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Why Scientists Fear This Everyday Food Could Soon Be Poisoning Millions - Futura-Sciences
Why Might Rice Become Dangerous? The hotter it gets and the more carbon dioxide (CO2) there is in the air, the more rice absorbs inorganic arsenic, according to a new study. In short, as the climate heats up and CO2 concentrations increase, rice becomes more toxic—and could even cause deadly...
Repeal of Roe, toxic politics inspired Ian Patterson's latest speculative fiction
The "Fruits of our Labor" author leaned in to a provacative what-if that reflects how he grew up viewing life through a "feminist lens"
Florida business owners charged after 1,500 toxic mothballs were spread to deter nesting birds
"They’re the worst birds."
East Hampton residents who live near toxic plume urge health screenings
East Hampton residents urge state for health screenings after a battery fire raises concerns about toxic water contamination and potential health risks.
California moves away from paraquat weed killer due to health and environmental concerns
California is moving away from paraquat, a weed killer that health officials say can be highly toxic.
Tylenol precedent threatens to tighten science vetting in Camp Lejeune toxic water trials
In a national lawsuit, parents claimed taking acetaminophen during pregnancy caused their children to develop autism or ADHD. A higher appeals court recently issued a major ruling on how strictly trial judges must vet medical experts and scientific data before a jury is allowed to hear it. Now, federal lawyers have formally flagged that case for the Camp Lejeune judges, hoping to tighten restrictions on what science is allowed at trial.
Veteran Malaysian MP quits Anwar’s party over ‘toxic politics’
Wong Chen, a three-term MP who had spent nearly 20 years in PKR, says he is joining Rafizi Ramli’s Bersama to ‘defend democracy’.
Health alert issued for Lake Howell after toxic algae discovery
Urgent health alert for Lake Howell: Blue-green algae toxins detected. Avoid contact and protect pets.
Scientists discover bacteria that lock toxic uranium into a stable form
Deep underground, bacteria may be capable of doing something remarkable: trapping toxic uranium before it spreads. When researchers fed microbes in uranium-contaminated mine water with glycerol, about 95% of the dissolved uranium disappeared within 130 days. The bacteria helped convert it into an unusually stable uranium compound that had rarely been observed before.
PFAS legislation would set drinking water limits
PFAS, also known as “forever chemicals,” are a class of more than 15,000 toxic chemicals that appear in a vast range of everyday consumer products to industrial ones.
Federal hemp ban: What Twin Cities businesses stand to lose
Hemp businesses in Minnesota are bracing for major changes as a federal ban on intoxicating hemp products looms.
Science|Business summer reads of 2026
As most people in the European research and innovation policy bubble are going on a well-deserved summer break, we have come up with a list of our favourite books, podcasts and essays from the past year that ask deeper questions about science, technology and politics.BooksPasteur’s Quadrant: Basic Science and Technological Innovation, by Donald StokesIf you haven’t read Pasteur’s Quadrant yet, now is the time. In the EU and elsewhere, we’re living through a period of dwindling faith that curiosity-driven research automatically leads to economic growth and technological progress. Pasteur’s Quadrant, published in 1997 by the Princeton academic Donald Stokes, is the most influential critique of the standard “linear model” of R&D: the idea that new discoveries made in ivory-tower labs get neatly passed on for commercialisation by start-ups. In reality, Stokes argues, practical applications often inspire more theorical lines of inquiry. Of course, we have long known that things are more complex than the linear model, but even today, it’s still often assumed in Brussels discourse. The book is a useful corrective, and is being used now to argue for new types of scientific institutions. David MatthewsThe Weaponization of Expertise: How Elites Fuel Populism, by Jacob Hale Russel and Dennis PattersonAre society’s problems solvable by technical expertise alone? “If only the benighted would listen,” say Jacob Hale Russel and Dennis Patterson, two professors at Rutgers Law School who got frustrated with how scientists and politicians handled public health communication during the Covid-19 pandemic. In the book, they argue that clichéd mantras about scientific evidence and expertise perpetrated by academics, journalists and politicians have harmed public trust in the very institutions they were trying to defend. Paradoxically, slogans such as “we believe in science,” “follow the science” and “defer to the experts” can fuel mistrust in science, experts and democratic institutions. The authors criticise “condescension” and “technocratic paternalism” in the public discourse and make the case for a more nuanced approach to scientific and expert policy advice that rests on humility, doubt, scepticism and open dialogue. “Most complex social questions in fact revolve around values, not the recitation of unambiguous facts,” they say. Florin ZubascuBreakneck: China's Quest to Engineer the Future, by Dan WangIn this book, Dan Wang compares the structural differences between the US and Chinese industrial policies, but raises a very timely question for innovation policy wonks: how can advanced manufacturing know-how contribute to technology-intensive economic growth? Wang says technology has three components: the tools, the blueprints and patents, and the process knowledge. The third component represents the “proficiency gained from practical experience, which isn’t easily communicated and requires years of implementation.” According to Wang, rather than seeing tools and blueprints as the ultimate ends of technological progress, policymakers should see them as milestones in the training of better scientists and manufacturers. Over the past decades, China has amassed “process knowledge” because capital flowed to complex fabrication facilities, while investors in the West have parked their money in capital-light businesses such as digital platforms or chip companies that focus on design. As it turns out, thanks to its oversized focus on manufacturing, China has gained remarkable advantages in the global technology race. Florin ZubascuBaltic: The Future of Europe, by Oliver MoodyWhat can Europe learn from the nine countries surrounding the Baltic Sea? Alongside the familiar stories about Estonia's digital transformation, the book examines how the region has used technology, resilience, education, governance