News
White House response adds to confusion on federal funding freeze
A new OMB memo appeared to say the freeze was reversed, but the White House said only the original memo was rescinded not the freeze itself.
DOJ asks to dismiss case of 2 men indicted for allegedly helping Trump hide documents
The DOJ asked a federal court to dismiss its case against two men indicted for allegedly helping Trump conceal classified documents. Prosecutors dropped Trump from the case after his election win.
Fearing encounters with ICE, tribal leaders offer guidance to their members
Tribal leaders are advising members on what to do if they're approached by federal law enforcement. The guidance follows what tribal leaders call concerning encounters with immigration officials.
The Doomsday Clock has never been closer to metaphorical midnight. What does it mean?
The Doomsday Clock now stands at 89 seconds to midnight, the closest to catastrophe in its nearly eight-decade history. Here's a look at how — and why — it's moved.
The Smithsonian will close its diversity office and freeze federal hiring
The Smithsonian isn't a federal agency, but it gets much of its funding from federal appropriations.
Mona Lisa’s roommates may be glad she’s moving out
Now that Leonardo da Vinci's masterpiece is moving to another room at The Louvre, other Renaissance masterpieces hanging in the same space by Titian, Tintoretto and Veronese may finally get their due.
Federal judge hears request to block an upcoming nitrogen gas execution in Alabama
The state of Alabama urged a federal judge Tuesday to allow the nation's fourth execution with nitrogen gas to proceed next week, but a doctor who witnessed an earlier execution by the new method told the judge the inmate appeared to be in distress and awake minutes longer than officials predicted.
RFK Jr. says he’ll fix the overdose crisis. Critics say his plan is risky
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. survived heroin addiction and says that if confirmed as head of the Department of Health and Human Services, he'll build treatment "farms" to help people recover.
Amid sewage issues, a nonprofit is helping Alabama Black Belt residents find solutions
As the region grapples with poor sanitation, groups like the Black Belt Unincorporated Wastewater Program are taking it upon themselves to address the issue.
66 million years ago, a fish chewed up and spit out food. It’s now a fossil in Denmark
The fossil was found at a cliff in Denmark. Fossilized vomit is called regurgitalite, and it's a type of trace fossil, which tells scientists about an organism's daily life.
Trump signs an order restricting gender-affirming care for minors
President Trump signed an executive order seeking to end gender-affirming medical treatments for children and teenagers under the age of 19.
Step inside the secret lab where America tests its nukes
A thousand feet beneath the desert, the United States conducts experiments to verify that its weapons work. But some fear a live test could come soon.
With a new home for DOGE in the White House, here’s what you need to know
The Department of Government Efficiency, a post-election promise brought to life by President Trump via executive order looks different than its original proposal to broadly cut federal spending.
Country singer Charley Crockett is ‘afraid of getting fenced in’
Charley Crockett has come a long way from his days busking on the streets of New Orleans. Now, he performs at theaters in front of thousands of people. To cap it all off, he's up for his first Grammy.
Nearly 5 years after schools closed, the nation gets a new report card
There's some good news in math, mostly bad news in reading and lots of questions about why students are still struggling.
Trump’s health secretary pick, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., faces confirmation hearing
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President Trump's nominee to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, faces Senate confirmation hearings today. What can we expect?
Here’s how climate change fueled the Los Angeles fires
Extreme conditions helped fuel the fast-moving fires that destroyed thousands of homes. Scientists are working to figure out how climate change played a role in the disaster.
Several people are feared dead in a stampede at massive festival in India
Millions continued to throng the site even as police urged them to avoid the area. Deadly stampedes are relatively common around Indian religious festivals, where large crowds gather in small areas.
Why members of two of EPA’s influential science advisory committees were let go
Acting EPA Administrator James Payne sent an email to members of the agency's Science Advisory Board and the Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee informing them that both are being "reset."
Trump asks SpaceX to ‘go get’ two stranded ISS astronauts. They’re not stranded
Two NASA astronauts flew to the International Space Station in June on Boeing's Starliner capsule. The test flight was planned for eight days but technical troubles forced the capsule to return empty.
See you latte: Starbucks plans to cut 30% of its menu
Starbucks is trying to fix falling sales by changing its vibe back to coffee-house roots. The new CEO says parts of the plan, like free non-dairy milk, are helping bring people back.
Trump invites nearly all federal workers to quit now, get paid through September
Through an email blast, federal workers were given the opportunity to resign from their jobs before Feb. 6 and retain full pay and benefits through Sept. 30.
Nearly 400 USAID contract employees laid off in wake of Trump’s ‘stop work’ order
All departments were affected, including offices that address HIV and AIDS, infectious disease and child health.
Trump’s ‘stop-work’ order for PEPFAR cuts off anti-HIV drugs for patients
As a result of the new administration's actions, health centers funded by PEPFAR, the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, are closing their doors and no longer dispersing medication.
Caroline Kennedy calls her cousin, RFK, Jr., a “predator” ahead of his confirmation hearings
In a letter, Kennedy said RFK Jr. was "unqualified" to be the new U.S. Department of Health and Human Services secretary just hours before he was scheduled to appear for confirmation hearings.
Trump has issued a number of orders affecting the military. Here’s what they do
President Trump signed a number of new executive orders Monday night aimed at the U.S. military. Here is a breakdown of what he signed.
Neymar leaves Saudi team to return to his first soccer club in Brazil
Neymar struggled through physical injuries for most of his time in the Middle East, with a previous ACL rupture that kept him sidelined for a year.
The Louvre will be renovated and the ‘Mona Lisa’ will have her own room
French President Emmanuel Macron laid out an ambitious plan for a "reimagined, restored and expanded" Louvre. An art critic says Macron is aiming for another success after restoration of Notre Dame.
The company planning a successor to Concorde makes its first supersonic test
Denver-based Boom Technology's XB-1 demonstrator plane hit Mach 1.122 — 750 mph. It's the first independently developed supersonic jet. The company is also working on a supersonic passenger airliner.
The Super Bowl could end in a ‘three-peat.’ Why that matters to a former NBA coach
Pat Riley, the current president and former head coach of the Miami Heat, owns half a dozen trademarks related to the word "three-peat." That could affect whether it appears on Super Bowl merch.
Birmingham’s new resilience chief looks to protect residents from climate change
“Fundamentally, to me, it's about survival,” says Sherry-Lea Bloodworth Botop, Birmingham’s new chief resilience and sustainability officer about fighting climate change.
Did you plan to buy a home — but found renting is cheaper? We want to hear from you
As mortgage rates and home prices have risen, the rent vs. buy calculation has changed. If you're renting when you'd planned to buy, tell us your story.
