Supreme Court temporarily blocks full SNAP benefits even as they’d started to go out
Jennifer Ludden The U.S. Supreme Court temporarily granted the Trump administration’s request to block full SNAP food benefits during the government shutdown, even as residents in some states had already begun receiving them. The Trump administration is appealing a court order to fully restart the country’s largest anti-hunger program. The high court decision late Friday […]
Why Is the Milky Way Warped?
The UniverseFridays Our Milky Way’s Warped Disk Keeps Getting Weirder Observations show the disk of our galaxy is not flat but warped and waving. Astronomers are still working out the reasons why By Phil Plait edited by Lee Billings Observations from the European Space Agency’s Gaia mission have revealed a giant wave rippling through the […]
After California’s vote to counter Trump, here’s where redistricting stands
Larry Kaplow Loading… California voters this week made the biggest Democratic move yet against President Trump’s effort to reshape voting maps in favor of Republicans in the 2026 midterm elections. They overwhelmingly approved a map for congressional districts that could help Democrats win five more seats in the U.S. House. The ballot language itself referred […]
How Supermassive Black Holes Can Become Cosmic Nightmares
The UniverseFridays Do We Live in a Haunted Galaxy? Huge eruptions from the Milky Way’s supermassive black hole in the distant past may have sterilized much of the inner galaxy By Phil Plait edited by Lee Billings Stay connected to The Universe: Get email alerts for this weekly column by Phil Plait Galaxies are spooky […]
Why an interstellar comet has scientists excited
Jaclyn Diaz An ancient comet that entered our solar system this summer is offering a rare opportunity to learn more about distant planetary systems far beyond the reach of any spacecraft, researchers say. The comet is special both because it is interstellar — meaning it came from outside our solar system — and also because […]
Junk food leads to more children being obese than underweight for first time
Cheap ultra-processed food behind rise in overweight children, with one in 10 now obese globally, says Unicef More children around the world are obese than underweight for the first time, according to a UN report that warns ultra-processed junk food is overwhelming childhood diets. There are 188 million teenagers and school-age children with obesity –…
JWST Sees Hints of an Atmosphere on a Potentially Habitable Exoplanet
Hints of Atmosphere on Earth-Sized Exoplanet Raise Hopes for Life A monumental sign of an atmosphere on TRAPPIST-1e could be the precursor to finally finding a living world around another star By Jonathan O’Callaghan edited by Lee Billings This artist’s concept shows the volatile red dwarf star TRAPPIST-1 and its four most closely orbiting planets,…
Ethiopia inaugurates Africa’s largest hydroelectric dam as Egypt rift deepens
Ethiopian PM says dam will electrify entire region but Egypt fears it could restrict water supply during droughts Ethiopia has inaugurated Africa’s largest hydroelectric dam, a project that could transform the country’s energy sector but may also aggravate tensions with neighbouring Egypt. State media showed the Ethiopian prime minister, Abiy Ahmed, touring the site of…
Supreme Court agrees to hear challenge to some of Trump’s sweeping tariffs
Nina Totenberg The Supreme Court said Tuesday it will review the legality of the sprawling tariffs President Trump imposed in an April executive order, a day the president declared “liberation day.” Since then the government estimates it has collected nearly a trillion dollars in tariffs from U.S. and foreign businesses that would have to be…
Blake Lively Requests Justin Baldoni Pay for “Frivolous” Claims
Blake Lively’s lawyers said in court docs that she is “entitled” to damages and attorney fees paid for by Justin Baldoni after his countersuit against her was dismissed. Blake Lively wants Justin Baldoni to foot her legal bills. Three months after Baldoni’s $400 million countersuit against the It Ends With Us actress and her husband…
Starmer to meet Israel’s president in Downing Street
Sir Keir Starmer is to hold talks with Israeli President Isaac Herzog in Downing Street on Wednesday. No 10 said Sir Keir will raise the “intolerable situation in Gaza” and the “action Israel must take to end the horrific suffering we’re witnessing” with the Israeli president. It comes after Israel carried out a strike on…
