Nature, Published online: 03 December 2025; doi:10.1038/s41586-025-09781-7Regional, place-based biodiversity information is used to comprehensively map and quantify biodiversity intactness of sub-Saharan Africa to inform national and global sustainability policies and planning.

Nature, Published online: 03 December 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-03968-8Astronomical images could be blemished by bright streaks, if plans for huge numbers of satellites go ahead plus, the damaging consequences of video call glitches.

Nature, Published online: 03 December 2025; doi:10.1038/s41586-025-09831-0An optimized 3D culture system enabled a stem cell-derived monkey blastoid to develop to day 25, recapitulating key events of primate late gastrula and demonstrating notable similarity to natural embryos.

Nature, Published online: 03 December 2025; doi:10.1038/s41586-025-09808-zAnalysis of eukaryotic gene sequences using a relaxed molecular clock methodology indicate that eukaryotes emerged 3.02.25 billion years ago as a result of mitochondrial endosymbiosis with complex archaea that already possessed an elaborated cytoskeleton, membrane trafficking, endomembrane, phagocytotic machinery and a nucleus.

Nature, Published online: 03 December 2025; doi:10.1038/s41586-025-09810-5The balance between radial progenitors and intermediate precursors to generate upper-layer neurons during the development and evolution of the cerebral cortex is mediated by members of the tuberous sclerosis complex.

Eric Moody's looks at the evolution of LeBron James' game, the emergence of Zach Edey, Jay Huff's upside and more.

While the NHL is concerned about the status of the ice hockey arena for the Olympics, sources said there are no indications the league would pull out of the event - despite reports that the ice arena surface is about 3 feet too short.

Eagles offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo said a "line was crossed" with the recent vandalism incident at his house because it involved his family.

Georgia Tech has approved a new five-year contract with coach Brent Key, adding one year to his existing deal, keeping him at his alma mater through 2030.

Browns rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders and wide receiver Jerry Jeudy on Wednesday downplayed a heated sideline interaction that was caught Sunday during the team's 26-8 loss to the 49ers.

