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 […]
Did Astronomers Photograph UFOs Orbiting Earth in the 1950s?
UFOs Are Just One Explanation for Mysterious Patterns in Old Telescope Data New peer-reviewed research reporting strange lights in the pre-space-age sky is sparking curiosity and controversy By Jonathan O’Callaghan edited by Lee Billings For generations, UFO enthusiasts have longed for claims of aliens visiting Earth to be seriously investigated by scientists. Now they are […]
Dungeons & Dragons – Starter Set: Heroes of The Borderlands
For many, Dungeons & Dragons may seem like a insurmountable entry point to the world of RPGs, and, in many ways, especially without at least one seasoned veteran in your group, it isn’t necessarily an incorrect assumption. The all new Dungeons & Dragons – Starter Set: Heroes of The Borderlands aims to eliminate that hurdle […]
Kickstarter Tabletop Alert: Time Loop Shenanigans in ‘Chronofiends!!’
The research station is stuck in an ever-shrinking time loop—use your time-manipulating powers to accomplish your objectives before time runs out! Chronofiends!! (yes, the exclamation points are part of the title) is a cooperative time-loop game for 1 to 4 players, ages 13 and up, and takes about 90 minutes to play. It’s currently seeking […]
US revokes all visas for South Sudanese over country’s failure to repatriate citizens
State department ‘taking actions to revoke all visas held by South Sudanese passport holders and prevent further entry’, secretary of state says Washington is revoking all visas for South Sudanese passport holders and blocking new arrivals, secretary of state Marco Rubio said on Saturday, complaining the African nation is not accepting its nationals expelled from…
Google, X and Facebook Are Modern-Day Tobacco Companies
Opinion Google, X and Facebook Are Modern-Day Tobacco Companies Just as tobacco companies knew they were poisoning people, today’s social media titans knowingly poison our politics, peddling lies and stoking angry divides for profit By David Robert Grimes From Facebook to X to TikTok, today’s social media giants position themselves as bastions of free speech.…
Israel admits mistakes over medic killings in Gaza
Israel’s army has admitted its soldiers made mistakes over the killing of 15 emergency workers in southern Gaza on 23 March. The convoy of Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) ambulances, a UN car and a fire truck from Gaza’s Civil Defence came under fire near Rafah. Israel originally claimed troops opened fire because the convoy…
‘I Hope Trump Won’t Deceive Us’: Ukrainians Are Wary of U.S. Minerals Deal
Russia-Ukraine War In a major mining region of Ukraine, President Trump’s proposal to collect profits from mineral wealth is meeting with a mix of skepticism and weary acceptance. By Kim Barker and Oleksandra Mykolyshyn Kim Barker and Oleksandra Mykolyshyn spent two days in the Kirovohrad and Dnipropetrovsk regions of Ukraine, talking with people about the…
MP Dan Norris arrested on suspicion of child sex offences and rape
MP Dan Norris has been arrested on suspicion of rape, child sex offences, child abduction and misconduct in a public office. The Labour Party says it “immediately suspended” the MP for North East Somerset and Hanham after being made aware of his arrest. Avon and Somerset Police confirmed that a man in his 60s was…
FEMA to Halt Billions in Grants for Disaster Protection, Internal Memo Says
FEMA to Halt Billions in Grants for Disaster Protection, Internal Memo Says An internal FEMA memo says the agency is canceling future and existing grants that help states and tribes prepare for floods, tornadoes and other disasters By Thomas Frank & E&E News Parishioners and community members look over damage after a tornado struck the…
Defrocked former D.C. Cardinal Theodore McCarrick dies at 94
By The Associated Press WASHINGTON — Theodore McCarrick, a once-powerful Catholic cardinal who was defrocked by Pope Francis in 2019 after a Vatican investigation determined he had molested adults and children, has died. He was 94. Archbishop of Washington Robert McElroy issued a statement Friday confirming McCarrick’s death a day earlier but provided no details.…
Barack Obama Reveals “Deep Deficit” in Michelle Obama Marriage
Former President Barack Obama shared rare insight into life with wife Michelle Obama and how their relationship has changed after he left the White House. Barack Obama is sharing rare insight into his marriage with Michelle Obama. The former U.S. president says he has been spending more time doing fun things with his wife after…
Venezuelans with legal status are being illegally detained in the US, lawyers say
Temporary protected status lets people stay when it’s not safe for them to go home, but Ice is arresting them anyway Venezuelans with legal permission to live and work in the United States are being unlawfully arrested by federal authorities at their homes, in their cars, at regular immigration check-ins and on the streets, attorneys…
Tornado Damage Surveys Are a Crucial Tool for Understanding These Dangerous Storms
