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Newborn parties are scrambling Japanese politics
Though small, they have large megaphones
A tumultuous two decades in Thailand's politics
Thailand has seen two coups, multiple rounds of street protests and court rulings that have brought down five prime ministers in the past two decades, underlining the intractable power struggle between conservatives, reformists and populists in the Southeast Asian country.
Scientists want you to smell ancient Egyptian mummies
A mixture of archeology and chemistry brings the aroma of mummification to museums.
Elon Musk is betting the future of his business empire on AI
The fates of xAI, SpaceX and Tesla are increasingly intertwined
In America science-sceptics are now in charge
The Trump administration seems to want less clean energy and more preventable diseases
Visited New Zealand for first time on my own: Mistakes I made on trip
My first time visiting New Zealand was a solo trip. I made mistakes booking the TranzAlpine train and planning activities that cost me time and money.
Private sector added 22,000 jobs in January, well below expectations, ADP says
The figure reported on Wednesday is below economists’ estimates of an increase of 48,000 jobs and higher than the prior month’s revised reading of a gain of 37,000 jobs.
The US in brief: Shutdown ends, DHS fight begins
The latest news in US politics, with coverage of Donald Trump’s second term.
‘Game is over’: Iran’s ex-leaders, hardliners clash after protest killings
A former reformist leader wants the Islamic Republic gone while lawmakers wish to see an ex-president executed.
Elon Musk’s mega-merger makes little business sense
The AI economy’s dealmaking keeps getting wilder
Why Exercise Science Still Treats Men As the “Default” Body
New research suggests that long-standing assumptions about sex and gender continue to shape how studies are designed, interpreted, and reported.
Candy experiments teach chemistry at Great Lakes Science Center
Smitten with Science programming features Candy Chromatography workshops on Feb. 8, 15 and 22, teaching kids STEM concepts through hands-on candy experiments led by Andy Pallotta.
New catalyst turns carbon dioxide into clean fuel source
Researchers have found that manganese, an abundant and inexpensive metal, can be used to efficiently convert carbon dioxide into formate, a potential hydrogen source for fuel cells. The key was a clever redesign that made the catalyst last far longer than similar low-cost materials. Surprisingly, the improved manganese catalyst even beat many expensive precious-metal options. The discovery could help turn greenhouse gas into clean energy ingredients.
The summer I became a science journalist
Mason Wakley on being a science writer intern at the Royal Society of Chemistry
Dundalk family says grandmother was wrongly declared dead, cutting off health coverage
A Dundalk family said a startling error in Maryland’s Medicaid system left their elderly loved one without health coverage for weeks after the state mistakenly
The Value of the Mays MBA is Higher Than Ever - Mays Business School News
As Mays Full-Time MBA students graduated in December, each one walked the stage with confidence, pride, and a job offer in hand. While recent reporting from The Wall Street Journal and The Economist highlights decreasing
DoJ Makes Appalling Mistakes In Release of New Epstein Files
The government included nude photos and failed to redact the names of some victims in its latest document drop.
8 Mistakes Cardiologists Say Could Be Wrecking Your Heart Health
For American Heart Month, four cardiologists share the biggest mistakes they see people make for their hearts—and provide simple, realistic fixes.
Is Carb-Cutting Healthy?
Cutting carbohydrates can be a fast track to weight loss. But villainizing the nutrient completely is a mistake, experts say.
Fujifilm Fixed Its Biggest Pre-2024 Mistake: The Beauty of an Open X-Mount Lens Roundup
Full List of Third Party AF Fujifilm X mount lenses available on Amazon When I wrote the FujiRumors 14-year anniversary article, I mentioned that our journey wasn’t without difficult moments—and that Fujifilm, at times, made some serious mistakes. The biggest one in recent memory was the 2024 firmware debacle, which severely degraded autofocus performance. It…
Gavin Newsom Memoir Describes Difficult Childhood, Contrary to Image
Mr. Newsom, the California governor and a potential presidential candidate, writes that the privileged caricature of his background is mistaken.
Mamdani names Dr. Alister Martin to lead NYC Health Dept.
Martin is an emergency physician and assistant professor at Harvard Medical School.
