Silent Liver Disease, Travel Ban, & Best Books of 2025

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Adam Rogers
June 06, 2025

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The Supreme Court has made it easier for people from majority backgrounds to pursue workplace discrimination lawsuits.

In a unanimous 9-0 ruling written by Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, the court revived an Ohio woman's lawsuit claiming she was denied a promotion and demoted because she is heterosexual. Marlean Ames, 61, alleged she was passed over for a promotion in favor of a gay woman and demoted with a pay cut in favor of a gay man at Ohio's Department of Youth Services.
The court rejected a requirement used by some lower courts that majority-group plaintiffs must provide more evidence than minority plaintiffs to prove discrimination under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. Jackson wrote that Title VII offers equal protections regardless of group membership, with no room for courts to "impose special requirements on majority-group plaintiffs alone.”
The decision comes as workplace discrimination issues gain attention, with reverse discrimination lawsuits increasing nationwide and President Trump ordering federal agencies to dismantle DEI policies in January.

More than 15 million people in major developed countries don't know they have the most aggressive form of fatty liver disease.

Research across the US, UK, Germany, and France found that most people with aggressive fatty liver disease don't know they have it. Unlike liver disease caused by heavy drinking, this form affects people who drink little or no alcohol. Diagnosis rates are so low that about three-quarters of patients remain unaware they have a condition that can cause liver scarring, cirrhosis, and cancer.
About two-thirds of people with type 2 diabetes have some form of fatty liver disease, putting them at higher risk of developing the aggressive form called MASH.
Researchers are calling for doubled diagnosis rates using non-invasive methods like blood tests and MRI scans, especially for people with diabetes, obesity, or elevated liver enzymes. Without better detection, healthcare costs are predicted to triple over the next 20 years as more patients develop late-stage complications.

Trump has signed a travel ban affecting 19 countries, reviving and expanding restrictions from his first term.

The proclamation fully bans travel from 12 countries - Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen - while partially restricting entry from seven others, including Cuba, Venezuela, and Burundi. The ban takes effect Monday at 12:01 a.m. ET.
The policy mirrors Trump's 2017 travel ban that targeted seven Muslim-majority countries and was ultimately upheld by the Supreme Court before Biden ended it in 2021. Trump cited national security concerns and insufficient vetting processes. Democratic lawmakers called the new restrictions 'bigotry and hatred' written into immigration policy.
The ban includes exemptions for athletes competing in major sporting events, including the World Cup and the Olympics. However, the timing could complicate travel for three Venezuelan MLS players currently abroad and 10 Club World Cup players from banned countries.

President Trump and Elon Musk's feud over spending legislation exploded as Musk claimed Trump appears in the Epstein files and backed impeachment calls, while Trump said Musk went 'CRAZY’ after he took away the US EV mandate. (More)

President Trump said he plans to visit China following his first call with Xi Jinping since the trade war began in February. He described the 90-minute conversation as positive and focused on trade. (More)

Around 2,000 gallons of oil leaked out of the Johns Hopkins Hospital pipeline into the Baltimore harbor. Cleanup is underway, and the spill is contained to an area roughly the size of two football fields. (More)

This year's Hajj attracted 1.67 million Muslim pilgrims, the lowest in 30 years, excluding COVID, down 160,000 from last year, with no official explanation from Saudi authorities. (More)

New Zealand gave record 21-day suspensions to three Māori Party MPs who performed a haka (traditional dance) in parliament protesting Indigenous rights legislation. (More)

Israeli special forces recovered the bodies of two American hostages, Judi Weinstein-Haggai and Gad Haggai, who were murdered during the Oct. 7 attack and held in Gaza for over 600 days. (More)

US stock markets closed lower on Thursday (S&P -0.53%, Nasdaq -0.83%, Dow -0.25%). The public feud between Elon Musk and President Trump drove Tesla stock down 15%, spurring the drop in the S&P. (More)

Circle Internet Group shares soared 235% in their NYSE debut, opening at $69.50 and reaching $103.75. The stablecoin company’s IPO was originally priced at $31. (More)

The world's largest consumer goods company, Procter & Gamble, announced Thursday it will cut 7,000 jobs over two years amid tariff pressures and an uncertain consumer spending environment. (More)

The Missouri Senate has passed a plan to keep the Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City. (More) | Quarterback Aaron Rodgers told the Pittsburgh Steelers he plans to sign a contract with the team. (More)

Coco Gauff and Aryna Sabalenka are through to the Women’s French Open Final on Saturday. (More) | Carlos Alcaraz faces Lorenzo Musetti, and Jannick Sinner takes on Novak Djokovic in the men’s semi-final today. (More)

Tom Felton will reprise his role as Draco Malfoy in the Harry Potter and the Cursed Child stage show on Broadway. (More)

German scientists discovered that wild roundworms build living towers by climbing on each other to hitchhike rides on passing animals and objects. (More)

Scientists reported CO2 levels at Hawaii's Mauna Loa Observatory hit a record seasonal peak above 430 ppm for the first time. (More)

Ten-month-old KJ Muldoon went home Tuesday after a first-of-its-kind CRISPR gene editing saved him from a rare disease that kills 50% of babies. (More)

Cockatoos in Sydney learn to use a drinking fountain.

Why the ultra-wealthy are betting big on US ranches.

Amazon’s best books of 2025, so far.

The 20 most-complained-about beaches in America.

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