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, […]
How to See Faster-Than-Light Motion
The UniverseFridays How to See Faster-Than-Light Motion Superluminal velocities are common but illusory By Phil Plait edited by Clara Moskowitz The light echo around the star V838 Monocerotis as seen by the Hubble Space Telescope in November 2005. Stay connected to The Universe: Get email alerts for this weekly column by Phil Plait When I […]
How Many Planets Orbit Our Nearest Neighboring Star?
New Instrument Checks on Proxima Centauri’s Planets Fresh results from near-infrared instruments foretell a bright future for finding life elsewhere in the Milky Way By Ivan Farkas edited by Lee Billings An artist’s impression of the Proxima Centauri system, with the planets Proxima b and Proxima d—the latter confirmed by the NIRPS planet-hunting instrument. Some […]
Starship’s 10th flight breaks streak of bad luck
Nell Greenfieldboyce SpaceX’s massive Starship rocket racked up some much-needed successes on its 10th test flight, hitting key test objectives and breaking a streak of failures that bedeviled the spaceship this year. The silver and black two-stage rocket, which stands about 400 feet tall, blasted off from the SpaceX facility in south Texas near Boca […]
SpaceX Successfully Launches Starship Spacecraft After String of Mishaps
SpaceX Successfully Launches Starship Spacecraft after String of Mishaps Overcoming three recent failed tries, Elon Musk’s rocket company successfully flew its reusable jumbo booster and upper-stage Starship spacecraft By Dan Vergano edited by Clara Moskowitz An earlier SpaceX Starship and Super Heavy booster are moved to the launch pad at Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas. […]
Kansas City Chiefs Owner Mourns Death of Relative in Texas Floods
Kansas City Chiefs owner Clark Hunt and his family are mourning the loss of their 9-year-old cousin Janie Hunt, who was killed in the devastating Texas floods that hit Camp Mystic. The Hunt family is expressing their grief. After Texas-based Camp Mystic confirmed 27 campers and counselors have died in the flash floods that hit…
Pulsing Magma in Earth’s Mantle Drives Tectonic Plates Tearing Africa Apart
Magma Pulses Are Tearing Africa Apart Chemical fingerprints from volcanic rock offer hints of what’s happening in the mantle below the area where three rift zones meet in East Africa By Nora Bradford edited by Andrea Thompson Active lava flows spilling out of the Erta Ale volcano in Afar, Ethiopia. Join Our Community of Science…
Rubin Observatory Data Flood Will Let the Universe Alert Astronomers 10 Million Times a Night
Astronomers Brace for 10 Million Alerts a Night from Rubin Observatory Astronomers have never had this much data available this quickly before By Meghan Bartels edited by Lee Billings Made from more than 1,100 images captured by NSF-DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory, the video begins with a close-up of two galaxies then zooms out to…
‘The worst day of my life:’ Texas’ Hill Country reels as deaths rise due to floods
Sergio Martínez-Beltrán KERRVILLE, Texas — Melvin and Melinda Harris were asleep in their grape-color motor home when they heard banging on the door. “Get out! It’s flooding!” Melvin Harris, 65, recalls the neighbors yelling in the early hours of Friday. He’s seen floods before, but this was different. The Guadalupe River had soared so much…
US completes deportation of eight men to South Sudan after legal wrangling
Eight were held for weeks at a US military base in Djibouti while their legal challenge played out in court Eight men deported from the US in May and held under guard for weeks at an American military base in the African nation of Djibouti while their legal challenges played out in court have reached…
Australian woman guilty of murdering relatives with toxic mushroom meal
Australian woman Erin Patterson is guilty of murdering three relatives with a toxic mushroom lunch, a jury has found. The 50-year-old has also been found guilty of the attempted murder of the sole guest who survived the beef Wellington meal in 2023. Patterson’s much-watched trial in the small Victorian town of Morwell heard evidence suggesting…
Is Trump tariff deal really a win for Vietnam – or a way of punishing China?