Modern Family’s Eric Stonestreet Marries Lindsay Schweitzer
After Eric Stonestreet and Lindsay Schweitzer married after eight years together, leading Eric’s Modern Family costar Jesse Tyler Ferguson to gush: “Of all second marriages, this one is my favorite!” Eric Stonestreet is celebrating another trip around the sun with a new title: husband. The Modern Family star revealed he and longtime love and Lindsay Schweitzer tied the…
BLS revision shows hiring was overstated by 911,000 jobs in past year
By Scott Horsley , Maria Aspan , Danielle Kurtzleben U.S. employers are adding far fewer jobs than initially tallied, in the latest sign that the labor market may be weaker than expected, according to a preliminary report from the Labor Department on Tuesday. The report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows hiring for the…
England’s NHS trust league tables revealed – find out where yours ranks
New league tables rating the performance of NHS trusts in England have been published for the first time, with specialist hospitals taking the top slots. Number one is Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, followed by the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Trust and cancer centre the Christie NHS Foundation Trust. At the bottom is…
U.S. ‘Golden Dome’ Missile Shield Is Short on Details—but Not on Cash
What’s the Plan for ‘Golden Dome’? Even Experts Aren’t Sure A sweeping U.S. missile defense program comes with many risks, costs and uncertainties, analysts say By Ramin Skibba edited by Lee Billings U.S. President Donald Trump speaks in front of a conceptual illustration for the “Golden Dome for America” missile defense system in the Oval…
Joseph Kony case in The Hague begins with accounts of alleged atrocities
ICC hearing takes place in absence of Ugandan rebel leader accused of murder, rape, torture and sexual slavery An international criminal court hearing into charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity against the Ugandan fugitive rebel leader Joseph Kony has begun with accounts of atrocities allegedly committed by his Lord’s Resistance Army. The ICC’s…
Charlie Sheen’s Wildest Moments: Arrests, Feuds, Getting Fired
Charlie Sheen’s roller coaster of a life is the subject of his new memoir The Book of Sheen and Netflix documentary aka Charlie Sheen. Here’s a sampling of the highs and lows. Charlie Sheen is a mortal human being, last we checked, but it’s hard not to think of him as a cat with nine…
The 2025 Student Podcast Challenge Honorable Mentions
Steve Drummond Here are the honorable mentions from the 2025 Student Podcast Challenge. You can listen to our middle school and high school finalists here. Thanks again to students, teachers and educators for being a part of our annual contest! Please share your experience, send us photos and give us feedback at [email protected]. And if…
Argentinians deliver electoral blow to Milei’s scandal-rocked government
President touted contest in Buenos Aires province – 40% of electorate – as ‘life or death battle’ but won only 34% of vote Argentina’s president, Javier Milei, has suffered his worst electoral defeat since taking office, as he faces his administration’s most serious corruption scandal and signs that the economy is slowing. In local legislative…
Rising Temperatures Boost Sugar Consumption, Raising Health Concerns
Rising Temperatures Lead to A Spike in Sugar Consumption Warmer temperatures are associated with higher consumption of sugary beverages and frozen treats, raising concerns about long-term health effects By Andrea Thompson edited by Dean Visser When the heat sets in, the siren song of the ice cream truck begins to drift through the air, and…
DWTS’ Corey Feldman Reunites With Jenna Johnson After Going MIA
After Dancing With the Stars pro Jenna Johnson revealed she hadn’t seen her season 34 partner Corey Feldman in days, the dancer shared a photo of her reuniting with The Goonies alum in a studio. Corey Feldman realized it takes two to tango. The Goonies alum reunited with his Dancing With the Stars partner Jenna…
US lawmakers release Epstein ‘birthday book’ with alleged Trump note
US lawmakers have released a full copy of a “birthday book” given to the late convicted paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein in 2003, which includes a note allegedly signed by US President Donald Trump. The book was released with a trove of documents that include Epstein’s will and his personal address book – with contacts that…
