Science & Technology
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California will fare better than other states as Trump guts climate reporting rules
For nearly 20 years, thousands of industrial plants across the U.S. and California have been required to track and report the greenhouse gas pollution they spew into the atmosphere.
This month, the Trump administration moved to permanently end that program, which has long held bipartisan support, originating during the administration of George ...Read more

Study calculates value of Virginia coastal wetlands at $90 million
Wetlands in Hampton Roads are an important part of the ecosystem, and a new study attempts to quantify their worth to the community by calculating a monetary value.
The study, by the William & Mary Batten School and the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, found that the Middle Peninsula’s wetlands are worth about $90 million.
Researchers ...Read more

Santa Monica's waves have turned a bright pink. How can the dye job improve water quality?
Over the next two weeks, surfers and beachgoers in Santa Monica may spot waves that have a pink, fluorescent hue — but officials say not to worry.
The luminous, pink color spreading across the Santa Monica Bay is from a temporary, nontoxic dye that researchers are using to study how ocean circulation might contribute to the bay's poor water ...Read more
Shark chomps on seal close to Massachusetts beaches: 'We're in peak white shark season'
BOSTON — It was only a matter of time before a white shark showed up for breakfast.
Shark researcher John Chisholm called it when he spotted a colony of seals off Plymouth’s Manomet Point over the weekend.
Soon after, a great white shark chomped on one of the seals — leading to the seal’s likely death and triggering beach closures.
�...Read more

Gaining ground: Native plants surge as gardeners try to save bees, butterflies
CHICAGO -- On a quiet street in Wilmette, Illinois, native plants bloom in broad sweeps and bright bursts, bringing color and life to what was once an ordinary strip of lawn separating the sidewalk from the curb.
The violet blossoms of blue vervain hover above clusters of frosty-white mountain mint, golden lanceleaf coreopsis, orange butterfly ...Read more

Should a 'Florida Springs National Park' be created? Environmental advocates are torn
ORLANDO, Fla. — A Florida congressman’s proposal to stitch together a patchwork of springs in North and Central Florida into the country’s 64th national park won’t help protect the state’s outstanding, and crucial, freshwater resource, springs advocates say.
U.S. Rep Randy Fine’s Path to Florida Springs National Park Act would ...Read more
A security robot failed in NYC. Now, it's trying to protect downtown Kansas City
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — For 20 hours a day, seven days a week, a security robot rolls around the old Kansas City Star building on the 1600 block of McGee Street, like the 21st century version of a street patrolling beat cop.
No, the robot is not an employee of the Kansas City Police Department. But, in some ways, the white, bullet-shaped, sub-5-...Read more
Copperhead snakes more active across Maryland with cooler weather
BALTIMORE — The Maryland Department of Natural Resources announced that baby Eastern copperheads will start becoming more active as the weather becomes cooler and milder.
This brown, camouflaged venomous pit viper is found throughout much of Maryland and can be seen wriggling around forests and swamps this time of year.
Copperheads tend to ...Read more
SpaceX set for Sunday launch to space station with sonic boom in store
SpaceX is lending a hand to fellow commercial cargo company Northrop Grumman once again with a planned launch Sunday evening on the Space Coast to send supplies to the International Space Station that could also bring a sonic boom to parts of Central Florida.
A Falcon 9 rocket is slated to lift off on the NG-23 resupply mission to the ISS with ...Read more

With Trump eyeing space station demise, NASA pushes for commercial replacements
ORLANDO, Fla. — President Donald Trump and his new interim head of NASA Sean Duffy are pushing for a renewed effort to shuffle off the responsibility of running the International Space Station in favor of becoming a customer of a commercial space station provider instead.
NASA first doled out funds in 2021 for several groups to pursue private...Read more

Preview: ‘Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds’ offers twist to kart racing
Although Mario is the biggest name in kart racing, it’s not the only game in town. Plenty of other franchises have expended into the family-friendly genre. Crash Bandicoot, Mickey Mouse, Sponge Bob and the “Family Guy” crew have all had some time behind the wheel, but the “Sonic Racing” series is the one that has seen the most ...Read more

