Northern lights visible as far south as Florida this week

From NPR. Solar storms are making the northern lights visible across much of the country this week. But while the displays sparked social media joy, space weather forecasters warned of potential complications — geomagnetic storms can temporarily disrupt radio and satellite operations. Forecasters say another coronal mass ejection — the Sun’s massive blasts of plasma…

Trump floats 50-year mortgages to help homebuyers

From NPR. President Trump is floating a 50-year mortgage to help buyers purchase a home. The chief economist for the National Association of Realtors says homebuyers may see small monthly savings on a 50-year mortgage, but that it would take borrowers almost 40 years to pay off just half of their original balance.

The FDA will lift warnings on hormone therapy for menopause

From NPR. The Food and Drug Administration says it is removing the black box safety warnings from all hormone therapy creams, pills and other treatments prescribed to ease the symptoms of menopause and perimenopause. The prominent warnings said these therapies could raise the risks for some cancers, dementia, heart attacks and strokes. —————————————————— Follow NPR…

Japan deploys troops to combat surge in bear attacks

From NPR. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy says he could be forced to close some of the nation’s airspace if the government shutdown continues into next week: "You will see mass flight delays, you’ll see mass cancellations, and you may see us close certain parts of the airspace, because we just cannot manage it." Duffy says…

Pope Leo urges respect for migrants’ ‘spiritual rights’

From NPR. Pope Leo told reporters this week that U.S. immigration authorities must respect the “spiritual rights” of those held in detention. He was specifically responding to reports of immigration authorities not allowing migrants arrested in Chicago to receive Holy Communion. To underscore his point, Leo referred to a passage from the Gospel of Matthew…

Shutdown could cause U.S. airspace closures

From NPR. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy says he could be forced to close some of the nation’s airspace if the government shutdown continues into next week: "You will see mass flight delays, you’ll see mass cancellations, and you may see us close certain parts of the airspace, because we just cannot manage it." Duffy says…

In Chicago, a Halloween weekend of immigration arrests and violence

From NPR. President Trump’s ongoing crackdown on illegal immigration led to muted Halloween and Day of the Dead celebrations in Chicago over the weekend. At least one Halloween parade was cancelled. Volunteers monitored the streets of a predominantly Mexican neighborhood during a trick-or-treat event Friday after Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker’s request that federal agents pause…

Survey: Weight loss drugs bringing down obesity rates

From NPR. Obesity rates have declined after hitting an all-time high of nearly 40%. A Gallup poll finds the drops correlate with sharp increases in use of obesity treatments known as GLP-1 medications. Over the past three years, Gallup’s National Health and Well-Being Index finds obesity rates decreased to 37%, down from 39.9% in 2022.…

Survey: Weight loss drugs bringing down obesity rates

From NPR. Obesity rates have declined after hitting an all-time high of nearly 40%. A Gallup poll finds the drops correlate with sharp increases in use of obesity treatments known as GLP-1 medications. Over the past three years, Gallup’s National Health and Well-Being Index finds obesity rates decreased to 37%, down from 39.9% in 2022.…

Trump pushes to end medical care for trans youth nationally

From NPR. Access to gender-affirming care for transgender youth will be dramatically restricted by the Trump administration under new proposals by the Department of Health and Human Services being prepared for release in early November. The two proposed rules would use Medicaid to try to force hospitals and doctors not to provide gender-affirming care for…

South Korea’s President Gifts Trump A Golden Crown | NPR News Now

From NPR. NPR’s “News Now” is a roundup of the top stories of the day. Click “Show More” for a list of today’s stories: 0:00 Today’s Top Stories 0:19 Hurricane Melissa Continues To Weaken 0:43 South Korea’s President Gifts Trump A Golden Crown 1:36 Israel Kills Dozens In Overnight Strikes 2:38 CBP’s Director Ordered To…

Hurricane Melissa lashes Jamaica with winds of 185 mph

From NPR. The National Hurricane Center says the top-of-the-scale Hurricane Melissa continues to strengthen just hours before it is expected to slam into Jamaica, with top sustained winds at 185 mph. Forecasters say it’s approaching Jamaica’s southern coast, where leaders have pleaded with people to get to shelters. The only comparison in Jamaican history is…