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 […]
Putin embarks on China visit with Ukraine war top of agenda
Analysts say Putin and Xi will aim to align positions during Russian leader’s unusually long stay Vladimir Putin will travel to China this weekend for what the Kremlin has called a “truly unprecedented” visit to his most important ally, which comes at a crunch moment in talks over Ukraine. During the trip, which is expected…
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…
See Justin Bieber and Hailey Bieber’s Romantic Basketball Date Night
Justin Bieber and Hailey Bieber, who share 12-month-old son Jack Blues Bieber, stepped out for a PDA-packed date night at The League x Blem basketball tournament in Los Angeles. Justin Bieber and Hailey Bieber are taking their romance courtside. Indeed, the couple stepped out for a PDA-packed outing at The League X Blem basketball tournament…
Opinion: It’s time to ‘move our feet’
Scott Simon The tragedy this week at Annunciation Catholic Church in Minneapolis marked the first school shooting of the new school year. It’s heartbreaking and outrageous to have to note that there will almost certainly be more. Education Week, which tracks shootings at K through 12 schools, says there were more than two dozen during…
Spirit Airlines files for bankruptcy for 2nd time in less than a year
By The Associated Press Budget carrier Spirit Airlines said Friday that it has filed for fresh bankruptcy protection months after emerging from a Chapter 11 reorganization. CEO Dave Davis said the airline’s previous Chapter 11 petition focused on reducing debt and raising capital, and since exiting that process in March, “it has become clear that…
Voting Integrity Messages Fight Misinformation in the Lab. But What about the Real World?
Voting Integrity Messages Fight Misinformation in the Lab. But What about the Real World? Telling people exactly how voting security works helps defeat election misinformation, experiments suggest. But outside experts question how well that works in the real world By Dan Vergano edited by Jeanna Bryner People cast their ballots on November 5, 2024 in…
Civil rights groups alarmed over Quebec’s move to ban prayer in public
Announcement follows statements from Quebec premier, who expressed frustration over public prayers in Montreal Quebec says it will ban prayer in public, a move that civil rights groups described as an “alarming measure” that targets religious minority groups and would infringe on “basic democratic freedoms”. The province’s secularism minister, Jean-François Roberge, said the move had…
Yemen’s Houthi rebels say prime minister was killed in Israeli strike
Yemen’s Houthi rebel movement has confirmed that its self-proclaimed Prime Minister Ahmed Ghaleb Nasser al-Rahawi was killed in an Israeli air strike earlier this week. The Iran-backed group said several other senior officials were killed when the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) targeted Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, on Thursday. The IDF said Rahawi and other senior Houthi…
Councils still planning asylum hotel legal action despite Epping ruling
Some councils say they are still pursuing legal action to stop asylum seekers from being housed in hotels in their areas, despite a Court of Appeal ruling. The court on Friday overturned a temporary injunction which would have prevented asylum seekers from being housed at The Bell Hotel in Epping, which was seen as a…
Neglecton Particles Could Be Key to More Stable Quantum Computers
A Forgotten Math Idea Could Supercharge Quantum Computers Scientists have revived an ignored area of math to envision a path toward stable quantum computing By Ananya Palivela edited by Clara Moskowitz & Lee Billings Aaron Lauda has been exploring an area of mathematics that most physicists have seen little use for, wondering if it might…
Kelly Stafford Gets Candid About Daughter’s Behavioral Issues
Kelly Stafford shared insight into her recent struggles navigating one of her and Matthew Stafford’s four daughters’ behavioral issues: “She has become a little girl I don’t recognize.” Kelly Stafford is sharing insight into her recent parenting struggles. The internet personality—who shares daughters Sawyer and Chandler, both 8, Hunter, 7, and Tyler, 5, with Los…
Houthi rebels say Israeli airstrike killed their prime minister in Yemen’s capital
