The Latest Breaking News from David Reich

Red hair becoming more common due to natural selection, study shows

Immunity to HIV and resistance to leprosy were also flagged as more common traits in the study by Harvard Medical School

The Independent UK · Apr 16

Travelers React as LAX Votes to Triple Uber and Lyft Pickup Fees From $4 to $12 to Ease Airport Congestion

The Los Angeles Board of Airport Commissioners has approved a new rideshare fee structure at LAX, raising fees to manage congestion and fund airport improvements.

International Business Times UK · Mar 12

What to know when the ban on most US hemp products goes into effect

Ban set to be enforced in November 2026 will change pricing, availability and composition of products

The Guardian - US · Dec 3, 2025

We’ve Been Wrong About the Pompeii Victims All Along

A paper on 14 victims from Pompeii describes how DNA analysis shows a different story behind the relationships of the individuals than what historians thought.

Inverse · Nov 7, 2024

Pompeii victims aren't who we thought they were, DNA analysis reveals

An ancient-DNA analysis of victims in Pompeii who died in Mount Vesuvius' eruption reveals some unusual relations between the people who died together.

LiveScience · Nov 7, 2024

Kevin McCarthy faces battle with hard-right Republicans as shutdown looms

Far-right wing insists it will not back speaker to avert government shutdown without concessions like Biden impeachment

The Guardian - US · Sep 10, 2023

What's the origin of the long-ago Swahili civilization? Genes offer a revealing answer

Genetic analyses back up what Swahili oral tradition has long held about ancestry of people from eastern Africa — that their ancestors are from Africa and abroad.

WEKU · Apr 12, 2023

Medieval Swahilis and Persians paired up 1,000 years ago in East Africa, ancient DNA reveals

A new ancient DNA study help confirm, but also "contradict and complicate" the historical narrative that Swahilis paired up with Persians 1,000 years ago in East Africa.

LiveScience · Apr 2, 2023

Ancient DNA is restoring the origin story of the Swahili people of the East African coast

The legacy of the medieval Swahili civilization is a source of extraordinary pride in East Africa, as reflected in its language being the official tongue of Kenya, Tanzania and even inland countries like Uganda and Rwanda, far from the Indian Ocean shore where the culture developed nearly two millennia ago.

The Conversation · Mar 29, 2023

No, your "Celtic" tattoo isn't Celtic

The real and complicated story of Ireland's past is a lot more interesting than Irish Americans make it out to be

Salon · Mar 17, 2023