A chemical tank explosion at a packaging manufacturing facility on May 26 in Longview, Wash., has resulted in 11 fatalities, including nine workers who had initially been missing following the incident. The blast occurred during a shift change -- a tank ruptured, releasing hundreds of thousands of gallons of caustic chemicals. First responders worked to divert the substance away from the local water supply and confirmed there was no impact on drinking water or airborne contamination.

Container shipping rates from East Asia and China to the US have surged, with Drewry, Freightos and Xeneta reporting double-digit percentage increases. This spike is attributed to early peak-season demand and geopolitical tensions, particularly the Middle East conflict. Meanwhile, liquid chemical tanker rates from the US Gulf have softened due to reduced spot activity and increased availability of clean petroleum product tonnage.

The US military says it has bombed Iranian radar and drone sites after Iran shot down a US drone, prompting Iran to target US troops in Kuwait, an attack the US intercepted. The US Central Command says the strikes near Geruk and Qeshm Island were a measured response to Iranian aggression. The exchanges come as both nations negotiate a ceasefire.

Mass spectrometry measures the mass-to-charge ratio of molecules in a sample, which in turn can be used to calculate the molecular weight of each sample component. However, mass spectrometry can only measure a handful of ions at a time. Now, a new ion trap developed by researchers at The Rockefeller University in New York allows the parallel sorting and analysis of more than a billion ions at once, potentially improving the sensitivity of this analysis and reducing its cost.

National Energy Technology Laboratory scientists are using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy to optimize strategies for increasing oil and natural gas recovery from unconventional formations after primary hydraulic fracturing. The lab's NMR technology measures porosity, pore size, permeability and fluid saturation in rock cores under simulated subsurface conditions of up to 10,000 pounds per square inch and 212°F. The team will use NMR during huff-and-puff experiments, in which oil-saturated shale cores are injected with carbon dioxide, natural gas, water or surfactants to create 3D maps of how injected fluids move oil and water through rock pores.

The University of Rochester's solar-thermal desalination system turns ocean water into fresh water using only sunlight, eliminating the need for electricity or chemical pre-treatment. The process redirects salts into a separate collection zone, preventing environmental harm. The system was successfully tested on samples from multiple oceans, demonstrating its effectiveness and potential as a sustainable water solution.

Several experimental vaccines are being prioritized to combat the Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak, as no approved vaccines exist for this strain. The most advanced candidate is the rVSV Bundibugyo vaccine from the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative, which demonstrated survival benefits in animal studies and may enter clinical trials within seven to nine months. Oxford University and the Serum Institute's ChAdOx1 Bundibugyo vaccine, based on COVID-19 vaccine technology, could have doses ready for trials in two to three months, while Moderna is developing an mRNA-based vaccine with early-stage support from CEPI.

President Donald Trump has signed an executive order supporting HHS' decision to reduce the number of required childhood vaccinations from 17 to 11, citing a commitment to religious liberty and parental authority. The order aligns the US vaccine schedule with international practices, the administration claims, leaving decisions for vaccines such as those for influenza and coronavirus to parents and physicians.

There's still time to enter the CEP Photo Contest, but submissions close soon. Share your most compelling engineering, manufacturing or process industry images for a chance to be featured in CEP. Help showcase the people, technologies and creativity shaping our profession and don't miss your opportunity to have your work recognized by the AIChE community. Submit your photo today!

AIChE is recognizing a new group of elected Fellows -- the Institute's highest membership honor -- for their outstanding technical achievements, leadership and service to the chemical engineering profession. The featured Fellows represent expertise across process safety, energy, manufacturing, R&D and emerging technologies, with careers spanning industry, academia and consulting. Read more about these accomplished leaders and their contributions to the profession in the latest ChEnected feature.

Abstract submissions are open for the conference on Gene Editing and RNA Technologies (GEAR), taking place Sept. 15-17 in Boston, Mass. GEAR 2026 will bring together researchers, biotech innovators and industry leaders to explore advances in gene editing, RNA technologies, delivery systems, manufacturing and translation to the clinic. Share your latest work with a community driving the future of biotechnology. Submit your abstract by June 16 and learn more about GEAR 2026.

Instead of plotting a new strategy or searching for certainty before taking action, author Seth Godin advises leaders to forget about appealing to the masses and to make "a ruckus about something that actually matters, for people who genuinely care -- and be willing to be wrong in public in service of that." Momentum is better than perfection, Godin says, noting that good leaders make "a generous bet" on their success and see resistance as proof that "you know you're on to something."