Addiction Risk Shows up in Children’s Brain Scans before Drug Use Starts
Massive Study Flips Our Story of Addiction and the Brain Brain differences in children and teens who experiment with drugs early show up before they take their first puff or sip By Maia Szalavitz edited by Allison Parshall For decades, Americans have been told a simple story about addiction: taking drugs damages the brain—and the […]
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 […]
Proof That Adult Brains Make New Neurons Settles Scientific Controversy
Proof That Adult Brains Make New Neurons Settles Scientific Controversy Adult brains grow new neurons, and scientists have finally pinpointed where they come from By Nora Bradford edited by Allison Parshall Neural precursor cells (green) are have been difficult to identify in human brians. Join Our Community of Science Lovers! For at least six decades, […]
Astronomers Found the Most Self-Destructive Planet in the Sky
Astronomers Found the Most Self-Destructive Planet in the Sky This planet triggers flares on its star—spelling its ultimate doom By Jacek Krywko edited by Sarah Lewin Frasier In this artist’s impression, the planet HIP 67522 b sends a wave of energy along magnetic field lines toward the surface of its host star—triggering a massive flare […]
In effort to protect children, France bans smoking at parks and beaches
Eleanor Beardsley PARIS — A restrictive outdoor smoking ban has come into force in France, a country where café culture, which often includes a glass of wine and a cigarette, is a way of life. As of Sunday, smokers are no longer allowed to light up in public parks, at swimming pools, or at beaches, […]
Slashing NASA’s Programs Will Squander America’s Place in Space
Opinion Slashing NASA’s Programs Will Squander America’s Place in Space The Trump administration’s plans to cut NASA’s science missions will destroy the U.S. space legacy By Louis Friedman Apollo 12 astronaut Alan Bean during the second moonwalk EVA. For more than half a century planetary exploration and space science have been a hallmark of American…
How You Ended for Penn Badgley’s Joe Goldberg After 5 Seasons
Netflix released season five of You April 24, revealing the fate of Penn Badgley’s serial killer character Joe Goldberg. Find out what happened in the series finale. Warning: This story contains spoilers from the You season five finale. In the end, only a Brontë could take down the literary lover that is Joe Goldberg. Season…
Musk Funded the Carbon-Removal XPrize but Is Now Slashing Climate Research
Musk Funded the Carbon-Removal XPrize but Is Now Slashing Climate Research Elon Musk funded an XPrize for carbon removal, but his actions in the Trump administration have cut funding for climate research By Corbin Hiar & E&E News Tesla CEO Elon Musk went from an environmental hero to a MAGA hardliner. CLIMATEWIRE | Time magazine…
‘Our daughters will be with us,’ say dads of Southport victims running London Marathon
David Stancombe and Sergio Aguiar are raising money for projects established in their daughters’ memory. Alice Aguiar, 9, Elsie Dot Stancombe, 7, and Bebe King, 6, died last July while they attended a Taylor Swift-themed dance workshop. Mr Aguiar tells BBC Breakfast he talks to Alice when he’s running alone. “I tell her to keep…
DRC government and M23 make surprise truce to end fighting in east of country
The two sides agree to work towards permanent peace after Qatar-mediated talks and are expected to return to Doha in coming weeks The Democratic Republic of Congo’s government and the Rwandan-backed M23 group have issued a landmark joint statement saying they have agreed to halt fighting in the east of the country while they work…
Decades later, the Microsoft antitrust case casts a shadow over the Google trial
Jaclyn Diaz A legendary legal case looms large over the ongoing, landmark antitrust case involving Google and the U.S. government. A federal judge has ruled that the tech giant operated as a monopoly because it illegally stifled competition in the search engine market. For the next few weeks, the judge is hearing arguments from the…
Taiwan president will not attend Pope Francis’s funeral
Taiwan to send former vice-president despite Vatican being one of country’s few diplomatic allies Taiwan’s president, Lai Ching-te, will not attend the funeral of Pope Francis, despite his foreign ministry saying earlier it was their “most important aim” in negotiations with the Vatican that he be there in person. The ministry announced on Wednesday that…
