LOS ANGELES -- For decades, biologists have studied how cities affect wildlife by altering food supplies, fragmenting habitats and polluting the environment. But a new global study argues that these physical factors are only part of the story. Societal factors, the researchers claim, especially those tied to religion, politics and war, also ...Read more

Before O.J. Simpson’s “trial of the century,” another courtroom clash riveted America and merited that title. In the sleepy town of Dayton, Tenn., on July 10, 1925, the Scopes “Monkey Trial” was gaveled to order. The issues contested in the second-story courtroom of the Rhea County courthouse may seem long settled, but they still ...Read more

The Virginia Marine Resources Commission voted to review potential regulations that would require modifications to crab pots to discourage the unintentional capture of diamondback terrapins.

Diamondback terrapins, found all along the East Coast, are the only turtles found in brackish water, and problems begin when they move into areas with crab...Read more

The four private visitors to the International Space Station of the Axiom Space Ax-4 mission are headed back to Earth riding home on the newest SpaceX Crew Dragon making its first return home.

Former NASA astronaut and now Axiom Space employee Peggy Whitson climbed aboard Crew Dragon Grace early Monday along with customers Shubhanshu Shukla of ...Read more

For years, science fiction has promised a future filled with robots that can swim, crawl and fly like animals. In one research lab at Caltech, what once felt like distant imagination is becoming reality.

At first glance, they look like any other moon jellyfish — soft-bodied, translucent and ghostlike, as their bell-shaped bodies pulse gently ...Read more

An early Sunday morning SpaceX launch marked the 60th orbital mission from the Space Coast from all companies for the year, but also the 500th successful mission for the workhorse Falcon 9 rocket.

The rocket lifted off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 1:04 a.m. carrying an Israeli communications satellite ...Read more

MERRITT ISLAND, Fla. — The nation’s spaceports can now take advantage of tax-free bonds for the first time after Trump signed the “Big Beautiful Bill” last week, and the Space Coast looks to benefit.

U.S. Sen. Ashley Moody on Friday detailed what it means for Florida from the headquarters of Space Florida, the state’s aerospace ...Read more

MIAMI — The invasive Burmese pythons plaguing Florida have an almost supernatural ability to absorb skeletons and scientists say they have finally found out how it’s done.

Turns out the intimidating predators have “previously unknown cell type” in the walls of their intestines that completely dissolves skeletons, according to a study ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — Budget cuts, staff reductions and other sweeping changes from the federal government are posing real threats to California’s environment and progress against climate change, state officials said Thursday.

At a gathering of the state’s top leaders in wildfire response, water resources, natural lands and clean energy, they ...Read more

For nearly a month, hundreds of thousands of Iowans have not been allowed to water their lawns — even though there’s no drought.

Local authorities previously asked the public to refrain from washing cars and filling pools. And some cities turned off splash pads in the height of summer heat.

While such measures are common during dry periods...Read more

PITTSBURGH — One bird spectacle readily observable in Allegheny County right now comes in the form of 100 purple martins swirling above the fields and their condos at Harrison Hills Park.

Nesting in colonies, the handsome dark purple bird is the largest swallow in the nation, boasting a 16-inch wingspan and gobbling up thousands of insects.

...Read more

As sizzling temperatures sweep across Southern California this week, University of California, Los Angeles researchers have released an alarming new finding — the duration of heat waves is increasing faster than global warming itself.

Researchers found that not only are heat waves getting hotter, but they're also becoming longer at a rate ...Read more

The story of Great Lakes whitefish is not a happy one, state fish biologist Stephen Lenart warned on Thursday, but it needs to be told as their numbers decline.

Lenart presented the uncomfortable facts about the iconic Great Lakes species during a Michigan Natural Resource Commission meeting on Thursday.

The long-lived fish are prized table ...Read more

If you’ve played the video game “The Last of Us” or seen the television adaption, then you’ve heard of cordyceps — a “zombie” fungus that infects its host and takes over its body. This leads to the main plotline of a post-apocalyptic wasteland filled with “infected” humans shooting fungal spores from every pore.

The cordyceps ...Read more

There’s nowhere to park right now at the International Space Station for NASA’s next Commercial Crew Program launch, but a slot should clear next week allowing for the launch of Crew-11 as early as July 31.

That’s because the private Axiom Space Ax-4 mission that arrived to the space station two weeks ago could depart as early as Monday, ...Read more

Microsoft plans to donate $4 billion worth of cash, technology and training to enhance artificial intelligence education, a substantial bequest as the Redmond, Washington-based software giant aims to make billions more off a technology it expects to be on par with the introduction of electricity.

Microsoft President Brad Smith announced the ...Read more

The vast tract of land off Route 85 was meant to be a symbol of Made-in-America manufacturing. A billion-dollar battery factory was going to rise, bringing thousands of new jobs. The business announced, “Get Ready Arizona,” the governor said the state was thrilled and even the U.S. president gave the project a shoutout.

But here, in the ...Read more