Artificial Intelligence
Why having “humans in the loop” in an AI war is an illusion
Summary
The availability of artificial intelligence for use in warfare is at the center of a legal battle between Anthropic and the Pentagon. This debate has become urgent, with AI playing a bigger role than ever before in the current conflict with Iran. AI is no longer just helping humans analyze intelligence. It is now an active player—generating targets in real time, controlling and coordinating missile interceptions, and guiding lethal swarms of autonomous drones. Most of the public conversation regarding the use of AI-driven autonomous lethal weapons centers on how much humans should remain “in the loop.” Under the Pentagon’s current guidelines, human oversight supposedly provides accountability, context, and nuance while reducing the risk of hacking. AI systems are opaque “black boxes” But the debate over “humans in the loop” is…
The gig workers who are training humanoid robots at home
Summary
When Zeus, a medical student living in a hilltop city in central Nigeria, returns to his studio apartment from a long day at the hospital, he turns on his ring light, straps his iPhone to his forehead, and starts recording himself. He raises his hands in front of him like a sleepwalker and puts a sheet on his bed. He moves slowly and carefully to make sure his hands stay within the camera frame. Zeus is a data recorder for Micro1, a US company based in Palo Alto, California that collects real-world data to sell to robotics companies. As companies like Tesla, Figure AI, and Agility Robotics race to build humanoids—robots designed to resemble and move like humans in factories and homes—videos recorded by gig workers like Zeus are becoming…
Defense official reveals how AI chatbots could be used for targeting decisions
Summary
The US military might use generative AI systems to rank lists of targets and make recommendations about which to strike first, which would then be vetted by humans, according to a Defense official with knowledge of the matter. The disclosure about how the military may use AI chatbots comes as the Pentagon faces scrutiny over a strike on an Iranian school, which it is still investigating. A list of possible targets might be fed into a generative AI system that the Pentagon is fielding for classified settings. Then, said the official, who requested to speak on background with MIT Technology Review to discuss sensitive topics, humans might ask the system to analyze the information and rank which targets are a priority, while accounting for factors like where aircraft are currently…
Is the Pentagon allowed to surveil Americans with AI?
Summary
The ongoing public feud between the Department of Defense and AI company Anthropic over its technology has raised a deep open question: does the law actually allow the US government to conduct mass surveillance on Americans? Surprisingly, the answer is not straightforward. More than a decade after Edward Snowden exposed the NSA’s collection of bulk metadata from the phones of Americans, the US is still navigating a gap between what ordinary people think is surveillance and what the law allows. The flashpoint in the standoff between Anthropic and the government was the Pentagon’s desire to use Anthropic’s AI Claude to analyze bulk commercial data collected from Americans. Anthropic demanded its AI not be used for mass domestic surveillance (or for autonomous weapons, which are machines that can kill targets without…
Business & Finance
NJ Transit scrambles to defend $150 tickets for 9-mile World Cup ride: ‘This isn’t price gouging’
Summary
Sky-high ticket prices won’t be the only thing emptying the wallets of soccer fans attending World Cup matches at some U.S. venues this spring. Fans trying to get to MetLife Stadium from New York City can expect to shell out $150 for a round-trip train fare for each match, transportation officials confirmed Friday. That’s nearly 12 times the regular $12.90 fare for the roughly 15-minute, 9-mile (14-kilometer) ride from Manhattan’s Penn Station to the stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. On-site parking won’t be available for most fans, so New Jersey officials anticipate that around 40,000 fans will use mass transit for each match. The home stadium for both the NFL’s New York Giants and New York Jets is set to host eight World Cup matches, including the tournament final on…
Trump lawyers confirm talks with Scott Bessent’s IRS to resolve $10 billion lawsuit over leaked tax returns
Summary
Lawyers for President Donald Trump are engaged in talks with the IRS to resolve a $10 billion lawsuit the president filed against his own tax collection agency over the leak of his tax information to news outlets between 2018 and 2020. In a federal court filing Friday, Trump asks a judge to pause the case for 90 days while the two sides work to reach a settlement or resolution. “This limited pause will neither prejudice the parties nor delay ultimate resolution,” the filing says. “Rather, the extension will promote judicial economy and allow the Parties to explore avenues that could narrow or resolve the issues efficiently.” Tax and ethics experts say the lawsuit raises a plethora of legal and ethical questions, including the propriety of the leader of the executive branch pursuing scorched-earth litigation…