Jimmie Chris Duncan walked out of the Ouachita Parish Correctional Center and into the arms of his parents last week after spending the last 27 years on death row.Seven months ago, a Louisiana district court judge vacated his murder conviction for killing his former girlfriends toddler, citing doubts about the evidence used to convict him. The judge granted bail after multiple legal delays, including an unsuccessful request by prosecutors to the Louisiana Supreme Court to stop his release. Now free, Duncan spent Thanksgiving with his family then celebrated his 57th birthday the next day.We thank God for Jimmie coming home, Duncans stepmom, Sharon Duncan, said in an emailed statement on behalf of the family.But Duncans journey to freedom is far from over. Prosecutors have asked the state Supreme Court to reinstate his death sentence. Duncans attorneys declined to make him immediately available for an interview.The April decision by Judge Alvin Sharp to set aside Duncans conviction and death sentence came after a Verite News and ProPublica investigation examined the reliability of the key forensic evidence used to convict him. At the time, Duncan faced the possibility of being put to death as Gov. Jeff Landry, a staunch death penalty advocate, made moves to expedite executions after a 15-year pause.Sharp, of the 4th Judicial District in Ouachita Parish, found that Duncans conviction was based in part on bite mark evidence now considered by experts to be junk science. That original analysis came from forensic dentist Michael West and pathologist Dr. Steven Hayne, whose longtime partnership as state experts has been questioned following concerns about the validity of their techniques. West, who did not respond to previous requests for comment, admitted in a 2011 deposition in another case that he no longer believed in bite mark analysis. Hayne died in 2020.Over the past 27 years, nine prisoners have been set free after being convicted in part on inaccurate evidence given by West and Hayne. Three of those men were on death row. Duncan was the last person awaiting an execution based on the pairs work.Robert S. Tew, district attorney for Ouachita and Morehouse parishes, insisted in his appeal that the evidence prosecutors presented is sound, that Duncan raped and murdered 23-month-old Haley Oliveaux, and that he should be executed without delay. Tews office did not immediately respond to a request for comment about Duncans release.Police arrested Duncan on Dec. 18, 1993. He was babysitting Haley that day in the home he shared with the girls mother in West Monroe. Duncan told law enforcement he had put the toddler in the bath before going downstairs to wash dishes. When he heard a noise coming from the bathroom, he rushed upstairs to check on her and found Haley floating face down in the water. She was pronounced dead a few hours later.Duncan was initially arrested for negligent homicide, until Hayne and West conducted Haleys medical exam and claimed they discovered evidence she had been sexually assaulted and intentionally drowned. Hayne said he found bite marks on the girls body, which West then examined, claiming to find that they were a match for Duncans teeth.Based in part on those findings, prosecutors upped the charge against Duncan to first-degree murder. After about two weeks of testimony in 1998, the jury found Duncan guilty and sentenced him to death. He would spend the next quarter-century in a cell on death row at Angola Prison.During that time, however, his attorneys with the Innocence Project in New York, the Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner firm in Atlanta, and the Mwalimu Center for Justice in New Orleans uncovered a trove of evidence that eventually led to his conviction being vacated in April.The most damning of that new evidence calls into question whether the bite marks Hayne said he found on Haleys body were manufactured. In a video of Wests 1993 examination of Haley, which was not shown to jurors at the trial, the dentist can be seen taking a mold of Duncans teeth and grinding it into the girls body. (West has previously said he was simply using what he called a direct comparison technique in which he presses a mold of a persons teeth directly onto the location of suspected bite marks.)In his ruling vacating Duncans conviction, Sharp said the work Hayne and West did on Duncans case was no longer valid and not scientifically defensible.Additional evidence that undermined Duncans conviction included testimony from an expert witness who said that the childs death was the result not of a homicide but of an accidental drowning. And investigators working for Duncans legal team spoke to a jailhouse informant who recanted his earlier trial testimony that Duncan confessed to the crime.Haleys mother, Allison Layton Statham, has come to support Duncans release, telling Mississippi Today in a July interview that she believes Duncan was falsely accused of a crime he didnt commit.As the higher court weighs the states appeal, Sharp, who had already ruled that Duncan was factually innocent of the crime, granted him bail on Nov. 21, setting it at $150,000. In his decision, Sharp said that the presumption is not great that Duncan is guilty and proof against him is not evident. The state fought the release but lost in court, setting the stage for Duncan to be freed the day before Thanksgiving.When Chris got out and I went to hug him, I was very emotional, said attorney Ann Ferebee, a member of Duncans legal team for the last decade who greeted him shortly after his release. I was kind of choked up, and he asked me, Are you doing OK?Really good to see you, is what I told him.Following his release, Duncan went to live with a family member in central Louisiana. Christian Bromley, another attorney of Duncans, said he expects oral arguments in the states appeal to take place before the state Supreme Court in early 2026. Should prosecutors lose that round, they could take the matter to the U.S. Supreme Court, retry Duncan on the same charges or retry him a new set of charges, Bromley said.Or they could drop the charges altogether. But that seems unlikely, he said.Read MoreHe Was Convicted Based on Allegedly Fabricated Bite Mark Analysis. Louisiana Wants to Execute Him Anyway.We met Chris almost 10 years ago and have believed in his innocence, just like he has, that entire time, Bromley said. I think it is something that we always hoped for but knew that it was potentially an insurmountable feat to get there.Until this year, Louisiana had not carried out an execution since 2010 as it has been unable to procure the necessary drugs. But following Landrys election, the state approved the use of nitrogen gas, a controversial method allowed in only three other states.That led to the March 18 execution of Jesse Hoffman Jr. Saving Duncan from a similar fate has been the most rewarding experience of my career, said Ferebee, though she acknowledged that prosecutors are still pushing for the execution of Duncan. We are celebrating this victory, but we know that theres still more to come.The post A Death Row Inmate Was Released on Bail After His Conviction Was Overturned. Louisiana Still Wants to Execute Him. appeared first on ProPublica.

Theres no denying it. Its really December.

Republican candidates face the problem that President Trump alone gets out the vote that they need. And he alone gets out the vote that Democrats need, too.

The European Union has a proposal for how to turn Russian frozen assets into a giant loan for Ukraine. If it fails, it could further weaken Europes global image.

He is best known as a former Hollywood power broker, but Ovitz has filled his Beverly Hills home with a collection that shows how serious he is about art.