Electric fields flip the rules of water chemistry
nside electrochemical devices, strong electric fields dramatically alter how water molecules behave. New research shows that these fields speed up water dissociation not by lowering energy costs, but by increasing molecular disorder once ions form. The reaction becomes entropy-driven—exactly the opposite of what happens in ordinary water. The findings also reveal that intense fields can push water from neutral to highly acidic, with major implications for hydrogen production.
Colorado economist shares what it takes for strikes to affect economy, drive change
Scientists discover molecule in space that hints at origin of life
A 13-atom molecule containing sulfur has been discovered in interstellar space for the first time, providing insight into the origins of the chemistry of life.
Flu cases are down in NYC, but health officials say flu season is far from over
More than 2,200 new flu cases were reported last week, with kids making up over half of cases.
Mistakes family made visiting Puerto Rico for first time; travel tips
I made mistakes when planning and budgeting for our family's first trip to Puerto Rico. Here's what I'd do next time we visit the Caribbean island.
The US in brief: Agents who shot Alex Pretti on leave
The latest news in US politics, with coverage of Donald Trump’s second term.
Mike DeWine says biggest mistake as governor was to sign bill legalizing sports gambling
Gov. Mike DeWine says he considers his signing of legislation legalizing sports gambling his biggest mistake as governor. “Any control that we can get over this, anything we can do, we should be doing,” DeWine said Wednesday.
The US in brief: DHS’s first report on Pretti
The latest news in US politics, with coverage of Donald Trump’s second term.
Investment and Statecraft: The International Politics of Sovereign Wealth Funds - Georgetown Journal of International Affairs
In 1953, Kuwait established the world’s first sovereign wealth fund to invest the country’s oil revenues and generate returns that would reduce its reliance on a single resource. Since then, over 100 separate funds have been created to preserve national wealth and ensure long-term fiscal sustainability. Today, they manage over $10 trillion in global assets. In this discussion with GJIA, political economist Kathryn Lavelle explains the increasingly novel dynamics that surround fund behavior and what the world can come to expect from their growing presence in international financial markets. GJIA: When it comes to the roles sovereign wealth funds (SWFs) play in global markets and politics, what would you say makes them unique? Kathryn Lavelle: Sovereign wealth funds (SWFs) operate on behalf of governments as investors. That in itself is a strange relationship. Within them, a core contest takes place between the state’s interests (or sovereign) part of the dynamic, and the money interests (or wealth) part of it, and these two aspects are frequently in contradiction, serving fundamentally different goals. SWFs are also quite fascinating because when you talk to the people who manage these funds, they have an interest in convincing you that the decisions are made almost exclusively on a financial basis—they really will go to great lengths to differentiate their government owners and those who make the management decisions. At the same time, these people ultimately answer to someone in power. Therefore, for most SWFs, it remains deeply unclear who is actually making the investment decisions and for what purposes. Of course, it is not always clear how other vehicles, such as hedge funds and private equity make the decisions they do, but I think what a lot of people find particularly disconcerting about SWFs is that they seem to act on behalf of people who have a different identity from their own. People who could be trying to manipulate politics and markets in a way that would have a long-term effect on their own populations. Regular investors come and go at will, and they only share an interest in profit as far as most of us understand. However, SWFs have that extra “sovereign” part right behind them that obscures their true interest. GJIA: These funds can be found in countries all across the globe, in both authoritarian states and democracies. Would you say SWFs differ in their goals and structures between regime-type? KL: It is not necessarily regime type that makes the goals and structures of SWFs different. It has to do with their economies. Let’s look at a country like China. There’s going to be a debate about exactly how to characterize the regime, but it is a country with many different kinds of sovereign wealth funds, and a particularly opaque state connection to each. At one time, some of the state-owned Chinese oil companies created specialized investment vehicles listed outside Chinese markets that excluded parts of the firms that were more associated with human rights violations. At the same time, the China Investment Corporation (CIC)—China’s largest SWF—draws a lot of concern, not necessarily because of its investment activities, but because of the dynamics of global politics. So, I wouldn’t really tie differences to regime types themselves in a wholesale way, but rather to how such funds are perceived and how they are structured. Saudi Arabia’s SWF is getting all kinds of attention for its involvement in Hollywood, and this takes me right back to when I was a student in the 1980s, when people