Science & Tech

Orca who carried dead newborn for weeks has lost another calf and is carrying it again

Jan. 03, 2025

Nearly six years ago, an orca mother drew international attention when she carried her dead calf for 17 consecutive days. Now, sadly, the whale seems to be repeating what researchers say is a show of grief with another newborn that has died. The mother whale, known as J35 and also as Tahlequah, was first spotted with a new calf on Dec. 20. But on Wednesday, researchers from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration photographed her off West Seattle with the baby whale’s carcass on her head.

Entertainment

Country star Lainey Wilson ‘might have to propose’ to boyfriend of 3 years

Jan. 03, 2025

This year could be the year Lainey Wilson's boyfriend says "yes." The country music star joked she might have to get down on one knee after Bunnie Xo said she hoped Wilson and Devlin "Duck" Hodges get engaged in 2025. "No pressure, brother! No pressure," Wilson told Bunnie, who was interviewing the "Watermelon Moonshine" singer for CMT. "I might have to propose to him. We waiting!" "No, Duck’s gonna do it. I could feel it," Bunnie noted.

Entertainment

Michelle Pfeiffer leads ‘Yellowstone’ spinoff ‘The Madison’: What to know

Jan. 03, 2025

Now that "Yellowstone" has wrapped up its final episodes, Taylor Sheridan and the crew of the hit Western are shifting their focus to Michelle Pfeiffer's "The Madison." Christina Voros, executive producer on "Yellowstone," told The Hollywood Reporter the crew has walked away from the main series and is putting its efforts into the new spinoff. "The team that I’ve been working with has moved from ‘Yellowstone’ into ‘The Madison,’ so I know that new show is happening, and Taylor is excited about writing it," Voros said in December.

Automotive

Welcome to the New World Order of automakers. Soon, only the big survive

Jan. 03, 2025

Honda and Nissan are the latest automakers to discuss combining forces. They won’t be the last. The two Japanese automakers announced last week that they plan to merge and create the world’s third largest automaker. Details aren’t yet finalized, but they expect to announce the combination within six months. Mergers in the auto industry are nothing new. They have taken place since the acquisition of various brands formed General Motors (GM) in the first decade of the 20th century. But experts say the Honda-Nissan deal could help to spark a string of combinations that could soon reshape the industry

Automotive

Ford and GM report best annual U.S. sales since 2019

Jan. 03, 2025

DETROIT — Both General Motors and Ford Motor on Friday reported their best annual U.S. new vehicle sales since 2019, prior to impacts from the coronavirus pandemic and yearslong supply chain problems. Those results are in line with industrywide expectations for automakers. Market research firms expected U.S. automakers to report total sales of nearly 16 million vehicles in 2024, which would mark the industry’s best year since selling roughly 17 million units in 2019.

Entertainment

Meghan Markle's 'cringe-worthy' return to spotlight kicks off second attempt at Netflix stardom

Jan. 03, 2025

Meghan Markle's social media revival wasn't the only thing she had cooking in the kitchen for the new year. One day after Markle, 43, shared her first post on Instagram in half a decade, the Duchess of Sussex dropped the trailer for her latest collaboration with Netflix, a lifestyle series aptly titled "With Love, Meghan." Fans, followers and critics were quick to question her return to the spotlight following her "cringe-worthy" 2025 reel captured by Prince Harry on the beach near their home in the affluent community of Montecito, Calif.

Science & Tech

Shampoo rules and immigrant care: A look at some 'draconian' state laws, tax hikes taking effect in 2025

Jan. 03, 2025

In the 1942 film "Holiday Inn," legendary crooner Bing Crosby describes the stroke of midnight on New Year’s as "one minute to say goodbye before we say hello." In 2025, Americans in several states around the country are "saying hello" to many new laws and changes in tax codes.

International News

Cold and flooded, children in Gaza face dire — and deadly — winter amid Israel's offensive

Jan. 03, 2025

At least five children have died from hypothermia so far this winter after being displaced by Israel’s offensive in Gaza, health officials have said.

Sports

Miami Heat suspend star Jimmy Butler for 7 games after he requested trade, said he had no 'joy' with team

Jan. 03, 2025

Rumors had swirled for weeks that star forward Jimmy Butler wanted out of Miami — it even got to the point where the Heat released a statement saying it had become a distraction, and that they wouldn't trade him. Well, in the span of a week, the team has since done an about-face, admitting in another statement on Friday that Butler has asked to be moved, and they will look to fulfill that request.

Science & Tech

Massive ‘space object’ fragment crashes into remote village in Kenya

Jan. 03, 2025

A huge, red-hot object fell from the sky into a Kenyan village on Monday afternoon according to local residents cited by the country’s national broadcaster, prompting an immediate investigation by the national space agency. The object has since been identified as a “fragment of a space object,” the Kenya Space Agency said in a statement Wednesday. The KSA said it has taken custody of the object that landed in the remote village of Mukuku, in the southern county of Makueni, describing it as apparent space junk measuring 2.5 meters (about 8 feet) wide and weighing 500 kg (about 1,100 pounds).