University of Alabama Receives $1.8 Million to Study Mussel Biodiversity
A research team led by the University of Alabama has received $1.8 million to study biodiversity of freshwater mussels. The National Science Foundation announced the award Thursday.
Carla Atkinson, an assistant biology professor at the University of Alabama and one of the principal investigators on the study, says Alabama has an abundant variety of mussels. “We have over half of the species that occur in North America, so it’s a really excellent place to study patterns of biodiversity in this particular group,” Atkinson says. She and fellow biologists from the University of Alabama and the University of Mississippi want to know how and why so many species exist.
Research will focus on the potential role of the mussels’ gut microbiome, genetic diversity and environmental factors. Most North American mussel species are imperiled and Atkinson says findings could help improve conservation efforts. The research is scheduled to last four years and will take place across Alabama, Mississippi and Tennessee.
Alexis Herman, the first Black secretary of labor in U.S. history, dies at age 77
Civil rights groups, labor organizations and politicians praised Alexis Herman as a "trailblazer" who fought for the rights of women, Black people and American workers over the course of decades.
Finally! Shedeur Sanders gets picked by the Cleveland Browns in the NFL draft 5th round
He had to wait until the fifth round, but Shedeur Sanders, son of Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders — his coach at the University of Colorado — has finally been drafted by the NFL.
U.S. judge says 2-year-old apparently deported to Honduras ‘with no meaningful process’
The toddler, a U.S. citizen, was apparently sent to Honduras with her mother and 11-year-old sister, even as a federal judge tried to contact an attorney representing the government.
Iran says 4 people are dead and hundreds injured in a massive port explosion
A massive explosion and fire at a port in southern Iran has killed four people, authorities said Saturday. More than 500 others have been injured in the blast at the Shahid Rajaei port.
Built on a rich coffee history, Yemeni cafes find U.S. success and new challenges, too
Yemen is an ancient birthplace of the coffee trade, and immigrants fleeing its civil war have brought their culture here in the form of cafes. Hundreds of Yemeni coffee shops have opened in the U.S.
Trump meets Zelenskyy during visit to Pope Francis’ funeral
The White House says it will release more details of the meeting, which it described as "a very productive discussion."