The Crucial Role of Damage Surveys in Tornado Science Damage surveys provide crucial information about when, where and how strong U.S. tornadoes are to better understand disaster risk By Andrea Thompson edited by Dean Visser Structural damage is visible at Christ Community Church after a tornado struck on April 3, 2025, in Paducah, Ky. The…
The Messy End of Maria Shriver and Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Marriage
Maria Shriver has shared just how painful the implosion of her 25-year marriage to Arnold Schwarzenegger really was. Maria Shriver understandably needed some time to process what happened between her and ex-husband Arnold Schwarzenegger. She even got herself to a nunnery at one point, like “a scene out of The Sound of Music,” the mother of…
Starmer’s response to Trump tariffs is both to slow down and go faster
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer watched in his flat. Chancellor Rachel Reeves saw it in her study. The Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds, accompanied by staff and pizza, took in President Donald Trump’s big tariffs reveal on Wednesday from his office in Old Admiralty Arch, from where the British Navy was directed to protect and control…
‘Shame’ on world leaders for neglect of displaced civilians in DRC, says aid chief
US and Europe criticised by head of Norwegian Refugee Council for ‘neglect’ of people living ‘subhuman’ existence World leaders should be ashamed of their neglect of people whose lives were “hanging by a thread” at a time of surging violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the international charity leader Jan Egeland has…
How South Korea’s Democracy Prevailed Over a Reckless Leader
South Korea Turmoil Analysis The rise and fall of Yoon Suk Yeol exposed a vulnerability in South Korean democracy, but also a resilience. Its people were always ready to fight for it. Analysis The rise and fall of Yoon Suk Yeol exposed a vulnerability in South Korean democracy, but also a resilience. Its people were always…
More torrential rain and flash flooding are expected in waterlogged South and Midwest
By The Associated Press Many communities on Saturday were surveying the aftermath of tornadoes that destroyed entire neighborhoods and killed at least seven people, and the weather service warned that more twisters were possible in places this weekend. An additional weather-related death was also reported Friday — 9-year-old boy was swept away in flooding and…
Meta and Pinterest make secret donation to Molly Russell charity
Instagram’s owner Meta and Pinterest have made significant donations to a charity set up in the name of 14-year-old Molly Russell, the BBC understands. Molly, from Harrow in northwest London, took her own life in 2017 after being exposed to a stream of suicide and self-harm content on the two platforms. A coroner concluded the…
Utah’s Decision to Ban Fluoride Is a Bad Move for Kids
Opinion Cross CurrentsFridays Utah’s Decision to Ban Fluoride Is a Bad Move for Kids Becoming the first state to ban fluoride is going to cost Utah, both financially and dentally By Megha Satyanarayana Keep in touch with Cross Current: Get email alerts for this weekly column by Megha Satyanarayana Utah has just become the first…
Celebrity Paycheck Confessions: How Much Money Actors Really Make
From Pete Davidson’s SNL salary revelation to Jennifer Lopez and George Clooney doing passion projects for peanuts, here’s what stars have had to say about their paychecks, big and small. Admit it, you assume all actors are rich. That being in movies or on TV means they’re living in mansions, plural, and flying on private…
Trump Treats European Allies as a Cash Cow
Tariffs News Analysis President Trump has shown a willingness to fracture the trans-Atlantic alliance with his tariffs and demands for higher military spending. By Steven Erlanger Steven Erlanger is the chief diplomatic correspondent, Europe, and reported from Berlin. It was not long ago that President Joseph R. Biden Jr. was marshaling European allies to resist…
Don’t overthink the torpedo bats
Linda Holmes On Monday, March 31, at the Philadelphia Phillies’ home opener at Citizens Bank Park, with two outs in the bottom of the first inning, with the count at one ball and one strike, Phillies slugger Bryce Harper smacked the ball, hard. You could hear it — smack. And that home crowd (which I…
Amadou Bagayoko of music duo Amadou & Mariam dies aged 70
Malian singer and guitarist, who sold millions of albums with his wife, Mariam Doumbia, had been ill for a while, say family The guitarist and singer Amadou Bagayoko of the Malian music duo Amadou & Mariam has died aged 70 after an illness, his family said, paying tribute to the Grammy-nominated blind musician. Amadou and…
Whooping Cough Killed Two Children. Here’s How to Protect Kids
Whooping Cough Kills Two Babies as Cases Soar The bacterial infection pertussis has sparked an uptick in cases nationwide and has caused two deaths in Louisiana By Tanya Lewis edited by Dean Visser Join Our Community of Science Lovers! Two infants have died of whooping cough in Louisiana in the past six months, according to…
Trump’s tariffs have shaken the markets – how worried should we be?