were concerned about Japanese investment entities buying assets in Hollywood. They aren’t quite the same in financial terms, but it’s the same kind of concern about foreign investment that drives people to be suspicious, and the whole idea that “foreigners are influencing Hollywood.” This holds true across industries, and it reflects where politics are in places like the United States right now. One metric we can try to look at is transparency, where all the funds will tell you, “we are transparent.” The problem you’ll keep running into with this approach is how you value things. When trying to do comparative studies of equity markets, you’ll find that every country doesn’t use Generally Accepted Accounting Principles like we do in the United States. A fund may appear opaque politically and not want people to show what they’re invested in or what their intent with that investment is, but they could also just not be able to report it because of the way it was purchased, or the kinds of shares they purchased. There are some assets out there that really are difficult to put a monetary value on. GJIA: To what extent do domestic politics shape SWF behavior in both the investing “home” country and the recipient “host” country? KL: This depends on the type of fund present and also on the extent to which voters’ political views are able to influence the fund. For example, in a democratic home state like Norway, the SWF doesn’t invest in nuclear weapons or tobacco because of social concerns, but there is a continuing debate over whether it should invest in oil, even though that’s where most of the money comes from. The degree to which Norway will continue to make those investments, and whether they contradict the government’s overall climate goals, is an open question in Norwegian politics. Because of the way the fund’s governance is structured, it may not be easy to resolve. On the other hand, some people consider pension funds, like the State Teachers Retirement System (STRS) in Ohio, to be quasi-SWF. They have a very strict separation between the people who make up the management division and the fund owners. No teacher or professor would want to invest in things that may harm the future of their students. At the same time, a fund manager might see an opportunity in a diversified multinational corporation that offers a good return, despite it deriving part of its revenue from e-cigarettes. These contests are very apparent. Domestic politics can work in host countries too. A good example is Singapore’s SWF, Temasek, investing in Thailand’s telecommunications sector. If you study political economy, you already know that countries everywhere are uncomfortable with foreign ownership of their telecom sectors because a foreign entity could monitor or manipulate our communications with each other. In the case of Temasek, there was significant pushback from Thai citizens surrounding the deal, which went on to influence national political sentiment toward Singapore as a whole, underscoring the risks some SWFs may face with their investment choices. In this case, fund behavior led to the dissolution of the entire Thai government in 2006 and a subsequent coup d’état. GJIA: To address some of this unease, the Santiago Principles were established in 2009 to ostensibly promote trust and transparency. From your perspective, have these mechanisms actually changed fund behavior? KL: In international relations theory, we always like to have a clear set of norms and best practices—the orientation we want the proverbial ship to be going in. In that regard, the Santiago Principles at least got the discussion going about which direction SWFs should take at a time when people were very skittish about the growing size of these funds. Nobody wanted them to be out there and potentially destabilizing economies, so talks about disclosure, conditions for withdrawal, and the independence of managers were helpful when initiated. The biggest stumbling block was that there wasn’t exactly a good way to measure compliance with the Principles, let alone how to hold funds to them. If you read the Principles, they’re overall quite vague. In general, a fund doesn’t want to reveal how and why they make certain investment decisions because that information is proprietary—a fund makes money off of how and why it makes decisions—so how do you reconcile that with loosely-defined ideas of openness? Some decisions might have a political purpose. The bottom line is that trying to figure out and assign a score to compliance is not easy, and it is therefore the reason why the Santiago Principles never really got off the ground to the point where they could truly direct fund behavior. GJIA: Many emerging markets are looking to build their own SWFs from mineral and oil revenues. Historically, have funds shaped development trajectories in these countries? KL: I think the big story in international emerging markets investment is that the investment is increasingly no longer unidirectional. In the past multinational corporations of primarily Western background were the main form of foreign direct investment in a country. That has changed dramatically, to the point where you have companies from so-called “developing countries” taking over companies in the United States. Therefore, the landscape of international investment has changed, and I think SWFs are certainly a possibility to be the next step in the game. Historically, you didn’t need an entire