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 […]
Pete Davidson, Elsie Hewitt’s “Chaotic” Month Before Pregnancy Reveal
Pregnant Elsie Hewitt teased her “weird chaotic month” with Pete Davidson prior to announcing their baby news. Pete Davidson and Elsie Hewitt‘s road to parenthood is paved with good times. After all, Elsie gave a glimpse into her relationship with the comedian just days before announcing her pregnancy on July 16. “Some happi & grateful…
New Parkinson’s Implant Listens to Brain Waves to Treat Symptoms
Smart Brain-Zapping Implants Could Revolutionize Parkinson’s Treatment New deep-brain-stimulation implants for Parkinson’s disease can listen in on brain waves and adapt to treat symptoms. Can this approach target other conditions? By Sally Adee & Nature magazine Keith Krehbiel lived with Parkinson’s disease for nearly 25 years before agreeing to try a brain implant that might…
Small Canadian town reels after teen boy allegedly assaults eight-year-old girl
Police initially thought the girl was attacked by an animal due her injuries, but later arrested a 17-year-old boy A small rural community in Canada is reeling after police said the horrific attack of an eight-year-old girl was not caused by an animal, as they had suspected, but allegedly by a teenage boy who they…
How a third parent’s DNA can prevent an inherited disease
Rob Stein Scientists can protect children from being born with certain devastating genetic disorders by creating “three-parent” babies, according to the results of a landmark study released Wednesday. British researchers used the experimental technique to help families have eight children who appear healthy. They now range in age from younger than 6 months to older…
As Republicans call for transparency into Epstein probe, Trump lashes out
Deepa Shivaram President Trump continues to be embroiled in the backlash to the Justice Department’s handling of documents related to Jeffrey Epstein. Members of his own party have been calling for more transparency into the DOJ’s investigation of the disgraced financier, whose death by suicide in prison in 2019 has sparked numerous conspiracy theories. Trump’s…
Starmer suspends four Labour MPs for breaching party discipline
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has suspended four Labour MPs over repeated breaches of party discipline. The BBC understands Neil Duncan-Jordan, Brian Leishman, Chris Hinchliff and Rachael Maskell have had the party whip removed, meaning the MPs will sit as independents in the House of Commons. Three other Labour MPs – Rosena Allin Khan, Bell…
Oxford University Press to stop publishing China-sponsored science journal
Move follows concerns several papers in Forensic Sciences Research did not meet ethical standards on DNA collection Oxford University Press (OUP) will no longer publish a controversial academic journal sponsored by China’s Ministry of Justice after years of concerns that several papers in the publication did not meet ethical standards about DNA collection. A statement…
The Link between Weather and Migraines Explained by a Neurologist
Can Weather Really Trigger a Migraine? By Danielle Wilhour & The Conversation US The following essay is reprinted with permission from The Conversation, an online publication covering the latest research. “Is it just me, or is there a storm coming?” If you are one of the 39 million Americans in the U.S. living with migraines,…
WNBA’s Caitlin Clark Suffers Groin Injury During Nail-Biting Game
Indiana Fever’s Caitlin Clark “felt a little something in her groin” during their July 15 game, less than a week after the point guard returned following a five-game absence. Caitlin Clark is focusing on her health. As the Indiana Fever earned their victory against the Connecticut Sun on July 15, the star point guard seemingly…
UK inflation unexpectedly jumps to 3.6% to highest rate in year and a half
Prices rose by more than expected in the year to June, pushing inflation to 3.6%, the highest it has been since January 2024. Higher prices for food and clothing, air and rail fares – and a lower drop in fuel prices than this time last year – contributed to higher inflation, official figures show. The…
Aging Rates Vary by Country. Politics Might Be Why
Aging Rates Vary by Country. Politics Might Be Why Social inequality and the decay of democratic institutions are linked to accelerated aging, but education seems to slow the process By Julian Nowogrodzki & Nature magazine Social inequality and weak democratic institutions are linked to faster ageing, as are other environmental features such as high levels…
Exclusive: Trump team withholds $140 million budgeted for fentanyl fight
Brian Mann The Trump administration has delayed and may cancel roughly $140 million in grants to fund fentanyl overdose response efforts, according to four staff members with close knowledge of the process at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The staffers shared detailed information with NPR about the funding disruption and potential cuts on…
The Complicated Reality of JFK Jr. and Carolyn Bessette’s Love
