News

October 15, 2025

NASA’s JPL Faces Fourth Round of Layoffs, Cutting 550 Jobs

NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) has furloughed approximately 550 employees in its fourth round of layoffs since January 2024. This staff reduction comes amid the ongoing government shutdown, which has already led to significant budget cuts within federal agencies. JPL Director Dave Gallagher announced the workforce realignment on October 13, stating that about 11% of the laboratory’s workforce across technical, business, and support areas would be impacted.

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October 10, 2025

Meet This Year’s Class of MacArthur Fellows Receiving a “Genius Grant” of $800K Each

Now that it’s finally fall, awards season is in full swing. Amid announcements for the National Book Awards, the Nobel Prizes, and the Booker Prize, among others, the MacArthur Foundation has also revealed its 2025 fellows. This year’s class encompasses 22 recipients of what is popularly known as the “genius grant,” representing disciplines ranging from political science, evolutionary biology, and cartography, to prose fiction, archeology, and film.

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October 7, 2025

Celebrities and Politicians Remember Jane Goodall’s Remarkable Legacy

Beloved primatologist and anthropologist, Jane Goodall, passed away on Wednesday, October 1, 2025, at the age of 91. From celebrities to world leaders, tributes have flooded in, revealing the lasting imprint she left on hearts and minds around the world. Known for her 65-year study on wild chimpanzees in Gombe, Tanzania, Goodall was a powerful advocate for animal welfare.

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September 18, 2025

South Korea Passes Bill Banning Phones During Class Hours in Elementary and Middle Schools

South Korea is one of the most digitally connected countries in the world, as 98% of its habitants own a smartphone. This includes its younger population, with children as young as 6 to 8 years old using these devices. Concerned about how their screen time can affect their mental health and academic performance, lawmakers have passed a bill to ban the use of mobile phones in schools nationwide.

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