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 […]
Indonesia working on details of plan to treat 2,000 people from Gaza amid concerns about right to return
Security ministry and the ministries of health and foreign affairs have met to discuss how the controversial proposal to treat Palestinians would work Indonesia announced earlier this month that it would provide temporary medical assistance to 2,000 Palestinians from Gaza, with the uninhabited island of Galang identified as one possible site. Located just south of…
Checking In With Jillian Michaels and the Cast of The Biggest Loser
As The Biggest Loser trainers Jillian Michaels and Bob Harper each publicly weigh in on their complicated relationship, we’re doing a check-in with all 18 winners from the competition series. No surprise that Jillian Michaels is keeping it quite real when it comes to her feelings about the Netflix documentary Fit for TV: The Reality of…
Will a Lunar Impact in 2032 Cause a Meteor Storm?
The UniverseFridays If This Asteroid Hits the Moon, Watch for Shooting Stars and Stricken Satellites The 60-meter asteroid 2024 YR4 has a 4 percent chance of hitting the moon. Could such a lunar collision create a dangerous new meteor shower? By Phil Plait edited by Lee Billings This artist’s concept shows a small meteoroid striking…
National flags have started lining some English streets. They may say something more
Driving through the south west of Birmingham, it’s hard not to notice something about the lampposts. For more than a mile, almost every one has a St George’s or union jack flag attached – thousands of them. In one district, Weoley Castle, the BBC found two men carrying a ladder and shopping bags. A DIY…
Smithsonian artists and scholars respond to White House list of objectionable art
Mandalit del Barco The list of objectionable content comes a week after White House officials sent a letter asking eight of the Smithsonian’s museums to submit their current and future plans for exhibitions, social media content and other material. The institution’s director Lonnie Bunche was told it had 120 days to comply for what the…
Government plans to overhaul asylum appeals system
The government is planning an overhaul of the asylum appeals system, as it tries to cut the number of migrants staying in hotels while they await a ruling. A new, independent body will be established, staffed by independent adjudicators, with the aim of hearing cases more quickly. The Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper, said she was…
Menendez Brothers’ Lawyer Claims Parole Hearings Were “Rigged”
After Erik Menendez and Lyle Menedez were denied parole after over 30 years in prison, their lawyer Mark Geragos claimed the decisions made by the California Board of Parole Hearings were “rigged.” The Menendez brothers’ lawyer Mark Geragos is speaking out. Days after Erik Menendez and Lyle Menedez were both denied parole in separate hearings…
Thailand former PM cleared of royal insult charge but Shinawatra dynasty’s fate still hangs in balance
Lese-majesty case against Thaksin Shinawatra is dismissed, but his daughter Paetongtarn will hear next week if she will be removed as prime minster A criminal court in Thailand has dismissed a case accusing former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra of defaming the monarchy, the first of three court cases that could decide the fate of one…
Boxed in by shifting tariff rules, European shippers pause some U.S.-bound parcels
Camila Domonoske Many European parcel companies — including DHL, the Royal Mail, and the French and Spanish national post offices — are temporarily suspending some shipments to the U.S., citing new U.S. tariff policies that kick in this week. And while the financial costs of tariffs have dominated trade news this summer, in this case,…
Strange Deep-Sea Animals Discovered in Underwater Argentine Canyon
Pastel Pink Lobsters, Goofy-Looking Squid Among Deep-Sea Oddities Discovered in Ocean Abyss Researchers spied a wild array of life, including dozens of suspected new species, in an underwater gorge By Ashley Balzer Vigil edited by Andrea Thompson A glass squid floats in the deep sea. Two miles below the ocean’s surface, off the coast of…
Evacuations ordered as wildfire blazes California’s famed Napa County
By Alana Wise Evacuation orders are in effect as wildfires blaze across the West, including in California’s scenic Napa County. The Pickett Fire, which has burned nearly 4,690 acres, first sparked Thursday afternoon and continued to rage Saturday with only 7% of the wildfire contained. #PickettFire UPDATE: @CAL_FIRE Intel Aircraft mapped the fire at 4,690…
North Korea accuses South Korea of ‘deliberate provocation’ after warning shots fired at soldiers on border
Seoul says military fired warning shots on Tuesday after troops from the North briefly crossed border South Korea fired warning shots at North Korean soldiers who briefly crossed the heavily fortified border earlier this week, Seoul said on Saturday, after Pyongyang accused it of a “deliberate provocation” that risks “uncontrollable” tensions. South Korea’s new leader…
Norman Reedus & Helena Christensen’s Son Mingus Arrested for Assault
Mingus Reedus, the 25-year-old son of superstars Norman Reedus and Helena Christensen, was arrested on Aug. 23 after allegedly assaulting a woman in New York City, according to the NYPD. Mingus Reedus is in trouble with the law. The son of superstars Norman Reedus and Helena Christensen was arrested in New York City on Aug.…
Farage vows mass deportations to tackle small boats
Reform UK is pledging mass deportations of asylum seekers who arrive in the UK in small boats. The party’s leader – Nigel Farage – has told The Times that there is a “massive crisis” in the UK, which threatens national security and could lead to public disorder. Under the plans, people could be arrested on…
