Stinging and 'wicked' Asian needle ants are spreading across the US Asian needle ants have been linked to multiple cases of life-threatening reactions and the mysterious ants keep spreading.

It's been an entomological month.

Asian Needle Ants
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Africanized Honey Bees
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And a podcast
'Killer bees' keep spreading across the country. I discuss on The Excerpt. art19.com/shows/5-thin...

Booker, Jeffries hold sit-in on Capitol steps, slam Trump budget plan Congress will take up the fiscal 2026 budget proposal when lawmakers return to session Monday. Secretary of State Marco Rubio was pressed Sunday by NBC News over child U.S. citizens removed from the ...

A brood of cicadas first recorded by the Pilgrims is emerging once again. I discuss on today's episode of The Excerpt from @usatoday. art19.com/shows/5-thin...

Rare carnivorous 'bone collector' caterpillars in Hawaii survive on strange diet Scientists in Hawaii have discovered a new, extremely rare species: carnivorous, bone-collecting caterpillars, that live in one 5-mile area on Oahu.

Because when you see the phrase "carnivorous bone collecting caterpillars discovered in Hawaii" in an upcoming scientific journal, I mean, how can you *not* call the researcher? www.usatoday.com/story/news/n...

Scientists release instructions for how to make a perfect cup of coffee A group of fluid mechanics and physics researchers at the University of Pennsylvania have created the perfect pour-over coffee technique.

A bunch of fluid mechanics experts, a lab full of equipment and a whole lot of caffeine: What could go wrong? In this instant, nothing. They perfected the ideal way to make pour-over coffee.
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National forests face the hatchet as Trump administration boosts logging A new policy opens 58% of U.S. national forests to logging by rolling back environmental protections.

US Forest service vastly increases National Forest acreage that can be logged.
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Trump's plan to cut down more trees faces a host of problems The Trump administration's plan to boost timber production on federal lands faces pushback about wildfires, environmental concerns and economics.

One interesting fact I learned in reporting this story. We really can't do much with old growth trees at this point because there's only one sawmill left, in Oregon, than can still handle that size. Everything else is optimized for today's smaller, more uniform logs.
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U.S. butterflies are seeing a major population decline. What's going on? We get into it on today's episode of The Excerpt from @usatoday. art19.com/shows/5-thin...

Distorted maps have misled you: Greenland isn't as big as you think. On most maps, Greenland looks almost as big as the entire continent of Africa. It's not.

Just how big is Greenland? A lot smaller than you might think, for which we have Gerardus Mercator to blame.
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Bill would block wind energy projects across 90% of Arizona, set strictest limits in U.S. New wind turbines would not be allowed within 12 miles of any site zoned for residential use, putting much of the state off-limits.

From my colleagues at the Arizona Republic: www.usatoday.com/story/news/n...

EVs still make a lot of economic sense for most drivers. But cars are really an emotional choice. Favorite quote: “If it were only about economy, you'd buy a RAV 4 or a Toyota Camry and that’s it" - Ivan Drury, director of insights for Edmunds.com.

New Orleans attack victims mourned At least 15 people were killed in a New Year's terror attack in New Orleans. USA TODAY Money and Consumer News Editor Charisse Jones discusses some economic optimism following Donald Trump's election...

What's next for the super volcano under Yellowstone? I talk through some of the science on today's edition of The Excerpt podcast from @usatoday. art19.com/shows/5-thin....

Why are Americans obsessed with a white Christmas? Blame Dickens and the Little Ice Age. Dreams of a white Christmas were planted by Charles Dickens, Victorian mass media and the Little Ice Age, historians say.

Sometimes, in an editorial meeting about climate issues, you ask "Why are Americans so obsessed with white Christmases?" And tag, you're it.
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It's not just you – bottles and cartons are now harder to open. We found out why. The plastic caps on milk cartons have gotten 21% shorter, to save weight. Water bottles are also thinner with shorter tops.

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Frogs in Yosemite lakes died, the entire ecosystem collapsed. But biology brought them back The Sierra Nevada Yellow-legged frogs were almost wiped out of Yosemite National Park. But these scientists mounted a wildlife comeback.

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