told a House committee…
Hailey Bieber Shares “Relevant” Note Amid Justin’s Cryptic Behavior
As Justin Bieber continues to spread cryptic messages about love on social media, Hailey Bieber shared a handwritten note reading: “Cry me a river, build me a bridge and get over it.” Hailey Bieber is giving a glimpse into her world 2.0. On May 14, the Rhode Skin founder posted a picture of what appeared…
A hotline between the Pentagon and DCA airport hasn’t worked since 2022, FAA says
By Joe Hernandez A hotline that provided direct communication between the Pentagon and the air traffic control tower at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport has not functioned since March 2022, a Federal Aviation Administration official confirmed Wednesday. The public acknowledgment came during a hearing of the Senate Commerce Committee, when Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of…
Republicans face a crucial stretch this week as they aim to deliver on Trump’s agenda
By Deirdre Walsh , Elena Moore By the end of this month, House Republicans hope to finalize the details of President Trump’s “big beautiful bill” that includes sweeping changes to tax, immigration and energy policy. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., has already muscled a budget blueprint for the plan through the chamber. But this week…
Breeding for ‘Cuteness’ Is Making Dogs and Cats Look More Alike
Convergent ‘Cuteness’ Is Making Dogs and Cats Look Alike Pugs, Persian cats, and other smushed-face cats and dogs are more similar to one another than they are to the wild animals they evolved from By Rachel Nuwer edited by Allison Parshall Japanese Chin. What do Persian cats, Pekingese dogs and pugs have in common? They…
Why some friendships end after kids come into the picture
By Emily Siner After writer Mariah Maddox gave birth four years ago, she was surprised by how lonely she felt. She was the first person among her close friends to have a kid, and her friends without children seemed to be leaving her behind. “I sometimes felt like I wasn’t included in plans,” she says.…
Second day of conclave begins to elect the next pope
By Daniel Burke , Sarah Ventre VATICAN CITY — The second day of the conclave to elect a new pope began on Thursday, as 133 Catholic cardinals are re-entering the Sistine Chapel, where the secret balloting is held. Wednesday, the first day of the conclave, ended with black smoke streaming from the chimney of the…
Here’s the 2025 list of Most Endangered Historic Places in the U.S.
Neda Ulaby The National Trust for Historic Preservation announced Wednesday that the Mystery Castle is one of America’s 11 most endangered historic places in 2025. “Across the United States, compelling, meaningful historic sites are at risk, whether from natural disasters, underutilization, neglect, or lack of awareness,” a statement from the National Trust said. The group…
These Fish and Flies Are Engineered to Break Down Mercury
These Fish and Flies Are Engineered to Break Down Mercury Bacterial genes protect animals—and their predators—from harmful contamination By Cody Cottier edited by Sarah Lewin Frasier Danio rerio, a freshwater zebra fish, is one species scientists have modified to filter mercury from the environment. Join Our Community of Science Lovers! For decades mercury has been…
Cuttlefish May Communicate with Discolike Arm Gestures
Cuttlefish May Communicate with Discolike Arm Gestures Scientists identified four arm wave signals cuttlefish use: “up,” “side,” “roll” and “crown” By Chris Simms edited by Sarah Lewin Frasier Researchers observed the common cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis) routinely wave its arms in four flashy gestures. Join Our Community of Science Lovers! Cuttlefish wave their expressive arms in…
An exhibit honoring victims of gun violence is taken down at ATF headquarters
By Kristin Wright An exhibit showing victims of gun violence has been taken down at the headquarters of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Department of Justice has confirmed. The exhibit showed the portraits of 120 people killed in gun violence. A digital kiosk with biographies of each person was also…
Catholic leaders criticize Trump for posting apparent AI photo of himself as the pope
By Joe Hernandez Some Catholic leaders and at least one U.S. Catholic group are criticizing President Trump after he posted on social media what appears to be an artificial intelligence-generated image of himself dressed as the pope. Trump posted the image on his Truth Social account on Friday night, and shortly after it was reposted…
The Vatican installs chimney to signal the selection of the next pope
Clare Marie Schneider Workers attached a chimney atop the Sistine Chapel on Friday, ahead of the election process for the next pope. The chimney, which is attached to the chapel before a new pope is elected, will signal to the public the election of Pope Francis’ successor. With the death of Pope Francis last month,…
The Scary Implications of U.S. Government Attacks on Medical Journals
