The Sierra Nevada Mountains got an early taste of winter this week. A powerful storm system moved down the West Coast, bringing the first snow of the season. The National Weather Service issued a Winter Storm Warning, which is not something you see every day in October. Snow piled up fast, especial
A sudden interruption in January brought a halt to a significant scientific endeavor. A call came in while a scientist was in the Sonoran Desert, escaping the cold of the Pacific Northwest. The message was clear: "All work on the National Nature Assessment must stop immediately. " This assessment wa
The hip-hop group Kneecap from Ireland made waves at Coachella 2025, but not for their music. They performed in the Sonora tent. The screens behind them displayed messages about genocide, criticism of Israel, and calls to "free Palestine. " They also criticized the U. S. for backing Israel milita
In the heart of the Sonoran Desert, annual plants face a tough challenge: they need to time their germination just right to survive. This task is even harder with changing rainfall patterns due to climate change. Scientists studied 10 annual plant species in this desert to understand how they cope w
In a surprising development, two Mexico-based businesses, an ice cream chain and a pharmacy, have been linked to the ruthless Sinaloa cartel by the U.S. Treasury Department. The cartel is responsible for a significant portion of fentanyl trafficking into the U.S., causing an alarming number of overd