Climate Links to Dengue Will Allow Better Outbreak Predictions
Heat and Rain Can Help Predict When Dengue Will Surge A new analysis uncovers seasonal patterns of dengue, a mosquito-borne disease, across the Americas, which could help scientists anticipate future outbreaks By Mariana Lenharo & Nature magazine Join Our Community of Science Lovers! Major dengue outbreaks in the Americas tend to occur about five months…
Brazil police file court documents accusing Bolsonaro of planning to flee to Argentina to seek asylum
Brazil’s former president is accused of allegedly plotting a military coup, but he denies the charges Brazilian police have claimed in court documents that they have found a document on the mobile phone of former president Jair Bolsonaro suggesting he had planned to flee to Argentina ahead of his judgment for allegedly plotting a military…
Asylum seeker hotel protests take place in UK
Protests over the use of hotels for housing asylum seekers have been held across the UK. Demonstrators gathered in parts of England including Bristol, Liverpool and London, as well as in Mold in Wales and Perth in Scotland. There have been no reports of serious trouble though police have had to step in to keep…
Emily in Paris Assistant Director Dies at 47 After Collapsing on Set
Emily in Paris assistant director Diego Borella died at 47 on Aug. 22 after collapsing on set while filming the final episode of the Netflix show’s fifth season, Paramount Television Studios confirmed. Hollywood is mourning the loss of a talented director. Diego Borella, an assistant director of Emily in Paris, died on Aug. 22 while…
Trump administration halts work on an almost-finished wind farm
By Michael Copley The Trump administration has ordered companies to stop construction of a wind farm that’s being built off the coast of Rhode Island. The acting director of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Matthew Giacona, wrote in a letter to one of the developers, a Danish firm called Ørsted, that the government was…
The Brain’s Map of the Body Is Surprisingly Stable—Even after a Limb Is Lost
The Brain’s Map of the Body Is Surprisingly Stable—Even after a Limb Is Lost The brain’s body map doesn’t reorganize itself after limb amputation, a study found, challenging a textbook idea in neuroscience By Katie Kavanagh & Nature magazine The brain’s map of the body in the primary somatosensory cortex remains unchanged after amputation. A…
Trump makes over the Rose Garden, Mar-a-Lago style
Tamara Keith Since returning to the White House in January, President Trump has been on a mission to renovate — including an overhaul of the iconic Rose Garden, where work is nearly complete. Trump has swapped out the grass in the Rose Garden with stone, turning what had been a lawn into a patio. And…
Ghislaine Maxwell claims in DOJ interview that Epstein list doesn’t exist
Ghislaine Maxwell, the convicted associate of sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, told US officials that a highly discussed “client list” does not exist, according to a released transcript of her interview. In a July interview with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, Maxwell said she was “not aware of any blackmail” and did not witness any inappropriate…
Menendez Brothers Case: Lyle Menendez Denied Parole
After the California Board of Parole Hearings denied Erik Menendez’s bid for parole on Aug. 21, his brother Lyle Menendez was also denied one day later. The Menendez brothers are staying behind bars. One day after Erik Menendez was denied parole in an Aug. 21 hearing, his older brother Lyle Menendez now shares the same…
Thousands face deportation to danger as Trump targets temporary protections
People with temporary protected status face possible deportation even though their home countries – including Afghanistan and Haiti – remain unsafe Many thousands of immigrants living in the US who came from certain countries regarded as risky or dangerous are at the mercy of US judges and the Trump administration’s agenda to slash their work…
Does Culture Change Visual Perception? Debunking the Carpentered-World Hypothesis
By Nora Bradford edited by Allison Parshall & Sarah Lewin Frasier The Müller-Lyer illusion. If you’re enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today. The idea that this simple illusion…
As Trump touts D.C. arrests, experts caution they’re not the best indicator of public safety
Meg Anderson The Trump administration announced Friday that it has arrested more than 700 people in Washington, D.C., as part of the president’s mission to crack down on crime in the nation’s capital. U.S. Attorney for D.C. Jeanine Pirro has frequently pushed for those who commit crimes to face harsher punishments. During a visit Thursday…
Canada to drop counter-tariffs on some US goods one day after call with Trump
Mark Carney says change will go into effect on 1 September but tariffs on steel, aluminum and autos will remain Canada will drop its counter-tariffs on some American goods in the coming days, Mark Carney has said, as the country’s prime minister looks to end a protracted trade war with longtime ally the United States.…
Famine in Gaza City is ‘failure of humanity’, UN chief says
The United Nations chief has described the famine confirmed in Gaza City and its surrounding areas as a “failure of humanity”. Antonio Gutteres said the situation was a “man-made disaster” after a UN-backed body, which identifies hunger levels around the world, raised its food insecurity status in parts of the territory to Phase 5 –…
Famine is declared in Gaza: What does it take to make this pronouncement?
