Stories by Jeff Tollefson

Hundreds of people at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have received layoff notices, and work at many federal laboratories has been suspended

A surge in global temperatures has caused widespread coral reef bleaching and death around the world

A new study finds that one quarter of heat waves between 2000 and 2023 would have been “virtually impossible” without global warming—and can be attributed to the emissions of individual energy producers

Leaked budget documents indicate that key NASA and NOAA research projects, such as crucial climate research and the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, are at risk of being defunded in 2026

The Trump administration has acted fast to attack science with a range of funding and policy tactics

After his second inauguration, President Donald Trump signed a host of executive orders, some with important implications for science

As the daughter of a cancer researcher, Kamala Harris would bring a lifelong familiarity with science to the presidency, experts say

A recent Supreme Court decision rules that the U.S. government can talk to scientists and social media companies to curb online falsehoods

Extreme wildfires are increasing in frequency and intensity globally, data show for the first time

Following Mexico’s election of a woman with a scientific pedigree, Nature reviewed the legacy of well-known politicians with backgrounds in science and engineering.

A jury awarded Mann more than $1 million—raising hopes for scientists who are attacked politically because of their work

A government shutdown would disrupt biomedical research and clinical trials as federal experimental facilities shuttered

United Nations secretary-general António Guterres is proposing a $500-billion annual stimulus package to meet the Sustainable Development Goals to preserve the environment and end poverty and hunger

Researchers in Hawaii are studying the effects of the deadly blazes on its island of Maui, including how they have impacted drinking-water quality and might affect local marine ecosystems

New habitats that are emerging as mountain glaciers melt away represent huge ecological shifts and present new challenges for conservation

Investments in research and development are likely to drop—even if the worst-case scenario is avoided

Here’s what’s next after the U.S. National Ignition Facility’s breakthrough on nuclear fusion last year

The Environmental Protection Agency has released draft regulations that set the stage for a huge transition to electric vehicles

Fusion researchers at the U.S. National Ignition Facility created a reaction that made more energy than they put in

Fresh data released at the COP27 climate summit show global carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels are soaring despite an energy crisis

At the COP27 climate summit, countries will grapple with how to pay for loss and damage from global warming and how to bolster pledges to cut emissions

Celebrated sociologist Alondra Nelson and genome leader Francis Collins will temporarily split Lander’s duties

The Glasgow Climate Pact is a step forward, researchers say, but efforts to decarbonize are not enough to limit global temperature rises to two degrees Celsius

Nations have promised to end deforestation, curb methane emissions and stop public investment in coal power. Researchers warn that the real work of COP26 is yet to come