John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette were married for less than three years when they were killed in a plane crash on July 16, 1999, but their volatile, photogenic romance remains legendary. Carolyn Bessette didn’t say yes when John F. Kennedy Jr. first proposed to her. She didn’t say no, either. But the 29-year-old…
Republicans complain to Canada over wildfire smoke despite supporting planet-heating bill
Lawmakers send letter railing against ‘suffocating’ smoke days after voting for Trump plan likely to boost pollution A group of Republican lawmakers has complained that smoke from Canadian wildfires is ruining summer for Americans, just days after voting for a major bill that will cause more of the planet-heating pollution that is worsening wildfires. In…
In Britain, hopes are mounting to finally clean up sewage-polluted waterways
By Willem Marx MARLBOROUGH, England — After years of illegal polluting by Britain’s water industry, an independent report planned for release in the coming days could lead to tightened regulation while also prompting an expensive modernization drive. The report, led by a former deputy governor of the Bank of England, Jon Cunliffe, was commissioned by…
France signals willingness to discuss reparations for colonial massacres in Niger
More than a century after its troops burned villages and looted cultural artefacts in the quest to include Niger in its west African colonial portfolio, France has signalled willingness over possible restitution, but is yet to acknowledge responsibility. The 19 June response was given to a letter dated two months earlier from a UN special…
I’m ‘disappointed but not done’ with Putin, Trump tells BBC
Donald Trump has said that he is disappointed but not done with Vladimir Putin, in an exclusive phone call with the BBC. The US president was pressed on whether he trusts the Russian leader, and replied: “I trust almost nobody.” Trump was speaking hours after he announced plans to send weapons to Ukraine and warned…
Inside the 30-Year Search for Abducted News Anchor Jodi Huisentruit
Jodi Huisentruit, a rising star at KIMT-TV in Iowa, left her apartment for work one morning in 1995 but never made it into her car. A new Hulu docuseries dives into the unsolved mystery. Something happened to Jodi Huisentruit. Exactly what remains a mystery. The 27-year-old from Long Prairie, Minn., had landed in Mason City,…
Texas Failed to Spend Federal Aid for Flood Disaster Protection
Texas Failed to Spend Millions in Federal Aid for Flood Protection Many states, including Texas, have not used billions of dollars from FEMA intended to reduce damage from flooding and other disasters By Thomas Frank, Mike Lee & E&E News A Texas flag hangs from a storm-damaged tree on the banks of the Guadalupe River…
Octomom Natalie “Nadya” Suleman Celebrates 50th Birthday With Her Kids
Octomom Natalie “Nadya” Suleman celebrated her 50th birthday with her octuplets Noah, Maliyah, Isaiah, Nariyah, Makai, Josiah, Jeremiah and Jonah. See the family photo. Octomom was surrounded by her octuplets when she rang in the big 5-0. Natalie “Nadya” Suleman—who earned the nickname after giving birth to the first surviving set of octuplets in 2009—celebrated…
Trump threatens Russia with tariffs while unveiling Ukraine weapons plan
US President Donald Trump has announced the US will send “top-of-the-line weapons” to Ukraine via Nato countries, while also threatening Russia with severe tariffs if a deal to end the war is not reached within 50 days. “We want to make sure Ukraine can do what it wants to do,” Trump said following a meeting…
Why the Federal Reserve’s building renovations are attracting the White House’s ire
Scott Horsley A multi-billion dollar makeover of the Federal Reserve’s offices in Washington, D.C., has become the latest skirmish in an ongoing battle between the White House and the central bank. The cost of the building project has soared from $1.9 billion to $2.5 billion in recent years. That’s become a new line of attack…
Sudan paramilitary forces kill almost 300 in village raids, say lawyers
Rapid Support Forces accused of targeting villages ‘completely empty of any military objectives’ in North Kordofan state as civil war rages Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) killed nearly 300 people in attacks in North Kordofan state that began on Saturday, according to Sudanese activists. The RSF has been fighting the Sudanese army in that…
What New Biological Age ‘Clocks’ Say about Longevity, according to Eric Topol
By Lauren J. Young edited by Dean Visser How old are you really? Counting birthdays may be a common tally, but your “age” isn’t determined by time alone. New research increasingly shows the importance of considering chronological age as something very different from biological age—in which the body and its cells, tissues and organs all…
Nick Adams: Trump picks former Sydney councillor and self-described ‘alpha male’ as Malaysia ambassador
In 2023 posts on X, Adams listed interests including restaurant chain Hooters, rare steaks, ‘extremely’ heavy weights and the Bible Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast A former Sydney councillor and self-described “alpha male” has been picked by Donald Trump to be the new US ambassador to Malaysia, with the…
A wildfire destroyed the historic Grand Canyon Lodge. It burned down once before
