Life news summaries — Page 8
Essential facts and source links for recent life stories.
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Harris Poll finds one-third of Gen Z adults identify as religious
An online Harris Poll found that 33% of U.S. adults ages 18 to 29 identified as religious, above Millennials (19%), Gen X (22%) and Baby Boomers (18%). It also found 88% of Gen Z respondents regularly practiced at least one religious or spiritual activity. -
Pier 15 dredging plan for Battleship Texas wins Galveston approval
Galveston’s Wharves Board approved Pier 15 dredging for the Battleship Texas’ move; the foundation agreed to repay slightly over $434,000. The foundation plans to start in November, pending contract approval, before Pelican Island’s spoil site closes for December maintenance. -
Anh, not Malcolm, knows about the fake dating in ‘The Love Hypothesis’
Director Claire Scanlon says The Love Hypothesis film cuts Holden and expands Anh’s role in the ending: unlike the book, where Malcolm knows Olive and Adam are fake dating, the movie reveals Anh knew all along because she observed them as a scientist. -
Global outbreak records track clinic access more than forest loss, study finds
A Nature analysis of 58,319 records for 32 diseases in 169 countries found that reported outbreaks tracked health-facility access more consistently than forest loss or warming. For the median disease, recording odds fell about a third per extra travel hour to care. -
St. Louis leads WalletHub’s ranking of U.S. cities for disability accommodations
WalletHub’s analysis of more than 180 large U.S. cities ranked St. Louis first for people with disabilities, ahead of Minneapolis and Columbus. It said cities near the bottom often have higher living costs and fewer accessible services. -
Thyroid concerns fuel a boom in online wellness advice
People seek thyroid answers online, where influencers promote diets and supplements; some claim thyroid conditions can be reversed. Experts say symptom overlap and feeling dismissed help create a market where useful guidance mixes with harmful claims. -
Tyra Banks’ new filing challenges edits in Netflix’s ‘Reality Check’
Tyra Banks’ latest filing in her defamation suit over Netflix’s “Reality Check” compares documentary clips with original footage, arguing that edits misrepresented her. The examples concern her response to a contestant’s assault story and a conversation about cheating. -
Black Health Matters shifts pharma proposals from “health equity” to “population health”
Black Health Matters now uses “population health,” not “health equity,” in pharma sponsorship proposals, CEO Roslyn Young-Daniels says. She says pharma support is waning amid the Trump administration’s anti-DEI policies; BHM’s mission is unchanged. -
Galleri gets unanimous safety vote as FDA panel splits on effectiveness
The FDA panel unanimously backed the safety of Grail's Galleri blood-based cancer test, but voted 6-4 that evidence supports its effectiveness. The agency is expected to decide in coming months whether the test can be sold nationwide. -
STV-WSP gets $19.7M contract to design Hudson Line flood defenses
The MTA awarded an STV-WSP joint venture a $19.7 million design contract for flood-resilience work on about 9 miles of Metro-North’s Hudson Line, from Spuyten Duyvil to Hastings-on-Hudson. The line carries 25,000 weekday commuters and Amtrak passengers on the Empire Corridor. -
Six-year Arizona study finds fivefold rise in Native patients’ severe birth complications
At two Arizona hospitals, a six-year study found Native patients had the highest rate of life-threatening birth complications. Their rate rose fivefold, the only statistically significant increase among groups; 64 of 1,554 births to Native patients involved severe cases. -
Blizzard will intensify weather in some World of Warcraft: Forever beta zones
Blizzard’s next World of Warcraft: Forever beta patch will intensify weather in “certain” zones, a teaser shows. Its Elwynn Forest rainstorm fills the screen with rain and fog, obscuring the view near Goldshire; patch notes are expected later this week. -
Lee County indefinitely postpones growth-plan rewrite after public backlash
Lee County indefinitely postponed changes to its Lee Plan growth guide after residents objected to a proposal that could let developers alter parts of it without public hearings. Commissioners told staff to slow revisions and broaden outreach before bringing the proposal back. -
