CDC: US birth rate drops after slight post-COVID rebound
The fertility rate in the United States dropped in 2023, after a slight two-year rebound that followed the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a report released Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Provisional CDC data show that 3.59…
Pakistan’s Malaria Surge Linked to Climate Change
April 25 marks the global observance of World Malaria Day. Pakistan saw the world’s largest increase in malaria cases in 2022 following that year’s catastrophic flooding, according to the latest World Health Organization data. Experts say climate change was a…
Russia blocks UN resolution on peaceful use of outer space
new york — Russia blocked a U.N. Security Council resolution Wednesday reaffirming the need to prevent a nuclear arms race in outer space. The measure was proposed jointly by the United States, a nuclear power, and Japan, the only nation…
EU launches investigation into Chinese medical device market
The European Commission launched a probe into China’s public procurement of medical devices on Wednesday, the latest in a series of moves that ratchet up trade tensions ahead of President Xi Jinping’s visit to Europe next month. The investigation –…
As plastic treaty talks open, countries more divided than ever
Countries are under pressure to make progress on a first-ever global plastics treaty this week, but they face tense negotiations in the Canadian capital with parties deeply divided over what the treaty should include as talks begin on Tuesday. If…
‘Green’ Energy Observer vessel docked in NYC for Earth Day
Before the creation of engines, the ocean was full of low-emission vessels — they were called sailboats. Now a next-generation zero-emissions laboratory vessel called the Energy Observer recently docked in New York City to show off what this team hopes…
European Space Agency adds new astronauts in only fourth class since 1978
cologne, germany — For the past year, five fit, academically superior men and women have been spun in centrifuges, submerged for hours, deprived temporarily of oxygen, taught to camp in the snow, and schooled in physiology, anatomy, astronomy, meteorology, robotics,…
US charity trains medics to improve health care in rural Kenya
Experts say one of the health care challenges in Africa is a shortage of training and education for workers. To help, a U.S. charity called Mission to Heal is training local workers who serve patients in remote locations. Juma Majanga…
Earth Day puts focus on conservation efforts
Monday marks Earth Day, which for more than 50 years has placed a focus on clean air and water, addressing pollution and championing conservation efforts. U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson led the creation of Earth Day in April 1970, seeking to…
Will there be a ‘superbloom’ in California this year?
Carpets of yellow, orange and gold flowers are beginning to cover southern California’s vast deserts, the Bay Area’s dramatic bluffs, and even near Los Angeles International Airport. But do they add up to a “superbloom?” There is no single definition…