Rupert Murdoch buys out 3 of his children to seal fate of his media empire
David Folkenflik Rupert Murdoch has pulled one final rabbit out of his hat. The 94-year-old media titan has ensured that his vast corporate empire — boasting Fox News, the Wall Street Journal and the New York Post among other titles — will retain its quintessential conservative identity after his death. Through a series of complex…
Boris Johnson was paid £240,000 after Maduro meeting, invoice shows
Johnson’s office sent invoice to hedge fund manager, which was paid, weeks after meeting Venezuelan leader last year Revealed: how Boris Johnson traded PM contacts for global business deals From a private jet somewhere over the Caribbean Sea in February last year, Boris Johnson called his old political adversary David Cameron, then the foreign secretary,…
Prince Harry Jokes About Brother Dynamics Amid Prince William Rift
Prince Harry quipped about how having a sibling can be “challenging” while meeting with 2025 WellChild Awards winners amid his rumored rift with brother Prince William. Prince Harry is getting real about the ups and downs of being a sibling. The Duke of Sussex made a joke about family dynamics amid his rumored rift with…
How Big Can a Black Hole Get?
The UniverseFridays How Big Can a Black Hole Be? Some black holes get extremely massive. Is there an upper limit to their growth? By Phil Plait edited by Lee Billings Black holes like the one shown in this illustration can grow astonishingly massive by feeding on immense amounts of matter. But just how big can…
France in fresh political crisis after MPs oust prime minister
France has been plunged into a new political crisis with the defeat of Prime Minister François Bayrou at a confidence vote in the National Assembly. The defeat – by 364 votes to 194 – means that Bayrou will on Tuesday present his government’s resignation to President Emmanuel Macron, who must now decide how to replace…
Estate of Jeffrey Epstein gives Congress ‘birthday book’ allegedly signed by Trump
By Jason Breslow The estate of Jeffrey Epstein has provided the House Oversight Committee with a copy of the birthday book prepared as a gift for the disgraced financier on his 50th birthday — an album that includes a tawdry image that appears to have been signed by President Trump, even though Trump had previously…
After 6 years, Hollow Knight Silksong is here at last — and it was worth the wait
By Keller Gordon The Savage Beastfly takes prisoners. Their cages fall from the ceiling as it charges directly at your lithe, red-cloaked figure. Somehow, it manages to track your nimble movement and futile flips and smashes into you at full force. The fight is over, and you are not the victor. It’s a brutal early…
UK could suspend visas for countries with no migrant return deals, new home secretary says
The UK could suspend visas from countries that do not “play ball” and agree to returns deals for migrants, the new home secretary has said. Shabana Mahmood made the comments as she hosted Donald Trump’s head of homeland security and ministers from Australia, New Zealand and Canada at a meeting of the intelligence-sharing Five Eyes…
5 ways the ocean keeps our climate in check
The ocean is more than a backdrop for sunsets and surf — it’s the origin and engine of all life on Earth, responsible for regulating our climate, absorbing heat, circulating currents and producing oxygen. But human-driven climate change is pushing the ocean past its limits. As waters heat up and currents shift, a delicate balance…
NASA’s InSight Lander Reveals Mars’s Lumpy Mantle in New Seismic Study
Marsquakes, Vaccine Politics and Mammoth Microbiomes A common nasal spray shows promise in reducing COVID risk, but vaccine access remains tangled in policy in the U.S. By Rachel Feltman, Fonda Mwangi & Alex Sugiura Rachel Feltman: Happy Monday, listeners! For Scientific American’s Science Quickly, I’m Rachel Feltman. Let’s kick off the week with a quick…
Yas! The Viral LilyAna Naturals Eye Cream Is on Sale
Find out why people are obsessed with LilyAna Naturals and how you can score the brand’s bestselling skincare for less. We’ve all spent way too much on skincare brands that don’t work. If you’re done dropping bank on pricey products that don’t deliver, you need to try TikTok viral (and affordable) brand LilyAna Naturals. There’s…
Hopes rise for green economy boom at Africa Climate Summit
