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Lead: A new study by NASA researchers published in the journal Nature finds that the rapid increase in satellite launches is sharply degrading images taken by Earth-orbiting space telescopes. Between 2018 and 2021, satellite trails already appeared in 4.3% of Hubble exposures; modelled launch schedules project far higher contamination over the next decade. The researchers … Read more

Lead Thousands of Afghans legally residing in the United States say fear and uncertainty have surged since an Afghan national was accused of shooting two National Guard members near the White House last week. The accused, identified as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, was resettled during the 2021 evacuation and later granted asylum; the attack killed 20-year-old Sarah … Read more

Lead: A Pentagon inspector general review found that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth relayed CENTCOM-classified information about a planned March 15 strike in Yemen over the commercial messaging app Signal, a source with access to the classified report told ABC News. The IG concluded the content had already been classified by U.S. Central Command and that … Read more

Lead Researchers analysing Welsh health records report that a routine shingles (varicella-zoster) vaccine rollout was associated with substantially lower rates of cognitive decline. Stanford Medicine investigators and collaborators compared narrowly defined birth cohorts after Wales offered a live shingles vaccine to people who were exactly 79 in a single autumn year and found vaccinated individuals … Read more

Lead: On Dec. 3, 2025, in the Oval Office, President Donald J. Trump announced a substantial rollback of Biden-era fuel-efficiency requirements for new cars and light trucks, saying the rules unfairly raised prices. Flanked by auto-industry executives, the administration said the revisions would save consumers roughly $109 billion over five years and trim about $1,000 … Read more

Lead Week 14 brings decisive fantasy choices as managers finalize playoff-bound lineups for games across the NFL. This piece evaluates starting and benching options for quarterbacks on the Week 14 slate, weighing matchup data, recent form and injury status to produce practical recommendations. It highlights several clear play calls (and some contentious ones), while preserving … Read more

Lead Federal immigration enforcement has begun operations in Minneapolis after a report from The New York Times put the planned action in the spotlight. NBC News, citing a senior law enforcement official, told local outlet KARE 11 on Wednesday that an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operation is now underway. Local leaders in Minneapolis and … Read more

Federal advisers to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) met on December 4–5, 2025, to scrutinize long-standing elements of the childhood immunization timetable, including the timing of the birth dose of hepatitis B. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) is reviewing the schedule that directs more than 30 doses protecting against over … Read more

Lead: New genomic analyses published in Nature (2025) show that an ancient population in southern Africa diverged from all known modern human groups more than 200,000 years ago. The genomes indicate a sizeable, long-lived group that remained largely separate from other African populations until comparatively recently. Researchers propose that climate and geography created a southern … Read more

Lead Giannis Antetokounmpo and his agent, Alex Saratsis, have opened formal discussions with the Milwaukee Bucks about whether he should remain with the franchise or pursue a move elsewhere, according to reporting by ESPN’s Shams Charania. The conversations are said to be active in early December 2025 and a resolution is expected in the coming … Read more

Miley Cyrus, now engaged to drummer Maxx Morando after nearly four years together, says she values the privacy the couple has maintained since their relationship became public in late 2021. Speaking to People, Cyrus described being “astounded” by how small and protected their bubble has stayed and credited age and choice for her changed approach … Read more

Lead Dr. Salvador Plasencia, a Santa Monica physician, was sentenced on Wednesday to 30 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to distributing ketamine that prosecutors say helped fuel the addiction and eventual overdose death of actor Matthew Perry in 2023. The sentence — the first handed down in the multiyear federal probe into how … Read more

Somalia’s prime minister said it was “better not to respond” a day after President Donald Trump described Somali immigrants as “garbage” during a White House cabinet meeting on Dec. 2, 2025. The comment, and Mr. Trump’s additional remark that Somalia “stinks,” prompted anger among some Somalis and questions about the government’s public stance. Prime Minister … Read more

Lead: On Dec. 3, 2025, Pentagon investigators concluded that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth shared sensitive U.S. military information in a private Signal group earlier this year, a move the inspector general says breached department rules and could have placed American service members at risk. The finding, conveyed to Congress in a classified report, traces key … Read more

Lead On December 3, 2025, Meta Platforms hired Alan Dye, Apple’s longtime head of user-interface design, in a high-profile recruitment that signals the social-media giant’s intensified move into AI-equipped consumer hardware. Dye led Apple’s UI design team since 2015 and is widely regarded as a central figure in the company’s software aesthetics and interaction work. … Read more