JWST Sees Hints of an Atmosphere on a Potentially Habitable Exoplanet
Hints of Atmosphere on Earth-Sized Exoplanet Raise Hopes for Life A monumental sign of an atmosphere on TRAPPIST-1e could be the precursor to finally finding a living world around another star By Jonathan O’Callaghan edited by Lee Billings This artist’s concept shows the volatile red dwarf star TRAPPIST-1 and its four most closely orbiting planets, […]
How to See Faster-Than-Light Motion
The UniverseFridays How to See Faster-Than-Light Motion Superluminal velocities are common but illusory By Phil Plait edited by Clara Moskowitz The light echo around the star V838 Monocerotis as seen by the Hubble Space Telescope in November 2005. Stay connected to The Universe: Get email alerts for this weekly column by Phil Plait When I […]
How Many Planets Orbit Our Nearest Neighboring Star?
New Instrument Checks on Proxima Centauri’s Planets Fresh results from near-infrared instruments foretell a bright future for finding life elsewhere in the Milky Way By Ivan Farkas edited by Lee Billings An artist’s impression of the Proxima Centauri system, with the planets Proxima b and Proxima d—the latter confirmed by the NIRPS planet-hunting instrument. Some […]
Starship’s 10th flight breaks streak of bad luck
Nell Greenfieldboyce SpaceX’s massive Starship rocket racked up some much-needed successes on its 10th test flight, hitting key test objectives and breaking a streak of failures that bedeviled the spaceship this year. The silver and black two-stage rocket, which stands about 400 feet tall, blasted off from the SpaceX facility in south Texas near Boca […]
SpaceX Successfully Launches Starship Spacecraft After String of Mishaps
SpaceX Successfully Launches Starship Spacecraft after String of Mishaps Overcoming three recent failed tries, Elon Musk’s rocket company successfully flew its reusable jumbo booster and upper-stage Starship spacecraft By Dan Vergano edited by Clara Moskowitz An earlier SpaceX Starship and Super Heavy booster are moved to the launch pad at Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas. […]
Sudan says plan for first Russian naval base in Africa will go ahead
Two countries’ foreign ministers meet in Moscow and agree there are no obstacles to long-delayed plan A plan for Russia to establish its first naval base in Africa will go ahead, Sudan’s foreign minister has confirmed, after years of delays over the Red Sea military port. If the agreement is implemented, Russia would join the…
Reeves’s CV exaggerated time at Bank of England
Rachel Reeves’s online CV exaggerates how long she spent working at the Bank of England. The Chancellor left the financial institution nine months earlier than she states in her LinkedIn profile. This means she spent five and a half years working at the bank – including nearly a year studying – despite publicly claiming to…
Khloe Kardashian Punched Lamar Odom After Learning of His Drug Use
Khloe Kardashian said she punched ex Lamar Odom when she found out he went back to doing drugs after his 2015 overdose: “I shattered everything in that house.” Khloe Kardashian is done keeping up with her ex-husband Lamar Odom‘s secrets. In fact, the reality star had no problem confronting him over his past substance abuse…
New Mexico jury convicts former officer in fatal shooting of Black man at gas station
By The Associated Press SANTA FE, N.M. — A former police officer was found guilty Wednesday of voluntary manslaughter in the fatal shooting of a Black man during a 2022 confrontation at a New Mexico gas station. Las Cruces police Officer Brad Lunsford’s verdict in a jury trial is the latest outcome in cases that…
Sea Turtle Dance Reveals a Hidden Magnetic Ability
The Surprising Importance of This Adorable Sea Turtle Dance Sea turtles are capable of creating GPS-like magnetic maps to guide them back to foraging grounds, and they do a little dance when they recognize those spots By Jack Tamisiea edited by Andrea Thompson If you’re enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing.…
U.S. Is Releasing Russian Cybercriminal to Moscow, Officials Say
The release is part of a swap with the Kremlin that freed an American schoolteacher being held in a Russian prison. By Anton TroianovskiMaggie HabermanJulian E. Barnes and Jonathan Swan Anton Troianovski reported from Dubai and Maggie Haberman, Julian E. Barnes and Jonathan Swan reported from Washington, D.C. The Trump administration is preparing to release…