Opinion The Scary Implications of U.S. Government Attacks on Medical Journals A Trump-aligned prosecutor’s attack on medical journals is a threat to your health care—and the medical establishment should not comply By Eric Reinhart Senator Joseph McCarthy holds up a letter during a House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) hearing. In April, I decided to make…
People who fled authoritarian regimes say Trump’s tactics remind them of home
Frank Langfitt Last year, David Koranyi attended his mother’s 70th birthday party back home in Hungary, but the indirect route he took highlights the autocratic rule that grips his homeland. Instead of flying straight to Hungary, Koranyi flew to neighboring Austria and then turned off his phone and drove across the border where there was…
Bird-Watching Tips as Migration Season Peaks
Bird Migration Is Peaking in the U.S.—Here’s How to Watch The spectacle of spring bird migration is in full swing, and you can get in on the action By Kate Wong edited by Jeanna Bryner A male Blackburnian warbler (Setophaga fusca) singing a territorial song. Join Our Community of Science Lovers! The spring migration of…
Fight, Flee or Freeze? This Tiny Caterpillar Does a Secret Fourth Thing
Fight, Flee or Freeze? This Tiny Caterpillar Does a Secret Fourth Thing Baby warty birch caterpillars vibrate when threatened—before swinging away like Spider-Man By Rohini Subrahmanyam edited by Sarah Lewin Frasier Join Our Community of Science Lovers! When facing an intruder, animals generally tend to fight, flee or simply freeze. But certain baby caterpillars do…
Alexis Herman, the first Black secretary of labor in U.S. history, dies at age 77
Tom Dreisbach The first Black leader of the U.S. Department of Labor, former Secretary Alexis Herman, has died at the age of 77. Former President Bill Clinton nominated Herman to the role, which she held from 1997 to 2001, following a career in social work, civil rights and Democratic politics. “Hillary and I are deeply…
NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope Marks 35 Years from Launch
Celebrate Hubble Space Telescope’s 35th Birthday with Stunning Images Happy anniversary to the Hubble Space Telescope, which launched on April 24, 1990 By Meghan Bartels edited by Lee Billings The Tarantula Nebula, located about 161,000 light-years away in the Large Magellanic Cloud bordering our Milky Way, is packed with ionized hydrogen gas dotted by supernova…
Lifesize herd of puppet animals begins climate action journey from Africa to Arctic Circle
The Herds project from the team behind Little Amal will travel 20,000km taking its message on environmental crisis across the world Hundreds of life-size animal puppets have begun a 20,000km (12,400 mile) journey from central Africa to the Arctic Circle as part of an ambitious project created by the team behind Little Amal, the giant…
Carnivorous ‘Bone Collector’ Caterpillars Wear Corpses as Camouflage
Carnivorous ‘Bone Collector’ Caterpillars Wear Corpses as Camouflage Nicknamed the “bone collector,” this newly confirmed caterpillar in Hawaii secretly scrounges off a spider landlord by covering itself with dead insect body parts By Gayoung Lee edited by Sarah Lewin Frasier Caterpillars nicknamed the “bone collector” create protective shelling out of dead insect bones and body…
Trump signs executive actions on education, including efforts to rein in DEI
Elissa Nadworny President Trump on Wednesday signed a list of executive actions aimed at both higher education and K-12 schools. Another promises new discipline guidance for K-12 schools, with the goal of “ensuring school discipline policies are based on objective behavior, not DEI,” the White House said in a statement. The collection of orders aim…
Roman Gladiator Remains Show First Proof of Human-Animal Combat
Lion Bite to the Butt May Be First Proof of Human-Animal Gladiatorial Combat The first physical evidence of Roman gladiators fighting animals has been found in skeletal remains from England By Gayoung Lee edited by Allison Parshall 1st century AD Roman relief portraying gladiators and lions fighting. Join Our Community of Science Lovers! If you’re…
Colombian ex-minister accuses the country’s president of drug abuse
Gustavo Petro hits back after Álvaro Leyva accused him of going awol during official visit to France A prominent Colombian politician and former minister has accused the country’s president, Gustavo Petro, of being a drug addict who allegedly went awol during an official visit to France. In a damning letter to the South American leader,…
What to know as the government begins collections on defaulted student debt
By Rachel Treisman The Trump administration says it will soon resume collections on defaulted student loans for the first time in five years, raising questions and anxieties for millions of borrowers across the country. The Department of Education announced Monday that its office of Federal Student Aid will resume collections on May 5, meaning it…
What on Earth is ‘eDNA’?
