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 […]
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…
Judge considers ‘contempt’ after Trump officials stonewall ruling on migrant removal flights
By Sergio Martínez-Beltrán , Joel Rose WASHINGTON — A federal judge on Thursday said there is a “fair likelihood” the Trump administration violated his orders over its decision to allow two flights carrying migrants to continue to El Salvador last month despite his ruling ordering the planes back. U.S. District Judge James Boasberg Thursday pushed,…
Javier Milei, Trump’s ‘Favorite President,’ Has Few Deals to Offer — but Lots of Adoration
Trump Administration News Analysis Javier Milei of Argentina might not be that useful for the United States on economics or geopolitics — but he can help to fight the culture wars. By Jack Nicas Jack Nicas has covered the rise of Javier Milei in Argentina. He reported from Buenos Aires. The day after President Trump…
Steepest drop for US stocks since 2020 as China and EU vow to hit back on Trump tariffs
Global stocks have sunk, a day after President Donald Trump announced sweeping new tariffs that are forecast to raise prices and weigh on growth in the US and abroad. The S&P 500, which tracks 500 of the biggest American firms, plunged 4.8% – its worst day since Covid crashed the economy in 2020. Nike, Apple…
Meta faces £1.8bn lawsuit over claims it inflamed violence in Ethiopia
Son of murdered academic calls on Facebook owner to ‘radically change how it moderates dangerous content’ Meta faces a $2.4bn (£1.8bn) lawsuit accusing the Facebook owner of inflaming violence in Ethiopia after the Kenyan high court said a legal case against the US tech group could go ahead. The case brought by two Ethiopian nationals…
World Bank announces multimillion-dollar redress fund after killings and abuse claims at Tanzanian project
Communities in Ruaha national park reject response to alleged assault and evictions of herders during tourism scheme funded by the bank The World Bank is embarking on a multimillion-dollar programme in response to alleged human rights abuses against Tanzanian herders during a flagship tourism project it funded for seven years. Allegations made by pastoralist communities…
Ignoring Protests, Thailand Opens Door to Myanmar’s Military Leader
Earthquake in Myanmar and Thailand Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, who has long been treated like a pariah on the global stage, is visiting Bangkok barely a week after an earthquake that killed at least 3,000 people in his country. By Sui-Lee Wee Reporting from Bangkok For years, Myanmar’s army chief, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, has…
Free People Quietly Added Rompers, Matching Sets & More to Sale
Start your spring right with these effortlessly cool Free People styles and cult-favorite denim, all under $50. Our writers and editors independently determine what we cover and recommend. When you buy through our links, E! may earn a commission. Learn more. What is better than a sale? The thrill of a price tag reduced and the…
Why Some People Follow Authoritarian Leaders—And The Key to Stopping It
Opinion Why Some People Follow Authoritarian Leaders—And The Key to Stopping It By Danny Osborne The reelection of Donald Trump, perhaps more than any other event in modern history, has thrust authoritarianism into the spotlight. From media pundits to conversations held in coffee shops, people are talking about authoritarian leaders. And for good reasons. President…
We tried out the Nintendo Switch 2 — it’s a solid console sequel
James Perkins Mastromarino The Nintendo Switch 2 launches June 5, and costs a lofty $449. The price announcement came hours before President Trump declared sweeping tariffs on all imports to the United States. It didn’t take long for gamers to blame the ballooning prices on the administration’s ongoing trade war. The $449 tag approaches the…
How were Trump’s tariffs calculated?
US President Donald Trump has imposed a 10% tariff on goods from most countries being imported into the US, with even higher rates for what he calls the “worst offenders”. But how exactly were these tariffs – essentially taxes on imports – worked out? BBC Verify has been looking at the calculations behind the numbers.…
The Country Was Fake. But Its Land Grab in Bolivia Was Real.
