When life feels overwhelming, many people instinctively turn to nature. A walk in a park. Sitting by the ocean. Watching a sunset. Is this just a pleasant feeling, or is there something deeper at work?

A multitude of studies have linked spending time in nature with different aspects of mental health and wellness. For example, ...Read more

Teens in the U.S. are obtaining medication abortion pills through telehealth, and young people age 18 to 24 are ordering medication abortion at much higher rates than older adults.

Those are the key findings of a new study that my colleagues and I published in the journal JAMA Health Forum.

We examined requests for medication ...Read more

In an unprecedented use of federal authority, President Donald Trump’s administration has invoked emergency powers to force a series of retiring coal plants to stay open.

Utilities, states and grid operators have said the aging plants are expensive, in bad repair and no longer needed to meet regional energy needs. But Trump’s efforts to ...Read more

Conservative lawmakers in multiple states are pushing legislation drafted by an anti-abortion advocacy group to increase protections for crisis pregnancy centers, organizations that provide some health-related services but also work to dissuade women from having abortions.

The legislation would prohibit state and local governments from ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — Almost two hours before the Eaton fire broke out in the San Gabriel foothills Jan. 7, 2025, Los Angeles County emergency management officials had been pushed to send out an emergency alert to warn residents that increasingly high winds would pose a significant risk.

But no such alert was sent.

The residents of west Altadena did...Read more

BOISE, Idaho — A court case challenging Idaho’s abortion bans under the U.S. Constitution will go to trial in June, where a Boise maternal-fetal medicine specialist hopes to win a carve-out in the state’s restrictive laws for abortion when the health of the mother is at risk.

Dr. Stacy Seyb filed the lawsuit against the members of the ...Read more

A Democrat is poised to represent President Donald Trump and his Mar-a-Lago residence in the Florida state House of Representatives after Republicans lost a special election in a surprise upset.

The Democratic candidate, Emily Gregory, was projected to defeat her Republican opponent, Jon Maples, in a special election Tuesday, according to ...Read more

City Councilmember Jimmy Harrity said he is worried Mayor Cherelle L. Parker’s proposed $1-per-ride tax on rideshare services will hurt residents who rely on Uber and Lyft to get to work.

Council President Kenyatta Johnson questioned why the $1 tax, which will aid the Philadelphia School District, was not included in Parker’s initial budget...Read more

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen’s party won a closely contested election by pledging stability in global turmoil, setting the stage for difficult coalition talks to secure a third term in power.

The premier’s Social Democrats emerged as the biggest with 21.9% of the Tuesday parliamentary vote overshadowed by Donald Trump’s threats...Read more

Minnesota’s beleaguered moose population is continuing to hold its own, state wildlife biologists say in their latest update.

The most recent population estimate is 4,470, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources said this week after completing its 2026 winter census.

The population sharply declined from some 8,000 animals in 2009, ...Read more

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments on Monday in a case that could end the practice of counting ballots received after Election Day, which would upend Washington state's and several other states' mail-in voting systems months before this fall's midterm elections.

During a general election in Washington, a ballot postmarked on ...Read more

BOISE, Idaho — For school districts, educating students with disabilities who need services like a nurse or an ASL interpreter can be costly. Complex services can run a bill tens of thousands of dollars and be especially difficult for rural districts to afford.

Last week, lawmakers advanced a bill to start to address the significant gap in ...Read more

NEW YORK — The Port Authority fire truck that got into a fatal crash with an Air Canada jet landing at LaGuardia Airport didn’t have transponders installed that could have helped air traffic controllers better track its movements, NTSB investigators said Tuesday.

While radio transmissions made it clear the Port Authority Police aircraft ...Read more

WASHINGTON — The Trump administration has ordered the 82nd Airborne Division to deploy about 2,000 soldiers to the Middle East, a person familiar with the matter said, as the White House weighs options to ease Iran’s chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz.

The verbal orders are for about two battalions plus enabling units, according to the ...Read more

WASHINGTON — The Trump administration is preparing to expand the opportunity for sales of higher-ethanol E15 gasoline this summer by waiving the fuel from U.S. volatility requirements, according to people familiar with the matter.

The Environmental Protection Agency is set to brief industry stakeholders on the planned approach Wednesday ...Read more

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen’s party won the most seats in a closely contested parliamentary election, setting the stage for difficult coalition talks to secure a third term in office.

The premier’s Social Democrats emerged as the biggest with 21.9% of the Tuesday vote, overshadowed by Donald Trump’s threats over Greenland, ...Read more

State lawmakers are racing to pass bills restricting federal immigration enforcement efforts with less than three weeks remaining in the Maryland General Assembly session.

Monday was the deadline to get bills passed out of one chamber for a guaranteed shot at a hearing in the opposite chamber, also known as crossover day. Among the over 2,600 ...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — Lincoln University has withdrawn plans to issue an honorary degree to the president of Ghana citing concerns about so-called “anti-gay” legislation before the country’s parliament, according to reports in Ghana media.

“It is ... both surprising and regrettable that, just hours ago, the Embassy received a communication ...Read more

WASHINGTON — For Senate leaders, pursuing another budget reconciliation bill this year was once considered a no-go. But in a matter of days, it’s become a distinct possibility.

Using the often arduous budgetary maneuver would represent a shift for both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue, necessitated by Republican needs to reopen the Department of...Read more