Ukraine war talks start now, Trump says after Putin call
US President Donald Trump has said he had a “lengthy and highly productive” phone call with Vladimir Putin on Wednesday in which the leaders agreed to begin negotiations to end the war in Ukraine. In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump said he and the Russian president had “agreed to have our respective…
Modi Hopes a White House Visit Will Keep India Out of Trump’s Sights
Trump Tariffs India is acutely aware that trade and immigration issues are a potential double whammy. But it believes it can preserve growing ties. By Mujib Mashal Reporting from New Delhi As he prepared to go to Washington this week, India’s prime minister, Narendra Modi, spoke of building on the warm relations he shared with…
ACLU and other advocates sue for access to migrants moved to Guantánamo Bay
Sacha Pfeiffer A coalition of immigrant rights and legal aid groups, led by the American Civil Liberties Union, has sued the Trump administration, demanding that migrants flown by the government to a U.S. detention facility in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, be given access to lawyers. Wednesday’s lawsuit says the Trump administration, after sending dozens of migrants…
HBO Shares Spellbinding Casting Update on Harry Potter TV Series
HBO shared a casting update for its Harry Potter TV series adaptation after rumors began swirling that John Lithgow was in final negotiations to play Dumbledore in the show, set to premiere in 2026. Accio Harry Potter cast details. HBO shared insight into the casting process of its highly anticipated Harry Potter TV adaptation after…
New Bird Flu Strain in Cows and Animal Infections Raise Concern for Human Exposure
The Latest on Bird Flu Strains and Sick Zoo Animals Scientists have reported a new strain of bird flu in Nevada dairy cattle. And viral spread in pet cats has fueled worries over increased risk of exposure to humans By Tanya Lewis edited by Lauren J. Young Join Our Community of Science Lovers! We’re covering…
Trump’s disdain for South American allies is China’s gain
The US is targeting its own allies and its withdrawal from the region has left a power vacuum for China to fill in While Donald Trump and his Colombian counterpart, Gustavo Petro, were engaged in a very public row over the deportation of migrants last month, China’s ambassador to Bogotá was enthusiastically tweeting that diplomatic…
Steve Rosenberg: Trump offers Putin a way back in from the cold
A single phone call will not magically end the war in Ukraine. Talks may now get under way. Exactly when and how they will conclude isn’t clear. But President Vladimir Putin has already scored something of a diplomatic victory simply by holding this telephone conversation. After all, three years ago he was out in the…
Teddi Mellencamp Has Multiple Brain Tumors, Will Undergo Surgery
Real Housewives of Beverly Hills alum Teddi Mellencamp shared she’s having emergency surgery after doctors recently found multiple tumors in her brain. Teddi Mellencamp is facing another health scare. The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills alum shared she has been diagnosed with multiple brain tumors. “For the last several weeks I’ve been dealing with severe and…
Trump Gives EPA One Week to Decide on Abandoning Climate Pollution Regulation
Trump Gives EPA One Week to Decide on Abandoning Climate Pollution Regulation President Trump ordered EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin to decide by next week whether the agency could abandon its authority to regulate climate pollution under the Clean Air Act By Jean Chemnick & E&E News Steam rises from the coal-fired Miller Power Plant in…
The Fiercest Fighting of the Ukraine War May Be in Russia
Russian soldiers are locked in a fierce battle to reclaim all of the Kursk region from the Ukrainian Army. Both sides view control of Kursk as a crucial element in expected peace talks promised by President Trump. Many residents of the region were forced to flee. An estimated 2,000 to 3,000 Russian civilians remain. The…
Love rats: Canadians get chance to feed rodents named after old flames to owls
Program is meant to help the endangered northern spotted owl – and it’s only C$5! – but rat lovers are not amused Revenge, they say, is a dish best served cold. And for an endangered owl breeding program in Canada, it’s also a dish best served dead. For the price of a coffee, spurned and…
