Beach goers rest on the beach of Moutchic on the shore of Lake Lacanau (Etang de Lacanau) in Lacanau , southwestern France on July 24, 2026, as clouds of smoke rise into the sky from the Gironde wildfire. Maximilien Lamy/AFP via Getty Images hide caption
An AI-generated image showing multiple fires on and near Kharg Island, an Iranian island in the Persian Gulf. Generated and annotated by NPR hide caption
A crew inside NASA's Human Exploration Research Analog looks up from the habitat's ladder well for a team photo. NASA hide caption
Anthony Fauci, former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, during a Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee hearing in Washington, D.C. Experts worry that the pursuit of Fauci is helping to create a "chilling effect" on public health staffing and infrastructure in the U.S. Al Drago/Bloomberg/Getty Images hide caption
Spinach is displayed for sale on shelves at a Target store on July 23, 2026 in Austin, Texas. Brandon Bell/Getty Images hide caption
Members of the Wuhan Hygiene Emergency Response Team leave the shuttered Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market in the city of Wuhan, in Hubei, Province on January 11, 2020. Investigations of the origin of COVID-19 have centered on the animals sold at the market. Noel Celis/AFP/via Getty Images hide caption
Dr. Anthony Fauci waits for the start of a Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, on July 29, 2026. Alex Wroblewski / AFP/Getty Images hide caption
Firefighters battle a blaze outside Lanton, during wildfires in southwestern France, Tuesday. Emma Da Silva/AP hide caption
Firefighters battle a blaze outside Lanton, during wildfires in southwestern France. Emma Da Silva/AP hide caption
This aerial image shows a damaged chimney of the Nippon Paper Industries Co.'s Yatsushiro factory, following an earthquake in Yatsushiro, Kumamoto Prefecture, Wednesday, July 29, 2026. Naoki Hiraoka/Kyodo News via AP hide caption
Two leopard shark pups snack on snails at the nursery in Raja Ampat, Indonesia in December 2025. Claire Harbage/NPR hide caption
Dr. Anthony Fauci testifies before the House Oversight and Accountability Committee Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic on June 3, 2024, in Washington, D.C. Fauci is expected to appear before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee on Wednesday. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images hide caption
Canadair firefighting aircraft fight a wildfire burning near Pelayos de la Presa, 65 kilometers west of Madrid, on Sunday. Oscar del Pozo/AFP via Getty Images hide caption
A universal vaccine could protect against many different pathogens. angelp/Getty Images hide caption
Camp Widjiwagan in Ely, Minn., submerged some of their canoes in lake waters to protect them from the wildfires. YMCA of the North hide caption
Orcas are known for surprising behaviors. A new study documents two cases of orcas ramming sunfish so hard that the fish explode. NurPhoto/Getty Images hide caption
Most commercially available avocados are genetically identical, leaving them vulnerable to disease. Kevin Wann/Smithsonian Museum of Natural History hide caption
Hong Wang is the third woman—and first from China—to be awarded the world's most prestigious mathematics prize. Simons Foundation hide caption
University of Cambridge professor Elizabeth Murchison and Peter Emerson of the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department scoop up catfish for testing in Newport, VT. Emerson was one of the researchers to publish a new paper in the journal Nature describing the first known transmissible cancer in fish. Joshua Brown/University of Vermont hide caption
This week, an FDA committee is discussing tiny strings of amino acids called peptides. Fiordaliso/Getty Images hide caption
As of July 13, 2026, the CDC has confirmed at least 1,645 cases of cyclosporiasis, an intestinal illness linked to produce. There are 1000s more unverified cases. MarioGuti/Getty Images hide caption
Valar Atomics was one of the first companies to bring its new nuclear reactor online. Valar Atomics hide caption
Swifts have been nesting in the Western Wall for centuries. Experts count at least 88 nests in the nooks and crannies of this holy site. The birds swoop and dive above the worshipers, catching insects to feed their young or encouraging their nestlings to take flight. Ruth Sherlock/NPR hide caption