Editor’s note: From “blue carbon” to “ecosystem services,” environmental jargon is everywhere. Conservation International looks to make sense of it in an occasional explainer series we’re calling “What on Earth?“ In this installment, we explore eDNA, a wildlife monitoring tool that is changing the way we study the natural world. I keep seeing this thing…
Word of the Week: The papal ‘conclave’ is secretive. The word’s origin explains why
By Joe Hernandez The death of Pope Francis on Monday means the Roman Catholic Church will soon begin the process of selecting a new pontiff. That ancient and mysterious undertaking known as the “conclave” invariably draws speculation over who will be chosen to lead the church and its 1.4 billion adherents worldwide. But the hushed…
Kickstarter Tabletop Alert: ‘Earth: Animal Kingdom’
Expand your options for Earth by introducing animals that will interact with the flora and terrain. Earth: Animal Kingdom is an expansion to Earth, a tableau-building game for 1 to 6 players, ages 14 and up, and takes about 45–90 minutes to play. It’s currently seeking funding on Kickstarter, with a pledge of $39CAD (about $29USD) for…
After Pope Francis’ death, debates begin over his successor
By Willem Marx As cardinals from around the world start to gather in Rome for Pope Francis’ funeral, conversations are already beginning over his likely successor. It’s difficult to know how the 135 cardinals eligible to vote in the highly secretive elections — known as the conclave — will negotiate to lead the Catholic Church…
See some of the most memorable moments from Pope Francis’ papacy
By Daniel Burke There’s an old saying often attributed to St. Francis of Assisi: preach the Gospel at all times. If necessary, use words. While St. Francis likely never said those words, Pope Francis, who took his papal name from the 13th century saint, seemed to use them as a mission statement. Like all popes,…
What Are ORCs? Astronomers Still Don’t Know
The UniverseFridays Strange Circles in the Sky Are Still Baffling Astronomers ORCs—odd radio circles—are one of the weirdest recent discoveries in the heavens above By Phil Plait edited by Lee Billings Stay connected to The Universe: Get email alerts for this weekly column by Phil Plait It’s rare these days for astronomers to find a…
Ukraine wary of Putin’s Easter truce and says it will reciprocate only a genuine ceasefire
By The Associated Press Ukraine said it would reciprocate any genuine ceasefire by Moscow, but voiced skepticism after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a temporary Easter truce in Ukraine starting Saturday. The announcement from Kyiv came as Russia and Ukraine conducted their largest prisoner exchange since Moscow’s full-scale invasion started over three years ago. Putin…
She grew up believing she was a U.S. citizen. Then she applied for a passport
Juliana Kim For the better part of A’s life, she never suspected anything was wrong. She breezed through getting her driver’s license. She applied to college and filed her taxes year after year without any hiccups. That is, until she applied for her passport. Suddenly, the document she always relied on — a delayed registration…
Trump Administration’s Science Cuts Come for NSF Funding
Trump Administration’s Science Cuts Come for NSF Funding The National Science Foundation, which funds key science and engineering research, is the latest U.S. agency to be disrupted by Elon Musk’s DOGE By Dan Garisto & Nature magazine Some researchers receiving grants from the U.S. National Science Foundation use its ice core facility in Lakewood, Colorado,…
Thousands of federal workers would be easier to fire under Trump rule change
Shannon Bond The Trump administration is moving forward with efforts to make it easier to fire some federal workers from their jobs, as part of its push to both shrink the federal government and exert more control over it. On Friday the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) proposed a rule reclassifying tens of thousands of…
Gutting NIOSH Endangers Every U.S. Worker
