Science
This Was The Decade Drug Overdoses Killed Nearly Half A Million Americans
It was also the decade we finally started treating drug addiction like a disease, spurred by an overdose epidemic that ravaged white, rural America.
Dan Vergano
Trump Is Giving In To The Vaping Industry On A Flavor Ban, Lawmakers Say
A bipartisan letter to the White House is slamming President Trump for backing off a proposed ban on flavored e-cigarettes thought to be driving the teen vaping epidemic.
Dan Vergano
There Is A New Way To See Climate Change
This goes way beyond images of polar bears.
Kate Bubacz
“We Cannot Afford To Fail”: A New UN Report Is Forecasting Potentially Catastrophic Warming
The world has already warmed 1 degree Celsius, and it’s on track to warm more than 3 degrees by the end of the century.
Zahra Hirji
This Mom Is Buying Mutant Mice From China To Find A Cure For Her Son’s Rare Genetic Disease
“The only option was for me to create our own miracle,” said Amber Freed. “Nobody else was going to help.”
Dan Vergano
Elon Musk's WiFi Satellites Are Blocking Astronomers' Views Of The Sky
SpaceX launched 60 WiFi satellites last week, and hopes to launch thousands more.
Dan Vergano
Hundreds Of US Toxic Waste Sites Are At Risk Of Climate Disasters
A new federal report suggests about 60% of so-called Superfund sites are in areas at risk of wildfires, flooding, and other natural disasters that could be worsened by climate change.
Zahra Hirji
Elizabeth Warren Wants To Punish Companies Like Exxon For Lying To Federal Agencies
Warren's plan targeting companies for spreading misinformation comes as Exxon has been sued in multiple states for lying to investors about climate risks.
Zahra Hirji
CDC Investigators Have Linked Vitamin E To Deadly Vaping Injuries
“For the first time, we have a definite contaminant of concern,” the CDC said.
Dan Vergano
Three Teens Are Demanding Their Government Tell Them The Truth About The Air They're Breathing
“I’ve developed a chronic cough since I came to Lahore — and I haven’t even seen the worst of the smog season yet.”
Nishita Jha
New Orleans Officials Have Covered Up An Alarming Lead Report For Years
Secret documents obtained by BuzzFeed News allege that New Orleans failed to test for lead in the city’s highest risk homes — and covered it up for years.
Nidhi Subbaraman
Chile Just Pulled Out Of Hosting The Biggest Climate Conference Of The Year Because Of Violent Protests
On Friday, the United Nations announced the conference is being relocated to Spain.
Zahra Hirji
As The Amazon Burned, Gun Sales Jumped
Gun sales in the Amazon have increased under Brazil's far-right president, new BuzzFeed News analysis reveals.
J. Lester Feder
Juul Shipped At Least A Million Contaminated Pods, New Lawsuit Says
“Half our customers are drunk and vaping like mo-fos, who the fuck is going to notice the quality of our pods,” the former CEO allegedly said. Juul says the lawsuit is “baseless.”
Stephanie M. Lee
A Fight Over Vaping “Bots” Is Blazing While E-Cigarette Bans Loom
“Dehumanizing opposition by calling people ‘bots’ is just a way to attack vaping,” said one vaping advocate.
Dan Vergano
Four Juul Executives Are Out As The Company Plans To Cut About 500 Jobs
In a tumultuous year for the e-cigarette company, the layoffs will amount to 10% to 15% of the 4,000-person workforce.
Stephanie M. Lee
Massachusetts Is Now The Second State Suing The Oil Giant Exxon Over Climate Change
Exxon is currently on trial in New York facing similar climate fraud claims.
Zahra Hirji
Here’s What You Need To Know About Today’s Historic Climate Fraud Case Against Exxon
“Exxon has been working very hard to prevent this day from ever happening,” said one legal expert.
Zahra Hirji
Juul Will Stop Selling Most Flavored E-Cigs — But Its Competitors Won’t
“Juul should speak for itself,” said one of the e-cigarette maker’s competitors. A lack of trust in the vaping industry “is a direct result of its deceptive marketing activities.”
Dan Vergano
Johnson & Johnson Is Recalling 33,000 Baby Powder Bottles After A Sample Turned Up Positive For Asbestos
The company is facing a slew of lawsuits from women claiming the talcum products caused them to develop cancer.
Nidhi Subbaraman
Al Sharpton's Organization Has Canceled A "Both Sides" Vaccine Event
"We said both sides must be heard—we haven’t taken a position yet," the Reverend Al Sharpton said. The event was slated to occur this weekend in Harlem.
Azeen Ghorayshi
Dozens Of YouTube Videos Are Showing People How To Make Potentially Dangerous Vape Oil
After being contacted by BuzzFeed News, the platform took down some of the videos. Vaping-related injuries continue to climb by the day.
Stephanie M. Lee
This Map Shows The Wildfire Risks That Are Causing California’s Utilities To Cut Off Power
Parched conditions, high winds, and utilities’ fears about incurring huge liabilities have triggered widespread precautionary power outages.
Peter Aldhous
Three Scientists Have Won The Nobel Prize In Chemistry For Developing Lithium-Ion Batteries
John Goodenough, Stanley Whittingham, and Akira Yoshino developed rechargeable lithium-ion battery technology that today powers a variety of modern electronics.
Nidhi Subbaraman
Three Scientists Have Won The Nobel Prize In Physics For Astronomical Discoveries
James Peebles, Michel Mayor, and Didier Queloz will split the prize of 9 million Swedish kronor, about $908,000.
Dan Vergano
Three Scientists Just Won The Nobel Prize In Medicine For Discovering How Oxygen Affects Cells
William Kaelin, Sir Peter Ratcliffe, and Gregg Semenza were awarded the 2019 prize for discovering a fundamental process in animal life: how cells respond to oxygen.
Azeen Ghorayshi
Addiction Experts Are Outraged A Pharma Lobbyist Is On A Federal Drug Abuse Panel
Recovery advocates fear the move will give the pharmaceutical industry a prominent seat at the table for shaping drug policy and addiction treatment.
Dan Vergano
These Hardcore Activists Are Preparing To Shut Down Europe In The Name Of Preventing Climate Change
“We couldn’t deal with the reality that humanity was racing towards the precipice of extinction and doing fuck all about it,” one of Extinction Rebellion’s founders said ahead of their plan to bring four European capitals to a halt.
J. Lester Feder
The Sunrise Movement Is Building An Army In The Early 2020 States
“Our top priority is to build an army of young people to elect a candidate in the caucuses who will be a champion of the Green New Deal,” said one organizer.
Zahra Hirji
How Jeffrey Epstein Bought His Way Into An Exclusive Intellectual Boys Club
The Edge Foundation runs what has been called the “world’s smartest website” and held annual “billionaires’ dinners.” It was also financed by Jeffrey Epstein and gave him access to elite circles in science and tech.
Peter Aldhous