US exports account for third of Vietnam’s GDP and 40% tariff on so-called transshipments – products with Chinese input – means uncertainty for manufacturers As news spread that Vietnam would become just the second nation to reach an initial tariff agreement with Washington, shares in the clothing companies and manufacturers that have a large footprint…
Jennifer Garner, Maria Shriver & More React to Devastating Texas Flood
After a devastating flash flood swept down the Guadalupe River in central Texas, leaving at least 70 dead and many more missing, stars like Khloe Kardashian and Jennifer Garner shared their support. Texas is facing an unimaginable tragedy. After catastrophic flooding struck central Texas on July 4, resulting in at least 70 fatalities, per NBC…
See Earth’s Forests as Never Before in Biomass Satellite’s First Images
See Earth’s Forests as Never Before in Biomass Satellite’s First Images New images from the European Space Agency’s Biomass mission show how the satellite uses advanced radar to map flows of carbon through our planet’s most precious and remote ecosystems By Emma R. Hasson edited by Lee Billings Just two months after its launch, the…
Is the UK really any safer 20 years on from 7/7?
There are extraordinary secret surveillance images – now largely forgotten – that in their own grainy and mysterious way, tell the story of missed opportunities that maybe, just maybe, could have stopped the horrific suicide attacks that took place in London 20 years ago. They are images of the ringleader of the 7/7 bombings –…
Texas officials race to find survivors after devastating floods
By Chandelis Duster Officials in Central Texas are desperately searching for survivors after a flash flood on Friday left at least 78 people dead and dozens unaccounted for, including many children. More than 850 people have been rescued so far — many by helicopters, officials said. Of the dead, 68 of the them were in…
Could AI Make Drone Shows Less Technically Challenging?
AI Could Broaden the Applications of Entertaining Drone Shows AI can allow engineers to focus on artistry over technical details for drone shows By Rachel Feltman, Jeffery DelViscio, Fonda Mwangi & Alex Sugiura Rachel Feltman: For Scientific American’s Science Quickly, I’m Rachel Feltman. This Fourth of July some of the celebrants flocking to their local…
Musk forms new party after split with Trump over tax and spending bill
By The Associated Press BRIDGEWATER, N.J. (AP) — Elon Musk said he’s carrying out his threat to form a new political party after his fissure with President Donald Trump, announcing the America Party in response to the president’s sweeping tax cuts law. Musk, once an ever-present ally to Trump as he headed up the slashing…
Rescuers racing to find survivors after ferry bound for Bali carrying 65 people sinks
Thirty-five people have been rescued after ferry travelling from Java sank, killing six, rescue agency says Rescue teams were racing to find dozens of people missing after a ferry sank in rough seas late on Wednesday on its way to the Indonesian resort island Bali, killing six people. The KMP Tunu Pratama Jaya, which was…
Gaza ceasefire talks begin in Qatar as Netanyahu heads to Washington
Netanyahu said he thinks his meeting with the US president on Monday should help progress efforts to reach a deal for the release of more hostages and a ceasefire in Gaza. He said he had given his negotiators clear instructions to achieve a ceasefire agreement under conditions Israel has accepted. Hamas has said it has…
‘Will AI take my job?’ A trip to a Beijing fortune-telling bar to see what lies ahead
Amy Hawkins visits one of the many bars popping up across Chinese cities offering drinks, snacks and a vision of the future In the age of self-help, self-improvement and self-obsession, there have never been more places to look to for guidance. Where the anxious and the uncertain might have once consulted a search engine for…
Math’s Block-Stacking Problem Has a Preposterous Solution
This Block-Stacking Math Problem Has a Preposterous Solution You Need to See to Believe In principle, this impossible math allows for a glue-free bridge of stacked blocks that can stretch across the Grand Canyon—and into infinity By Jack Murtagh edited by Jeanna Bryner Amanda Montañez Here’s a mind-blowing experiment that you can try at home:…
