Nature, Published online: 10 December 2025; doi:10.1038/s41586-025-09728-yThirty years of forest demographic data, combined with recent ecophysiological measurements, reveal that intense Amazon droughts sharply increase tree mortality once soil moisture falls below a threshold, and that these hot droughts will become more frequent and intense as Earth warms towards hypertropical conditions.

The NCAA accused a former men's basketball player at the University of San Francisco of knowingly sharing information about his statistics in upcoming games with a player at a different school who was betting on his stats on daily fantasy sites.

The actor, 60, was struck by a vehicle in Midtown Manhattan late on Monday, her agent and the police said.

A federal judge ruled that the Trump administration had illegally kept troops in Los Angeles after emergency conditions had ended. The administration is expected to appeal.

Midpriced steakhouses and fine-dining establishments are trying to figure out how to cover their rising costs without scaring away customers.

The Southern Transitional Council has seized control of parts of Yemen over the past week, with ambitions to create a south Arabian state.

A Colorado museum cited state law while rejecting an artwork with unflattering depictions of politicians. Free speech groups called the decision censorship.

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Nature, Published online: 10 December 2025; doi:10.1038/s41586-025-09834-xCells can sense mitochondrial damage through signalling via an unimported mitochondrial targeting sequence.

Nature, Published online: 10 December 2025; doi:10.1038/s41586-025-09839-6Neutrophil-derived IL-1 has a role in preserving lipid stores during metabolic stress.

Nature, Published online: 10 December 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-03819-6The Microflora Danica project has catalogued the microbial diversity of environmental habitats across Denmark and established an improved taxonomic reference database. As well as providing a special record of nitrogen-oxidizing microorganisms, the data set serves as a national baseline for tracking future microbial responses to factors such as land-use change and global warming.

Nature, Published online: 10 December 2025; doi:10.1038/s41586-025-09820-3Genomic analyses applied to 14 childhood- and adult-onset psychiatric disorders identifies five underlying genomic factors that explain the majority of the genetic variance of the individual disorders.

Nature, Published online: 10 December 2025; doi:10.1038/s41586-025-09853-8A new type of mRNA splicing mechanism discovered in Caenorhabditis elegans that detects and removes inverted repeats also occurs in human cells, thereby providing another strategy to protect against the negative effects of transposable elements.

Losing two faces of the franchise to free agency might feel like a gut punch, but is it a disaster for the Mets or part of a larger plan?

The Buccaneers have activated wide receivers Mike Evans and Jalen McMillan from injured reserve, giving both players a chance to make their returns to the lineup Thursday night against the Falcons.

Members of Congress expressed concerns that the Army dismissed complaints about the doctor, who was accused of secretly recording patients at Fort Hood in Texas.

Surro Connections held itself out as a reliable business. Now, clients have lost as much as tens of thousands of dollars meant to compensate women carrying their pregnancies.

The Office of Government Ethics told senators that Bryan Bedford, the F.A.A. administrator, did not divest from the airline he previously ran as he had agreed.

The illuminated manuscript, confiscated from the Rothschild banking dynasty during the Holocaust, is expected to draw at least $5 million.

