https://www.pulserapid.com/ Breaking U.S. and world news — politics, business, tech, science and more. en-us Tue, 18 Aug 2026 12:30:03 GMT https://www.pulserapid.com/article/2473 https://www.pulserapid.com/article/2473 Science By Susanne P. Schwenzer, Professor of Planetary Mineralogy at The Open University, UK Earth planning date: Friday, Aug. 7, 2026 This week was very special for the Curiosity team here on Earth as we Tue, 18 Aug 2026 00:00:10 GMT https://www.pulserapid.com/article/2471 https://www.pulserapid.com/article/2471 Politics Today Governor Josh Stein vetoed House Bill 958 and urged North Carolinians to call on their legislators to protect their right to vote. During a “Protect Our Vote” event at the Executive Mansion, Mon, 17 Aug 2026 21:01:08 GMT https://www.pulserapid.com/article/2472 https://www.pulserapid.com/article/2472 U.S. Chronic pain can affect your mood, your daily life and how you feel overall. But there are many ways to feel better and recover. Paying close attention to your thoughts and how you move can change Mon, 17 Aug 2026 21:00:30 GMT https://www.pulserapid.com/article/2470 https://www.pulserapid.com/article/2470 Science NASA has selected four companies to provide payload processing facilities under the Spacecraft Processing Operations Contract on‑ramp provision. The provision enables qualified providers to offer Mon, 17 Aug 2026 21:00:08 GMT https://www.pulserapid.com/article/2468 https://www.pulserapid.com/article/2468 Science A NASA-funded air pollution monitoring network has provided one of the most detailed long-term views yet of the role of black carbon, or soot produced by fires, diesel vehicles, and other combustion Mon, 17 Aug 2026 20:00:17 GMT https://www.pulserapid.com/article/2465 https://www.pulserapid.com/article/2465 Politics The Planning Department this month recommended approval of new zoning for infrastructure such as solar panels and wind turbines. The Department also recommended approval of four new development Mon, 17 Aug 2026 19:01:03 GMT https://www.pulserapid.com/article/2466 https://www.pulserapid.com/article/2466 Science The NASA Science Mission Directorate Community of Practice for Education – part of the NASA Science Activation Program portfolio – enables Earth and Space Science and Engineering Subject Matter Mon, 17 Aug 2026 19:00:09 GMT https://www.pulserapid.com/article/2463 https://www.pulserapid.com/article/2463 Politics Governor Stein made the following statement on vetoing House Bill 377: “This bill would have a chilling effect on judicial independence by giving the Chief Justice authority to suspend trial judges Mon, 17 Aug 2026 17:00:44 GMT https://www.pulserapid.com/article/2462 https://www.pulserapid.com/article/2462 Science Data from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory, NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, and NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope combine to reveal a vibrant view of 30 Doradus, or the Tarantula Nebula, in this Aug. Mon, 17 Aug 2026 17:00:04 GMT https://www.pulserapid.com/article/2461 https://www.pulserapid.com/article/2461 Science The U.S. National Science Foundation today released 12 new notices of funding opportunity providing over $1.5 billion for foundational research, including basic and use-inspired inquiry across the Mon, 17 Aug 2026 16:00:44 GMT https://www.pulserapid.com/article/2460 https://www.pulserapid.com/article/2460 Science Our home galaxy, the Milky Way, grew to its current size in part by consuming smaller galaxies. Now, new data from NASA’sHubble Space Telescopeshows definitive evidence of a dwarf galaxy merging Mon, 17 Aug 2026 16:00:31 GMT https://www.pulserapid.com/article/2459 https://www.pulserapid.com/article/2459 Science As NASA prepares to establish the Moon Base, advancing surface mobility will be key to helping crews and robotic systems travel farther across the lunar surface. To help advance that capability, the Mon, 17 Aug 2026 16:00:27 GMT https://www.pulserapid.com/article/2457 https://www.pulserapid.com/article/2457 Politics JACKSON, Miss. –Governor Tate Reeves today announced the appointment of Amanda Jones Tollison of Oxford to the Mississippi Supreme Court, Northern District 3, Place 2. This appointment fills a Mon, 17 Aug 2026 15:30:19 GMT https://www.pulserapid.com/article/2456 https://www.pulserapid.com/article/2456 Politics In apowerful op-ed, U.S. Central Command Commander Adm. Brad Cooper shares a firsthand account from his visit to the USS Abraham Lincoln.Adm. Cooper describes a crew of extraordinary American sailors Mon, 17 Aug 2026 15:00:03 GMT https://www.pulserapid.com/article/2454 https://www.pulserapid.com/article/2454 U.S. Morris Neighbors was raised far from the ocean, in an Oklahoma community where oil derricks, farm chores, school, church and baseball shaped daily life. Wild Horse, Oklahoma, sat between Tulsa and Mon, 17 Aug 2026 14:30:16 GMT https://www.pulserapid.com/article/2455 https://www.pulserapid.com/article/2455 Politics Trump promised to slash prescription drug prices — and he has delivered.New dataconfirms prescription drug prices just recorded their largest annual decline in more than 60 years, the