Opinion Gutting NIOSH Endangers Every U.S. Worker I was fired from my job as a scientist at the only federal agency dedicated to the science of workplace safety. The Trump administration’s cuts put the U.S. workforce in danger By Catherine Blackwood For most of us, it is a foregone conclusion that you will go to…
As Trump jettisons its staff, HUD puts its D.C. headquarters up for sale
Jennifer Ludden WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development is looking for a smaller, cheaper building for its headquarters. It’s part of a larger Trump administration push to shrink not only the number of federal employees, but also the office spaces where they work. In announcing the plan, the agency said its…
Destroying endangered species’ habitat wouldn’t count as ‘harm’ under proposed Trump rule
By Jonathan Lambert The Trump administration is proposing to significantly limit the Endangered Species Act’s power to preserve crucial habitats by changing the definition of one word: harm. On Wednesday, the administration proposed a rule change that would essentially prohibit only actions that directly hurt or kill actual animals, not the habitats they rely on.…
Can tree farms save a forest? Brazil is about to find out
Editor’s note: In April 2025, after this story was published, the project described in this story won Environmental Finance’s 2025 award for Sustainability-Linked Loan of the Year, in recognition of the project’s innovative financing model and its environmental outcomes. Conservation International was one of three implementing organizations honored. More details about the award can be found…
Contributors to Scientific American’s May 2025 Issue
Contributors to Scientific American’s May 2025 Issue Writers, artists, photographers and researchers share the stories behind the stories By Allison Parshall edited by Jen Schwartz Caitlin O’Connell. Caitlin O’ConnellSecrets of the Pachyderm Boys Club Caitlin O’Connell (above) still gets emotional when she remembers her first encounter with an elephant. When a bull stepped in front…
Can AI Let Us Chat with Dolphins?
Google Is Training AI to Speak Dolphin Google is developing an LLM that could help us communicate with dolphins By Melissa Hobson edited by Andrea Thompson A pod of Atlantic spotted dolphins (Stenella frontalis) swims below the ocean surface in Bimini, Bahamas. Dolphins are renowned for their intelligence and social skills. These large-brained marine mammals communicate…
Lofty Math Problem Called Hilbert’s Sixth Closer to Being Solved
Mathematicians Crack 125-Year-Old Problem, Unite Three Physics Theories A breakthrough in Hilbert’s sixth problem is a major step in grounding physics in math By Jack Murtagh edited by Jeanna Bryner Mathematicians suggest they have figured out how to unify three physical theories that explain the motion of fluids. When the greatest mathematician alive unveils a…
Intellectually disabled teen shot by Idaho police dies after being removed from life support
By The Associated Press BOISE — An autistic, nonverbal teenage boy who was shot repeatedly by Idaho police from the other side of a chain link fence while he was holding a knife died Saturday after being removed from life support, his family said. Victor Perez, 17, who also had cerebral palsy, had been in…
Federal judge orders USDA to unfreeze funds to Maine
Juliana Kim A federal judge ordered the Trump administration to unfreeze federal funding that was allocated to Maine from the U.S. Department of Agriculture — funds that had been withheld following President Trump’s clash with Maine Gov. Janet Mills over the issue of transgender athletes. U.S. District Court Judge John Woodcock granted Maine’s request for…
Crows Are Surprisingly Good at Geometry
Crows Are Good at Geometry. Don’t Look So Surprised Crows can tell the shapes of stars from those of moons and symmetrical quadrilaterals from unsymmetrical ones, new results show By Gayoung Lee edited by Allison Parshall Carrion Crow (Corvus corone). Crows sometimes have a bad rap: they’re said to be loud and disruptive, and myths…