By The Associated Press CAIRO — The Iranian-backed Houthis said Saturday an Israeli airstrike killed the prime minister of the rebel-controlled government in the Yemeni capital, Sanaa. Ahmed al-Rahawi was killed in a Thursday strike in Sanaa along with a number of ministers, the rebels said in a statement. The Israeli military said Thursday that…
Irish missionary and seven others freed weeks after kidnapping in Haiti
Gena Heraty was abducted at orphanage she ran along with seven Haitian colleagues including three-year-old child An Irish aid worker and seven fellow captives have been released nearly a month after they were kidnapped in Haiti. Gena Heraty, a missionary who ran the Our Little Brothers and Sisters orphanage in the hills outside Haiti’s capital,…
As drug deaths hit five-year low, Trump continues to cite fentanyl as major threat
Brian Mann Drug deaths in the U.S. have plunged dramatically and steadily since the summer of 2023, according to the latest preliminary data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Figures released this month by CDC show fatal overdoses falling to 77,648 in the 12-month period ending in March of this year. That’s…
Subliminal Learning Lets Student AI Models Learn Unexpected (and Sometimes Misaligned) Traits from Their Teachers
Student AIs Pick Up Unexpected Traits from Teachers through Subliminal Learning AI can transfer strange qualities through seemingly unrelated training—from a love of owls to something more dangerous By Emma R. Hasson edited by Sarah Lewin Frasier Join Our Community of Science Lovers! From a teacher’s body language, inflection, and other context clues, students often…
Court blocks Trump bid to end protections for 600,000 Venezuelans
Appellate panel upholds lower court’s ruling as homeland security spokesperson attacks ‘activist’ judges A federal appeals court on Friday blocked Donald Trump’s plans to end protections for 600,000 people from Venezuela who have permission to live and work in the US, saying that plaintiffs are likely to win their claim that the president’s administration’s actions…
Kevin Costner Is Dating Kelly Noonan After Christine Baumgartner Split
Eight months after Kevin Costner’s ex-wife Christine Baumgartner announced her engagement to Josh Conner, the Yellowstone alum is reportedly dating director Kelly Noonan Gores. Kevin Costner is getting back on the saddle. Over a year after he legally ended his 18-year marriage to Christine Baumgartner, the Yellowstone alum is casually dating director Kelly Noonan Gores,…
Sixty-nine people drown as migrant boat capsizes off coast of Mauritania
Coastguard reports boat carrying about 160 people capsized in sight of town 50 miles north of Nouakchott Sixty-nine people drowned when a vessel full of migrants overturned off the coast of Mauritania earlier this week, coastguard officials said on Friday. The accident occurred late on Tuesday after passengers on the boat spotted the lights of…
Most of President Trump’s tariffs are illegal, U.S. court rules
By Scott Horsley , Rafael Nam An appeals court ruled that most of President Trump’s tariffs are illegal — but held off on enforcing the decision until mid-October, given expectations that it will be appealed to the Supreme Court. The ruling from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, in Washington, D.C., focused…
What 100 Years of Quantum Physics Has Taught Us about Reality—And Ourselves
Quantum Physics Is Bizarre. So Why Have We Loved It for 100 Years? A survey of Scientific American’s century of quantum coverage helps explain the enduring popularity of strange physics By Jacklin Kwan edited by Clara Moskowitz We’re celebrating 180 years of Scientific American. Explore our legacy of discovery and look ahead to the future.…
Police make three arrests during Epping protest
Three men were arrested during a protest outside The Bell Hotel in Epping on Friday, after the Court of Appeal overturned a temporary injunction that blocked asylum seekers from being housed there. Essex Police said the men were arrested on suspicion of different offences – one for violent disorder, one for assaulting a police officer,…
First Pig-to-Human Lung Transplant Marks Milestone in Xenotransplantation—But Surgeons Have Many More Questions
