• Scientists resolved a 12,800-year-old climate puzzle from Greenland's GISP2 ice core, identifying the source of an unusual platinum spike initially linked to a possible meteorite or comet impact.
• The spike showed high platinum but low iridium levels, not matching typical space rocks or volcanic materials, sparking debate since its 2013 discovery.
• New analysis rules out extraterrestrial or volcanic origins, offering fresh understanding of ancient atmospheric events and Younger Dryas climate shifts.
In today’s newsletter: Bereaved families say the latest findings confirm long-standing concerns about capacity, care and political choicesGood morning. Yesterday lunchtime the UK Covid-19 inquiry published its latest findings – this time on how the NHS, its staff and patients were affected during the pandemic. It delivered a stark verdict: the health service “teetered on the brink of collapse” and only avoided it through the “almost superhuman efforts” of staff.Heather Hallett, the inquiry chair, said healthcare systems “coped, but only just” – and rejected the claim made by Conservative ministers at the time that the NHS had not been overwhelmed. For bereaved families, that language matters.Middle East | Iran said it would show “zero restraint” if its energy infrastructure was targeted again as Qatar revealed that almost a fifth of its liquefied natural gas export capacity had been knocked out in an Iranian strike.Health | Meningitis vaccination has been expanded in Kent after cases linked to a Canterbury nightclub rose to 27. Two people have died, and officials say the outbreak is being contained.Politics | Muslim leaders have condemned Nigel Farage’s call to ban public prayer by Muslims in the UK as bigoted and warned of a “growing tide of hate” after Kemi Badenoch questioned whether the events fitted “within the norms of British culture”.EU | EU leaders have pledged to stand behind Cyprus as it seeks “an open and frank discussion” on the future of the British bases on the island, which have become a target after the outbreak of the latest Middle East crisis.Immigration | A 16-year-old schoolgirl is stranded in Denmark after she was not allowed to board a flight to the UK due to new border rules on dual nationals. Continue reading...
• A new KFF survey from February-March 2026 shows 23 million ACA marketplace enrollees facing higher premiums after failed bipartisan subsidy extensions, forcing cuts to necessities.
• Orlando resident Priscilla Brown, 48, rations Type 2 diabetes insulin to half or third doses or skips it entirely to manage costs despite insurance.
• 75% worry about affording emergency care or hospitalization; 70% blame insurers 'a lot,' over half fault Republicans, Trump, and pharma companies.
• Researchers using AI analyzed death certificates and estimated 155,000 additional unrecognized COVID-19 deaths outside hospitals in 2020-2021, raising the official toll of 840,000 by 16%.
• The study compared symptomology of hospital deaths with those outside care, highlighting dramatic disparities in uncounted fatalities nationwide.
• This undercounting underscores ongoing challenges in pandemic mortality tracking and public health surveillance across the U.S.
• A New York Times investigation on March 19, 2026, alleges civil rights icon Cesar Chavez groomed and sexually abused teenage girls in the farmworkers movement.
• Sources detail multiple accounts of abuse during the 1970s, challenging Chavez's legacy as a labor hero.
• The revelations prompt reevaluation of U.S. civil rights history and calls for institutional accountability.
Dispute between government and US-based contractor caused 18-month delay to project, report findsFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastMyki cards will still be needed by Victorian public transport users until 2027 due to delays to the full rollout of tap-and-go technology, the state’s auditor general has revealed.A report by the Victorian Auditor-General’s Office (Vago) found a dispute between the state’s transport department and US-based firm Conduent had delayed the project by 18 months, adding $136.8m to its cost. Continue reading...
Study highlights the movements in people’s gait that give away most about their emotional stateA long face is not the only sign that someone is down in the dumps. How people walk is revealing too, particularly the swing of the arms and legs, researchers say.Scientists asked volunteers to guess people’s emotions from video clips of them walking and found that bigger swings portrayed more aggression while smaller swings implied fear and sadness. Continue reading...
• A UC Riverside-led study analyzing thousands of samples from unrelated studies found that no places in the ocean remain completely untouched by human chemical impacts.
• Researchers combined consistent, high-resolution mass spectrometry methods across multiple laboratories with computational tools to create a unified dataset revealing the extent of human chemical alterations to marine environments.
• The study reveals significant data gaps, with heavy concentration in North America and Europe while the Southern Hemisphere and regions like Southeast Asia, India, and Australia remain largely understudied, limiting full understanding of global ocean impacts.
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