China’s northernmost city just saw its coldest day ever

(CNN) — Temperatures in China’s northernmost city plunged to minus 53°C (minus 63.4 degrees Fahrenheit) — its coldest ever recorded, meteorologists said. Located in the northeastern Heilongjiang province and nestled near Russian Siberia, Mohe is widely known as “China’s North Pole” and is one of the few places in the…

Live updates: Half Moon Bay, California mass shooting suspect identified

Law enforcement personnel control the scene of a shooting in Half Moon Bay, California on Monday, January 23. (Jeff Chiu/AP) Deputies were alerted to a shooting in the unincorporated San Mateo County at 2:22 p.m. PT (5:22 p.m. ET), San Mateo Sheriff Christina Corpus said during a news conference Monday…

Scientists unveil least costly carbon capture system to date

The need for technology that can capture, remove and repurpose carbon dioxide grows stronger with every CO2 molecule that reaches Earth’s atmosphere. To meet that need, scientists at the Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory have cleared a new milestone in their efforts to make carbon capture more affordable…

Immense diversity and interdependence in high temp deep-sea microorganism communities

A new study by researchers at Portland State University and the University of Wisconsin finds that a rich diversity of microorganisms live in interdependent communities in high-temperature geothermal environments in the deep sea. The study, which was published in the journal Microbiome, was led by Anna-Louise Reysenbach, professor of biology…

How a 3 cm glass sphere could help scientists understand space weather: UCLA study overcomes the effects of Earth’s gravity, replicating conditions on other planets, stars

Solar flares and other types of space weather can wreak havoc with spaceflight and with telecommunications and other types of satellites orbiting the Earth. But, to date, scientists’ ability to research ways to overcome that challenge has been severely limited. That’s because experiments they conduct in laboratories here on Earth…

Environment law fails to protect threatened species in Australia

Federal environmental laws are failing to mitigate against Australia’s extinction crisis, according to University of Queensland research. UQ PhD candidate Natalya Maitz led a collaborative project which analysed potential habitat loss in Queensland and New South Wales and found the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation 1999 (EPBC) Act is not…

What we know about the suspect in the Monterey Park massacre | CNN

CNN  —  The 72-year-old man suspected of killing 11 people and wounding nine others in a shooting at a dance studio in Monterey Park, California, Saturday had previously frequented the establishment, sources told CNN. The suspect, identified as Huu Can Tran, was pronounced dead following a self-inflicted gunshot wound Sunday…

Blue Ivy takes stage with mom Beyoncé in Dubai | CNN

CNN  —  Talent runs deep in the Carter family. Beyoncé took to the stage for the opening of the Atlantis resort in Dubai over the weekend and was joined on stage by daughter, Blue Ivy Carter, 11, for a performance of “Brown Skin Girl.” Beyoncé also performed some of her…

Seized artifacts worth $20 million are shown off on return to Italy

Written by Barbie Latza Nadeau, CNNRome, Italy Italy celebrated the return of 60 ancient artifacts worth more than $20 million from the United States with a display in Rome’s Spadolini Hall on Monday. Most of the items — which include a fresco of Hercules as a child fighting a serpent,…

‘Polo Polo,’ popular Mexican comedian, dead at 78 | CNN

CNN  —  Mexican comedian Leopoldo Roberto Garcia Pelaez Benitez, who performed as “Polo Polo,” died on Monday, his family announced. He was 78. His son, Paul Garcia, told Mexican broadcaster TV Azteca that his father had vascular dementia and died of natural causes at his home. Born in Leon, Guanajuato,…

3 people injured in Des Moines school shooting, police say | CNN

CNN  —  Three people were injured Monday in a shooting at a school in Des Moines, Iowa, according to tweets from the Des Moines Police Department. Police say two of those injured are in critical condition and one was seriously injured. CNN affiliate KCCI reported that the injured included two…

Study reveals influence of krill availability on humpback whale pregnancies

New collaborative research led by scientists at the University of California, Santa Cruz, shows reduced krill supplies lead to fewer pregnancies in humpback whales — a finding that could have major implications for industrial krill fishing. The study, published January 15 in Global Change Biology, is based on eight years…

Click beetle-inspired robots jump using elastic energy

Researchers have made a significant leap forward in developing insect-sized jumping robots capable of performing tasks in the small spaces often found in mechanical, agricultural and search-and-rescue settings. A new study led by mechanical sciences and engineering professor Sameh Tawfick demonstrates a series of click beetle-sized robots small enough to…

Asteroid findings from specks of space dust could save the planet

Curtin University-led research into the durability and age of an ancient asteroid made of rocky rubble and dust, revealed significant findings that could contribute to potentially saving the planet if one ever hurtled toward Earth. The international team studied three tiny dust particles collected from the surface of ancient 500-metre-long…

House Democratic whip’s daughter arrested in Boston at protest | CNN Politics

CNN  —  House Democratic Whip Katherine Clark’s daughter was arrested and charged with assault after an encounter with police during a protest in Boston on Saturday, according to a press release from the Boston Police Department. Riley Dowell, 23, was found by police tagging the Parkman Bandstand monument “NO COP…

The key to weathering rapid sea-level rise may lie in a Massachusetts salt marsh: New research shows that coastal habitats can thrive–but only if there’s enough sediment

A team of researchers led by Brian Yellen, research professor of earth, geographic, and climate sciences at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, recently announced in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface that salt marshes, critical habitats threatened by rapid sea-level rise, may in fact thrive despite higher water levels.…