Public Health
The Race to Curb the Spread of COVID Vaccine Disinformation
Researchers are applying strategies honed during the 2020 US presidential election to track anti-vax propaganda
Stories by Jeff Tollefson
Policy & Ethics
Meet Biden’s Science Team
As the U.S. president announces his advisers and agency heads, Nature’s guide tracks the appointees who matter most to science
Policy & Ethics
Scientists Relieved as Joe Biden Wins Tight U.S. Presidential Election
The new president has the opportunity to reverse four years of anti-science policies—but he has a hard road ahead as he inherits a nation divided
Policy & Ethics
What a Joe Biden Presidency Would Mean For Science
The coronavirus pandemic, climate change and space exploration are among the issues that Biden will influence if he wins the upcoming U.S. election
Policy & Ethics
NASA Soars and Others Plummet in Trump’s Budget Proposal
U.S. research sees deep cuts in the president’s request for 2021. But Congress has resisted similar reductions in the past
Climate
Massive California Power Outage Triggers Chaos in Science Labs
Researchers without access to backup power scramble to save invaluable specimens and expensive reagents
EARTH
The World’s Oceans Are Losing Power to Stall Climate Change
A new U.N. report predicts more powerful storms, increased risk of flooding and dwindling fisheries if greenhouse-gas output doesn’t fall
Policy & Ethics
Scientists Are Concerned over U.S. Environmental Agency’s Plan to Limit Animal Research
Critics say the shift away from using animals in safety tests will hamper chemical research and regulations
Policy & Ethics
Populist President Sparks Unprecedented Crisis for Brazilian Science
Tensions are rising as Jair Bolsonaro’s administration questions the work of government scientists and institutes debilitating cuts to research funding
Energy
Trump Administration Relaxes Emissions Limits on Power Plants
A new rule for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency allows states to set their own limits on carbon-emission levels
EARTH
Humans Are Driving One Million Species to Extinction
Landmark UN-backed report finds that agriculture is one of the biggest threats to Earth’s ecosystems
Policy & Ethics
Trump Seeks Big Cuts to Science Funding—Again
The president wants to cut spending at the National Institutes of Health and Environmental Protection Agency, but it is not clear whether Congress will go along
Policy & Ethics
As the Shutdown Persists, Here Are 5 Ways It Will Impact Science
A second wave of closures looms as the government funding fight barrels towards a record-breaking fourth week
EARTH
Satellite Spies Methane Bubbling up from Arctic Permafrost
Radar instrument aboard a Japanese probe can spot signs of gas seeping from lakes that form as the ground thaws
Climate
Limiting Warming to 1.5° Celsius Will Require Drastic Action, IPCC Says
Humanity has a limited window to avoid the more dire effects of climate change, according to a new climate report
Environment
Climate Change Has Doubled the Frequency of Ocean Heat Waves
Extreme heat events wreak havoc on marine ecosystems and will only get worse in coming decades
Policy & Ethics
Industry Trumps Peer-Reviewed Science at EPA
Critics outraged over changes to chemical-safety review guidelines
Policy & Ethics
Science under Siege: Behind the Scenes at Trump's Troubled Environment Agency
Uncertainty, hostility and irrelevance are now part of daily life for scientists at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Conservation
Deforestation Ticks Up in Brazil's Savanna
The Cerrado is the most threatened biome in Brazil, environmentalists proclaim
Policy & Ethics
EPA Science Advisors Question “Secret Science” Rule on Data Transparency
Independent board will review agency decisions to repeal or change climate regulations and rules on the use of non-public data
