The COVID vaccine is safe during pregnancy and protects against health harms. There is no increased risk of miscarriage or preterm birth after vaccination. But getting COVID-19 is dangerous for pregnant people and their babies, brining a higher risk of stillbirth and preeclampsia. My 2022 story:

Why being pregnant and unvaccinated against COVID-19 is a risky combo

Being pregnant puts an individual at higher risk for severe illness and death from COVID-19, but vaccination has lagged among pregnant people.

sciencenews.org

In March, a U.S. district judge stopped the Trump administration from altering vaccine policy. At the time, I talked to a pediatrician about how she discusses vaccines and what she wants parents to know. For one, the safest way for the body "to learn about any illness is through vaccination.”

Amid vaccine policy whiplash, here's how a pediatrician talks to families

A court ruling that blocks Trump administration vaccine policy is a win for science. But much work remains to rebuild trust in vaccines.

sciencenews.org

My latest in @statnews.com with Placide Mbala examines how the Bundibugyo outbreak exposed a critical blind spot We need vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics that work across filoviruses. The next epidemic will surprise us. Our preparedness systems should not. www.statnews.com/2026/08/10/e...

We prepared for Ebola — but not this Ebola

“Preparedness cannot mean optimizing every investment for yesterday's epidemic,” write Krutika Kuppalli and Placide Mbala.

statnews.com

“Why are you coming just now, why didn’t you come when we were dying of measles and cholera?” 💔

Jonathan Lambert@jonlambert.bsky.social · last mo.

Ebola outbreak in DRC is now the second largest ever, according to Africa CDC head Jean Kaseya. Over 3,400 cases have been confirmed, and deaths rose by nearly 50% over the past week. More than 80% of new cases are still coming outside of known contact lists, the spread is out of control.

Calling ecologists at #ESA2026! Got cool research you’d love to share with the public? Please reach out! I’m a reporter with @sciencenews.bsky.social & am spending the week on the hunt for stories. would love to stop by your poster/talk or find time to chat. @ecologicalsociety.bsky.social

A rule proposal could put political appointees in charge of funding decisions and stifle scientific research in the US. History suggests that never ends well. A powerful story by @thsaey.bsky.social www.sciencenews.org/article/omb-...

Here’s what happens when you put politicians in charge of science

Proposed federal rules would rely on political appointees to decide how a lot of U.S. science gets done. History shows the consequences of such actions.

sciencenews.org

This is THE BEST. Journalists can't keep up with All The Things and this is one way to help us out

Elizabeth Preston@inkfish.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Dear researchers: I love when you do this. 🧪

Even moderate physical activity can be dangerous during extreme heat. Now imagine competing in the World Cup. Players are facing temperatures over 100 degrees Fahrenheit in matches from Miami to Kansas City. https://www.sciencenews.org/article/extreme-heat-outdoor-activity-unsafe

Extreme heat is cutting the time people can safely be active outdoors

Heat and humidity now severely limit light physical activity for millions of people around the world, with older adults facing the greatest burden.

sciencenews.org

It was my patriotic duty to write this piece. www.sciencenews.org/article/alga...

New science on algae die-offs is too late for the Reflecting Pool

Iron and hydrogen peroxide trigger cell death via ferroptosis, which cascades killer molecules through the population, causing mass die-offs of algae.

sciencenews.org

Can I get marked doubly safe? @sciencenews.bsky.social stories link to the paper TWICE, once in the story and once in the citations 😅

Edward Nirenberg@enirenberg.bsky.social · 3mo ago

Everyone who writes about a new scientific discovery without linking to the original paper deserves to step on a Lego until they learn their lesson

For women who were born without a uterus, had to have it removed or do not have a functioning organ, uterus transplantation is emerging as an option for those who would like to experience pregnancy. The latest case series reports good results for moms with donated wombs and their babies.

Uterus transplants can provide a path to pregnancy and parenthood

Donated uteruses transplanted into women without a womb can allow for successful pregnancy and birth.

sciencenews.org

I got to write about mammals pooping up in the branches of strangler figs in Costa Rica! This was SUCH fun. A few things that didn't make it into the story: www.sciencenews.org/article/clou...

Treetop toilets may act as communication hubs across mammal species

The strangler fig is a keystone species in the tropics, providing food and shelter, and a place to poop for 17 different mammal species.

sciencenews.org

💔 "If the ice breaks apart too soon, it puts the chicks in grave danger of drowning or freezing to death, as the young birds don’t yet have waterproof feathers." www.sciencenews.org/article/empe...

We’re on strike today! Support our fight for a fair contract by NOT visiting the @propublica.org website or engaging with ProPublica stories today. Tell ProPublica’s management you won’t cross the picket line: actionnetwork.org/petitions/te...

The State Dept is deliberately withholding PEPFAR funds that Congress appropriated, CDC staffer says. "That's a controlled demolition. The people who will pay the price are the more than 12 million people living with HIV who depend on these programs for their treatment." www.npr.org/2026/04/04/n...

Congress gave money for global HIV work. The Trump administration isn't spending it

U.S. work combatting HIV/AIDS has saved millions of lives globally. Under the Trump administration, funding has been slow in coming and unpredictable, wreaking havoc on people trying to do the work.

npr.org

I watched Secrets of the Bees, National Geographic's new doc, and now I'm feeling inspired to rewild my yard. www.sciencenews.org/article/secr...

