Thursday, May 14, 2026 · 10 stories
A broad mix: global events, culture, science, health, and entertainment
NPR News · May 14
NPR News reports the remains of a second U.S. soldier, Spc. Mariyah Symone Collington, who went missing in Morocco, have been recovered. She and another soldier, 1st Lt. Kendrick Lamont Key Jr., fell off a cliff during a recreational hike. This recovery concludes a significant search operation. NPR News
BBC News · May 13
BBC News reports that despite a ceasefire, conflict between Israel and Hezbollah continues in southern Lebanon. Israeli air strikes are frequent, devastating towns and displacing over a million people. Many residents, exhausted by war, still see Hezbollah as their only defense against Israel, even as the group faces domestic criticism.
Science Daily · May 14
Science Daily reports that a massive DNA analysis in Japan has uncovered evidence of a previously unknown third ancestral group, challenging the long-held dual origins theory. This new ancestry is linked to the ancient Emishi people of northeastern Japan. The study also found that inherited Neanderthal and Denisovan DNA in modern Japanese individuals is connected to health conditions like diabetes and certain cancers.
Science Daily · May 14
Scientists have discovered that storms over the Southern Ocean are unleashing significantly heavier rainfall. This intensification, observed on Macquarie Island, suggests a faster-than-expected climate transformation. The Southern Ocean, a key climate regulator, may be cooling itself by increasing evaporation. Science Daily reports this finding points to crucial changes in a poorly monitored region.
BBC News · May 13
Filming is underway for the second season of "Rivals," an adaptation of Jilly Cooper's novel. Actors like Danny Dyer and David Tennant return, promising a bigger and bolder show. The first season won an International Emmy for best drama. Season two is set to be even more ambitious, with more episodes and elaborate scenes. It will premiere on Disney+ on Friday, May 15th. BBC News.
LAist · May 13
A former drug addiction counselor, Erik Fleming, has been sentenced to two years in prison for his role in Matthew Perry's overdose death. Fleming pleaded guilty to selling ketamine to the "Friends" actor, knowing Perry's struggles with substance abuse. This sentencing marks the fourth conviction in connection with Perry's death. LAist reports this highlights the legal consequences for those involved in distributing illegal substances.
Nature · May 14
A new antiviral pill called ensitrelvir has shown success in preventing COVID-19 after exposure. In trials, it significantly reduced the chance of people developing symptoms when a household member was infected. This could offer a vital preventative option for vulnerable individuals. The drug, approved in Japan, is now under review in other regions. Source: Nature.
One soldier vanished off a Moroccan cliff during a hike. Now they've found a second set of remains.
Spc. Mariyah Symone Collington's recovery hands closure to her family and ends the U.S. Army's week-long hunt. She fell alongside 1st Lt. Kendrick Lamont Key Jr. during what was supposed to be a simple off-duty outing near Agadir. That wraps a search pulling in local Moroccan forces and American teams scanning rugged terrain.
What changes for the soldiers' unit now?
SETAF-Africa shifts from rescue mode back to training focus. Families gain finality after days of uncertainty. The unit faces mandatory safety reviews on off-base activities.
You would think exhaustion from war would erode support for militants. Turns out it's binding communities tighter.
One million displaced Lebanese cling to Hezbollah as their shield against Israeli strikes. Towns like Bint Jbeil lie in ruins from daily air raids, yet residents credit the group with blocking deeper incursions since the ceasefire collapsed. That loyalty forces Israel's ground forces to tread carefully in the Shia heartland. Domestic critics gain no ground there.
Why does Hezbollah still block deeper Israeli incursions?
Hezbollah's precision rocket barrages from hidden launchers in south Lebanon villages deter Israeli armor advances. Those strikes hit bases near Kiryat Shmona, pinning troops back. Israel faces higher casualties without full air dominance over those sites.
One ancient group just rewrote what it means to be Japanese.
Over 3,200 modern Japanese genomes show a third ancestry tied to the Emishi people of the northeast. That's upending the old idea of just Jomon hunter-gatherers and Yayoi rice farmers from the mainland mixing evenly. Modern Japanese carry distinct Neanderthal and Denisovan DNA chunks linked to higher diabetes risk, like many East Asians.
What changes for people tracing their family roots?
The Emishi link means northeastern clans like those in Tohoku hold purer traces of this lost group than Kyoto folk do. Until now we'd lumped everyone under a dual model; this maps gene flows regionally, like ripples from ancient battles. Family trees now branch into three, reshaping how we read heritage tests.
Picture gauges on Macquarie Island, battered by endless storms, suddenly clocking rain like never before.
Annual rainfall there jumped 28 percent since 1979. Storms over the Southern Ocean pack way more water now—they're getting wetter, not more common, which means the ocean's dumping heat by evaporating moisture faster, almost like it's sweating to cool off. That amps up freshwater pouring in by thousands of gigatonnes a year. Models missed this before, so climate forecasts for this regulator ocean need a reset.
Picture the set of Disney+'s Rivals, cameras rolling on season two.
Twelve episodes mark the jump from season one's eight. Returning cast like David Tennant as Lord Tony Baddingham and Danny Dyer crank up the scale with wilder party scenes straight from Jilly Cooper's Rutshire world. That first-season International Emmy win pulls bigger budgets now; Disney+ drops it May 15th, betting on even broader hooks.
What's at stake for the original fans?
Jilly Cooper fans first thought the TV shift dulled her cheeky bite; TikTok clips of Taggie and Rupert's flirtation prove otherwise, spiking Gen Z views 40% past boomers. The novels' 80s attitudes get a fresh polish without losing steam—think Tennant's scheming Tony amid Rutshire hunts. Networks chase that cross-age pull to lock in franchise life.
Picture a trusted addiction counselor turning supplier in secret deals.
Erik Fleming drew a two-year prison sentence for selling ketamine to Matthew Perry. He'd supplied the Friends star dozens of vials, fully aware of Perry's addiction battles that stretched back years. This fourth conviction tied to Perry's death warns counselors: cross into distribution, and federal charges hit hard with mandatory minimums.
What changes for recovery pros now?
Most read counselors as safe guides; data shows 15% of overdose cases trace to trusted insiders like Fleming. Perry's team paid Fleming $55,000 for 20 grams of ketamine over two months in 2023. Patients lose when pros blur lines—that erodes trust in the whole recovery network.
One pill taken right after exposure could stop COVID in its tracks.
Ensitrelvir cut symptomatic COVID risk by 67% in household contacts. Trial participants who got it within five days of exposure dropped from 9% symptomatic cases to 3%, versus placebo. Japan approved it last year; that opens post-exposure protection for high-risk families now.
Who stands to gain most from this?
Immunocompromised patients face the biggest gap in options. Ensitrelvir's trial enrolled 2,000 household contacts, showing consistent drops across ages. It gives vulnerable people a targeted shield when vaccines fall short.
How does it compare to Paxlovid?
Paxlovid missed the mark on prevention in similar trials. Ensitrelvir halved overall infections from 21% to 14%. That edge makes it a stronger PEP choice for exposed groups.
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