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Our solar system contains planets, dwarf planets, asteroids and comets — but only one world is known to harbor life. Scientists have long debated whether Earth is truly unique. Perhaps our planet just happened to have the right combination of ingredients, conditions and timing to allow life to emerge. But a pinch of grit from […]

The terrifying first capture in Africa. The deadly crossing of the Middle Passage. The brutality of slave markets and servitude. It’s almost impossible to imagine, let alone depict, the full horrors of American slavery, although writers, directors and artists have tried. But there’s one moment that seems to have caught their attention less often: the

Judith Bernstein and her work share a striking trait: a potent brew of provocative humor edged with anger. An indelible cackle with a crackle, as powerfully expressed in vividly hued paintings strewed with tart, topical text. “I never toned down anything,” Bernstein said in an obvious understatement. The artist found early inspiration in the graffiti

Tennessee’s Republican-controlled legislature approved bills on Thursday aimed at reducing unauthorized immigration and allowing families to use public funds for private school tuition, mirroring the policy agenda of the new Trump administration. Legislative leaders left little room for debate, pushing through millions of dollars and sprawling policy changes in a special session that lasted just

Doug Burgum, a promoter of oil and gas, was confirmed by the Senate on Thursday to lead the Interior Department, a role in which he will oversee drilling and mining policies on federal lands and waters. The 79-18 vote for Mr. Burgum puts him in charge of nearly 500 million acres of public land, 1.7

The Food and Drug Administration approved a new medication Thursday to treat pain from an injury or surgery. It is expensive, with a list price of $15.50 per pill. But unlike opioid pain medicines, it cannot become addictive. That is because the drug, suzetrigine, made by Vertex Pharmaceuticals and to be sold as Journavx, works

In a wide-ranging question-and-answer session with Meta employees on Thursday, Mark Zuckerberg, the company’s chief executive, defended recent changes he had made to loosening restrictions on online speech and ending diversity initiatives, and doubled down on embracing President Trump’s new administration. “I want to be clear, after the last several years, we now have an

‘Margaret’s Gay Sons Featuring Dylan Adler and Sam Oh’ Jan. 31 at 9:30 p.m. at Joe’s Pub, 425 Lafayette Street, Manhattan; publictheater.org. As part of her residency at Joe’s Pub, the comedian Margaret Cho has been presenting artists whom she finds inspirational. Next in Cho’s lineup is a show featuring her latest unofficial adoptees, the

Rohit Chopra, the director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, expected to be fired soon after President Trump took office. More than a week later, he remains in his job — a source of puzzlement among his allies and frustration for those who want to see him gone. “I swore an oath to a five-year

Samar Faisal stood among a crowd in the crisp winter air, shivering as much from her excitement as the cold. She was in disbelief, she said, that this day had come. Her brother, after spending more than 20 years in an Israeli prison, was being released. “I’m anxious and praying for the moment I finally