Science

The Trump administration's decision to relax rules regarding the prescription of buprenorphine comes as record-level drug overdose deaths occurred in the U.S. in the 12 months ending in June 2020.

Trump Administration Will Let More Doctors Prescribe Drug To Fight Opioid Addiction

4:46pm January 15, 2021

The change means that doctors will no longer need a special federal waiver in order to prescribe buprenorphine, a medication to treat opioid use disorder.

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Caro Verbeek speaks on the TEDx stage in Gronigen, Netherlands.

Science
Arts

Caro Verbeek: What Can The Scents Of The Past Tell Us About Our History?

9:39am January 15, 2021

by NPR/TED Staff

Each day, we breathe about 22,000 times--and all that time we smell. Scent historian Caro Verbeek recreates scents of the past. She says, just like music and art, smell is a part of our heritage.

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Aircraft largely stayed on the ground in spring 2020, leading to a drop in greenhouse gas emissions.

Pandemic Causes Historic — But Fleeting— Drop In U.S. Climate Emissions

10:01am January 14, 2021

by Lauren Sommer

As Americans stayed home during the pandemic, cars and planes produced less heat-trapping emissions. But the effect is only temporary.

After Being Booted By Big Tech, Parler Registers With Hosting Service

8:14am January 13, 2021

Parler, the messaging app favored by far-right activists, has a new home. NPR's Steve Inskeep talks to Brian Friedberg of Harvard's Shorenstein Center. He tracks social media and hate groups,

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Staff and residents of the Ararat Nursing Facility in the Mission Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles got COVID-19 shots on Jan. 7. Coronavirus cases, hospitalizations and deaths have been surging throughout Los Angeles County.

Why You Should Still Wear A Mask And Avoid Crowds After Getting The COVID-19 Vaccine

8:36pm January 12, 2021

by Joanne Silberner

It takes time after vaccination for immunity to the virus to build up, and no vaccine is 100% effective. Plus, scientists don't yet know if the vaccine stops viral spread. Here's what's known so far.

Dulles International Airport last month. The CDC will require all air passengers entering the U.S. to provide a negative COVID-19 test before boarding their flight.

CDC Requires COVID-19 Test From Air Passengers Entering the U.S.

7:05pm January 12, 2021

by Dustin Jones

Starting Jan. 26, airlines will only allow people to board if they provide documentation that they tested negative in the preceding three days or have recovered from the disease.

Babe Ruth, a pitcher for the Boston Red Sox, in 1918. That year, World War I and the Spanish flu pandemic slashed MLB game attendance by over half from what it was in the previous season.

What 1919 Teaches Us About Pent-Up Demand

6:31am January 12, 2021

by Greg Rosalsky

A hundred years ago, a world war and a pandemic wreaked havoc on baseball and other industries. But pent-up demand helped them come roaring back.

Two gorillas at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park (but not necessarily these two) tested positive for the coronavirus on Monday. A zoo statement says the apes have mild symptoms but are doing well.

2 Gorillas In California Contract The Coronavirus

7:45pm January 11, 2021

by Dustin Jones

Gorillas at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park developed a cough last week. The apes were tested and found to have the virus. It may have come through a human staffer, despite precautions.

In March 2018, a White House military aide carries the "football," a system that allows President Trump to launch a nuclear strike at any time.

Pelosi Asks Military To Limit Trump's Nuclear Authority. Here's How That System Works

10:05pm January 08, 2021

by Geoff Brumfiel

The House speaker told colleagues she had spoken with the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff about keeping the nuclear codes from an "unhinged President."

A new EPA rule will make it more difficult for the regulators to use some scientific studies about the connection between pollution and health.

Science

Trump EPA Erects New Barriers To Crucial Science

5:21pm January 05, 2021

by Rebecca Hersher

Studies based on private health data are crucial to understanding dangers posed by pollution. A new rule makes it harder for the EPA to consider many studies when setting safeguards.