and long-term thinking to respond to geopolitical, economic and security challenges. Innovation policy wonks might find fresh perspectives on how innovation can strengthen defence, societal resilience and Europe's capacity to adapt in an uncertain world. Whether or not you agree with all of Oliver Moody's conclusions, the book is a useful guide to a region that is increasingly shaping European debates on security, competitiveness and technology. Goda NaujokaityteThe Invention of Nature, by Andrea Wulf This book chronicles the wild and adventurous life of natural science pioneer Alexander von Humboldt who at some point in the 19th century seems to have been just about the most famous person in the world. Through scientific expeditions to the Andes Mountains and to the depths of Siberia, von Humboldt contributed a host of discoveries and concepts. During his life he met and formed relationships with historical figures as different as Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Simon Bolivar, Thomas Jefferson, Napoleon Bonaparte and Charles Darwin. He is also claimed to be the person in the world with most things named after him, a list that includes an ocean current, a penguin and a region of the Moon. Still venerated in Germany, with numerous scientific institutions named after him, von Humboldt has slipped out of public consciousness in most of the rest of the world. For anyone not familiar with him, this book does a good job of describing his fascinating life. Ole EllekrogCareless People, by Sarah Wynn-WilliamsYou may have heard this referred to as the book Meta doesn’t want you to read. The 2025 memoir from Sarah Wynn-Williams, former director of global public policy at Meta, then just called Facebook, includes explosive claims about everything from a toxic workplace culture to how the company worked with advertisers to target vulnerable teens, and the lengths it was prepared to go to in order to break into China. It’s a fascinating insight into how and why the tech company gradually shifted its approach to policy, whether in the US, Europe or Asia. Meta has denied the allegations in the book, and last year won an emergency ruling to prevent Wynn-Williams from promoting it. In response, the author is now suing her former employer. If that doesn’t make you want to read it. Martin GreenacrePodcastsThe Europeans: Europe’s anti-ElonThis podcast is a great choice for a light-hearted dose of European policy and culture news. Most of it has little to do with research, innovation and technology, but this particular podcast features an interview with Mastadon’s founder Eugen Rochko. He talks about his experience running an open-source, federated, European-made social media platform, and leaving it all behind. The conversation, which starts 14 minutes in, gently encourages us to reflect on what kind of technology we, as Europeans, want to make. Goda NaujokaityteSolarpunk and how we escape dystopiaNew technologies are very often taken from science fiction. Alberto Santos-Dumont, inventor the airship, was inspired as a child by the adventure stories of Jules Verne. OpenAI’s attempt to build a personal assistant with the voice of Scarlett Johansson was lifted from the 2013 film Her, completely ignoring the movie’s cautionary message. So if we want better tech, we need to imagine it first. Unfortunately, the state of current sci-fi is relentlessly dystopian, giving inventors precious few ideas or hope. However, a new genre, Solarpunk, which envisages a technologically advanced but ecologically harmonious future, is now taking off. The actual tech the genre imagines, such as permaculture, renewable energy or community repair workshops, while nice, isn’t all that inspiring or ambitious. But it’s a first step towards rescuing sci-fi from its pessimistic Blade Runner rut. David MatthewsEveryday AbundanceLaunched in June, Everyday Abundance is a podcast that tells the stories of the inventions we now take so for granted that we barely given them a second thought. For example, the washing machine, which liberated women from a lifetime “bent over washtubs and washboards.” Or modern dentistry, which ended the reality that “tooth pain was simply part of human life.” Historians of technology, Virginia Postrel and Charles C Mann are very much on the optimistic end of the spectrum when it comes to the capacity of invention to improve human life. Here, they set out their case: if it wasn’t for progress, you might be hunched over a washtub with toothache rather than reading these words. David Matthews‘We will not know what we lost’: Conservation fallout a year after USAID shutdownSince his return to the White House, Donald Trump has been on a mission to undermine science. He slashed jobs at federal agencies, terminated grants in some research areas, took unprecedented control over university affairs and, within hours of his inauguration, suspended the US Agency for International Development. While its initial focus was to administer health and food aid around the world, it had since expanded to conservation projects. The result? Some of these projects were stopped abruptly. In this Mongabay podcast, environmental reporter Michelle Nijhuis tells the story of the EcoGuard conservation programme in Liberia, whose local patrols had helped protect rainforests, monitor endangered wildlife and track illegal threats. From one day to the next, these were left without salaries. Luckily, she notes, the initiative was able to get emergency funding from international NGOs, but its future remains “incredibly uncertain.” Juliette PortalaEssaysThe Mars Delusion, by Henry WismayerWhy is humankind so fixated on establishing a colony on Mars? asks London-based writer Henry Wismayer. From space evangelists promoting Martian settlement as an insurance policy, to billionaire Jeff Bezos, who said humans should settle on Mars “because it’s cool,” the mission is not running short of advocates. However, in this essay, Wismayer reminds us that some critics expect any future Mars pioneer to end up “irradiated, sick, mad and dead.” Scientists have already looked into the possible effects of prolonged exposure to Martian gravity, and it’s not pretty: muscle shrinking, bones weakening, changes to the central nervous system and other biological modifications to make us all reconsider the journey. “Some researchers have forecast that the future settler, after generations of evolutionary conditioning, will look less like an Übermensch and more like ET,” Wismayer writes. Juliette Portala
Appalachia's black lung rates highest in nearly 50 years as miners' protections stall
Rates are now as bad as the 1970s, with thousands of miners sick and dying. Mining experts blame toxic silica dust, now more common in mines.
