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 […]
The unanswered questions after release of China spy evidence
The witness statements published by the government last night are hefty, detailed and shed more light than ever before on what the two men were accused of. The disclosure followed a political row over the sudden collapse of the case against Christopher Cash and Christopher Berry, who were accused of spying for China. It is…
How the Government Shutdown Is Impacting Science and Research
Government Shutdown Leaves Scientists in Limbo Hundreds of people at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have received layoff notices, and work at many federal laboratories has been suspended By Jenna Ahart, Dan Garisto, Max Kozlov, Heidi Ledford, Jeff Tollefson, Traci Watson, Alexandra Witze & Nature magazine A sign with a notice of…
Agnes Wanjiru’s niece urges Labour to extradite ex-soldier while still in power
Esther Njoki says family has seen ‘big change’ under Labour, after long fight for justice over aunt’s 2012 death in Kenya The niece of Agnes Wanjiru, who was killed in Kenya, said she hopes the former British soldier charged with her aunt’s murder will be extradited while the Labour government is still in power. On…
Chris Mason: Digesting the key segments and changes in China documents
At just after half past nine on Wednesday night, the documents appeared on the government’s website. There were three submissions from one of the government’s Deputy National Security Advisers, Matthew Collins. The first one from December 2023, under the Conservatives. And two more. The second one is dated February 2024, also when the Conservatives were…
Has JWST Finally Found an Exomoon?
Have Astronomers Finally Found an Exomoon? Data from the James Webb Space Telescope and other observatories suggests a supervolcanic exomoon may lurk around the giant exoplanet WASP-39b By Nola Taylor Tillman edited by Lee Billings An artist’s concept of the giant exoplanet WASP-39b and its host star. Astronomers have yet to find irrefutable proof for…
How Kate Cassidy Has Coped Since Liam Payne’s Death a Year Ago
Kate Cassidy is grateful she told Liam Payne how much she loved him while saying goodbye in Argentina on Oct. 12, 2024. Four days later, he was dead and she’s been grappling with the loss ever since. In the last text Kate Cassidy sent to Liam Payne, she wrote that she couldn’t wait for him…
Targets of Trump’s Justice Department must pay up, even if they win
Carrie Johnson This year, President Trump has been calling on the Department of Justice to prosecute his perceived enemies — and the DOJ seems to be taking direction. In the last few weeks alone, prosecutors secured indictments against former FBI Director Jim Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James. The White House has signaled…
Thousands in UK sue Johnson & Johnson over talcum powder cancer risks
A major legal claim has been filed in the UK against pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson, accusing the firm of knowingly selling baby powder contaminated with asbestos. The claim involves 3,000 people and focuses on internal memos and scientific reports, which have been seen by the BBC. The lawsuit alleges that Johnson & Johnson (J&J)…
Trump says he authorized covert CIA operations in Venezuela as Maduro decries the move as ‘coups d’etat’
Move marks escalation in Maduro pressure campaign as president says US mulling strikes on Venezuelan territory Donald Trump said on Wednesday he had authorized the CIA to carry out covert operations in Venezuela, marking a sharp escalation in his administration’s pressure campaign against Nicolás Maduro’s government. Trump further suggested he was considering strikes on Venezuelan…
Supreme Court seems poised to further undercut the Voting Rights Act
Nina Totenberg The Supreme Court on Wednesday seemed headed for another ruling that undercuts the landmark 1965 Voting Rights Act. Once considered the jewel in the crown of the civil rights movement, the Voting Rights Act has been largely dismembered since 2013 by the increasingly conservative Supreme Court. The major exception was a decision just…
Nobel Prize in Economics Awarded for Research on Science, Technology and Growth
Economics Nobel Honors Work Linking Scientific Research to Prosperity Joel Mokyr, Philippe Aghion and Peter Howitt share the Nobel economics prize for work that underlines the importance of investing in research and development By Philip Ball & Nature magazine Joel Mokyr, Philippe Aghion and Peter Howitt, winners of the 2025 Economics Nobel prize. One half…
Kevin Federline Details Lead Up to Britney Spears’ Head Shaving Incide
Kevin Federline recalled how ex Britney Spears was “acting so bizarrely” before the singer shaved her head at a nearby hair salon in his upcoming memoir You Thought You Knew. Kevin Federline is sharing his side of the story. Nearly 20 years after Britney Spears stunned the public in 2007 by shaving her head, her…
