Here we go again: COVID-19 hospital admissions have inched upward in the United States since early July in a small-scale echo of the three previous summers. With an updated vaccine still months away, this summer bump in new hospitalizations might be concerning, but the number of patients is far lower than before. A look at … continue reading -> “US COVID-19 Hospitalizations Rising, but Not Like Before”
Botswana is aiming to recruit at least 1,000 pharmacists, some from abroad, after nurses said they would no longer dispense medications. Nurses stopped filling prescriptions to patients last month, with the Botswana Nurse Union saying that doing so was outside their scope of work. The situation has led to congestion at the country’s pharmacies and … continue reading -> “Botswana Seeks Pharmacists From Abroad After Nurses Halt Dispensing Medications”
U.S. police reform advocates have long argued that police-worn body cameras will help reduce officers’ excessive use of force and work to build public trust. But the millions of hours of footage that so-called “body cams” generate are difficult for police supervisors to monitor. As Shelley Schlender explains, artificial intelligence may help. …
Leaders of eight South American nations that share the Amazon rainforest convene a two-day summit in Brazil Tuesday to reach a broad agreement on preserving the critical region. The meeting of the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization in Belem, capital of the Amazon state of Para, takes place as more than ten percent of the rainforest … continue reading -> “Amazon Nations Gather in Brazil to Save Rainforest”
Pope Francis on Tuesday called for a global reflection on the potential dangers of artificial intelligence (AI), noting the new technology’s “disruptive possibilities and ambivalent effects.” Francis, who is 86 and said in the past he does not know how to use a computer, issued the warning in a message for the next World … continue reading -> “Pope Warns Against Potential Dangers of Artificial Intelligence”
Now that July’s sizzling numbers are all in, the European climate monitoring organization made it official: July 2023 was Earth’s hottest month on record by a wide margin. July’s global average temperature of 16.95 degrees Celsius (62.51 degrees Fahrenheit) was a third of a degree Celsius (six tenths of a degree Fahrenheit) higher than … continue reading -> “European Scientists Make it Official: July Was Hottest Month on Record by Far”
Two to tech groups on Monday backed TikTok Inc in its lawsuit seeking block enforcement of a Montana state ban on use of the short video sharing app before it takes effect on January 1. NetChoice, a national trade association that includes major tech platforms, and Chamber of Progress, a tech-industry coalition, said in a … continue reading -> “US Tech Groups Back TikTok in Challenge to Montana State Ban”
The use of sophisticated spyware to hack into the devices of journalists and human rights defenders during a period of conflict in Armenia has alarmed analysts. A joint investigation by digital rights organizations, including Amnesty International, found evidence of the surveillance software on devices belonging to 12 people, including a former government spokesperson. The apparent … continue reading -> “Analysts Say Use of Spyware During Conflict Is Chilling”
Indigenous leaders from across South America called Monday for bold steps to protect the Amazon and their ancestral lands, ahead of a summit on saving the world’s biggest rainforest. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva will host fellow regional leaders Tuesday and Wednesday for the first summit in 14 years of the eight-nation Amazon … continue reading -> “Indigenous Groups Call for Bold Steps at Amazon Summit”
Raging waters that ate away at riverbanks, destroyed at least two buildings and undermined others were receding Monday in Alaska’s capital city after a glacial dam outburst last weekend, authorities said. Levels along the Mendenhall River had started falling by Sunday, but the city said the riverbanks remained unstable. Onlookers gathered on a bridge over … continue reading -> “Glacial Dam Outburst in Alaska’s Capital Destroys 2 Buildings”
A mother is suing the city of Detroit, saying unreliable facial recognition technology led to her being falsely arrested for carjacking while she was eight months pregnant. Porcha Woodruff was getting her two children ready for school the morning of February 16 when a half-dozen police officers showed up at her door to arrest her, … continue reading -> “US Mom Blames Face Recognition Technology for Flawed Arrest”
Russia said Monday it plans to launch a lunar lander this week after multiple delays, hoping to return to the Moon for the first time in nearly fifty years. Russian space agency Roscosmos said it had scheduled the launch of the Luna-25 lander for the early hours of Friday. With the lunar mission, Russia’s … continue reading -> “Russia to Launch Lunar Mission Friday, First in Nearly 50 Years”