Pollen season is lasting longer, worsening allergies and altering pollinators
CHICAGO -- Fall is in the air. Chicago evenings have a crisp breeze. But something has been bugging Annie Andrews.
Specifically, bees and wasps and a whole lot of sneezing.
“It’s gotten to a point, like, I couldn’t stop sneezing during a shift,” said the 28-year-old restaurant server. Earlier this week, she thought, “I need to take ...Read more

Commentary: One year after dams were torn down, an Indigenous writer sees a healing Klamath River
Over the last two years, I have traveled repeatedly to the Klamath River near the California-Oregon border to report on the dismantling of four dams. I saw crews in excavators as they clawed at the remnants of the Copco No. 1 and Iron Gate dams. And as the giant reservoirs were drained, I saw newly planted seeds taking root in soil that had been...Read more

Return to pre-COVID routines has brought Atlanta unhealthier air
ATLANTA — For many, the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic were a time of fear, sickness and disruption. But as offices and schools went remote, there were a few silver linings.
As people stayed home and the roads cleared, so did the skies — especially in car-centric cities like Atlanta.
In 2022, the federal Environmental Protection ...Read more
'Enormous' mountain on Pacific seafloor rivals Rocky Mountain peaks, NOAA says
An “enormous” submerged mountain that rivals peaks in the Rockies has been mapped for the first time in a previously unexplored area of the western Pacific, according to NOAA Ocean Exploration.
The seamount is 250 miles north of Palau — an island country east of the Philippines — and multibeam sonar revealed its peak is hidden about 800...Read more
Beloved SoCal octopus will spend her final days caring for eggs that will never hatch
LOS ANGELES — A beloved octopus is entering the last stage of her life in Long Beach,and will spend the remainder of her days caring for eggs that will never hatch.
News of the approaching demise of Ghost — a giant Pacific octopus who has called the Aquarium of the Pacific home for more than a year — prompted an outpouring of sadness on ...Read more

Environmental groups mixed on outcome of secret California climate negotiations
The California Legislature’s big, last-minute climate deal is drawing mixed reactions from the environmental community.
Talks over California’s cap-and-trade program, which effectively forces polluters to pay the state for excess carbon emissions, ended as the shot clock was running out Tuesday night. Negotiations between representatives ...Read more

Boeing's new defense-minded engineering center in Florida promises 400 jobs
DAYTONA BEACH, Florida — Boeing celebrated its new Florida investment Wednesday with the opening of a defense industry hub on the campus of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.
Company and school officials were joined by elected officials Wednesday to cut the ribbon on Boeing’s takeover of a new 65,000-square-foot building within ERAU’s ...Read more

Gadgets: A rugged Bluetooth speaker
The latest and greatest in the world of portable Bluetooth speakers today might not make the cut tomorrow. Sound is the key feature, but what about size, waterproof rating and other factors?
Soundcore's Boom 3i is designed for extreme outdoor conditions. Its IP68 waterproof/dust-proof rating allows it to withstand being fully submerged in ...Read more

‘Monster Hunter Now’ announces Expedition Bases and more features
“Monster Hunter Now” will celebrate its second anniversary and it’s going to be a big one, with a new season called “Advent of the Exploration Base.” It introduces several major updates while adding to the changes from Season 6: “Scarlet Gaze in the Gloom.”
Kicking off Sept. 18, “Advent of the Exploration Base” introduces ...Read more
Popular Stories
- A security robot failed in NYC. Now, it's trying to protect downtown Kansas City
- Shark chomps on seal close to Massachusetts beaches: 'We're in peak white shark season'
- Study calculates value of Virginia coastal wetlands at $90 million
- Santa Monica's waves have turned a bright pink. How can the dye job improve water quality?
- Should a 'Florida Springs National Park' be created? Environmental advocates are torn