Emissaries of the “United States of Kailasa,” led by a fugitive holy man, were deported after negotiating 1,000-year deals with Indigenous groups. By Mujib MashalMaría Silvia Trigo and Pragati K.B. Mujib Mashal and Pragati K.B. reported from New Delhi, and María Silvia Trigo from Santa Cruz, Bolivia. They call themselves emissaries of the world’s first…
Markets in Asia and Europe fall following U.S. announcement of global tariffs
By The Associated Press BANGKOK — Shares tumbled in Europe and Asia and U.S. futures tumbled Thursday following U.S. President Donald Trump ‘s announcement of big increases in tariffs on imports of goods from around the world. The double-digit tariff hikes sent shivers across world markets, as economists warned it raises the risk of recession.…
Asian countries riven by war and disaster face some of steepest Trump tariffs
Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos hit with rates over 40% as experts say the real target is China Developing nations in south-east Asia, including wartorn and earthquake-hit Myanmar, and several African nations are among the trading partners facing the highest tariffs set by Donald Trump. Upending decades of US trade policy and threatening to unleash a…
The Science behind Baseball’s ‘Torpedo Bats’
Why the New ‘Torpedo Bat’ Is Hitting It out of the Park After a stellar Yankees win on Saturday, torpedo bats are in the spotlight. Is there science behind these baseball bats? By Stephanie Pappas edited by Dean Visser The New York Yankees’ Austin Wells swings the new torpedo bat and hits a home run…
The countries hit hardest by new US tariffs – the plan at a glance
US President Donald Trump announced a sweeping new set of tariffs on Wednesday, arguing that they would allow the United States to economically flourish. These new import taxes, which Trump imposed via executive order, are expected to send economic shockwaves around the world. But the US president believes they are necessary to address trading imbalances…
Why Aurora Physicists Are Excited about Fram2’s Private Astronauts
Aurora Scientists Enlist Private Astronauts on Unusual Space Mission The commercial astronauts onboard SpaceX’s Fram2 mission are flying closer to Earth’s poles than anyone has before, offering an intriguing opportunity for auroral science By Meghan Bartels edited by Lee Billings STEVE (strong thermal emission velocity enhancement) is seen in the night sky over a house…
Kris Jenner Disagrees With Kourtney Kardashian Co-Sleeping With Rocky
Kris Jenner shared her honest thoughts about daughter Kourtney Kardashian sleeping alongside her and Travis Barker’s 17-month-old son Rocky Barker. Kris Jenner isn’t quite ready to keep up with a newer style of parenting. In fact, the matriarch admitted to daughter Kourtney Kardashian, who welcomed baby Rocky Barker with husband Travis Barker in November 2023,…
UK firms react: ‘A huge blow to Scotland’s whisky industry’
US President Donald Trump has unveiled a list of tariffs on countries across the world that send their products to America. The UK will be subject to 10% tariffs. We’ve spoken to firms which export to the US from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland about what they think the impact on their businesses will…
Grilled by Senate, Boeing CEO admits to “serious missteps” on safety
By David Schaper Under sharp questioning from U.S. Senators Wednesday, the CEO of Boeing acknowledged a lax safety culture existed at the aircraft manufacturer but denied workers on Boeing’s factory floors were being pressured to speed up lagging production. Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg, who was appointed to his post just last August, appeared before the…
With Trump’s Tariffs, the Chasm Between Allies and the U.S. Widens
Tariffs President Trump announced sweeping levies on countries across the world. Washington’s partners have been bracing for the fallout. By Jeanna Smialek and Natalie Kitroeff Jeanna Smialek reported from Brussels and Natalie Kitroeff from Mexico City. President Trump’s announcement of sweeping tariffs on America’s trading partners has widened the rift between the United States and…
New science: saving life on land, record-breaking rays, freshwater action plan
Protecting nature starts with science. Here’s a roundup of recent scientific research published by Conservation International experts. Reforesting the tropics could be an effective strategy for conserving threatened wildlife while slowing climate change, according to a new study. A 2019 UN report revealed that more than 1 million terrestrial species across the globe are at…
News spotlight: Sea creatures could harbor the next generation of medications, but are they at risk?
