Data news from every side

Study Links Hunting to Smaller Madagascar Flying Foxes

Madagascar flying fox skulls shrank about 6% after the 1980s, a Journal of Mammalogy study of 121 museum specimens finds, a drop researchers link to commercialized hunting.

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Business

WalletHub ranks Pennsylvania third-worst for jobs in 2026

WalletHub’s 2026 rankings put Pennsylvania third-worst, Florida fourth-worst and Louisiana fifth-worst among states for jobs, while Illinois ranked 18th-worst. The study weighed job-market conditions and economic factors, including employment growth, job security, income and commute times; Nebraska ranked first overall.

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Sports

Study estimates 75% of deceased NFL players had CTE

A study estimates that 74.5% of former NFL players who died from 2008 to 2023 had CTE, after adjusting for the likelihood that families of players with cognitive symptoms were more likely to donate their brains. CTE can be confirmed only after death, and researchers stress that the estimate does not mean everyone with the disease develops symptoms; the NFL says it works to reduce concussions and head impacts.

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Politics

Ohio Police Emphasize Realistic Safety Training

Law enforcement agencies are emphasizing stronger training, from realistic Ohio tactical exercises covering high-pressure decisions and pursuit techniques to Vietnam briefings on counterterrorism and security risks. Separately, an EU study found training fragmented and often insufficient, calling for better coordination as about 170,000 officers still need training.

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Politics

Report finds ICE-linked program now has over 29,000 deputized local officers

A new FWD.us report says more than 29,000 state and local officers have joined ICE’s 287(g) program, more than twice the number from eight months earlier and far more than ICE’s own deportation officers; the program’s most expansive model lets local police make immigration arrests and provides participating agencies with enforcement resources. Supporters say partnerships aid local law enforcement, while critics warn they extend immigration enforcement into routine policing; Florida and Texas agencies accounted for about half of arrests through the program, and one Idaho police chief said his department joined for cooperation and database access, not to seek out undocumented immigrants.

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Science

Pantethine May Ease Psoriasis Symptoms in Small Trial

Researchers found that pantethine, a vitamin B5 derivative, dampened immune-cell activity and prevented psoriasis in mice; in a small trial, it also eased symptoms when added to topical treatment. The early results are promising but preliminary, and larger, longer studies are needed to determine whether the supplement is safe and effective as a psoriasis treatment.

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Health

CMS Estimates $37.39B Medicaid Improper Payments, Mostly Documentation

States are confronting rising Medicaid costs from different directions: Ohio gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy proposes stronger fraud enforcement and letting Ohio retain more recovered funds, while a Colorado report links the program’s broader-than-private-insurance coverage to higher state spending. New federal requirements are also increasing compliance pressure on Medicaid plans, especially smaller ones, although CMS says most improper payments stem from insufficient documentation rather than fraud.

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Health

Roche Reports 44% Lower Lung Cancer Death Risk

In a Phase 3 trial of previously treated KRAS G12C-mutated non-small cell lung cancer, Roche’s investigational drug divarasib reduced the risk of death by 44% and disease progression or death by 42% compared with sotorasib or adagrasib, extending median overall survival to about 18 months from 12 months. Researchers reported improved response rates and manageable safety, saying the results could make divarasib a new treatment standard if approved.

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World

Saudi Arabia reportedly expands facility for larger missiles

FPRI researchers say satellite imagery shows Saudi Arabia expanding its al-Duwadimi complex with a building twice as large for solid-fuel motors that could yield longer-range missiles by late 2026.

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Science

Study Finds How Tumors Evade Chemotherapy

Trinity College Dublin scientists found chemotherapy can push tumor cells into a zombie-like state nearly 10 times normal size, kept alive by IAPs that block Death Receptors.

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Science

Study Matches Starry Night to July 1889 Sky

Study moves Van Gogh’s Starry Night sky to about July 22, 1889—a month after traditional June dating—because a mid-June moon would have been too full to match.

Oct 22, 2026

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Environment

Gulf Deep-Sea Species Declined 60%-85% After Spill

Deep-sea species groups in the Gulf fell 60% to 85% between 2011 and 2015 after Deepwater Horizon, a PNAS study found, with no lasting recovery through 2023.