Air Canada suspends all summer flights to New York’s JFK airport on Iran-surging fuel price
Summary
Air Canada will suspend service to New York’s JFK International airport over the summer as the war in Iran creates jet fuel shortages that have sent prices soaring. Canada’s flag carrier said Friday that service from Toronto and Montreal to JFK will cease June 1 and resume Oct. 25. Service to the New York metropolitan area’s two other airports — LaGuardia and Newark — will continue. Air Canada offers 34 flights a day to those two airports from six Canadian cities. Air Canada says it will reach out to customers who are impacted by the suspension with alternate travel options. “As jet fuel prices have doubled since the start of the Iran conflict and some lower profitability routes and flights are no longer economic, and we are making schedule adjustments…
George Foreman buried in Sioux City; family says he always remembered his only visit there nearly 40 years ago
Summary
The late boxing great George Foreman lies buried in a cemetery in the northwestern corner of Iowa — a place he has no connection to outside of a lone visit to the region nearly 40 years ago. Foreman died March 21, 2025, at the age of 76 in Houston and was buried in Logan Park Cemetery at Sioux City, Iowa, a month later, city officials confirmed. Foreman’s family returned Thursday to his burial site, holding a news conference with Sioux City Mayor Bob Scott to reveal Foreman’s burial place, marked by a large monument that bears an image of him as a teen following his Olympic gold medal boxing win. The family explained in a statement released by Sioux City officials that he had visited the Iowa city in 1988, and…
Education
Education Department Takes a Preliminary Step Toward Revamping Its Research and Statistics Arm
Summary
In his first two months in office, President Donald Trump ordered the closing of the Education Department and fired half of its staff. The department’s research and statistics division, called the Institute of Education Sciences (IES), was particularly hard hit. About 90 percent of its staff lost their jobs and more than 100 federal contracts to conduct its primary activities were canceled. But now there are signs that the Trump administration is partially reversing course and wants the federal government to retain a role in generating education statistics and evidence for what works in classrooms — at least to some extent. On Sept. 25, the department posted a notice in the Federal Register asking the public to submit feedback by Oct. 15 on reforming IES to make research more relevant…
How a SCOTUS Decision on Birthright Citizenship Could Impact Education Access
Summary
Any child born on U.S. soil has a right to citizenship. It was established by the 14th Amendment in 1868, and affirmed by the U.S. Supreme court 128 years ago. On Wednesday, the high court is set to hear oral arguments in a case that could narrow or even end birthright citizenship in Trump v. Barbara. The Trump administration has argued the “privilege” has been too freely applied to children of non-citizens. “Hundreds of thousands of people are pouring into our country under birthright citizenship, and it wasn’t meant for that reason,” President Trump said last year. If this constitutionally protected right is struck down by the court, it would apply to children born on or after Feb. 20, 2025. According to a projection by the nonpartisan Migration Policy Institute…
How the New Dietary Guidelines Could Impact School Meals
Summary
Putting together a school meal isn’t easy. “It is a puzzle essentially,” said Lori Nelson of the Chef Ann Foundation, a nonprofit that promotes scratch cooking in schools. “When you think about the guidelines, there’s so many different pieces that you have to meet. You have to meet calorie minimums and maximums for the day and for the week. You have to meet vegetable subgroup categories.” Districts that receive federal funding for school meals — through, for example, the National School Lunch Program — must follow rules set by the Department of Agriculture (USDA). And those rules may be changing soon. In early January, the Department of Health and Human Services and the USDA unveiled new Dietary Guidelines for Americans, along with a new food pyramid. The USDA sets school…
PEN America Warns of Rise in Books ‘Systematically Removed From School Libraries’
Summary