financial vehicle to reinvest commodity revenues in your country, but as emerging markets get more financially sophisticated, their capacity to operate such funds has increased. SWFs would allow treasuries to move from relying on holding foreign exchange assets like cash or government bonds to having broader financial markets and targeted growth areas, while easing pressure on welfare expenditures. GJIA: With their increasing financial weight, do you see the presence of SWFs being a factor in the political choices leaders will have to make with regard to domestic and foreign policy? KL: It will depend on just how big the funds get. One of the reasons people are already apprehensive is because of their scale, and if certain SWFs in certain countries achieve a large-enough size, the presence will absolutely be cause for concern. The other factor political leaders will have to consider are their objectives. It’s not always clear how to define a SWF, or even where its activity is concentrated, but it is certainly a worry from the perspective of national security of opaque external investment. More than that, I think one of the most interesting questions going forward is whether the United States, the home to the world’s largest financial markets, will develop its own fund, for which the Trump administration announced a plan. There have also been several proposals in Congress. Were it to come into being, it would have tremendous weight. At the same time, one of the hallmarks of U.S. capitalism is a lack of government ownership of shares, so it would not be clear how such a fund would be received in domestic politics, or which direction it would take. Given how politically fragmented the country is, a Democratic administration would likely be concerned about different sectors of the economy, such as healthcare, and want investment there, rather than a Republican administration, which might prefer defense industries. No investment vehicle could thrive under conditions of such instability. Moreover, it remains unclear where the money to fund a theoretical U.S. SWF would come from. It would be a fundamentally different entity depending on whether it is financed with debt, economic surplus, commodities, or the sale of state companies, as in the case of Singapore. If it is debt, or government borrowing of some form, then the fund would have to outperform whatever the cost of that debt is, which is not an easy thing to do. I think our political leaders have enough on their plate. Our system has worked well keeping political and investment functions generally separate. We have seen different forms of business rise and fall, and even the perception of different countries, all of which funds are tied to. Unless a major SWF either starts—like in the case of the United States—or collapses—an issue that concerns the Saudis, I don’t see any political tsunamis on the horizon. . . . Kathryn Lavelle is the Ellen and Dixon Long Professor of World Affairs at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. Her research explores the exchange between domestic and international and political institutions with a particular emphasis on political economy and multilateralism. Dr. Lavelle’s first book, The Politics of Equity Finance in Emerging Markets, explored the political circumstances that surround large issues of stock in the developing world. After being granted tenure at Case Western, she was awarded an American Political Science Association Congressional Fellowship and named the William A. Steiger fellow, a designation given to the most promising political scientist in her class of fellows. While in Washington during 2006-2007, she worked on the staff of the House Committee on Financial Services on issues related to domestic and international monetary policy. Dr. Lavelle holds a PhD in political science from Northwestern University; an M.A. in government and foreign affairs from the University of Virginia; and a bachelor’s degree in international economics from Georgetown University. She is a permanent member of the New York Council on Foreign Relations. This transcript has been lightly edited for clarity and length. Interview conducted by Sid Mehrotra. Image Credit: Jason Leung, Unsplash Content Licenses, via Unsplash
Misty Copeland on her approach to wellness post-retirement, motherhood and the Met Gala
Misty Copeland shares what's next for her health, and why she doesn't love the word "retirement."
Wizards carry 9-game skid into matchup vs. Trail Blazers
The Washington Wizards find themselves in the midst of another extended losing streak, but team officials are increasingly optimistic about the future.
Scientists finally explain Earth’s strangest fossils
The Ediacara Biota are some of the strangest fossils ever found—soft-bodied organisms preserved in remarkable detail where preservation shouldn’t be possible. Scientists now think their survival in sandstone came from unusual ancient seawater chemistry that created clay “cements” around their bodies after burial. This process captured delicate shapes that would normally vanish. The finding helps clarify how complex life emerged before the Cambrian Explosion.
Arsenal hit Manchester United roadblock, but biggest obstacle is themselves
The Gunners made mistakes and conceded some undeniable strikes, but the Premier League title pursuit still depends on them
Cowboys 2025 rookie report: Reviewing Phil Mafah
Do you feel optimistic about Phil Mafah next season?
