Facing a manpower shortage, Ukraine is relying more and more on unmanned flying attack drones. The visas used by foreign-born scientists is an immigration category expected to come under renewed scrutiny under the incoming presidential administration. And, a look at three new species added to the scientific record this year. Join the new NPR Plus Bundle to support our work and get perks like sponsor-free listening and bonus episodes across more than 25 NPR podcasts. Want more comprehensive analysis of the most important news of the day, plus a little fun? Subscribe to the Up First newsletter.Today's episode of Up First was edited by Miguel Macias, Gisele Grayson, Lisa Thomson and Alice Woefle. It was produced by Ziad Buchh, Nia Dumas, Claire Murashima and Ana Perez. We get engineering support from Neisha Heinis. And our technical director is Carleigh Strange. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
Chapter 1: How is Ukraine using drones in their military strategy?
We try to take out as many as we can before they reach our positions, but sometimes there are just too many and it's impossible to hold.
I'm Asma Khalid and this is Up First from NPR News. Scientific research in the U.S. is driven by foreign workers on temporary visas.
I really like Stanford, but I would have to see what kinds of changes happen under Trump.
Why scientists are worried about this visa category they rely on. And we often hear about endangered species. But what about the thousands of new species identified each year?
When I saw, I was kind of mesmerized by it.
Stay with us. We'll give you all the news you need to start your day. The Ukrainian army has been struggling to slow Russia's advance in the east. Facing a manpower shortage, Ukraine is relying more and more on unmanned flying attack drones. NPR's Brian Mann was able to visit a secret drone command post near the front lines in Pokrovsk and joins us now from Kyiv. Good morning, Brian.
Good morning, Asma.
Can you describe where you went to see these attack drones?
Well, it's interesting. Ukraine's military actually made it hard to know exactly where I was. The location of these command posts, it's a carefully guarded secret. I was guided in an armored car to a village outside Bukrovsk. It's a key coal mining town and transportation hub. It's been under siege by Russia since spring.
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Chapter 2: What challenges are Ukrainian soldiers facing?
John, this is all fascinating to me because I feel like I always hear about species that are endangered. And I don't really pay attention to new species being discovered, but, you know, it's a bit of a bright spot. So what else do you have for us?
Yeah, yeah. I spoke with another biologist named Hugh Gabriel, who was an undergrad when he got on the path to naming a new species of frog in Madagascar.
When I was doing a independent research project in the rainforest, I noticed these frogs that looked really different from anything I was seeing in the guidebook.
He told me that these frogs were hidden within the leaves of these trees and they just looked a bit smaller and their color was kind of off, sort of a coppery bronze. And so he wrote to the author of that guidebook who agreed that these frogs did actually seem a little different and they collaborated.
That's cool. So he discovered a new species while in undergrad?
Yeah, he actually discovered three new species or described them. And all of these frogs spend their entire lives in these trees. They lay their eggs, they hatch, they eat little spiders, all within the tiny pools of water that collect between the leaves. And this kind of lifestyle is unusual for frogs and pretty cool.
Hmm, where are we headed next?
So I want to stay in Madagascar because it's such a richly biodiverse place. And I want to add a plant to the list, specifically an orchid. Orchids are these plants that have these nectar spurs, which are like little tubes that feed nectar to pollinators. And this new species has one that's like a foot long.
And that's actually the longest nectar spur relative to the flower size of any known plant. It's called Solenangis impredicta, and it's pollinated by a moth with an equally long tongue.
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