China bans hidden car door handles over safety concerns

It makes China the first country to outlaw designs first popularised by Elon Musk's Tesla.

Why Bhutan’s plastic ban isn’t working

Bhutan's plastic policy has failed to evolve with changing patterns of consumption.

Early this month, a wily coyote swam across San Francisco...

Early this month, a wily coyote swam across San Francisco Bay to Alcatraz. He was in such rough shape, observers thought he’d probably die, but he’s been snacking on birds and rodents and was recently observed fat as a pickle . 💬 Join the discussion on kottke.org →

Media misuse of 'hard-right' label risks normalizing extremist views, study says

Leading English-language news outlets often misuse the term "hard-right" to describe far-right political movements, potentially softening their extremist image and boosting their electoral appeal, according to a new study published in the journal European Political Science. The

Maryland Democrats advance new congressional lines in state House

Maryland Democrats advanced a new set of congressional lines that would eliminate the state’s one remaining GOP-held House seat on Monday. The Maryland House of Delegates voted 99-37 to advance a new House map that would give Democrats an 8-0 edge in their congressional

Argentina’s stats chief quits as Milei’s government freezes inflation index overhaul

Argentina’s national statistics agency, INDEC, said its director, Marco Lavagna, stepped down on Monday after more than six years in the post, just as the country was preparing to launch a revamped consumer price index (CPI). Within hours, Economy Minister Luis Caputo confirmed

Neil Gaiman Issues New Denial Over Sexual Misconduct Allegations

The author said he was "astonished" by "how the actual evidence was dismissed or ignored"

In Sweden, young adults feel most dissatisfied while the oldest thrive

Young adults in Sweden feel significantly worse than older people in almost all areas of life. While older Swedes rank among the happiest in the world, young adults struggle with loneliness and psychological distress. These are the findings of a new large-scale study on

The hidden role of the built environment in campus disaster preparedness

Many have spent much of their career studying disasters—how people perceive risk, how institutions communicate, and why preparedness so often falls short of good intentions. But this study forced me to confront something I had not fully reckoned with before: hurricane

What are the warning signs of financial abuse?

Financial abuse is a common and often hidden type of abuse within family and domestic violence, characterized by behaviors that control, restrict, or hide money and financial information, frequently involving a person's bank accounts, credit cards, tax filings, and business

Texas Democrat sworn in to House, shrinking GOP margin to 1 vote

Rep. Christian Menefee (D-Texas), a former Harris County, Texas, attorney, was sworn in as a member of the House on Monday after winning the special election runoff for the late Rep. Sylvester Turner’s (D-Texas) seat last week. “It's been more than 330 days since the people of

How Tyler, the Creator and Regina King Brought Explosive Emotion to 2026 Grammy Awards

The Academy Award-winning actress and director tells Rolling Stone about the last-minute call she received from the rapper asking her to join what proved to be a career-best performance

'Do they really need marketing for Elder Scrolls 6?' Skyrim lead designer says Bethesda probably won't make a TV show for The Elder Scrolls because it's already making 'literally billions of dollars'

"What you're going to make by licensing the IP to this TV show is just peanuts."

Newsom’s anti-Trump public health platform

Click in for more news from The Hill {beacon} Health Care Health Care The Big Story Newsom’s anti-Trump public health platform California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) has positioned himself and his state as the frontline in opposing the new public health guidelines coming from the

‘Sherri’ Daytime Talk Show Canceled After Four Seasons

Comedian Sherri Shepherd’s talk show “Sherri” is ending its run after four seasons, Variety has learned. News comes just as another daytime yakker, “The Kelly Clarkson Show,” also announced that it would wrap up at the end of 2026 after seven seasons. Lionsgate’s

New data tool boosts preparedness for potentially deadly flooding

When extreme weather strikes, the preparations of emergency planners can have life-or-death consequences. In July 2025, central Texas flooded with disastrous consequences, killing more than 130 people.

Japan finance minister defends PM Takaichi’s comments on the benefits of a weak yen

The PM's message was at odds with her finance ministry that has worked to stem the currency’s decline.

CBS News Contributor Peter Attia Apologizes for Correspondence with Jeffrey Epstein: ‘I Was Not Involved in Any Criminal Activity’

Dr. Peter Attia, who was recently named as a contributor to CBS News, put out a lengthy statement on X Monday morning saying he is “ashamed” of his relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Attia and Epstein’s apparent friendship was revealed through emails

Justin Bieber’s Seven-Minute Rehearsal and More Behind-the-Scenes 2026 Grammy Secrets

"You want a bit of anarchy," says executive producer Ben Winston, who breaks down the making of the show, from Lady Gaga to Cher to Sabrina Carpenter to Bad Bunny

China fails to curb the ‘secret filming betrayal’ of women and girls

In China, vast trade in secretly filmed footage of Chinese women and girls has flourished.

AI model forecasts coral heat stress on Florida reefs up to six weeks ahead

Scientists have created an AI model that forecasts moderate heat stress—a major precursor to coral bleaching—at sites along Florida's Coral Reef up to six weeks ahead, with predictions generally accurate within one week. The study, published in Environmental Research

4 issues to watch as Homeland Security funding fight escalates

Congress is staring at a steep climb to finalizing a deal to fund the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), as progressives and conservatives each try to throw their weight after the shootings by federal agents in Minneapolis. The House aims to send the five-bill minibus and

Meg Lui Shares Debut Single “Gone Girl” Featuring Sufjan Stevens

Meet Meg Lui, Asthmatic Kitty Records’ newest signee. The Northern California-born, Hudson Valley-based singer-songwriter released her debut song “Gone Girl” on Friday (Jan. 30), and it has Sufjan Stevens on background vocals, co-production, and instruments. “Gone Girl” is

Malaysia students’ festive CNY rap gets ‘Nonstop’ views

The music video has garnered more than 1.4 million views and over 55,000 likes as of noon on Feb 2.