As stock markets continue to tumble after the US imposition of sweeping and swingeing tariffs, many are asking does this qualify as a stock market “crash” and what that could mean for them. The word crash has been used sparingly over the decades and is usually reserved for a fall of over 20% from a…
Neil Young says he may be barred from returning to US over Donald Trump criticism
The US-Canadian dual citizen speculates he may be ‘barred or put in jail to sleep on a cement floor’ after his European tour, after years of speaking against Trump Neil Young has shared his concerns of being barred from the US after his European tour later this year, thanks to his outspoken critiques of Donald…
Hailey Bieber Is Giving Herself a Year Before Making This “Big” Choice
Hailey Bieber said she’s not making any “big hair decisions” for at least a year after giving birth to her and husband Justin Bieber’s son Jack Blues Bieber. Hailey Bieber is trying not to hit any rhode-blocks in her postpartum journey. That’s why the Rhode founder said she won’t be making any “big” changes to…
L.A. Dodgers bound for the White House to celebrate World Series championship
By Steve Futterman The L.A. Dodgers are headed to the White House Monday for a celebration of their World Series triumph, and for some players it’s been a difficult decision. Shortstop Mookie Betts announced Friday that he would attend, but he said it was especially challenging for him. “Being Black in America in a situation…
YouTuber Is Arrested After Leaving Diet Coke on Isolated Tribe’s Island
A 24-year-old American man went to a far-flung island in hopes of filming an encounter with the Sentinelese, the Indian authorities said. It is illegal to make contact with the tribe. By Christine Hauser and Hari Kumar Hari Kumar reported from New Delhi. An American tourist set off alone last week on an inflatable boat…
Ahead of pandemic talks, this doctor has nature on his mind
Dr. Neil Vora has spent much of his career chasing and treating infectious disease outbreaks, from the Ebola epidemic in West Africa to COVID-19 in New York City. His prescription for stopping the next one: Protect nature. two-thirds of emerging infectious diseases are caused by pathogens that originate in animals that have jumped into people…
Brain Structure That Filters Consciousness Identified
Scientists Identify a Brain Structure That Filters Consciousness Our conscious awareness may be governed by a structure deep in the brain By Smriti Mallapaty & Nature magazine An MRI image of the human brain. Join Our Community of Science Lovers! Neuroscientists have observed for the first time how structures deep in the brain are activated…
Federal judge rules return of Maryland man mistakenly deported to El Salvador prison
White House has said US courts can’t order return of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, whose wife has been protesting outside court A federal judge on Friday afternoon ordered the US to return a Maryland man mistakenly deported to an El Salvador prison after a Trump administration attorney was at a loss to explain what happened. The…
Worst week for US stocks since Covid crash as China hits back on tariffs
Stock market turmoil deepened on Friday, as China hit back at tariffs announced by Donald Trump, raising the likelihood of an extended trade war and damage to the global economy. All three major stock indexes in the US plunged more than 5%, with the S&P 500 dropping almost 6%, bringing to an end the worst…
How will the deep cuts at the Centers for Disease Control affect global programs?
By Fatma Tanis As of April 1, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has shut down its Maternal and Child Health Branch, which works with other countries to ensure that mothers and children at risk of or infected by HIV receive treatment. All 22 staff were terminated. That’s one of the ways that global…
Celebrations as South Korean Court Removes Impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol
South Korea Turmoil The country’s Constitutional Court formally ended the presidency of Yoon Suk Yeol for declaring martial law, ending months of turmoil. But the country remains deeply divided. By Choe Sang-HunJohn YoonYan Zhuang and Jin Yu Young Reporting from Seoul South Korea’s top court ended months of political turmoil when it unanimously decided to remove…
What Will Trump’s Tariffs Do to EU-China Trade Relations?