Flintoff ‘thought he had died’ in Top Gear crash
Andrew Flintoff has given his first account of the car crash he was in while filming Top Gear, saying he thought he “was dead” in the immediate aftermath. The England cricketer-turned-TV presenter sustained serious facial and rib injuries when the three-wheeler car he was driving for the BBC motoring programme rolled over in 2022. Speaking…
Trump signs executive actions on education, including efforts to rein in DEI
Elissa Nadworny President Trump on Wednesday signed a list of executive actions aimed at both higher education and K-12 schools. Another promises new discipline guidance for K-12 schools, with the goal of “ensuring school discipline policies are based on objective behavior, not DEI,” the White House said in a statement. The collection of orders aim…
Roman Gladiator Remains Show First Proof of Human-Animal Combat
Lion Bite to the Butt May Be First Proof of Human-Animal Gladiatorial Combat The first physical evidence of Roman gladiators fighting animals has been found in skeletal remains from England By Gayoung Lee edited by Allison Parshall 1st century AD Roman relief portraying gladiators and lions fighting. Join Our Community of Science Lovers! If you’re…
Top Chef Host Kristen Kish’s ‘Favorite’ Kitchen Tool Is Only $22!
With a new memoir and her own line of soju, Kristen Kish is bringing her signature flavor to Bravo and beyond. Shop kitchen essentials inspired by her expert advice. The products featured in this article are from brands available in NBCUniversal Checkout. E! makes a commission on purchases. When Kristen Kish won Top Chef Season 10,…
The Major NJ Wildfire Shows Unexpected Urban Areas Are at Risk
Why New Jersey Is Actually a Place with Major Wildfire Risk A forest fire that erupted in New Jersey and spread overnight highlights the major wildfire risk faced by the state and other urban areas By Stephanie Pappas edited by Jeanna Bryner Firefighters try to extinguish a fast-moving brush fire along on November 19, 2024…
Air pollution still plagues nearly half of Americans. That does a number on our health
By Alejandra Borunda Air in the U.S. has gotten cleaner for decades, adding years to people’s lives and preventing millions of asthma attacks, but nearly half of Americans still live with unhealthy air pollution, a new report finds. The report comes as the Trump administration is considering rolling back some key air quality regulations. Air…
Colombian ex-minister accuses the country’s president of drug abuse
Gustavo Petro hits back after Álvaro Leyva accused him of going awol during official visit to France A prominent Colombian politician and former minister has accused the country’s president, Gustavo Petro, of being a drug addict who allegedly went awol during an official visit to France. In a damning letter to the South American leader,…
Can You Beat the Odds and “Flip 7”?
On the front of the card box for Flip 7 is the bold statement: “The Greatest Card Game of All Time!” Naturally, that’s going to make any gamer want to put the game to the test. So let’s see how Flip 7 lives up to the promise! Flip 7 is a push your luck card game…
What to know as the government begins collections on defaulted student debt
By Rachel Treisman The Trump administration says it will soon resume collections on defaulted student loans for the first time in five years, raising questions and anxieties for millions of borrowers across the country. The Department of Education announced Monday that its office of Federal Student Aid will resume collections on May 5, meaning it…
US will walk away unless Ukraine and Russia agree to proposals, says JD Vance
US Vice-President JD Vance said his country would “walk away” unless Ukraine and Russia agree on a deal, echoing recent comments from US officials. His warning came after London talks between officials from the UK, France, Germany, Ukraine and the US aimed at securing a ceasefire were downgraded after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio…
Slither, by Stephen S. Hall, Explores Our Fear and Fascination around Snakes
Misunderstood and Maligned Snakes Are Worthy Of Our Sympathy In a new book called Slither, Stephen S. Hall takes a deep dive into the biology and history of one of the most reviled animals. By Rachel Feltman, Stephen S. Hall, Fonda Mwangi, Alex Sugiura & Naeem Amarsy Rachel Feltman: For Scientific American’s Science Quickly, I’m…
What on Earth is ‘eDNA’?