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President Donald Trump speaks during a roundtable in the Roosevelt Room of the White House, Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)2025-12-10T20:19:46Z WASHINGTON (AP) President Donald Trump said Wednesday that the United States has seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela as tensions mount with the government of President Nicols Maduro.Using U.S. forces to seize an oil tanker is incredibly unusual and marks the Trump administrations latest push to increase pressure on Maduro, who has been charged with narcoterrorism in the United States. The U.S. has built up the largest military presence in the region in decades and launched a series of deadly strikes on alleged drug-smuggling boats in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean. The campaign is facing growing scrutiny from Congress.Weve just seized a tanker on the coast of Venezuela, a large tanker, very large, largest one ever seized, actually, Trump told reporters at the White House, later adding that it was seized for a very good reason. Trump said other things are happening, but did not offer additional details, saying he would speak more about it later. When asked what would happen to the oil aboard the tanker, Trump said, Well, we keep it, I guess.The seizure was led by the U.S. Coast Guard and supported by the Navy, according to a U.S. official who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity. The official added that the seizure was conducted under U.S. law enforcement authority. Venezuela has the worlds largest proven oil reserves and produces about 1 million barrels a day. Locked out of global oil markets by U.S. sanctions, the state-owned oil company sells most of its output at a steep discount to refiners in China. The transactions usually involve a complex network of shadowy intermediaries, as sanctions have scared away more established traders. Many are shell companies, registered in jurisdictions known for secrecy. The buyers deploy so-called ghost tankers that hide their location and hand off their valuable cargoes in the middle of the ocean before they reach their final destination. Nicolas Maduro speaks at a rally marking the anniversary of the Battle of Santa Isabel, which took place during Venezuelas 19th-century Federal War, in Caracas, Venezuela, Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos) Nicolas Maduro speaks at a rally marking the anniversary of the Battle of Santa Isabel, which took place during Venezuelas 19th-century Federal War, in Caracas, Venezuela, Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Maduro did not address the seizure during a speech before a ruling-party organized demonstration in Caracas, Venezuelas capital. But he told supporters that the country is prepared to break the teeth of the North American empire if necessary.Maduro, flanked by senior officials, said only the ruling party can guarantee peace, stability, and the harmonious development of Venezuela, South America and the Caribbean.Maduro previously has insisted the real purpose of the U.S. military operations is to force him from office.During past negotiations, among the concessions the U.S. has made to Maduro was approval for oil giant Chevron Corp. to resume pumping and exporting Venezuelan oil. The corporations activities in the South American country resulted in a financial lifeline for Maduros government.The seizure comes a day after the U.S. military flew a pair of fighter jets over the Gulf of Venezuela in what appeared to be the closest that warplanes had come to the South American countrys airspace. Trump has said land attacks are coming soon but has not offered more details. The Trump administration is facing increasing scrutiny from lawmakers over the boat strike campaign, which has killed at least 87 people in 22 known strikes since early September, including a follow-up strike that killed two survivors clinging to the wreckage of a boat after the first hit. Some legal experts and Democrats say that action may have violated the laws governing the use of deadly military force.Lawmakers are demanding to get unedited video from the strikes, but Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told congressional leaders Tuesday he was still weighing whether to release it. Hegseth provided a classified briefing for congressional leaders alongside Secretary of State Marco Rubio and CIA Director John Ratcliffe. It was not immediately clear Wednesday who owned the tanker or what national flag it was sailing under. The Coast Guard referred a request for comment to the White House.___Associated Press writer Regina Garcia Cano in Caracas, Venezuela, contributed to this report. AAMER MADHANI Madhani covers the White House for The Associated Press. He is based in Washington. twitter mailto

