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Is the Western drought finally ending? That depends on where you look

  • Written by Dan McEvoy, Associate Research Professor in Climatology, Desert Research Institute
imageCalifornia's snowpack was more than twice the average in much of the state in early March 2023.Mario Tama/Getty Images

After three years of extreme drought, the Western U.S. is finally getting a break. Mountain ranges are covered in deep snow, and water reservoirs in many areas are filling up following a series of atmospheric rivers that brought...

Read more: Is the Western drought finally ending? That depends on where you look

Why it's hard for the US to cut or even control Medicare spending

  • Written by Dennis W. Jansen, Professor of Economics and Director of the Private Enterprise Research Center, Texas A&M University
imageThe number of Americans covered by Medicare is growing.OR Images/DigitalVision via Getty Images

President Joe Biden’s 2024 proposed budget includes plans to shore up the finances of Medicare, the federal health insurance program that covers Americans who are 65 and up and some younger people with disabilities.

His administration aims to...

Read more: Why it's hard for the US to cut or even control Medicare spending

Water in space – a 'Goldilocks' star reveals previously hidden step in how water gets to planets like Earth

  • Written by John Tobin, Scientist, National Radio Astronomy Observatory
imageThe star system V883 Orionis contains a rare star surrounded by a disk of gas, ice and dust.A. Angelich (NRAO/AUI/NSF)/ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO), CC BY

Without water, life on Earth could not exist as it does today. Understanding the history of water in the universe is critical to understanding how planets like Earth come to be.

Astronomers typically...

Read more: Water in space – a 'Goldilocks' star reveals previously hidden step in how water gets to planets...

US regulators avoided a banking crisis by swift action following SVB's collapse – but the cracks it exposed continue to weaken the global financial system's foundation

  • Written by D. Brian Blank, Assistant Professor of Finance, Mississippi State University
imageThe cracks in the financial system are growing. John Sommer/E+ via Getty Images

U.S. regulators’ swift reaction to the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and two other lenders partially restored calm to markets, but concerns remain over the stability of the global financial system.

The government on March 16, 2023, orchestrated a US$30 billion...

Read more: US regulators avoided a banking crisis by swift action following SVB's collapse – but the cracks...

Downing of US drone in Russian jet encounter prompts counterclaims of violations in the sky – an international law expert explores the arguments

  • Written by Ashley S. Deeks, Professor of Scholarly Research in Law, University of Virginia
imageA U.S. surveillance drone flies over the USS Coronado in the Pacific Ocean during an April 2021 drill.U.S. Navy/Chief Mass Communication Specialist Shannon Renfroe

The details are disputed, but either way the result was the same: On March 14, 2023, a U.S. drone crashed into the Black Sea after an encounter with Russian aircraft.

According to the...

Read more: Downing of US drone in Russian jet encounter prompts counterclaims of violations in the sky – an...

AI information retrieval: A search engine researcher explains the promise and peril of letting ChatGPT and its cousins search the web for you

  • Written by Chirag Shah, Professor of Information Science, University of Washington
imageLarge language model AI responds to questions but doesn't actually know anything and is prone to making things up.Charles Taylor/iStock via Getty Images

The prominent model of information access before search engines became the norm – librarians and subject or search experts providing relevant information – was interactive,...

Read more: AI information retrieval: A search engine researcher explains the promise and peril of letting...

'Pantry porn' on TikTok and Instagram makes obsessively organized kitchens a new status symbol

  • Written by Jenna Drenten, Associate Professor of Marketing, Loyola University Chicago
imageInfluencers have started filming themselves shopping for supplies, prepping food, refilling containers and organizing their pantries.Valeriy_G/iStock via Getty Images Plus

Neatly aligned glass spice jars tagged with printed white labels. Wicker baskets filled with packages of pasta, crackers and snacks. Rows of flavored seltzer water stacked in...

Read more: 'Pantry porn' on TikTok and Instagram makes obsessively organized kitchens a new status symbol

Climate change threatens spring wildflowers by speeding up the time when trees leaf out above them

  • Written by Richard B. Primack, Professor of Biology, Boston University
imageNative wildflowers, such as these Dutchman’s breeches (_Dicentra cucullaria_) that bloom early in spring are losing access to sunlight as trees leaf out earlier.Katja Schulz/Flickr, CC BY

For short-lived spring wildflowers such as wood anemone (Anemone quinquefolia) and Dutchman’s breeches (Dicentra cucullaria), timing is everything....

Read more: Climate change threatens spring wildflowers by speeding up the time when trees leaf out above them

How to use free satellite data to monitor natural disasters and environmental changes

  • Written by Qiusheng Wu, Assistant Professor of Geography and Sustainability, University of Tennessee
imageOver 8,000 satellites are orbiting Earth today, capturing images like this, of the Louisiana coast.NASA Earth Observatory

If you want to track changes in the Amazon rainforest, see the full expanse of a hurricane or figure out where people need help after a disaster, it’s much easier to do with the view from a satellite orbiting a few hundred...