Richmond school campus closed over health concerns
(KRON) — School district officials said a high school in Richmond will be temporarily closed until toxic substance control inspectors determine it’s safe for students to return for the …
Upcoming Science Cafe
BAR HARBOR—Join us for a fascinating Science Cafe with environmental toxicologist Nishad Jayasundara, Ph.D., as he explores how everyday contaminants and other stressors such as heat exposure may be quietly influencing kidney health. Chronic kidney disease (CKD) affects nearly 1 in 7 adults in the United States—and more than 840 million people worldwide. While factors like diet and genetics are well known, scientists are increasingly uncovering another important piece of the puzzle: environmental exposure. Drawing on his team’s research, Dr. Jayasundara, Maine INBRE alum as a College of the Atlantic undergraduate student and past MDI Bio Lab Visiting Scientist, will share how early-life exposure to environmental toxins can disrupt kidney development, and may affect kidney structure and function in adults. Blending cutting-edge research with real-world relevance, this Science Cafe will shed light on an important and often overlooked contributor to human health—and what it could mean for communities around the world. Monday, August 17, 2026 at 5 p.m.Hybrid event at Maren Auditorium and via Zoom Register Now What Are Science Cafes? MDI Bio Lab’s Science Cafes provide an informal introduction to ground-breaking biomedical research by its scientists, scholars from near and far and from local experts in other fields as well. Each Cafe lasts about one hour; the floor is open for questions and discussion. It can get lively and it’s always engaging. MDI Science Cafes are open to the public and free of charge. For more information, or to watch past events, visit our website. The MDI Science Cafe Series is brought to you by Cross Insurance. Subscribe Share Leave a comment
The myth of the innovation tradeoff: Our chemical safety law protects health without stifling progress
The Toxic Substances Control Act is the primary safety law protecting Americans from harmful chemicals in everyday products. Bipartisan updates in 2016 strengthened the law by giving EPA the authority and responsibility to evaluate new chemicals more effectively, and to protect vulnerable populations, including children, pregnant women and those who work at or live by
J.J. Watt to Fill in for Suspended Tony Romo in CBS Sports’ NFL Booth
A week after his arrest in Milwaukee on suspicion of operating a vehicle while intoxicated, Tony Romo has been placed on leave from his post at CBS Sports until further notice. CBS’ lead NFL color commentator since 2017, Romo is being benched six weeks before he and play-by-play veteran Jim Nantz were set to kick …
Tony Romo on leave from CBS Sports after arrest in Wisconsin on charge of driving while intoxicated
New York advocates gearing up to push rape loophole proposal in new session
Legislation would prohibit the use of intoxication of the victim as a defense in sex crimes.
Gov. Greg Abbott cleared the way for the hemp industry in 2019. Now businesses are being pushed out
Texas will ban hemp products containing certain intoxicating cannabinoids starting July 31, and local businesses are feeling the strain — and even closing.
Aipac’s brand has become toxic. Can its ‘pro-Israel, pro-peace’ rival J Street move in?
J Street’s liberal Zionist politics are landing with the Democratic establishment but the electorate may have moved on
Netflix’s 'A Toxic Love Story' Is So Wild, You’ll Think It’s Scripted
Netflix’s latest true-crime documentary unpacks a shocking California case filled with deception, betrayal, and twists that sound almost too wild to be true. Find out more here.
Texas investigates major tampon, cosmetics manufacturers for alleged deceptive health claims
The Texas Attorney General's office has launched sweeping, industry-wide investigations into major manufacturers of feminine care and cosmetic products over concerns that companies may be misleading consumers about the presence of toxic chemicals and heavy metals.
