Private research university in Chicago’s Hyde Park, influential across economics, law, science
A severe derecho has left Gary, Indiana, and parts of northern Indiana without power for days. Officials warn it will take until Aug. 25 to restore full service, as residents rely on generators, community centers, and aid from volunteers amid rising health and safety concerns.
The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope has launched from Kennedy Space Center aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy and has separated cleanly. The observatory is travelling toward Lagrange point 2, about one million miles from Earth, for a five‑year primary mission to map billions of galaxies, search for exoplanets and study dark matter and dark energy.
Researchers at the Niels Bohr Institute have published results showing collisions of oxygen-16 and neon-20 nuclei have produced quark–gluon plasma droplets. The experiments have revealed that particle emission patterns reflect the original nuclear shapes, offering a new probe of nuclear structure and the conditions that existed microseconds after the Big Bang.
Autumn has delivered a run of visible celestial events: a partial lunar eclipse in late August that reddened much of the Moon, close pairings of the young crescent Moon with Venus and Jupiter in September, and a string of upcoming spectacles — the Pleiades, the Orionid and Leonid meteor showers, a planetary parade on 14 November and a Beaver supermoon on 24 November.
Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner and an aide have been referred for investigation over testimony alleging pressure on staff in a 2009 murder case. A federal judge ordered removal from the Johnson case and flagged potential misconduct by Krasner and Stiegler. Alaska prosecutors say voter-misconduct charges could not be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
The El Niño weather pattern has intensified, with multiple reports showing record sea-surface temperatures and forecasts of extreme heat. Scientists warn that global impacts will intensify through 2027, affecting temperatures, rainfall, and wildfire risk across regions from the Pacific to Africa and the Americas.
Projections show 451,000 additional heat-related deaths globally between June and February 2027, with Nigeria, Sudan, Niger and Chad bearing the heaviest impact. The Climate Impact Lab says emergency actions now can save tens of thousands of lives as El Niño intensifies.
Ken Griffin has pledged $3 billion to Carnegie Mellon University, including $2 billion to build a 35‑acre Wynwood campus in Miami and $1 billion for priorities at CMU’s Pittsburgh campus. Construction on the Miami site is slated for 2027, with student enrollments planned to begin in 2028; the computer science school will be renamed for Griffin.
The government has extended the autopay-driven interest reduction through June 2028, expanding relief for borrowers on the Save plan and others returning to repayment. Auto pay enrolment by Dec. 31 is required for the 1% reduction; for those already enrolled, the discount remains in place. Default and forbearance-related risks persist as millions face repayment.
The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has recognised Robert Hall and Michael Woodford for developing microeconomic foundations of macroeconomic stabilisation, enabling policymakers to smooth business cycles. The prize highlights New Keynesian models that connect household and firm decisions to policy tools, with forward guidance becoming a central instrument.