Science Times: Despair at the C.D.C. as the pandemic erupted

Plus: The dinosaur with a 50-foot neck —

View in browser|nytimes.com Continue reading the main story March 21, 2023 Mustafa Hussain for The New York Times 'We Were Helpless': Despair at the C.D.C. as the Pandemic Erupted Current and former employees recall rising desperation as Trump administration officials squelched research into the new coronavirus. By Apoorva Mandavilli Art World/Alamy Obsidian Cliff: Humanity's Tool Shed for the Last 11,500 Years X-ray technology has allowed researchers a glimpse at the reaches of the Yellowstone landmark's prized stone and its importance to Indigenous people. By Jim Robbins VISUAL INVESTIGATIONS Tracking the Chinese Balloon From Space A new analysis of satellite imagery traces the path of the Chinese balloon from its launch in China to the United States. By Muyi Xiao, Ishaan Jhaveri, Eleanor Lutz, Christoph Koettl and Julian E. Barnes Ng Han Guan/Associated Press Lab Leak or Not? How Politics Shaped the Battle Over Covid's Origin A lab leak was once dismissed by many as a conspiracy theory. But the idea is gaining traction, even as evidence builds that the virus emerged from a market. By Sheryl Gay Stolberg and Benjamin Mueller Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT Email us Let us know how we're doing at sciencenewsletter@nytimes.com. Noriko Hayashi for The New York Times Facing Extinction, but Available for Selfies in Japan's Animal Cafes Critically endangered species and ones banned from international trade are among the hundreds of types birds, reptiles and mammals that researchers identified at 142 animal cafes. By Rachel Nuwer David J. Phillip/Associated Press New Moon Suit for NASA's Artemis Astronauts Unveiled Axiom Space is building the new spacesuits in a commercial partnership similar to the one between the space agency and SpaceX. By Kenneth Chang David J. Phillip/Associated Press UNBUTTONED NASA's New Spacesuit: It's a Look NASA and Axiom Space have unveiled the first major spacesuit redesign in four decades. Astronauts are getting hip. By Vanessa Friedman Júlia d'Oliveira TRILOBITES It's Not a Stretch: This Dinosaur Had a 50-Foot Neck Researchers developed a new estimate of the neck length of Mamenchisaurus, which foraged for foliage more than 150 million years ago in what is now China. By Jack Tamisiea Flaming Space Debris Re-entering Atmosphere Lights Up California Sky Chunks of communications equipment, which were jettisoned from the International Space Station, moved at 17,000 miles per hour, making for a nighttime spectacle. By April Rubin Scientists Breed Sea Dragons, but Not by the Seashore The New England Aquarium is raising 18 baby sea dragons after a successful and rare breeding event. The baby dragons, who look too much alike to have names, will go on display this summer. By Remy Tumin Audubon Society Keeps Name Despite Slavery Ties, Dividing Birders The national bird conservation group said it would "reckon with the racist legacy of John James Audubon," a naturalist and illustrator who was an enslaver, but voted to keep the namesake. By Jesus Jiménez Scientists Investigate a Bird Flu Outbreak in Seals Wild birds passed the virus to seals in New England at least twice last summer, a new study suggests. By Emily Anthes Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT CLIMATE CHANGE Sean Gallup/Getty Images World Has Less Than a Decade to Stop Catastrophic Warming, U.N. Panel Says A new report says it is still possible to hold global warming to relatively safe levels, but doing so will require global cooperation, billions of dollars and big changes. By Brad Plumer Eden Weingart How Does Carbon Capture Work? The idea of removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to turn back the clock on climate change is an appealing one. Can these technologies deliver on their promise? By Eden Weingart Noriko Hayashi for The New York Times The Secret Behind Japan's Delicious Strawberries: Kerosene The growing season has become completely reversed thanks to kerosene-burning greenhouses and the big prices paid for the earliest, best berries. By Hiroko Tabuchi Subscribe Today We hope you've enjoyed this newsletter, which is made possible through subscriber support. Subscribe to The New York Times with this special offer. Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT HEALTH Mandel Ngan/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images A CONVERSATION WITH The Surgeon General's New Mission: Adolescent Mental Health In an interview with The Times, Dr. Vivek Murthy ascribed the crisis in part to "hustle culture" values. By Matt Richtel Melissa Golden for The New York Times Deadly Fungus Spread Rapidly During the Pandemic, C.D.C. Says Candida auris, a drug-resistant fungus that health officials hoped to contain is now in more than half the 50 states, according to a new research paper. By Matt Richtel Kaiti Sullivan for The New York Times Covid Worsened a Health Crisis Among Pregnant Women In 2021, deaths of pregnant women soared by 40 percent in the United States, according to new government figures. Here's how one family coped after the virus threatened a pregnant mother. By Roni Caryn Rabin Per-Anders Pettersson/Getty Images GLOBAL HEALTH The U.S. Program That Brought H.I.V. Treatment to 20 Million People Over two decades, Pepfar may have saved an estimated 25 million lives, helping to slow the AIDS pandemic. By Apoorva Mandavilli Gritchelle Fallesgon for The New York Times WHY NOT TRY A 19-Minute HIIT Workout for Beginners Done correctly, high-intensity interval training is one of the most efficient forms of exercise. Here's how to do it. By Amanda Loudin Wyoming Becomes First State to Outlaw the Use of Pills for Abortion The law is the only one in the nation to prohibit the use separate from an overall abortion ban and is part of a growing effort by conservative states to target the pills. By David W. Chen and Pam Belluck Lyme Isn't the Only Tick Disease to Worry About in the Northeast, C.D.C Says Babesiosis, which can cause flulike symptoms, could be spreading because of rising temperatures and the growing deer population. By Emily Anthes F.D.A. Advisers Endorse Paxlovid's Benefits as a Covid Treatment While an agency analysis did find signs of Covid "rebound," the drug significantly reduces hospitalizations and deaths, researchers said. By Carl Zimmer and Christina Jewett Colon Cancer Is Rising Among Younger Adults. Here's What to Know. With cases projected to continue climbing through 2023, scientists are racing to understand why. By Trisha Pasricha Make a friend's day: Forward this email. Got this from a friend? Subscribe to the Science Times newsletter. Check out other New York Times newsletters (all free!) including: Climate Fwd: for climate coverage and expert analysis. The Upshot for a data-driven look at the news. Well for the latest on health, fitness and nutrition. Continue reading the main story Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for Science Times from The New York Times. To stop receiving Science Times, unsubscribe. To opt out of other promotional emails from The Times, manage your email preferences. Subscribe to The TimesGet The New York Times app Connect with us on: Change Your EmailPrivacy PolicyContact UsCalifornia Notices The New York Times Company. 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018