Editor’s note: News about conservation and the environment is made every day, but some of it can fly under the radar. In a recurring feature, Conservation News shares a recent news story that you should know about. Forests have long yielded lifesaving medicines. From cancer drugs like vincristine to quinine for malaria, about a quarter…
Canada Trump tariff exemption ‘like dodging a bullet into the path of a tank’, says business leader
Automotive industry and prime minister Mark Carney note that 25% tariffs on Canadian steel, aluminum and automobiles will still come into effect within hours Canada’s exemption from Donald Trump’s global tariffs was “like dodging a bullet into the path of a tank”, say business leaders as other levies are poised to hit key industries that…
Sen. Cory Booker on his marathon, 25-hour speech on the Senate floor
By Juana Summers , Tyler Bartlam , Patrick Jarenwattananon On Monday evening, Sen. Cory Booker stood on the Senate floor and began a speech criticizing the Trump administration. The 55-year-old Democrat from New Jersey kept talking and talking — through the night and into the next — for 25 hours and 5 minutes. He did…
Tiny, Injectable Pacemaker Runs on Light and then Dissolves
Tiny, Injectable Pacemaker Runs on Light and then Dissolves This temporary pacemaker, smaller than a grain of rice, could regulate the heart less invasively By Payal Dhar edited by Sarah Lewin Frasier A pacemaker uses electricity to regulate heartbeats. Join Our Community of Science Lovers! Temporary pacemakers can be used as a stopgap measure to…
Myanmar Military Fires on Chinese Red Cross Convoy in Quake Zone
Earthquake in Myanmar and Thailand It remains unclear whether the cease-fire would be honored. It comes a day after soldiers fired at a Chinese Red Cross aid convoy, and amid multiple airstrikes. By Sui-Lee Wee Reporting from Bangkok Myanmar’s military on Wednesday declared a 21-day cease-fire to support relief and reconstruction efforts in the wake of a…
Trump administration deports more alleged gang members to El Salvador
Move is latest in controversial method of deporting people from Guantánamo to prison abroad without US due process The 17 additional people the US shipped off to a prison in El Salvador on Sunday and accused of being tied to transnational gangs were sent there from immigration detention at Guantánamo Bay, a White House official…
Inside Mandalay: BBC finds huge devastation and little help for Myanmar quake survivors
Warning: This article contains details and images that some readers may find distressing Driving into Mandalay, the massive scale of the destruction from last Friday’s earthquake revealed itself bit by bit. In nearly every street we turned into, especially in the northern and central parts of the city, at least one building had completely collapsed,…
Israel Announces Plans to Seize ‘Large Areas’ of Gaza as It Expands Offensive Against Hamas
Middle East Tensions The announcement suggests that Israel is shifting tactics to hold on to swaths of the territory, at least temporarily. By Aaron Boxerman Reporting from Jerusalem The Israeli government on Wednesday laid out plans to expand its renewed military offensive in the Gaza Strip and seize large parts of the enclave, a strategy…
Trump set to announce new round of tariffs on his so-called ‘liberation day’
President’s plans have rattled global stock markets and triggered heated rows with US’s largest trading partners Donald Trump will announce his latest round of tariffs at the White House on Wednesday, threatening to unleash a global trade war on what he has dubbed “liberation day”. Trump has rattled global stock markets, alarmed corporate executives and…
Rosario Dawson Reacts to Ex Cory Booker’s 25-Hour Senate Speech
Rosario Dawson reacted to ex Cory Booker’s historically long Senate speech, which ran for just over 25 hours. The two dated from late 2019 to 2022. Rosario Dawson has no bad blood with Cory Booker. In fact, the Kids actress recently shared her excitement after her ex-boyfriend made history with his 25-hour and five-minute filibuster…
Federal judge drops corruption case against New York City Mayor Eric Adams
By Ryan Lucas , Carrie Johnson A federal judge on Wednesday formally dismissed the corruption case against New York City Mayor Eric Adams, granting the controversial request from the Justice Department that generated a public outcry and spurred the largest mass resignation of senior federal prosecutors in decades. The order from U.S. Judge Dale Ho…
Psychology’s Groupthink Helps Explain the Signal Chat Fiasco