Letters to the Editor: Yes, political extremists are dangerous, but more so when they’re in power
'Wingnuts are dangerous, but mainstream wingnuts even more so. It’s time we all wake up to the reality that there is nothing conservative about MAGA populism,' writes an L.A. Times reader.
The Class Politics of Austerity
A new book by economist Clara Mattei explains why calls for governments to balance budgets and live within their means are often a thinly veiled justification for an assault on the poor.
The US in Brief: Capital offence
The latest news in US politics, with coverage of Donald Trump’s second term.
After TikTok Deal, Chinese Firms Search for a New Global Path
Chinese firms must contend with geopolitical tensions and mistrust to do business in the United States. Some are choosing to avoid the U.S. altogether.
Scientists just overturned a 100-year-old rule of chemistry, and the results are “impossible”
Chemists at UCLA are showing that some of organic chemistry’s most famous “rules” aren’t as unbreakable as once thought. By creating bizarre, cage-shaped molecules with warped double bonds—structures long considered impossible—the team is opening the door to entirely new kinds of chemistry.
Analysis: Trump and Vance are suddenly acknowledging ICE ‘mistakes’
US Border Patrol chief Greg Bovino couldn’t have been more unequivocal Tuesday when talking about the often aggressive and controversial Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations he’s leading in Minneapolis.
The US in Brief: Fed up
The latest news in US politics, with coverage of Donald Trump’s second term.
Life’s chemistry may begin in the cold darkness of space
New experiments reveal that protein precursors can form naturally in deep space under extreme cold and radiation. Scientists found that simple amino acids bond into peptides on interstellar dust, long before stars and planets exist. This challenges the idea that complex life chemistry only happens on planets. It also boosts the odds that life-friendly ingredients are widespread across the universe.
Gone global: Chinese businesses are booming abroad
A handpicked article read aloud from the latest issue of The Economist
Genevieve Hannelius Had to Step Away from Entertainment and 'Make Mistakes' to Truly Experience 'Girlhood' (Exclusive)
Genevieve Hannelius tells PEOPLE about releasing her first EP, 'Girlhood,' after watching peers like Olivia Rodrigo and Sabrina Carpenter rise to superstardom.
The US in Brief: MAGA v Minnesota
The latest news in US politics, with coverage of Donald Trump’s second term.
Polis’ removal of sex ed funding endangers LGBTQ+ youth
By Shara Smith At a time when the LGBTQ+ community is attacked by public policy driven by religious extremists, I am deeply concerned by the removal of funding in the governor’s budget for Colorado’s Comprehensive Human Sexuality Education (CCHSE) grant program. I hope Gov. Jared Polis and the Joint Budget Committee will recognize the program […]
Positive thinking could boost immune response to vaccines, say scientists
Study suggests being optimistic produces more antibodies, hinting at future healthcare potential of mental techniques
When science discourages correction: How publishers profit from mistakes
Flawed scientific articles don't just clutter journals—they misguide policies, waste taxpayer funds, and endanger lives. Errors in top-tier research persist due to a broken correction system. Consider ...
Starmer’s calm diplomacy makes mistake of assuming Trump is a sentient being
PM’s effort to take heat out of Greenland situation is yet another humiliation in his relationship with The Donald
The US in brief: Cold comfort
The latest news in US politics, with coverage of Donald Trump’s second term.
For burgers, groceries or edibles, try these new NJ businesses
The Food Emporium is open in Waldwick. Habit Burger & Grill is in Clifton. Mister Jones Dispensary in Little Ferry offers vapes, pre-rolls, tinctures.
Jaguar Dealer Sounds Alarm: 'There Is No Business Case For The Brand'
While some dealers remain optimistic, others are worried about the future.
When science discourages correction: How publishers profit from mistakes
Academic publishing system often allows scientific errors to persist because it prioritises profit and prestige over timely correction.
Why Bills made costly mistake taking football 2nd in overtime
Game theory was wrong here.