African Union suspends Madagascar as military leader set to be sworn in as president
Army assumed power after parliament voted to impeach Andry Rajoelina following widespread protests Madagascar’s new military ruler will be sworn in as the country’s president on Friday, the military said on Wednesday, as the African Union suspended the island nation after a coup that ousted President Andry Rajoelina. The Indian Ocean nation has been plunged…
Hegseth orders troops to watch his speech decrying a ‘woke’ military
Tom Bowman Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is ordering troops to watch or read his speech last month at Quantico, Va., when he declared the “woke” military is gone, decried “fat generals” and ordered women in the military to meet the “highest male standards” for physical fitness. The memo, obtained by NPR, calls for servicemembers to…
Why Lung Cancer Is Increasing among Nonsmoking Women Under Age 65
A Surgeon Explains the Alarming Rise of Lung Cancer in Nonsmoking Women Thoracic surgeon Jonathan Villena explains why early screening for lung cancer is critical—even for those without symptoms. By Rachel Feltman, Jeffery DelViscio, Fonda Mwangi, Kylie Murphy & Alex Sugiura Rachel Feltman: For Scientific American’s Science Quickly, I’m Rachel Feltman. Lung cancer is the…
Government publishes key witness statements in collapsed China spy case
The government has published witness statements submitted in the now-collapsed case against two men accused of spying for China. Deputy national security adviser Matthew Collins had been asked to assess whether Beijing was regarded as a threat to national security at the time two men – Christopher Cash and Christopher Berry – were accused of…
Pakistan and Afghanistan agree to a temporary ceasefire after days of deadly clashes
By The Associated Press ISLAMABAD — Pakistan said Wednesday it agreed to a 48-hour ceasefire with Afghanistan following days of violence that have killed dozens of people on both sides of the border. Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said the ceasefire was at Afghanistan’s request. Moments later, the Taliban government’s chief spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, said the truce…
Raila Odinga, towering Kenyan opposition figure, dies aged 80
Odinga, who ran five times for presidency and had profound influence on Kenyan politics, has died in India The veteran Kenyan opposition leader Raila Odinga, who ran five times for the presidency and had a profound influence on the country’s politics, has died aged 80 in India. Odinga was in the southern city of Kochi…
Government will publish evidence in collapsed China spy case, PM says
The government will publish evidence submitted in the now-collapsed case against two men accused of spying for China, Sir Keir Starmer has said. Deputy national security adviser Matthew Collins provided three witness statements to prosecutors, which the prime minister said he intended to publish “in full”. The Conservatives and Liberal Democrats had called for the…
Paris Jackson Received $65 Million From Michael Jackson’s Estate
Months after Paris Jackson called out “premium payouts” made to lawyers in charge of her late father Michael Jackson’s estate, a new filing revealed she has received $65 million in inheritance. Paris Jackson received a thrilling sum from her father Michael Jackson’s estate. Months after the 27-year-old filed a petition against law firms in charge…
Men’s Brains Shrink Faster than Women’s. What That Means for Alzheimer’s
Men’s Brains Shrink Faster than Women’s. What That Means for Alzheimer’s Women’s brains age more slowly than men’s, but they still have higher rates of Alzheimer’s disease By Rachel Fieldhouse & Nature magazine A healthy brain (left) and a brain affected by Alzheimer’s disease. Join Our Community of Science Lovers! During ageing, men experience a…
‘Joe Manganiello’s The Crypt of Perpetual Darkness Quest Pack’ Adds More Danger for ‘HeroQuest’
Zargon’s minions are at your doorstep, threatening the place you call home. Armed only with your effects and an ancient map of elvish origin, you must journey deep underground in search of a long-lost crypt. Here, a fallen knight’s tomb is rumored to contain a powerful artifact. Heroes, you must keep this treasure out of…
Thousands trapped in El Fasher siege on ‘edge of survival’, says report
The city – the Sudanese army’s last stronghold in the west of the country – has withstood more than 500 days of attacks by paramilitary RSF The besieged Sudanese city of El Fasher has been declared “uninhabitable” with new data indicating most homes are destroyed and critical levels of malnourishment among people trapped there. The…
Vets must publish prices so pet owners not overcharged, watchdog says