Opinion ArgonautWednesdays By Dan Vergano U.S. President Donald Trump, U.S. National Security Adviser Michael Waltz, U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, on March 13, 2025 in Washington, D.C. Waltz, Vance, and Hegseth have faced criticism for communicating their plans and rationale for bombing Yemen via the encrypted messaging app Signal. Keep…
‘He is not a gang member’: outrage as US deports makeup artist to El Salvador prison for crown tattoos
Andry José Hernández Romero sent to an El Salvador prison after claim ‘crown’ tattoos proved he was a gang member For as long as anyone can remember Andry José Hernández Romero was enthralled by the annual Three Kings Day celebrations for which his Venezuelan home town is famed, joining thousands of fellow Christians on the…
SpaceX’s Fram2 Mission Sends Four Private Astronauts into Polar Orbit
SpaceX Hits New Milestone with Fram2, the First-Ever Crewed Polar Mission The privately funded Fram2 mission is the first ever to take astronauts into polar orbit—and the latest sign of a “new normal” for human spaceflight By Lee Billings edited by Dean Visser A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with the Fram2 mission astronauts aboard soars…
A Prison Death Highlights Russia’s LGBTQ Crackdown
Russia-Ukraine War The Russian government has unleashed a wave of repression against L.G.B.T.Q. people, with the police raiding gay night clubs and investigators targeting people they suspect of being gay. By Nataliya Vasilyeva and Alina Lobzina The travel agency offered tours aimed solely at men, and that was enough to attract the attention of the…
Val Kilmer, Top Gun and Batman Forever Actor, Dead at 65
Val Kilmer—best known for his roles in Top Gun and Batman Forever—died of pneumonia April 1, according to his family. He was 65. Hollywood has lost a beloved actor. Val Kilmer, who starred as Tom “Iceman” Kazansky in 1986’s Top Gun and the titular superhero in 1995’s Batman Forever—died of pneumonia April 1, his daughter…
Heathrow warned by airlines about power supply before shutdown
Heathrow Airport was warned about the “resilience” of its power supply days before a fire which shut down the airport for over a day last month. Nigel Wicking, chief executive of the Heathrow Airline Operators’ Committee, told a group of MPs on Wednesday that he spoke to the Team Heathrow director on 15 March about…
Today is Trump’s ‘Liberation Day.’ What does that mean for tariffs?
Danielle Kurtzleben On Wednesday, President Trump is set to unveil what he has been calling “reciprocal tariffs” — taxes on imported goods from a broad range of countries aimed at penalizing them for their trade barriers. It’s a push he is branding as “Liberation Day,” promising it will bring in foreign tariff revenues to be…
How Jason Kelce and Kylie Kelce Name Their Baby Girls
Kylie Kelce and Jason Kelce announced the birth of their fourth daughter Finnley Anne Kelce—but how do they choose their baby girls’ names? She explains. Jason Kelce and Kylie Kelce are now coaches to four little ones. The former Philadelphia Eagles football player and Not Gonna Lie podcast host—who share daughters Wyatt, 5, Elliotte, 4,…
Drug-rape student – 23 more women make allegations
Twenty-three more women have come forward to the police with allegations against serial rapist Zhenhao Zou – a Chinese PhD student found guilty in London last month of drugging and raping 10 women across two continents. Police said at the conclusion of his trial they had video evidence, filmed by Zou himself, of potentially 50…
Netanyahu Drops Nominee for Spy Chief After Backlash
Middle East Tensions Eli Sharvit was a controversial choice after Israel’s prime minister fired his predecessor. Revelations that he wrote a column criticizing President Trump may have helped sink his chances. By Aaron Boxerman Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel backed away from his nominee to lead Israel’s domestic intelligence service on Tuesday, after conservative…
Chester zoo unveils £28m ‘Africa’ facility – complete with chilly giraffes
Nine-hectare site home to 57 species including rhino, zebras and ostriches in UK’s biggest such development “Although we are trying to replicate Uganda and Kenya we are actually in Cheshire so the weather is slightly different,” admits Chester zoo boss, Jamie Christon, on a fresh and very grey Monday morning. But ignore the chilliness and…
NIH Director Removes Four Main Scientists amid Massive Staff Purge
NIH Director Removes Four Main Scientists amid Massive Staff Purge The Trump Administration has fired four leaders and thousands of employees at the National Institutes of Health in “one of the darkest days” By Max Kozlov & Nature magazine Jay Bhattacharya took office as director of the US National Institutes of Health on April 1,…