Texas investigates major tampon, cosmetics manufacturers for alleged deceptive health claims
The Texas Attorney General's office has launched sweeping, industry-wide investigations into major manufacturers of feminine care and cosmetic products over concerns that companies may be misleading consumers about the presence of toxic chemicals and heavy metals.
What you need to know about the health impacts of fast fashion & toxic knockoffs
U.S. officials say most counterfeit goods seized at the border come from China and Hong Kong. Now, concerns are growing that some of these bargains may carry something else: Chemicals you didn’t pay for.
Denton businesses prepare for more THC products to be banned July 31
Starting Friday, Texas will prohibit the sale of smokeable products containing delta-8, delta-10 and several other intoxicating cannabinoids. Delta-9 products are not included in the ban.
After OWI arrest, Tony Romo withdraws from Texas State Open
Tony Romo has yet to say anything publicly since Thursday's arrest in Milwaukee for suspicion of operating while intoxicated.
New study reveals additional health risks from Great Salt Lake dust
New research shows two additional routes that toxic metals in dust from the Great Salt Lake could move into soils, plants, and human bodies.
Lead pollution poses health risk, says review sparked by FT investigation
Animals reared near ex-mining sites ‘can have high, potentially toxic concentrations of metals’, academics find
Sewage, rat pee and toxic algae: Open water swimming is booming, but is it bad for your health?
Swimming in rivers and lakes is booming, but heavy rain, sewage overflows and farm runoff can lead to disease outbreaks. Here's how to spot when the risks to health are highest.
Toxic blue-green algae health alert issued for parts of Lake Okeechobee
Health officials are warning people and pet owners to avoid contact with parts of Lake Okeechobee after tests detected harmful blue-green algae toxins.The Flor
What's to blame for Canada's wildfires?
The inferno that sent toxic smoke billowing toward the United States won't be the last. Officials are now battling both the wildfires and misinformation.
'A Toxic Love Story' is the wildest true crime doc Netflix has released in years
An Anaheim love triangle is way more twisted that you could predict.
Mice on 'godforsaken' frozen volcanoes eat toxic plants to survive conditions 'not remotely compatible with long-term human survival'
Researchers risked their lives to study Andean leaf-eared mice on the inhospitable peaks of the Puna de Atacama volcanoes in Chile.
Singer Who Quit Kennedy Center Says He Feared ‘Retribution’
At a congressional hearing, the musician warned of a “partisan toxic environment.”
Idaho’s Brownlee and Hells Canyon reservoirs under health advisory
Idaho Department of Health and Welfare advised to stay out of Brownlee and Hells Canyon reservoirs, citing toxic cyanobacteria.
Louisiana communities are left in the dark on toxic air – and industry helped keep it that way
How lawmakers weakened community air monitoring as industry pushed back against greater scrutiny
Scientists discover a protein that protects the brain from Alzheimer’s damage
A protein called SORLA may act as a powerful defense against the toxic tau tangles involved in Alzheimer’s disease. Mice with extra SORLA had less tau accumulation, less brain atrophy, and healthier connections between neurons, while mice without it experienced more severe damage. The findings also revealed a possible drug target that could help control harmful activity in supporting brain cells.
Scientists found two powerful new ways to destroy forever chemicals
Scientists are testing two promising ways to destroy PFAS, the stubborn “forever chemicals” that can accumulate in water and resist normal treatment. One method uses collapsing vapor bubbles to generate extreme heat and reactive molecules, while the other uses cold plasma and rising gas bubbles to pull PFAS to the surface and break them apart.
‘White men get to fail’: Graham Platner collapse illuminates toxic double standard in US politics
Expectations that prioritize privileged identities keep women and people of color from even running for office
‘It becomes inevitable’: the toxic mix fuelling deadly political violence around world
After killing of a British former MP, experts say dehumanising rhetoric, declining institutional trust and disinformation fuelling a global problem
Colorado health officials are tracking toxic algae blooms with warnings of health impacts
Not all blooms produce toxins, but with warm temperatures and shallow reservoirs, conditions are primed for algae to grow explosively.
Surf's up for The Intoxicators! with Music Under the Oaks concert
Brian Crum and The Intoxicators! will close out this year’s “Levitt AMP Tallahassee: Music Under the Oaks” series in Lewis Park on Thursday, July 23.
Toxic blue-green algae prompts health alerts at three Nebraska recreation areas
A health alert has been issued after harmful algal blooms, or toxic blue-green algae, were discovered at a Nebraska recreation area, reservoir and lake.
Platner Was Toxic. But Democrats Could Learn From His Politics.
His progressive, populist message was able to occupy a kind of middle ground in the party’s primary electorate.
“Worst Toxicity I’ve Seen On The Internet” – Serena Williams’ Husband Alexis Ohanian Shares Brutal Reality Of Sports Gambling
Serena Williams’ husband, Alexis Ohanian, recently opened up about the brutal reality of sports gambling he witnessed once he started dating the American, highlighting the harassment from sports bettors. Williams returned to professional tennis in June 2026 after nearly four years away from the sport.