My research helped invent Ozempic — then male scientists took all the credit
The work of the biochemist Svetlana Mojsov was instrumental in the development of the diet drugs that are now slimming the world. She tells Aimee Donnellan about her 40-year fight for recognition
Seahawks 'really optimistic' Sam Darnold will play in divisional round vs. 49ers despite not throwing football all week
UMW Undergraduate Science Fellowship Extends Applications for First Cohort
The Piscopo Rodgers Science Fellows Program at the University of Mary Washington has opened applications to incoming undergraduate students who want to pursue research and careers in medicine, biology, chemistry, computer science, earth and environmental science, mathematics or physics. The program, which offers funding of up to $6,600 per year for four years of undergraduate […]
Trump economist Kevin Hassett: 'We're looking at one of the best years we've ever seen'
White House National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett joins ‘Mornings with Maria’ to outline President Donald Trump’s sweeping affordability agenda aimed at lowering mortgage rates, cutting credit card interest and boosting economic growth.
Is Trump regretting his battle with the Fed?
This week, Jonathan Freedland speaks to the economist Heather Boushey about why a fight with Wall Street might be one the president regrets
A deadly chemical frozen in ice may have sparked life on Earth
Hydrogen cyanide, a toxic chemical, may have helped spark the chemistry that led to life. When frozen, it forms crystals with highly reactive surfaces that can drive unusual chemical reactions, even in extreme cold. These reactions could produce more reactive molecules that pave the way for life’s basic ingredients. The findings suggest frozen worlds may be more chemically active than once thought.
Senate bipartisan health care talks on thin ice
Senators left town Thursday sounding pessimistic about any breakthroughs in negotiations to extend expired Obamacare subsidies.
Pro-science Republicans are fending-off cuts to funding
This year’s budget will probably restore much of what the White House sought to eliminate
Scientists “resurrect” ancient cannabis enzymes with medical promise
Scientists have uncovered how cannabis evolved the ability to make its most famous compounds—THC, CBD, and CBC—by recreating ancient enzymes that existed millions of years ago. These early enzymes were multitaskers, capable of producing several cannabinoids at once, before evolution fine-tuned them into today’s highly specialized forms. By “resurrecting” these long-lost enzymes in the lab, researchers showed how cannabis chemistry became more precise over time—and discovered something unexpected: the ancient versions are often more robust and easier to work with.
The US in brief: ICE fires
The latest news in US politics, with coverage of Donald Trump’s second term.
It’s not just the Fed. Politics looms over central banks everywhere
But can the public stomach higher inflation?
Spain’s judiciary is caught up in a bitter political war
The government decries charges of corruption as “lawfare”
GOP senators break with Trump on these 2 points
There's been important pushback from some Republicans in Congress. Their numbers are not large, but the GOP lawmakers who are breaking with the president are doing so, unmistakably, in two key areas.
The Supreme Court seems friendly towards trans bans in women’s sports
But some justices sound hesitant to impose the rule nationwide
Android 17 leak shows Google may fix one UI mistake and double down on another
A new leak shows what Android 17's split Quick Settings/Notifications UI could look like on foldables, and the comeback of a fan-favorite feature.
As hate spirals in India, Hindu extremists turn to Christian targets
Anti-Muslim violence has soared for more than a decade under Indian PM Modi. Now, Christians face the brunt, too.
NFL analyst highlights Colts' reason for optimism in 2026
One NFL analyst recently highlighted a reason why the Indianapolis Colts should be optimistic going into the 2026 season.
A new generation of Chinese companies is expanding around the world
They are following a different playbook from that of their elders
He Started a Business With $850 and Grew It to $2.5 Billion — After This Make-or-Break Moment
Varsity Brands is now a $2.5 billion company, but a mistake early on could have cut the company’s progress short.
One Year Into Trump’s Term, Where Does Science Funding Stand?
The CEO of AAAS is cautiously optimistic about federal funding for science, even as uncertainty makes research challenging.
The US in brief: Rally round the Fed
The latest news in US politics, with coverage of Donald Trump’s second term.
