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The Future of Microplastics

2025 was full of scary details about the tiny particles. Here’s what we know now.

We’ve heard a lot about microplastics lately. And for good reason. Stanford University calls them “the material that never goes away”. They’re concerning because they've been found in human blood, organs and even placentas, potentially causing inflammation, DNA damage and oxidative stress, linked to everything from reproductive issues and respiratory problems, to potentially cancer, by disrupting metabolism, immunity and the gut microbiome.

For many scientists, 2025 was the year of microplastics. Researchers have known for decades that tiny plastic particles were floating around in rivers and lakes and accumulating in the ocean. But it’s only in the past year or so that scientists began to crack open what that means for human health.

After discovering the particles in testicles, kidneys and even a baby’s first poop, scientists turned their attention to the brain. Last year, a team of researchers at the University of New Mexico used cadaver brains to analyze whether the tiny particles were passing through the blood-brain barrier. According to the Washington Post, they found the plastics were not only entering the brain—they were actually accumulating there. Brains of people who died in 2024, for example, had significantly higher concentrations of microplastics than the brains of people who died in 2016.

Scientists around the world have continued to find microplastics in food and drinks. One study of beverages in the United Kingdom found the tiny particles in hot coffee, hot tea, bottled water, fruit juice, energy drinks and soft drinks. Microplastics have previously been found in tap water across many different states and countries; they are also in fruits, vegetables, meat, highly processed foods and fish. But researchers say one of the key risk factors is heat. A plastic cup with a hot drink, for example, is more likely to shed tiny particles into the beverage than a cold drink.

Similarly, when it comes to pollution, microplastics release dissolved chemicals into water and it was recently proved that sunlight strongly speeds up this release. But scientists say more research is needed and thankfully, on the way. The world produced 450 million tons of plastics in 2025, and that number is only expected to climb. If all of those plastics eventually turn into tiny microplastics, the planet will be facing one of the most prolific forms of pollution ever—and one that we know very little about.

Maduro Pleads Not Guilty in First Hearing

Meanwhile, American allies including France objected to the military incursion into a sovereign state

Deposed Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro made his first court appearance Monday and said he was “kidnapped” by the U.S. government, assailing the Trump administration for capturing him and portraying himself as his country’s rightful leader. His historic appearance on the heels of the shocking U.S. operation that Trump ordered to depose him kicked off what is expected to be a protracted legal battle with major geopolitical implications.

Maduro pleaded not guilty, per multiple reports, saying he is “innocent.” His wife, Cilia Flores, also pleaded not guilty. Judge Alvin Hellerstein, a 92-year-old Clinton appointee, will oversee the proceedings. Maduro is represented by Barry Pollack, a veteran trial lawyer who represented Wikileaks founder Julian Assange.

Meanwhile, President Donald Trump said the U.S. government might reimburse oil companies that invest to rebuild Venezuela’s energy infrastructure, speaking in an interview with NBC News. He said the project would take less than 18 months, but did not specify how much it would cost. But both allies and adversaries of the United States on Monday used an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council to voice opposition to the U.S. military operation in Venezuela.

Democrats Are Talking About a Midterm Blue Wave

But is it really possible?

If the hope among Democrats for a decisive blue wave in the 2026 midterms has a chance of coming to pass, the party would likely have to win difficult House contests in redder parts of the country. But The Hill warns that “the looming idea of a 2018-style blowout seems to be getting further and further out of reach.”

To be sure, conditions certainly favor Democrats: historical trends, polling, a narrow Republican majority, a string of off-year victories and voter anxiety over the economy favor the party, who lead in support for control of Congress by five percentage points in a Washington Post average of November and December national polls. But the battlefield in the House is smaller than ever, according to political analysts, experts and operatives. Of the 39 seats Democrats are competing for, 28 are in districts that Trump won by five or more percentage points. A gerrymandering spree instigated by Trump has narrowed the number of truly competitive seats, furthering a trend that was already underway in recent elections as the nation has become more polarized. That has not affected the race for the Senate, which Republicans are favored to hold.

Republicans regained control of the chamber in the 2024 elections and hold a 53-47 majority. While midterm elections typically favor the party out of power, Democrats face an unforgiving battlefield that sharply limits their opportunities to claw back control. Democrats for their part say Republicans are out of touch with everyday voters, with polls showing growing concerns about the cost of living. “Leader Thune ought to start talking to the American people,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer told reporters before the holiday break.

Health Officials Overhaul Childhood Vaccine Schedule

The new guidelines recommend kids get shots for 11 diseases, compared with the 17 previously on the schedule

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is recommending fewer vaccines for most American children, health officials said Monday. On the new schedule, vaccines that had previously been recommended for all children—such as those for rotavirus, hepatitis A and B, meningitis and seasonal flu—are now more restricted. They are recommended only for those at high risk or after consultation with a health care provider, a category called “shared decision-making”.

The announcement represents a momentous shift in federal vaccine policy, and perhaps the most significant change yet in public health practice by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the health secretary, who has long sought to reduce the number of shots American children receive. Senior Health and Human Services Department officials said the changes are meant to restore trust in public health that spilled over from the COVID pandemic.

“The loss of trust during the pandemic not only affected the COVID-19 vaccine uptake. It also contributed to less adherence to the full CDC childhood immunization schedule, with lower rates of consensus vaccines such as measles, rubella, pertussis, and polio,” reads the scientific assessment the agency based its decision on. However, public health experts expressed outrage at the sweeping revisions, saying federal officials did not present evidence to support the changes or incorporate input from vaccine experts. Dr. Yvonne Maldonado, a professor of global health and infectious diseases at Stanford University, told NBC News that there was an “incredible lack of transparency” behind the new schedule.

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