PEN America released its list of the most-banned books of the 2024-2025 school year on Wednesday – and warned that the number of books challenged or banned in public school districts across the country has risen exponentially in the past two years. The group dedicated to free expression counted 6,870 bans during the past academic year. While that’s down from a total of 10,046 bans imposed during the 2023-24 school year, it’s still a sharp rise from the period of 2021-2023, which averaged just under 3,000 incidents of book banning each year, in what it calls a “disturbing normalization of censorship” in public schools. PEN America defines a school book ban as “any action taken against a book based on its content and as a result of parent or community…
Entertainment
Zohran Mamdani’s Lucky He’s Mayor, Because His Streams Blew Up in 2025, But His Rap Royalties Do Not Pay the Bills
Summary
You know that old saying about “don’t quit your day job?” Well, that’s excellent advice for Zohran Mamdani, who has a solid gig as New York’s Mayor since his election last November. But according to the New York Times, on Thursday (April 16), Mamdani, 34, and his wife, graphic designer Rama Duwaji, released the details of their joint tax return and let’s just say it’s a good thing his new gig pays in the mid-$250K range, because the cash coming in from Mamdani’s previous rap career isn’t going to keep the couple afloat. The paper said that the couple reported a total 2025 income of $145,000, most of it coming from Mamdani’s state assemblyman salary of $131,296. A much smaller portion, $1,643, came in the form of royalties from Mamdani’s…
Boomtown given green light until 2030, despite objections from campaigners
Summary
Boomtown Festival will continue to take place in the South Downs National Park until 2030, despite objections from residents and environmental campaigners. The festival takes place at the Matterley Estate near Winchester every August and the capacity has been capped at 75,999, with an extra 1,000 festivalgoers on the Sunday. The application was approved unanimously by the South Downs National Park Authority, despite objections from some locals and those who opposed it on environmental grounds. Local resident Alisson Mathews, who lives just two miles from the site, told the BBC that she “heard the bass beat almost constantly in our house and garden” across the five-day festival and her family would be left “exhausted by the lack of sleep” by the Sunday night. “As a former member of the national…
Live Nation Verdict: Jury Says Concert Giant Is An Illegal Monopoly in Total Defeat
Summary
A jury found Wednesday (April 15) that Live Nation and Ticketmaster violated federal and state antitrust laws by dominating the live music industry, capping off a blockbuster trial with a verdict that could ultimately see the two concert giants broken up. After a five-week trial in Manhattan federal court, jurors sided with a coalition of state attorneys general who sued Live Nation, per Bloomberg. The states argued during closing statements that the concert giant was a “monopolistic bully” that had harmed competition and driven up ticket prices for fans. In its verdict, the jury handed Live Nation a total defeat — finding that the company illegally monopolized the market for ticketing services, concert ticketing and the use of amphitheaters, and that it illegally tied the use of its venues to…
9 Best Space Movies To Watch While Artemis II Flies To The Moon, Ranked
Summary
NASA just launched Artemis II and it has the world buzzing about space travel once again. Artemis II, which took off on April 1, is going to take a journey around the moon. NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen are on the mission. NASA just launched Artemis II and it has the world buzzing about space travel once again. Artemis II, which took off on April 1, is going to take a journey around the moon. NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen are on the mission. NASA just launched Artemis II and it has the world buzzing about space travel once again. Artemis II, which took off on April 1, is going…
Environment & Sustainability
Who’d have thought a fossil-fuel shill like Trump would be the one to spark a green revolution? | George Monbiot
Summary
The US attack on Iran has made the need for renewable energy inarguable. Environmentalists are now being seen for the pragmatists that they are Donald Trump has done more to accelerate the energy transition than anyone else alive. Fossil fuel companies bankrolled his presidential campaign to stop the transition in its tracks. But when you back a volatile narcissist, unable to concentrate for more than a few minutes at a time, you shouldn’t expect to control the outcome. It’s not that the fossils are suffering yet. As prices have soared since Trump and Netanyahu attacked Iran, oil executives have been selling shares at gobsmacking prices: the CEO of Chevron, for example, has cashed $104m so far this year. Vladimir Putin has also received a massive boost to his Ukraine invasion…
Robert Maiberger
Summary
