"The storm is very large, and it could be particularly dangerous because a frigid mass of air known as a polar vortex will linger for days after the snow and freezing rain stop falling." "But winter weather patterns are shifting as the global climate warms, and scientists are working to understand those changes." "Cuts made by the Trump administration to federal climate research could threaten that work."

"Many in the U.S. faced another night of below-freezing temperatures and no electricity after a colossal winter storm heaped more snow Monday on the Northeast and kept parts of the South coated in ice. At least 29 deaths were reported in states afflicted with severe cold."

"A prominent scientist criticized microplastics research methods. Others are defending the work."

"A scientific review of 43 studies on acetaminophen use during pregnancy concluded that there was no evidence that the painkiller increased the risk of autism or other neurodevelopmental disorders."

"High-profile studies reporting the presence of microplastics throughout the human body have been thrown into doubt by scientists who say the discoveries are probably the result of contamination and false positives. One chemist called the concerns 'a bombshell.'"

"Congress is racing to undo thousands of cuts to federal science programs that President Trump called for last year when planning the government’s current budget." "After the White House called for billions of dollars in funding reductions, senators and representatives said they wanted to safeguard and even boost funds for basic research."

"By pulling the United States out of the main international climate treaty, seizing Venezuelan crude oil and using government power to resuscitate the domestic coal industry while choking off clean energy, the Trump administration is not just ignoring climate change, it is likely making the problem worse."

"In a reversal, the agency plans to calculate only the cost to industry when setting pollution limits, and not the monetary value of saving human lives, documents show."