Science

Snow and ice cover can camouflage seals, making it more difficult for scientists to estimate the animals' populations with accuracy.

Gray Seals, Once Hunted, Are Thriving In New England

6:05pm June 14, 2017

by Merrit Kennedy

Massachusetts once offered a bounty for grey seals. After conservation efforts, the New England population bounced back, and Google Earth images show more seals than scientists had previously counted.

Justine Orr (right), program manager for Our Place Day Services, helps David Breuer chop tomatoes during a cooking class at the center north of Milwaukee. Nearly all the center's clients pay for services with funds from Medicaid.

Medicaid Cuts In Wisconsin Would Undermine Training For Adults With Disabilities

5:38pm June 14, 2017

by Alison Kodjak

Job-coaching and other support services that enable many adults to live in the community instead of institutions will likely be curtailed if the GOP plan to shrink Medicaid becomes law.

Blue North is a new fishing vessel designed to catch Pacific cod using a Seafood Watch granted catch method. It also utilizes a stun table to render fish unconscious before processing.

Will Fish Get A Humanely Harvested Label? These Brothers Bet $40 Million On It

1:25pm June 14, 2017

by Clare Leschin-Hoar

Beef and poultry get labels designating humane treatment; seafood doesn't. Two fishermen want to change that. Their state-of-the-art ship makes fishing safer for crew and minimizes pain for fish.

In the aftermath of a police-involved shooting, there's often a familiar debate about what led to it. But research shows there's an underlying cause that we often miss.

Science

Police Shootings: How A Culture Of Racism Can Infect Us All

5:19pm June 13, 2017

by Shankar Vedantam

In a shooting involving a police officer, there's often a familiar blame game: Was the cop was racist? Was the person shot threatening? Or maybe, the bias that leads cops to shoot affects us all.

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When the neurons that release the neurotransmitter dopamine die, people develop Parkinson's disease.

Brain Cell Transplants Are Being Tested Once Again For Parkinson's

5:06pm June 13, 2017

by Jon Hamilton

In 2003, researchers declared a moratorium on the use of transplanted brain cells to treat Parkinson's disease. Now, armed with better cells, they're giving the approach another try.

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What's The Difference Between Famine And Hunger? A Food FAQ

4:15pm June 13, 2017

by Vicky Hallett

We asked our readers what they wanted to know about world hunger? So many thoughtful questions came in that we did a roundup of queries about hunger and famine.

Science

People Are More Likely To Eat Veggies With Fancy Names, Researchers Say

6:35am June 13, 2017

Stanford University researchers found diners did not go for foods labeled as sugar free or low fat. Take an item like carrots, and then call it: twisted citrus glazed carrots — now you're talking.

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Olutosin Oduwole at his home in New Jersey.

Rap on Trial: How An Aspiring Musician's Words Led To Prison Time

9:01pm June 12, 2017

Olutosin Oduwole was a college student and aspiring rapper when he was charged with "attempting to make a terrorist threat." We explore how perceptions of rap music may have played a role.

When the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lifted its last Zika travel advisory for Miami-Dade County last week, residents and visitors to Miami's popular South Beach neighborhood were relieved. Still, doctors say, pregnant women should continue

Is Zika Still A Problem In Florida And The Caribbean?

7:18pm June 12, 2017

by Michaeleen Doucleff

The Zika outbreak in Florida is officially over. And cases are dropping across the Caribbean. But doctors say the risk to pregnant women there — whether residents or travelers — isn't gone.

Hawaii Attorney General Doug Chin speaks to media outside the 9th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals in Seattle on May 15. The court has largely upheld a preliminary injunction blocking President Trump's travel ban from going into effect.

Another Federal Appeals Court Says Trump's Travel Ban Should Remain On Hold

6:52pm June 12, 2017

by Camila Domonoske

The 9th Circuit largely upheld an injunction that blocks key portions of the president's revised travel ban from going into effect. The 4th Circuit upheld a similar injunction weeks ago.