By Nurith Aizenman , Tom Benner The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) confirmed on Friday that famine has taken hold in the Gaza Governorate, encompassing Gaza City and nearby areas, and warned it could extend to central and southern Gaza by late September. The declaration comes nearly two years into an armed conflict with…
Sophie Turner Shares the Dating Habit She’s “Not Proud Of”
Sophie Turner sheepishly admitted that she’s “not proud of” her tendency to ghost people after a date: “I do like to do that quite a lot.” Ghost is not just the name of a direwolf in Game of Thrones. After all, Sophie Turner confessed to being a “big ghoster” when it comes to dating IRL.…
Why Do SpaceX’s Starships Keep Exploding?
Can SpaceX Solve Its ‘Exploding Starships’ Problem? After a string of fiery failures, SpaceX’s biggest rocket faces another test flight with sky-high stakes for U.S. space ambitions By Adam Rogers edited by Lee Billings SpaceX’s Starship soars through the sky during the rocket’s ninth test flight on May 27, 2025. Both the “Super Heavy” booster…
Cash Rewards Have Less Sway in Collectivistic Cultures
Cash Rewards Have Less Sway in Collectivistic Cultures Money talks louder in some languages than others By Thomas Talhelm edited by Daisy Yuhas If you’re trying to get someone to do something, what’s the best way to achieve that? Paying them probably comes to mind, and this intuition is a basic tenet of economic theory.…
Home Office seeks to appeal against court ruling on Epping asylum hotel
The government is seeking the right to appeal against a High Court ruling which blocks asylum seekers being housed in an Essex hotel. Earlier this week, Epping Forest District Council was granted a temporary injunction to stop people being placed at the Bell Hotel in Epping. The court refused a last-minute effort from Home Secretary…
Fed Chair Jerome Powell signals possible rate cut, sending stocks sharply higher
Scott Horsley Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell signaled a possible cut in interest rates in the near future, sending stocks soaring on Friday. Speaking to a gathering of economists and central bankers in Jackson Hole, Wyo., Powell said current economic conditions, including a marked slowdown in job growth, suggest a downward adjustment in the Fed’s…
Eswatini government faces court challenge over men deported by US
Group of NGOs claim deal was unconstitutional and violated the imprisoned men’s human rights A group of NGOs is challenging Eswatini’s acceptance of five people deported by the US, arguing the deal was unconstitutional and violated the imprisoned men’s human rights. The men from Vietnam, Jamaica, Laos, Yemen and Cuba, who the US said were…
Millie Bobby Brown, Jake Bongiovi May Have Revealed Baby’s Initials
Stranger Things’ Millie Bobby Brown and Jake Bongiovi stepped out with a telling accessory after announcing the arrival of their adopted baby girl. Millie Bobby Brown may have just shared more about her new baby girl. After the Stranger Things actress and her husband Jake Bongiovi announced that they had recently adopted a daughter, she may…
Inside Hailey Bieber and Justin Bieber’s First Year With Baby Jack
Hailey Bieber and Justin Bieber have been dealing with split rumors for almost the entirety of their nearly seven-year marriage. And welcoming son Jack Blues Bieber to the mix on Aug. 22, 2024, did little to quell such speculation. “Being postpartum is the most sensitive time I’ve ever gone through in my life, and learning…
U.N.-backed agency says famine exists in northern Gaza
Ruth Sherlock The world’s leading authority on food insecurity has confirmed a famine in Gaza. In a report published Friday, the United Nations-backed group of experts finds that over half a million people parts of north Gaza are at risk of dying from starvation, and hundreds of thousands more people face catastrophic shortages as the…
Controversial Quantum-Computing Paper Gets a Hefty Correction
Controversial Quantum-Computing Paper Gets a Hefty Correction The journal Science has lifted an expression of concern on a paper claiming evidence of Majorana quasiparticles, but concerns linger By Dan Garisto & Nature magazine An artist’s concept of a Majorana quasiparticle, a theoretical entity that can pair with an antimatter version of itself in a manner that could…
