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President Donald Trump is expected to announce Kevin M. Warsh as his nominee to replace Jerome H. Powell as chair of the Federal Reserve, with a public announcement slated for Friday after a Thursday White House meeting. Multiple people familiar with the plans told reporters the selection favors Warsh, a former Fed governor who was … Read more
Lead: New research argues that an English monk, Eilmer of Malmesbury, may have connected two comet sightings in 989 and 1066 and recognized their recurrence long before Edmond Halley formalized the comet’s periodic orbit in 1705. The claim rests on William of Malmesbury’s 12th-century chronicle and a fresh reading by astronomer Simon Portegies Zwart and … Read more
Lead: Public health officials in Chicago have confirmed seven cases of meningococcal disease reported since Jan. 15, 2026, including two deaths within roughly two weeks, according to a Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) news release. The department says close contacts have been identified and given post-exposure treatment. Meningococcal illness is uncommon in the city—typically … Read more
Lead: On Thursday, January 30, 2026, 19-year-old Cooper Flagg erupted for a career-high 49 points in the Dallas Mavericks’ 123-121 home loss to the Charlotte Hornets. Flagg’s 49-point effort is the highest single-game total ever recorded by an NBA player while still a teenager. He finished 20-of-29 from the field, was 6-of-6 from the free-throw … Read more
Lead: An anonymous Recording Academy voter, now in their second year of membership, says the 2026 Grammys reveal a clear split between artists engineered for short-form virality and those focused on musicianship and legacy. Kendrick Lamar leads the nominations with nine nods; Bad Bunny, Sabrina Carpenter, Justin Bieber, Clipse and Lady Gaga follow. The ceremony … Read more
Lead Prime Minister Carney used a high-profile red carpet appearance to praise the television series Heated Rivalry, saying the show projects a fundamental Canadian value of tolerance in a polarized world. At the premiere, he embraced breakout star Hudson Williams and suggested he may host cast members in Ottawa when season 2 rolls out. The … Read more
Lead: The Justice Department has charged Anthony Kazmierczak after he sprayed Democratic U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar with a mixture identified as water and apple cider vinegar at a Minneapolis event on Tuesday, court papers show. Federal prosecutors filed a complaint accusing Kazmierczak of forcibly assaulting, opposing, impeding and intimidating a federal official; he also faces … Read more
Lead: Two confirmed cases of Nipah virus were reported in West Bengal, India, earlier this month, prompting heightened screening and surveillance in several nearby countries. The World Health Organization identified the two cases as 25-year-old nurses, one woman and one man, and Indian authorities have deployed an outbreak response team while the US Centers for … Read more
Lead Former Sangamon County deputy Sean Grayson was sentenced on Thursday to 20 years in prison after a jury convicted him in October 2025 of second-degree murder for the July 6, 2024, fatal shooting of Sonya Massey in Springfield, Illinois. Judge Ryan Cadagin ordered a two-year mandatory supervised release and credited Grayson for time already … Read more
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Jan. 29, 2026 announced a wholesale reshaping of the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC), the federal advisory group that helps set research and services priorities for people with autism. The new roster replaces the committee’s previous public members with 21 appointees who include outspoken vaccine critics, a former … Read more
Brendan Banfield testified on Jan. 29, 2026 in Fairfax County that he did not plot the killings of his wife and another man, calling the prosecution’s theory “absolutely crazy.” Prosecutors allege Banfield, 40, arranged a meeting through a fetish website with the family au pair and then killed Christine Banfield, 37, and Joseph Ryan, 38. … Read more
Lead: The Writers Guild of America West (WGAW) staff voted to authorize a strike, citing unfair labor practices and accusing guild management of bargaining in bad faith. The authorization — supported by 82 of 100 eligible staffers — comes as the WGA prepares to return to negotiations with major studios on March 16. Staff say … Read more
Lead Quinton Aaron, the actor best known for his role in The Blind Side, was hospitalized and diagnosed with a spinal stroke, his family said on January 29, 2026. The family reported he has been in the hospital for about a week and was placed on life support during initial treatment. They say he is … Read more
Using new Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) observations from 2021, astronomers have linked a 3,000‑light‑year‑long relativistic jet to material immediately surrounding M87*, the supermassive black hole first imaged in 2019. The source lies at the center of galaxy Messier 87, about 55 million light‑years away, and has a mass equivalent to roughly 6.5 billion suns. Modeling … Read more
Lead: On Jan. 29, 2026, President Donald J. Trump reviewed an expanded slate of military options aimed at Iran, officials said, ranging from strikes on nuclear and missile sites to potential raids inside Iranian territory. The proposals were presented to the White House by Pentagon planners amid the aftermath of widespread protests in Iran that … Read more