Trump’s Immigration Tactics Leave U.S. Vulnerable to Bird Flu Spread
U.S. Bird Flu Response Suffers as Farm Workers Fear Deportation As the bird flu outbreak continues, public health outreach to farm workers is meeting fear and resistance amid Trump’s attacks on immigrants By Amy Maxmen & KFF Health News U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents walk down a street during a multi-agency targeted enforcement…
Mpox Outbreak in Africa Traced Back to Squirrels
Scientists May Have Finally Found the Mysterious Animal Hosts of Mpox A team of researchers traced the wild animal source of the mpox virus to the fire-footed rope squirrel By Jane Qiu & Nature magazine Cuvier’s fire-footed squirrel (Funisciurus pyrrhopus) in a tree. One of the great mysteries of the monkeypox virus has been pinpointing…
China fires back after Pete Hegseth calls country a threat to Panama canal
Chinese government asks: ‘Who represents the real threat?’ after US defense secretary vows to keep canal secure US secretary of defense Pete Hegseth said on Tuesday that the Panama canal faces ongoing threats from China but that together the United States and Panama will keep it secure. Hegseth’s remarks triggered a fiery response from the…
Breakthrough Prize Winner Gerard ’t Hooft Says Quantum Mechanics Is ‘Nonsense’
Quantum Physics Is on the Wrong Track, Says Breakthrough Prize Winner Gerard ’t Hooft After netting the world’s highest-paying science award, preeminent theoretical physicist Gerard ’t Hooft reflects on his legacy and the future of physics By Lee Billings Gerard ’t Hooft. In the pantheon of modern physics, few figures can match the quiet authority…
Dennis Gaitsgory Wins Breakthrough Prize for Solving Part of Math’s Grand Unified Theory
Dennis Gaitsgory, Who Proved Part of Math’s Grand Unified Theory, Wins Breakthrough Prize By solving part of the Langlands program, a mathematical proof that was long thought to be unachievable, Dennis Gaitsgory snags a prestigious Breakthrough Prize By Manon Bischoff edited by Jeanna Bryner Dennis Gaitsgory, of the Max Planck Institute for Mathematics, has won…
Defrocked former D.C. Cardinal Theodore McCarrick dies at 94
By The Associated Press WASHINGTON — Theodore McCarrick, a once-powerful Catholic cardinal who was defrocked by Pope Francis in 2019 after a Vatican investigation determined he had molested adults and children, has died. He was 94. Archbishop of Washington Robert McElroy issued a statement Friday confirming McCarrick’s death a day earlier but provided no details.…
Ahead of pandemic talks, this doctor has nature on his mind
Dr. Neil Vora has spent much of his career chasing and treating infectious disease outbreaks, from the Ebola epidemic in West Africa to COVID-19 in New York City. His prescription for stopping the next one: Protect nature. two-thirds of emerging infectious diseases are caused by pathogens that originate in animals that have jumped into people…
Bonobo Calls Are More like Human Language Than We Thought
Bonobos’ Complex Calls Share an Extraordinary Trait with Human Language Bonobos’ grunts, peeps and whistles may share an advanced linguistic property with human language By Cody Cottier edited by Allison Parshall We humans concoct never-before-heard sentences with ease, embedding phrases within phrases to express the wildest ideas we can dream up (“the purple pangolin that…
Expert: To prevent pandemics like COVID-19, ‘take care of nature’
This post was updated on May 13, 2020. Likely sourced to a live animal and fish market in China, COVID-19 has spread around the world at lightning speed, infecting more than 4.2 million people and killing nearly 300,000 people to date. Many countries are taking severe measures to stem the virus’s spread, from locking down…
Big Banks Quietly Prepare for Catastrophic Climate Change
Big Banks Quietly Prepare for Catastrophic Warming Morgan Stanley, JPMorgan and an international banking group have quietly concluded that climate change will likely exceed the Paris Agreement’s 2 degree goal and are examining how to maintain profits By Corbin Hiar & E&E News CLIMATEWIRE | Top Wall Street institutions are preparing for a severe future…
