LOS ANGELES — In the middle of what experts expected to be a “very sharky” summer, a program that tracks great whites and helps beachgoers stay safe will soon run out of money.

Since 2018, the California Beach Shark Safety program at Cal State Long Beach has tagged great whites in local waters and shared their locations with lifeguards. ...Read more

As federal officials consider whether to reclassify marijuana under federal drug law, a new study has found that more American teenagers seeking treatment for cannabis use disorder, known as CUD, are facing longer wait times before receiving care.

The study, published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, analyzed national data from ...Read more

DETROIT — Canadian wildfire smoke endangering Michigan's air quality also continues to cause activity cancellations and facility closures on Friday.

Cities across Metro Detroit shut down beach areas, splash pads, and pools because of the air quality. Greenfield Village remained closed for a second day, along with Red Oaks water park in ...Read more

CHICAGO — The National Weather Service expects wildfire smoke to leave northern Illinois sometime Friday afternoon.

Zachary Yack, meteorologist for the National Weather Service, said there’s potential for some smoke to later drift back into sections of northeastern Illinois, northern Illinois and northwest Indiana as Friday turns into the ...Read more

BALTIMORE — Maryland is under a Code Red air quality alert Friday due to Canada and northern United States wildfire smoke drifting south, Gov. Wes Moore announced in a statement.

Western Maryland, in particular, is under Code Purple, which means very unhealthy air quality, officials said. Residents should take extra precautions while the ...Read more

Organizations serving American Indian and Alaska Native survivors of violence say reductions in federal funding have led to over 1,000 unmet requests for help, according to a new report.

The Urban Indian Health Institute, an Indigenous health research group, surveyed 201 tribes, tribal organizations and urban Indian organizations and nonprofits...Read more

DETROIT — Michigan's Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy has extended the Air Quality Alert for all of the state through Friday due to "Very Unhealthy to Hazardous" air quality conditions caused by smoke from wildfires in Canada and Minnesota.

The state's Air Quality Alert remains in effect through midnight, meteorologists with...Read more

LOS ANGELES — A major Southern California water agency has struck a deal with federal officials to boost water levels in Lake Mead, part of a broader effort to keep the country’s largest reservoir from reaching critically low levels — at least for a while longer.

The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California’s board of ...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

NEW YORK — Mayor Zohran Mamdani vowed to fight a new policy from the Trump administration that would give immigration officers the authority to deny green cards for immigrants who’ve used public benefits like Medicaid and housing assistance.

The policy could place hundreds of thousands of immigrants under increased scrutiny and could deter ...Read more

LONDON — Andy Burnham said he’ll be a pro-business prime minister, in his first speech since formally winning an uncontested race to lead the governing Labour Party.

“Make no mistake, everybody, I will be a pro-business leader of the Labour Party, as I was a pro-business mayor of Greater Manchester,” he said, pointing to small local ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — A stretch of Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood remained closed Friday as crews repair a trunk line that ruptured early Thursday, sending thousands of gallons of water rushing down the famed Sunset Strip.

Closures are in place on Sunset Boulevard from Horn Avenue, where the 110-year-old pipe burst leaving a massive sink hole, to...Read more

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