Government

The Future of Helium Is Up in the Air

The world is experiencing a shortage of the gas, a byproduct of natural gas production, threatening MRIs, scientific research and birthday parties

This photo taken on March 29, 2018 shows Michiko Sato, sister-in-law of Yumi Sato, who was sterilized as a teenager, talking during an interview with Agence France-Presse prior to a meeting with lawmakers in Tokyo.

Japan Offers Apology and Compensation to Victims of Forced Sterilization

Between 1948 and 1993, an estimated 25,000 people were sterilized to prevent them from having ‘poor-quality descendants’

New Analysis of Depression-Era Fossil Hunt Shows Texas Coast Was Once a 'Serengeti'

Over 11 million years ago, the area was full of animals

"We didn’t just want to view Weimar from its ending,” exhibition curator Simone Erpel says

What the Weimar Republic Can Teach Us About Modern Democracy

A Berlin exhibition draws on some 250 artifacts to explore questions of democracy past and present

A polar bear walks on the ice of the Beaufort Sea in Arctic Alaska.

Judge Blocks Oil Drilling in Arctic Ocean

The ruling says only Congress—not presidential executive orders—has the authority to reverse bans on oil drilling leases

Sandra Day O'Connor, the first woman appointed to the Supreme Court, at her hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee

Behind the Scenes of Sandra Day O'Connor's First Days on the Supreme Court

As the first female justice retires from public life, read about her debut on the highest court in the nation

Joshua Trees Could Take 200 to 300 Years to Recover From Shutdown Damage

A former park superintendent says it will take centuries to regrow some of the iconic plants destroyed during the 35-day furlough

The Panda Cams had to be turned off during the shutdown and so for the past month, the crown jewel of the National Zoo has been hidden from the public.

Smithsonian Staffers Scramble to Make Up Time Lost During Government Shutdown

Workers are back, the museums are open, the pandas are well, but officials say the ramifications of the shutdown are far from over

A collapsed dam left 200 people missing and at least 58 dead, officials say. Rescuers search using helicopters.

Brazilian Mine Disaster Leaves 58 Dead, 200 Missing

Mine waste and sludge have contaminated a huge stretch of the Paraopeba River

Romaine lettuce was recently affected by an E. coli outbreak

The Government Shutdown Is Affecting FDA Food Inspections—but Don’t Panic

FDA commissioner Scott Gottlieb says the agency will resume scheduling inspections of ‘high risk’ foods next week

Joshua Tree National Park Closes During Shutdown Due to Damage to Namesake Trees

Many national parks remain understaffed during the government shutdown while instances of vandalism and destruction rise

All programs and events will be postponed, relocated to non-federal locations or cancelled. All Smithsonian facilities will remain shuttered until the federal government reopens.

Smithsonian Museums and the National Zoo Close for the U.S. Government Shutdown

Museum buildings and research centers shuttered, most federal employees furloughed, while excepted Zoo staff continue care of the animals

Army Reservist Xiao Meng Sun, who left China six years ago, believes that military training teaches one to meet challenges.

Fighting to Be American

For centuries immigrants who served in the military could become American citizens. But are the women and men pictured here among the last?

New Animal Overpass Is Already Protecting Critters in Washington State

The bridge over Interstate 90 will allow animals to cross the busy roadway and connects wildlife in the North and South Cascades

The Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site in Indianapolis

Why Museums Should Be Proud Polling Sites

The head of the Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site calls upon his colleagues to engage with their community by opening their doors to voting

Several young plaintiffs and their families had already planned to live in Eugene, Oregon, during the now-delayed trial—which was set to begin in a lower court in the state on Oct. 29—in order to stay on track in school.

Supreme Court Orders Pause in Landmark Climate Change Case Led By Youth

21 children and young people are suing the United States government over policies they say contribute to climate change

A Mega Millions billboard in Omaha, Nebraska, adjacent to a Sears store, shows $999 million, the maximum number it can show,

The Puerto Rican Roots of the Mega Millions Jackpot

The first modern lottery in the United States raised funds to fight tuberculosis

A 1736 map of Scotland—with Shetland in a box.

New Law Puts Shetland on the Map—and Outside of a Box

Cartographers had previously been in the habit of representing the Scottish islands inside a box because they are located so far from the mainland

The FDA calls teen vaping an "epidemic"

FDA Cracks Down on Underage Use of E-Cigarettes

FDA's largest enforcement action to date gave warnings and fines to 1,300 retailers and requested plans to prevent teen vaping from five manufacturers

The dairy aisle

Nut Milks Are Milk, Says Almost Every Culture Across the Globe

Even though the dairy industry may not like it, labeling the juice from almonds and soy beans 'milk' follows centuries of history

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