Supersymmetry’s Long Fall from Grace
Supersymmetry Washes Out at the Large Hadron Collider Supersymmetry, long considered the golden child of theoretical physics, has officially lost its luster at the world’s reigning particle accelerator By Eleni Petrakou edited by Lee Billings The Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) detector assembly in a tunnel of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at the European Organization…
Charity faces legal action after relocated elephants in Malawi allegedly kill 10 people
People living near Kasungu national park say they are living in fear after translocation of 263 elephants by International Fund for Animal Welfare People living on the edge of a protected area in Malawi are taking legal action against an NGO that moved more than 250 elephants into the area, which they say have killed…
Vice President Vance is going to Greenland this week. The itinerary has shifted
Deepa Shivaram Vice President JD Vance said on Tuesday that he would join his wife, second lady Usha Vance, on a trip to Greenland this week after an earlier announcement of her plans for a cultural visit to the Danish territory received an icy reception. The trip comes as President Trump has continued to muse…
Setting Parental Controls Is Not As Complicated As You Think
Opinion The Science of ParentingMondays Setting Parental Controls Is Not As Complicated As You Think Programming devices with parental controls may seem daunting, but they can help parents ensure what their kids find on TV and the Internet is age-appropriate By Jacqueline Nesi Cut through the claims: Get email alerts for this weekly column Recently…
Brazil apologizes to families of victims of military dictatorship’s mass grave
By The Associated Press Dozens of families are still waiting to know whether their parents, children, siblings and friends are in one of more than 1,000 blue bags discovered in 1990 in a ditch in a São Paulo cemetery in the isolated district of Perus. That was the first of many mass graves uncovered by…
Pregnant Kylie Kelce and Jason Kelce Mourn Death of Dog Baloo
As they prepare for baby No. 4, Kylie Kelce and Jason Kelce are navigating the loss of their Irish woldhound Baloo, who died one year after the death of their dog Winnie. As they prepare to expand their family, Kylie Kelce, Jason Kelce and their three daughters are navigating a tragic loss. The host of…
Hundreds arrested in Turkey in protests against the detention of Istanbul’s mayor
By The Associated Press ISTANBUL — Prosecutors early Sunday requested that detained Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, the top challenger to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, be formally arrested over allegations of corruption and terror links. A court is now set to decide whether the popular opposition figure will be charged and jailed pending a trial. The…
Women conservation leaders ‘a tide lifting everyone’
The climate crisis affects women disproportionately: They’re 14 times more likely to die during a disaster and constitute 80 percent of all climate refugees. But a new wave of women conservation leaders is spearheading efforts around the world to prevent and adapt to the impacts wrought by climate breakdown. ELLE magazine dedicated its July issue…
Study: To make conservation go ‘viral,’ keep it simple, social
What makes a video go “viral”? What makes people stand in line for hours to buy a new smartphone or eat at a hip restaurant? And what does any of that have to do with conservation? A new study suggests that some of the same features that make a new gadget popular, such as simplicity,…
The doctor is in: Indonesia’s whale sharks get annual check-up
Imagine swimming with a shark as big as a bus. Now imagine trying to measure, tag and take blood samples from this shark — giving it a physical, as in a typical doctor’s visit — but underwater and in less than 30 minutes. For nine days, I helped complete the world’s first health assessment of…