US court allows Trump officials to end protected status for 60,000 migrants
Administration officials given legal right to move towards deportation of people from Nepal, Honduras and Nicaragua A federal appeals court on Wednesday sided with the Trump administration and halted for now a lower court’s order that had kept in place temporary protections for 60,000 migrants from Central America and Nepal. This means that the Republican…
The race for the two miles-a-second super weapons that Putin says turn targets to dust
Listen to Frank read this article Glinting in the autumn sun on a parade ground in Beijing, the People’s Liberation Army missiles moved slowly past the crowd on a fleet of giant camouflaged lorries. Needle-sharp in profile, measuring 11 metres long and weighing 15 tonnes, each bore the letters and numerals: “DF-17”. China had just…
Menendez Brothers Case: Erik Menendez Denied Parole
Three months after Erik Menendez and Lyle Menendez were resentenced to 50 years to life in prison for the murders of their parents, the parole board denied Erik’s release to parole supervision. One of the Menendez brothers’ fate has been decided. After Los Angeles County Judge Michael Jesic ruled that Erik Menendez and Lyle Menendez…
Carbon Dioxide Isn’t What You Think It Is
Carbon Dioxide Defines Our Terrifying, Exhilarating World—and Always Has In his latest book, science journalist Peter Brannen argues that CO2 is the most important—and most misunderstood—molecule on Earth By Lee Billings When we talk about carbon dioxide, the narrative is almost always that of a modern-day morality play. We hear about gigatons of CO2 emitted,…
Bolsonaro given 48 hours to explain alleged plans to flee to Argentina
Brazilian supreme court judge sets ultimatum after police claim far-right populist sought to flee to avoid punishment over failed coup A supreme court judge has given Brazil’s ex-president, Jair Bolsonaro, 48 hours to explain police claims he was planning to flee to Argentina to avoid punishment for allegedly masterminding a failed coup after losing the…
Vance touts tax cuts, Trump’s domestic agenda in Georgia
Stephen Fowler PEACHTREE CITY, Ga. — Vice President Vance appeared in Georgia Thursday, promoting tax cuts included in President Trump’s sweeping domestic policy bill signed into law last month. Speaking at an industrial refrigeration equipment manufacturer in a suburb south of Atlanta, the vice president said the legislation was reflective of a “government that stands…
Israel will begin talks to free all hostages, Netanyahu says
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he has instructed negotiations to begin for the release of all remaining hostages and an end to the war in Gaza on terms “acceptable to Israel”. Netanyahu told Israeli troops on Thursday night that his cabinet had also approved plans for a massive assault on Gaza City in…
OpenAI Model Earns Gold-Medal Score at International Math Olympiad and Advances Path to Artificial General Intelligence
Can Writing Math Proofs Teach AI to Reason Like Humans? OpenAI researchers reveal how their experimental model, devoid of any external aids, powered through hours-long proofs to earn a gold-medal score at the International Math Olympiad—and they discuss the project’s origins and describe how such work could help lead to artificial general intelligence By Deni…
Supreme Court allows NIH to stop making nearly $800M in research grants for now
By Nina Totenberg , Anuli Ononye The Supreme Court on Thursday overturned by a 5-4 decision a lower court order, deciding at least temporarily, that the National Institute of Health does not need to continue paying out approximately $783 million in research grants to projects that the institute has since-stopped funding. But the court, in…
Brent Hinds, Mastodon Guitarist, Dies in Motorcycle Crash
Brent Hinds, the former guitarist for the heavy metal band Mastodon, died after a motorcycle crash in Atlanta on Aug. 20, the band confirmed. He was 51. The music world is mourning one of their own. Brent Hinds, best known as a founding member and the former guitarist for the heavy metal band Mastodon, died…
Pressure grows on Tanzania to free victim of domestic violence who has been on death row for 13 years