Stephen Dexter holds a container of ByHeart baby formula, which was recently recalled by ByHeart, in Flagstaff, Ariz., on Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Cheyanne Mumphrey, File)2025-12-10T20:52:45Z Federal health officials on Wednesday expanded an outbreak of infant botulism tied to recalled ByHeart baby formula to include all illnesses reported since the company began production in March 2022.The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said investigators cannot rule out the possibility that contamination might have affected all ByHeart formula products ever made.The outbreak now includes at least 51 infants in 19 states. The new case definition includes any infant with botulism who was exposed to ByHeart formula at any time since the products release, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The most recent illness was reported on Dec. 1. No deaths have been reported in the outbreak, which was announced Nov. 8.Previously, health officials had said the outbreak included 39 suspected or confirmed cases of infant botulism reported in 18 states since August. Thats when officials at Californias Infant Botulism Treatment and Prevention Program reported a rise in treatment of infants who had consumed ByHeart formula. With the expanded definition, the CDC identified 10 additional cases that occurred from December 2023 through July 2025. ByHeart, a New York-based manufacturer of organic infant formula founded in 2016, recalled all its products sold in the U.S. on Nov. 11. The company, which accounts for about 1% of the U.S. infant formula market, had been selling about 200,000 cans of the product each month. News that ByHeart products could have been contaminated for years was distressing to Andi Galindo, whose 5-week-old daughter, Rowan, was hospitalized in December 2023 with infant botulism after drinking the formula. Galindo, 36, of Redondo Beach, California, said she insisted on using ByHeart formula to supplement a low supply of breast milk because it was recommended by a lactation consultant as very natural, very gentle, very good for the babies. Thats a hard one, Galindo said. If there is proof that there were issues with their manufacturing and their plant all the way back from the beginning, that is a problem and they really need to be held accountable. ByHeart officials did not immediately respond to questions about the expanded outbreak. Lab tests detected contaminationThe FDA sent inspectors last month to ByHeart plants in Allerton, Iowa, and Portland, Oregon, where the formula is produced and packaged. The agency has released no results from those inspections. The company previously reported that tests by an independent laboratory showed that 36 samples from three different lots contained the type of bacteria that can cause infant botulism. Inspection documents showed that ByHeart had a history of problems with contamination. In 2022, the year ByHeart started making formula, the company recalled five batches of infant formula after a sample at a packaging plant tested positive for a different germ, cronobacter sakazakii. In 2023, the FDA sent a warning letter to the company detailing areas that still require corrective actions. A ByHeart plant in Reading, Pennsylvania, was shut down in 2023 just before FDA inspectors found problems with mold, water leaks and insects, inspection documents show. Infant botulism is rareInfant botulism is a rare disease that affects fewer than 200 babies in the U.S. each year. Its caused when infants ingest botulism bacteria that produce spores that germinate in the intestines, creating a toxin that affects the nervous system. Babies are vulnerable until about age 1 because their gut microbiomes are not mature enough to fight the toxin.Baby formula has previously been linked to sporadic cases of illness, but no known outbreaks of infant botulism tied to powdered formula have previously been confirmed, according to research studies.Symptoms can take up to 30 days to develop and can include constipation, poor feeding, loss of head control, drooping eyelids and a flat facial expression. Babies may feel floppy and can have problems swallowing or breathing. The sole treatment for infant botulism is known as BabyBIG, an IV medication made from the pooled blood plasma of adults immunized against botulism. Californias infant botulism program developed the product and is the sole source worldwide. The antibodies provided by BabyBIG are likely most effective for about a month, although they may continue circulating in the childs system for several months, said Dr. Sharon Nachman, an expert in pediatric infectious disease at Stony Brook Childrens Hospital.The risk to the infant is ongoing and the family should not be using this formula after it was recalled, Nachman said in an email.Families of several babies treated for botulism after drinking ByHeart formula have sued the company. Lawsuits filed in federal courts allege that the formula they fed their children was defective and ByHeart was negligent in selling it. They seek financial payment for medical bills, emotional distress and other harm.___The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institutes Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content. JONEL ALECCIA Aleccia covers food and nutrition at The Associated Press. She is based in Southern California. twitter mailto

Nature, Published online: 10 December 2025; doi:10.1038/s41586-025-09825-yLung adenocarcinomas bearing the ID2 mutational signature display increased LINE-1 retrotransposon activity, which contributes to their fast evolutionary dynamics and aggressive phenotype.

Nature, Published online: 10 December 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-03829-4The tension of conventional surgical sutures can affect wound healing and is dependent on the surgeons experience. Imaging and simulations reveal that slipknots can reproducibly store and release force, enabling precise and consistent surgical knotting without the need for electronic sensors or specialized equipment.

Nature, Published online: 10 December 2025; doi:10.1038/s41586-025-09792-4High-depth sequencing of non-cancerous tissue from patients with metastatic cancer reveals single-base mutational signatures of alcohol, smoking and cancer treatments, and reveals how exogenous factors, including cancer therapies, affect somatic cell evolution.

Nature, Published online: 10 December 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-04037-wAnalysis of more than 1 million people shows that mental-health disorders fall into five clusters, each of them linked to a specific set of genetic variants.

Nature, Published online: 10 December 2025; doi:10.1038/s41586-025-09837-8Analysis of effect sizes of vegetation spillovers from protected areas in Australia shows that 71% of over 3,063 analysed protected areas had a positive spillover effect, and that these effects covary with protected area management type.

Michigan has fired coach Sherrone Moore following an investigation that found "credible evidence" he was engaged in an inappropriate relationship with a staff member.