Trump and Musk’s backing wasn’t enough to flip Wisconsin Supreme Court
From By Anya van Wagtendonk MADISON, Wisc. – County judge Susan Crawford has won election to the Wisconsin Supreme Court, according to a race call by the Associated Press. Crawford defeated Brad Schimel, who received financial support from Elon Musk and an endorsement from President Donald Trump. Her victory means that the nonpartisan court’s 4-3…
U.N. Accuses Israel of Killing 15 Rescue Workers in Gaza
Middle East Tensions The United Nations said Israeli forces killed the people as they were trying to aid injured civilians, then buried them in a mass grave. Israel said nine of the 15 dead were Palestinian militants. By Vivian Yee and Farnaz Fassihi Vivian Yee reported from Cairo, and Farnaz Fassihi from the United Nations.…
Hotel Where Brett Gardner’s Son Died Denies Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
The Costa Rica hotel where Brett Gardner’s 14-year-old son Miller Gardner died alleged officials made “an error,” saying the level of carbon monoxide found in the family’s room was “non-lethal.” Miller Gardner‘s new possible cause of death is being disputed. After Costa Rican officials said they discovered “high levels of carbon monoxide contamination” within the…
BBC finds fear, loss and hope in Sudan’s ruined capital after army victory
The battered heart of Khartoum lies eerily quiet now, after weeks of intense urban combat in the Sudanese capital. We entered the city just days after Sudan’s army recaptured it from the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the culmination of a six-month offensive through the central part of the country. Once the commercial heart and…
Donald Trump signs off UK’s handover of Chagos Islands to Mauritius
No 10 says deal to cede UK’s last African colony now being finalised after months of doubt Donald Trump has signed off the UK’s handover of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, Downing Street has indicated, paving the way for the UK to cede sovereignty over its last African colony after a six-month standoff. Under the…
Druse Militia Refuse to Join Syria’s New Army
Syria After Civil War The militias that control the Druse religious minority’s heartland in southwestern Syria have resisted the new government’s attempts to bring all armed groups under its control. Military training for Druse men by the Mountain Brigade near Sweida, Syria, in January. By Christina Goldbaum and Reham Mourshed Photographs and Video by David…
What kind of support is the U.S. offering in the wake of the Myanmar quake?
By Melody Schreiber Current and former USAID staff are raising questions about the immediacy and impact of the U.S. response to the earthquake that rocked Myanmar and surrounding countries on Friday, particularly after massive budget cuts and the termination of nearly all staff at the U.S. Agency for International Development. The magnitude 7.7 quake hit…
OnlyFans’ Michael Duvall Apologizes for Creating Content at a Daycare
Content creator Michael Duvall addressed backlash for filming his OnlyFans content at a daycare where he worked: “It would have happened at that time at any job I worked at.” Michael Duvall is sharing his side of the story. The OnlyFans influencer addressed backlash after taking NSFW content while working at a daycare. “I posted…
People displaced by Uganda oil pipeline ‘received inadequate compensation’
Many of the people displaced by Eacop project were inadequately rehoused or compensated, report says People displaced from their homes alongside the site of an oil pipeline under construction in Uganda have complained of being inadequately rehoused or compensated. When completed, the East African crude oil pipeline (Eacop) will transport oil from the Tilenga and…
As Happened in Texas, Ignoring EPA Science Will Allow Pollution and Cancer to Fester
Opinion As Happened in Texas, Ignoring EPA Science Will Allow Pollution and Cancer to Fester Trump administration plans to destroy EPA science will leave the air we breathe and the water we drink more polluted By Jennifer Sass Cows graze near the Oak Grove Power Plant in Robertson County, Texas, subject to EPA (Environmental Protection…
Prince Harry charity engulfed by cash fears, insiders claim
Financial worries and disagreements about fundraising helped inflame the row that has engulfed the charity founded by Prince Harry, insiders close to former trustees told BBC News. An acrimonious boardroom battle has seen Prince Harry, his co-founder Prince Seeiso of Lesotho and trustees resign from their roles at the charity and insiders claimed personality clashes…