For over two centuries, we have watched the red giant R Leonis dim and brighten with regularity, but this 'heartbeat' is beginning to speed up near the end of the star's life.

We may be witnessing the messy death of a star in real time

Astronauts on the International Space Station were not only treated to a sight from Earth's atmosphere recently but also caught a glimpse of one of the Milky Way's nearest galactic neighbors.

ISS astronauts spy airglow and dwarf galaxy | Space photo of the day for Jan. 13, 2026

Jan 13 () - Gene sequencing company Illumina on Tuesday introduced a dataset that maps genetic changes to help ​accelerate drug discovery through artificial intelligence. The company said ‌it was partnering with drugmakers AstraZeneca, Merck and Eli Lilly for its Billion ‌Cell Atlas, which will train advanced AI models at scale and advance research into fundamental disease mechanisms that have previously been out of reach.

Illumina unveils dataset to speed up AI-powered drug discovery

Researchers who focus on one specialty are more likely to rise through the academic ranks, even though wicked societal problems require crosscutting work to solve.

Research institutions tout the value of scholarship that crosses disciplines – but academia pushes interdisciplinary researchers out

Space apparently changes your frame of mind in more ways than one.

'Backward and upward and tilted': Spaceflight causes astronauts' brains to shift inside their skulls

Officials continue to push the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccination.

South Carolina's measles outbreak reaches 434 cases

Louisiana pushed Tuesday to extradite a California doctor accused of mailing abortion pills, setting up a likely test of laws designed to protect telehealth providers who ship abortion pills nationwide.  This is the second time Louisiana has pursued an out-of-state doctor under its abortion restrictions, with Republican Gov. Jeff Landry saying on social media that he wants to bring the abortion provider “to justice.”  The two criminal cases pit Louisiana, which has some of the strictest abortion

Louisiana seeks California doctor’s extradition, testing the limits of shield laws

The "West Wing" actor "presented himself" to New Mexico police on Tuesday, NBC News reports, after the U.S. Marshals Service confirmed it had joined in the search for him.

Timothy Busfield turns himself in to face child sexual abuse charges in New Mexico

Thousands of nurses at some of New York City's biggest hospitals could go on strike Monday during a severe flu season, three years after a similar walkout forced some of the same medical facilities to transfer some patients and divert ambulances.  The looming strike could impact operations at several of the city’s major private hospitals, including Mount Sinai in Manhattan, Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx and NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center.  Nearly 15,000 n

Thousands of New York City nurses set to strike Monday if deal isn't reached with hospitals

More than 15,000 NYC nurses are threatening to walk off the job on Monday.

Nearly 16,000 New York City nurses prepare to strike as contract talks stall

California is completely drought-free for the first time in 25 years following winter storms that lashed the state with rain and snow in recent weeks.

California is completely free of drought for the first time in 25 years

The agency has spearheaded President Trump's immigration crackdown and been at the center of some of its most controversial incidents.

Can ICE agents detain U.S. citizens? What powers do they have to arrest people? Your most common questions answered.

The outbreak centered in Spartanburg County grew to 310 cases over the holidays, and spawned cases in North Carolina and Ohio among families who traveled to the outbreak area in the northwestern part of the state.  State health officials acknowledged the spike in cases had been expected following holiday travel and family gatherings during the school break.  A growing number of public exposures and low vaccination rates in the area are driving the surge, they said.

South Carolina measles outbreak grows by nearly 100, spreads to North Carolina and Ohio

An apartment in Quebec, Canada was covered in a thick layer of ice after pipes burst in the property amid freezing temperatures

Apartment Turned Into Nightmare 'Ice Castle' After Tenant Shut Off Heat Causing Pipes to Burst: VIDEO

After the ACA tax credit lapsed in December, enrollees are opting for less robust health plans or dropping coverage altogether.

Some Americans say they'll go without health insurance as ACA rates spike

Ross, 43, joined ICE in 2015 and has spent the last 10 years as a deportation officer in Minnesota.

What we know about Jonathan Ross, the ICE agent who shot and killed Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis

In the US last year there were 23 separate billion-dollar weather and climate disasters, adding up to a total of $115 billion in damages. The database that tracks these costs used to be maintained by the federal government. It is now published by the climate research nonprofit Climate Central.

Private sector revives the climate disaster database Trump tried to squash

The 37-year-old was pronounced dead at a local hospital on Wednesday.

What we know about Renee Nicole Good, the woman who was killed by an ICE officer in Minneapolis

"I couldn't imagine life without him anymore," Melanie Smith said.

Woman shocked to welcome baby after experiencing stomach pain on Christmas

The fatal shooting of a woman by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer in Minneapolis continues to spark outrage across the country as video evidence appears to contradict the administration’s claims.

Minneapolis ICE shooting live updates: Protests continue over agent's killing of Renee Nicole Good; Walz puts National Guard on standby

Local government officials and the Trump administration are giving dramatically different accounts of the events that led to the shooting.