What Happened to American Apparel & Founder Dov Charney
Netflix’s Trainwreck: The Cult of American Apparel details the rise and fall of the once super-trendy label after charismatic CEO Dov Charney’s ouster amid sexual misconduct allegations. If at one point it felt as if there was an American Apparel store on every corner, that was certainly the idea. The brand, founded in 1989 by Dov…
Knives, bullets and thieves: the quest for food in Gaza
By Anas Baba Editor’s note: Anas Baba is NPR’s producer in the Gaza Strip. His report is a rare account by a journalist inside a new food distribution site that the United States and Israel helped establish in the Palestinian territory. Some of the images in this story are graphic. NEAR THE NETZARIM CORRIDOR, Gaza…
Welfare U-turn makes spending decisions harder, minister tells BBC
Spending decisions have been made “harder” by the government’s U-turn on welfare changes, the education secretary has said, as she did not commit to scrapping the two-child benefit cap. Bridget Phillipson told BBC One’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme that ministers were “looking at every lever” to lift children out of poverty. But she said…
Israel to send negotiators to Gaza talks despite ‘unacceptable’ Hamas demands, Netanyahu says
Israel has decided to send a delegation to Qatar on Sunday for proximity talks with Hamas on the latest proposal for a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said he had accepted the invitation despite what he described as the “unacceptable” changes that Hamas wanted to make to a…
AI Could Help Save Patients from Extreme Heat
To Save Patients from Extreme Heat, a Hospital Is Turning to AI AI could be used to comb through electronic health records and warn vulnerable people about dangerous heat waves By Ariel Wittenberg & E&E News Tourists try to escape the effects of a heat wave in Washington, D.C., last week. CLIMATEWIRE | When extreme…
‘We want closure’: family searches for answers over Kenyan police officer missing in Haiti
Benedict Kuria was ambushed by suspected gang members in March while serving in security mission The relatives of a Kenyan police officer who went missing while working in Haiti have spoken of their anguish and anger at Kenyan authorities over a lack of definitive information about what has happened to him. Benedict Kuria and some…
Record-Breaking Results Bring Fusion Power Closer to Reality
Record-Breaking Results Bring Fusion Power Closer to Reality Breakthroughs from two rival experiments, Germany’s Wendelstein 7-X and the Joint European Torus, suggest the elusive dream of controlled nuclear fusion may be within reach By Tom Metcalfe edited by Lee Billings A view of the Wendelstein 7-X fusion reactor, as seen on September 18, 2015 at…
At least 43 dead in catastrophic Texas flooding and dozens missing from girls camp
By Sergio Martínez-Beltrán , Vanessa Romo , Alana Wise , Chandelis Duster At least 43 people are dead following flooding that slammed Texas Hill Country early Friday morning, Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha said Saturday evening. The deceased include 28 adults and 15 children. Of those, the identities of 12 adults and five children are…
Trump to start TikTok sale talks with China, he says, with deal ‘pretty much’ reached
President also says he may visit Xi Jinping or Chinese leader could come to US after Trump last month extended app sale deadline for third time Donald Trump has said he will start talking to China on Monday or Tuesday about a possible TikTok deal. The United States president said the US “pretty much” had…
Search for survivors continues as Texas floods kill 43, including 15 children
Hundreds of rescuers have been deployed to search for survivors in central Texas, after flash floods killed 43 people, including 15 children. “The work continues, and will continue, until everyone is found,” promised Larry Leitha, the sheriff of Kerr County. As the search goes into a second night, county officials said 27 children remained missing…
Pregnant Olivia Culpo, Khloe Kardashian & More Celebrate 4th of July
Pregnant Olivia Culpo, Khloe Kardashian, Megan Markle and more rang in this Fourth of July with backyard parties, parades and cooking. These celebrities traded in their usual glamour for red, white, and blue. After all, stars like Khloe Kardashian and Meghan Markle rang in the Fourth of July in their own unique style, ranging from…