Manchester City's Erling Haaland during the English Premier League soccer match between Manchester City and Leeds United in Manchester, England, Saturday, Nov. 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Ian Hodgson)2025-12-03T18:12:41Z NEW YORK (AP) A record 64 nations will be in Fridays World Cup draw, more than 30% of FIFAs members, as soccers leaders insist a bigger tournament is better.FIFA expanded the field from 32 teams to 48, and just 42 spots have been determined going into the convoluted ceremony in which balls representing nations are plucked from bowls and assigned to groups per rules that restrict who goes where. Twenty-two teams in Fridays draw are headed to playoffs that determine the final six berths on March 31.There will be 104 games instead of 64 in the World Cup running from June 11 through July 19 at 16 venues throughout North America. Seventy-eight games will be at 11 NFL stadiums, including all from the quarterfinals on, and 13 each in Mexico and Canada. The final is at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, where there will be a halftime show for the first time. In addition to 12 group winners and second-place nations, eight third-place teams advance to a new round of 32. The World Cup winner will play eight games.Ive always thought that what FIFA should do is do it like the Final Four and do 64 teams with no groups, just a knockout, said Alan Rothenberg, the head organizer of the 1994 World Cup in the U.S., comparing soccer with the NCAA basketball tournament.Led by captain Lionel Messi, who turns 39 during the tournament, Argentina seeks to become the first nation to win consecutive World Cups since Brazil in 1958 and 1962. Messi and Portugals 40-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo are expected to play in a record sixth World Cup. At least four countries have qualified for the first timeCape Verde (ranked No. 68), Curaao (82), Jordan (66) and Uzbekistan (50) have qualified for the first time and four playoff teams could become debutantes: Albania (63), Kosovo (80), New Caledonia (149) and Suriname (123).Curaao, an autonomous territory of about 156,000 people within the Netherlands kingdom, is the smallest nation by population to qualify,Haiti is in for the first time since 1974 and Austria, Norway and Scotland for the first time since 1998.Im a little bit worried, said former U.S. goalkeeper Kasey Keller, now an ESPN analyst. We talked about it when they expanded from 24 that it was going to leave some teams that got into the World Cup that werent quite at the level, and now expanding it to 48 I think youre looking at some teams that are going to really struggle.World Cup ticket prices are setting recordsFIFA has set record initial prices of up to $6,730 for a ticket along with as much as $175 for a parking place and $73,200 for a hospitality package up from $25 to $475 for the 1994 tournament in the U.S.Almost 2 million tickets among what is expected to be more than 6 million have been sold, the governing body said.Im not sure that FIFAs number one goal is to grow the sport in America, former U.S. goalkeeper Tony Meola said. I always hate that people miss out on this because they get priced out of it.Ticket holders who require visas to enter the U.S. have been promised priority appointment scheduling by the U.S. government. High temperatures could be an issue at some US venuesA key could be whether teams are drawn to play in open-air stadiums where summer heat could be a factor. Only four of the 11 U.S. World Cup venues have roofs, including one that isnt temperature controlled.At this years Club World Cup in the U.S., six games were delayed by weather for a total of 8 hours, 29 minutes.I will be interested when we find out the teams, as to who is playing in indoor climate-controlled venues more as opposed to outdoor, because I do think that there is a significant difference and obviously a potential competitive advantage, said former American defender Alexi Lalas, Foxs lead analyst.Kickoff times will be announced Saturday. The average noon temperature over the past 30 years in East Rutherford on July 19 is 84 degrees with a RealFeel index of 91, according to AccuWeather. Political elementThe 1994 World Cup draw in Las Vegas featured performances by Stevie Wonder, Barry Manilow, James Brown and Vanessa Williams plus comedian Robin Williams, who called the draw screen the worlds largest keno board and yelled Bingo! when Greece was pulled out of a bowl.This draw figures to be more akin to the December 2017 ceremony in Moscow, opened by Russian President Vladimir Putin.After negotiating to hold this months event in Las Vegas, FIFA placed it to the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, taken over this year by President Donald Trump and his supporters. Trump, who mingled among Chelsea players on the awards stand after the Club World Cup final last summer, is expected to be at the draw along with Mexico President Claudia Sheinbaum and Canada Prime Minister Mark Carney.Model Heidi Klum co-hosts Friday along with actors Kevin Hart and Danny Ramirez, and entertainment includes Tony Award and Olivier Award winner Nicole Scherzinger, Andrea Bocelli and Robbie Williams. The Village People will perform Trump favorite Y.M.C.A. and FIFA will award its own peace prize, likely to Trump.___AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth speaks during a Cabinet meeting at the White House, Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)2025-12-03T18:48:07Z WASHINGTON (AP) The Pentagons watchdog found that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth put U.S. personnel and their mission at risk when he used the Signal messaging app to convey sensitive information about a military strike against Houthi militants in Yemen, two people familiar with the findings said Wednesday.Hegseth, however, has the ability to declassify material and the report did not find he did so improperly, according to one of the people familiar with the reports findings who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the information. CNN first reported the initial findings. From APs Standards and Stylebook teams: The AP is using anonymous sourcing to provide information for this story. Click here to hear Washington Bureau Chief Anna Johnson explain APs policy on the use of anonymous sources. The review by the Pentagon inspector generals office was delivered to lawmakers, who were able to review the report in a classified facility at the Capitol. A partially redacted version of the report was expected to be released publicly later this week. The findings ramp up the pressure on the former Fox News Channel host after lawmakers had called for the independent inquiry into his use of the commercially available app. Lawmakers also just opened investigations into a news report that a follow-up strike on an alleged drug-smuggling boat in the Caribbean Ocean in September killed survivors after Hegseth issued a verbal order to kill everybody. Hegseth defended the strike as emerging in the fog of war, saying he didnt see any survivors but also didnt stick around for the rest of the mission and that the admiral in charge made the right call in ordering the second strike. He also did not admit fault following the revelations that he discussed sensitive military plans on Signal, asserting that the information was unclassified. Journalist was added to a chat where sensitive plans were sharedIn at least two separate Signal chats, Hegseth provided the exact timings of warplane launches and when bombs would drop before the men and women carrying out those attacks on behalf of the United States were airborne.Hegseths use of the app came to light when a journalist, Jeffrey Goldberg of The Atlantic, was inadvertently added to a Signal text chain by then-national security adviser Mike Waltz. It included Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and others, brought together to discuss March 15 military operations against the Iran-backed Houthis.Hegseth had created another Signal chat with 13 people that included his wife and brother where he shared similar details of the same strike, The Associated Press reported. Signal is encrypted but is not authorized for carrying classified information and is not part of the Defense Departments secure communications network. Hegseth has said none of the information shared in the chats was classified. Multiple current and former military officials told the AP there was no way details with that specificity, especially before a strike took place, would have been OK to share on an unsecured device. Lawmakers had called for inspector general to investigateThe revelations sparked intense scrutiny, with Democratic lawmakers and a small number of Republicans saying Hegseth posting the information to the Signal chats before the military jets had reached their targets potentially put those pilots lives at risk. They said lower-ranking members of the military would have been fired for such a lapse. The inspector general opened its investigation into Hegseth at the request of the Republican chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Sen. Roger Wicker of Mississippi, and the committees top Democrat, Sen. Jack Reed of Rhode Island.Some veterans and military families also raised concerns, citing the strict security protocols they must follow to protect sensitive information. It all ties back to the campaign against Yemens HouthisThe Houthi rebels had started launching missile and drone attacks against commercial and military ships in late 2023 in what their leadership had described as an effort to end Israels offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Their campaign greatly reduced the flow of trade through the Red Sea corridor, which typically sees $1 trillion of goods move through it annually.The U.S.-led campaign against the Houthis in 2024 turned into the most intense running sea battle the Navy had faced since World War II. A ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war had begun in January before falling apart in March. The U.S. then launched a broad assault against the Houthis that ended weeks later when Trump said they pledged to stop attacking ships. The latest Gaza ceasefire began in October.Following the disclosure of Hegseths Signal chat that included the Atlantics editor, the magazine released the entire thread in late March. Hegseth had posted multiple details about an impending strike, using military language and laying out when a strike window starts, where a target terrorist was located, the time elements around the attack and when various weapons and aircraft would be used in the strike. He mentioned that the U.S. was currently clean on operational security. Hegseth told Fox News Channel in April that what he shared over Signal was informal, unclassified coordinations, for media coordinations and other things. During a congressional hearing in June, Hegseth was pressed multiple times by lawmakers over whether he shared classified information and if he should face accountability if he did.Rep. Seth Moulton, a Massachusetts Democrat and Marine veteran, asked Hegseth whether he would hold himself accountable if the inspector general found that he placed classified information on Signal.Hegseth would not directly say, only noting that he serves at the pleasure of the president.___Associated Press writer Stephen Groves contributed to this report.

