Cuts to USAID Spark Concerns Over Mpox Crisis in Africa

The US Supreme Court has backed President Donald Trump's decision to revoke temporary legal status for over 532,000 migrants from Venezuela, Cuba, Haiti, and Nicaragua, significantly impacting their residency in the United States. This ruling, issued on May 30, 2025, overturned a lower court's injunction that had blocked the administration's efforts to end the immigration "parole" granted under former President Joe Biden. Immigration parole allows individuals to live and work in the US under "urgent humanitarian reasons." Trump's administration argued that rescinding this status would streamline deportation processes, facilitating what they termed "expedited removal." The decision faced dissent from Justices Ketanji Brown Jackson and Sonia Sotomayor, who criticized the court's assessment, highlighting the severe human consequences for vulnerable migrants. The ruling is part of a broader trend, as Trump has sought to implement stricter immigration policies since his return to office, including attempts to eliminate protections for migrants established by Biden. Legal representatives for the affected migrants claim the administration's actions violate existing federal laws by terminating their status without proper review.

A recent study published in the journal Icarus raises concerns about the potential impact of a passing star on Earth's orbit over the next five billion years. Researchers led by Nathan Kaib from the Planetary Science Institute indicate that there is about a five percent chance a wayward star could approach within 100 astronomical units of our solar system, significantly affecting the orbits of planets, including Earth. The study suggests that if such an event were to occur, Mercury's orbit could become highly elliptical, potentially resulting in collisions with the Sun or Venus. This scenario could further trigger catastrophic consequences, sending Venus or Mars hurtling toward Earth. However, the researchers note that the probability of these events happening is only 0.2 percent. Kaib emphasized that previous estimates had severely underestimated the likelihood of significant orbital changes within our solar system. The research hints at historical alterations in Earth's climate, previously attributed to similar celestial events. "It's a little scary how vulnerable we may be to planetary chaos," commented Renu Malhotra, a planetary scientist at the University of Arizona, highlighting the delicate balance of cosmic forces at play.

A study led by researchers from Toho University and Georgia Institute of Technology indicates that Earth's atmosphere may revert to a low-oxygen state within a billion years. According to environmental scientist Kazumi Ozaki, this shift could mirror conditions from approximately 2.4 billion years ago before the Great Oxidation Event. The research suggests that rising solar radiation will trigger a significant drop in atmospheric oxygen, potentially obliterating most life forms reliant on oxygen, including humans. The team employed extensive simulations, estimating that the habitable period characterized by oxygen-rich conditions may last only 20-30% of Earth's total lifespan. As atmospheric oxygen declines, less carbon dioxide will result in fewer photosynthesizing organisms, exacerbating the oxygen shortage. Lead researcher Chris Reinhard noted that future Earth might transition to a methane-rich atmosphere devoid of ozone, favoring anaerobic life forms. This study, part of the NASA NExSS project, emphasizes the importance of looking beyond oxygen for biosignatures in the search for extraterrestrial life. The findings were published in the journal Nature Geoscience.