Obama Administration Moves To Protect Planned Parenthood's Federal Funding
The last-minute regulation blocks state agencies from withholding federal funds from the family planning organization.
Science
To Fight Malaria, Scientists Try Genetic Engineering To Wipe Out Mosquitoes
A powerful genetic engineering technique holds promise for wiping out diseases and improving agriculture. But the species-altering approach stirs anxiety about unintended consequences.
Environmentalists Brace For Scott Pruitt To Take Over EPA
What will an anti-regulation, climate skeptic do as head of the Environmental Protection Agency? Environmentalists are bracing. But Scott Pruitt will also face limits if he tries to strip the agency of its power.
Scientists Race To Preserve Climate Change Data Before Trump Takes Office
NPR's Audie Cornish talks with meteorologist Eric Holthaus about the race to preserve U.S. climate data before the Trump administration, and the fear that the new administration will erase the work of climate change researchers.
We Unravel The Science Mysteries Of Asparagus Pee
From Ben Franklin on, many have noted the distinctive smell asparagus gives urine. But most of us lack the ability to sniff out this malodorous effect, and not everyone may produce it.
Curiosity Rover Encounters Technical Difficulties On Martian Mountain
NASA engineers are trying to figure out why a part of the rover's robotic arm keeps stalling just as it's about to drill into Martian rock.
Reports: Trump Taps Montana Rep. Ryan Zinke To Lead Interior Department
The first-term GOP congressman is a strong defender of public access to federal lands and has even broken with his party on the issue. But he also supports increased oil and gas exploration.
Arctic Is Warming At 'Astonishing' Rates, Researchers Say
Scientists meeting in San Francisco issue their 2016 report card. "The Arctic as a whole is warming at least twice as fast as the rest of the planet," one says, and it is getting progressively worse.
Beautiful Huntresses: Scientists Explain Why Mantises Evolved To Resemble Orchids
Typically, when insect females evolve to become larger than males, it's in order to produce more offspring. But female orchid mantises evolved to look like flowers for a sinister reason: to hunt prey.
Department Of Energy Defies Trump, Won't Name Climate Change Workers
A DOE statement Tuesday said questions about who has worked on climate science had "unsettled" staffers and contractors alike. Many saw the questionnaire as a precursor to a purge.