Science

Chart: Illegal Border Crossing Apprehensions Have Fallen Steadily Since 2000

3 Charts That Show What's Actually Happening Along The Southern Border

10:02pm June 22, 2018

The number of people taken into custody at the southern U.S. border with Mexico has been decreasing since 2000. Economists say the reasons people choose to cross the border illegally are changing.

Hepatitis C virus is typically transmitted through blood, but an infected person who spits at someone can run afoul of the law in some jurisdictions.

Laws That Criminalize Spread Of Infectious Diseases Can Increase Their Stigma

4:15pm June 22, 2018

by Michelle Andrews

About a dozen states have added hepatitis C to the list of medical conditions for which people can face criminal prosecution if they knowingly engage in activities that could spread the disease.

Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke at his confirmation hearing last year. Congressional Democrats and a public watchdog group are calling for an ethics investigation into Zinke over a land deal between his family foundation and oil and gas company Halliburton.

Emails Raise Questions About Interior Secretary Zinke's Link With Oil Executive

2:25pm June 22, 2018

by Nate Hegyi

Congressional Democrats and a public watchdog group are calling for an ethics investigation into the secretary over a land deal between Zinke's family foundation and oil and gas company Halliburton.

Puerto Rican residents received food and water from FEMA after Hurricane Maria, but many complained that some boxes were stuffed with candy and salty snacks, not meals.

Food Aid To Puerto Rico Is Salty, Sugary, And Unbalanced, Researcher Says

9:00am June 22, 2018

by Sara Kiley Watson

A professor of public health found boxes filled with sugary or high-sodium snacks was sent to people in need of meals after Hurricane Maria, and says food aid needs to be more nutritious.

A Miami-Dade County mosquito control worker sprays around a home in August 2016 in the Wynwood area of Miami. A University of Florida study recently identified the first known human case of the mosquito-borne Keystone virus.

Keystone Virus Makes Jump From Mosquitoes To Human For First Time

11:42pm June 21, 2018

by Vanessa Romo

The first known human case of the virus was identified in a Florida teen after a year of tests. Known symptoms include fever and a severe rash, but it's unclear if it causes brain inflammation.

A dust storm has reduced sunlight and visibility on Mars. But NASA's Curiosity rover, seen in a self-portrait taken last week in the Gale Crater, runs on nuclear energy and is powering through.

Science

Mars Dust Storm Now 'Planet-Encircling,' Dimming Hopes For NASA Rover

7:23pm June 21, 2018

by Amy Held

As the dust storm grows and the solar-paneled Opportunity remains asleep, the younger Curiosity rover has been able to power through.

The skull of a new species of ancient ape, Junzi imperialis, an extinct gibbon from China.

Long-Extinct Gibbon Found Inside Tomb Of Chinese Emperor's Grandmother

6:51pm June 21, 2018

by Rebecca Hersher

A Chinese tomb has turned up evidence of a new species of long-extinct ape. The gibbon, called Junzi imperialis, lived and died alongside its imperial human caretaker.

Researchers Find Herpes Viruses In Brains Marked By Alzheimer's Disease

4:34pm June 21, 2018

by Jon Hamilton

Two herpes viruses that cause skin rashes in toddlers may accelerate Alzheimer's disease when they infect brain cells. The finding suggests antiviral drugs might help protect the brain.

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In these two two-cell mouse embryos, the surface of the embryos is outlined in orange, the DNA in the nucleus is indicated in blue and the activity of the LINE-1 gene is indicated via bright red spots.

Some DNA Dismissed As 'Junk' Is Crucial To Embryo Development

4:34pm June 21, 2018

by Richard Harris

Formerly considered useless, or maybe a parasite, the stretch of DNA known as LINE-1 actually plays "a key role" in creating an embryo and embryonic stem cells, research shows.

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Koko, the gorilla who became an ambassador to the human world through her ability to communicate, has died. She's seen here at age 4, telling psychologist Francine "Penny" Patterson (left) that she is hungry. In the center is June Monroe, an interpreter f

Koko The Gorilla Dies; Redrew The Lines Of Animal-Human Communication

1:38pm June 21, 2018

by Bill Chappell

Koko fascinated and elated millions of people with her facility for language and her ability to interact with humans. She also gave people a glimpse of her emotions.