Study finds growing levels of microplastics in human brains

Is a brain-stimulation headset the answer to depression?

The makers of a device that delivers small electrical impulses to the brain are hailing the technology as a groundbreaking mental health treatment, but others are sceptical. “Flow helps the vast ...

The Guardian - Jan. 11

The TikTok Ban Would Be Social Media’s First Extinction-Level Event

TikTok transformed everyday users into influencers and made entrepreneurs rich via its Shop feature. With the US ban looming, they could lose everything—and many don’t know where to go next.

Wired - Jan. 10

Gaza death toll 40% higher than official number, Lancet study finds

Analysis estimates death toll by end of June was 64,260, with 59% being women, children and people over 65. Research published in the Lancet medical journal estimates that the death toll in Gaza ...

The Guardian - Jan. 10

AI is taking the 'human' out of human resources

Companies increasingly rely on AI-based tools to replace everyday HR functions, from tracking job applications to monitoring employees’ performance to making decisions about promotions and layoffs.

The Hill - Jan. 10

Bitcoin may fall 20% to $73,000 if it breaks below this key support level

Bitcoin may face a downside potential to $73,000 if it breaks below its support level at around $90,680, according to Kim Kramer Larsson, analyst at Saxo Bank.

MarketWatch - Jan. 10

Xi to send high-level representative to Trump inauguration: Report

Chinese President Xi Jinping is reportedly choosing a high-level official to represent him at President-elect Trump’s inauguration Jan. 20, in a break from diplomatic protocol of years past. ...

The Hill - Jan. 10

Biden's last chance to tackle tobacco: Capping nicotine levels in cigarettes

In its last few days of power, the Biden administration is expected to officially propose a limit on nicotine in cigarettes.

NBC News - Jan. 10

Gaza death toll may be 41% higher than official figures, study finds

The number of Palestinians killed during Israel's Gaza offensive is higher than local health authorities' figures suggest, researchers in London say.

NBC News - Jan. 10

Tea bags releasing 'millions' of microplastics into tea, study shows

Yahoo News - Jan. 10

Many Americans are leaving U.S. states with abortion bans, study finds

Abortion bans enacted since Roe v. Wade was overturned may be driving Americans to leave restrictive states, researchers find.

CBS News - Jan. 10

On asphalt we grow: the skateboarders of Ukraine

Amid the devastation in Ukraine, the photojournalist Robin Tutenges has captured how skateboarding provides a vital escape for the country’s young people – an act of resilience and freedom as ...

The Guardian - Jan. 10

Xi to send top-level China envoy to Trump’s inauguration

Unusual diplomatic overture comes as Beijing braces for escalating tensions with new administration

Financial Times - Jan. 9

Prices of top 25 Medicare Part D drugs have nearly doubled, AARP study finds

AARP's new research finds price growth for top Part D prescription drugs has exceeded inflation, making a case for allowing Medicare to negotiate prices.

CNBC - Jan. 9

European imports of liquefied natural gas from Russia at ‘record levels’

Rystad Energy releases data days after Ukraine stopped flows of Russian gas through its pipelines. Europe bought a record amount of liquefied natural gas from Russia last year, data shows, despite ...

The Guardian - Jan. 9

Biden briefed on California wildfires as blazes grow

Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Kristin Crowley and other officials updated President Biden on the catastrophic wildfires spreading in Los Angeles County. CBS News chief White House correspondent ...

CBS News - Jan. 8

Smoke, reflections and portals: Adobe’s TransPixar takes AI VFX to the next level

Adobe and HKUST researchers unveil TransPixar, a breakthrough AI system that creates transparent visual effects from text prompts.

VentureBeat - Jan. 8

UK 10-year borrowing costs hit highest level since 2008

Treasury seeks to reassure markets as gilt sell-off threatens the government’s ability to meet its fiscal rules

Financial Times - Jan. 8

At the Movies, the ‘Older Woman’ Is Growing Up

She has been called “cougar,” “Mrs. Robinson” and “your mom.” Now she’s the protagonist, and one of film and television’s most compelling characters.