Renewables are thriving, with Africa breaking solar energy records – but action is needed to plug financing gap The first signs of a takeoff of Africa’s green economy are raising hopes that a transformation of the continent’s fortunes may be under way, driven by solar power and an increase in low-carbon investment. African leaders are…
Shooting attack at Jerusalem bus stop kills at least 5
By The Associated Press JERUSALEM — Paramedics said at least five people were killed in a shooting attack in Jerusalem after two attackers opened fire at a bus stop at a busy intersection in north Jerusalem. Paramedics said an additional 15 people were injured, including six in serious condition. Police said the attackers shot people…
VMAs: How Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler, More Paid Tribute to Ozzy Osbourne
Ozzy Osbourne was honored at the 2025 MTV VMAs, less than two months after his death, with a musical tribute from Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler and Joe Perry, as well as Yungblud. The Prince of Darkness was given a fitting VMAs sendoff. Aerosmith‘s Steven Tyler and Joe Perry led a musical tribute to the late Ozzy Osbourne at…
Tom Phillips, fugitive father on run with children for nearly four years, shot dead by NZ police in exchange of fire
Phillips, who has been on the run with his children for four years, was shot by police after officers came under fire while investigating burglary in Piopio, authorities said A fugitive father who had been hiding in New Zealand’s rugged wilderness with his three children for nearly four years has been shot dead by police…
Huge drugs bust reveals battles on cocaine ‘superhighway’
It was sent to a fisherman from Ukraine and an unemployed man from Teesside who were sailing to the middle of the Irish Sea to collect cocaine from a passing cargo ship, the MV Matthew. As it turned out, they needed plenty of luck and very little was straightforward. The two men were part of…
How Small, Easy Acts of Joy Improve Happiness and Well-Being
Small, Easy Acts of Joy Mean Big Gains in Happiness A community science project finds that modest reminders to find joy in the day can have benefits that are on par with those of more ambitious well-being interventions By Darwin A. Guevarra, Xuhai “Orson” Xu & Emiliana Simon-Thomas edited by Daisy Yuhas There is no…
MTV VMAs 2025: Complete Winners List
The 2025 MTV Video Music Awards kicked off Sept. 7 at New York City’s UBS Arena with appearances from Sabrina Carpenter, Mariah Carey and host LL Cool J. See which stars won big at the annual event. There’s nothing ordinary about the winners at the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards. The ceremony brought together the…
Unions warn government not to water down workers’ rights bill
The leader of the UK’s biggest trade union has warned it would be a “huge mistake” for the government to water down its Employment Rights Bill, which is due to become law in the next few weeks. Unison general secretary Christina McAnea said she is concerned the government is no longer committed to implementing the…
New business secretary Peter Kyle going to China for trade talks this week
Former science secretary promoted in reshuffle to continue UK efforts to revitalise trade relationship with Beijing The UK’s new business secretary, Peter Kyle, will fly to Beijing this week as part of Keir Starmer’s continuing efforts to revitalise the UK’s trade relationship with China and provide growth to the British economy. Kyle was due to…
Carlos Alcaraz wins his 2nd U.S. Open at match delayed by Trump’s attendance
Sequoia Carrillo President Trump attended the U.S. Open men’s tennis finals on Sunday in Rolex’s luxury box, stepping out of the suite briefly for an on-camera appearance during the national anthem. He drew mixed cheers and boos from the half-empty stadium. Due to enhanced security for the president’s attendance, many ticketholders stood in long lines…
MTV VMAs 2025 Red Carpet Looks: See Every Celebrity Outfit
The MTV Video Music Awards 2025 at New York’s UBS Arena brought out the best and boldest in fashion. See all the celebrities on the red carpet. Prepare for style that’s out of this world. As the MTV Video Music Awards 2025 kicked off on Sept. 7, the best and brightest stars in music descended…
Arrests at rally against Palestine Action ban rise to 890
