After nearly a year of harsh criticism in the wake of Hurricane Maria, FEMA published its internal audit of the agency's response to the 2017 hurricane season, concluding that its efforts and planning were insufficient and in need of critical updates.
Why it matters: The agency's failure to adequately plan for a major hurricane strike on Puerto Rico may have contributed to scores of deaths and the suffering of island residents. In addition, FEMA's shortcomings may have exacerbated economic damage and contributed to the depopulation of the island in the wake of the storm.
In a find that advances our understanding of fundamental particles in the universe, scientists announced Thursday they've detected a high-energy neutrino from outside our galaxy and, for the first-time, pinpointed its source.
Why it matters: The evidence, detailed in two new studies in the journal Science, further demonstrate the potential for multi-messenger astronomy — that is, astronomy that looks at the whole electromagnetic spectrum — to help scientists answer longstanding mysteries about high-energy physics.