U.S. scientists have achieved net energy gain in a fusion reaction for the second time since December, the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory said on Sunday. Scientists at the California-based lab repeated the fusion ignition breakthrough in an experiment in the National Ignition Facility (NIF) on July 30 that produced a higher energy yield than in … continue reading -> “US Scientists Repeat Fusion Ignition Breakthrough”
Nigeria’s unreliable power grid is not only slowing down the country’s economic growth, but health workers say it can lead to unwanted hospital shutdowns at night. But one startup is giving hospitals hope. Alhassan Bala has this report, narrated by Haruna Shehu. …
Elon Musk said in a social media post that his proposed cage fight with Meta (META.O) CEO Mark Zuckerberg would be live-streamed on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter. The social media moguls have been egging each other into a mixed martial arts cage match in Las Vegas since June. “Zuck v Musk … continue reading -> “Musk Says Fight with Zuckerberg Will be Live-Streamed on X”
The tidal wave of artificial intelligence (AI) barrelling toward many professions has generated deep anxiety among workers fearful that their jobs will be swept away — and the mental health impact is rising. The launch in November 2022 of ChatGPT, the generative AI platform capable of handling complex tasks on command, marked a tech landmark … continue reading -> “AI Anxiety: Workers Fret Over Uncertain Future”
During Europe’s heat wave last month, Floriana Peroni’s vintage clothing store had to close for a week. A truck of rented generators blocked her door as they fed power to the central Roman neighborhood hit by a blackout as temperatures surged. The main culprit: air conditioning. The period — in which temperatures hit 40 degrees … continue reading -> “Sweltering Europeans Give Air Conditioning a Skeptical Embrace”
India’s latest space mission entered the moon’s orbit on Saturday ahead of the country’s second attempted lunar landing, as its space program seeks to reach new heights. The world’s most populous nation has a comparatively low-budget aerospace program that is rapidly closing in on the milestones set by global space powers. Only Russia, the United … continue reading -> “Indian Lunar Landing Mission Enters Moon’s Orbit”
Somalia reopened the National Blood Bank Saturday for the first time in more than 30 years, in a significant move to address the shortage of blood supplies and save lives. Somalia Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre, who inaugurated the fresh start for the center in Mogadishu, said it’s a crucial achievement for his nation, which … continue reading -> “Somalia Reopens National Blood Bank to Address Critical Shortage”
The World Bank is aiming to help fund construction of 1,000 mini solar power grids in Africa’s biggest economy Nigeria in partnership with the government and private sector, the lender’s president Ajay Banga said Saturday. Nigeria, with a population of more than 200 million people, has installed power generation capacity of 12,500 megawatts, or MW, … continue reading -> “World Bank to Help Fund 1,000 Mini Solar Power Grids in Nigeria”
Rhonda Hicks could have kept working into her 60s. She loved teaching and loved her students in Philadelphia’s public schools. As a Black woman, she took pride in being a role model for many children of color. But other aspects of the job deteriorated, such as growing demands from administrators over what and how to … continue reading -> “Stress Prompting More US Teachers of Color to Quit”
Federal health officials have approved the first pill specifically intended to treat severe depression after childbirth, a condition that affects thousands of new mothers in the U.S. each year. The Food and Drug Administration on Friday granted approval of the drug, Zurzuvae, for adults experiencing severe depression related to childbirth or pregnancy. The pill is … continue reading -> “US Approves First Pill to Treat Postpartum Depression”
NASA has succeeded in reestablishing full contact with Voyager 2 by using its highest-power transmitter to send an “interstellar shout” that righted the distant probe’s antenna orientation, the space agency said Friday. Launched in 1977 to explore the outer planets and serve as a beacon of humanity to the wider universe, it is currently more … continue reading -> “NASA Back in Touch With Voyager 2 After ‘Interstellar Shout’”
The world’s oceans set a temperature record this week, raising concerns about the effects that could have on the planet’s climate, marine life and coastal communities. The temperature of the oceans’ surface rose to 20.96 degrees Celsius (69.7 degrees Fahrenheit) on July 30, according to European Union climate observatory data. The previous record was … continue reading -> “World’s Oceans Set Surface Temperature Record, EU Monitor Says “
When Clarisse Agbégnénou won her sixth world judo title, confirming the reigning Olympic champion as one of the athletes to watch at next year’s Paris Games, the French star’s smallest but greatest fan was less wild about her mother’s newest gold medal than she was about her breast milk. After a peckish day of few … continue reading -> “Pioneering Mothers Break Down Barriers to Breastfeeding in Olympic Sports”