Editor’s note: From “blue carbon” to “ecosystem services,” environmental jargon is everywhere. Conservation International looks to make sense of it in an occasional explainer series we’re calling “What on Earth?“ In this installment, we explore eDNA, a wildlife monitoring tool that is changing the way we study the natural world. I keep seeing this thing…
Actress Sophie Nyweide’s Mother Speaks Out After Her Death
Sophie Nyweide’s mother Shelly Gibson spoke out about the former child star’s tragic death at age 21, just over a week after her daughter’s body was found on a riverbank in Vermont. Shelly Gibson is mourning the death of her daughter. Hours after news broke that former actress Sophie Nyweide died April 14 at 24,…
Families of detainees in El Salvador and Venezuela decry Bukele’s prisoner swap offer
Salvadorian president denounced as ‘tyrannical’ as he floats trading 252 prisoners with fellow authoritarian regime The families of prisoners being held by the authoritarian governments of El Salvador and Venezuela have condemned President Nayib Bukele’s offer to swap 252 Venezuelan detainees sent to his jails by the Trump administration for the same number of political…
Pressure builds on UK finances as Reeves pushes for US trade deal
The government borrowed more than expected last year, placing more pressure on the public finances ahead of the full impact of US tariffs being felt on the UK economy. Borrowing, the difference between spending and income from taxes, was £151.9bn in the year to March, up £20.7bn from the year before. The official figures come…
Magic: The Gathering Fans Harness Prime Number Puzzle as a Game Strategy
Prime Number Mystery Is Key to Magic: The Gathering Card Game Strategy The popular fantasy card game Magic: The Gathering has a new card related to prime numbers. Now fans are trying to use it to tackle one of the biggest problems in mathematics By Manon Bischoff edited by Jeanna Bryner Participants play a Magic:…
Word of the Week: The papal ‘conclave’ is secretive. The word’s origin explains why
By Joe Hernandez The death of Pope Francis on Monday means the Roman Catholic Church will soon begin the process of selecting a new pontiff. That ancient and mysterious undertaking known as the “conclave” invariably draws speculation over who will be chosen to lead the church and its 1.4 billion adherents worldwide. But the hushed…
‘He listened to everyone’: Buenos Aires remembers pope as voice for the poor
Locals hail pontiff’s work in city’s poorest neighbourhoods – but express sadness that he never came back as pope Before he left Argentina and moved to Italy to become pope, Jorge Mario Bergoglio would visit the country’s villas miserias, not in a car flanked by security guards, but by bus – and this is what…
What We Know about Artificial Food Dyes and Health as RFK, Jr., Declares a U.S. Ban
What We Know about Artificial Food Dyes and Health as RFK, Jr., Declares a U.S. Ban This week the secretary of health and human services announced plans to remove eight more food dyes from the U.S.’s food system By Lauren J. Young edited by Dean Visser On Tuesday Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., announced plans to…
Musk to reduce Doge role after Tesla profits plunge
Tesla boss Elon Musk says he will cut back his role in Donald Trump’s administration after the company’s profits and revenues plunged during the first three months of the year. Sales slumped and the electric carmaker faced a backlash as Musk became a political fixture in the White House. On Tuesday, the firm reported a…
Carlos Santana Hospitalized Ahead of Texas Concert
Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Carlos Santana postponed his San Antonio, Texas, concert scheduled for April 22 after he was hospitalized for dehydration, according to his rep. Carlos Santana is on the mend. The guitarist has postponed his April 22 concert in San Antonio, Texas, after being hospitalized hours ahead of the show, his…
Kickstarter Tabletop Alert: ‘Earth: Animal Kingdom’
Expand your options for Earth by introducing animals that will interact with the flora and terrain. Earth: Animal Kingdom is an expansion to Earth, a tableau-building game for 1 to 6 players, ages 14 and up, and takes about 45–90 minutes to play. It’s currently seeking funding on Kickstarter, with a pledge of $39CAD (about $29USD) for…