Vets should be forced to publish price lists so pet owners can see costs up front and shop around for the best deal, the competition watchdog has said. Owners are often unaware of prices or not given estimates for treatments that can run into thousands of pounds, its investigation into soaring vet costs found. Vet…
How Amy Duggar King Fits Into the Sprawling Duggar Family
Amy Duggar King is sharing her story with the release of her memoir Holy Disruptor. But how is the 19 Kids and Counting alum related to Jim Bob Duggar, Michelle Duggar and their children? See here. Amy Duggar King is starting a new chapter. Seventeen years after she made her debut alongside her cousins on 19…
U.S. charges Cambodian tycoon in massive alleged cryptocurrency scam
By Michael Sullivan The U.S. government has seized bitcoin worth nearly $15 billion and charged a joint U.K.-Cambodian businessman, Prince Holding Group Chairman Chen Zhu, with wire fraud and money laundering. The Justice Department says the bitcoin is currently in U.S. government custody and calls the seizure the “largest forfeiture action” in the department’s history.…
Derek Hough May Have Revealed Sex of First Baby With Hayley Erbert
Dancing With the Stars judge Derek Hough seemingly let slip the sex of his first baby with wife Hayley Ebert—who announced her pregnancy in July—during the Oct. 14 episode of the ABC show. Derek Hough may have tangoed his way into a big reveal. The Dancing With the Stars judge appeared to accidentally share the…
Hamas returns four more bodies of hostages, Israeli military says
Hamas has returned the bodies of four more deceased hostages, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has said, with identification work underway. The Red Cross retrieved the remains in coffins and handed them over to the Israeli military late on Tuesday night. The transfer came after Israel warned it would restrict aid into Gaza until Hamas…
Pennsylvania man pleads guilty in arson attack at governor’s mansion
By The Associated Press HARRISBURG, Pa. — A man who scaled an iron security fence in the middle of the night, eluded police and used beer bottles filled with gasoline to ignite the occupied Pennsylvania governor’s mansion pleaded guilty Tuesday to the attempted murder of Gov. Josh Shapiro. Cody Balmer also entered pleas to terrorism,…
CDC Cuts Threaten Public Health Nationwide, Fired Employees Say
CDC Cuts Threaten Public Health Nationwide, Fired Employees Say A quarter of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention staff is gone after the Trump administration’s latest reductions in force and earlier layoffs By Dan Vergano edited by Tanya Lewis The David J. Sencer CDC Museum at the headquarters of the Centers for Disease Control…
African football’s general secretary accused of creating toxic culture of fear
Mosengo-Omba said to run CAF as a ‘proprietorship’ Employee: ‘Anyone who dares speak up is terminated’ The Confederation of African Football’s general secretary, Véron Mosengo-Omba, has been accused of running the organisation as his “proprietorship” and creating a toxic culture of fear where employees are fired for speaking out against him. Several former and current…
Elite military unit says it has seized power in Madagascar
Announcement comes after country’s parliament impeaches president after weeks of anti-government protests An elite military unit said it had taken power in Madagascar on Tuesday, after the country’s parliament impeached president Andry Rajoelina after weeks of anti-government protests. Rajoelina, who said on Monday in a Facebook Live video that he had gone into hiding after…
In new memoir, John T. Edge explores Southern identity and a troubled family history
Debbie Elliott OXFORD, Miss. — Writer John T. Edge has spent much of his career telling stories about a changing American South filtered through the lens of food and culture. He’s published cookbooks and food histories, and he’s been a contributor to the New York Times, the now-shuttered magazine, Gourmet, the Food Network, and NPR’s…
Bowen: Trump’s role in Gaza ceasefire was decisive, but not a roadmap to peace
Donald Trump’s quick trip to Israel and Egypt was the victory lap he wanted. One veteran diplomat in the room said it looked as if Trump saw the role of the world leaders there as extras on his film set. Trump’s message at Sharm was, in effect, that he had created a historical turning point.…
UK will be second-fastest-growing G7 economy, IMF predicts
The UK is set to be the second-fastest-growing of the world’s most advanced economies this year, according to new projections from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). But the IMF also predicts the UK will face the highest rate of inflation in the G7 both this year and next, driven by rising energy and utility bills.…
Kickstarter Tabletop Alert: Reach New Heights in ‘Cascadia: Alpine Lakes’
