Science
US Life Expectancy In 2020 Dropped By More Than It Has Since World War II
“We have built a house of cards to live in, and the pandemic was a wind that just blew the house down,” said one expert.
Amazon Billionaire Jeff Bezos Rode A Dick Into Space And The Jokes Make Themselves At This Point
"Richard Branson and Jeff Bezos really played 'just the tip' with outer space."
More People Than Ever Died Of Drug Overdoses In The US In 2020
More than 93,000 people died of drug overdoses in 2020. “We are in an enduring crisis that is still going on. We are still right in the middle of it,” said one expert.
Tennessee's Fired Vaccine Chief Called The State's New Rule Barring Vaccine Outreach To Teens "Toxic Leadership"
“We have a legislature filled with people who are not scientists and not healthcare providers who have their own crazy ideas about vaccines," Michelle Fiscus, Tennessee's top vaccine official until she was fired on Monday, told BuzzFeed News.
Anthony Fauci And Deborah Birx Warned Top Officials About The “Dangers” Of Scott Atlas Last Summer, Emails Show
“I am more convinced than ever the dangers of Dr. Atlas’ views on the pandemic,” Birx wrote in an August 2020 email to Fauci and others.
Here’s Why You Probably Won't Need A Booster Shot Against The Delta Variant Anytime Soon
In the US, 99.5% of COVID-19 deaths are now among people who are unvaccinated.
In Case You Had Any Doubts, Scientists Found Climate Change Was Definitely Behind The Deadly Pacific Northwest Heat Wave
“This is something that nobody saw coming, that nobody thought possible,” one scientist said.
The Mega Heat Dome Over The Pacific Northwest Has Brought Death, Fire, And Misery
“It is typical for three to four sudden death calls to come in each day in the city. But to have 53 in one day is unprecedented... it is truly gut-wrenching.”
A CDC Investigation Says West Virginia Needs Needle Exchanges — Which The State Outlawed — To Stop Its HIV Outbreak
A CDC investigation obtained by BuzzFeed News shows “low-barrier” needle exchanges are needed to stop an HIV outbreak in West Virginia. “There's a lot of suffering documented in this,” one expert said.
Track The Brutal 2021 Wildfire Season With These Updating Charts And Maps
2021 is shaping up to be another dangerous year for wildfires. Follow the latest data on the fires, air quality, and fire risk across the US.
A Record-Breaking Heat Wave Sent Hundreds Of People To The Hospital In Washington And Oregon
The heat has cracked and buckled streets, impacted flights, and closed down businesses.
US Intelligence Agencies Are Trying To Solve Scientific Mysteries And Failing Badly
Secret intelligence reports are offering up answers to three big scientific mysteries — but the speculation doesn't always square up with science.
The EPA Just Announced A $50 Million Push To Help Underserved Communities Tackle Pollution And Get Jobs
“This is the most aggressive approach to tackling environmental injustice and equity issues,” EPA Administrator Michael Regan told BuzzFeed News.
The Pacific Northwest’s Upcoming Heat Wave Could Be Especially Deadly
Extreme heat has killed more than 11,000 people across the US since 1979, and heat waves are only getting worse.
A Scientist Tracked Down Chinese Coronavirus Sequences That Had Disappeared Online
“I think it's certainly consistent with an attempt to hide the sequences,” said the researcher, whose internet sleuthing has uncovered 13 genetic sequences from early in the outbreak in Wuhan, China.
Eight Climate Change Demonstrators Were Arrested After They Protested On Ted Cruz's Lawn
One video showed Cruz's dog Snowflake looking at the protesters through a front door window, reminiscent of the time the poodle was photographed after the senator ditched him and millions of Texans freezing in a deadly winter storm for a Cancún vacation.
The Delta Variant Could Create “Two Americas” Of COVID, Experts Warn
If you are fully vaccinated, you are most likely to be safe. But in parts of the US where few people have gotten COVID vaccine shots, the Delta variant could trigger renewed deadly surges.
This Louisiana Town Is A Bleak Forecast Of America's Future Climate Crisis
In one year, people in southwestern Louisiana lived through five major disasters on top of a pandemic. Another bad hurricane season is already here, and thousands still have holes in their roofs.
Struggling Hospitals Could Explain Why So Many Black Patients Have Died Of COVID-19
For Black patients hospitalized with the coronavirus, the quality of the hospitals they are admitted to may play an outsize role in determining whether they survive.
Trump's State Department Officials Fought Over Whether The Coronavirus Was A Chinese Bioweapon
The department’s former senior official on nonproliferation says he intervened to prevent the US government from “embarrassing and discrediting” itself with claims that lacked strong scientific evidence.