By Rachel Treisman A raging wildfire has destroyed dozens of structures in Grand Canyon National Park, including a beloved historic lodge that was already rebuilt once after burning down nearly a century ago. For decades, the Grand Canyon Lodge was the only hotel inside the North Rim, a more secluded portion of the park with…
Marten and Gordon guilty of gross negligence manslaughter of their baby
A couple who went on the run with their newborn daughter have been found guilty of her manslaughter by gross negligence. Constance Marten, 38, and Mark Gordon, 51, were convicted on Monday following a lengthy and chaotic retrial at the Old Bailey, which the judge accused them of trying to “sabotage” and “derail”. It comes…
Farm worker who died after California Ice raid was ‘hardworking and innocent’, family says
Jaime Alanís, 57, died a day after falling off a greenhouse roof during an immigration raid of a cannabis farm The farm worker who died from injuries he sustained after falling from a greenhouse roof during an Ice raid of a California cannabis farm was a “hard-working, innocent farmer” and the sole provider for his…
DeepMind’s AlphaGenome Uses AI to Decipher Noncoding DNA for Research, Personalized Medicine
DeepMind’s AlphaGenome Aims to Decode DNA’s ‘Dark Matter’ This AI system can analyze up to one million DNA letters at once, predicting how tiny changes in noncoding regions trigger everything from cancer to rare genetic disorders—and potentially revolutionizing personalized medicine By Deni Ellis Béchard edited by Dean Visser KTSDesign/Science Source Join Our Community of Science…
90 Day’s Eric Rosenbrook Shares Loss of Baby With Leida Margaretha
90 Day Fiancé Eric Rosenbrook shared that his and wife Leida Margaretha’s newborn daughter died after being on life support for five days. Eric Rosenbrook and Leida Margaretha are in mourning. After Eric was arrested following a physical altercation with his wife on the Fourth of July, the 90 Day Fiancé alum shared that their…
Vibrio Bacteria in Beach Water Can Make You Seriously Ill
Deadly Bacteria May Be Moving to a Beach Near You Illnesses from stealthy pathogens known as Vibrio are advancing northward along numerous coasts, potentially ruining your summer vacation By Kyle Brumfield edited by Mark Fischetti On a small, gently rocking research boat anchored just offshore in Chesapeake Bay, I lowered a sterile plastic bottle into the water to…
Rubio in bind as he seeks to reassure south-east Asia, even as it faces Trump tariffs
Rubio meets Chinese counterpart at gathering, as questions remain about US trade polices and commitment to region Even as they face among the most punitive tariffs globally, the US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, has sought to reassure south-east Asian countries of Washington’s commitment to the region, saying they may get “better” trade deals than…
Mark Gordon is a psychopath, says woman he raped when he was 14
Mark Gordon is a dangerous “psychopath” who should have been locked up for life as a child, an American woman he raped 36 years ago has told the BBC. Gordon was jailed for attacking his neighbour at knifepoint in Miami when he was aged 14 and BBC News has now obtained US court papers revealing…
Trump announces weapons for Ukraine and threatens Russia with tariffs
By Charles Maynes MOSCOW — President Trump on Monday threatened to punish Russia with heavy tariffs on countries that trade with Moscow if the Kremlin fails to reach a ceasefire deal with Ukraine, while promising Kyiv “billions of dollars” worth of military equipment. “We’re going to be doing very severe tariffs if we don’t have…
Olivia Culpo Welcomes First Baby with Husband Christian McCaffrey
Olivia Culpo shared that she gave birth to her first baby, Colette Annalise McCaffrey, with San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey on July 13. Olivia Culpo and Christian McCaffrey just met their newest teammate. The former Miss Universe confirmed she gave birth to her and the San Francisco 49ers star’s first baby, a baby…
Gregg Wallace report upholds 45 claims, including one of unwelcome physical contact
A report into BBC show MasterChef has found 45 allegations against Gregg Wallace were upheld including one of unwelcome physical contact and another three of being in a state of undress. In total, the report says 83 allegations were made against the TV presenter, with the majority of the substantiated claims relating to inappropriate sexual…
Weather tracker: warm air engulfs parts of Argentina as winter temperatures soar
Rosario in Sante Fe likely be to 10C above normal, as Japan braces for Tropical Storm Nari An unseasonably mild start to the week is expected in northern and central parts of Argentina, where it is winter. A plume of warm air will sink southwards from neighbouring Paraguay on Monday, lingering through Tuesday, before giving…
With social prescribing, hanging out, movement and arts are doctor’s order
By Rhitu Chatterjee For more than 30 years, Frank Frost, worked as a long-distance truck driver, ferrying industrial chemicals across the U.K. “I worked away from home six days a week, working up to 12-15 hours a day,” says Frost, now 76. “My only exercise was looking for a fast food outlet in the evening…
Ancient Tooth Proteins Rewrite the Rhino Family Tree—Are Dinosaurs Next?