Lemi Limbu, who was convicted of murdering her daughter, has severe intellectual disabilities and ‘absolutely should not be in prison’, say campaigners Pressure is mounting on the Tanzanian government to release a woman with severe intellectual disabilities who has been in prison awaiting execution for 13 years. Lemi Limbu, who is now in her early…
What to Know about Measles as the Outbreak in Texas Ends and the School Year Begins
Texas’s Measles Outbreak Is Over, but the Disease Is Still a Threat Texas may have declared its measles outbreak over, but rising cases elsewhere and the return to school mean it could easily resurge By Lauren J. Young edited by Megha Satyanarayana Instructions for a Measles vaccination is seen outside of the Lubbock Public Health…
Uganda reaches agreement with US to take in some failed asylum seekers
African country’s foreign ministry says the two states are working on the details of a deal over deportees Uganda has reached an agreement with the US to take in deportees from third countries who may not get asylum but are “reluctant” to go back to their own countries, according to Uganda’s foreign ministry. The country…
Walmart says tariff costs are rising ‘each week’ and will continue
Alina Selyukh Walmart says it’s been able to mitigate many of the tariff costs so far, but they are rising “each week” and will continue to do so through the rest of the year. The world’s largest retailer — like many others, including Home Depot and Target — has had to raise prices on some…
Record 111,000 UK asylum applications in past year, figures show
A record 111,000 asylum applications were made to the UK during the year to June, but the government is processing cases faster, new Home Office figures show. This is an increase of 14% from the previous year, and it is higher than the peak of 103,000 in 2002. But officials are processing more cases than…
Teen Mom’s Jenelle Evans Reveals How Much She’s Made From OnlyFans
Jenelle Evans shared insight into the eye-popping revenue from her OnlyFans account, which she began in May 2022, vowing she’d consider any request, even feet pics, “as long as I have a pedicure.” Jenelle Evans has been spicing up her portfolio. Three years after the Teen Mom alum joined OnlyFans, she revealed the seven-figure profit…
Nathan Lents’s New Book Explores How Animal Behavior and Evolution Challenge Binary Sex and Gender Norms
What Can Nature Teach Us about Sex and Gender? By Rachel Feltman, Fonda Mwangi & Alex Sugiura Rachel Feltman: For Scientific American’s Science Quickly, I’m Rachel Feltman. This approach has led scientists to miss fascinating examples of alternative reproductive strategies and complex social behaviors across the animal kingdom. What we’ve often labeled as anomalies might…
Major Russian drone and missile attack on Ukraine kills 1, injures 15
By The Associated Press KYIV, Ukraine — Russia launched one of its biggest aerial attacks of the year on Ukraine, firing 574 drones and 40 ballistic and cruise missiles overnight, the Ukrainian Air Force said Thursday, while a recent diplomatic push to stop the three-year war is trying to gain momentum. The attack mostly targeted…
Can these fishermen save a 3,000-year tradition?
On a sunny morning in January, along the northern coast of Peru, wastewater rushed from a treatment plant into nearby wetlands. These wetlands hold totora— a type of reed grass — that local fishermen have used for more than 3,000 years to build fishing boats. More than 45 totora ponds were destroyed. A foul odor…
Second U.S. Malaria Case Not Tied to Travel Raises Fears of Local Transmission
Second U.S. Malaria Case Not Tied to Travel Raises Fears of Local Transmission One-off cases of malaria in the U.S. may become more common as warming temperatures lead to booming mosquito populations By Stephanie Pappas edited by Lauren J. Young An adult female Anopheles mosquito bites a human body. Join Our Community of Science Lovers!…
1000-Lb. Sisters’ Tammy Slaton Debuts New Teeth Amid Weight Loss
1000-Lb. Sisters star Tammy Slaton unveiled the progress she’s made in filling the gap in her smile by getting new false teeth put in with a bridge, saying, “I’m still getting more done with it.” Tammy Slaton is giving her smile an upgrade. The 1000-Lb. Sisters star unveiled the progress she’s made so far on…