New Sunscreen, Ancient Shipwreck, & 1970s America

News without the noise

Adam Rogers
October 16, 2026

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Sunscreens containing bemotrizinol are reaching U.S. store shelves after the FDA cleared the country’s first new sunscreen ingredient in more than 25 years.
Known as BEMT, the chemical ingredient protects against both UVA and UVB rays and resists breaking down in sunlight. It can also stabilize avobenzone, a widely used ingredient that provides UVA protection but is unstable on its own.
BEMT has been used abroad for decades and is now appearing in products from Neutrogena and other manufacturers. The FDA authorized it in June after reviewing studies showing low absorption into the body and little potential for skin irritation.

A federal appeals court allowed Florida to enforce its ban on social media accounts for children under 14 in a unanimous ruling Wednesday.
The law requires platforms to block accounts for children under 14 and obtain parental consent for 14- and 15-year-olds. Companies must also remove existing accounts that violate those rules and give users 90 days to dispute removal. Florida’s attorney general can seek penalties of up to $50,000 per knowing or reckless violation.
Technology trade groups challenged the law as a violation of users’ and companies’ free-speech rights. However, the appeals court found it likely constitutional and overturned an injunction blocking it. The underlying lawsuit will continue in federal court.

Archaeologists identified what could be the world’s oldest known shipwreck off Turkey’s southern coast. They tentatively date the remains to between 4,400 and 4,700 years ago, around the era when Egypt’s pyramids were being built.
The wooden vessel has decomposed, but more than 30 ceramic jars and three stone anchors survived. Researchers used the pottery to estimate the wreck’s age by comparing its shapes and decoration with dated examples from Egypt and the Middle East. Their findings have not yet undergone peer review.
Some jars still hold visible residue that researchers suspect came from olive oil or wine. Tests could confirm their contents and help trace the goods traded across the Mediterranean. The team believes some jars originated in the Jordan Valley, but the ship’s destination is unknown.

Three children and a teacher were killed in a shooting at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon, Thursday; the suspected gunman also died. (More)

Federal authorities are investigating letters containing suspicious substances sent to congressional and state election offices nationwide as officials work to intercept additional mailings. (More)

President Trump canceled plans to livestream Fort Hood shooter Nidal Hasan’s execution Thursday after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had announced the broadcast. (More)

Two cargo ships sank near the Strait of Hormuz after separate projectile attacks; one had been struck weeks earlier, and all 21 aboard the other escaped safely. (More)

Ukraine resumed strikes on Russian oil refineries Thursday after Zelenskyy abandoned the proposed energy ceasefire over continued Russian attacks; a strike sparked a fire at Ryazan’s refinery. (More)

Protests in Cameroon are pressing authorities for stronger protections after nearly 70 women were killed this year for reasons related to their gender. (More)

U.S. stock markets closed higher on Thursday (S&P +0.33%, Nasdaq +0.08%, Dow +1.08%). The indexes shook off high inflation data to recover from red intraday levels. (More)

TSMC reported a record quarterly profit of nearly $24 billion Thursday and said it was exploring a Texas investment to expand U.S. chip production. (More)

Insurance-software company CCC Intelligent Solutions agreed to a takeover by GTCR and Elliott in a transaction valued at about $6.1 billion including debt. (More)

The Cleveland Guardians took a 2–1 ALCS lead Thursday behind rookie Petey Halpin’s two-run homer in a 3–2 win over the Tampa Bay Rays. (More)

The College Football Playoff is nearing a deal to double its field from 12 to 24 teams starting in 2027 pending final approval, according to ESPN. (More)

Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts will miss Sunday’s game against Carolina after a follow-up scan showed movement in a blood clot in his calf. (More)

MIT researchers found an Alzheimer’s risk gene disrupts the protective coating around nerve cells and restored that coating in human cell cultures and mice; human treatments remain untested. (More)

Brain scans of nearly 9,000 adults linked greater ultra-processed food consumption to tiny areas of brain damage; the study does not establish that the foods caused it. (More)

A 75,000-year-old Neanderthal shoulder blade found in Iraqi Kurdistan bears a wound consistent with a fatal wooden-spear strike that may represent the earliest known evidence of such an attack. (More)

What happens in your brain when you can’t stop laughing?

See 1970s America in photos.

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