Justice Department requests emergency stay on California ballot count in voting rights case
The U.S. Department of Justice has asked a federal court to immediately block the counting of approximately 20,000 ballots in California, alleging they were cast by noncitizens, escalating a legal dispute over voter eligibility just days before a ruling was expected.
Israeli forces conduct operation near Yehuda Junction in West Bank amid security concerns
Israeli forces conducted a shooting incident near Yehuda Junction in the West Bank on Friday morning, resulting in two Palestinian men being killed. Following the attack, Israel ordered a West Bank closure and cordoned off Hebron, citing security concerns and reporting dozens of operations that arrested dozens of militants affiliated with Hamas and Islamic Jihad.
DeepSeek raises $15B round amid US federal ban scrutiny
Chinese AI startup DeepSeek secured approximately $15 billion in a major funding round valuing the company at around 100 billion yuan, just two days after the U.S. ordered federal agencies to remove its technology over national security concerns. The round includes investors such as Tencent and CATL, reflecting efforts to compete with Western AI firms despite escalating geopolitical tensions.
India bans sugarcane-based ethanol production for 2026-27 supply year
The Indian government has prohibited ethanol production from sugarcane juice, sugar syrup, and B-heavy molasses for the 2026-27 supply year, which begins in November. The measure aims to safeguard domestic sugar supplies amid an estimated 11% production shortfall and rising retail prices. The ban also extends raw sugar import permits through December 31, 2026, to contain market price fluctuations.
Young Renters Confront Persistent Affordability Crisis as Wages Lag Behind Rising Costs
A Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies report finds that young renters under 34 face a deep affordability crisis, with rental costs outpacing wage growth and mortgage rates making homeownership increasingly out of reach. Despite some recent rent softening for new leases, only about 9% of young renters earning under $30,000 receive public housing assistance, and median wages in 17 of the 25 most common U.S. occupations are too low to afford typical rents, even for a one-bedroom unit. The trend is driving young adults toward shared living and delayed independence.
Supreme Court blocks Trump administration's attempt to restrict gender-affirming care for federal prison inmates
The Supreme Court ruled that the Trump administration cannot enforce new medical restrictions for transgender federal inmates, allowing gender-affirming care to continue while litigation challenging the policy proceeds. The decision represents a significant legal setback for the administration's effort to change policy regarding transgender healthcare in the federal prison system.
Oxford Researchers Capture Virus Assembly Step-by-Step in Real Time
Oxford University researchers have, for the first time, captured the real-time, step-by-step assembly of individual virus-like particles using single-molecule trapping and mass photometry. The study reveals that viral protein components navigate countless possible arrangements through a process of trial and error to build stable biological shells without a central blueprint, providing direct evidence for spontaneous viral assembly and offering insights for synthetic nanocarrier design in drug delivery and vaccine development.