(CNN) In today's hectic world, the blessings of a good night's sleep may seem difficult to find. But if you can manage to regularly get seven hours of quality sleep, you'll be doing your heart a favor. Scientific findings have found sleep is closely tied to heart health, and if you get enough of it, you can reduce your risk of developing obesity, hypertension and diabetes, the American Heart Association says.
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Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson is set to be sworn in as a Supreme Court justice today at noon ET, making history as the first female African American justice and beginning what could be a decadeslong tenure. But as she starts her job, the Supreme Court is in turmoil. The justices work to maintain civility in public, but this term's opinions revealed an underbelly of rage. Not only were the justices attacking the reasoning of their opponents in the case at hand, but they renewed grievances aired in previous opinions. The Supreme Court today will issue final opinions and orders, as two big cases await resolution concerning the environment and immigration. New challenges related to women's reproductive health, the Second Amendment and even same-sex marriage are also likely to swirl in state and federal courts across the US in the near future.
After the deadliest school massacre in almost a decade, the governors of Texas and Iowa this week announced commitments of at least $100 million each to try to help prevent similar tragedies. It was last month in Texas where an 18-year-old gunman opened fire with an AR-15 style rifle at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, killing 19 children and two teachers. The funding in Texas will be allocated toward school safety and mental health initiatives, including money for bullet-resistant shields and for school districts to buy silent panic alert technology, Gov. Greg Abbott said. In Iowa, funding will be used to increase staffing of special agents, criminal intelligence analysts and communication specialists dedicated to school safety. This comes after school shootings in the US reached a 20-year high in 2021, federal data shows.
Republican Rep. Liz Cheney delivered a searing rebuke of former President Donald Trump and GOP leaders at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library Wednesday night, recounting some of the damning details that the House select committee investigating the January 6 insurrection has uncovered thus far and praising the bravery of witnesses -- particularly the young female aides -- who have come forward to aid its investigation. "We are confronting a domestic threat that we have never faced before -- and that is a former President who is attempting to unravel the foundations of our constitutional Republic," Cheney said. Her remarks come after former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson delivered shocking testimony before the House select committee this week, increasing the potential criminal exposure Trump faces in the Justice Department's ongoing probe.
NATO formally invited Sweden and Finland to join its alliance Wednesday, a historic expansion of the defense bloc that directly undercuts Russian President Vladimir Putin's aims as his war in Ukraine grinds on. Putin issued a fresh warning over the countries' bids to join NATO, saying that while Russia would not be bothered by the two countries joining the bloc, it would "respond symmetrically" to any military or infrastructure buildup. Separately, Putin on Wednesday denied Moscow was behind a strike on a shopping center in Ukraine that killed at least 18 people, with dozens missing and wounded. "The Russian army does not attack any civilian site," he claimed. Russia's Defense Ministry previously said it hit military targets but video from the city of Kremenchuk shows the mall being obliterated by a missile.
The Israeli parliament, the Knesset, has voted to dissolve itself, triggering what will be the fifth round of voting for Israelis in less than four years. The 92-0 vote today brings an end to Prime Minister Naftali Bennett's run as the country's leader -- one of the shortest terms in Israeli history -- and gives former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a path to return to power. The coalition government had been facing weeks of mounting political uncertainty in Israel, but the announcement last week of the move to dissolve parliament still came as a surprise. New elections will be held on November 1.
Dolly Parton's tour bus is available to rent for an eye-popping price
You'll have to fork over a pretty penny if you want to stay in the country singer's "Gypsy Wagon." Take a look inside here.
Airline reveals 'Skynest' bunk beds for economy class passengers
Improving comfort for *all* passengers is a top priority for a carrier that operates some of the longest flights on the planet.
What's next for Serena Williams after her first-round exit at Wimbledon?
Well, a loss is always an opportunity to begin again. Here's what the future may hold for the tennis star.
In 1922, Klondike bars sold for just 10 cents apiece. They're technically cheaper now
You don't hear about many products getting cheaper over time... Learn how this beloved -- and affordable -- ice cream snack has stayed relevant over decades.
Cameron Diaz is coming out of retirement
After an eight-year hiatus, rom-com queen Cameron Diaz is making movies again. She credits a fellow actor friend for getting her "back in action."
30
That's how many years disgraced R&B singer R. Kelly was sentenced to serve in prison Wednesday for federal racketeering and sex trafficking charges, according to the US Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York. As the judge read Kelly's sentence in the Brooklyn court, survivors of his abuse held hands and prayed. Kelly showed no emotion.
"We are not returning this land; we are giving it back to its rightful owners."
-- Los Angeles County Supervisor Holly Mitchell, after a stretch of multimillion-dollar beachfront property was returned to the descendants of its Black owners this week, nearly a century after the parcel was taken by the city in the Jim Crow era. Known as Bruce's Beach, the resort in the city of Manhattan Beach had offered Black families a place to enjoy the California life in the early 1900s until harassment from the Ku Klux Klan tore away at their dreams. The land -- which was purchased by the Bruce family in 1912 for $1,225 -- is now worth an estimated $20 million.
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Incredible wingsuit jump
Watch this professional jumper leap off a cliff in Italy wearing a flying squirrel suit! It's petrifying, yet so beautiful at the same time. (Click here to view)