The New York Times - Jan. 8

US applications for jobless claims fall to 201,000, lowest level in nearly a year

U.S. applications for unemployment benefits fell to their lowest level in nearly a year last week, pointing to a still healthy labor market with historically low layoffs

ABC News - Jan. 8

Mortgage rates hit highest level since July, crushing application demand

Total mortgage application volume dropped 3.7% compared with the previous week.

CNBC - Jan. 8

Trump faces growing threat of 'gray zone' warfare

President-elect Trump has made ambitious promises to end Russia’s war in Ukraine and face down China, but he’s also contending with a growing threat of “gray zone” attacks from foreign adversaries, ...

The Hill - Jan. 8

Don’t Count Out Human Writers in the Age of AI

The appetite for AI-derived drivel isn’t as strong as many publishers would have you believe, and demand for quality content is growing.

Wired - Jan. 8

30,000 residents flee as Palisades Fire grows

Resident Nicolas Libonati said he saw a lot of abandoned cars on the road, and people running toward the coast. "It was kind of a surreal scene," he said.

CBS News - Jan. 7

Oil futures settle at their highest level since October

Oil futures finished higher on Tuesday, shaking off their losses from a day earlier to resume the rally they started the year with and buoyed by expectations for stronger demand.

MarketWatch - Jan. 7

Quits sink to lowest level since the height of the pandemic

The number of people quitting their jobs fell in November to the lowest level since the height of the pandemic as the number of job openings popped to its highest level since May — both signs of a ...

The Hill - Jan. 7

Human Metapneumovirus Is Finally Being Taken Seriously

The attention being paid to a Chinese outbreak of a virus often confused with flu is a sign that respiratory infection tracking is improving.

Wired - Jan. 7

‘Inflation levels seem to be increasing’: Businesses are worried about tariffs and rising prices.

The holiday shopping season gave a boost to service-oriented companies in December, but top executives were wary of potential Trump tariffs and a recent uptick in inflation.

MarketWatch - Jan. 7

UK long-term borrowing costs hit highest level since 1998

Rising interest costs raise fears about chancellor’s ability to hit revised fiscal rules

Financial Times - Jan. 7

1st human bird flu death in US reported

The Louisiana Department of Health confirmed the first human bird flu death in the United States on Monday.

ABC News - Jan. 7

More breast cancer cases found when AI used in screenings, study finds

First real-world test finds approach has higher detection rate without having a higher rate of false positives. The use of artificial intelligence in breast cancer screening increases the chance of ...

The Guardian - Jan. 7

Lead pollution in ancient Rome may have dropped average IQ, study finds

Lead pollution in ancient Rome likely dropped the average IQ, a study found. The research is based on an analysis of ice cores extracted from Greenland.

NBC News - Jan. 7

‘Sandwich carers’ suffer long mental health toll, study finds

Research increases scrutiny over levels of state support for adults who look after children and elderly relatives

Financial Times - Jan. 7

‘Forever Chemicals’ Reach Tap Water via Treated Sewage, Study Finds

Wastewater, even after treatment to make it drinkable, contains high levels of PFAS, according to researchers.

The New York Times - Jan. 6

Fluoride once again scrutinized for possible effect on children's brains

A new report once again raises the question of whether there is a link between fluoride in drinking water and lower IQ levels in children.

NBC News - Jan. 6

Analysis links fluoride exposure to low IQ but finds 'high risk of bias' in most studies

An analysis of more than 70 studies on fluoride and IQ levels concluded there was a relationship between higher levels of the common water additive and lower IQ levels in children, though a large ...

The Hill - Jan. 6

Less than 0.1% of U.S. minors take gender-affirming medication, study finds

A new study in the journal JAMA Pediatrics found that less than 0.1% of adolescents in the U.S. were prescribed puberty blockers or gender-affirming hormones.