steepest drop Mon, 17 Aug 2026 14:30:03 GMT https://www.pulserapid.com/article/2453 https://www.pulserapid.com/article/2453 Politics Mayor Michelle Wu, the Mayor’s Office for Immigrant Advancement, and Welcoming America announced that the City of Boston has earned a 4-star Certified Welcomingdesignation from Welcoming America, Mon, 17 Aug 2026 14:01:04 GMT https://www.pulserapid.com/article/2451 https://www.pulserapid.com/article/2451 U.S. Most job listings close 7–30 days after posting. The sharing of any non-VA information does not constitute an endorsement of products or services by VA. Veterans should verify all information with Mon, 17 Aug 2026 13:30:31 GMT https://www.pulserapid.com/article/2450 https://www.pulserapid.com/article/2450 Science Bird constellations abound in the night sky, including Cygnus, the majestic swan. Easy to find with its dazzling stars, it is one of the few constellations that look like its namesake, and it is Mon, 17 Aug 2026 13:30:15 GMT https://www.pulserapid.com/article/2449 https://www.pulserapid.com/article/2449 Science Scientists have long known that volcanoes can launch large quantities of particles into thestratosphere. In the past few decades, it has become clear that wildfires do this, too, by generating Mon, 17 Aug 2026 13:30:11 GMT https://www.pulserapid.com/article/2452 https://www.pulserapid.com/article/2452 Politics First Lady Melania Trump facilitated the reunification of another child with her family on Monday, August 17, 2026, after being separated during the Ukraine – Russia Federation conflict. “There is Mon, 17 Aug 2026 13:30:02 GMT https://www.pulserapid.com/article/2448 https://www.pulserapid.com/article/2448 Science Discover the cosmosEach day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. Explanation:This total solar Mon, 17 Aug 2026 05:00:02 GMT https://www.pulserapid.com/article/2447 https://www.pulserapid.com/article/2447 U.S. At a recent Baby Safety Shower, expecting Veteran mothers and parents of newborns learned something even more valuable than diapers, car seats, pack-and-plays and other baby essentials: how to save Sun, 16 Aug 2026 21:00:19 GMT https://www.pulserapid.com/article/2446 https://www.pulserapid.com/article/2446 Science Discover the cosmosEach day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. Explanation:The Milky Way Sun, 16 Aug 2026 05:00:04 GMT https://www.pulserapid.com/article/2445 https://www.pulserapid.com/article/2445 U.S. A tree had crashed through the home. Inside, a Marine Veteran and his wife sat in the dark—no power, no clear plan and little left untouched by the storm. That is what Dave Snider walked into, and Sat, 15 Aug 2026 21:01:31 GMT https://www.pulserapid.com/article/2444 https://www.pulserapid.com/article/2444 Science Discover the cosmosEach day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. Explanation:Known for its Sat, 15 Aug 2026 05:00:04 GMT https://www.pulserapid.com/article/2443 https://www.pulserapid.com/article/2443 U.S. VA has always been a leading force in the development of new care treatments, both physical and mental. These innovations are what led us to the development of the Million Veteran Program , and the Fri, 14 Aug 2026 20:30:31 GMT https://www.pulserapid.com/article/2442 https://www.pulserapid.com/article/2442 Science NASA is asking U.S.-based collegiate teams to submit bold, original concepts to the 2027 edition of a student challenge focused on aerospace innovation that could help the agency envision a future on Fri, 14 Aug 2026 20:30:15 GMT https://www.pulserapid.com/article/2441 https://www.pulserapid.com/article/2441 Science In honor of America’s historic 250th anniversary, NASA announced on Friday MAX POWER, a public exposition of American air and space innovation, Nov. 7 and Nov. 8, on and near the agency’s Kennedy Fri, 14 Aug 2026 19:30:04 GMT https://www.pulserapid.com/article/2440 https://www.pulserapid.com/article/2440 U.S. More than 81 years have passed since Feb. 23, 1945, when U.S. Marines raised the American flag atop Mount Suribachi on the island of Iwo Jima during World War II. As the battle for Iwo Jima Fri, 14 Aug 2026 19:00:17 GMT https://www.pulserapid.com/article/2439 https://www.pulserapid.com/article/2439 Science Certain kinds of clouds are misbehaving – appearing more often and lower in the sky than they used to. To help identify the factors influencing these changes, scientists have asked people around the Fri, 14 Aug 2026 19:00:03 GMT https://www.pulserapid.com/article/2436 https://www.pulserapid.com/article/2436 Science As humanity looks to the Moon and stars for future exploration, predicting space weather — conditions in space primarily driven by the Sun — is more important than ever. Now, a team of Fri, 14 Aug 2026 18:00:13 GMT https://www.pulserapid.com/article/2438 https://www.pulserapid.com/article/2438 Politics Today, our Nation commemorates 91 years since President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the landmark Social Security Act into law. For more than nine decades, this program has stood as a fundamental Fri, 14 Aug 2026 18:00:05 GMT https://www.pulserapid.com/article/2437 https://www.pulserapid.com/article/2437 Politics