A message from: A Vision for American Science and Technology
Science and technology aren't just essential for solving some of the world's biggest problems.
The planet had its third-warmest February on record, following a surprise record-hot January, new data shows.
Why it matters: This is the first month not to be the first or second-hottest on record since June 2023. It may indicate some slight cooling relative to the not fully explained, record-shattering heat of the past two years.
A hen for sale sits in its cage at Wabash Feed & Garden store in Houston, Texas, on February 10, 2025. Photo: Moises Avila/AFP via Getty Images
The H5N1 bird flu strain has infected humans and other animals in every continent except Australia, and scientists say it could serve as a model for other countries.
The big picture: The continent has seen small outbreaks of other strains of avian influenza in recent months and managed to "close those down," said professor Catherine Bennett, an Australian infectious diseases' epidemiologist, in an email Monday.
NOAA's Center for Weather and Climate Prediction headquarters in College Park, Md. Photo: Michael A. McCoy/Bloomberg via Getty Images
The Trump administration has informed NOAA that two pivotal centers for weather forecasting will soon have their leases canceled, sources told Axios.
Why it matters: One of the buildings is the nerve center for generating national weather forecasts.
National Science Foundation Director Sethuraman Panchanathan testifies before the Senate in Oct. 2023. Photo: Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images
The National Science Foundation (NSF) announced Monday that it is reinstating dozens of probationary employees that the Trump administration fired last month.
Why it matters: The reversal comes after a federal judge ordered the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to rescind instructions to several federal agencies to fire probationary employees.
Firefighters tackle a wildfire in the Carolina Forest neighborhood in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, on Sunday, March 2. Multiple forest fires in the area have caused evacuations along the South Carolina coast. Photo: Sean Rayford/Getty Images
Firefighters in North and South Carolina were battling dozens of wildfires over the weekend during dry, windy conditions that saw authorities order some residents to evacuate.
The big picture: South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster (R) declared a state of emergency Sunday after officials declared a statewide burn ban the previous day that the governor said would remain in effect indefinitely.
Collins during a 2021 Senate hearing on NIH's budget. Photo: Stefani Reynolds-Pool/Getty Images
Former National Institutes of Health director Francis Collins unexpectedly retired on Friday, writing in a statement that employees of the government's biomedical research institution "deserve the utmost respect and support of all Americans."
Why it matters: The noted geneticist's departure comes amid research funding cuts and terminations of probationary workers that have raised concern about an exodus of scientific and technical talent at federal agencies.
Senior hurricane specialist John Cangialosi inspects a satellite image of Hurricane Beryl at NOAA's National Hurricane Center in July 2024. Photo: Joe Raedle/Getty Images
The cuts of about 800 probationary employees at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration sliced deep into the agency tasked with a range of safety missions.
Why it matters: The cuts spared "only some" specialists at its National Weather Service, according to a congressional aide speaking on condition of anonymity.
Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios
Look to the sky Friday night for the rare chance to see seven planets lined up.
The big picture: Saturn, Mercury, Neptune, Venus, Uranus, Jupiter and Mars will appear together in a "planetary alignment" or "parade of planets" shortly after sunset Friday, according to the astronomy website and app Star Walk.
Gayle King announcing her mission with Blue Origin, Feb. 27. Photo: CBS Mornings
CBS anchor Gayle King and Lauren Sánchez, fiancé of Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos, are heading to space on a Blue Origin flight this spring with four other women, King announced Thursday.
Why it matters: The all-women crew will be the highest-profile mission yet for Blue Origin, which has become one of the foremost players in the commercial space industry.
