US news

US news

The family of Anna Kepner, the high school senior whose younger stepbrother is now suspected in her recent death aboard a Carnival cruise, is breaking their silence on the tragic situation. Paternal grandmother Barbara Kepner told ABC News that the body of the 18-year-old cheerleader was found earlier this month, concealed under the bed in the Carnival Horizon stateroom she was sharing with the minor suspect and her biological brother.

When you go to the ice box Saturday and open that recycled Country Crock container full of what's left from your Aunt Nancy's artichoke casserole, it reminds of you of Thanksgiving dinner and the laughs shared around the table with family and friends. But it also reminds you that Aunt Nancy is a bit off-kilter, because there are actually three butter containers packed with her gluten-free artichoke casserole that no one ate because she fills it with sliced grapes.

The research, code-named "Project Mercury," took place in 2020. Meta scientists worked with survey firm Nielsen to see what impact deactivating Facebook had on people. According to internal documents, "people who stopped using Facebook for a week reported lower feelings of depression, anxiety, loneliness, and social comparison." According to the filings, instead of pursuing more research, Meta dropped the project, claiming that participants' feedback was biased by "the result of the existing media narrative around the company."

Announced on social media site X by Secretary of the Navy John Phelan, the decision means the Constellation class of frigates will be limited to the two ships currently under construction, instead of the 20 that were planned. Phelan said he wanted to reshape how the Navy builds and fields its fleet, and axing the Constellation class is the first step toward this goal.

Saugus police are seeking the public's assistance in identifying two men who allegedly assaulted a woman and her three children Monday night in the parking lot of Square One Mall. The woman and her children had exited the mall around 8:30 p.m. and returned to their vehicle to find two young men who had broken into the vehicle, police said. When the woman confronted the men, one allegedly pulled out a knife and the other punched her 11-year-old child in the stomach, according to police.

The U.S. population is aging rapidly. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 17.3% of the population - about 57.8 million people in total - are over the age of 64. In 30 years, the number of Americans in this age group is projected to reach 84 million, accounting for 23% of the population. Many within the rapidly growing demographic group are geographically mobile, and every year, millions of Americans aged 65 and older pack up and move to a different part of the country.

A series of three earthquakes shook the South Bay early Wednesday, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The biggest of the three was a magnitude 4.3 shaker that happened at 6:16 a.m. about five miles east of Gilroy. Following that quake came shakers that were measured at a magnitude of 2.7 and 3.9, respectively. All three quakes happened within four minutes of each other and were centered within a five-mile radius of Gilroy, the USGS said.

Politics is replacing religion.

The century-old partnership between the U.S. military and Scouting could be coming to an end. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is planning for the military to sever all ties with Scouting America, saying the group once known as the Boy Scouts is no longer a meritocracy and has become an organization designed to "attack boy-friendly spaces," according to documents reviewed by NPR.

Some Social Security recipients may be excited about their upcoming raise for 2026. Next year, Social Security benefits are getting a 2.8% cost-of-living adjustment, or COLA. The Social Security Administration puts the average monthly benefit at $2,015 before the 2026 COLA takes effect, and $2,071 after the COLA gets applied. This means the typical Social Security recipient could see their monthly income rise by $56, or $672 on an annual basis.

More than a year and a half after a group of pro-Palestinian activists were accused of causing extensive property damage at Stanford University's executive offices, five of the original defendants are set to stand trial next month on felony vandalism charges. The five defendants proceeding to trial are Maya Burke, German Gonzalez, Taylor McCann, Hunter Taylor Black and Amy Zhai. The rest of original 12 defendants have entered a court-supervised mental health diversion program that allows them to avoid criminal prosecution.

The most dangerous thing you can do when you go to Hawaii on vacation is go to the beach and jump in the water,

Like other more militant Black leaders and organizers during the racial upheaval of the late 1960s and early 1970s, Brown decried heavy-handed policing in Black communities. He once stated that violence was as American as cherry pie. Violence is a part of America's culture, he said during a 1967 news conference. America taught the black people to be violent. We will use that violence to rid ourselves of oppression, if necessary. We will be free by any means necessary.

"While many individuals describe the practice positively, some have raised concerns about their experiences with Soarbody, including reports of inappropriate comments, conduct, and practices,"

Carlos Jimenez, a father of three, was indicted by a federal grand jury last week after prosecutors accused him of trying to "reverse" his car into a Border Patrol agent conducting an early morning Oct. 30 immigration stop near the Ontario mobile home park where he lives. An accompanying ICE agent, according to a complaint filed shortly after the incident, had ordered him to leave and pulled out a gun and pepper spray.

"Please DO NOT leave anything of value, in view of your vehicle,"

Stoneham is mourning the death of a teenage boy who died following a crash into a car on an electric dirt bike on Friday, a tragedy that has pushed lawmakers to reconsider safety rules and regulations for the increasingly popular vehicles. A preliminary investigation by the Middlesex District Attorney's Office and Stoneham police shows that around 4:30 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 21, a 73-year-old Toyota Corolla driver began making a left turn from Oak Street onto Royal Street when an electric dirt bike crashed into the car.