The Latest Breaking News from Adam Minter

This month, a hunk of space junk hurtled toward the International Space Station, putting the safety of astronauts and their orbiting outpost at risk. Fortunately, the cosmic hazard was detected early and an emergency maneuver rocketed the $150 billion station out of harm’s way. Such episodes, which burn gallons of…

The lush lawns and green golf courses of Southern California are an emblem of the desert Southwest’s dependence on the Colorado River. But they’re just a small part of the demands placed on this crucial water resource in times of both drought and plenty. The far bigger part, as much…

An especially virulent strain of bird flu has killed off more than 58 million birds in the U.S. since January 2022. That’s not the toll from disease. It’s mostly the result of whole flocks of poultry slaughtered by American farmers to prevent the virus from spreading after even one infected…

In Minneapolis, the video of Tyre Nichols’s fatal beating at the hands of Memphis police officers triggered unwelcome flashbacks. Just two and a half years ago, the city erupted with riots after video emerged of George Floyd’s murder. In the aftermath, hopes that Minneapolis’s troubled police department might be reformed…