RFK’s plan to phase out synthetic food dyes could face industry pushback
By Carmel Wroth , Yuki Noguchi The Trump administration announced its intention to phase out synthetic dyes used to enhance color in common foods like candy and cereals. At a press conference Tuesday, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said his agency is making the move as a first step to improve…
Brazilian judges accept coup plot charges against more Bolsonaro allies
Panel unanimously accepts charges against six more key allies of ex-president over alleged plan to keep him in office A panel of Brazil’s supreme court justices has unanimously accepted criminal charges against six more key allies of former president Jair Bolsonaro over an alleged coup plot to keep him in office after his 2022 election…
Supreme Court leans toward parents who object to LGBTQ books in public schools
Nina Totenberg The conservative Supreme Court majority seemed more than ready Tuesday to tell public school districts that they must allow parents to pull their kids out of certain classes because the course material conflicts with the parents’ religious views. At the center of the case is the school system in Montgomery County, Md., the…
Kylie Kelce Reacts to Jason Kelce Considering Vasectomy After New Baby
Kylie Kelce shared that she’s “glad” her husband Jason Kelce has been openly discussing the idea of getting a vasectomy after welcoming their fourth baby, a daughter named Finnley, in March. Kylie Kelce might be done drafting players to her team. One month after she and her husband Jason Kelce welcomed their fourth baby girl,…
Three more UK interest rate cuts this year, predicts IMF
The Bank of England could cut interest rates three more times this year despite the UK grappling with higher-than-expected inflation, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has said. The organisation predicted UK inflation would be the highest in the world’s advanced economies this year at 3.1%, largely due to higher bills, including for energy and water.…
‘The devil wants this pattern of mass death repeated’: Actors Guild of Nigeria calls for better regulation after two actors die
After two actors died in Owerri, Imo State, AGN head Emeka Rollas drew comparisons to events last year, when popular Nollywood actor Junior Pope drowned The president of the Actors Guild of Nigeria has called for mass prayers and increased unionisation after the death of two actors in Owerri, the capital city of Imo State.…
White House looks for new defense secretary. And, remembering Pope Francis’ legacy
By Brittney Melton here to get it delivered to your inbox, and listen to the Up First podcast for all the news you need to start your day. A U.S. official has informed NPR that the search for a new leader to replace Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is underway. The decision comes as Hegseth is again mired…
How Pope Francis Influenced Global Climate Change Action
Three Ways Pope Francis Influenced Global Climate Action The late Pope Francis supported global climate agreements, advocated for Indigenous people and inspired activism By Celia Deane-Drummond & The Conversation US Pope Francis receives a plant offered by an Amazon native as he celebrates the closing mass of the Synod on Amazonia on October 27, 2019…
After Pope Francis’ death, debates begin over his successor
By Willem Marx As cardinals from around the world start to gather in Rome for Pope Francis’ funeral, conversations are already beginning over his likely successor. It’s difficult to know how the 135 cardinals eligible to vote in the highly secretive elections — known as the conclave — will negotiate to lead the Catholic Church…
Who will be the next Pope? Key candidates in an unpredictable contest
Who will be the next pope? The decision could have a profound impact on the Catholic Church and the world’s 1.4 billion baptised Roman Catholics. It also promises to be a highly unpredictable and open process for a host of reasons. The College of Cardinals will meet in conclave in the Sistine Chapel to debate…
Your Mom Called—She Wants These $49 Lululemon Aligns for Mother’s Day
