As the government shutdown drags on, Smithsonian museums, the National Zoo and other facilities are the latest to be caught in the fray, with the federal trust announcing the closure of all of its sites beginning on Sunday. “We will update our operating status as soon as the situation is resolved,” the Smithsonian announced on … Read more
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 peeled away and made … Read more
It’s World Anesthesia Day tomorrow, so we invite you to take a deep breathe. Picture a relaxing scene. Maybe a beach in Tahiti, your toes in the sand, a cold drink in hand. Now imagine your favorite music playing in the background. If Dr. Alopi Patel were your anesthesiologist, that’s exactly what she’d have you … Read more
Nearly two months after a deadly, massive measles outbreak in Texas was declared over, the highly contagious disease continues to spread across the country. The U.S. has now confirmed 1,596 cases this year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — the highest annual number in more than three decades. But the true … Read more
The Nobel Prize in economics was awarded to a trio of researchers Monday for their work on how cycles of technological innovation feed economic growth. Joel Mokyr of Northwestern University, Peter Howitt of Brown University and Philippe Aghion of the College of France and the London School of Economics will split the prize money of … Read more
When Jimmy Kimmel returned to his late-night show on ABC after a near-weeklong suspension, some cheered it as a triumph of free speech over the oppressive reach of government censorship. But I saw something a little different. I saw bold proof that, despite all the talk about late-night TV losing its relevance, there sure seemed … Read more
If you graph the history of economic growth, it looks a lot like a hockey stick laid on the ground with its blade sticking up. That is, economic growth was pretty flat for millennia, and then, around 1800, it points upward toward the sky. It’s no secret that this inflection point — where the stick’s … Read more
ANTANANARIVO, Madagascar — Madagascar President Andry Rajoelina said he has fled the country in fear for his life following a military rebellion but did not announce his resignation in a speech broadcast on social media late Monday from an undisclosed location. Rajoelina has faced weeks of Gen Z-led anti-government protests, which reached a pivotal point … Read more
The United Kingdom has a new way for people to share secrets with the country’s foreign intelligence agency. It’s called Silent Courier, and it’s being advertised online. The service can be found on the dark web, and allows potential spies to share classified information with the U.K.’s Secret Intelligence Service — better known as MI6 … Read more
Today’s top stories Israel released nearly 2,000 prisoners yesterday as part of the initial phase of a ceasefire agreement with Hamas. Hamas also freed the last 20 surviving Israeli hostages. Some of the Palestinians who returned to Gaza were journalists, doctors and first responders who were taken from hospitals and off the streets by soldiers. … Read more