Robert Maiberger Technical Advisor, NASA ISS Advisory Committee Major Robert Maiberger, U.S. Army (Ret.), has more than 40 years of experience in aerospace engineering, aviation maintenance and commercial construction leadership positions. He has more than 20 years of experience in manned spaceflight safety, mission assurance, and engineering performing hazard and failure analysis on complex spaceflight systems and experiments. He also has extensive experience in leading, managing, and training large, diverse organizations in maintenance and repair operations, supply distribution, transportation, and human resources. He has planned, directed, and executed aviation maintenance and logistics operations worldwide, including eight consecutive years as chief maintenance test pilot. His responsibilities included allocating limited resources efficiently to maximize production, reduce backlog, and increase aircraft readiness, as well as developing and managing contract maintenance support contracts for…
William Vantine
Summary
William Vantine Deputy Chairman, ISS Advisory Committee William (Bill) Vantine is the chairman of the board of Sabre Systems Inc., a board member for several other U.S. companies, and a member of the board of advisors for the George Washington University Trachtenberg School. He served as president and chief executive officer of Systems Planning & Analysis Inc. (SPA) from 2016 to 2022, where under his leadership, its stock price increased more than 2,000 percent, the company was named Mid-Size Government Contractor of the Year in 2022 and was selected as a Washington Post Top Workplace each year of his tenure. Before joining SPA, Vantine served as the president and chief executive officer of Los Alamos Technical Associates and previously as president and chief operating officer of the ARES Corporation. He began…
Holly Stevens
Summary
Holly Stevens Deputy Executive Director, NASA ISS Advisory Committee Holly Stevens has more than 35 years of government relations experience, including serving as an assistant to the NASA administrator at NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C.; commissioner of the Texas Aerospace Commission; advisor to the Texas governor as a member of the Texas Aerospace and Aviation Advisory Committee; and working in the Office of Legislative Affairs at the White House under President George H. W. Bush. ISS Advisory Committee Members and Staff See All Robert Cabana Chairman, ISS Advisory Committee William Vatine Deputy Chairman, ISS Advisory Committee Capt. Frank L. Culbertson, Jr. ISS Advisory Committee Member Charles Daniel ISS Advisory Committee Member Michael Greenfield ISS Advisory Committee Member Daniel Heimerdinger ISS Advisory Committee Member Ginger Kerrick ISS Advisory Committee Member Frank…
Food & Travel
The Best Sun Protection Shirts Our Editors Tested for Summer Adventures
Summary
Warmer days are upon us, and that means spring and summer outdoor adventures are in full swing. It’s hard to stay inside on a sunny day, with warm and dry weather typically offering the best conditions for activities like hiking, biking, and even water sports. The flip side to perfect weather, however, is that you’re increasing your exposure to the sun’s harmful UV rays. In order to best protect yourself, it’s important to dress appropriately – and for many outdoor activities, that means wearing a sun shirt. This is particularly true if you’re heading to the beach, as scientists have found that a chemical found in many sunscreens (oxybenzone) is converted by coral into a substance that actually harms them. If you want to protect the ocean, you’ll need to…
Book Your Travel Early: Flight Prices Are Rising as Fuel Costs Surge
Summary
As oil and jet fuel prices climb due to the war in Iran that’s disrupting shipping lanes in the Middle East, airlines are warning that ticket prices will rise, too. Jet fuel costs have jumped sharply since the conflict began on February 28. According to reporting from the Associated Press. Fuel is one of the airline industry’s biggest expenses, typically accounting for about a fifth to a quarter of operating costs. Threats to shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, which connects the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea and is the sole sea passage from the Gulf to the open ocean, is having the biggest impact on pricing pressures. Nearly 20 percent of global oil supply moves through that chokepoint, and although the waterway is…
Is Mexico Safe Right Now? What US Travelers Should Know
Summary
