May 23 White House unveils new efforts to guide federally backed research of artificial intelligence By Aamer Madhani, Associated Press Among the moves unveiled by the administration was a tweak to the United States' strategic plan on artificial intelligence research to add greater emphasis on international collaboration with allies. Continue reading
May 23 Firefighting foam contaminates public water system in Maine By Associated Press The foam used by firefighters who battled a deadly blaze at an apartment building in Waterville is presumed to contain PFAS chemicals, a group of compounds that are widespread, dangerous and expensive to remove from drinking water. Continue reading
May 23 Here are 8 tips for parents and kids on social media use — from the U.S. surgeon general By Barbara Ortutay, Associated Press The U.S. surgeon general is calling for tech companies and lawmakers to take "immediate action" to protect kids' and adolescents' mental health on social media. But after years of middling and insufficient action, parents and young people still bear most… Continue reading
May 22 Watch 5:11 What the Colorado River water use agreement will mean for western states By William Brangham, Dorothy Hastings The Biden administration reached a landmark deal with several western states to stave off an immediate crisis with the Colorado River and the communities that are dependent on it. Under the agreement, California, Arizona and Nevada will take less water… Continue watching
May 22 Tipping Point: Agriculture on the brink — A PBS NewsHour Special By Miles O'Brien As the world's population expands-- with some United Nations estimates saying it will reach nearly 10 billion people in the next three decades--as do concerns about how to feed the population sustainably. Continue reading
May 22 Analysis: We shed our DNA everywhere we go. Here’s why that raises privacy concerns By Jenny Whilde, Jessica Alice Farrell, The Conversation Environmental DNA provides a wealth of information for conservationists, archaeologists and forensic scientists. But the unintentional pickup of human genetic information raises ethical questions. Continue reading
May 22 2 million killed, $4.3 trillion in damages from extreme weather over past half-century, UN agency says By Associated Press The stark recap from the World Meteorological Organization came as it opened its four-yearly congress among member countries, pressing the message that more needs to be done to improve alert systems for extreme weather events by a target date of… Continue reading
May 22 Mexico’s Popocatepetl volcano continues to spew ash and gas By Associated Press The nearly 18,000-foot (more than 5,400-meter) mountain is just 45 miles (about 70 kilometers) southeast of Mexico City and known affectionately as "El Popo."… Continue reading
May 22 3 Western states propose plan to reduce Colorado River water use By Suman Naishadham, Ken Ritter, Associated Press Arizona, California and Nevada on Monday proposed a deal to significantly cut their water use from the drought-stricken Colorado River over the next three years. It's a potential breakthrough in a stalemate over how to deal with a rising problem… Continue reading
May 21 SpaceX launches private flight carrying Saudi Arabia’s 1st woman astronaut to ISS By Marcia Dunn, Associated Press Saudi Arabia’s first astronauts in decades, including the first Saudi female astronaut, rocketed toward the International Space Station on a chartered multimillion-dollar SpaceX flight Sunday. Continue reading