CHINESE UNIVERSITIES RECRUIT HARVARD STUDENTS AFTER US BAN
Several Hong Kong universities, including the University of Hong Kong (HKU) and Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), are inviting international students from Harvard University to transfer, following the U.S. government’s sudden ban on Harvard enrolling foreign students. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security accused Harvard of fostering an unsafe environment by permitting anti-American and pro-terrorist behavior, a claim Harvard disputes and is legally challenging. This ban affects over 7,000 international Harvard students and follows recent federal funding cuts linked to Harvard’s refusal to comply with government oversight demands. These actions have prompted some scientists to consider leaving the U.S., with notable figures moving to Chinese institutions. Chinese universities and governments are actively recruiting international researchers, positioning themselves as attractive alternatives. However, experts emphasize that for sustained success, Chinese institutions must improve academic freedom and research integrity, addressing concerns about restrictive policies and data regulations that currently limit their appeal to global scholars. (Nature)
US EXCESS DEATHS SOAR BEYOND COVID PEAK SCANDAL
A Boston University-led study published in JAMA Health Forum reveals that excess deaths in the U.S. have continued rising beyond the COVID-19 peak, with over 1.5 million deaths in 2022 and 2023 preventable if U.S. death rates matched those of 21 other high-income countries (HICs). This reflects a decades-long trend of slower mortality decline in the U.S., driven largely by drug overdoses, gun violence, car accidents, and preventable cardiometabolic diseases, particularly affecting working-age adults. From 1980 to 2023, the U.S. experienced 14.7 million excess deaths compared to peers, with death rates for adults aged 25-44 being 2.6 times higher. Despite a slight post-pandemic decline, excess deaths remain substantially elevated. Researchers highlight that other countries’ investments in universal healthcare and social safety nets have improved outcomes, while U.S. political polarization and public distrust impede similar progress. The study calls this ongoing health crisis a national scandal, warning that cuts to public health and safety programs risk worsening disparities and preventable deaths. (CIDRAP)
TRUMP BUDGET CUTS ELIMINATE CDC LEAD POISONING PROGRAM
Under the Trump administration’s deep federal budget cuts, the CDC’s Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program was eliminated on April 1, resulting in the loss of critical experts—epidemiologists, statisticians, and advisors—who specialized in lead exposure response. This cut severely impacted Milwaukee, where a lead poisoning crisis in public schools forced the closure of six schools and displaced 1,800 students. Despite requests, Milwaukee officials received no federal support because the CDC lead team no longer exists. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s claims that a Milwaukee team exists or that terminated CDC lead experts would be rehired have been debunked. Additionally, several CDC scientists involved in the investigation of a national lead-contaminated applesauce poisoning scandal were among those let go, threatening future responses to similar crises. The CDC program also funds North Carolina epidemiologists who process lead data, but funding ends in October with no clarity on continuation. Experts warn the loss hampers nationwide tracking, outreach, and prevention efforts, leaving public health vulnerable. (Ars Technica)
MEASLES CASES RISE SHARPLY ACROSS UNITED STATES STATES
The U.S. reported 22 new measles cases this week, totaling 1,046 cases across 31 jurisdictions, according to the CDC. This marks a slight slowdown but continues the trend toward surpassing the 2019 record of 1,274 cases—the highest since measles was declared eliminated in 2000. About 92% of current cases are linked to 14 active outbreaks, with 96% of infected individuals unvaccinated or having unknown vaccination status. The largest outbreak remains centered in West Texas, where Gaines County accounts for most of the state’s 728 cases. Texas also reported 22 unrelated cases, and Williamson County confirmed its first case involving a school-age child with unknown vaccination status. New Mexico added four cases, raising its total to 78. Other states reporting cases include Alaska, where an unvaccinated minor exposed others at public venues; Colorado, which issued an exposure alert related to Denver International Airport; and North Dakota, with four new cases raising its total to 19 across two counties.(CIDRAP)
APPALACHIAN HERB FARMERS BOOST PROFITS WITH SUSTAINABLE HARVESTING