Uranium-Eating Bacteria Leave Just 5% of The Radioactive Metal in Toxic Mine Water, Scientists Discover
The first evidence that bacteria can convert toxic uranium dissolved in water into a stable chemical compound.
Yale scientists may have found how Parkinson's disease spreads through the brain
Yale scientists discovered two neuron surface proteins that appear to help spread the toxic protein linked to Parkinson’s disease. Blocking these proteins in mice dramatically reduced disease progression, offering a potential new target for future therapies.
The world's highest-dwelling mammal is smaller than your hand
At the top of a 6,739-metre Andean volcano, where the air is thin, temperatures are almost always below freezing and humans struggle to survive, a tiny leaf-eared mouse has made itself at home — dining on toxic plants.
Pettit Reservoir in Silverton under health warning due to algae bloom
A health warning was issued for the Pettit Reservoir in Silverton on July 10 due to a toxic algae bloom that recently appeared.
New York attorney general files lawsuit against makers of PFAS chemicals
The lawsuit alleges that the companies that make PFAS chemicals knew about their toxic characteristics and continued to make and sell them.
FDA releases report on toxic metals in tampons and potential health risks
Previous research had raised safety worries over whether metals such as arsenic and lead in menstrual products could pose health risks.
Bumblebees collect up to 7 times more toxic metals than honeybees
Bumblebees are picking up dramatically more toxic heavy metals than honeybees, even when both species forage in the same places. Researchers warn that this hidden pollution could quietly reduce their ability to find food, reproduce, and keep colonies healthy.
A toxicologist's guide to reducing your exposure to everyday chemicals
There’s no such thing as a "chemical-free" life, but some simple steps can help you minimize exposures to daily chemicals.
World Of Warcraft Plague Kills Players, Makes Infected Spread Nasty Green Goo
World Of Warcraft's 'Corrupted Blood Incident 2.0' resulted in the game getting even more toxic than usual
New study changes what scientists know about lithium and bipolar disorder
Lithium is one of the most effective drugs for bipolar disorder. However, its narrow therapeutic window means the difference between an effective dose and a toxic one is small.
Zak Brown explains how McLaren ended toxic blame culture
Zak Brown says McLaren’s transformation into a championship-winning team was driven by a no-blame culture and a major leadership reset
Long Reads for the Long Weekend
(Welcome to the Entertainment Strategy Guy, a newsletter on the entertainment industry and business strategy. I write a weekly Streaming Ratings Report and a bi-weekly strategy column, along with occasional deep dives into other topics, like today’s article. Please subscribe.) Happy Fourth of July weekend! As has been a tradition of mine going back to the beginning of the EntStrategyGuy website, I’m sharing my favorite long reads of the last year, like I did in 2019, 2020, 2021, 2024, and 2025. Let’s dive right in! Subscribe “Different Prices for the Same Ride: How Uber and Lyft Use AI to Get More Money Out of You“ by Derek Kravitz in Consumer Reports I don’t think surveillance pricing, like the kind described in this brilliant Consumer Reports article, is long for the world—it’s toxically unpopular—but we’ll see if either party takes on this issue. If I ran a political party focused on affordability, I would focus on a few pro-consumer and pro-market policies: Banning non-compete agreements. Ending surveillance pricing Eliminating junk fees (read more here...) Ensuring “right to repair” for consumer (and military!) products Capping excessive app store fees Stopping digital/algorithmic price-fixing tools. Preventing automatic subscription price increases. And more. If you want to fight inflation, there are a lot of great ways to do it quickly. Speaking of higher prices... “Secret Documents Show Pepsi and Walmart Colluded to Raise Food Prices Across the Economy“ by Matt Stoller in BIG Again, I think a political party should focus on lowering prices for consumers. And deals like this—Walmart making a deal/forcing Pepsi to offer the lowest prices at its stores and nowhere else—hypothetically lower prices at Walmart...but raise them everywhere else. “15 DUIs, still driving: California’s failure to take repeat drunk drivers off the road“ by Robert Lewis and Lauren Hepler in CalMatters CalMatters does terrific reporting in California, something the Golden State desperately needs more of, and this article is a great example of that. “PugLips: The next insanely popular thing you’ve never heard of…” by Simon Carless in Game Discover Co I thought that this parody article (and yes, it’s a parody, but I was definitely unsure at first) was hilarious and totally nailed how much tech/business journalism feels these days. Actually, three of my favorite articles this year were on hype in the video game industry, including Georg Zoller’s “The Video Game Industries Very Dark Night”—which I linked to recently and wrote a follow-up here—and Owen Mahoney’s “Derek Zoolander, Videogame Exec”. In