2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill

Oct 19, 2026

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Science

Study finds Hawaiians closest to Rapa Nui

A study of ancient and modern Polynesian DNA found that Native Hawaiians share their closest genetic ties with Rapa Nui, supporting a long-distance settlement voyage to Hawaii by Polynesian seafarers. Researchers suggest the voyagers were part of a population linked to Rapa Nui and Mangareva, while noting that genetic evidence does not establish a direct route between the islands.

Oct 19, 2026

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Health

Studies Report Psilocybin Effects in Fish, Patients

Emerging psilocybin research spans reduced aggression in fish, supervised group therapy for low-income adults with depression, physician-led investigations of brain health and chronic pain, and a reported Alzheimer’s case involving unexpected cognitive changes. The findings remain preliminary: the depression study lacked a comparison group, and the Alzheimer’s report was a single case, so neither establishes treatment effectiveness.

Oct 16, 2026

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Health

Global Dementia Cases Expected to Double by 2050

New dementia cases worldwide are projected to rise from 11.4 million in 2023 to 24.7 million annually by 2050, driven largely by population aging. Research also finds higher incidence among women and people in low- and middle-income countries, underscoring calls for stronger prevention, diagnosis and care efforts.

JAMA Neurology

Oct 15, 2026

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Environment

Study: Atlantic Current Could Recover, Effects Persist Centuries

A Danish Meteorological Institute study found that the Atlantic Ocean’s AMOC may regain strength if global warming reverses, with no irreversible collapse indicated by the model. Recovery could take centuries, while climate and sea-level effects may persist; melting of the Greenland ice sheet would not be reversed, and an outside researcher cautioned that real-world stability may be lower than the model suggests.

Atlantic meridional overturning circulation Greenland ice sheet

Oct 14, 2026

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Health

US faces infrastructure gap for psychedelic therapies

Growing evidence and interest in psychedelic therapies could expand options for people with depression, PTSD and other conditions, but wider use will depend on more than regulatory approval. Health systems and smaller practices will need trained staff, clinical monitoring, evidence-based protocols and delivery infrastructure to integrate the treatments safely; President Trump’s order to accelerate research adds momentum to that effort.

Donald John Trump

Oct 12, 2026

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Business

Habitat Survey Finds Housing Costs Force Cuts to Food and Care

Habitat's global survey finds 75% cut expenses to afford housing—33% less on food, 13% delayed care—and nearly half fear one setback could cost their home.

Habitat for Humanity International

Oct 5, 2026

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Health

Study finds lead in 99% cat foods tested

Clean Label Project found lead in 99% of 100 cat foods from 62 brands tested, with cadmium in 96% and arsenic in 94%, per its Oct. 2, 2026 report.

Oct 2, 2026

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Science

Butterfly wing patterns create motion illusions like barber pole

Research suggests that the bold, moving patterns on butterfly wings can distort predators’ perception of the insects’ speed and direction, making birds more likely to miss during aerial attacks. High-speed footage, bird-vision models and a volunteer tracking experiment support the proposed optical-illusion defense, which resembles the barber-pole effect.

University of Exeter

Sep 30, 2026

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Health

Five Infections Linked to 2.3 Million Cancer Cases

An estimated 2.3 million cancer cases worldwide in 2024—about one in eight—were linked to infections, chiefly H. pylori and HPV, according to a new study. Researchers say many of these cancers could be prevented through measures such as vaccination, testing and treatment, with the burden greatest in low- and middle-income countries.

Sep 28, 2026

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Environment

Maui Fire Study Links Elevated Metals to Lung Effects

UH researchers found antimony nearly 40 times U.S. levels in urine from 1,400 Maui adults 6–18 months after the 2023 fires, with higher metals linked to abnormal lung function.

Maui

Sep 28, 2026

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World

Investigation Ties Vietnam 787 Tail Strike to Two Brake Inputs

A Vietnam Airlines 787 recorded two brake inputs on a Munich takeoff, rotated 12 kt below VR, and hit approach lights after lifting off from grass, a German interim report found.

Boeing Vietnam Airlines

Sep 28, 2026

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Business

WalletHub ranks Buffalo 33rd among top U.S. foodie cities

A WalletHub study ranking more than 180 U.S. cities on 28 food-related measures placed Omaha 38th, Tucson 45th, Madison 53rd, Tulsa 67th and Greensboro 83rd among America’s best foodie cities. The analysis considered factors including grocery costs, access to quality restaurants and food festivals.

WalletHub Buffalo

Sep 28, 2026

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