Gamescom demo spotlights flexible spell combat in WARLOCK: Dungeons & Dragons
A live Gamescom 2026 demo of WARLOCK: Dungeons & Dragons showed Kaatri combining tentacles and kinesis to cross a gap, with abilities also usable in combat. CGMagazine’s reviewer found the combat intriguing but the city’s NPC models flat-looking; the game is due in 2027. -
Chicago forecast calls for a warmer weekend after cool midweek weather
High waves on Lake Michigan keep a Beach Hazard Statement in effect for central and northern Cook County beaches until 10 p.m. Wednesday and Lake County beaches until noon Thursday. Weekend highs in Chicago are forecast in the upper 60s to low 70s. -
Activision takes charge of Halo as Microsoft downsizes Halo Studios
Microsoft downsized Halo Studios in another wave of layoffs, leaving its remaining team to oversee the franchise rather than make games, as Activision takes charge. A PC Gamer analysis questions whether Activision can renew Halo without losing its identity. -
Digital tools could widen care options in Australia’s strained health system
Australia’s health services face pressure from an aging population, chronic disease, staffing shortages and rising costs. Telehealth and shared records could widen access; remote monitoring and AI may support care, though limited internet access can leave people behind. -
Al Gore says climate fight can be won, but questions whether it’s in time
At a New York event marking 20 years since An Inconvenient Truth, Al Gore said public opinion is nearing a “positive tipping point” despite stronger-than-expected fossil fuel resistance. He said the question is whether progress will come in time to avert climate tipping points. -
David Dausey puts health sciences and ethical AI on Duquesne’s agenda
Newly inaugurated Duquesne University President David Dausey says his priorities include expanding health-sciences education, advancing the arts and ethical use of AI, and preparing leaders of integrity as the university approaches its 150th anniversary in 2028. -
US-approved vaccines contain no peanut oil; evidence does not link them to peanut allergies
US-approved vaccines contain no peanut oil; evidence does not link vaccine ingredients, including aluminum, to peanut allergies, despite social media claims. About 1–2% of Americans have the allergy, the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology says. -
San Francisco home once owned by Newsom’s grandfather lists for $4.5 million
A San Francisco house once owned by Gov. Gavin Newsom’s grandfather is listed for $4.5 million. His mother inherited it, the listing agent says; the family that bought it in the 1970s kept it for over 40 years before its $2.8 million sale in 2019. -
Roman Park’s takeover attempt threatens Frank Shaw’s precinct in ‘Animal Control’ season 5
Animal Control season 5 puts Frank Shaw’s precinct in Roman Park’s sights: he has a city contract and has already shut one precinct. Showrunner Tad Quill says Frank and rival Templeton will unite against Roman; the city council will decide whether to keep the precinct open. -
Recycled restaurant shells support oyster reef recovery in Apalachicola Bay
Local groups are returning restaurant oyster shells to Florida’s Apalachicola Bay, where they give young oysters a hard surface to grow on. The bay reopened to limited harvesting this year; the next season is scheduled for Oct. 1 through Feb. 28, 2027. -
Rebecca Hall on playing Abby Borden as funny and frightening in Netflix series
Rebecca Hall says playing Abby Borden in Netflix’s “Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story” required balancing comedy and menace. She sees pain behind Abby’s cruelty but does not excuse it. The season debuted at No. 1 on Netflix’s English TV list with 12.1 million views. -
Jerry Sheindlin married Judge Judy twice and presided over ‘The People’s Court’
Judge Judy and Jerry Sheindlin married in 1977, divorced in 1990 and remarried the following year. Jerry, a former criminal defense lawyer and judge who served as an acting New York Supreme Court justice, later presided over TV’s The People’s Court from 1999 to 2001. -
Liverpool clinic gets 103 referrals for young people with ketamine bladder damage
Alder Hey Hospital in Liverpool opened the UK's first clinic for young people with ketamine-related bladder damage in May 2025; an analysis found it has received 103 referrals. Its first 60 patients were ages 13–15, and experts warn the damage can be irreversible.