A Florida man collecting discarded furniture for a bonfire at his house was shot in the back days before Thanksgiving in Jacksonville, Florida. The victims friends are calling it a hate crime.Kyle McFarlane was nearly killed in the November 22 shooting in which McFarlanes next-door neighbor, Tyler Getchell, fired a single round at McFarlane that hit him in the back, the Jacksonville Sheriffs Office said. Related Florida man terrifies LGBTQ+ running club in nighttime SUV attack The bullet lodged next to McFarlanes lower spine, paralyzing him. Hes unable to walk, and his bowel and bladder function are affected. Doctors say, with time and intensive physical therapy, McFarlane may be able to recover some motor functions. But due to the location of the bullet on his spines vertebrae, its inoperable.Officers responded to reports of gunfire on the Saturday afternoon before Thanksgiving and found McFarlane incapacitated with the gunshot to his back. Getchell was taken into custody. Never Miss a Beat Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights. Subscribe to our Newsletter today The shooting was the culmination of a long-running dispute that Getchell and his girlfriend had with McFarlane, police records show and McFarlanes friends confirm.McFarlane reported repeated harassment from his neighbors to cops before the day of the shooting. Feces were smeared on his house walls, and signs with gay and transgender slurs were posted in windows in Getchells house facing McFarlanes.One read F*ck you tr*nny f*g in large block letters, First Coast News reports.Interviews with witnesses including Getchells girlfriend, who has not been charged with a crime indicate Getchell and the woman confronted McFarlane when he was collecting the debris intended for his bonfire, claiming he was on their property.Based on video of the incident, police confirmed that McFarlane was on a property easement and within his rights to pick up the trash. Despite the same explanation from McFarlane, in a heated exchange between the neighbors, Getchells girlfriend came at McFarlane with a belt, witnesses said. Moments later, Getchell fired the single round into McFarlanes back.Getchell is charged with attempted murder and is being held in the Duval County Jail. His next court appearance is on December 16.Prosecutors have yet to designate the shooting as a hate crime.Friends and supporters of McFarlane describe him as the victim of a violent crime perpetrated by a hate-filled neighbor. Theyve launched aGoFundMecampaign to support him. He will have a long road to recovery and healing which will require intensive physical therapy! He unfortunately will be unable to work to support himself and his beloved animals for the foreseeable future.Kyle needs our communitys support as he embarks on this road to recoveryif you are able to help, any amount makes a difference!Thank you!The day after Thanksgiving, friends arranged a short visit at the hospital from McFarlanes sweet puppy, Pickle.He was so happy and he is very thankful for the support, they said.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