There were 890 people arrested at a demonstration against the ban on the group Palestine Action in London on Saturday, the Metropolitan Police say. The majority of the arrests were for supporting a proscribed group under the Terrorism Act, while police said 17 were also arrested for assaults on police officers “after the protest turned…
Postal traffic to US drops more than 80% after trade exemption rule ends, UN agency says
By Chandelis Duster Postal traffic to the U.S. has fallen significantly after the Trump administration suspended a trade exemption rule in late August, according to a global postal union. The U.N.’s Universal Postal Union (UPU) said the global postal network saw postal traffic enroute to the U.S. “come to a near halt” after Aug. 29,…
Ant Queens Birth Hybrid Offspring Using Another Species’ Sperm
These Ants Are Different Species but Share a Mother Ant queens of one species are sexual parasites that clone ants of another species to create hybrid workers that do their bidding By Max Kozlov & Nature magazine Queen Iberian harvester ants (Messor ibericus) can give birth to ants of their own species (left) and, using…
LGBTQ+ Americans consider move to Canada to escape Trump: ‘I’m afraid of living here’
LGBTQ+ people in the US contemplate heading north as they wrestle with the president’s assault on the community The number of LGBTQ+ Americans inquiring about moving to Canada has soared since Donald Trump’s re-election, campaigners have said, as people across the US wrestle with the fallout of rising anti-gay rhetoric, anti-trans executive orders, and the…
Survey Results Show People Prefer More Human Involvement in AI-driven Art
Opinion People Want AI To Help Artists, Not Be The Artist We surveyed people in the U.S. about artificial-intelligence-generated art. Their answers told us a lot about how we value human creativity By Deni Ellis Béchard & Gabriel Kreiman Think of your favorite piece of art—a painting, a song, a novel, a movie or even…
Patrick Schwarzenegger Marries Model Abby Champion in Lakeside Wedding
Patrick Schwarzenegger tied the knot with model Abby Champion during an intimate ceremony at Gozzer Ranch country club overlooking Lake Coeur d’Alene in northern Idaho. Patrick Schwarzenegger and Abby Champion have officially tied the knot. The White Lotus actor and the model exchanged their vows during a lakeside ceremony at Gozzer Ranch country club overlooking…
South Korea says it has reached a deal with the US for the release of workers in a Georgia plant
By The Associated Press SEOUL, South Korea — More than 300 South Korean workers detained following a massive immigration raid at a Hyundai plant in Georgia will be released and brought home, the South Korean government announced Sunday. Presidential chief of staff Kang Hoon-sik said that South Korea and the U.S. had finalized negotiations on…
Zelensky condemns ‘ruthless attack’ after Russia hits main government building in Kyiv
Ukraine’s main government building in Kyiv has been hit for the first time in the war during Russian attacks, the Ukrainian prime minister has said. Yulia Svyrydenko said the building’s roof and upper floors were damaged and a fire ignited “due to an enemy attack”. At least four people were killed in strikes across the…
Republican slams Vance for ‘despicable’ comments on Venezuelan boat strike
Rand Paul blasts ‘thoughtless’ comment after vice-president defends strike against alleged drug traffickers “Killing cartel members who poison our fellow citizens is the highest and best use of our military,” the vice-president said in an X post on Saturday, in defense of Tuesday’s US military strike against a Venezuelan boat in the Caribbean Sea, which…
Prince Harry to visit UK for first time since security court hearing
The Duke of Sussex will announce a substantial donation to Children in Need on Tuesday when he attends a charity event in Nottingham. The donation is intended to help support work tackling violence and its effect on young people. It is one of several engagements for Prince Harry during a visit to the UK, which…
Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake & More Couples Who Attended the VMAs
Sabrina Carpenter, Lady Gaga and Mariah Carey will hit up the MTV VMAs Sept. 7. But there was a time duos like Nick Lachey, Jessica Simpson, Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez attended the iconic night. A slew of incredibly memorable duos have taken to the stage during the MTV Video Music Awards’ four-decade history. There…
Brainless bodies and pig organs: does science back up Putin and Xi’s longevity claims?