Celebrate Mom with the Aligns she’s secretly been eyeing (and maybe a pair for you too). Our writers and editors independently determine what we cover and recommend. When you buy through our links, E! may earn a commission. Learn more. If you’re a Lululemon girlie, you know the We Made Too Much section is where the…
House Democrats land in El Salvador to push for return of Kilmar Ábrego García
Four representatives join effort to challenge the Trump administration’s refusal to facilitate the immigrant’s release A delegation of four House Democrats has arrived in El Salvador to push for the release of Kilmar Ábrego García, part of a mission to challenge the Trump administration’s refusal to comply with a supreme court order to facilitate the…
Why Narcissists Emerge as Leaders Even in Childhood
Opinion Why Narcissists Emerge as Leaders Even in Childhood Many children choose to follow peers with more narcissistic tendencies—and self-esteem may be part of the complex power dynamics involved By Eddie Brummelman Narcissistic leaders both fascinate and repel us. They can be charming, act assertively and articulate visions that may inspire confidence, especially in times…
Starmer does not believe trans women are women, No 10 says
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer does not believe transgender women are women, his official spokesman has said. In March 2022, when he was leader of the opposition, Sir Keir told the Times that “a woman is a female adult, and in addition to that transwomen are women, and that is not just my view –…
‘I hope I’ll one day be at peace’: civilians seek mental health help in war-ravaged eastern DRC
People traumatised by conflict have queued outside the Saint Vincent de Paul neuropsychiatric hospital in Goma each day since free scheme launched On a sunny morning in the city of Goma in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, where fighting between the M23 rebel group and the Congolese army raged earlier this year, men and…
Tina Knowles Reveals Affair With Ex Mathew After Filing for Divorce
In Tina Knowles’ new memoir Matriarch, Beyoncé and Solange’s mother admitted that she had an affair with ex Mathew Knowles after she filed for divorce in 2009. Tina Knowles took one step to the right after telling Mathew Knowles to the left, to the left. In her new memoir Matriarch, out now, Beyoncé and Solange’s…
John Cena Got Hair Transplant After Facing “Bullying” Over Bald Spot
John Cena said he got a hair transplant in November 2024 after being ripped “to shreds” by wrestling fans over his thinning hair: “Thank you for bullying me into surgical hair replacement.” You can’t see John Cena‘s hair right now. That’s because the WWE icon is waiting for it to grow out after undergoing hair…
Trump Cuts Threaten Key NOAA Work to Improve Weather Forecasts and Monitor Toxic Algal Blooms
Proposed Trump Cuts to NOAA Threaten Hurricane Hunters and Toxic Algal Bloom Monitoring The Trump administration has proposed gutting NOAA’s cooperative institutes, which study everything from improving lifesaving weather forecasts to monitoring fish stocks By Chelsea Harvey & E&E News Commander Mark Nelson, with NOAA, climbs the steps to one of the hurricane hunter planes…
Public viewing for Pope Francis begins Wednesday ahead of Saturday funeral
Lauren Frayer VATICAN CITY — Rosa del Carmen Esquivel Telles was supposed to meet the pope today. A tourist from Guadalajara, Mexico, Esquivel Telles, 55, got on a waitlist three months ago, for a group audience with Pope Francis. She’d prayed to him after being diagnosed with leukemia in 2017. Now in remission, she’s made…
US stocks and dollar plunge as Trump attacks Fed chair Powell
US stocks and the dollar plunged again as President Donald Trump intensified his attacks on the US central bank boss calling him “a major loser” for not lowering interest rates. In a social media post, Trump called on Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell to cut interest rates “pre-emptively” to help boost the economy, saying Powell…
The New Tornado Alley Has Been Hyperactive this Year
The New Tornado Alley Has Been Hyperactive this Year More tornadoes than usual have already struck the U.S. in 2025—and many of them have been touching down farther east than they had in the past By Mark Fischetti edited by Dean Visser EF2 tornado lofting debris from a home in Lockett, Texas. Join Our Community…
