PBS NewsHour - Science

When President Nixon signed the Endangered Species Act into law 50 years ago, one of the first on the endangered list was the black-footed ferret, North America's rarest animal. Once thought to be extinct, they are making their way back thanks to the work of dedicated conservationists. John Yang reports on some of that work for our ongoing series, "Saving Species." PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

When arctic ground squirrels hibernate for the winter, they can lower their body temperatures to freezing levels and stay dormant for up to eight months. Researchers at the University of Alaska Fairbanks are studying how these animals survive on the edge of life and the clues they may hold to treating injuries and disease in humans. Alaska Public Media's Kavitha George reports. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

In our news wrap Saturday, Vice President Harris pledged $3 billion at COP28 to a global fund to help poorer nations adapt to climate change, a protestor is in critical condition after setting themself on fire outside the Israeli consulate in Atlanta, and record amounts of snow has dropped on much of Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic and Switzerland. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

At COP28 on Saturday, 50 oil and gas companies -- including industry giants ExxonMobil, Shell and BP -- pledged to reduce methane emissions to "near zero" by 2030. At the same time, the Biden administration announced new rules to enforce major elements of the agreement in the U.S. Fred Krupp, president of the Environmental Defense Fund, joins John Yang to discuss the importance of this deal. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

In our news wrap Saturday, a pair of explosions destroyed the booster rocket and spacecraft of SpaceX's biggest rocket during a test launch in Texas, and Comcast joined the list of advertisers stepping away from Elon Musk's social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, over concerns about antisemetic content. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

The Mississippi River is a superhighway for American agricultural products, but a warm fall and extreme drought conditions have contributed to its water levels dropping to record lows. Special correspondent Megan Thompson reports from Missouri on what conditions along this vital commercial route mean for farmers who rely on it to get their crops to market. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

For Native American Heritage Month, as part of our "Hidden Histories" series, we bring you the story of John Herrington, a decorated naval officer and trailblazing astronaut. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

This week's Nobel Prize announcements are highlighting groundbreaking work once again in the sciences and medicine. William Brangham has a conversation with one of the year's winners in medicine, whose work led to a profound change in tackling the pandemic. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Cities across the U.S. broke thousands of heat records this summer, but in many of them, some areas were hotter than others. These areas are known as urban heat islands, which can mean higher energy bills and unsafe conditions for residents. Blair Waltman-Alexin of Austin PBS, in partnership with Austin Vida, reports. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

You may have heard about a NASA probe that successfully brought some samples from a deep-space asteroid back to Earth. It took four billion miles to get them, but researchers believe it will be worth it. You also may be wondering just why scientists want these samples from what's essentially a huge rock flying through space. Science correspondent Miles O'Brien explains. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Living in certain parts of a city can make the impacts of extreme heat worse. That's because of a phenomenon called the urban heat island effect. A recent report by the research group Climate Central showed that more than 40 million Americans live in these hot spots. William Brangham discussed what this means for those residents with Michael Mendez of the University of California, Irvine. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Right whales are a majestic sight to behold off the eastern coast of North America, but they are endangered and their numbers are shrinking. Many conservationists say fishing gear that causes entanglements is a big part of the problem. But lobster harvesters fear they may be driven out of business by pressure to change their practices even further. Science correspondent Miles O'Brien reports. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

In our news wrap Saturday, scientists say the first two weeks of July were the planet's hottest on human record as intense heat waves grip places around the globe, Ukraine says its drones hit an ammunition depot in Crimea after days of deadly Russian strikes on Ukrainian port cities, and the U.S. women's soccer team beat Vietnam 3-0 in its first game of the 2023 World Cup. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

The nation remains at the mercy of nature, but nature is showing no mercy with 100 degree heat stretching from the far West across the Deep South. It comes as a weekend deluge in the Northeast washed out roads and claimed lives. Geoff Bennett discussed the extreme heat in California with Wade Crowfoot, the secretary of the state's natural resources agency. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Wednesday marks a year since the world first started seeing spectacular images of the cosmos that were captured by the powerful James Webb Space Telescope. But getting those images is only part of the important work being done by the $10 billion telescope. Science correspondent Miles O'Brien reports. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders