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The Afternoon Wire Get caught up on what you may have missed throughout the day. See All Newsletters * U.S. TOP STORIES o Firefighters race to contain Los Angeles wildfires with menacing winds forecast to return o Californians scrambled to evacuate dogs, cats, horses, even pigs as LA flames closed in o New Orleans attack raises familiar debate: Can Bourbon Street be made safe? Newsletters The Morning Wire Our flagship newsletter breaks down the biggest headlines of the day. The Afternoon Wire Get caught up on what you may have missed throughout the day. See All Newsletters * Politics + White House + Congress + U.S. Supreme Court SECTIONS White House Congress U.S. Supreme Court TOP STORIES o Advocates train immigrants to 'prepare to stay' in the US under Trump o Senate committee to hold confirmation hearing for defense secretary nominee Hegseth on Jan 14 o What Americans think of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and his health stances Newsletters Ground Game Exclusive insights and key stories from the world of politics. See All Newsletters * Sports + AP Top 25 + NFL + NBA + NHL + Men's College Basketball + Women's College Basketball + MLB + Auto Racing + Soccer SECTIONS AP Top 25 NFL NBA NHL Men's College Basketball Women's College Basketball MLB Auto Racing TOP STORIES o Santa Anita postpones weekend racing as track is staging area for fire relief efforts o NBA postpones Rockets vs. Hawks game because of winter storm o Ohio State, Notre Dame to meet for title, long after upset losses Newsletters AP Top 25 Poll Alerts Get email alerts for every college football Top 25 Poll release. The Sports Wire Your home base for in-depth reporting from the world of sports. See All Newsletters * Entertainment + Movie Reviews + What to Stream + Television + Book Reviews + Music + Celebrity Interviews SECTIONS Movie Reviews What to Stream Television Book Reviews Music Celebrity Interviews TOP STORIES o Sam Moore, who sang 'Soul Man' in Sam & Dave duo, dies at 89 because of surgery complications o Disney pledges $15 million in Los Angeles fire aid as more stars learn they've lost their homes o 'LA Strong' logo and custom shirts unveiled to aid Los Angeles wildfire recovery efforts * Business + Inflation + Financial Markets + Financial Wellness + Technology SECTIONS Inflation Financial Markets Financial Wellness Technology TOP STORIES o The LA county wildfires could be the costliest in US history, early estimates say o The 'Worst in Show' CES products put your data at risk and cause waste, privacy advocates say o Surging job market could prove costly for households, businesses as odds of quick rate cuts fade * Science + Space + Animals + The Ancient World + Climate + Medicine SECTIONS Space Animals The Ancient World Climate Medicine TOP STORIES o Spacecraft buzzes Mercury's north pole and beams back stunning photos o New research shows a quarter of freshwater animals are threatened with extinction o NASA proposes cheaper and quicker way to get Mars rocks and soil to Earth * Fact Check TOP STORIES o Police took over a week to name the NYC subway burning victim. A fake name spread in the meantime o Musk helped kill a congressional spending bill. But much of what he spread was misinformation o FACT FOCUS: Inspector general's Jan. 6 report misrepresented as proof of FBI setup * Oddities * Be Well TOP STORIES o How setting boundaries can improve your health at work o Doctors worry that iodine deficiency -- a dietary problem from the past -- is coming back o How drinking alcohol can affect your health o Working Well: Returning to the office can disrupt life. Here are some tips to navigate the changes o Working Well: Practicing humility and finding support can help when political tensions rise at work * Newsletters Newsletters AP News Alerts Keep your pulse on the news with breaking news alerts from The AP. The Morning Wire Our flagship newsletter breaks down the biggest headlines of the day. Ground Game Exclusive insights and key stories from the world of politics. Beyond the Story Executive Editor Julie Pace brings you behind the scenes of the AP newsroom. AP Top 25 Poll Alerts Get email alerts for every college football Top 25 Poll release. AP Top 25 Women's Basketball Poll Alerts Women's college basketball poll alerts and updates. See All Newsletters * Photography + 2024 YEAR END PHOTOS + Photo Essays + Photography + The Americans SECTIONS 2024 YEAR END PHOTOS Photo Essays Photography The Americans TOP STORIES o Warm clothing, hot pot and even ice cream bars feature at China's ice capital o In their own words: AP photographers explain how selected images capture warming world o Landscapes turned into hellscapes, shock and the ongoing fight against wildfires in Los Angeles Newsletters The World in Pictures Get The AP's most compelling photographs sent directly to your inbox. See All Newsletters * AP Investigations * Climate + Indigenous peoples and climate + Climate Questions + Climate Migration + India Focus SECTIONS Indigenous peoples and climate Climate Questions Climate Migration India Focus TOP STORIES o Earth breaks yearly heat record and lurches past dangerous warming threshold o In their own words: AP photographers explain how selected images capture warming world o Landscapes turned into hellscapes, shock and the ongoing fight against wildfires in Los Angeles * Health TOP STORIES o First US bird flu death is announced in Louisiana o FDA limits toxic lead in some baby foods o Doctors worry that iodine deficiency -- a dietary problem from the past -- is coming back o How drinking alcohol can affect your health o Making any New Year's resolutions? 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Advocates may use Trump's influence * Religion TOP STORIES o Biden honors Pope Francis with the Presidential Medal of Freedom o Syrian intelligence agency says it thwarted a planned Islamic State attack on a Shiite shrine o Some states are making the Bible more central in schools. Advocates may use Trump's influence Newsletters World of Faith Comprehensive global coverage of how religion shapes our world. 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Climate Scientists drill nearly 2 miles down to pull 1.2 million-year-old ice core from Antarctic Scientists drill nearly 2 miles down to pull 1.2 million-year-old ice core from Antarctic 1 of 4 | An international team of scientists say they've drilled nearly 2 miles to Antarctic bedrock, retrieving one of the oldest ice cores at 1.2 million years old. (AP Production by Paolo Santalucia) Read More Image 2 of 4 | An ice core drilled by a research team is displayed at Little Dome C field base in eastern Antarctica, during the cutting phase on Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (PNRA/IPEV Beyond Epica via AP) Read More Image 3 of 4 | People walk through an ice core storage cave at Little Dome C field base on Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025, in in eastern Antarctica. (PNRA/IPEV Beyond Epica via AP) Read More Image 4 of 4 | Little Dome C field base and drilling station sits in eastern Antarctica on Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (PNRA/IPEV Beyond Epica via AP) Read More Scientists drill nearly 2 miles down to pull 1.2 million-year-old ice core from Antarctic Read More 1 of 4 An international team of scientists say they've drilled nearly 2 miles to Antarctic bedrock, retrieving one of the oldest ice cores at 1.2 million years old. (AP Production by Paolo Santalucia) Share Share * Copy Link copied * Email * Facebook * X * Reddit * LinkedIn * Pinterest * Flipboard * Print Read More Image 2 of 4 | An ice core drilled by a research team is displayed at Little Dome C field base in eastern Antarctica, during the cutting phase on Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (PNRA/IPEV Beyond Epica via AP) Read More 2 of 4 An ice core drilled by a research team is displayed at Little Dome C field base in eastern Antarctica, during the cutting phase on Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (PNRA/IPEV Beyond Epica via AP) Share Share * Copy Link copied * Email * Facebook * X * Reddit * LinkedIn * Pinterest * Flipboard * Print Read More Image 3 of 4 | People walk through an ice core storage cave at Little Dome C field base on Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025, in in eastern Antarctica. (PNRA/IPEV Beyond Epica via AP) Read More 3 of 4 People walk through an ice core storage cave at Little Dome C field base on Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025, in in eastern Antarctica. (PNRA/IPEV Beyond Epica via AP) Share Share * Copy Link copied * Email * Facebook * X * Reddit * LinkedIn * Pinterest * Flipboard * Print Read More Image 4 of 4 | Little Dome C field base and drilling station sits in eastern Antarctica on Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (PNRA/IPEV Beyond Epica via AP) Read More 4 of 4 Little Dome C field base and drilling station sits in eastern Antarctica on Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (PNRA/IPEV Beyond Epica via AP) Share Share * Copy Link copied * Email * Facebook * X * Reddit * LinkedIn * Pinterest * Flipboard * Print Read More By PAOLO SANTALUCIA Updated [hour]:[minute] [AMPM] [timezone], [monthFull] [day], [year] Share Share * Copy Link copied * Email * Facebook * X * Reddit * LinkedIn * Pinterest * Flipboard * Print An international team of scientists announced Thursday they've successfully drilled one of the oldest ice cores yet, penetrating nearly 2 miles (2.8 kilometers) to Antarctic bedrock to reach ice they say is at least 1.2 million years old. Analysis of the ancient ice is expected to show how Earth's atmosphere and climate have evolved. That should provide insight into how Ice Age cycles have changed, and may help in understanding how atmospheric carbon changed climate, they said. "Thanks to the ice core we will understand what has changed in terms of greenhouse gases, chemicals and dusts in the atmosphere," said Carlo Barbante, an Italian glaciologist and coordinator of Beyond EPICA, the project to obtain the core. Barbante also directs the Polar Science Institute at Italy's National Research Council. The same team previously drilled a core about 800,000 years old. The latest drilling went 2.8 kilometers (about 1.7 miles) deep, with a team of 16 scientists and support personnel drilling each summer over four years in average temperatures of about minus-35 Celsius (minus-25.6 Fahrenheit). Image An ice core drilled by a research team is displayed at Little Dome C field base in eastern Antarctica, during the cutting phase on Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (PNRA/IPEV Beyond Epica via AP) Image An ice core drilled by a research team is displayed at Little Dome C field base in eastern Antarctica, during the cutting phase on Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (PNRA/IPEV Beyond Epica via AP) Share Share * Copy Link copied * Email * Facebook * X * Reddit * LinkedIn * Pinterest * Flipboard * Print Read More Italian researcher Federico Scoto was among the glaciologists and technicians who completed the drilling at the beginning of January at a location called Little Dome C, near Concordia Research Station. RELATED COVERAGE Image The LA county wildfires could be the costliest in US history, early estimates say Image Santa Anita postpones weekend racing as track is staging area for fire relief efforts Image One of four lynx captured in the Scottish Highlands dies "It was a great a moment for us when we reached the bedrock," Scoto said. Isotope analysis gave the ice's age as at least 1.2 million years old, he said. Both Barbante and Scoto said that thanks to the analysis of the ice core of the previous Epica campaign they have assessed that concentrations of greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide and methane, even during the warmest periods of the last 800,000 years, have never exceeded the levels seen since the Industrial Revolution began. "Today we are seeing carbon dioxide levels that are 50% above the highest levels we've had over the last 800,000 years," Barbante said. The European Union funded Beyond EPICA (European Project for Ice Coring in Antarctica) with support from nations across the continent. Italy is coordinating the project. Image Little Dome C field base and drilling station sits in eastern Antarctica on Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (PNRA/IPEV Beyond Epica via AP) Image Little Dome C field base and drilling station sits in eastern Antarctica on Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (PNRA/IPEV Beyond Epica via AP) Share Share * Copy Link copied * Email * Facebook * X * Reddit * LinkedIn * Pinterest * Flipboard * Print Read More The announcement was exciting to Richard Alley, a climate scientist at Penn State who was not involved with the project and who was recently awarded the National Medal of Science for his career studying ice sheets. Alley said advancements in studying ice cores are important because they help scientists better understand the climate conditions of the past and inform their understanding of humans' contributions to climate change in the present. He added that reaching the bedrock holds added promise because scientists may learn more about Earth's history not directly related to the ice record itself. "This is truly, truly, amazingly fantastic," Alley said. "They will learn wonderful things." ___ Associated Press writer Melina Walling contributed from Chicago. Santalucia reported from Rome. ___ The Associated Press' climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org. Image The Associated Press is an independent global news organization dedicated to factual reporting. Founded in 1846, AP today remains the most trusted source of fast, accurate, unbiased news in all formats and the essential provider of the technology and services vital to the news business. 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