Nation Feb 23 New York moves to regulate a ‘likely human carcinogen’ in drinking water New York state is proposing the country’s first firm limit on a chemical found in drinking water in heavy concentrations in some Long Island, New York communities. 1,4-dioxane has been labeled a “likely human carcinogen” by the EPA, but is…
World Dec 09 Brexit may divert power from these ocean energy advances As Scotland moves ahead with bringing tidal energy from an emerging technology to a commercial reality, Brexit could shake up the ocean power industry. To end a two-part series on advances in this field, Hari Sreenivasan heads to an ocean…
World Dec 08 Scotland is betting on tidal energy As Scotland transitions from fossil fuels to renewable energy, it is investing in an unexpected source: tidal currents. Similar to wind turbines, which sit above ground, tidal turbines are one hundred feet below water and use tides instead of wind…
Nation Nov 11 Can an entire town run on solar? In an attempt to “do it the right way,” developer Syd Kitson is building Babcock Ranch, an 18,000-acre planned community just north of Ft. Meyers, with hope that it can operate almost entirely on solar power. So far about 200…
Politics Oct 21 Will conservative Nebraska vote to expand Medicaid? Nebraskans will vote in November on whether to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. The state’s Republican legislature and governors have refused to expand Medicaid after states were given that option in 2012 by the Supreme Court. The ballot…
Science Oct 13 This leather substitute is grown in a New Jersey lab Modern Meadow, a New Jersey-based startup, is using biotechnology to produce material that looks and feels similar to leather. The company says that producing this leather-like material, made of lab-grown collagen, carries a lower environmental impact than other means of…
Nation Sep 15 Can blockchain help fill journalism’s funding gaps? The New York-based startup Civil launched last year with the goal of using blockchain -- the same technology that powers the cryptocurrency Bitcoin -- to help to build a network of independent news organizations with a sustainable business model. Civil…
Nation Aug 04 Police face new challenges when determining if someone is too high to drive As states across the country legalize marijuana, efforts to determine whether someone is too high to drive is becoming a thorny public health issue. From brain functioning analyses and phone apps to training police officers on looking for signs, Hari…
Science Jul 14 ‘Living shorelines’ use oyster shells and marsh grass to reverse coastal erosion Americans who live along coastlines are watching their land disappear and property threatened as climate change causes sea levels to rise. While homeowners often rely on expensive seawalls and bulkheads to slow the erosion, a growing number are building “living…
Politics May 26 Voters will rank candidates in Maine’s June primary As states around the country run primaries ahead of midterm elections, Maine will be the first to use a ranked-choice system where voters rate candidates instead of voting for their favorite. This structure ensures that winners collect the majority of…