particular, I like Mahoney’s focus on user experience as a guide to what trends will actually grab hold of customers. “The Matrix Lies“ by Evan Shapiro in Media War & Peace Evan Shapiro’s first person account of his experience with AI was hilarious. I think LLMs capabilities have significantly grown from last summer, and yet...my editor/researcher just had an abysmal experience using an LLM to do a quite basic task (which our LLM normally does each week) and the LLM made a mistake on every single data entry...along with seven different mistakes affecting twelve of the twenty or so entries, including mistakes that are explicitly spelled out in the prompt. That’s a brutal failure rate. Again, if you use AI/LLM for data collection, you need to take a lot of extra steps to verify and check the data. “Ghosts in the Balcony: A Cross-Country Trip to 58 Theaters Fighting to Survive“ by Matthew Frank in The Ankler I thought Matthew Frank’s pitch to head across America to visit theaters sounded insane aggressive at the time—at least it felt that way to someone a decade older than him; man, to be in your twenties again, am I right?—but I knew the result would be great. And it was, a terrific feature by a great young writer. Also, I loved Matthew’s recent article on who’s getting the precious few entry level jobs in Hollywood. (Hint: nepotism.) “Disney erased FiveThirtyEight“ and “Did Las Vegas get too greedy?” by Nate Silver in Silver Bulletin I love media history and analysis, and there’s no one better to get the history of FiveThirtyEight than from Nate Silver, who wrote about his personal experience in one of my favorite pieces from this year. I also loved Nate’s breakdown of what’s causing Vegas’ woes, but I’ll offer one criticism, summarized as “Might I suggest antitrust?” Many centrists/center-right/libertarian thinkers (Nate is self-described as the latter) often don’t consider consolidation or antitrust as factors in policy issues like housing, America’s military readiness, or, in this case, Las Vegas. Even if libertarians want to debunk antitrust/consolidation concerns, I’d love to read that debunking. In this case, Vegas is incredibly consolidated (though it also has been for a long time) and I’d have loved to read Nate at least contending with this factor, since he addresses almost every other potential factor for Vegas’ decline. “Why Microsoft’s Carbon Removal Pullback Is Such a Big Deal“ by Robinson Meyer in Heatmap News I’m a big supporter of carbon removal efforts, but this nascent industry faces a lot of headwinds, including this big move most recently. I think it’s clear that solar panels and batteries should be able to get the world to its carbon footprint goals, but effective carbon renewal remains necessary to prevent the worst impacts of global warming. “AI is killing the cheap smartphone“ by David Oks LLMs and AI will impact the world in ways we’re not ready for, and already, third world countries are seeing the prices of cheap cellphones skyrocket due to the cost of chips skyrocketing. This article by David Oks is a terrific breakdown. “100 Days of Madness: Netflix, Paramount, Warner and the Future of Hollywood“ by Wade Major at Hollywood Heretic Wade Major dove deep into Hollywood/streaming’s financials in this must read piece. Not that I agree with everything in this article (read my take on Warner Bros./Paramount here) but the analysis is top notch. I think many people discount how quality thinking, regardless of the argument/conclusion, will make you a better thinker. “Erased by the UFC: Frank Shamrock, The MMA GOAT of the 20th Century“ by Nate Wilcox in The MMA Draw Newsletter Growing up playing the UFC fighting game on the Dreamcast, Frank Shamrock was my favorite MMA fighter, and this history/tribute to him was great. Other Fun Reads “The Hardest Part Of History To Tell Is How It Felt“ by Craig Fehrman at Defector “Unmasking the Sea Star Killer“ by Craig Welch at bioGraphic “What Could Save the Industry? Fin-Syn“ by Richard Rushfield in The Ankler Alex Rollins Berg in Underexposed on movie bumpers, pillow shots, Disney trash cinema, cult films, and Casablanca. David H. Montgomery in YouGov’s The Surveyor on punctuation marks, condiments, dinosaurs, and comic strips and kids media. “How Medium finally pivoted its way to profitability“ and “Why the best journalists on YouTube are all former Vox employees“ by Simon Owens in Simon Owens’s Media Newsletter “It’s Not Just You, Netflix Shows Have Gotten Slightly Shorter: Here’s What the Data Says“ by Kasey Moore at What’s on Netflix “Numlock Awards: How Diane Warren became the biggest loser in Oscar history“ by Nathaniel Rakich and “Numlock Awards: The Oscar Bait era is over. The Oscar Chum era is here.” by Walt Hickey & Michael Domanico at Numlock Awards
Ashley Tisdale putting her real-life drama to work in comedy series “Toxic Moms”
The Disney Channel alum wrote a personal essay about her mom group drama for "The Cut" earlier this year.
UC Davis to Set Standard for Measuring Airborne Nanoplastic Health Risks
UC Davis researchers have received a nearly $4 million grant NIEH to develop the world’s first standardized method for measuring and describing the neurotoxicity of airborne nanoplastics.