Julian McMahon’s Ex-Wife Brooke Burns Reacts to His Death
After Julian McMahon died July 2 following a private battle with cancer at age 56, his ex-wife Brooke Burns—with whom he shares 25-year-old daughter Madison—paid tribute to the late Charmed actor. Brooke Burns is remembering her ex-husband Julian McMahon. After the news broke that the Charmed star died in his Florida home on July 2…
Republicans’ One Big Beautiful Bill Act Will Raise U.S. Climate Emissions
Republicans’ Megabill Will Put U.S. Climate Goals Out of Reach Four research firms project that the Republicans’ One Big Beautiful Bill Act will raise greenhouse gas emissions and likely put U.S. and global climate goals out of reach By Zack Colman & E&E News CLIMATEWIRE | The rollbacks in clean energy incentives in Republicans’ budget…
Elon Musk says he is launching new political party
Elon Musk says he is launching a new political party, weeks after a dramatic falling out with US President Donald Trump. The billionaire announced on his social media platform X that he had set up the America Party and billed it as a challenge to the Republican and Democratic two-party system. However, it is unclear…
Mila Kunis and More Stars Who Have Tried Friends With Benefits
With friends like these, who needs a relationship? Bradley Cooper, Mila Kunis, Dyan Cannon, Fran Drescher and more celebrities detail their positions about playing the field. Sometimes life really does imitate art. Such was the case when Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher entirely ignored the core messaging that was at the heart of their separate-but-basically-the-same…
How this long-lost Chinese typewriter from the 1940s changed modern computing
Emily Feng STANFORD, California — Scholars in the U.S., Taiwan and China are buzzing about the discovery of an old typewriter, because the long-lost machine is part of the origin story of modern Chinese computing — and central to ongoing questions about the politics of language. One man succeeded more than any other before him.…
New Interstellar Object Comet 3I/ATLAS—What We Know So Far as It Zips through the Solar System
New Interstellar Object Stuns Scientists as It Zooms through Solar System All eyes are on Comet 3I/ATLAS as astronomers worldwide chase the exotic ice ball through our solar system By Nora Bradford edited by Lee Billings A diagram shows the trajectory of interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS as it passes through the solar system. It will make…
Lula visits former Argentinian president under house arrest in snub to Milei
Brazilian president meets Cristina Fernández de Kirchner at her flat in Buenos Aires after regional summit Brazil’s president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, has eschewed a one-on-one meeting with the Argentinian president, Javier Milei, during a trip to Buenos Aires, instead opting to visit Milei’s political rival, former president Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, who is…
Family and Liverpool players gather for funeral of Diogo Jota and André Silva
Footballers Diogo Jota and André Silva have been honoured by their family, friends and teammates at a joint funeral in Portugal. Jota, 28, was laid to rest alongside his brother, Silva, 25, after they died in a car crash on Thursday. Hundreds of locals and supporters gathered at the Igreja Matriz in Gondomar, where the…
Will Trump’s megabill help Democrats win the House?
Domenico Montanaro Democrats feel that President Trump’s massive tax-and-spending bill is giving them an opening — and a message — ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. The focus is Medicaid, which provides health insurance for tens of millions of lower-income and elderly Americans, and affordability. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, in an hours-long speech in…
Suriname expected to elect first female president amid discovery of oil reserves
Jennifer Geerlings-Simons, 71, will run unopposed as one of the poorest countries in the region eyes billions of dollars Suriname is expected to elect its first female president this Sunday, the congresswoman and physician Jennifer Geerlings-Simons, 71, who will run unopposed after the ruling party decided not to field a candidate. Geerlings-Simons will succeed current…
Can Life Survive the Death of the Sun?