Sarah Paulson has been acting since the 90s, but now shes officially a Hollywood star after securing her spot on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.But it wasnt the 50-year-old American Crime Story actress' star on the Walk of Fame that had lesbians gushing on social media; it was her adorable relationship with fellow actress Holland Taylor. Paulson has been in an age-gap relationship with the 82-year-old The Morning Show star for a decade, and the two are still going strong.At the event on Tuesday, it was clear to anyone watching just how much love there is between the two women. From the adoring looks to a heartfelt speech, the internet quickly became obsessed all over again with Paulson and Taylor.Holding hands (@) Photos of Taylor smiling ear-to-ear and lovingly holding Paulsons hand while she cries at the speeches people gave at the event has sapphics crying over how sweet their relationship is.Loving looks (@) Everyone needs someone who looks at them the way Holland looks at Paulson. The love and admiration in her eyes is stunning!Holland Taylors speech (@) Taylor gave a moving speech at the event where she gushed about Paulsons accomplishments and skills as an actress. Her acting is as honest as our faith and as complicated as chemistry, she said. Shes not deceiving us, she is practicing magic.But it was the moment when she talked about spending forever with Paulson that sent sapphics into a tailspin. And just in case she doesnt know it, she has a permanent shining star on my street, she said. I love you darling.Sarah Paulson and Holland Taylor laughing (@) This is a small moment captured on film of Paulson and Taylor laughing together, but their obvious joy and fondness for each other comes through loud and clear.Posing together (@) The two women held hands and posed with Paulsons star, showing off their sweet relationship and making us all wish we had what they have! Cue the yearning!

Queer people talk about tops, bottoms, and vers when it comes to gay sexual dynamics and debate which one is better hint: theyre all valid. We already told you all about the celebs who identify as tops, but as the receivers in sex, bottoms often get a bad wrap in pop culture, with people degrading them or acting like there is no power in the position. But power bottoms exist, and every role in a sexual dynamic has its place, whether youre more dominant or find it hot to submit. And while not everyone subscribes to these positions, some LGBTQ+ celebs have openly talked about where they fit on this spectrum, including stars who love to take that bottom position. But these bottoms are no shrinking violets, and they all proudly talk about their love of being topped.So, here are seven celebrities who have proudly revealed that they are bottoms in the bedroom. 1.Bowen YangBowen Yang first confirmed his bottom status on a Saturday Night Live skit alongside Sims Lu and then revealed the juicy detail in a Buzzfeed video where he said he is a spit bottom and admitted, I guess Im here to declare mussy. With an mhmhm.2.Lil Nas XLil Nas X has revealed that hes a bottom multiple times through his music. In his hit song Holiday he rapped, "Aye, can I pop shit? I might bottom on the low, but I top shit. He also played a news anchor in the music video for his album Montero, where he announced, "Breaking news, power bottom 'rapper' Lil Nas X and his caucasian friend led a prison escape this morning.3.Ryan OConnellSpecial creator and star Ryan OConnell isnt just a proud bottom, hes a power bottom. In 2019 he told Queerty the hes a "power bottom b*tch who loves being in control and also revealed his penchant for missionary and being on top.4.Chris OlsenQueer TikTok creator Chris Olsen opened up about his love of being a bottom in a candid interview with Zach Sang, who said he gets heavy vers energy from Olsen. Throughout the day, I have very dominant energy, Olsen said. I dont want to continue having that all the time. I am not a bottom because it gives me social currency. I am because I enjoy it. 5.Haaz SleimanActor Haaz Sleiman hasnt been shy about his sexuality, and in a video for social media, the Eternals star proudly announced hes a total bottom. "I'm a gay, Muslim, Arab-American man. And I'm gonna take it even further. Not only am I gay, but I'm a bottom. And not only am I a bottom, but I'm a total bottom, which means I like it up you-know-where." Sleiman also condemned bottom shaming and the way they are looked down upon, even in the gay community. It is OK if he is f*cking another man but its not if he is being f*cked by another man, he said, per Queerty. I dont accept this. This is not the world I want to live in.6.Max LordeAdult film star Max Lorde went viral in 2024 when he was asked about his bottoming regime on the Sloppy Seconds podcast and he admitted that he takes 10 Imodiums and douches for two hours before X-rated shoots.7. Rene RappOk, so the term bottom is usually reserved just for queer men, and while we support that, Rene Rapp is also clearly a bottom. She has talked openly about her sexual preferences, including her love of strap-ons and scissoring, but at a concert in 2024, she also responded to a Pillow Princess Representation Matters fan sign by saying, "And what about us? We work day and night to lay there like a little starfish. Crazy." True bottom energy.