Cascadia: Alpine Lakes raises Cascadia to new heights—literally—by adding another dimension to this tile-laying puzzle. Cascadia: Alpine Lakes is a tile-laying game for 1 to 4 players, ages 10 and up, and takes about 30–45 minutes to play. It’s currently seeking funding on Kickstarter, with a pledge level of $39 for a copy of the…
Dark Circles? Fine Lines? These Under-$25 Eye Creams Work Like Magic
From Korean skincare gems to celeb-approved musts, here’s what really works on those dark circles and fine lines. No matter how much sleep I get, my dark circles always win. My olive complexion tends to make them look even darker, so I’ve spent years trying every eye cream that claims to brighten or firm. After…
Immigrants Make Up More Than 30 Percent of Nobel Science Winners Since 2000
Immigration Has Shaped the Lives and Careers of 30 Percent of Recent Nobel Prize Scientists By Jenna Ahart & Nature magazine Omar Yaghi with molecular models of some of his porous structures, called metal-organic frameworks, or MOFs. COFs have similar internal structures, but are held together by strong covalent bonds instead of by metal atoms.…
Cameroon opposition leader declares victory in presidential election
Issa Tchiroma Bakary calls on 92-year-old president to accept end of reign, although results have yet to be released The Cameroonian opposition leader Issa Tchiroma Bakary has declared himself the winner of the 12 October presidential election and called on the incumbent, Paul Biya, to accept the end of his 43-year rule. “Our victory is…
Questions remain about deceased Israeli hostages in Gaza
By The Associated Press TEL AVIV, Israel — The tenuous ceasefire in the two-year Israel-Hamas war was holding Tuesday even as complex issues remained ahead, a day after widespread jubilation over the return to Israel of the last 20 living hostages held in Gaza and the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and detainees in…
Coral Die-Off Marks Earth’s First Climate ‘Tipping Point’, Scientists Say
Coral Die-Off Marks Earth’s First Climate ‘Tipping Point’, Scientists Say A surge in global temperatures has caused widespread coral reef bleaching and death around the world By Jeff Tollefson & Nature magazine Vast expanses of coral in Australia’s Great Barrier Reef have died as a result of extremely high water temperatures. Join Our Community of…
Prosecution of South Sudan’s vice-president raises fears of return to full-scale civil war
Observers and opposition says prosecution of Riek Machar for crimes in relation to attack by rebel militia puts peace deal at risk South Sudan’s opposition and observers have warned that the prosecution of the country’s suspended vice-president, Riek Machar, risks jeopardising a peace agreement that ended a devastating civil war and plunging the country into…
Opinion: Why I’m handing in my Pentagon press pass
Tom Bowman Today, NPR will lose access to the Pentagon because we will not sign an unprecedented Defense Department document, which warns that journalists may lose their press credentials for “soliciting” even unclassified information from federal employees that has not been officially approved for release. That policy prevents us from doing our job. Signing that document would…
Keanu Reeves Shares Costar Diane Keaton’s Lasting Impact on Him
Keanu Reeves exclusively shared with E! News what a “total pro” Diane Keaton was when they made 2003’s Something’s Gotta Give, in an interview following her death on Oct. 11 at the age of 79. Keanu Reeves is still in awe of Diane Keaton’s brilliance. Especially because the actor got to witness Diane’s onscreen magic…
Cyber attack contingency plans should be put on paper, firms told
People should plan for potential cyber-attacks by going back to pen and paper, according to the latest advice. The government has written to chief executives across the country strongly recommending that they should have physical copies of their plans at the ready as a precaution. A recent spate of hacks has highlighted the chaos that…
SpaceX launches 11th test flight of its mega Starship rocket with another win
By The Associated Press SpaceX launched another of its mammoth Starship rockets on a test flight Monday, successfully making it halfway around the world while releasing mock satellites like last time. Starship — the biggest and most powerful rocket ever built — thundered into the evening sky from the southern tip of Texas. The booster…
Keanu Reeves Has Best Response to Alexandra Grant Marriage Rumors
Keanu Reeves reacted to marriage rumors about him and his girlfriend Alexandra Grant, exclusively telling E! News that she did a “wonderful” job of handling the gossip. Keanu Reeves has had some good fortune when it comes to his love life. So much so that he and girlfriend Alexandra Grant even sparked marriage rumors last…
Review – Superman: Action Comics #1091 – Taking Off