Canada and Mexico tariffs risk inflating US housing crisis, Trump is warned
Exclusive: Dozens of congressional Democrats urge president to reconsider threatened import duties on US’s two largest trading partners Pressing ahead with steep tariffs on Canada and Mexico risks exacerbating the US housing crisis and threatening the broader economy, dozens of congressional Democrats have warned Donald Trump. The US president, after threatening to hit imports from…
Modi and Trump’s rapport may be tested as Indian prime minister visits Washington
By The Associated Press NEW DELHI — Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s longstanding bonhomie with President Donald Trump could be tested as the Indian leader kicks off a visit to Washington on Wednesday, eager to avoid tariffs that have been slapped on others and threats of further taxes and imports. India, a key strategic partner of…
Penguins Help to Map Antarctica’s Growing Mercury Threat
Penguins Help to Map Antarctica’s Growing Mercury Threat Molted penguin feathers record mercury infiltrating Antarctica’s food web By Gayoung Lee edited by Sarah Lewin Frasier Gentoo penguins have a wide geographic range, making them good targets for follow-up research. Join Our Community of Science Lovers! When Philip Sontag first visited Antarctica as a Ph.D. student,…
Super Bowl: Jason Kelce Reacts to Claim He Didn’t Support Travis Kelce
Jason Kelce was overcome with emotion as he recalled the backlash he received from fans who believed he was cheering against his brother Travis Kelce during the Super Bowl. Jason Kelce has nothing but brotherly love for Travis Kelce. The They Call It Late Night host became emotional as he made it clear that he…
In Trump’s Cross Hairs Over Taking Gazans, Egypt and Jordan Try Diversion
Trump Administration The U.S. president has repeatedly asked the two Mideast allies to take in two million Palestinians from Gaza. Both Egypt and Jordan have been trying to offer Mr. Trump help in other ways. By Vivian Yee and Alissa J. Rubin Finding themselves in the fickle cross hairs of President Trump, Jordan and Egypt…
How I exposed MI5’s lie about its violent abusive agent
Spies lie, but they are not meant to get caught. On a wet Friday evening in December, three MI5 lawyers sat in a room at the BBC’s headquarters in London. On the other side of the table were the BBC’s lawyers and me. No MI5 officers were present, after we refused a request for the…
Arrests of US citizens for cartel-related crimes in Mexico soared under Amlo
Sixfold rise from days of Peña Nieto suggests Americans have increasingly become pawns for drug gangs, study finds The number of Americans arrested in Mexico for offenses related to organized crime increased by 457% – or nearly sixfold – during the 2018-24 presidency of Andrés Manuel López Obrador compared with his predecessor, according to a…
Tom Brady Jokes About Bill Belichick and Girlfriend Jordon Hudson
Tom Brady reacted to a question about former NFL coach Bill Belichick’s relationship with 24-year-old Jordon Hudson, which hinted at the six-time Super Bowl-winner’s 48-year age gap. Tom Brady needs to call a timeout. The seven-time Super Bowl champ—who served as a commentator during the big game Feb. 9 between the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas…
Venezuelan Migrant Sent to Guantánamo Bay Is ‘Not a Criminal,’ Family Pleads
Luis Alberto Castillo arrived in the United States so that he could “give everything to his son,” said his sister. Then, while scrolling on TikTok, she found out he was headed to Guantánamo. Luis Alberto CastilloYajaira Castillo By Julie Turkewitz and Hamed Aleaziz Julie Turkewitz reported from Bogotá, Colombia, and Hamed Aleaziz from Washington. Luis…
Trump funding freeze could leave communities on their own as climate threats grow
By Michael Copley Removing lead paint and pipes. Cleaning up contaminated land. Monitoring pollution. Making houses more energy efficient. Installing solar panels in low-income neighborhoods. Those are some of the projects across the country that were cut off from federal funding when the Trump administration paused spending approved earlier by Congress. The sweeping move is…
Earth’s Inner Core Is Changing Shape
Earth’s Mysterious Inner Core Is Changing Shape Earth’s core is transforming, which could affect the length of our 24-hour day, Earth’s magnetic field, and more By Alexandra Witze & Nature magazine Earth’s inner core was long considered to be completely solid, but research has shown that it can be deformed. Join Our Community of Science…