The Womens Institute, one of the United Kingdoms largest and most recognizable community organizations for women, announced it will end membership eligibility for transgender women beginning in April 2026. The decision, delivered with sincere regret, marks a major shift for the 109-year-old group, which has welcomed trans women for decades.The National Federation of Womens Institutes (NFWI), which oversees roughly 175,000 members across thousands of local branches, said the change is required to comply with a recent Supreme Court ruling that defines woman strictly by biological sex under the Equality Act. That ruling, issued earlier this year, limits single-sex organizations from admitting members of a different biological sex if they wish to maintain their legal status.Melissa Green, the NFWIs chief executive, acknowledged the emotional and social impact of the decision during an interview with BBC Radio 4s Womans Hour. Unfortunately the legal position as it stands means that we can no longer offer that, Green said, referring to membership for transgender women. Some of our transgender members have been with us for four decades. Theyve been part of our family.Decades of Inclusion UpendedFor more than 40 years, trans women have participated in the Womens Institutes social programming, educational workshops and local activism. Many members and leaders have long viewed the WI as a space that fosters community and sisterhood among women of diverse backgrounds.Green said that a majority of the organizations elected council expressed a desire to remain trans-inclusive but concluded that the law offered no option to continue doing so while remaining a single-sex charity. Ultimately, the WI is a womens organization, she said. But its our firm organizational belief that transgender women are women.In an attempt to maintain support for trans women while complying with legal restrictions, the WI will create a new network of sisterhood groups operating alongside its formal branches. These groups would provide a trans-inclusive space for connection, community and programming, though they would not be official WI chapters.A Broader Pattern of ExclusionThe Womens Institute is not alone in changing course. Earlier this week, Girlguiding UK announced it would no longer accept transgender girls, also citing legal pressures following the Supreme Court ruling.The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has stated that it will soon update national guidance on how organizations should interpret the Equality Act following the courts decision. Green said the WI did not want to wait. Society needs organizations such as my own to lead, she said.LGBTQ+ Advocates Express AlarmTrans rights groups criticized the decision, arguing that it reflects mounting political pressure rather than organizational values.This is the second national charity in as many days pushed to force out trans people, against the organizations will and at great cost, said Helen Belcher, chair of TransActual. She warned that the change could out trans members or leave them without vital social support networks. Our thoughts are with the people who may be outed by their exclusion, or lose access to their vital social groups and support networks at a time when those are more important than ever, she said, calling for urgent government action.Womens rights group Sex Matters welcomed the shift. A group set up for women must be able to keep out all men, even the ones who are very insistent that they feel like women, said the groups director, Helen Joyce.An Uncertain Future for Trans MembersThe WI did not specify how it would enforce the new rules, saying it is awaiting EHRC guidance. The organization has also declined to confirm the number of trans women currently involved in its branches.What is clear, however, is that an institution long known for community-building is now at the center of a national conversation about gender, inclusion and the law. As the UKs largest womens charity works to navigate those tensions, trans women who have called the WI a home for decades face an uncertain future and a legal system that increasingly defines their place in public life.Source

Nature, Published online: 03 December 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-03960-2Technology could offer longer protection against allergies than is possible with existing treatments.

Nature, Published online: 03 December 2025; doi:10.1038/s41586-025-09794-2Microflora Danicaan atlas of Danish environmental microbiomesreveals that although human-disturbed habitats have high alpha diversity, species reoccur, revealing hidden homogeneity.

Nature, Published online: 03 December 2025; doi:10.1038/s41586-025-09711-7The CMS Collaboration reports the measurement of the spin, parity, and charge conjugation properties of all-charm tetraquarks, exotic fleeting particles formed in protonproton collisions at the Large Hadron Collider.

