New photos and videos reveal the surface of the Sun in sharper detail than ever before.
Why it matters: Images and videos like these taken by the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope in Hawaii can help scientists understand the inner workings of our nearest star, potentially helping predict dangerous space weather in the future.
Six Americans — in California (2), Arizona, Washington state, and Chicago (2) — have the novel coronavirus that's been spreading from China, as of Thursday according to the Centers from Disease Control and Prevention.
What they're saying: "We need to prepare as if this is a pandemic, but we hope it is not," Nancy Messonnier, director of CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Disease told a press conference on Sunday.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed Thursday the first person-to-person transmission of the coronavirus in the U.S., CNBC reports.
The state of play: The disease has already killed at least 171 people in China and infected over 8,000. However, CDC Director Robert Redfield told reporters that the agency's "assessment remains that the immediate risk to the American public is low."
Big Tech companies are responding to the Chinese coronavirus outbreak in two main ways: limiting employee travel to China and trying to make sure their users have access to accurate health information.
Why it matters: Like the virus itself, the spread of misinformation is hard to slow.
Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said Thursday on Fox Business' "Mornings with Maria" that the spread of coronavirus in China will "help to accelerate the return of jobs to North America."
The U.S. should be preparing for the worst as the Chinese coronavirus spreads, and somebody at the White House needs to be in charge of coordinating that effort, public health experts say.
The big picture: The virus may never become a crisis here, but experts say the responsible thing right now is to plan for the worst and hope that those plans aren't needed.
Coronavirus has now reached every region in mainland China, with health authorities confirming the first confirmed case in Tibet on Wednesday.
The big picture: 170 people have died and 7,711 confirmed cases in China were reported early Thursday, as the WHO prepares to hold talks on whether coronavirus is a global health emergency. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a news conference the progress of the virus in some countries, "especially human-to-human transmission, worries us."
Climate activist Greta Thunberg announced in an Instagram post Wednesday that she's applied to register her name and that of the Fridays For Future movement she founded in 2018.
The big picture: The 17-year-old is taking this action to protect their misuse. "I and the other school strikers have absolutely no interests in trademarks. But unfortunately it needs to be done," she said. "Fridays For Future is a global movement founded by me. It belongs to anyone taking part in it, above all the young people. It can — and must — not be used for individual or commercial purposes."
The collision of urbanization, population growth and the rapid movement of people and goods across borders is heightening global pandemic risk.
Why it matters: Aside from the tragic human cost, outbreaks such as the coronavirus, and the fear that accompanies them, are threatening to roil geopolitics and the global economy.
A chartered plane carrying some 195 Americans from Wuhan, the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak in China, landed in March Air Reserve Base in Riverside County, California, early Wednesday, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
What's happening: The passengers were screened before takeoff, during the flight, during refueling in Anchorage, Alaska, and upon arrival, said Nancy Messonnier, director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases. None of them showed symptoms of the virus, but they have volunteered to stay on the base for three days.
Washington would double the amount of federal funding in basic science research per a new proposal by Oklahoma Rep. Frank Lucas, the top Republican on the House Science and Technology Committee, as a way to address climate change.
The big picture: Lucas' policy as part of House Republicans’ broader efforts on the matter is far narrower than the sweeping draft legislation Democrats unveiled Tuesday that aims to slash emissions over the next 30 years.
Scientists in Melbourne, Australia, have become the first to re-create the Wuhan coronavirus outside of China.
Why it matters: It's a "significant breakthrough," which will enable accurate investigation and diagnosis of the virus globally, per a statement by the Doherty Institute released Tuesday morning (ET). It's hoped it will help efforts to treat the virus.
If you’re freaking out about coronavirus but you didn’t get a flu shot, you’ve got it backwards.
The big picture: A novel outbreak will always command more attention than a common illness, and the coronavirus is a serious health threat. But our newfound hyper-vigilance about infections might be more helpful if we could redirect some of it toward influenza — a significantly deadlier virus that strikes every year.
British Airways has suspended all direct flights to and from mainland China in response to the coronavirus, the airline confirmed in a statement to news outlets Wednesday morning.
Why it matters: It's the first major international carrier to suspend flights to China. No direct flights to China are currently available on BA.com, the airline's website, for January through February. "We apologise to customers for the inconvenience, but the safety of our customers and crew is always our priority," the statement reads.
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison told a news conference Wednesday the country's national airline Qantas would evacuate "isolated and vulnerable" Australians at risk from coronavirus in China and quarantine them on Christmas Island.
The big picture: Authorities would prioritize evacuating children and elderly people in the virus-hit city of Wuhan to the island, an Australian territory some 870 miles from Indonesia notorious for its now-closed refugee detention center. Citizens would also be evacuated from China's Hubei province, Morrison said. It's a joint evacuation with New Zealand, which has about 50 affected citizens. Australia has 600.