House Republicans eye next week for housing bill vote

BTS Announces Livestream Concert and Feature-Length Documentary to Air on Netflix

BTS is mounting a big comeback with the announcement of both a livestreamed performance and a feature-length documentary, both airing on Netflix in partnership with Hybe. The live performance, titled “BTS the Comeback Live | Arirang,” will stream on Netflix on March 21 at 4

Stephen Fry to Star in Fox Drama Series ‘Interrogator’

Fox has given a straight to series order to the drama “The Interrogator” with Stephen Fry attached in a lead role. The logline for the show states it is “centered on Conrad Henry (Fry), former MI6 agent, and his elite team. When conventional methods have failed, Henry’s quirky

SpaceX to take over Elon Musk's AI firm

Musk's space exploration company and his AI start-up are merging.

Shanties in a Lagos lagoon: Bulldozed and burnt

Residents suspect the demolitions are aimed at gentrifying the waterfront in Nigeria's biggest city, but officials deny this.

Colin Allred blasts Talarico, backs Crockett in Texas Senate primary

Former Rep. Colin Allred (D-Texas) criticized state Rep. James Talarico (D) for allegedly referring to him as a “mediocre Black man” and said he would be backing Talarico’s opponent, Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas), in the Senate Democratic primary for Sen. John Cornyn’s

Clintons reverse course, agree to testify in House Epstein inquiry

Former President Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton have agreed to testify before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee as part of the panel's investigation into the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The news marks a stunning about-face

Animators are fuming after Adobe announces it's killing Adobe Animate, the Flash animation tool that defined the look of early web games

Animate's distinctive vector animation tools are still used by professionals today, but not for much longer.

The yachting industry searches for alternatives to teak

Prized for its beauty, teak is in short supply, forcing the yacht industry to look for alternatives.

Door is open to customs union talks with UK, EU says

Valdis Dombrovskis says the EU is willing to engage with Britain amid mounting global uncertainty.

China coal plant building surges despite record renewable energy additions

In total, 291GW of coal power capacity remained in the development pipeline by the end of 2025.

Chappell Roan On Response To Her Topless Grammys Outfit: “I Don’t Even Think This Is THAT Outrageous”

Chappell Roan sadly didn't win any Grammys last night, but she stirred up conversation regardless. Part of the singer's charm is her commitment to stealing the spotlight with extravagant looks, and she did it again at LA's Crypto.com Arena by wearing a sheer gown hanging from

Tibet's tectonic clash: New satellite view suggests weaker fault lines

A study on tectonic plates that converge on the Tibetan Plateau has shown that Earth's fault lines are far weaker and the continents are less rigid than scientists previously thought. This finding is based on ground-monitoring satellite data. The study, published in Science,

Human–AI relationships in fiction: Theoretical cultural framework developed to understand AI representations

Researchers at University of Tsukuba examined how artificial intelligence (AI) is represented in fictional media, including films, animation, literature, and games. Published in the journal AI & SOCIETY, their analysis indicates that AI is portrayed not only as a technological

Tyla Reflects on First Grammy Win, Details New Album ‘A-Pop’ Ahead of Music’s Biggest Night

Last night, the South African star was nominated for — and won — Best African Performance for her hit single, "Push 2 Start," making it her second Grammy earned in the category

Will Take-Two announce another Grand Theft Auto 6 delay tomorrow?

The company's first quarterly report of the calendar year drops on February 3, and some GTA fans are getting a little antsy.

Bill and Hillary Clinton now agree to testify before Congress

It's a stunning change of heart for the former first couple as a contempt vote loomed.

Bubble bots: Simple biocompatible microrobots autonomously target tumors

The potential of microrobots is enormous. These miniature objects can be designed to carry out actions within the body, such as sensing biomarkers, manipulating objects like blood clots, or delivering drug therapies to tumor sites. But working out how to make the tiny bots

Crypto bill hits road bumps as midterms loom

{beacon} Technology Technology The Big Story Crypto bill hits road bumps as midterms loom A major cryptocurrency bill hit several road bumps in the Senate in recent weeks, dimming the legislation’s prospects in a midterm election year when policymaking efforts are expected

UN to deploy ceasefire monitoring mission in Congo, Qatar says

DAKAR, Feb 2 (Reuters) - The United Nations peacekeeping mission in Congo will send its first team to monitor a ceasefire between Congo’s government and the AFC/M23 rebel group in the coming days, Qatar’s foreign ministry said on Monday after hosting talks in Doha. Qatar said

Planned Parenthood drops challenge over Trump administration Medicaid cuts

The Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA) has filed to voluntarily dismiss its lawsuit against the Trump administration that sought to challenge the decision to cut off Medicaid funding to abortion providers. The PPFA on Friday filed a notice of voluntary dismissal in

Black and Latino teens show stronger digital literacy than white peers

A study by UC Riverside and USC education scholars found that Black and Latino teens are significantly more adept than their white peers at detecting online disinformation—particularly content related to race and ethnicity.

‘The Kelly Clarkson Show’ to End After Seven Seasons: This ‘Will Allow Me to Prioritize My Kids’

“The Kelly Clarkson Show” is coming to an end after its currently airing seventh season. The show’s conclusion was Clarkson’s decision. In a statement thanking her crew and fans, she said, “Stepping away from the daily schedule will allow me to prioritize my kids, which feels