Minneapolis ICE shooting: Woman dies after federal agent opens fire on her vehicle amid immigration crackdown

Four people hurt when an explosion ripped through a Pennsylvania nursing home two weeks ago sued the facility and a natural gas utility on Monday, claiming their negligence was to blame.  Two workers at Bristol Health & Rehab Center LLC, a resident of the suburban Philadelphia facility and a contractor who happened to be there when the blast occurred on Dec. 23 filed the lawsuit.  The defendants include PECO Energy Company, which provided natural gas to the complex, its parent company Exelon Cor

4 injured in suburban Philadelphia nursing home explosion file negligence lawsuit

An Oregon cafe that takes orders in sign language has become a cherished space for the Deaf community, providing a unique gathering place as well as employment for those who are deaf or hard of hearing.  American Sign Language, or ASL, is the primary language at Woodstock Cafe in Portland, The Oregonian/OregonLive reported. Non-ASL speakers can use a microphone that transcribes their order onto a screen.  People have moved from across the country to work at the cafe because it can be hard for pe

This cafe takes orders in sign language. It's cherished by the Deaf community

This year marks the 40th anniversary that MLK Day was first observed in 1986.

When is MLK Day? Plus, the dates of when other federal holidays land in 2026.

A former school bus aide pleaded guilty Monday to assaulting three nonverbal students with autism who were unable to report the abuse.  Kiarra Jones, 30, entered guilty pleas to 12 charges under a plea agreement as she was about to go on trial in suburban Denver for abuse that was revealed in 2024 by bus surveillance video, according to prosecutors and court documents.  Jones is represented by lawyers from the public defender’s office, which does not comment to the media on its cases.

Former school bus aide pleads guilty to assaulting 3 autistic students in Colorado

Many people start the new year thinking about ways to improve their health, be more organized and manage their finances.  Early and routine home maintenance goes beyond fixing visible damage.  Planning ahead for regular upkeep and for unexpected emergencies can reduce the risk of costly repairs later and help spread expenses more evenly throughout the year.

Why home maintenance deserves a spot in the annual health and budget plans

Anthony Joshua is lucky to be alive following a fatal car crash earlier this week, especially considering he was originally sitting in the passenger’s seat before switching to the back. Details are still emerging from Joshua’s near-death crash in Nigeria, but fight fans are already blown away by some of the information that has been […]

Joshua Made Last-Second Seat Change That Saved His Life

Investigators believe a devastating fire at Le Constellation bar in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, which killed at least 40 people and injured 119 others, was likely triggered by champagne bottle sparklers igniting the ceiling.

Deadly Switzerland ski resort fire was likely started by sparklers attached to champagne bottles, officials say

The firefighters noticed an elderly man trapped in his vehicle after heavy rains flooded the road and used a flotation vest to aid in the extraction. Firefighters rescued two Israelis trapped inside their vehicles due to flooding in the West Bank, Israel's Fire and Rescue Authority said on Thursday afternoon.

Firefighters rescue two Israelis trapped in vehicles on flooded roads in West Bank

Cosmetic surgery, especially for procedures such as liposuction and butt lifts, remains a “buyer beware” market, with little scrutiny for ads and sales pitches.

Ads promising cosmetic surgery patients a ‘dream body’ with minimal risk get little scrutiny

The year's first supermoon and meteor shower will sync up in January skies, but the light from one may dim the other.  In dark skies during the peak, skygazers typically see around 25 meteors per hour, but this time they'll likely glimpse less than 10 per hour due to light from Saturday's supermoon.  “The biggest enemy of enjoying a meteor shower is the full moon,” said Mike Shanahan, planetarium director at Liberty Science Center in New Jersey.

The year's first meteor shower and supermoon clash in January skies

Cases have been confirmed in 43 states, CDC data shows.

US measles cases surpass 2,000, highest in 30 years: CDC

The Colombian city of Cartagena began replacing its iconic horse buggies with electric carriages Tuesday, following years of protests by animal rights activists, who argued that horses pulling 19th-century-like coaches for tourists suffered from exploitation and poor health.  In a sunny plaza lined with elegant colonial era mansions, Mayor Domek Turbay introduced a new fleet of 30 vehicles with large wheels and open tops that resemble the city’s traditional horse carriages.  Cartagena is one of

A Colombian city swaps iconic horse buggies for electric carriages amid animal welfare concerns

Skyrocketing cases set a state record. Here is the news to know on Monday.

Daily Briefing: A bad flu season gets worse

One woman moved back across the country to care for her grandmother, giving up her dreams of sunshine and palm trees. A young mother, overwhelmed caring for two children and her ailing grandmother, finally asked family to help her juggle. And another woman assumed financial responsibility for her grandmother after her home fell into foreclosure. All three women belong to what aging experts call America’s unseen workforce - the 48 million family caregivers who provide unpaid support that allows m

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