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The seal is seen on a podium at the Pentagon, Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2025, in Washington, before Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth speaks. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)2025-12-10T22:05:11Z WASHINGTON (AP) The House voted to pass a sweeping defense policy bill Wednesday that authorizes $900 billion in military programs, including a pay raise for troops and an overhaul of how the Department of Defense buys weapons.The bills passage on a 312-112 vote comes at a time of increasing friction between the Republican-controlled Congress and President Donald Trumps administration over the management of the military.The annual National Defense Authorization Act typically gains bipartisan backing, and the White House has signaled strong support for the must-pass legislation, saying it is in line with Trumps national security agenda. Yet tucked into the over-3,000-page bill are several measures that push back against the Department of Defense, including a demand for more information on boat strikes in the Caribbean and support for allies in Europe, such as Ukraine. Overall, the sweeping bill calls for a 3.8% pay raise for many military members as well as housing and facility improvements on military bases. It also strikes a compromise between the political parties cutting climate and diversity efforts in line with Trumps agenda, while also boosting congressional oversight of the Pentagon and repealing several old war authorizations. Still, hard-line conservatives said they were frustrated that the bill does not do more to cut U.S. commitments overseas. We need a ready, capable and lethal fighting force because the threats to our nation, especially those from China, are more complex and challenging than at any point in the last 40 years, said Rep. Mike Rogers, the GOP chair of the House Armed Services Committee. Lawmakers overseeing the military said the bill would change how the Pentagon buys weapons, with an emphasis on speed after years of delay by the defense industry. Its also a key priority for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Rep. Adam Smith, the top Democrat on the armed services panel, called the bill the most ambitious swing at acquisition reform that weve taken. Still, Smith lamented that the bill does not do as much as Democrats would like to rein in the Trump administration but called it a step in the right direction towards reasserting the authority of Congress.The biggest concern I have is that the Pentagon, being run by Secretary Hegseth and by President Trump, is simply not accountable to Congress or accountable to the law, he said.The legislation next heads to the Senate, where leaders are working to pass the bill before lawmakers depart Washington for a holiday break. Several senators on both sides of the aisle have criticized the bill for not doing enough to restrict military flights over Washington. They had pushed for reforms after a midair collision this year between an Army helicopter and a jetliner killed all 67 people aboard the two aircraft near Washingtons Ronald Reagan National Airport. The National Transportation Safety Board and families of the victims have also voiced opposition to that section of the bill, raising concerns that it would make the airspace more dangerous.Heres what the defense bill does as it makes its way through Congress. Boat strike videos and congressional oversightLawmakers included a provision that would cut Hegseths travel budget by a quarter until the Pentagon provides Congress with unedited video of the strikes against alleged drug boats near Venezuela. Lawmakers are asserting their oversight role after a Sept. 2 strike where the U.S. military fired on two survivors who were holding on to a boat that had partially been destroyed.The bill also demands that Hegseth allow Congress to review the orders for the strikes.Reaffirm commitments to Europe and Korea Trumps ongoing support for Ukraine and other allies in Eastern Europe has been under doubt over the last year, but lawmakers included several positions meant to keep up U.S. support for countering Russian aggression in the region.The defense bill requires the Pentagon to keep at least 76,000 troops and major equipment stationed in Europe unless NATO allies are consulted and there is a determination that such a withdrawal is in U.S. interests. Around 80,000 to 100,000 U.S. troops are usually present on European soil. It also authorizes $400 million for each of the next two years to manufacture weapons to be sent to Ukraine.Additionally, there is a provision to keep U.S. troops stationed in South Korea, setting the minimum requirement at 28,500. Cuts to climate and diversity initiativesThe bill makes $1.6 billion in cuts to climate change-related spending, the House Armed Services Committee said. U.S. military assessments have long found that climate change is a threat to national security, with bases being pummeled by hurricanes or routinely flooded.The bill also would save $40 million by repealing diversity, equity and inclusion offices, programs and trainings, the committee said. The position of chief diversity officer would be cut, for example. Iraq War resolution repealCongress is putting an official end to the war in Iraq by repealing the authorization for the 2003 invasion. Supporters in both the House and Senate say the repeal is crucial to prevent future abuses and to reinforce that Iraq is now a strategic partner of the U.S. The 2002 resolution has been rarely used in recent years. But the first Trump administration cited it as part of its legal justification for a 2020 U.S. drone strike that killed Iranian Gen. Qassim Suleimani. Lifting final Syria sanctionsCongress would permanently remove U.S. sanctions put on Syria after the Trump administration temporarily lifted many penalties.Lawmakers imposed economically crippling sanctions on the country in 2019 to punish former leader Bashar Assad for human rights abuses during the nearly 14-year civil war. After Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa led a successful insurgency to depose Assad, he is seeking to rebuild his nations economy.Advocates of a permanent repeal have said international companies are unlikely to invest in projects needed for the countrys reconstruction as long as there is a threat of sanctions returning.Lack of IVF coverageDemocrats criticized Johnson for stripping a provision from the bill to expand coverage of in vitro fertilization for active duty personnel. An earlier version covered the medical procedure, known as IVF, which helps people facing infertility have children. STEPHEN GROVES Groves covers Congress for The Associated Press. twitter mailto

Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore watches from the sideline during the second half of an NCAA college football game against Ohio State, Saturday, Nov. 29, 2025, in Ann Arbor, Mich. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)2025-12-10T21:56:20Z ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) Michigan fired football coach Sherrone Moore on Wednesday, saying a university investigation had found evidence of an inappropriate relationship with a staff member.The stunning announcement said Moores alleged conduct was a clear violation of university policy.Moore, the teams former offensive coordinator, was promoted to the top job in January 2024. to replace Jim Harbaugh. The Wolverines (9-3, 7-2 Big Ten) are set to play Texas in the Citrus Bowl in a few weeks. LARRY LAGE Lage has been the Michigan Associated Press Sports Editor since 2000, serving as a beat writer for eight pro and college teams. He has covered the Winter Olympics four times. twitter instagram mailto

Nature, Published online: 10 December 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-03947-zSpecific protein targets and personalized vaccines have the potential to increase survival rates for the disease.

Nature, Published online: 10 December 2025; doi:10.1038/s41586-025-09776-4Laser-induced conversion electron Mssbauer spectroscopy, which detects electrons emitted by 229Th nuclei in a thin ThO2 sample excited by vacuum ultraviolet light, is demonstrated, opening the possibility of a conversion-electron-based nuclear clock.

Nature, Published online: 10 December 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-03728-8Scientists have characterized the broad genetic patterns that are shared across 14 psychiatric disorders. Could it reframe how mental-health conditions are diagnosed?

Nature, Published online: 10 December 2025; doi:10.1038/s41586-025-09828-9The ALPK1 agonist UDSP-Hep stimulates tumour-cell antigen presentation, macrophageDC cross-priming and differentiation of protective memory T cells.

Nature, Published online: 10 December 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-03735-9A 400,000-year-old site excavated in England reveals signs of deliberate fires made using the mineral iron pyrite to produce sparks.

Broadcaster Joe Buck becomes the 50th recipient of the Ford C. Frick Award, joining his father as the only father-son duo honored by the Hall of Fame.

NFL teams were informed in a memo Wednesday that the collective bargaining agreement between the league and NFL Referees Association expires at the end of May, making this current season the final one of the existing agreement.

Manchester City came from behind to heap the pressure on Real Madrid boss Xabi Alonso with a stunning 2-1 win at the Bernabeu on Wednesday.

The Lakers will host the Spurs on their standard court in the NBA Cup quarterfinals Wednesday, rather than their bright yellow alternative Cup court, which had been flagged for its slippery surface, sources told ESPN.

The seizure comes as the United States builds up its forces in the Caribbean as part of a pressure campaign against Nicols Maduro, the leader of Venezuela.

Several Democrats who fought to steer federal money to their states and districts have boasted about their success even after voting against the bill that provided the funds.

After a quarter century, the Yaddo president Elaina Richardson will step down, having made her mark on the storied arts residency.

Democratic lawmakers said in a report that shifting Defense Department funding to support the Trump administrations immigration agenda has hurt military readiness.