Tariffs The European Union is deepening other trade partnerships as U.S. relations sour. But with China, the relationship could get closer — or more combative. By Jeanna Smialek Reporting from Brussels President Trump’s tariffs mean that companies across the European Union and around the world are at risk of losing access to the world’s largest…
Steve Rosenberg: Trump takes US-Russia relations on rollercoaster ride
If I was writing a Russian language course for 2025, Lesson One would definitely contain the phrase for rollercoaster: Amerikanskiye gorki. It means, literally, American Hills. How appropriate. After all, with President Donald Trump now operating the ride, and Vladimir Putin pressing some of the buttons, US-Russian relations have become one of late, with highs…
Stocks sink in another brutal day, as Trump’s tariffs send global shockwaves
By Maria Aspan Wall Street is not Main Street — but this week, investors and consumers alike seem terrified of how President Trump’s tariffs could upend the global economy. The pain continued for U.S. stocks on Friday, a day after the stock market suffered its worst day in five years. Late on Friday morning, the…
Pierce Brosnan Reacts to Rumors Aaron Taylor-Johnson Will Play Bond
James Bond film alum Pierce Brosnan shared his thoughts on the idea of Aaron Taylor-Johnson playing 007 in a future film, amid rumors the actor is being considered for the role. Pierce Brosnan did not appear shaken by the latest James Bond casting rumor, but he was stirred. Following months of online speculation that Aaron…
The Kakeya Conjecture, a Decades-Old Math Problem, Is Solved in Three Dimensions
Mathematicians Solve Decades-Old Spinning Needle Puzzle For a long time, the Kakeya conjecture, which involves rotating an infinitely narrow needle, kept mathematicians guessing—until now By Manon Bischoff edited by Daisy Yuhas Join Our Community of Science Lovers! It is rare to read about “spectacular progress” or a “once-in-a-century” result in mathematics. That’s for good reason:…
‘Only job I know’: tiny Lesotho’s garment workers reel from Trump’s 50% tariffs
Impoverished African country is hit with highest tariff rate, overturning decades of global trade policy The day after Donald Trump announced sweeping global tariffs, Lesotho’s garment workers feared for their jobs. Last year, Lesotho sent about 20% of its $1.1bn (£845m) of exports to the US, most of it clothing under a continent-wide trade agreement…
Prince Harry Expresses ‘Relief’ Over Charity Commission’s Sentebale Investigation
A British regulator said it would examine concerns about Sentebale, the charity Harry co-founded, looking at its chair as well as its trustees. By Mark Landler Reporting from London Breaking days of silence after he was accused of bullying and harassment, Prince Harry said on Thursday that he welcomed news that the bitter dispute at…
What on Earth is a ‘conservation agreement’?
In this installment, we break down “conservation agreements,” an approach that helps conserve biodiversity while improving the quality of life for local communities. So: What is a ‘conservation agreement’? It’s a deal between a community and a group or person funding a conservation project (that could be a government, a non-profit, a foundation, a business…
What does gender have to do with conservation?
In a remote, arid region of southwest Madagascar, the main source of local income is women’s work. In this case, it’s octopus fishing. Each day, as the men of the community set sail at dawn to fish in deep waters, women wait for the tide to recede. Joined by their children and armed with well-used…
France backs bold new pact to save Amazon
Editor’s Note: Climate Week is taking place from September 23 to September 29. Check Conservation News for ongoing coverage of this global forum. A groundbreaking effort to protect the Amazon rainforest just got a massive boost. France has committed US$ 100 million to a new South American-led initiative, it was announced at a side event…
Meet a scientist: To study conservation, she studies people
Editor’s note: A 2017 survey found that 81 percent of Americans could not name a living scientist. No, not a single one. At Conservation International, we have lots of scientists you should know. Here’s one Studying nature is the work of environmental scientists. But studying the conservation of nature — how it works, and how…
Bonobo Calls Are More like Human Language Than We Thought
Bonobos’ Complex Calls Share an Extraordinary Trait with Human Language Bonobos’ grunts, peeps and whistles may share an advanced linguistic property with human language By Cody Cottier edited by Allison Parshall We humans concoct never-before-heard sentences with ease, embedding phrases within phrases to express the wildest ideas we can dream up (“the purple pangolin that…
Activist takes case over Trinidad’s homophobic laws to UK’s privy council
Legislation was repealed in 2018 but Caribbean country’s supreme court last week recriminalised the act after appeal The privy council in London will soon be called upon to make the final decision on a court case to remove homophobic laws in Trinidad and Tobago. The laws were repealed in 2018 in a high court judgment…
Why Fans Think Brooklyn Beckham Is Feuding With Brother Romeo Beckham
After Brooklyn Beckham and wife Nicola Peltz skipped several public appearances alongside their famous family, rumors of a rift between him and brother Romeo Beckham have emerged. There may be a bend in the Beckham family. While David Beckham and Victoria Beckham’s four kids—Brooklyn, 26, Romeo, 22, Cruz, 20, and Harper, 13—have enjoyed a tight…