To improve crop yields, just add trees
Editor’s note: To meet global food demand by 2050, production will have to increase by 60 percent, the FAO reports — yet agriculture is already a major source of deforestation. To meet humanity’s food needs, we must use land more sustainably and productively. One solution with potential is agroforestry, a practice that integrates trees and…
Education Dept. cuts could hurt low-income schools. And, an entertainment rundown
By Brittney Melton here to get it delivered to your inbox, and listen to the Up First podcast for all the news you need to start your day. President Trump signed an executive action yesterday to begin dismantling the U.S. Department of Education. The administration has promised that certain federal education grants, including for low-income and rural…
Kanzi the Bonobo, Who Learned Language and Made Stone Tools, Dies at Age 44
Kanzi the Bonobo, Who Learned Language and Made Stone Tools, Dies at Age 44 What we learned about ape and human cognition from Kanzi the bonobo, who died this week By Kate Wong edited by Jeanna Bryner Kanzi the bonobo died on March 18, 2025, at the age of 44. Kanzi the bonobo, who learned…
RFK, Jr. Wants to Let Bird Flu Spread on Poultry Farms. Why Experts Are Concerned
RFK, Jr. Wants to Let Bird Flu Spread on Poultry Farms. Why Experts Are Concerned Health secretary RFK, Jr. has repeatedly suggested that farmers should let bird flu spread through flocks. Experts explain why that’s a dangerous idea By Stephanie Pappas edited by Jeanna Bryner Chickens stand in a henhouse in Petaluma, Calif., on February…
Mahmoud Khalil’s immigration case moves to New Jersey from New York
Ximena Bustillo A federal judge in New York transferred an immigration petition filed by Columbia University graduate student Mahmoud Khalil to New Jersey. The decision on Wednesday offers a compromise in the bellwether case, while Khalil’s lawyers and the Trump administration argue about whether Khalil should have been arrested by immigration authorities in the first…
Musk, DOGE violated Constitution, judge says. And, when egg prices might drop
By Brittney Melton here to get it delivered to your inbox, and listen to the Up First podcast for all the news you need to start your day. Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency likely violated the Constitution when they effectively shut down the U.S. Agency for International Development, a federal judge has ruled. President…
Hope for endangered penguins as no-fishing zones agreed off South Africa
Deal will restrict fishing near colonies on Robben Island and Bird Island for 10 years, after long debate between industry and conservationists Efforts to stop the critically endangered African penguin from going extinct took a step forward on Tuesday after South African conservationists and fishing industry groups reached a legal settlement on no-fishing zones around…
Should Kids Do Chores?
Opinion The Science of ParentingMondays Should Kids Do Chores? They may tell us they hate chores, but kids who help around the house report feeling accomplished and competent, not to mention happy By Megha Satyanarayana edited by Jeanna Bryner Cut through the claims: Get email alerts for this weekly column I often ask my kids…
Robin Thicke’s Son Julian Is All Grown Up in Rare Red Carpet Outing
Robin Thicke’s teenage son Julian, who he shares with ex Paula Patton, joined his dad at the 2025 iHeartRadio Music Awards in Los Angeles March 17, marking his first red carpet appearance since 2023. The 2025 iHeartRadio Music Awards were a family affair for Robin Thicke. The “Blurred Lines” singer brought his 14-year-old son Julian…
iHeartRadio Music Awards 2025: See Every Celebrity on the Red Carpet
Hosted by LL Cool J, the 2025 iHeartRadio Music Awards brought the best and brightest performers to Los Angeles’ Dolby Theatre on March 17. See all the celebrities on the red carpet. You’ll heart these celebrities. After all, the 2025 iHeartRadio Music Awards was the place to be on March 17, with chart-toppers and performing…