Scientists may have finally found how Alzheimer's spreads through the brain
A common brain protein may be giving Alzheimer’s disease an unexpected way to spread, carrying toxic Tau proteins from damaged neurons into healthy ones. By blocking these harmful protein packages before they reach new cells, researchers believe it may one day be possible to slow the disease's relentless progression.
FDLE Relocates Orlando Toxicology Lab to UCF, Strengthening Partnerships and Research
Expansion with the UCF Academic Health Sciences Campus in Lake Nona strengthens the Florida Department of Law Enforcement's forensic opportunities.
How a Brain Messenger Protein Drives Progression of Alzheimer’s Disease
In mice, a brain protein called Arc helps spread toxic molecules from sick brain cells to healthy ones. If therapies could be designed to target the spread, they could be a powerful tool to stop disease progression.
AB Science reports completion of the step 3 of phase 1, evaluating the combination of AB8939 with venetoclax for the treatment of refractory or relapsed AML
PRESS RELEASE AB SCIENCE REPORTS COMPLETION OF THE STEP 3 OF PHASE 1, EVALUATING THE COMBINATION OF AB8939 WITH VENETOCLAX FOR THE TREATMENT OF REFRACTORY OR RELAPSED ACUTE MYELOID LEUKEMIA THE COMBINATION OF AB8939 WITH VENETOCLAX GENERATED A 67% OVERALL RESPONSE RATE (ORR) AND A 100% DISEASE CONTROL RATE (DCR), WITH NO DOSE-LIMITING TOXICITIES (DLT) OBSERVED, IN A POOR-PROGNOSIS POPULATION WITH ADVERSE GENETICS TREATED IN THE SECOND - TO FOURTH-LINE RELAPSED OR REFRACTORY SETTING Paris, June 2
Opinion: Bring back respect in politics
No matter your party or political persuasion, it is undeniable that American politics has taken on a tenor of anger and pessimism. This national mood has made American politics atoxic stew of rage, discontentment and despair. Many Americans don’t feel that the reforms they would like to see in their government are possible. These...
Common pesticide linked to more than double the risk of Parkinson’s disease
Scientists at UCLA have linked long-term exposure to the pesticide chlorpyrifos with a sharply increased risk of Parkinson’s disease. People exposed to the chemical near their homes were more than twice as likely to develop the condition. Laboratory studies showed that chlorpyrifos damages dopamine neurons and interferes with the brain’s ability to remove toxic protein buildup.
Falco In Star Fox Is Every Toxic DPS You've Ever Played With
‘I could use some of that teamwork!’
New study suggests health damage from exposure to Ohio toxic train spill
Research finds immune systems still ‘responding to toxic chemical exposures’ related to East Palestine derailment
Health concerns as Boyle Heights warehouse fire stretches into a week
Toxic air has covered the San Gabriel Valley and beyond at times, as the fire continues to burn and the wind shifts the pall in different directions.
Opinion | Covid Politics Don’t Have to Be Toxic
Nirav Shah is something that would seem anathema in contemporary politics: a public health technocrat who became a household name during Covid.
‘Daily cuts… infections’: India’s e-waste workers face toxic health risks
As digital consumption grows and e-waste mounts, burden of managing that waste falls on workers with little protection.
One common fat may fuel type 2 diabetes while another helps fight it
Not all fats affect your body the same way. Researchers found that palmitic acid, a saturated fat common in many foods, may contribute to insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes by triggering inflammation, toxic fat buildup, and cellular stress. In contrast, oleic acid—the heart-healthy fat abundant in olive oil—appears to help protect insulin function and may even counter some of the harmful effects of palmitic acid.
Tubulin prevents toxic brain protein clumps linked to Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s
Scientists at Baylor College of Medicine may have uncovered a promising new way to combat Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. Instead of trying to stop Tau and alpha-synuclein proteins from gathering into tiny droplets inside brain cells, the researchers found that tubulin—the protein that builds the cell’s internal transport network—can redirect these proteins away from forming toxic clumps and toward healthy, productive work.
Most TikTok sunscreen content is accurate. The misinformation gets the attention.
The critical videos included claims that sunscreen was toxic and contained carcinogens and that sun exposure is not dangerous.
Scientists reprogram brain immune cells to fight Alzheimer’s
A newly identified molecule called OLE helped restore the brain’s immune cells to a more protective state in Alzheimer’s models. The treatment reduced toxic plaque buildup and improved memory, raising hopes for a new therapeutic approach.
Chronotherapy considerations in lithium treatment for bipolar disorder
Nature Mental Health - In this Perspective, Ray and colleagues review 50 years of studies on the effectiveness and toxicity of lithium and argue that its effects depend on dosing time. They propose...
'We completely left' | They moved to NKY for their child's health, but the home they found made them all sick
After moving from Texas so their daughter could receive specialized treatment at Cincinnati Children’s, the Gilkey family says toxic mold in their Walton home made the entire family sick.
