The historic collection of a sample from the near-Earth asteroid Bennu by NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft on Tuesday was almost too successful. Some of the sample is leaking into space, according to Dante Lauretta, OSIRIS-REx principal investigator at the University of Arizona in Tucson during a NASA press conference Friday. “The big concern now is that…… MORE
The Department of Energy announced Friday that it had finalized a rule allowing for a new class of dishwashers with cycle times of an hour or less and different energy and water conservation standards — a move that critics charge would circumvent key environmental regulations. “Today the Trump Administration reaffirmed its commitment to reducing regulatory…… MORE
Health experts fear an outbreak of the polio virus in the Americas during the Covid-19 pandemic due to a delay in vaccinations and surveillance. Countries in the region must maintain polio vaccinations and surveillance during the pandemic to prevent an outbreak, according to experts at the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO). “Although as a region…… MORE
A year ago, the head coach of the Penn State basketball team made a comment about a noose around a player’s neck. Now, after an investigation and new allegations of inappropriate conduct, the head coach has resigned. Pat Chambers, who has been the head coach for the Penn State men’s basketball team since 2011, resigned…… MORE
Former Vice President Joe Biden on Friday outlined his plan to address the coronavirus pandemic, including providing free vaccines to all Americans, as he began delivering his closing argument to voters. “Once we have a safe and effective vaccine, it has to be free to everyone, whether or not you’re insured,” the Democratic presidential nominee…… MORE
People with Down syndrome have 10 times the risk of dying from Covid-19 compared to those without the disability, a team of researchers reported Thursday. They also found a fourfold increased risk of coronavirus-related hospitalizations for those with Down syndrome, “a group that is not currently strategically protected,” according to the report in the journal…… MORE
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, brushing aside Democratic concerns over the expedited timeframe for confirming Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett, moved on Friday to cut off debate and set up a final confirmation vote eight days before the election. McConnell’s move sets up a Sunday afternoon procedural vote to break a Democratic filibuster and…… MORE
The family of a University of Washington professor who recently went missing during a hiking trip is pleading that rescue teams continue their search. Sam Dubal, 33, left for Mount Rainier National Park on October 9 and was supposed to return the next day. He was reported missing on October 12 after he didn’t come…… MORE
Drugmakers AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson both said Friday they are set to resume their paused coronavirus vaccine trials in the United States after health scares. AstraZeneca’s trial had been on hold since early September, and Johnson & Johnson’s trial had been paused since earlier this month AstraZeneca said the US Food and Drug Administration…… MORE
More than 63 million people watched Thursday night’s debate between President Trump and Joe Biden, according to Nielsen TV ratings. For comparison’s sake, 73 million people watched the first Trump-Biden debate. Frequently the first debate is the most-watched of the election cycle, so this year’s results followed a familiar pattern. The high ratings for both…… MORE