Today, our Nation celebrates the 81st anniversary of Imperial Japan’s unconditional surrender—the moment American might brought the Second World War to its end in complete and total victory. On this Fri, 14 Aug 2026 18:00:02 GMT https://www.pulserapid.com/article/2433 https://www.pulserapid.com/article/2433 U.S. If you’ve ever wondered whether VA’s suicide prevention support is really meant for you, here’s the short answer: yes. Some Veterans wonder if they’ve “earned” the right to reach out. Maybe they Fri, 14 Aug 2026 15:00:15 GMT https://www.pulserapid.com/article/2431 https://www.pulserapid.com/article/2431 U.S. More than 2,600 Veterans and their families in Columbus, Georgia, received benefits, services and real answers from VA, the Georgia Department of Veterans Service , and local and national Fri, 14 Aug 2026 14:19:38 GMT https://www.pulserapid.com/article/2430 https://www.pulserapid.com/article/2430 U.S. When you picture the Department of Veterans Affairs workforce, you might think of doctors, nurses and other healthcare providers, but did you also know we employ over 800 attorneys? For attorneys Fri, 14 Aug 2026 14:19:34 GMT https://www.pulserapid.com/article/2429 https://www.pulserapid.com/article/2429 U.S. Since 1944, the VA Home Loan Program has helped more than 29 million Veterans, service members and surviving spouses achieve that milestone. But long-term success as a homeowner often depends on Fri, 14 Aug 2026 14:19:30 GMT https://www.pulserapid.com/article/2428 https://www.pulserapid.com/article/2428 U.S. MVP is one of the largest and most representative research programs in the world, and its participants are entirely Veterans like you. Veterans who participate in MVP help our discoveries apply to Fri, 14 Aug 2026 14:19:27 GMT https://www.pulserapid.com/article/2427 https://www.pulserapid.com/article/2427 U.S. The resilience and leadership gained through military service often translates naturally to the realities of owning and operating a small business. Veterans are starting new ventures, acquiring Fri, 14 Aug 2026 14:19:23 GMT https://www.pulserapid.com/article/2426 https://www.pulserapid.com/article/2426 U.S. More than 100 Veteran-serving organizations gathered in Columbus, Georgia, on July 22, 2026, for an event that delivered real, measurable impact aligned with VA Secretary Collins’ priorities: Fri, 14 Aug 2026 14:19:20 GMT https://www.pulserapid.com/article/2425 https://www.pulserapid.com/article/2425 U.S. For a traveling team of VA doctors who recently attended the annual National Veterans Wheelchair Games, the experience meant more than a week of supporting hundreds of courageous Veterans in Fri, 14 Aug 2026 14:19:16 GMT https://www.pulserapid.com/article/2424 https://www.pulserapid.com/article/2424 U.S. For 28 years, Derrick Harpole has lived with uncontrolled epilepsy, suffering from debilitating seizures despite trying numerous medications. He has been robbed of his independence, his career and, Fri, 14 Aug 2026 14:19:10 GMT https://www.pulserapid.com/article/2423 https://www.pulserapid.com/article/2423 U.S. Owning a home backed by the VA Home Loan Program is one of the most valuable benefits earned through military service. But when financial hardship hits—whether from job loss, medical challenges or Fri, 14 Aug 2026 14:19:06 GMT https://www.pulserapid.com/article/2422 https://www.pulserapid.com/article/2422 U.S. VA’s Office of Research and Development recently published three News Briefs highlighting a new drug safety tool, therapy for chronic pain, and the connection between metabolic syndrome and C. diff Fri, 14 Aug 2026 14:19:03 GMT https://www.pulserapid.com/article/2399 https://www.pulserapid.com/article/2399 Science The U.S. National Science Foundation today announced $83 million in awards through the Integrated Data Systems and Services program . The awards will expand access to data infrastructure resources Fri, 14 Aug 2026 14:18:45 GMT https://www.pulserapid.com/article/2398 https://www.pulserapid.com/article/2398 Science The U.S. National Science Foundation announced the NSF Unlocking Dataset Value for AI-Enabled Scientific Discovery program , a new investment to advance scientific community datasets and enable Fri, 14 Aug 2026 14:18:42 GMT https://www.pulserapid.com/article/2396 https://www.pulserapid.com/article/2396 Science The U.S. National Science Foundation's Directorate for STEM Education today announced the inaugural awards under the CyberAICorps Scholarship for Service program, representing a major expansion of Fri, 14 Aug 2026 14:18:38 GMT https://www.pulserapid.com/article/2395 https://www.pulserapid.com/article/2395 Science The U.S. National Science Foundation announced a $47 million investment over five years, along with additional financial commitments from nearly three dozen universities and private industry, to launch Fri, 14 Aug 2026 14:18:36 GMT https://www.pulserapid.com/article/2394 https://www.pulserapid.com/article/2394 Science The U.S. National Science Foundation is pushing materials science beyond the state-of-the-art with an investment of $108 million in six advanced research centers. The centers will explore a broad Fri, 14 Aug 2026 14:18:34 GMT