MI5 lied to courts to protect neo-Nazi spy, after BBC revealed violent abuse
MI5 lied to three courts while defending its handling of a misogynistic neo-Nazi state agent who attacked his girlfriend with a machete, the BBC can reveal. Arguing for secrecy, the Security Service told judges it had stuck to its policy of not confirming or denying informants’ identities. In fact, MI5 had disclosed the man’s status…
Hitch Director Reveals Will Smith Feud 20 Years Later
Will Smith’s 2005 romantic comedy Hitch faced some behind-the-scenes drama, according to the film’s director Andy Tennant, who also revealed that the actor is working on a sequel without him. Will Smith’s foray into romantic comedies didn’t quite go off without a hitch. Two decades after the actor starred opposite Eva Mendes in the 2005…
Efforts to fight foreign influence and protect elections in question under Trump
Jenna McLaughlin The new Trump administration is moving quickly to roll back long-standing work to counter foreign influence in U.S. elections, work that began in the first Trump term after revelations about the extent and ambition of Russia’s efforts to sway the 2016 election. Staffers working on countering foreign mis- and disinformation as well as…
Schools tell BBC about ‘astronomical’ bills as 25-year repair contract heads into meltdown
Schools across a city are caught up in an increasingly bitter row over repairs, with some telling the BBC they’ve had to fight to get work done while paying “astronomical” charges over 25 years. The Stoke-on-Trent schools are all locked into a multi-million-pound Private Finance Initiative (PFI) contract, meaning they pay a company to keep…
Trump Spending Freeze on Rural Electric Co-ops Could Raise Energy Costs
Trump Spending Freeze on Rural Electric Co-ops Could Raise Energy Costs Billions of dollars for rural electric cooperatives are stuck in limbo as the Department of Agriculture continues the Trump administration’s funding freeze, despite federal court orders By Adam Aton & E&E News Electric co-ops have seen their funding frozen as the Trump administration halts…
Bo-Kaap: the candy-coloured corner of Cape Town facing tourism v heritage dilemma
Some locals in picturesque district of Bo-Kaap are fed up with influx of visitors, and worry about impact of gentrification After Table Mountain, the candy-coloured houses of Bo-Kaap have become one of Cape Town’s most iconic images, a key stop in any tourist’s visit to the South African city and a must-have for Instagram feeds.…
Can European ‘Boots on the Ground’ Help Protect Ukraine’s Security?
Russia-Ukraine War Deterring Russia from re-invading Ukraine, once this war ends, could require 150,000 troops and American help with air cover, intelligence and missile defense, experts say. By Steven Erlanger Steven Erlanger writes about European diplomacy. He reported this story in Washington, Paris, London and Berlin. President Trump has vowed to end the fighting in…
Israel says Gaza ceasefire will end if Hamas does not free hostages by Saturday
Israel’s prime minister has warned Hamas it will end the ceasefire in Gaza and resume intense fighting if the Palestinian group “does not return our hostages by Saturday noon”. Benjamin Netanyahu said he had ordered Israeli forces to amass inside and around Gaza in response to Hamas’s announcement that it was postponing freeing more hostages…
Why Private Forecasting Companies Can’t Replace the National Weather Service
Why Private Forecasting Companies Can’t Replace the National Weather Service NOAA and the NWS provide public weather data that private companies cannot recreate By Christine Wiedinmyer, Kari Bowen & The Conversation US A senior hurricane specialist works at the NOAA NWS National Hurricane Center in Miami, Florida. The following essay is reprinted with permission from…
‘Each of us is afraid’: Guinea’s junta leader tightens grip as opposition lies low
Mamady Doumbouya has led the country since a 2021 coup. Some fear he has no intention of relinquishing power Across Guinea’s capital, Conakry, billboards and posters proclaim the people’s loyalty to the vision of Mamady Doumbouya, the general who has led the west African country since a coup in September 2021. The iconography is omnipresent.…
Federal Reserve’s Jerome Powell says there’s no need to rush on interest rate cuts