Secrets of the Bees zooms in on life in a hive

A new documentary available on Disney+ and Hulu appeals to our sense of wonder to highlight why bees need saving.

sciencenews.org

Molly O'Shea has been practicing pediatrics for 33 years. For parents who are uncertain about vaccines, “I think validating their point of view, their information, is really important,” she says, along with sharing the science behind immunization.

Amid vaccine policy whiplash, here's how a pediatrician talks to families

A court ruling that blocks Trump administration vaccine policy is a win for science. But much work remains to rebuild trust in vaccines.

sciencenews.org

lots of jarring statistics and heartbreaking stories I could share from this story, but this particular anecdote made me tear up when @jonathanwosen.bsky.social first shared this story with me For more details from our survey of ~1000 nih-funded researchers, read the report below

Jonathan Wosen@jonathanwosen.bsky.social · 6mo ago

@statnews.com conducted a national survey of NIH-funded researchers and found that, a year after Trump's return, many scientists are reeling, with some closing labs entirely. ‘This is like the Titanic,' one respondent told me. For full details, see our special report www.statnews.com/2026/03/19/n...

A big — if preliminary — win for #AAP and pro- #vaccine policy today. A court has ruled Robert Kennedy's reconstitution of #ACIP and his department's rewriting of the childhood vaccination schedule are likely illegal. Developing story. www.statnews.com/2026/03/16/k...

Federal judge stalls health secretary RFK Jr.’s overhaul of vaccine policy

Breaking: A federal judge on Monday stalled major parts of health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s campaign to remake vaccine policy in the U.S.

statnews.com

Frogs in a pot brought slowly to a boil may fail to jump out, and "this great pot known as Earth is now coming to a rolling boil, yet many people remain oblivious to the pending disaster." Such a great piece from @sujatagupta.bsky.social www.sciencenews.org/article/clim...

Why we fail to notice climate change

People quickly normalize extreme weather. Simple visuals highlighting abrupt change could help climate change break through our mental blind spots.

sciencenews.org

Hibernating bumblebee queens have nothing to fear from being dunked underwater. They can still breathe! 🐝 By me for @sciencenews.bsky.social

Submerged bumblebee queens breathe underwater

Submerged bees breathe and use strategies that don’t require oxygen, lab tests show. In nature, that trick could help the bees survive floods.

sciencenews.org

I've been really struggling to write about space while living through the ICE occupation in Minneapolis this winter. I was shocked to find myself thinking, "Who cares about sending people to the moon?" That feeling is more historically resonant than I thought. 🧪🔭 www.sciencenews.org/article/moon...

On moonshots and Minneapolis

Space exploration can bring people together and reflect deep societal divisions.

sciencenews.org

We did it!! 🥳

Science News Media Guild@sn-media-guild.bsky.social · 8mo ago

It’s official! Members of the Science News Media ratified their first contract. 🎉 🎊 Together, we won: ✅ Guaranteed cost-of-living raises ✅ Separate sick leave ✅ Equity raises for some employees ✅ Just-cause rights ✅ Paid parental leave of 6 weeks

All I want for Christmas is a fair contract but the @society4science.bsky.social is dragging their feet and now says they won't give us a proposal until next year. Our CEO gets huge raises far in excess of many guild members' salaries. Meanwhile, many of us are struggling to make ends meet.

Science News Media Guild@sn-media-guild.bsky.social · 9mo ago

In 2024, @society4science.bsky.social CEO @mayaajmera.bsky.social received a $79,875 salary increase. Meanwhile, Monday will mark 600 days since we started negotiating with the Society. We get that the font is a bit small. So feel free to read the entire filing here: shorturl.at/8aMAZ

Today December 1st is #WorldAIDSDay. I remember the millions who have died. I celebrate the transformative progress that has been made. I resolve as an HIV researcher and advocate to keep up the fight to end the HIV epidemic. Do you know you status? Get tested. Get treated. Get on PrEP.

This story by Maria Temming for @sciencenews.bsky.social must be shared. www.sciencenews.org/article/butt...

‘Butt breathing’ could help people who can’t get oxygen the regular way

Takanori Takebe’s strange investigation into whether humans can use the gut for breathing has surprisingly sentimental origins: helping his dad.

sciencenews.org

"[T]he Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is promoting the outdated, disproven idea that vaccines cause autism. Medical researchers across the globe have spent more than 25 years thoroughly studying this claim. All have come to the same conclusion: Vaccines are not linked to autism."

As the Trump administration chips away at the childhood vaccine schedule, the US risks a return to the days when infectious diseases regularly hospitalized children & needlessly cut short young lives. Areas with low vaccination spur outbreaks, threatening the health of all. There is so much to lose.

Limiting childhood vaccines puts everyone's health at risk

Recent U.S. decisions about vaccines signal bigger changes to come that could threaten the foundation of the national childhood immunization schedule.

sciencenews.org

Today marks 2 years since we officially unionized! We remain committed to fair wages, strong protections and working conditions that let us do what we love. The perfect birthday gift? A signature on our petition calling on @society4science.bsky.social CEO @mayaajmera.bsky.social for a fair contract.

The US withdrawal from WHO could impact the flu shot. Flu samples sent to CDC from around the world are down 60% this year, as of July. "When those viruses are not coming in, we don't know what to put in the vaccine, and you're going to have less effective vaccines." www.npr.org/sections/goa...

Why next year's flu shot might not be as good as it should be

America's withdrawal from the World Health Organization is affecting the ability of U.S. scientists to track flu and other pathogens. That could be a blow to the development of the 2025 flu vaccine.

npr.org