Jan 15 Watch 3:58 Omicron spreads as free home tests are set to roll out By PBS NewsHour Starting Saturday, private insurers are required to cover the cost of up to eight at-home testing kits, while those without insurance can get a free kit from the federal government. Meanwhile, COVID-19 cases rose by another 800,000 across the U.S. Continue watching
Jan 15 Volcano erupts in Pacific near Tonga, West Coast of U.S. under tsunami advisory By Nick Perry, Associated Press An undersea volcano erupted in spectacular fashion Saturday near the Pacific nation of Tonga, sending tsunami waves crashing across the shore and people rushing to higher ground. Tsunami advisories were issued for Hawaii, Alaska and the U.S. Pacific coast. Continue reading
Jan 14 Watch 7:23 Kenya’s worst drought in decades creates humanitarian crisis By Jack Hewson, Georgina Smith The worst drought in decades is gripping eastern Africa -- parching landscapes, killing livestock and creating a humanitarian crisis. Driven by climate change, it's also leading to civil strife, as shepherding communities battle each other for scarce resources. Special correspondent… Continue watching
Jan 14 Ocean heat is at record levels, with major consequences By Kevin Trenberth, The Conversation While surface temperatures were about the 6th warmest on record in 2021, the upper oceans were at their hottest – and they’re a stronger indicator of global warming. Continue reading
Jan 13 For 6th straight year, Earth sets record for hottest in history By Seth Borenstein, Associated Press Two U.S. science agencies say 2021 was the sixth hottest year on record globally, part of a long-term warming trend. NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Thursday released measurements showing how hot last year was. Continue reading
Jan 12 2021’s deadliest, coldest, most expensive U.S. disasters, by the numbers By Isabella Isaacs-Thomas The contiguous U.S. suffered the largest number of disaster-related deaths in a decade, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said this week. Continue reading
Jan 12 WATCH: House Agriculture committee hearing on electric vehicle investments for rural America By News Desk The House Committee for Agriculture held a hearing on Wednesday regarding electric vehicle investments in rural parts of the United States. Continue reading
Jan 10 In a first, U.S. surgeons transplant a genetically modified pig heart into a human patient By Carla K. Johnson, Associated Press Friday's surgery showed for the first time that a gene-edited animal heart can function in the human body without immediate rejection. Continue reading
Jan 08 Watch 5:59 NASA’s new Webb space telescope opens its golden ‘eye’ By PBS NewsHour The world’s most powerful telescope unfurled its final mirror today as it sped away to its final destination one million miles from earth. NASA completed the final step of the Webb telescope’s difficult two-week initiation process Saturday, unfolding the final… Continue watching
Jan 08 Turkmenistan’s leader wants ‘Gates of Hell’ fire put out By Associated Press The president of Turkmenistan is calling for an end to one of the country’s most notable but infernal sights — the blazing natural gas crater widely referred to as the “Gates of Hell.”… Continue reading