The city that powers Texas and the Gulf Coast
The Los Angeles Rams have added two-time Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett and Aaron Donald returns from retirement, forming a fearsome pass-rush duo alongside Matthew Stafford as they pursue a second Super Bowl at SoFi Stadium.
This week has seen several medical research and regulatory developments. Insilico Medicine has reported that its experimental drug rentosertib changed blood‑protein patterns that aging clocks read as three to four years younger in a small trial. Stanford teams have published studies showing they can grow hindbrain neurons separately and implant human cortical organoids into mice. The US health department has appointed permanent directors for three FDA centers.
A UK study involving nearly a million adults finds that drinking beverages at very hot temperatures increases the risk of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). The risk rises with frequency, with six or more hot drinks daily, though overall risk remains small. Researchers urge cooling beverages before drinking.
Scientists have identified a 222‑metre‑wide, up to 43‑metre‑deep crater on the Moon formed in spring 2024 and first spotted in LRO images in 2025. The impact churned material across more than 100 km, produced a roughly 7‑km cold spot and has provided rare data scientists say will inform risk assessments for planned lunar bases.
Amazon has paused operations with 21 Air after a fatal Miami crash involving Prime Air Flight 7598. Investigators are reviewing speed, descent and maintenance as the NTSB probes the Sept. 6 incident that killed five workers and injured five others. Amazon is supporting the investigation and seeking other carriers.
Eight scheduled executions across Georgia, Texas and Alabama have moved in flux this week as courts issue stays and statements from prosecutors and defense teams. In Georgia, Stacey Humphreys has a stay under the Survivor Justice Act as hearings consider whether abuse shaped his crime; in Texas, LeJames Norman remains scheduled for a 6 p.m. (CDT) execution as legal challenges loom. Alabama is set to carry out Jeffery Lee next day, while Florida remains the national pace-setter.
The United States is accelerating its space and lunar defense posture as officials announce on-orbit space control weapons and a doubling of the Space Force. Leaders say operations will defend US interests from low Earth orbit to cislunar space, signaling a shift in the military balance in space ahead of potential actions around the Moon.
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The Union Jack Classic has brought Kansas and Arizona State to Wembley, marking London’s first college football game at the stadium and underscoring the Big 12’s international ambitions. The event blends pageantry with sport, drawing tens of thousands of fans and international attention.
Federal immigration officers have shot a man in Austin during a traffic stop and foot pursuit on Sunday; the 28-year-old Venezuelan, identified by relatives and his lawyer as Wilber Rafael Garcés Pérez, has been taken to hospital in serious but stable condition. Austin officials have demanded an independent investigation and criticised ICE for not providing details.
Oil prices have fallen after data showed Asia is set to import its highest monthly crude volume since the US–Iran war began, while traders continue to monitor UN‑level diplomacy and regional tensions. Brent has slipped near $102 a barrel and U.S. crude is trading in the low $90s as markets weigh rising Asian flows against Middle East risks.
Wilber Rafael Garces Perez has been charged with assaulting a federal officer after a September 20 traffic stop in Austin that ended with an ICE agent firing and wounding him. Prosecutors have shown body-camera footage of the initial stop; the shooting itself and some camera footage remain unreleased. Garces Perez remains in federal custody with a bullet lodged in his back and faces deportation and criminal prosecution.
Investigators have sought electronic communications of Camp Mystic’s owners in a bid to uncover evidence of manslaughter, negligent homicide or other crimes related to the 2025 Guadalupe River flood. No charges have been filed yet, and authorities say camp leadership failed to implement adequate safety measures and evacuation plans.
SpaceX has returned four Crew‑12 astronauts to Earth with a Pacific splashdown off Los Angeles. NASA’s Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, France’s Sophie Adenot and Russia’s Andrey Fedyaev have left the International Space Station and arrived ashore after a mission that included multiple spacewalks and a delayed crew rotation caused by capsule repairs.