Ancient Tooth Proteins Rewrite the Rhino Family Tree—Are Dinosaurs Next? Molecules from the 20-million-year-old teeth of a rhino relative are among the oldest ever sequenced, opening tantalizing possibilities to scientists By Ewen Callaway & Nature magazine Rhinos’ evolutionary relationships became a little clearer with the sequencing of the oldest proteins yet. Researchers have described proteins…
Extreme weather is the UK’s new normal, says Met Office
The UK is breaking heat and rainfall records increasingly frequently as its climate continues to warm, the Met Office has warned. The country’s changing weather patterns mean the UK now experiences a “notably different” climate to what it was just a few decades ago, its State of the UK Climate report says. We now have…
Extreme Heat Endangers AI Data Centers
Heat Waves Endanger Data Centers That Power AI A new analysis warns that AI facilities could be forced to stop operating because of water shortages and blackouts By Sara Schonhardt & E&E News Join Our Community of Science Lovers! CLIMATEWIRE | Data center hubs worldwide are increasingly threatened by rising temperatures as climate change continues…
Trump’s latest tariffs ‘are real’ unless deals improve, economic adviser says
Kevin Hassett says talks are ‘ongoing’ after US president announced 30% tariffs on goods from EU and Mexico Donald Trump has seen some trade deal offers and thinks they need to be better, Kevin Hassett, the White House economic adviser, said on Sunday, adding that the president will proceed with threatened tariffs on Mexico, the…
At Sunday services, taking stock and moving forward in Texas
Scott Detrow Scott Detrow speaks with KERA’s James Hartley about his reporting on how people gathered at church services Sunday to reflect after the deadly flash floods which killed more than 120 people in central Texas. SCOTT DETROW, HOST: It has been another difficult day in Texas. Heavy rains and a flash flood warning halted…
Love Island USA Season 7 Winners Revealed
Love Island USA unveiled its season seven winners on the July 13 finale after it came down to castmates Amaya Espinal, Bryan Arenales, Huda Mustafa, Nic Vansteenberghe, Olandria Carthen and more. This story contains spoilers for the Love Island USA season seven finale. America has officially picked Amaya Papaya. The sun has set on this rollercoaster…
Senate committee details failures by Secret Service in preventing Trump shooting
By Joe Hernandez A Senate committee report released Sunday blames the U.S. Secret Service for a “cascade of preventable failures” that led up to the assassination attempt against then-presidential candidate Donald Trump during a rally in Butler, Pa., last summer. Trump was injured in the shooting when a bullet whizzed past his head, grazing his…
South Africa’s police minister suspended over organised crime allegations
South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa has placed Police Minister Senzo Mchunu on an immediate “leave of absence” after allegations of links to organised crimes were made against him. In Sunday’s live televised speech to the nation, Ramaphosa also announced a judicial commission would probe the claims, which he said undermined the constitution and threatened national…
Princess Charlotte’s Adorable Reactions Steal the Show at Wimbledon
Kate Middleton and Prince William attended the men’s final of the Wimbledon Champions alongside Princess Charlotte and Prince George—and it seems the 10-year-old got her love for tennis from her mom. Princess Charlotte is her mom Kate Middleton’s mini-me. The 10-year-old joined her brother Prince George, 11, as well her parents Prince William and Kate…
Former Nigerian president Muhammadu Buhari dies aged 82 in London
Leader who ousted Goodluck Jonathan in 2015 three decades after brief stint as military ruler dies after ‘prolonged illness’ Nigeria’s former president Muhammadu Buhari, who led Africa’s most populous country from 2015 to 2023 and was the first Nigerian president to oust an incumbent through the ballot box, died in London on Sunday, a presidential…
Los Angeles houses of worship plan for possible ICE Raids
Jason DeRose LOS ANGELES – In recent weeks, Pastor Caleb Crainer began developing a plan in the event that immigration enforcement agents show up at the door of his congregation, a pressing concern after the Trump administration rescinded long-standing guidance advising them to avoid houses of worship. “So we have three of these pink binders…