Scott Horsley Don’t expect interest rates to fall any time soon. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell told a Senate Committee Tuesday that with a strong job market and with inflation still elevated, he and his colleagues “do not need to be in a hurry” to cut interest rates. Powell also fielded questions about President Trump’s…
Netanyahu Says Fighting in Gaza Will Resume if Hostages Are Not Freed Saturday
Middle East Tensions Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel said the cease-fire would end if Hamas did not release captives held in Gaza. But he did not say how many hostages had to be freed. By Lara Jakes Reporting from Jerusalem Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel warned Hamas on Tuesday that if hostages were…
Travis Kelce Skipped Chiefs’ After-Party Following Super Bowl Loss
Kansas City Chiefs player Travis Kelce skipped his team’s after-party following his Super Bowl LIX loss against the Philadelphia Eagles. Travis Kelce couldn’t do it with a broken heart. After the Kansas City Chiefs were defeated by Jalen Hurts and the Philadelphia Eagles in the Feb. 9 Super Bowl, the tight end sat out his…
Gaza Cease-Fire Deal Hangs in the Balance Ahead of Trump’s Meeting With Jordan’s King
Trump Administration Hamas and President Trump have threatened to upend the cease-fire. Analysts say those words could prove hollow, but the deal still may not last beyond early March. By Patrick Kingsley and Ronen Bergman The future of the cease-fire in Gaza, along with the territory’s long-term fate, hung in the balance on Tuesday as…
Campaigner for migrants in Libya targeted in spyware attack
Exclusive: Italy-based David Yambio, a critic of Meloni government, was told of attempt to compromise his phone An Italy-based human rights activist whose work supports the international criminal court in providing evidence about cases of abuse suffered by migrants and refugees held in Libyan detention camps and prisons has revealed that Apple informed him his…
tWich’s Mom Details Estrangement From Grandkids After His Death
Stephen “tWitch” Boss’ mother Connie Boss Alexander and his brother Dre Rose shared the events that led to their estrangement from his and Allison Holker’s children Maddox, Zaia and Wesley. Stephen “tWitch” Boss’ mother wants to repair her relationship with her grandchildren. More than two years after the Ellen DeGeneres Show producer’s death by suicide…
Policing in ‘hopeless position’ after court ruling on vetting, Met chief says
Policing has been left in a “hopeless position”, Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said, after the High Court ruled the force could not dismiss officers by removing their vetting clearance. The ruling came after Sgt Lino Di Maria mounted a legal challenge after having his vetting removed following sexual assault allegations, which he denied and…
Firearm Forensics is Still Troubled by Systemic Failure
Opinion Firearm Forensics Is Still Troubled by Systemic Failure Three forensic examiners at the Rhode Island State Crime Laboratory last year mistakenly concluded that cartridge cases from a crime scene matched a specific firearm. The error exposes systemic flaws that risk wrongful convictions By Nicholas Scurich edited by Megha Satyanarayana & Dan Vergano Forensics training…
John Bolton on expanding into Greenland
By Ashley Brown , Juana Summers , Matt Ozug There seems to be little that President Trump and one of his first-term national security advisers, John Bolton, agree on publicly these days — but one issue may be whether the U.S. should acquire Greenland from Denmark. Making Greenland an American territory or commonwealth, in Bolton’s…
Vance to attend international AI and security summits as Ukraine war and tariffs loom
By Willem Marx U.S. Vice President JD Vance has arrived in France as part of a European trip that will focus the new Trump administration’s attention on the regulation of artificial intelligence and the war in Ukraine, as Vance plans meetings with world leaders ranging from French President Emmanuel Macron to Indian Prime Minister Narendra…
Why Kid Rock Stormed Offstage at Jon Bon Jovi’s Nashville Bar
Kid Rock abruptly cut off a performance alongside Bon Jovi founding member David Bryan in Nashville after scolding the crowd for not clapping along to the music. Kid Rock isn’t afraid to clap back. The “All Summer Long” singer joined Bon Jovi founding member David Bryan onstage as the keyboardist celebrated his 63rd birthday Feb.…