Nature, Published online: 03 December 2025; doi:10.1038/s41586-025-09759-5Rapidly growing satellite constellations pose a substantial threat to astronomical observations, with projections indicating that future space telescopes will have more than 96% of their exposures affected by satellite trails, necessitating urgent mitigation strategies.

Nature, Published online: 03 December 2025; doi:10.1038/s41586-025-09747-9A hybrid machine learning and atomistic modelling strategy enables one-shot design of efficient enzymes to catalyse diverse biological and non-biological chemical transformations.

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Jewish Currents is fighting the good fight.

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The Womens Institute in the UK, the venerable community organization that counted Queen Elizabeth II among its chapter presidents, has announced it will no longer accept transgender women as members following the UK Supreme Courts ruling on the legal definition of woman and sex, the Guardian reports.Membership in the organization founded in Canada in 1897 before welcoming women in chapters across the Commonwealth will be restricted in the UK to those who are documented female at birth, with new members or those renewing expected to confirm that they meet that criteria beginning in April 2026. Related UK Supreme Court rules that trans women are not women under the law The Womens Institute began welcoming trans women in the 1970s and made their inclusion official in 2015. The organization claims more than 175,000 members in chapters in the UK, Canada, Australia, and South Africa.Melissa Green, chief executive of the National Federation of Womens Institutes, lamented the decision. Never Miss a Beat Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights. Subscribe to our Newsletter today The organization made it with the utmost regret and sadness, she said, adding it had no choice but to exclude trans women from its membership.Incredibly sadly, we will have to restrict our membership on the basis of biological sex from April next year, Green said. But the message we really want to get across is that it remains our firm belief that transgender women are women, and that doesnt change.Asked if legal threats contributed to the organizations decision to ban trans members, Green said that fewer than a hundred complaints were received by the Womens Institute, many from the same members and others from outside the group.Green said the organization plans for trans women to remain part of the WI family, and that it would launch new sisterhood groups in April open to all.Theyll be a place where we will recognize transgender women as women and explore what it is to be a woman in the 21st century, she said.Imagine being a group that has welcomed trans members for generations being told who you can and cannot associate with, regardless of the wishes of the group itself, said Jude Guaitamacchi, founder of the Trans+ Solidarity Alliance. Its cruel and a failure of this government to protect human rights, including freedom of association.The high court ruling handed down in April this year defined the terms woman and sex in the UKs Equality Act to refer only to a biological woman and to biological sex. In the aftermath, the government is mired in whats been called a minefield of competing legal rights.Based on internal draft guidance on the ruling from the UKs Equality and Human Rights Commission, trans people can expect continued controversy around their place in society, as lawmakers criticize the guidance as taking the ruling too far, too fast. The practical guidance goes far beyond the Supreme Court judgment, Labour MP Rachel Taylor, a member of the women and equalities committee, said of the draft document. Its not fair, its not necessary and it does nothing to advance the rights of women and trans people.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

Heated Rivalry, HBOs buzzy new queer hockey drama, is already drawing attention for its electric chemistry, unapologetic romance, and refreshing approach to LGBTQ representation on screen. But creator Jacob Tierney is making one thing clear ahead of the shows premiere: the private identities of his stars are not up for public interrogation.In a recent interview with Xtra, Tierney shut down a question asking whether the real-life sexual orientations of actors Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie should matter in conversations about the series. For Tierney, the answer is simple, and firmly grounded in both ethics and law.Heated Rivalry. Photo: Bell MediaI dont think theres any reason to get into that stuff, he said, noting that asking performers about their sexuality during casting is illegal. What you have to gauge is somebodys enthusiasm and willingness to do the work.Tierney emphasized that casting Heated Rivalry was about finding actors who could bring intensity, vulnerability and emotional truth, not about policing identity. Thats whats so impressive about both of these guys, he added. They came into this being like, Yeah, were here to do this, and we are here to make this story feel authentic. And they fucking hit it out of the park.Heated Rivalry. Photo: Bell MediaThe series follows Williams and Storrie as Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov, two rising hockey stars playing for rival teams. As the pressure mounts on the ice, a charged, unexpected romance forms off of it. Early viewers and critics have already highlighted the duos chemistry as one of the shows standout elements.Williams, speaking to Out, described an immediate and undeniable pull when reading opposite Storrie during auditions.Hudson Williams as Shane Hollander, Sophie Nlisse as Rose Landry, Ksenia Daniela Kharlamova as Svetlana, and Connor Storrie as Ilya Rozanov in Episode 104 of Heated Rivalry. Photo: Sabrina Lantos 2025I read with one other possible Ilya, and it was good, he said. But something about Connor there was an inexplicable X-factor that just felt realer than what I thought it could possibly be.Tierney recalled Williams being even more candid in private: Hudson told me, The other guy was good, but Connor felt like he was going to pin me down and fuck me. That is literally what he said. And I was like, Well, I think I cast this right.Connor Storrie as Ilya Rozanov and Hudson Williams as Shane Hollander in Episode 104 of Heated Rivalry. Photo: Sabrina Lantos 2025The conversation around who gets to play queer roles, and the pressures put on actors to disclose personal details, has only grown louder in recent years. Tierneys stance positions Heated Rivalry within a more expansive view of LGBTQ storytelling: one that prioritizes craft, consent, and respect over public speculation.For many LGBTQ viewers, the debate goes deeper than labels. Authentic representation requires not only nuanced performances but also production environments that understand the risks queer actors face. Tierneys approach aligns with a growing sentiment across queer communities, that privacy and representation arent mutually exclusive.Heated Rivalry premieres amid increased visibility for queer stories in sports media, a genre long dominated by hypermasculine narratives. By centering a same-sex romance in professional hockey, one of the worlds most traditionally straight-coded sports, the series adds bold emotional depth and cultural relevance to HBOs growing LGBTQ slate.Whether or not the stars publicly identify as queer, Tierney says the work speaks for itself. And for audiences ready for more complex portrayals of queer love in competitive spaces, Heated Rivalry looks poised to become a breakout hit.The series premieres on HBO in early 2026.Source

