Estonia’s foreign minister described the flights, which lasted for an unusually long 12 minutes, as an “unprecedentedly brazen” intrusion.

The panel recommended that people consult a health professional before receiving a Covid vaccine. Left unclear was whether Americans can still walk into pharmacies for shots.

Just days after federal data revealed average reading, math and science scores dropped among certain grades since before the coronavirus pandemic, a U.S. Senate panel on Thursday picked apart the root causes and methods for students' academic improvement. From a report: The hearing in the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions centered on the "state of K-12 education" -- which GOP members on the committee described as "troubling" -- in light of recent data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress, or NAEP. NAEP, regarded as the gold standard for tracking students' academic performance, showed that average science scores for eighth-graders decreased by 4 points since before the pandemic, in 2019. Average math and reading scores for 12th-graders also fell 3 points between 2019 and 2024. The assessments were administered between January and March of 2024. Results also showed that just one-third of 12th-graders are considered academically prepared for college in math -- a drop from 37% in 2019. The committee's chair, Sen. Bill Cassidy, said "it should concern us that children's reading, math and science scores have yet to recover to pre-pandemic levels." The Louisiana Republican added that "success in education is not determined by how much we spend, but by who makes the decision and how wisely resources are directed," and "when states and local communities are empowered to tailor solutions to meet the unique needs of students, innovation follows." On the other hand, Sen. Bernie Sanders, ranking member of the panel, said that "while we focus on education -- as important as that is -- we also have to focus on the conditions under which our children are living."

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The Republican senator warned that retaliating against media outlets over coverage that conservatives view as negative would set a “dangerous” precedent.

Saturday’s star-studded concert will air on TV for the first time in years as the hotline for farmers gets more calls about a mix of complicated problems.

Conservatives have pressed for consequences for those who make negative comments about Charlie Kirk. But a few on the right say they worry about limits on speech.

We definitely need to restore America’s trust in vaccines, but the amateur hour A.C.I.P. display isn’t going to do it.

Gallup: A record-low 35% of Americans are satisfied with the quality of education that K-12 students receive in the U.S. today, marking an eight-percentage-point decline since last year. This is one point below the previous historical low recorded in 2000 and 2023 for this Gallup question that dates back to 1999. Several other ratings of the U.S. K-12 education system provide a similarly bleak assessment. Only about one-quarter of Americans think K-12 schools are headed in the right direction, while just one in five rate them as "excellent" or "good" at preparing students for today's jobs and one in three say the same for college. Yet, parents of current K-12 students are nearly twice as satisfied with their own child's education as they are with education in the U.S. K-12 parents are also slightly more likely than U.S. adults in general to rate different aspects of education positively, including the direction of education in the U.S. and schools' preparation of students for the workforce and for college. Still, none of these ratings is near the majority level.

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The F.D.A. approved Merck’s injected version of its blockbuster infusion Keytruda. The company says it will be quicker and easier, but it stands to slow the adoption of cheaper competitors and increase costs by billions of dollars.

Proponents say the road would connect a remote town with an airport used for medical evacuations. Opponents say it would cause irreparable harm to wildlife and Alaska Native tribes.

The administration’s latest attack on the nation’s oldest university comes as negotiations stall for a settlement to restore billions in frozen federal research funds.

There had been resistance to admitting the duo because of their willingness to reveal the secrets behind their illusions. But it was always more complicated than that.

Claudine Gay has rarely spoken out since she was forced to resign, but she recently said that Harvard should not cave to Trump administration demands, including a $500 million payment.

U.S. President Donald Trump plans to impose a new $100,000 application fee for H-1B worker visas, a White House official said, potentially dealing a big blow to the technology sector that relies heavily on skilled workers from India and China. From a report: As part of his broader immigration crackdown, the Republican president was expected to sign a proclamation as early as Friday restricting entry under the H-1B visa program unless the application fee is paid, the official said. The H-1B program has become critical for technology and staffing companies who rely on foreign workers to fill a variety of technical roles. Amazon had over 10,000 H-1B visas approved in the first half of 2025, while Microsoft and Meta had over 5,000 H-1B visa approvals each, according to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Roughly two-thirds of jobs secured through the visa program are computer-related, according to U.S. government figures, but employers also use the visa to bring in engineers, educators and healthcare workers.

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A homeland security official said it was “contrary to our national interest to allow Syrians to remain in our country” through the temporary program.

Marijuana during pregnancy is linked to poor birth outcomes and developmental delays in children, a leading medical society advised.

Who will be next?

The global High Seas Treaty, decades in the making, will become international law. It aims to create vast maritime conservation areas.

Microsoft will increase Xbox Series X and Series S console prices in the United States on October 3. The Series X rises to $649.99 from $599.99 and the 512GB Series S increases to $399.99 from $379.99. The 1TB Series S moves to $449.99 from $429.99. The Series X Digital Edition reaches $599.99 from $549.99 and the 2TB Galaxy Black Special Edition climbs to $799.99 from $729.99. Microsoft cited macroeconomic changes for the increases. Console prices outside the US and controller and headset prices domestically remain unchanged. The company raised console prices globally in May.

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After House Republicans pushed through a measure to avert a shutdown, Democrats blocked it in the Senate, demanding more than $1 trillion for health programs.