Chris Mason: Tariffs are yet another example of colossal, upending change
A week ago, Westminster was digesting the chancellor’s Spring Statement and all the talk was of a tightrope walk and precarious public finances. Next, let’s go back nearly two decades to the financial crisis and the historically poor growth and negligible average earnings growth that has afflicted the UK ever since. And then recall the…
Microsoft turns 50: A look back at everything from the Altair to the Zune
By Monica Nickelsburg It all started with two kids who shared a geeky hobby. By 1971, they’d taken so many liberties with the lab’s equipment that its director sent Allen a letter demanding he turn in his key. Little did Allen know that in 2017, he’d read that letter aloud to a crowd gathered to…
New science: rare plants, climate consequences, marine movement
Protecting nature starts with science. Here’s a roundup of recent science published by Conservation International experts. Nearly 40 percent of global plant species are categorized as “very rare” — observed less than five times ever — and are most at risk for extinction as climate change accelerates, according to a recent report. Conservation International scientist…
Expert: To prevent pandemics like COVID-19, ‘take care of nature’
This post was updated on May 13, 2020. Likely sourced to a live animal and fish market in China, COVID-19 has spread around the world at lightning speed, infecting more than 4.2 million people and killing nearly 300,000 people to date. Many countries are taking severe measures to stem the virus’s spread, from locking down…
Study: Protect these places — or face climate doom
To stop climate catastrophe, there are certain places on Earth that we simply cannot afford to destroy, according to new research by Conservation International scientists. Compiling carbon data from forests, grasslands and wetlands, the scientists determined how much carbon is stored in ecosystems across the globe and measured how long it would take to get…
New NASA maps will help Liberia chart course for a sustainable future
Within Liberia’s borders lies one of the last strongholds of intact forests in West Africa. But as Liberia’s economy recovers following years of civil war, experts fear that these forests — and other ecosystems across the country — could become victims of unsustainable oil palm development, urbanization and logging. To prevent this, the Liberian government must…
Thomas Lovejoy, ‘godfather of biodiversity,’ dies at 80
The conservation movement has lost one of its giants. His loss reverberated throughout the conservation world. “I am terribly saddened to hear about the passing of Tom Lovejoy,” said Conservation International CEO M. Sanjayan. “He was a giant in conservation, a champion for the Amazon, and above all a kind and generous scientist. Tom was…
What on Earth is ‘HFLD’? (Hint: It’s about forests)
Editor’s note: From “blue carbon” to “ecosystem services,” environmental jargon is everywhere these days. Conservation International looks to make sense of it in an occasional explainer series we’re calling “What on Earth?” In this installment, we explore the role “HFLDs” play in storing climate-warming carbon. You climate people and your acronyms. Yes, we really do…
South Korea’s president removed from office over ill-fated declaration of martial law
By The Associated Press SEOUL, South Korea — South Korea’s Constitutional Court removed impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol from office on Friday, ending his tumultuous presidency four months after he threw South Korean politics into turmoil with an ill-fated declaration of martial law and setting up an election to replace him. The unanimous verdict capped…
How Teddi Mellencamp & Ex Edwin Arroyave Told Kids About Her Cancer
Teddi Mellencamp and her estranged husband Edwin Arroyave have been direct about her stage 4 cancer with their three kids, who Edwin says have “been strong” amid the scary health battle. Teddi Mellencamp is definitely keeping it real. As the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills alum continues to battle stage 4 cancer, her estranged husband…
Israel Hits Syria With New Strikes and Ground Raid as Tensions Soar
Syria After Civil War Israel defended the moves as necessary security measures, but Syria accused it of trying to destabilize the country. By Carlotta Gall Reporting from Damascus, Syria Syria accused Israel on Thursday of trying to destabilize the country after intense airstrikes on military bases and a deadly raid in southern Syria, part of…
Canada to counter ‘unjustified’ US tariffs with 25% taxes on US cars, says Carney
Canadian prime minister says country will impose taxes on US vehicles not compliant with continental free trade deal Canada will retaliate against “unjustified, unwarranted” tariffs imposed by the United States with a 25% tax on US vehicles, says Mark Carney. On Wednesday, Donald Trump announced wide-ranging tariffs on dozens of countries, but did not add…
The Uninhabited Heard and McDonald Islands, Targeted by Tariffs, Are a Biological Wonderland
Trump’s tariffs put a spotlight on the uninhabited Heard and McDonald Islands, which comprise a remote volcanic refuge for penguins and seals and a UNESCO World Heritage site By Andrea Thompson edited by Dean Visser A handout photo taken on November 21, 2012 and released on October 8, 2024 by the Australian Antarctic Division shows…