Nanoplastics Make Up Most of the Ocean’s Plastic Pollution
Most Plastic in the Ocean Is Invisible—And Deadly Nanoplastics—particles smaller than a human hair—can pass through cell walls and enter the food web. New research suggest 27 million metric tons of nanoplastics are spread across just the top layer of the North Atlantic By Katharine Sanderson & Nature magazine Marine plastic litter tends to grab…
The Killing Fields execution site and two former Khmer Rouge prisons added to Unesco heritage list
The three Cambodian sites’ inscription coincides with the 50th anniversary of the rise to power of the brutal regime Three locations used by Cambodia’s brutal Khmer Rouge regime as torture and execution sites 50 years ago have been added by Unesco to its world heritage list. The three locations were inscribed to the list by…
Kelly Osbourne Responds to Claim Dad Ozzy Osbourne Is Dying
Amid speculation that her father Ozzy Osbourne is dying due to his ongoing battle with Parkinson’s disease and that he has a suicide pact with Sharon Osbourne, Kelly Osbourne set the record straight. Kelly Osbourne isn’t mincing words when it comes to defending her family. Amid online speculation that her father Ozzy Osbourne’s health is…
Child dies at Alder Hey Hospital after contracting measles
A child has died at Liverpool’s Alder Hey Children’s Hospital after contracting measles, the BBC understands. The hospital said the highly contagious virus was on the rise among young people in the region and it had seen a surge in “seriously unwell” children being admitted. Alder Hey said it would not officially comment on individual…
Legally Blonde Secrets That Are Just Like College, Only Funner
Our favorite Gemini vegetarian is getting her own prequel. What? Like it’s hard? Before Elle debuts next summer, study up on these Legally Blonde secrets. It’ll be just like college, only funner. Once upon a time, a California blonde decided she’d like to go to Stanford Law School—because of its proximity to Neiman Marcus. Nope,…
The biggest piece of Mars on Earth is going up for auction in New York
By The Associated Press Sotheby’s in New York will be auctioning what’s known as NWA 16788 on Wednesday as part of a natural history-themed sale that also includes a juvenile Ceratosaurus dinosaur skeleton that’s more than 6 feet (2 meters) tall and nearly 11 feet (3 meters) long. According to the auction house, the meteorite…
New Caledonia to be declared a state in ‘historic’ agreement – but will remain French
Emmanuel Macron hails ‘new chapter’ for New Caledonia as politicians agree on statehood after 10 days of talks France has announced a “historic” accord with New Caledonia in which the overseas territory, rocked by deadly separatist violence last year, would remain French but be declared a new state. “A State of New Caledonia within the…
Children fetching water killed in Israeli strike in Gaza, emergency officials say
Ten people, including six children, have been killed in an Israeli air strike while waiting to fill water containers in central Gaza on Sunday, emergency service officials say. Their bodies were sent to Nuseirat’s al-Awda Hospital, which also treated 16 injured people, seven of them children, according to a doctor there. Eyewitnesses said a drone…
How and Why Humans Began to Sing, a Musicology and Neuroscience Perspective
Brains Process Speech and Singing Differently By Rachel Feltman, Allison Parshall, Fonda Mwangi & Madison Goldberg Rachel Feltman: For Scientific American’s Science Quickly, I’m Rachel Feltman. We’re wrapping up our week of summer reruns with one of my absolute favorite Science Quickly episodes. Back in October, SciAm associate news editor Allison Parshall took us on…
Health secretary and BMA to meet in bid to avoid strikes
Talks between Health Secretary Wes Streeting and the British Medical Association (BMA) will take place next week in a bid to avert strike action in England’s NHS, the BBC understands. Resident doctors, previously known as junior doctors, announced earlier this week that they will walk out for five consecutive days from 25 July until 30…
Is the FIFA Club World Cup final a barometer of soccer’s success in America?
Scott Detrow President Trump will be at the final game in the FIFA Club World Cup, taking place Sunday. Paul Tenorio of The Athletic talks about this moment in the culture and business of soccer in America. SCOTT DETROW, HOST: For global fans of the beautiful game, the FIFA World Cup cannot come soon enough,…