Ray: Superboy’s journey to Superman has had some surprising stumbling blocks in its way, but none more intense than the man who seems to have named himself his mentor – whether he likes it or not. Captain Comet, posing as a teacher at Clark’s school, has been setting up tests for him to determine if…
Chris Mason: SNP are the latest proof that things change quickly in politics
A year or so ago, the Scottish National Party looked to be in deep trouble. They had been comprehensively thrashed in the general election, falling from 48 MPs to just nine. They had managed to have three leaders in a little over a year: Nicola Sturgeon, Humza Yousaf and then John Swinney. It was a…
SpaceX’s Starship Succeeds in Final Test Flight of 2025
SpaceX’s Starship Succeeds in Final Test Flight of 2025 With the successful eleventh test flight of its Starship megarocket, SpaceX is on the cusp of a new era in spaceflight By Lee Billings A Starship rocket looms behind a SpaceX sign at the company’s Starbase launch facility in South Texas. Join Our Community of Science…
Cuban dissident José Daniel Ferrer freed to live in exile in the US
Ferrer, who has been imprisoned repeatedly, says he opted for exile after facing ‘torture’ behind bars in Cuba The prominent Cuban dissident José Daniel Ferrer has been freed from prison and put on a plane to the US where he will live in exile with his family, the communist country’s foreign ministry has said. Ferrer,…
‘You’re my life, my hero’: Hostages reunite with families after two years
Matan Zangauker, 25, walks grinning into his mother’s arms. “You’re my life,” she exclaims, hugging him tightly in footage filmed by the Israeli military. “My life. My hero. Come, come.” Matan was one of 20 living hostages remaining in Gaza after being taken during the Hamas-led attacks of 7 October 2023, who were freed on…
Israeli hostages and Palestinian detainees freed as Trump hails ‘historic dawn’ in Middle East
There have been celebrations across Israel and the Palestinian territories as a major hostage and prisoner exchange on Monday marked a significant step towards ending two years of war in Gaza. In a crucial first phase of the US-brokered plan to end the war, Hamas returned all living Israeli hostages, while Israel freed almost 2,000…
Stack Overflow: Murder Mysteries
Last week I posted a review of the board game Dying Message, in which players take turns being a victim, setting up a crime scene in which they leave clues for the other players to figure out the murderer. Murder mysteries are, of course, not new to the board game scene, or to literature. I grew…
Madagascar president flees after losing support of key army unit
Elite Capsat unit that played a major role in Andry Rajoelina’s rise to presidency joined gen Z protests against corruption Madagascar’s president, Andry Rajoelina, is reported to have fled the country on a French military aircraft, hours before he was scheduled to address the people. French state radio RFI reported on Monday that the president,…
Palestinians celebrate as prisoners are released by Israel under Gaza ceasefire deal
By The Associated Press BEITUNIA, West Bank — Cheers erupted among Palestinians on Monday as Israel released nearly 2,000 prisoners under a Gaza ceasefire agreement that saw them exchanged for Israeli hostages freed by Hamas. Large crowds greeted the freed prisoners in Beitunia in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and in Khan Younis in Gaza, flashing…
Middle East ‘doomed’ without Palestinian state, King of Jordan tells BBC
King Abdullah II of Jordan has warned that the Middle East is doomed unless there is a peace process leading to a Palestinian state. The king was speaking in an exclusive interview for BBC Panorama, as he prepared to attend a summit in Egypt’s Sharm el-Sheikh on President Donald Trump’s 20-point peace plan for the…
Woody Allen Pays Tribute to Ex Diane Keaton After Her Death
After Diane Keaton’s death Oct. 11, ex Woody wrote an essay to his “so charming, so beautiful, so magical” friend and collaborator. Woody Allen is honoring his Annie Hall. Following Diane Keaton‘s death on Oct. 11 at age 79, the director penned an emotional tribute to the Oscar-winning actress, whom he dated from 1969 to…
Moving NASA Space Shuttle to Texas from DC Could Damage It, Experts Say
The Strange Saga of the Great Texas Space Shuttle Heist Texas lawmakers want to move the Smithsonian’s retired space shuttle to Houston. It’s “a vanity project that is apt to destroy a near-priceless American treasure,” one historian says By Dan Vergano edited by Jeanna Bryner The space shuttle Discovery loaded for transportation in 2012. Even…
She was about to drop out of college, but then her professor stepped in
By Autumn Barnes This story is part of the My Unsung Hero series, from the Hidden Brain team. It features stories of people whose kindness left a lasting impression on someone else. In 1971, Silvana Clark graduated from high school. Soon after, her parents moved to another state, leaving Clark to fend for herself. “They…