Penn Badgley Vows He’ll “Never” Do This in Gossip Girl Universe
Penn Badgley exclusively told E! News that he would “never” participate in a crossover show where his You character Joe Goldberg does the voiceover narration for a Gossip Girl reboot. Spotted: Penn Badgley‘s You character steering clear of the Upper East Side. “There’s the obvious joke that that narrating all of Gossip Girl with Joe’s…
Venezuela accuses El Salvador of human trafficking as prisoners caught in row between authoritarians
Nayib Bukele offered to exchange 252 Venezuelan migrants deported to El Salvador for 252 prisoners in Venezuela Venezuela’s chief prosecutor has accused El Salvador’s president of being a “tyrannical” human trafficker after Nayib Bukele offered to exchange the 252 Venezuelan migrants deported to his country’s prisons by Donald Trump for the same number of political…
Mahmoud Khalil misses son’s birth after ICE official denies his request to be there
Adrian Florido Immigration authorities denied an urgent request by Mahmoud Khalil to be temporarily released from detention, under monitoring, so he could attend the birth of his first child. His wife, Noor Abdalla, delivered their son on Monday in New York. Khalil, who is being held at a remote Louisiana detention center, instead experienced part…
Who is Cardinal Kevin Farrell, the acting head of the Vatican?
When the world learned of Pope Francis’ death on Monday morning, an Irish-American cardinal, little known in the wider world, was the one to break the news. After announcing that the pope had “returned to the home of the Father”, Irish-American Cardinal Kevin Farrell took on one of his biggest roles yet: the “camerlengo”, or…
Earth Month: Reimagining conservation for the benefit of all
Editor’s note: April is Earth Month, when we honor humanity’s shared responsibility for nature and the climate. At Conservation International, this responsibility drives us — and in honor of Earth Month, Conservation News is highlighting stories of our impact. We hope that this inspires you to carry the spirit of Earth Month throughout the year.…
Hailey Bieber Shares Ovarian Cyst Diagnosis
Hailey Bieber said she has been diagnosed with two ovarian cysts after giving birth to her and husband Justin Bieber’s son Jack Blues Bieber in 2024. Hailey Bieber is getting candid about her health. Less than a year after giving birth to her and husband Justin Bieber‘s son Jack Blues Bieber, the Rhode Skin founder…
Final days of Pope who joined Vatican crowds at Easter despite doctors’ advice
At midday on Monday, church bells across Italy began to toll. Pope Francis was dead. Not even 24 hours had passed since he had made a surprise appearance on the balcony overlooking St Peter’s Square, blessing the 35,000 people gathered to celebrate Easter at the Vatican. The Pope was breathing on his own, without oxygen…
Haiti nearing ‘point of no return’ amid gang violence, UN representative warns
María Isabel Salvador tells security council the country could face ‘total chaos’ without necessary international aid Haiti, where rampant gang violence has surged in recent weeks, is approaching a “point of no return” leading to “total chaos”, the UN special representative to the troubled Caribbean nation has warned. “As gang violence continues to spread to…
The boy from Buenos Aires who became leader of the Catholic Church
His ascension to the papacy heralded many firsts. Francis was the first Pope from the Americas or the Southern Hemisphere. Not since Syrian-born Gregory III died in 741 had there been a non-European Bishop of Rome. He was also the first Jesuit to be elected to the throne of St Peter – Jesuits were historically…
Quantum Computer Makes Random-Number Breakthrough
Quantum Randomness Could Create a Spoof-Proof Internet Quantinuum’s 56-bit trapped-ion computer has succeeded in demonstrating randomness in quantum circuits to establish secure, private connections By Gayoung Lee & Lee Billings Quantinuum’s vacuum chamber. The allure of quantum computers is, at its heart, quite simple: by leveraging counterintuitive quantum effects, they could perform computational feats utterly…