Trump administration targets Education Department research arm in latest cuts
By Jonaki Mehta , Cory Turner An independent research arm within the U.S. Department of Education is being all but shut down, employees of the department say. The Institute of Education Sciences (IES) is responsible for gathering and disseminating data on a wide range of topics, including research-backed teaching practices and the state of U.S.…
Monday briefing: Why the brutal fighting in the Democratic Republic of Congo could spiral into wider war
Good morning. Over the weekend, the presidents of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Rwanda – Félix Tshisekedi and Paul Kagame – were among those who took part in a regional summit aimed at ending the resurgent violence in eastern DRC. The summit ended with a call for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire.…
Hamas blames Israel as it postpones hostage release
A spokesman for the armed wing of Hamas says the group is postponing the next scheduled release of Israeli hostages, blaming what he says are Israeli violations of the ceasefire deal. Three hostages held in Gaza are due to be freed on Saturday in exchange for more Palestinian prisoners held in Israel. Israel’s Defence Minister…
NIH Funding Cuts Would Hobble U.S. Medical Research, Insider Says
NIH Funding Cuts Would Hobble U.S. Medical Research, Insider Says “Laboratories would literally go dark,” says a medical research insider, if Trump administration cuts to NIH funding go through. Patients will suffer from lost medical advances, he tells Scientific American By Dan Vergano edited by Jeanna Bryner National Institutes of Health (NIH) campus, Bethesda, Maryland.…
Trump Issues Cease-Fire Ultimatum After Hamas Postpones Release of Israeli Hostages
Middle East Tensions Stalling the next release of hostages from the Gaza Strip, scheduled for the coming weekend, raises new challenges for the already tenuous six-week truce and chances for a lasting end to the war. By Lara JakesRonen BergmanAdam Rasgon and Johnatan Reiss Lara Jakes reported from Jerusalem, and Johnatan Reiss from Tel Aviv.…
Mötley Crüe Singer Vince Neil’s Plane Crashes Without Him on Board
A jet owned by Mötley Crüe rocker Vince Neil collided with a parked plane in Scottsdale, Ariz., on Feb. 10, leaving one person dead. The singer was not on board. One person has died in an Arizona plane crash. A jet owned by musician Vince Neil collided with a parked plane while trying to land…
Trump Team Looks to Drastically Cut NOAA Staff and Budget
Trump Team Looks to Drastically Cut Weather and Climate Agency Mass layoffs at the U.S. climate and weather agency would have a ripple effect across the economy, say former NOAA officials By Scott Waldman & E&E News The NOAA Okeanos Explorer arriving in San Francisco, Calif. The ship is outfitted with tools needed to access…
What DeepSeek’s Success Tells Us About China’s Ability to Nurture Talent
China produces a vast number of STEM graduates, but it hasn’t been known for innovation. Cultural and political factors may help explain why. By Vivian Wang Reporting from Beijing To many Chinese, DeepSeek’s success is a victory for China’s education system, proof that it equals that of the United States or has even surpassed it.…
The 11 Best Candles to Get Your Home Smelling Like Fresh Laundry
Get that fresh and clean linen scent with these top-rated candles. Our writers and editors independently determine what we cover and recommend. When you buy through our links, E! may earn a commission. Learn more. When it comes to chores, laundry is usually last on my list. However, when it comes to my favorite fragrance, fresh…
Trump’s ban on gender-affirming care for young people puts hospitals in a bind
Selena Simmons-Duffin Kristen Chapman had already moved her family from Tennessee to Virginia to try to find a state that would be more welcoming to her transgender daughter, Willow. After months waiting for an appointment at the gender-affirming care clinic at VCU Health in Richmond, Willow had one on the calendar on Jan. 29. President…
MP behind assisted dying bill suggests scrapping High Court approval
Assisted dying cases would no longer have to be signed off by the High Court under changes suggested by the bill’s supporters. The proposed law currently says a High Court judge must check each person is eligible and has not been coerced into making the decision to die. But BBC News has been told Kim…