The Trump administration has decided that destroying the habitat of endangered species is not harmful.

Think about that.

Habitat loss is the No. 1 reason species become endangered. Red-cockaded woodpeckers need mature long-leaf pine forests to reproduce. Endangered western monarch butterflies depend on pesticide-free milkweed ...Read more

Concerns surrounding young people’s screen time are widespread.

Australia became the first country to ban social media for users under 16 in December 2025, and Denmark, France and the U.K. have since announced similar restrictions to begin this year.

In the U.S., as of mid-2026, more than 30 states have passed laws banning ...Read more

During roasting-hot summer days, more and more people make their way to swimming pools, lakes, rivers and other spots where they can access water to stay cool.

But while water activities provide a refreshing escape from the heat, they can also be a source of danger. In the U.S., drowning is a leading cause of accidental death for ...Read more

If you’re a U.S. citizen and thinking about traveling to Haiti, the Trump administration would rather you not go. But should you decide to make the trip anyway, it has a new and unusually grim request:

“Leave DNA samples with your medical provider and dental records with your family in case it is necessary for your family to access them to ...Read more

Erica Schwartz, President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, expressed support for vaccines — including mRNA-based COVID shots — in a Senate hearing on Wednesday, though she didn’t dispel concerns the agency has lost any independence from the White House.

“I have been vaccinating people ...Read more

ORLANDO, Fla. — The National Hurricane Center on Friday continued to track a system approaching Florida with potential to become the season’s next tropical depression or storm.

In its 8 a.m. tropical outlook, the NHC said that an area of low pressure is expected to form during the weekend over the northeastern Gulf.

“Some gradual ...Read more

About 100,000 babies were born through in vitro fertilization in 2024, according to the most recent U.S. data. But IVF commonly involves trying to create multiple embryos, because success is never guaranteed. If unused, those embryos can be frozen, discarded, donated to research or donated to another fertility patient.

In the eyes of ...Read more

A little-noticed presidential national security directive is now the legal engine behind a wave of terrorism prosecutions against left-wing protesters.

That domestic campaign now has an international dimension, one that American officials had been planning for months, culminating on July 16, 2026, when Secretary of State Marco Rubio�...Read more

The U.S. and Iran intensified their attacks beyond military targets during a sixth straight day of hostilities, increasing fears of a return to full war with no agreement reached over the Strait of Hormuz.

The U.S. hit southern Iran overnight, striking six road bridges, according to Iranian state media. There were separate reports of attacks on...Read more

LOS ANGELES — Foreign college students and campuses across California are scrambling after the federal government finalized a rule Friday limiting international student visas to four years — a change that takes effect this fall and clouds the futures of those who typically need to stay longer, including doctoral and medical students.

The ...Read more

Kelly Haggett figures that a mandatory surcharge added to Washington state’s payroll tax cost her about $500 last year. But she doesn’t really mind.

“On a scale of 1 to 10 of my annoyance with taxes in general, this one is about a 2,” she said. “I see the benefits.”

The small surcharge on wages provides the funding for Washington ...Read more

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Rattlesnakes can be found all over California, especially in hotspots such as Lake Berryessa, Carrizo Plain National Monument and the San Joaquin Valley.

In California, a number of animals hunt and kill rattlesnakes — including a particularly ravenous kind of reptile.

Certain snakes “will eat anything,” Cal Poly ...Read more

Definitions of critical race theory and diversity, equity and inclusion, recently approved by the Kansas Board of Regents, worry some Kansas professors and academic freedom advocates who say they could create a chilling effect in classrooms.

Kansas lawmakers this year passed a provision attached to a large budget bill that prohibits state ...Read more

Wildfire smoke has been pouring across the northern U.S. from fires in Canada and Minnesota, turning skies an eerie shade of orange in several states in July 2026. In the West, smoke has also been spreading into communities in Colorado and neighboring states as more wildfires burn in hot, dry conditions.

University of Colorado ...Read more

Gov. Ron DeSantis may have announced that Alligator Alcatraz is closed and the tents are gone, but that’s not enough for civil rights lawyers or a Florida federal judge.

Lawyers for the American Civil Liberties Union Foundation want the state and feds to confirm in federal court that the controversial immigration detention center hastily ...Read more

TAMPA, Fla. — Leaders at Tampa General Hospital welcomed U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Thursday as they vowed to improve patient access to nutritious food.

The announcement came about a week after the Department of Health and Human Services launched "The Make Hospital Food Healthier Pledge." The campaign asks hospitals to ...Read more

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump used a rare prime-time address Thursday night to renew his attacks on the security of U.S. elections, telling Americans that the nation’s voting system is “so broken” that “no one can possibly defend it,” an unprecedented effort by a sitting president to undermine public confidence in domestic ...Read more