This PVAMU alum has taught over 3,000 girls about cosmetic science and has now opened a STEM classroom
Kristen Wells-Collins ’15 ‘18 is inspiring young girls to become chemists. Wells-Collins was raised in an under-resourced community in Beaumont, TX, and said she had limited exposure to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), according to her commentary on “The Jennifer Hudson Show.” However, Wells-Collins went on to pursue a degree in chemistry at Prairie View A&M University, according to her […]
‘Landman’ Fans Rage Over Cami’s ‘Mistake’ Decision to Fire Tommy
There are some major burning questions over that shocking twist.
SCOTUS, let states do what's right: Defend women in sports
Supreme Court will hear West Virginia v. B.P.J. and Little v. Hecox, which raise questions about Title IX and equal protection under the Constitution.
The sludge in your shower drain? That could be scientists’ next big find : Short Wave
Microbes are little alchemists that perform all manner of chemical reactions. A team of microbiologists co-founded a non-profit to try to harness those abilities to solve some of the world’s big problems — from carbon capture to helping coral reefs to cleaning up waste. Recently, the team turned their attention to the microbes living in people’s homes — on and in shower heads, drip pans, and hot water heaters. These rather extreme environments may have pressured microorganisms into surviving in ways that could be advantageous to humans. Science reporter Ari Daniel takes us on a treasure hunt in miniature.This episode was produced by Hannah Chinn. It was edited by Rebecca Ramirez. Tyler Jones checked the facts. The audio engineer was Robert Rodriguez.Interested in learning more about the weird and wonderful world of microbes? Email us your question at shortwave@npr.org.Listen to every episode of Short Wave sponsor-free and support our work at NPR by signing up for Short Wave+ at plus.npr.org/shortwave.
The sludge in your shower drain? That could be scientists’ next big find : Short Wave
Microbes are little alchemists that perform all manner of chemical reactions. A team of microbiologists co-founded a non-profit to try to harness those abilities to solve some of the world’s big problems — from carbon capture to helping coral reefs to cleaning up waste. Recently, the team turned their attention to the microbes living in people’s homes — on and in shower heads, drip pans, and hot water heaters. These rather extreme environments may have pressured microorganisms into surviving in ways that could be advantageous to humans. Science reporter Ari Daniel takes us on a treasure hunt in miniature.This episode was produced by Hannah Chinn. It was edited by Rebecca Ramirez. Tyler Jones checked the facts. The audio engineer was Robert Rodriguez.Interested in learning more about the weird and wonderful world of microbes? Email us your question at shortwave@npr.org.Listen to every episode of Short Wave sponsor-free and support our work at NPR by signing up for Short Wave+ at plus.npr.org/shortwave.
Why small, medium businesses are 'cautiously optimistic' about 2026
Small and medium-sized business owners are remaining cautiously optimistic in their 2026 outlook, according to Bank of America's latest Business Owner Report, as they continue to contend with inflation and even tariff pressures. Bank of America President of Business Banking Sharon Miller shares the findings from the survey, noting how 70% of these surveyed businesses plan to expand this year. To watch more expert insights and analysis on the latest market action, check out more Morning Brief.
The under-the-radar labor market chart scaring economists right now
Is the US labor market in the calm before the storm? Economists say the Beveridge curve is the signal to watch.
Strip out health care and social services, and the U.S. lost jobs in 2025—something that usually happens in recessions
“It’s fair to call this a hiring recession or a jobless boom,” said economist Heather Long.
Real Chemistry Establishes RC Resolve, an Advisory Practice for Healthcare’s Most Critical Business, Regulatory and Value Inflection Points
NEW YORK, January 09, 2026--Real Chemistry launches RC Resolve, a healthcare advisory practice helping leaders navigate value inflection points.
The US in brief: Distrust and disharmony in Minneapolis
The latest news in US politics, with coverage of Donald Trump’s second term.
The Mamdani vs. big business era begins as mayor pledges 'economic justice'
The new mayor has wasted little time in putting distance between City Hall and the influential business community.
Thursday Headlines:Can this Kentucky Basketball Season be Saved?
It’s hard to feel optimistic after that performance last night
The US in brief: The fallout from a fatal ICE shooting
The latest news in US politics, with coverage of Donald Trump’s second term.
Building the future of separation science
Jennifer Kingston was awarded the Royal Society of Chemistry's Technical Excellence Prize, which honours the vital role of technical staff in the chemical sciences community