What Does the First Pig-to-Human Lung Transplant Mean for Xenotransplantation? Surgeons think the first transplantation of a pig lung in a human is an exciting step forward for the field, but many questions remain open By Humberto Basilio edited by Sarah Lewin Frasier Pig lungs, illustration. Scientists announced this week that they have managed to…
Witnesses describe terror and courage during the Minneapolis school shooting
Vanessa Romo MINNEAPOLIS — The students were running a little late for their first Mass of the school year at the Annunciation Catholic Church in Minneapolis on Wednesday. “I checked my watch, it was supposed to start at 8:15. It was 8:18 and they were still filing in,” Cathrine Spandel told NPR on Thursday outside…
How Key Changes to the Pelvis Helped Humans Walk Upright
How Humans Became Upright: Key Changes to Our Pelvis Found Genetic and anatomical data reveal how the human pelvis acquired its unique shape, enabling our ancestors to walk on two legs By Katie Kavanagh & Nature magazine Humans have been walking on two legs for millions of years. All vertebrate species have a pelvis, but…
Ruling won’t feel like much of a victory at Home Office
The Court of Appeal ruling that will allow asylum seekers to stay at the Bell Hotel, in Epping, is a technical victory for the government. Let’s begin with the good news for ministers. They will be breathing a sigh of relief having feared that, had they lost this appeal, other local councils could bring legal…
Uncontacted Peruvian tribe on deadly collision course with loggers, group says
Survival International says Mashco Piro seen in nearby Amazon village in alarming sign group is under stress Members of an Indigenous tribe who live deep in Peru’s Amazon rainforest and avoid contact with outsiders have been reported entering a neighboring village in what activists consider an alarming sign that the group is under stress from…
Kim Kardashian Steps Out With Polarizing Ensemble for Party in Venice
Kim Kardashian stepped out in a head-turning outfit for Diane von Furstenberg’s annual DVF Awards in Venice, Italy. Kim Kardashian isn’t keeping up with fashion norms. While attending Diane von Furstenberg‘s 16th annual DVF Awards in Venice, Italy, on Aug. 28—where Kim was one of five honorees awarded for their commitment to improving the lives of…
Ministers didn’t do cost review of council mergers
The UK government did not do its own analysis of the cost of the biggest reorganisation of councils in England for decades, the BBC has learned. Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner said “a significant amount of money” could be saved by merging councils in 21 areas into single authorities. Rayner’s department, the ministry of local…
Contract breach or banditry? Inside the collapse of the Taliban’s oil deal with China
By Anthony Kuhn , Vincent Ni Turbaned Afghan officials and hard-hatted Chinese engineers gathered in Afghanistan’s Sar-e-Pul province in 2023, to mark the opening of Chinese-invested oil fields. The fields are located in the Amu Darya River basin, a major Central Asian watershed that includes glacier-capped mountains and vast, arid deserts. At a signing ceremony…
Teen Mom Status Check: See Which Couples Are Still Together
From 16 and Pregnant to 30-something and settled down. Check out which Teen Mom stars have found their forever person and who jokingly declared to E! News that she’s ready “to be that cat lady.” In the inaugural episode of 16 and Pregnant, viewers were introduced to Maci Bookout, a Tennessee-based softball player and cheerleader…
Type 1 Diabetes Patient’s Insulin Production Restored with New Cell Transplant Therapy
New Cell Transplant for Type 1 Diabetes Sidesteps Need for Immunosuppressants Scientists treated a person’s type 1 diabetes with genetically modified insulin-producing cells that evaded immune system attacks. This is the first therapy for the condition that does not require immunosuppressant drugs By Humberto Basilio edited by Lauren J. Young Insulin-producing cells can be genetically…
Brawl erupts in Mexico’s senate after debate over US military intervention to fight drug cartels
Alejandro ‘Alito’ Moreno and Gerardo Fernández Noroña grabbed and shouted at each other over the presence of foreign troops Mexico’s senate devolved into violence this week as two of the country’s top politicians shoved, grabbed and shouted at each other after a heated discussion over the presence of foreign troops. Alejandro “Alito” Moreno, head of…
