ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on October 31, 2026.
Zombies are real – just ask the parasites taking over the bodies and brains of insects and rodents, leading them to their doom
Parasitic fungi, wasps, worms and amoeba can control the behavior of their hosts in various horrifying ways.
The ancient principle from English law that Donald Trump uses as a shield against defamation suits
US government employees, including the president, have protection under US law against defamation suits.
South Sudan wants to hold elections in December: 3 major obstacles and some ways around them
South Sudan has postponed elections several times since signing a 2018 peace agreement.
From 18th-century false ballots to the second JFK and double Dan Sullivans, a brief history of spoiler candidates and the unsuccessful legal challenges to them
The spoiler candidate is one of the oldest tricks in the American campaign toolbox, and the law has rarely touched it.
The government has delayed the toughest spending decisions – but here’s what we do know after the budget
Reading between the lines, there are cuts coming for many government departments.
Not all antihistamines are the same – and some may affect your brain more than you think
Some allergy tablets make you sleepy and slow your reactions, others barely affect you. Here’s why – and what to check before you buy.
Silence of the Lambs: Hannibal Lecter makes his stage debut in this inventive touring production
The forensic psychiatrist with a hankering for human flesh makes his stage debut in a production that stays faithful to the original, albeit with a few updates.
Hauntology examines how what happened in the past – and what didn’t – informs the present
Memories endure, histories resurface, places retain physical traces of the past, and forgotten possibilities continue to shape our understanding of the world.
Massive sinkholes open up across Turkey as it struggles with drought and climate change
As Turkey prepares to host Cop31, the massive global conference on environmental issues, it is also being confronted with a dangerous sinkhole problem.
Chemists create disappearing tattoos: here’s the science behind how they work
Different types of light are used to switch the tattoos on and off.
Raye’s ambitious Mercury Prize-winning album is a testament to female creative freedom
For years Raye struggled to be allowed to do her music her way. Then she decided to do it independently and the rest is musical history.
Figuring out where cosmic neutrinos come from is tricky – radio telescopes could help find where these ‘ghost particles’ originate
A researcher just won a Nobel Prize for detecting tiny particles from space. Scientists now want to get better at figuring out where in the cosmos they come from.
Florida Department of Health considers dropping 4 school vaccine requirements – here’s what that could mean for kids
Most parents of young children today haven’t experienced the devastating childhood diseases that used to be common before vaccines were developed.
Why it could be a bad idea to get AI to flirt for you
Choosing your own words can reveal how you really feel about a person or situation.
What the Cornell 7 sexual assault allegations reveal about how parents talk to their kids about rape
Repeatedly talking about consent with teenagers and young adults is necessary to help them understand the risks of sexual assault.
Philadelphia’s Academy of Natural Sciences just closed – a blow for budding young scientists like me
Generations of young Philadelphians experienced science firsthand by wandering through Dinosaur Hall, examining dozens of wildlife dioramas or visiting the butterfly garden.
Presidents of both parties defended libraries as allies of democracy for a century – until Trump
An information science scholar analyzed statements by 17 presidents and found that Trump has rarely spoken of libraries at all – and when he has, he’s dismissed their importance.
Fascism mixed into cringey online content is easy to mock – but no less dangerous
Cringe can generate enthusiasm among conservative voters by trolling the left while reducing serious policy debates to the level of online memes.
Are American voters actually gloomy about the economy, or is something else going on?
Many standard measures of economic health are strong, but voters in both parties are increasingly pessimistic.
How moving civil rights enforcement out of the US Department of Education threatens students’ protections from race, sex and disability discrimination
A reorganization of civil rights investigations in education likely means many complaints will never be investigated and others will take years to solve.