Nature, Published online: 03 December 2025; doi:10.1038/s41586-025-09804-3Higher-income neighbourhoods rebuild and improve after disasters while lower-income areas do not return to pre-disaster conditions.

Nature, Published online: 03 December 2025; doi:10.1038/s41586-025-09823-0Glitches in video calls can have a negative effect on the judgement of the people involved and correspond to worse outcomes in major areas of life such as job interviews and parole hearings.

Nature, Published online: 03 December 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-03725-xLight reflected from satellites pollutes the images taken by telescopes orbiting Earth, as well as those on the ground. Without mitigations, this will only get worse.

Nature, Published online: 03 December 2025; doi:10.1038/s41586-025-09757-7Data obtained from the MicroBooNE liquid-argon time projection chamber are used to exclude the single light sterile neutrino interpretation of the LSND and MiniBooNE anomalies at the 95% confidence level.

Nature, Published online: 03 December 2025; doi:10.1038/s41586-025-09809-yRather than adapting to the codon usage of their host, viruses use viral 5 untranslated regions to initiate translation, which allows them to produce viral proteins in host cells efficiently despite poor codon usage profiles.

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Graham Linehan,the once successful British television writer and producer who has become an outspoken transphobe, is reportedly working on a transphobic and ableist ChatGPT video game about blind lesbians who punish a trans lesbian for pretending to be a woman, he revealed in a recent interview with the U.K. publication The Observer.You are five blind lesbian adventurers out for a good night out. Slaying dragons and whatnot, the games starting prompt says. But one of your number is a hulking great troll pretending to be a woman. Find the troll lesbian and then devise an amusing punishment without giving him an erection. Related Anti-trans activisttrashed a trans teens phone. Now he must cough up some cash for it. Linehan mentioned the game at the end of the interview, but he began by asking the interviewer about his stances on transphobic billionaire author J.K. Rowling; a nurse who complained about sharing a changing room with a transgender doctor; and the infamous Cass review (a flawed U.K. report that attacked gender-affirming care).Linehan then told the interviewer that he refused to discuss where he lives in Scottsdale, Arizona, as well as the antidepressants hes on, in case trans activists will use it against me. Linehan then complained about transgender Olympic weightlifter Laurel Hubbard of New Zealand; people crowdfunding on GoFundMe to cut their breasts off; and trans people flying airliners. Never Miss a Beat Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights. Subscribe to our Newsletter today Theres a high suicide tendency among trans-identified people, Linehan says. No one who thinks theyre a different sex should be flying a passenger plane. The interviewer mentions that, amid Linehans transphobic activism, many of the TV comedy writers friends have distanced themselves from him. He has also gotten divorced (though Linehan claims his divorce has nothing to do with his anti-trans activism).In September, Linehan was taken into custody at Londons Heathrow Airport on suspicion ofinciting anti-trans violencefor posting a social media message encouraging people topunch trans women in the balls.After atransatlantic uproaraccusing authorities of violating Linehans freedom of speech the comedy writer claimed in aSubstack diatribethat his punch em in the balls tweet was a joke. The Metropolitan Police said they wont pursue charges.Linehan was recently convicted of criminal damage forthrowing a trans 17-year-olds phoneduring a confrontation in October 2024.He has pledged to appeal the ruling.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.