The UniverseFridays When the Sun Becomes a Red Giant, Will Any Planet Be Safe? The future is bright—too bright—for life as we know it once the sun transforms into a red giant star By Phil Plait edited by Lee Billings An artist’s impression of the far-future sun, swollen to become a red giant star, as…
The Most Expensive Celebrity Divorces: Kevin Costner, Madonna and More
For some celebrity couples, more money really does mean more problems. Check out just how much stars like Bills Gates, Lionel Richie and Harrison Ford had to pay out for their pricey divorces. With all due respect to Jennifer Lopez, sometimes, love does cost a thing. While a lot of wedding ceremonies end with a…
Texas floods kill 24 people and leave many missing from girls’ summer camp
A major search and rescue operation is continuing through the night in Texas after flash floods killed at least 24 people and left many girls missing from a Christian summer camp. There was little warning as the Guadalupe River rose 26 feet (7.9m) in less than an hour and flooding that followed swept away mobile…
Human Gut Bacteria Can Gather Up PFAS ‘Forever Chemicals’
Human Gut Bacteria Can Gather Up PFAS ‘Forever Chemicals’ When tested on their own and in mice, these bacterial strains from the human microbiome show promise in accumulating PFAS By Nora Bradford edited by Sarah Lewin Frasier Gut microbiome bacteria from humans can absorb PFA. Lurking in our nonstick pans, our rain jackets and even…
Oasis kick off their comeback: The best they’ve been since the 90s
Oasis blew off the cobwebs and swept away the doubters as they kicked off their reunion tour in Cardiff. Taking to the stage after a 16-year break, the band sounded refreshed and rejuvenated, tearing into classics like Cigarettes and Alcohol, Live Forever and Slide Away – as 70,000 fans clasped each other and spilled beer…
Julian McMahon, Nip/Tuck Star, Dead at 56
Hollywood is saying goodbye to Julian McMahon. The actor, who was known for roles in TV series including Nip/Tuck, Charmed and FBI: Most Wanted, died July 2 at Florida home, his wife Kelly McMahon confirmed to Deadline. He was 56. “With an open heart,” Kelly said in a statement July 4, “I wish to share…
Adult education programs in limbo as Trump administration withholds grant funds
By Sarah Asch The Trump administration is withholding $715 million for adult funding nationwide. This has left programs that serve over a million students a year scrambling for answers. AILSA CHANG, HOST: More than a million people across the country are enrolled in adult education every year. Many of these programs rely on federal funds…
Allez, allez, allez! Quebec gives go-ahead to cheer ‘go!’ in English at provincial sports games
Province’s language police had a petite contretemps when it challenged Montreal transit agencies use of word on buses Quebec’s mercurial and controversial language police have decided that using the word “go” is a legitimate way to cheer on sports teams in the province, paving the way for excited fans – and Montreal’s transit agency –…
Joey Chestnut Wins 17th Hot Dog Eating Contest
Joey Chestnut claimed his 17th Mustard Yellow Belt title at the 2025 Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest after eating 70.5 hot dogs in just 10 minutes. Joey Chestnut is top dog once more. The competitive eater emerged victorious in the 2025 Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest in New York City after…
Federal judge again halts deportation of eight immigrants to South Sudan
In extraordinary hearing, judge sends case back to judge whose rulings led to initial halt on Trump administration A federal judge has briefly halted the deportations of eight immigrants to war-torn South Sudan, the latest twist in a case that came hours after the supreme court cleared the way for the Trump administration to deport…
Workers Have Died in Extreme Heat as OSHA Has Debated Protections
Workers Have Died in Extreme Heat as OSHA Has Debated Protections The June heat dome contributed to the deaths of at least three people. They have died as federal regulators have weighed whether to finalize the nation’s first heat protection rule for workers By Ariel Wittenberg & E&E News A construction worker drinks water during…
Trump says ceasefire deal is near as Israeli strikes kill 138 Palestinians in Gaza