Tracy residents worry about health risks after warehouse fire
Residents in Tracy are concerned about lingering smoke and toxic chemicals in the air following the Medline warehouse fire
'Toxic gases, carcinogens': Tracy medical warehouse fire raises air quality concerns as smoke billows
San Joaquin County officials are warning residents about potential health risks as thick black smoke from the Tracy medical warehouse fire continues to billow on Friday. County public health officials said respiratory irritants, toxic gases, carcinogens, and "at least one neurotoxin" are present in the smoke and could impact nearby communities downwind.
Emory gets $15M to establish first center to research toxic Superfund sites' health effects
Emory University has received a five-year, $15 million grant from the National Institutes of Environmental Health to establish a center to research how contaminants from Georgia Superfund sites affect human health.
Toxic pollutant from car tires reaching San Francisco Bay, scientists say
A scientific research group here in the Bay Area is generating new evidence about another type of pollution caused not just by cars, but by their tires. It's a chemical known as 6PPD-Q, which is so toxic to some species of fish that it's believed that a single drop in a swimming pool could be fatal.
Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services issues health alert for Rockford Lake
Nebraska has issued a health alert for Harmful Algal Blooms, also known as toxic blue-green algae, at Rockford Lake in Gage County on Friday.
Missouri lawmakers didn’t act on data centers; they’re toxic in local politics
While data centers have upended local politics, Missouri lawmakers introduced several bills to regulate them, none crossed the finish line.
'It’s not acceptable': Lejeune toxic water victims rally outside Capitol
People exposed to toxic water at North Carolina’s Camp Lejeune decades ago voiced pent-up frustration outside the U.S. Capitol Thursday.
Health groups lobby against chemical law changes
Public health and environmental advocates are pressing lawmakers this week to oppose industry-backed changes to the Toxic Substances Control Act.
EPA Leadership Strip the Agency of Its Ability to Protect Us from Toxic Chemicals
Over the last year and a half, the Trump administration has recklessly dismantled the democratic institutions that keep us safe, including the systems that rely on the best available science to inform government decision-making. This campaign has resulted in more than 560 attacks on science to date.
Toxic caterpillar outbreaks prompt health warnings
Skin or eye irritation from the caterpillar's hairs can affect both people and animals.
Why the Arctic’s rivers are rusting
Scientists have identified the two biggest reasons that once-pristine rivers across the Arctic are growing cloudy with toxic orange iron particles that smother insects and suffocate fish.
Fortnite Fans Are at War Over a Controversial Streamer's Inclusion, and the Toxic Backlash It's Created
Fortnite players are warring over a collaboration with a controversial streamer in the battle royale game's next season.
Rep. Derek Tran explains next steps following chemical tank crisis in Orange County
Democratic Congressman Derek Tran says oversight and an investigation is coming after a toxic chemical tank issue put his community in Garden Grove on edge for days.
New solar desalination breakthrough makes fresh water without toxic brine
Scientists have developed a solar desalination system that turns seawater into drinking water without creating environmentally damaging brine. Special laser-textured metal panels use sunlight to evaporate water while automatically moving salt deposits away from the working surface, preventing clogging. The process was successfully tested with water from three oceans and can recover nearly all salts as solids. Those leftover materials could even become a source of valuable lithium for batteries.
OC businesses fight to recoup losses after toxic tank emergency in Garden Grove
More than a week after the toxic tank emergency at GKN triggered a massive evacuation, thousands of businesses are now fighting to recoup their losses.
Researchers block key protein that helps Parkinson’s spread through the brain
A newly identified protein called GPNMB may play a major role in helping Parkinson’s disease spread through the brain. Researchers discovered that immune cells release the protein in response to damaged neurons, creating a vicious cycle that speeds up brain cell degeneration. In early experiments, antibodies that blocked GPNMB stopped the toxic process from spreading between cells.
EPA Extends TSCA Health and Safety Reporting Rule Deadline to 2027
What: On May 22, 2026, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) extended the Toxic Substances Control Act’s (TSCA) Health and Safety Data Reporting rule deadline to May 21, 2027.Why: The Health and Safety Data Reporting rule was finalized in la
President Trump Abandoned Environmental Justice Communities. Scientists Can Fill the Void.
Scientists have a duty to support communities with their unique set of tools and expertise.
Axios C-Suite: Everything converges in 2028
Big things are coming: toxic political fragmentation, superintelligent AI and a platform shift bigger than social media.
What is methyl methacrylate? Chemical leaking from California tank that could soon explode
The toxic chemical inside the large storage tank that was leaking in California is methyl methacrylate, or MMA.
What is methyl methacrylate? Chemical leaking from California tank that could soon explode
The toxic chemical inside the large storage tank that was leaking in California is methyl methacrylate, or MMA.
Himes: ‘Political toxicity’ of Iran war leading Trump to ‘surrender’
Disney Helped Make the Star Wars Fandom Toxic for Women
Why 'Star Wars' fandom became socially toxic for women amid Disney’s sequel trilogy backlash, culture wars, and brand fatigue under Kathleen Kennedy.