Trump’s Funding Freeze Raises a New Question: Is the Government’s Word Good?

As the Trump administration continues to withhold billions of dollars for climate and clean energy spending — despite two federal judges ordering the money released — concerns are growing that the United States government could skip out on its legal commitments. Typically, when the federal government spends money through a grant or a loan program … Read more

What’s Best, According to the Italian Mathematician Alessio Figalli

The words “optimal” and “optimize” derive from the Latin “optimus,” or “best,” as in “make the best of things.” Alessio Figalli, a mathematician at the university ETH Zurich, studies optimal transport: the most efficient allocation of starting points to end points. The scope of investigation is wide, including clouds, crystals, bubbles and chatbots. Dr. Figalli, … Read more

How Trump’s Medical Research Cuts Would Hit Colleges and Hospitals in Every State

A proposal by the Trump administration to reduce the size of grants for institutions conducting medical research would have far-reaching effects, and not just for elite universities and the coastal states where many are located. Also at risk could be grants from the National Institutes of Health to numerous hospitals that conduct clinical research on … Read more

Abortion Provider Won’t Be Extradited to Louisiana, N.Y. Governor Says

Louisiana officials seeking to prosecute a New York doctor who sent abortion medication to a resident of that state were thrown a roadblock on Thursday, when New York’s governor, Kathy Hochul, said she would block extradition attempts. Ms. Hochul’s declaration sets the stage for a likely battle in federal court over whether states that support … Read more

Blue Origin Cuts 10% of Its Employees

Blue Origin, the space company owned by Jeff Bezos, is laying off roughly 10 percent of its work force, according to an email that was sent to staff on Thursday and that was viewed by The New York Times. The cuts, which could affect about 1,000 roles, follow several years of rapid growth and the … Read more

After Abortion Bans, Infant Mortality and Births Increased, Research Finds

  Infant mortality increased along with births in most states with abortion bans in the first 18 months after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, according to new research. The findings, in two studies published Thursday in the journal JAMA, also suggest that abortion bans can have the most significant effects on people who … Read more

With Aid Cutoff, Trump Severs a Lifeline for Millions

Funds from the world’s richest nation once flowed from the largest global aid agency to an intricate network of small, medium and large organizations that delivered aid: H.I.V. medications for more than 20 million people; nutrition supplements for starving children; support for refugees, orphaned children and women battered by violence. Now, that network is unraveling. … Read more