20 Years After Hurricane Katrina, How Safe Is New Orleans From Another Catastrophic Flood?
Opinion Is New Orleans Safer Now Than When Hurricane Katrina Hit 20 Years Ago? Scientists and engineers have been implementing steps to better protect New Orleans, but recent government actions are undermining the work, raising alarm By Mark Fischetti Water surrounds homes in the devastated Ninth Ward in this aerial view of damage from Hurricane…
Children offered chickenpox vaccine on NHS
All young children in England and Wales will be offered a free chickenpox vaccine by the NHS from January 2026. It will be given as two doses, at 12 and 18 months of age, combined with the existing MMR jab which protects against measles, mumps and rubella. A catch up campaign is planned for slightly…
Josh Hall Calls Out Ex Christina Haack After Divorce Settlement
Josh Hall, who filed to end his marriage from Christina Haack in July 2024, reacted to a judge signing off on the divorce. Josh Hall is glad to be done with his divorce from Christina Haack. Over a year after the 44-year-old filed to end his two-year marriage with the Christina on the Coast star,…
Beach returned to First Nation after 170 years following Canada legal battle
Stretch of Lake Huron shore was promised to Saugeen people in 1854 treaty with crown but was wrongly omitted from map A stretch of beach will be returned to a First Nation in Canada 170 years after it was mistakenly omitted from its reserve. The sandy sliver of land measures less than two miles long,…
Middle schoolers are lauded for protecting younger kids during church shooting
By Bill Chappell , Liz Baker When gunfire shattered a routine Mass marking the first week of class at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis, middle school students were among those who acted heroically, according to an emergency official, a principal and a parent whose children attend the school. As a lone shooter carried out a…
Minneapolis school attacker ‘obsessed with idea of killing children’, officials say
Investigators say that the attacker who opened fire on pupils as they were praying at a church in Minneapolis was “obsessed with the idea of killing children”. The attacker, who killed two children ages eight and 10 and injured 18 others, did not seem to have any specific motive, according to Minneapolis Police Chief Brian…
See Emma Stone’s Rare PDA With Husband Dave McCary on Red Carpet
Emma Stone shared an adorable PDA moment with her husband Dave McCary while walking the red carpet Aug. 28 at the Venice Film Festival for the premiere of her forthcoming film Bugonia. Emma Stone and Dave McCary are showing each other all kinds of kindness at the 2025 Venice Film Festival. The two-time Oscar winner…
Deep-Sea Worm Produces Orpiment, a Toxic Yellow Pigment Used in Historical Art
This Deep-Sea Worm Creates a Toxic Yellow Pigment Found in Rembrandt and Cézanne Paintings A deep-sea worm that lives in hydrothermal vents is the first known animal to create orpiment, a toxic, arsenic-containing mineral that was used by artists for centuries By Mohana Basu & Nature magazine Paralvinella hessleri accumulates microscopic particles of arsenic on…
Public media stations in rural America say emergency-alert funding is in jeopardy
By Michael Copley When a deadly landslide tore through part of Wrangell, Alaska, in 2023, there was only one place people there could go for information. “We’re on an island, and there’s one road, and everybody that lived south of that road lost everything — they lost their electricity, internet, television, phones,” says Cindy Sweat,…
Glow-in-the-Dark Succulents Created by Scientists Shine in Multiple Colors
These Succulents Glow in the Dark—And They’re Gorgeous Houseplants become rechargeable night-lights after injection with tiny phosphor particles By Katherine Bourzac & Nature magazine Researchers gave these succulents in the Echevaria genus a glow up by injecting them with luminescent particles. University students might soon have something other than black-light posters to brighten their dorm…
Epping asylum seeker hotel order could spark more protests, court told
An injunction temporarily blocking asylum seekers from being housed at an Essex hotel could spark further protests, the Court of Appeal has been told. Lawyers for the Home Office and The Bell Hotel in Epping have been challenging a High Court ruling stopping migrants from living at the venue. Mr Justice Eyre ordered all 138…
Florida’s ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ detention facility to be empty ‘within a few days’
By Greg Allen MIAMI — The immigration detention center in Florida’s Everglades that officials have dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz” soon will hold no detainees. In an email sent to a South Florida rabbi inquiring about serving as a chaplain at the facility, the director of Florida’s Department of Emergency Management, Kevin Guthrie, replied, “We are probably…
Rwanda accepts seven people from US as part of deportation deal
Trump administration pushing controversial deal to send people to non-home countries including South Sudan and Eswatini Seven people have arrived in Rwanda as part of a deal to accept deportees from the US, the Rwandan government has said. The Trump administration has been negotiating arrangements to send people to third countries including South Sudan and…
Emilie Kiser Breaks Silence on 3-Year-Old Son Trigg’s Tragic Death
Emilie Kiser spoke out publicly for the first time three months after her son Trigg Kiser drowned at the age of 3 in her family’s pool. Emilie Kiser has spoken out amid an unimaginable loss. Three months after her and husband Brady Kiser’s 3-year-old son Trigg Kiser drowned in the family’s pool, Emilie shared a…
