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Feb 28 2025POLITICS

Job Cuts Across Government Agencies

The Trump administration has set a deadline of March 13 for agencies to finalize plans to reduce their workforce through layoffs. The upcoming layoffs are separate from the mass firings of probationary employees. This means that around 25, 000 workers have already been removed from their positions.

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Feb 28 2025ENVIRONMENT

NOAA's Big Shake-Up: Hundreds of Jobs Vanish

The Trump administration has been making big cuts at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Around 800 employees were told to pack their bags and leave. The agency is responsible for keeping an eye on weather, climate, and the environment. The layoffs happened on Thursday, and m

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Feb 28 2025EDUCATION

Why We Disagree and How to Make Peace

In our big, diverse world, it's clear that we often find ourselves on different sides of the fence when it comes to big issues. It's like we're speaking different languages, and it can feel impossible to find common ground. But what if there was a way to understand each other better? Let's

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Feb 28 2025HEALTH

Smoke-Free Lives: How State Policies Impact LGBTQ+ Youth

In 2023, a big study was done to see how state laws affect the smoking habits of LGBTQ+ youth and young adults. The focus was on whether having strong legal protections for LGBTQ+ people makes a difference in how many of them smoke cigarettes or use e-cigarettes. The study looked at data from 1, 255

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Feb 28 2025SCIENCE

Boosting Compost with Tiny Bubbles: A New Way to Grow More

Imagine turning cow poop and wheat straw into super-fertile compost. Sounds gross, right? But it's actually a big deal for farmers. The problem is, these materials are packed with lignocellulose, a tough stuff that's hard to break down. So, scientists tried something new: adding tiny bubbles of diff

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Feb 28 2025ENVIRONMENT

Corn Belt Farmers Battle Pests with New Tactics

Pests are evolving and outsmarting the special corn used to fight them. This corn has a special toxin from a bacterium called Bacillus thuringiensis. It was designed to protect crops and make farming easier. However, pests have adapted and are now resistant to the toxin. This means the corn is not a

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Feb 28 2025SCIENCE

Lab Animals in Limbo: NIH's Money Moves

The world of scientific research is buzzing with uncertainty. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has proposed a significant cut in indirect costs reimbursements to research institutions. This move could have a huge impact on facilities that house and care for millions of research animals, like

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Feb 28 2025SCIENCE

Turning Natural Gas into Gold: A New Catalyst for Methane Oxidation

Imagine turning natural gas into something valuable using just sunlight. Sounds like magic, right? Well, scientists have been working on this for a while, and they've made some serious progress. They've created a special catalyst that can turn methane into methyl hydroperoxide. This is a big deal be

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Feb 28 2025HEALTH

Air Pollution and Heart Disease: A Long-Term Look

Imagine living in a place where the air you breathe could affect your heart health over time. This is not a far-fetched idea. Air pollution, specifically the main types found in the environment, has been linked to various heart issues. However, the long-term and combined effects of these pollutants

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Feb 28 2025HEALTH

Breathing Easy After COVID: Can Exercise Help?

COVID-19 has left many people with lingering health issues, even after the virus is gone. One big problem is that the blood vessels in some people don't work as well as they should. This can make simple tasks, like walking up stairs, feel much harder. But here's where it gets interesting: exercise m

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