Author: NCIJ NETWNCIJ NETWORK

A protein traditionally associated with protecting chromosome ends also plays an unexpected role in helping muscle stem cells remain functional and rebuild injured tissue, according to researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. The discovery could guide future research into muscular dystrophy treatments while also offering broader clues about cancer biology. The study, published in Science Advances, found that TRF2 does much more than shield chromosomes. Within muscle stem cells, it helps preserve the genetic instructions that define the cells and allow them to regenerate muscle after damage. “For years, TRF2 has been viewed as…

Ceuta over the weekend no longer looked like a city on edge, but the events of the week were still on everyone’s minds. Most of the 60,000 migrants who swam, scrambled and later charged into the tiny Spanish exclave in North Africa this week had walked back to Morocco by Sunday, while others tried to blend in and stay on. Spanish civil guard ships continued searching for migrant bodies in the waters near the stretch of urban beach that tens of thousand of migrants had breached days earlier. Shops in Ceuta reopened, and the usual blend of residents and tourists…

The Natland case illustrates how the VaaS system works. Natland is the son of two journalists in Stavanger and had a comfortable upbringing, but he drifted into drugs and developed psychosis, ending up spending time in rehab and a short period in a children’s home. There he met another teenager who used the online handle UnknownHustler.It was UnknownHustler who first sent Natland the online request for someone to carry out a hit in the UK – “Killing in England 270k” (270,000 Norwegian kroner is about £21,000). It had come from another teenager with the handle Generalen. Generalen – who was…

Over the past two months, the United States has made financial commitments that hint at a limited return to global health and humanitarian assistance partnerships, after the abrupt severing of many of those relationships a year and a half ago.Last week, the State Department notified Congress that it would send $600 million to Gavi, the organization that helps low-income countries buy essential childhood immunizations, a year after Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. withdrew American support.It was the latest in a series of financial commitments from the U.S. government to international organizations, working on issues such as hunger and tuberculosis,…

Snapchat is the latest company to strengthen its stance against AI slop. The social network platform will no longer reward fully AI-generated videos, as it seeks to prioritize human-made content.  Snapchat announced the update on Friday, stating that its recommendation systems will be adjusted to ensure that only videos created by real people are eligible for Spotlight recommendations. Snapchat expressed in its blog post that it wants Spotlight to “remain a place where people can discover authentic creativity from real people, because we believe there’s enduring value in rewarding original perspectives, personal storytelling, and the moments that people choose to…

New York has asked a Manhattan state court to permanently block prediction-market exchange Kalshi from offering what the state calls unlicensed sports wagering to New Yorkers, escalating a fight over whether federal commodities oversight shields the platform from state gambling laws.A verified petition dated July 31 asks the court to order Kalshi to identify affected customers and itemize their wagers, losses and the company’s gains. The state also seeks customer restitution, damages, disgorgement, prejudgment interest and costs.The most aggressive demands are a penalty equal to three times Kalshi’s alleged gains and $100,000 for each unauthorized offer or attempt to offer…

Dark matter is usually described as an invisible substance that responds only to gravity. But scientists are now exploring a more complex possibility: dark matter particles may also interact through a hidden force of their own. A new study in the Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics (JCAP) examined what would happen if dark matter experienced an additional attractive force. The results were surprisingly counterintuitive. Although the force causes dark matter to gather more efficiently, it usually does not accelerate the growth of cosmic structure. Instead, it tends to slow that growth. Why Scientists Are Considering a Dark Force Interest…

“Acne Drug Lawsuits Say Benzoyl Peroxide Treatments Sold by L’Oréal, Walgreens, Walmart Contain Dangerous Benzene.” Classaction.org, 11 Mar. 2024, www.classaction.org/news/acne-drug-lawsuits-say-benzoyl-peroxide-treatments-sold-by-loral-walgreens-walmart-contain-dangerous-benzene#embedded-document. Accessed 2 June 2026.American Cancer Society. “Benzene and Cancer Risk | American Cancer Society.” Www.cancer.org, 1 Feb. 2023, www.cancer.org/cancer/risk-prevention/chemicals/benzene.html. Accessed 2 June 2026.”Certain CeraVe Acne Treatments Contain Harmful Levels of Benzene, Class Action Says.” Classaction.org, 28 Mar. 2024, www.classaction.org/news/certain-cerave-acne-treatments-contain-harmful-levels-of-benzene-class-action-says. Accessed 2 June 2026.”Complaint – #1 in Abednego v. LOreal USA, Inc (S.D.N.Y., 1:24-Cv-03998) – CourtListener.com.” CourtListener, 2024, www.courtlistener.com/docket/68562444/1/abednego-v-loreal-usa-inc/. Accessed 2 June 2026.”Complaint – #1 in O’Dea v. L’Oreal, USA (N.D. Ill., 1:24-Cv-02762) – CourtListener.com.” CourtListener, 2024, www.courtlistener.com/docket/68413502/1/odea-v-loreal-usa/. Accessed 2 June…

Taiz, Yemen – Hiring a minibus to the Ragem village market, 70km (45 miles) from Taiz, has become a daily challenge for commuters from outlying areas.Drivers routinely decline trips to these rugged areas due to unpaved roads, which make them impossible to reach for any vehicle bar larger four-wheel-drive cars.Hiring one of these costs more than triple a bus fare, forcing many residents to make a difficult 6km (4-mile) trek to the market by foot.“We offer them double the regular fare, but they still refuse. Only drivers from our village agree because they understand our suffering,” Abdullah al-Azazi, 31, told…

The UK Home Office has started stripping some EU citizens of their post-Brexit residency rights, in a move that has raised concerns about Britain’s compliance with its withdrawal agreement with Europe.The UK internal affairs authority has told at least 100 people that they were given residency rights “in error”, disrupting their lives just as they come to the end of their five-year “pre-settled status” and prepare to upgrade to the permanent “settled status”.A Portuguese woman working in the NHS and researching a PhD in Britain says her life has been turned upside down after being told by the Home Office…