Denmark summons U.S. envoy over claims of interference in Greenland
By The Associated Press COPENHAGEN, Denmark — Denmark’s foreign minister summoned the top U.S. diplomat in the country for talks after the main national broadcaster reported Wednesday that at least three people with connections to President Donald Trump have been carrying out covert influence operations in Greenland. In a lengthy written statement, the U.S. State…
Inside Conjoined Twins Abby & Brittany Hensel’s Surprising World
Thirteen years ago, Abby and Brittany Hensel’s show Abby & Brittany debuted, giving fans a look at their lives as conjoined twins. But today, they—and Abby’s husband Josh Bowling—are more private. Thirteen years ago, Abby Hensel and Brittany Hensel set out to tell the next chapter in their story. While they had opened up about their lives as conjoined twins…
Starmer to replace third top aide in less than a year
Sir Keir Starmer is replacing the top civil servant in his Downing Street office. Principal private secretary Nin Pandit runs the prime minister’s team at No 10 and has only been in the role for ten months. She is the third senior staff member the prime minister has appointed and later let go, after chief…
Malawi set to run out of TB drugs in a month after US, UK and others cut aid
Gains in cutting deaths from tuberculosis at risk as health officials warn clinics forced to ration drugs and testing Malawi is facing a critical shortage of tuberculosis drugs, with health officials warning that stocks will run out by the end of September. It comes just months after the World Health Organization (WHO) revealed that the…
Tropical Storm, Typhoon, and More—Your Guide to Hurricane Season Jargon
Hurricane Science Has a Lot of Jargon—Here’s What It All Means Everything you need to know about hurricanes explained By Meghan Bartels edited by Andrea Thompson Eye of Hurricane Ian as the storm headed towards South Carolina. When hurricane season is in full swing, the news can be difficult to parse. What’s the difference between…
CDC director is out after less than a month; other agency leaders resign
By The Associated Press NEW YORK — The director of the nation’s top public health agency is out after less than one month in the job, and several top agency leaders have resigned. Officials did not explain why Susan Monarez was no longer with the agency, but her lawyers said she was targeted for standing…
Woman says Chinese student predator raped her hours before second attack
Two women who reported being drugged and raped by prolific sex offender Zhenhao Zou said they were attacked within 24 hours of each other, the BBC has established. The first woman who says she was raped told us she was shocked to learn about the second attack and had since felt guilt for not reporting…
Ontario premier Doug Ford’s party spent nearly $300,000 on novelty ‘Canada is not for sale’ hats
The Progressive Conservative party of Ontario reportedly paid C$278,910.71 on the viral hats during the province’s election campaign Dealing with the unprecedented threats from Donald Trump’s threats to Canada’s economy and sovereignty have required unconventional strategies from federal and provincial leaders, including barring liquor sales and cancelling contracts with Tesla. But among the more unorthodox…
Deep-Sea Nodules May Produce Oxygen—Raising Concerns over Ocean Mining
Mining the Deep Sea Could Threaten a Source of Ocean Oxygen Deep-sea rocks packed with valuable metals may also be making oxygen in the deep, dark ocean—raising new questions about the cost of mining them. By Rachel Feltman, Jeffery DelViscio & Alex Sugiura Clare Fieseler’s and Jason Jaacks’ reporting Pulitzer Center and co-published with the…
Love Is Blind UK Season 2: Who Got Married and Who Broke Up
The Love Is Blind UK season two finale dropped on Netflix Aug. 27. Find out which couples said “I do” at the altar to officially get married and which contestants broke up. Love wasn’t enough for everyone to say “I do.” During the season two finale of Love Is Blind UK, which hit Netflix Aug. 27,…
Two children dead and 17 others injured in Minneapolis school shooting
Two children, aged 8 and 10, were killed and 17 people were injured when an attacker fired through the windows of a Minneapolis Catholic church at people celebrating Mass, police said. Annunciation Church, which also houses a school, was filled with students when the shooting happened on Wednesday. Of the 17 injured victims, 14 are…
Love Island USA’s Amaya and Bryan Break Up One Month After Finale
Love Island USA star Amaya Espinal announced she and Bryan Arenales have broken up one month after being voted the winners of the show’s seventh season. Amaya Espinal is no longer the book Bryan Arenales is reading. The Love Island USA fan favorite announced that she and her fellow islander have broken up one month…
Colleges see significant drop in international students as fall semester begins
Elissa Nadworny Classes began this week for students at the University at Buffalo, a public research university in western New York, but there were about 750 fewer international students on campus than expected. The new students who did make it gathered for a welcome from the school’s dean of students. “We know you have had…
See the First Complete Map of a Mammal’s Peripheral Nervous System in Stunning Detail
These Stunning Images Show Every Nerve in a Mouse This new “connectome” could bring researchers one step closer to understanding how nerves connect to organs throughout the body By Nora Bradford edited by Sarah Lewin Frasier The mouse vagus nerve (white) branches into the stomach and small intestine. Join Our Community of Science Lovers! Your…