Read more: How to use free satellite data to monitor natural disasters and environmental changes

El consumo de alcohol está ampliamente aceptado en Estados Unidos pero incluso el consumo moderado está asociado a numerosos efectos nocivos

  • Written by Christina Mair, Associate Professor of Behavioral and Community Health Sciences, University of Pittsburgh
imageCada vez más investigaciones demuestran que se han minimizado los peligros del alcohol y exagerado sus beneficios.

Durante el primer mes del año, como parte de una tradición que se conoce como “enero seco”, millones de estadounidenses se comprometen a evitar el alcohol durante 31 días a fin de desintoxicarse...

Read more: El consumo de alcohol está ampliamente aceptado en Estados Unidos pero incluso el consumo moderado...

More Articles ...

  1. What the research shows about risks of myocarditis from COVID vaccines versus risks of heart damage from COVID – two pediatric cardiologists explain how to parse the data
  2. Syrian earthquake devastated an area that was already a disaster zone – and highlights the vital role of local aid groups
  3. I went to CPAC to take MAGA supporters' pulse – China and transgender people are among the top 'demons' they say are ruining the country
  4. What exactly is the internet? A computer scientist explains what it is and how it came to be
  5. Marburg virus outbreaks are increasing in frequency and geographic spread – three virologists explain
  6. Smell is the crucial sense that holds ant society together, helping the insects recognize, communicate and cooperate with one another
  7. Vinyl record sales keep spinning and spinning – with no end in sight
  8. JetBlue merger with Spirit not cleared for takeoff – why Justice Department is suing to scupper deal
  9. Silicon Valley Bank biggest US lender to fail since 2008 financial crisis – a finance expert explains the impact
  10. Who are Jehovah's Witnesses? A religion scholar explains the history of the often misunderstood group
  11. Why employment remains red hot even as the Federal Reserve tries to put job market on ice
  12. 5 tips for women to negotiate a higher salary
  13. Biggest racial gap in prison is among violent offenders – focusing on intervention instead of incarceration could change the numbers
  14. Distant star TOI-700 has two potentially habitable planets orbiting it – making it an excellent candidate in the search for life
  15. Syria's earthquake survivors struggle in a disaster made far worse by civil war, bombed-out hospitals and currency collapse
  16. Robots are performing Hindu rituals -- some devotees fear they'll replace worshippers
  17. Once the Callery pear tree was landscapers' favorite – now states are banning this invasive species and urging homeowners to cut it down
  18. Should you pay for Meta's and Twitter’s verified identity subscriptions? A social media researcher explains how the choice you face affects everyone else
  19. Leading American medical journal continues to omit Black research, reinforcing a legacy of racism in medical knowledge
  20. How the 'Holman rule' allows the House to fast-track proposals to gut government programs without debate or much thought at all
  21. Regulating 'forever chemicals': 3 essential reads on PFAS
  22. Why Meta’s embrace of a ‘flat’ management structure may not lead to the innovation and efficiency Mark Zuckerberg seeks
  23. What parents and educators need to know about teens’ pornography and sexting experiences at school
  24. What is a pogrom? Israeli mob attack has put a century-old word in the spotlight
  25. Eli Lilly is cutting insulin prices and capping copays at $35 – 5 questions answered
  26. El trayecto del trabajo a casa es más que una pérdida de tiempo: los beneficios psicológicos de los desplazamientos que el trabajo a distancia no proporciona
  27. Republicans are trying to build a multiracial right – will it work?
  28. A little bit of narcissism is normal and healthy – here's how to tell when it becomes pathological
  29. Politicians' health problems are important information for voters -- but reporters and candidates often conceal them
  30. 3 ways to prevent school shootings, based on research
  31. Radio interference from satellites is threatening astronomy – a proposed zone for testing new technologies could head off the problem
  32. The retention problem: Women are going into tech but are also being driven out
  33. 5 things to know about Moldova and Transnistria – and why Russia's war in Ukraine is threatening their security, too
  34. Three AI experts on how access to ChatGPT-style tech is about to change our world – podcast
  35. Why the humble city bus is the key to improving US public transit
  36. The brief but shining life of Paul Laurence Dunbar, a poet who gave dignity to the Black experience
  37. Overclassification overkill: The US government is drowning in a sea of secrets
  38. Poland’s hospitality is helping many Ukrainian refugees thrive – 5 takeaways
  39. At a small liberal arts college, Black students learned to become 'bicultural' to succeed and get jobs – but stress followed
  40. Why can't Americans agree on, well, nearly anything? Philosophy has some answers
  41. The cautionary tale of 'Dilbert'
  42. Understanding mass incarceration in the US is the first step to reducing a swollen prison population
  43. I've spent 5 years researching the heroic life of Black musician Graham Jackson, but teaching his story could be illegal under laws in Florida and North Dakota
  44. Sibling aggression and abuse go beyond rivalry – bullying within a family can have lifelong repercussions
  45. Student debt cancellation program in jeopardy as Supreme Court justices hear arguments
  46. Mocking the police got an Ohio man arrested – and the Supreme Court ignored The Onion's plea to define the limits of parody
  47. Which state you live in matters for how well environmental laws protect your health
  48. Why the pronouns used for God matter
  49. 30 years later, Waco siege still resonates – especially among anti-government extremists
  50. Biologists discovered a new species of tiny owl on the forested island of Príncipe, and it's already under threat – Podcast