Behind Ryan Huish’s home in southwest Virginia, a flourishing garden of medicinal herbs thrives beneath a forest canopy. Dr. Huish, a biology professor, guides students through the property, introducing them to Appalachian edible and medicinal plants like ramps, trout lilies, and Appalachian wasabi. These plants have deep cultural roots in the region, historically used for food, medicine, and income, but overharvesting and poor regulation have threatened the trade. Since 2017, the Appalachian Harvest Herb Hub has supported sustainable harvesting and marketing, helping farmers and harvesters like Paul Michael Combs increase profits by selling higher-quality products to buyers such as Red Moon Herbs. The herbal medicine market is rapidly expanding, projected to reach $580 billion by 2034. The Herb Hub and its Wild Stewards Alliance certification promote sustainable practices to protect forest health and prevent overharvesting. With federal grants, the Hub is expanding processing facilities and farms, emphasizing not only economic benefits but also the sacred relationship between people and plants, fostering health and community well-being. (New York Times)
XENON GAS ACCELERATES EVEREST CLIMBS CUTS ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
Using xenon gas treatment and advanced technology is making Mount Everest climbs faster and more environmentally friendly, reducing waste and garbage, according to renowned guide Lukas Furtenbach. In May, Furtenbach led a British team that completed one of the fastest recorded ascents of Everest, returning just two days after summiting. The climbers prepared with hypoxia tents and underwent xenon gas treatment in Germany two weeks prior, which helps prevent high-altitude sickness by aiding acclimatization. Traditionally, climbers spend weeks at base camp and lower camps to acclimate, but the new method shortens this process, reducing time away from home, costs, and environmental impact. Furtenbach noted that spending one week at base camp instead of eight cuts human waste by 75%, lessening garbage and the need to transport supplies. Nepal’s mountaineering authorities have raised concerns and announced an investigation into xenon use, though Furtenbach asserts the gas was never used in Nepal and can prove its safety for climbers. (AP)
CHINA LAUNCHES ASTEROID MISSION TO RETURN LUNAR SAMPLES
China’s upcoming Tianwen-2 mission aims to collect samples from near-Earth asteroid 469219 Kamo‘oalewa, a quasi-satellite of Earth that may be composed of lunar material. Launching by month’s end, the mission plans to return fragments to Earth roughly 2.5 years later. Kamo‘oalewa’s unique orbit and unusual silicate composition—similar to Apollo lunar samples—suggest it could be debris ejected from a lunar impact, possibly the Giordano Bruno crater. Sampling the small (40–100 meters) and rapidly rotating asteroid poses technical challenges, requiring advanced navigation and robotic collection methods, including rotating brushes and possibly an “anchor-and-attach” technique. Tianwen-2 follows prior asteroid missions from Japan and NASA but targets a smaller, less studied object. If confirmed as lunar in origin, these samples would deepen understanding of impact physics and lunar history. Post-sample return, Tianwen-2 will proceed to comet 311P/PANSTARRS to investigate early Solar System evolution and cometary contributions to Earth’s water and life-building molecules. (Science)
SUTTON HOO BUCKET BURIAL REVEALS ANGLO SAXON ELITE SECRETS
Archaeologists at Sutton Hoo in Suffolk, England, have uncovered the complete base of a rare sixth-century Byzantine bucket, known as the Bromeswell bucket, which was used in an Anglo-Saxon cremation burial. The bucket, crafted in Antioch (modern Turkey), depicts a North African hunting scene and likely arrived in Britain a century later, possibly as a diplomatic gift or antique. New excavations revealed cremated human and animal remains inside the bucket, along with an intact double-sided comb, possibly holding ancient DNA. These findings shed light on the high status of the individual buried and suggest the bucket was repurposed as a cremation vessel, blending southern classical artifacts with northern Germanic burial practices. The research, part of a two-year project involving the National Trust and “Time Team,” deepens understanding of Sutton Hoo’s complex burial traditions, which include ship, horse, mound, and now bucket burials. Ongoing excavations aim to uncover more about this enigmatic Anglo-Saxon cemetery and its inhabitants. (CNN)
CONTROVERSIAL TOUMAI FEMUR REIGNITES DEBATE ON HUMAN ORIGINS
In 2001, palaeontologist Michel Brunet unveiled a 6-7 million-year-old skull, dubbed “Toumaï” (Sahelanthropus tchadensis), in Chad, challenging existing ideas about human origins and suggesting a west African birthplace for early hominins. The discovery sparked controversy, particularly over the species’ bipedality, since no postcranial bones had been published to confirm upright walking. A crucial femur, discovered but initially unpublished and suppressed by Brunet’s team, was later revealed by Roberto Macchiarelli and Aude Bergeret, igniting intense conflict. Brunet denied hiding the bone but delayed its description, causing a rift with colleagues. After years of dispute, Macchiarelli formally described the femur in 2020, concluding it likely belonged to a non-bipedal ape, while a 2022 Poitiers study argued for bipedality. The debate underscores palaeoanthropology’s fragmentary evidence, fierce rivalries, and interpretive uncertainties about humanity’s earliest ancestors. Brunet, now elderly and isolated, remains influential but contentious, with his former students controlling research in Chad and his legacy marked by both groundbreaking discovery and profound discord. (The Guardian)
Thanks for reading. Let’s be careful out there.
WORDS: The Biology Guy.
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