By Anas Baba , Kat Lonsdorf GAZA CITY and WASHINGTON – The Israeli military intensified strikes throughout Gaza on Friday, even as President Trump signaled that talks about a potential 60-day ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas were close. “We’ll see what happens – we are going to know over the next 24 hours,” he…
Hamas says it delivered ‘positive response’ on Gaza ceasefire plan
Hamas says it has delivered a “positive response” to mediators on the latest proposal for a new Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal put forward by the US. It added in a statement that it was “seriously ready to enter immediately into a round of negotiations”. It has not confirmed if it will accept the…
Climate Change’s Fingerprints Came Early, a Thought Experiment Reveals
Opinion A Thought Experiment Reveals the Fingerprints of Climate Change Came Early Climate change left its signature on the atmosphere early in the industrial revolution, reveals a thought experiment investigation By Ben Santer, Susan Solomon, David W. J. Thompson & Qiang Fu Physicists are fond of Gedankenexperimente—thought experiments that are difficult or impossible to perform…
El Salvador’s president denies that Kilmar Ábrego García was abused in notorious prison
Nayib Bukele disputed claims of Ábrego García’s lawyers that he was tortured and deprived of sleep while in custody The president of El Salvador has denied claims that Kilmar Ábrego García was subjected to beatings and deprivation while he was held in the country before being returned to the US to face human-smuggling charges. Nayib…
Banana Republic’s 4th of July Sale Has Linen Staples up to 70% off RN
The temps are rising, and so are these hot 4th of July deals at Banana Republic Factory you can’t find anywhere else. Our writers and editors independently determine what we cover and recommend. When you buy through our links, E! may earn a commission. Learn more. Banana Republic Factory is lighting up your summer wardrobe with…
BBC on French beach as police slash migrant ‘taxi-boat’ heading to UK
All those onboard clambered to safety as the boat collapsed in chaotic scenes. The intervention was highly unusual. French police usually follow strict rules that bar them from going into the sea in case they put lives at risk. “Let’s go in,” said one of the gendarmes, pulling off his body armour, and taking out…
What freedom means to NPR readers. And, the secret to a perfect July 4 pasta salad
By Brittney Melton and listen to the Up First podcast for all the news you need to start your day. Today commemorates the adoption of the Declaration of Independence by the Continental Congress in 1776. It proclaimed the separation of the 13 colonies from Great Britain. In other words, Happy 249th Birthday, America. So much has…
Kyiv hit by barrage of drone strikes as Putin rejects Trump’s truce bid
A pall of acrid smoke hung over Kyiv on Friday morning following a night of intensive Russian strikes that hit almost every district of the capital, according to Ukrainian authorities. The hours of darkness were once again punctuated by the staccato of air defence guns, buzz of drones and large explosions. Ukraine said Russia fired…
17 everyday people share what freedom means to them in today’s America
Suzanne Nuyen On July 4, 1776, the Second Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence. The document declared the 13 colonies an independent nation from Great Britain. Though the Revolutionary War would drag on for seven more years, the Fourth of July is celebrated as the birth of the United States. Next year will mark…
UNAids chief ‘shaken and disgusted’ by US cuts that will mean millions more deaths
Winnie Byanyima tells the Guardian she considered resigning when Donald Trump cancelled Pepfar funding The head of the global agency tackling Aids says she expects HIV rates to soar and deaths to multiply in the next four years as a direct impact of the “seismic” US cuts to aid spending. Winnie Byanyima, the executive director…
How Massive Medicaid Cuts Will Harm People’s Health
How Massive Medicaid Cuts Will Harm People’s Health Evidence shows that Medicaid improves people’s health and is particularly vital for babies, older people in need of long-term care and people in rural communities By Meghan Bartels edited by Lauren J. Young Editor’s Note (7/3/25): The House of Representatives passed the budget bill in a 218–214…