"Megadrought" may be the main weather concern across the West right now amid the constant threat of wildfires and earthquakes. But a new study warns another crisis is looming in California: "Megafloods." Climate change is increasing the risk of future floods that could submerge multiple cities and displace millions of people across California, according to a new study released Friday. It says that an extreme... Continue Reading →
Local Militia is Fighting Forest Fires
The parking lot of H&L Lumber in Mariposa, California, was host to a flurry of activity Sunday as members of a local militia sporting military-style fatigues handed out pancakes and steak sandwiches to evacuees of the Oak Fire raging nearby. Along with breakfast, they doled out business cards with QR codes and directions to join their... Continue Reading →
Texas Rancher’s Fight to Save 500-Deer Herd from Slaughter
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department was en route to Robert Williams’ farm, planning to kill his entire herd of whitetail deer, when word came through that a court had blocked the operation. On that day, in early April, parks and wildlife staffers almost followed through on a kill order that the state had issued... Continue Reading →
Giant African Land Snail Leads to Quarantine in Florida Over Meningitis Concerns
Florida, you’ve got snail. A Giant African Land Snail spotted in New Port Richey area of Pasco County, Florida. As a result, the Florida Department of Agriculture is telling everyone to get the “shell” outta there and establishing a quarantine area that stretches nearly six miles from the northwest corner of U.S. Highway 19. That’s... Continue Reading →
Supreme Court Issues Another Major Blow to Democrats
The Supreme Court on Thursday curtailed the Environmental Protection Agency’s powers to restrict greenhouse-gas emissions from power plants, in a decision that could limit the authority of government agencies to address major policy questions without congressional approval. The decision was in line with several Supreme Court decisions in recent years that reined in federal agencies... Continue Reading →
Over 1,000 Dead After Earthquake Strikes Afghanistan
More than 1,500 others were injured in the 5.9-magnitude quake, which was centered in the country’s remote southeast near the Pakistan border. At least 1,000 people were killed and more than 1,500 others injured after a 5.9-magnitude earthquake struck a remote and mountainous region of southeastern Afghanistan near the border with Pakistan early Wednesday, the... Continue Reading →
PETA Killing Dogs and Cats?
In an interview posted on Youtube on June 6, 2022, Ingrid Newkirk, founder of the animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), discussed several subjects, including claims made in 2004 by comedy team Penn & Teller that PETA kills dogs and cats. Ms. Newkirk described the Penn & Teller claims as... Continue Reading →
Engineers Create an Enzyme That Breaks Down Plastic Waste in Hours
As you've no doubt noticed, there's a worryingly large amount of plastic pollution, and scientists are working hard to find ways to use plastic without causing so much long-term damage to the environment around us. A new study outlines the use of a specially created enzyme variant that vastly reduces the time it takes to... Continue Reading →
Geologist Faces Death Penalty in Iraq for Strange Law
A retired British geologist accused of smuggling historic items out of Iraq is facing the death penalty has said he did not know he had broken the law. Jim Fitton, 66, took 12 stones and shards of broken pottery he had found at an archaelogical site in Eridu. Fitton has been in custody since March... Continue Reading →
Why Are Octopus And Squid So Smart?
Cephalopods have been breaking the rules with their genomes. Squid, octopus and cuttlefish have scrambled-up genomes that may help explain how these cephalopods evolved the most complicated nervous systems of any invertebrate. New genetic sequencing reveals that these animals' genes are mixed up, arranged in strange orders not seen in other, non-cephalopod species. This DNA mixing and matching may have given evolution a... Continue Reading →