Jan 28 Climate change made conditions that fed California wildfires more likely and intense, preliminary study finds By Seth Borenstein, Associated Press Tuesday's report, too rapid for peer-review yet, found global warming boosted the likelihood of high fire weather conditions in this month's fires by 35 percent and its intensity by 6 percent. Continue reading
Jan 28 Chinese tech startup DeepSeek’s chatbot sparks discussion about AI competition By Kanis Leung, Associated Press Observers are eager to see whether the Chinese company has matched America's leading AI companies at a fraction of the cost. Continue reading
Jan 27 What is DeepSeek? Here’s a quick guide to the Chinese AI company By Matt O'Brien, Associated Press Some U.S. tech industry observers worry the Chinese startup has caught up with the American companies at the forefront of generative AI at a fraction of the cost. Continue reading
Jan 26 Watch 4:59 Study finds gender-affirming medical care for minors is very rare, refuting political narrative By John Yang, Claire Mufson, Kaisha Young Trump and Republican candidates made rolling back federal protections for transgender people a big issue, spending hundreds of millions of dollars on TV ads, much of it focused on gender-affirming care for minors. Despite the attention, a new study finds… Continue watching
Jan 26 Watch 3:44 How sail-powered cargo ships are charting a course to sustainability on the high seas By John Yang, Claire Mufson Eighty percent of all global trade travels by sea, and the ships carrying those goods account for 3 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. Now, some shipping companies are taking a new tack as they try to navigate the industry… Continue watching
Jan 25 The FDA banned Red 3 food coloring. A scientist explains the dye’s history and health risks By Lorne J. Hofseth, The Conversation Over 35 years after the first study linking the artificial food dye Red 3 to thyroid cancer in rats was published, the U.S. is beginning to phase it out of foods and drugs. Continue reading
Jan 24 Trump criticizes California water policy before touring LA fire damage By Amy Taxin, Associated Press President Donald Trump has used social media and interviews to accuse the state of sending too much water to the Pacific Ocean instead of south toward Los Angeles and highlighted how some hydrants ran dry in the early hours of… Continue reading
Jan 23 Watch 5:35 Meet the small team behind the Watch Duty app giving life-saving wildfire updates By Stephanie Sy, Sam Lane Ever since the deadly wildfires began in Los Angeles two weeks ago, residents have largely turned to one app for the most up-to-date information. It’s called Watch Duty and Stephanie Sy spoke to two members of the small team that… Continue watching
Jan 23 While Trump pursues more fossil fuels, Europe posts a record year for renewable energy use By Sibi Arasu, Associated Press Nearly three-quarters of the EU's electricity doesn't emit planet-warming gases into the air. Continue reading
Jan 21 New wildfires flare in Southern California as dangerous winds return By Christopher Weber, Associated Press The National Weather Service warned of a “particularly dangerous situation” across Los Angeles, Ventura and San Diego counties due to low humidity and powerful Santa Ana winds. Continue reading