Russian leader’s claim that people can ‘get younger’ through repeated organ transplants has raised eyebrows Perhaps it was the extravagant display of deadly weaponry that prompted Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin to mull on mortality at this week’s military parade in Beijing. It was more banter than serious discussion, but with both aged 72, the…
Acne Vaccines Could Offer Robust Defense
Acne Vaccines Could Offer Robust Defense Researchers are hoping to trick the immune system into fighting back against the bane of adolescents everywhere By Benjamin Plackett This article is part of Nature Outlook: Skin, an editorially independent supplement produced with financial support from LEO Pharma. About this content. Acne has long been dismissed as an…
Japan’s Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba to resign
By The Associated Press TOKYO — Japan’s Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has expressed his intention on Sunday to step down following growing calls from his party to take responsibility for a historic defeat in July’s parliamentary election, Japan’s NHK public television reported. Ishiba, who took office in October, had resisted growing calls from within his…
Perrie Edwards Is Pregnant, Expecting Baby with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain
Perrie Edwards shared that she and fiancé Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain—who share 3-year-old son Axel—are expecting their second baby together, just weeks after opening up about her past pregnancy losses. Perrie Edwards is preparing for a little miracle. The Little Mix alum shared that she and her fiancé Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain are expecting their second baby together,…
Starmer resets after Rayner row, but Labour turmoil is a gift for Reform
Welcome to the weird world of UK politics 2025. The TV presenter Jeremy Kyle announces to a huge crowd of Nigel Farage supporters at Reform UK’s party conference that David Lammy is the new number two in government and they boo, panto-style. These might both sound like parodies, but only the video of Angela Rayner…
Young Phillies fan is gifted swag after adult fan takes his home run ball
By Chandelis Duster A young Philadelphia Phillies fan has been given special baseball treats after a coveted home run ball was taken away from him during a dispute that has gone viral. Phillies outfielder Harrison Bader hit a home run during a matchup against the Miami Marlins on Friday at loanDepot Park in Miami, with…
Gene Therapy Marks a Turning Point for Rare Skin Diseases
Gene Therapy Marks a Turning Point for Rare Skin Diseases Fresh treatments for rare skin diseases shift the focus from symptom management to repair and help children with such conditions live active lives By Elie Dolgin This article is part of Nature Outlook: Skin, an editorially independent supplement produced with financial support from LEO Pharma.…
Samoa’s first female PM fails to win re-election after months of political infighting
Fiame Naomi Mata’afa, known as the ‘Iron Lady of the Pacific’, likely to be replaced by leader of opposition Fast party Samoa’s first female leader, Fiame Naomi Mata’afa, has failed to win a majority in the Pacific nation’s elections this week, capping months of political infighting. Official results published by the electoral commission on Friday…
Jim Jarmusch’s ‘Father Mother Sister Brother’ wins top prize at Venice Film Festival
By The Associated Press VENICE, Italy — “Father Mother Sister Brother,” Jim Jarmusch’s quietly humorous relationship triptych, won the top prize at the Venice Film Festival Saturday. The film about the relationships between adult siblings, and with their parents, stars Adam Driver, Vicky Krieps and Cate Blanchett. It was an upset win over some of…
Home Office clearout as Starmer reshuffles top team
Ministers Dame Angela Eagle and Dame Diana Johnson have followed Yvette Cooper out of the door at the Home Office as Sir Keir Starmer continues his reshuffle. The prime minister shifted Cooper to the Foreign Office on Friday in a major shake-up of his top team prompted by the resignation of deputy prime minister Angela…