Science News
Do Reptiles Have Moods, Too?
Long dismissed as unintelligent, reptiles are emerging as cognitively and emotionally complex animals. A new study involving tortoises suggests that they also possess mood states.
Kennedy to Announce Firing of Organ Transplant Group After Safety Problems
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is set to announce that the U.S. is firing a Miami-based organ donation coordinator, effectively closing it down — a warning to other transplant groups.
RFK Jr.’s Vaccine Committee to Vote on Hepatitis B and Covid Shots
The advisory committee, which will meet on Thursday and Friday, is expected to recommend limiting use of some vaccines, including the hepatitis B shot for newborns.
Trump Administration Stopping Efforts to Collect Scientific Data
A pattern of getting rid of statistics has emerged that echoes the president’s first term, when he suggested if the nation stopped testing for Covid, it would have few cases.
Senator and Insurers Cast Doubt on U.S. Vaccine Panel as It Readies Review
Insurers suggested they would still cover routine shots even if a C.D.C. panel tried to limit them, as an influential senator warned against new restrictions.
Susan Monarez, Fired C.D.C. Director, to Testify About Her Clash With Kennedy
At a Senate health committee hearing, Dr. Susan Monarez painted a picture of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as a man wedded to his own ideology and uninterested in government scientists.
A New Review of Climate Science Could Cause Headaches for Trump
A top scientific advisory body said there’s growing evidence that greenhouse gases threaten health, contradicting the administration’s legal arguments for rollbacks.
Western States Issue Their Own Vaccine Recommendations to Counter Kennedy
The guidelines, from California, Oregon, Washington and Hawaii, mirror those of major medical organizations. They were issued a day before an advisory panel was set to meet to review potential changes to federal recommendations.
Corals Won’t Survive a Warmer Planet, a New Study Finds
Most corals in the Atlantic Ocean will soon stop growing. Many are already dying, leaving shorelines and marine ecosystems vulnerable.
How Did Hands Evolve? Look to Your Anus, a New Study Suggests.
The evolutionary blueprint for hands was borrowed in part from a much older genetic plan for our nether regions, a new study suggests.
Oldest Dome-Headed Dinosaur Revealed by ‘Shockingly Beautiful’ Fossil
A specimen discovered in Mongolia is the most complete fossil yet found of a pachycephalosaur, a dinosaur believed to be built for head-butting.
Trump Wants States to Force More Drug Users Into Rehab: What to Know
The president wants to enforce involuntary commitment laws for severe drug use. But rehab is expensive, without enough beds for those who seek it.
Climate Change’s Toll in Europe This Summer: Thousands of Extra Deaths
Three times as many people in cities and towns died from severe heat as would have done in a world without human-caused warming, scientists said.
A Forgotten Cosmic Impact Was Hidden in a Museum’s Glass Shards
Scientists thought that an Australian museum’s collection of tektites came from an 800,000-year-old asteroid strike on Earth. Some of them turned out to be much older.
Surgeon General Nominee Pledges to Divest From Wellness Interests
In financial filings, Casey Means stated that she would liquidate holdings in companies that sell personal devices, supplements, tobacco and tech.
Pig Organ Transplants May Pose a Dilemma for Some Jews and Muslims
The taboo against pork is deeply entrenched in both religious traditions. But the prohibition is not absolute.
‘People Are Losing Hope’: Suicide Risk Is Rife in ICE Detention Centers
Immigrant detainees are not receiving proper mental health care, lawyers and advocacy groups say, and reports of suicide attempts are persistent.
New Research Helps Explain Gas Craters in Siberia
Spontaneous gas explosions appear to be increasing in northern Russia because of climate change and some specific local conditions.
RFK Jr.’s Vaccine Committee Likely to Target Hepatitis B Shot for Newborns
Committee members, some of whom are vaccine skeptics, are likely to recommend restricting the use of the shots at birth or delaying them until later in childhood.
Young People Suing Trump Over Climate Have Their Day in Federal Court
They claim Trump’s executive orders are unconstitutional. The government says their lawsuit should be thrown out. The two sides are set to clash this week in Montana.