Mexico is experiencing localized travel disruptions after a federal security operation in Jalisco on February 22, according to reporting by the Associated Press. The country remains open to tourism, but there are developments travelers should be aware of. Mexican authorities confirmed the operation targeted a senior leader of the Cártel Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG). In the hours that followed, roadblocks and vehicle fires were reported in parts of Jalisco, the western Mexican state that includes the beach resort of Puerto Vallarta and the city of Guadalajara. Mexico’s Defense Secretariat confirmed the operation and said intelligence cooperation with the United States took place, noting that information “was provided” by US authorities while Mexican forces conducted the mission. President Claudia Sheinbaum said that “in most of the national territory, activities are developing…
Dodging the “King of Fruits”: Inside the Dangerous Durian Plantations of Raub, Malaysia
Summary
People in the United States usually only mention durian in the form of a punchline. It’s the spiky “King of Fruits” that’s banned on trains and in hotels thanks to a potent sulfur, sewage, rotting smell. The sweet-savory custard flavor that makes it so appealing despite the aroma is often forgotten in the viral videos and meme-ready headlines. So too is the multi-billion dollar (and growing) economy behind this fruit that sends massive shipments from Southeast Asia into China and around the world. The biggest oversight, however, is of the farmers and families who have built a life around durian. Ian Poh Jin Tze has spent years documenting the people and places behind Southeast Asia’s most iconic ingredients. In his book, “Behind The Scenes: Lives of These Unsung Heroes,” the…
Gaming
Game Pass Rumor Details
Summary
The new boss of Xbox is reportedly considering a Game Pass tier that would only include first-party Microsoft games. The Verge's Tom Warren said Asha Sharma, who replaced Phil Spencer as boss of Xbox earlier this year, is looking at potentially adding the new Game Pass tier as part of a shakeup that would evolve the subscription service “into a more flexible system," having told staff that "Game Pass has become too expensive for players." Microsoft has a vast network of first-party studios, which includes all Activision Blizzard and Bethesda developers. Such a Game Pass tier, were it to come into effect, would presumably be a cheaper option and include the likes of Call of Duty, Fallout, The Elder Scrolls, Diablo, Halo, Forza, Gears of War and all the many…
A $3 billion infringement suit against Intel has opened up once more due to a US appeals court decision
Summary
Patent law is often confusing, especially when the alleged patent infringement is from none other than Intel. In just one of many twists in a story spanning almost a decade, the US appeals court has restarted proceedings for VLSI to take Intel back to court, continuing a $3 billion feud. As reported by Reuters, the decision was given on April 14 in California. This decision is not inherently proof of wrongdoing and is not a judgment from the courts. It simply suggests that Intel will once again be fighting its case against VLSI in the future. Effectively, VLSI owns many patents for techniques for handling speed, power, and architecture in processors. The company has alleged since 2017 that these are infringed upon in Intel's modern processors. These patents are ones…
Normal memory chips couldn’t withstand the hellscape of Venus so scientists have crafted something that can
Summary
Heat is no friend of any kind of memory chip. That will be no surprise for PC gamers with our wealth of cooling systems and heat sink options—unfortunately, those solutions aren't suitable for every data retention situation. As such, a research team has developed a chip that will keep working throughout extreme temperature conditions. A US team based at USC Viterbi School of Engineering in Southern California has created a graphene tungsten memristor that can reliably operate at outlandishly high temperatures. Per the team's paper in the journal Science, 'interfacial engineering' allowed for this memristor to operate "reliably up to 700 °C with an ON/OFF current ratio >103, data retention >50 hours and endurance >109 switching cycles" (via The Brighter Side). As even the most hard-wearing silicon-based SSDs tend to fail…
NZXT class action lawsuit settlement includes $3 million in damages, and some buyers will get to keep their rented PCs
Summary
Filed in the district court for the Northern District of California last week, a proposed settlement to the class action lawsuit against NZXT for its Flex program has been preliminarily approved. If all goes through, it would grant approximately $3,450,000 to those affected by the scheme. As pointed out by Ars Technica, part of this settlement includes over $1.2 million in 'PC-Retention relief', which is to say that eligible users will simply get to keep the rigs they rented from NZXT. In order to qualify for PC retention, they must have entered an agreement for the Flex program on or before December 31, 2023 and must not have received an upgraded PC. They also must have viewed ads that they believed implied they would own the rig after the rental…
Health & Wellness
Researchers develop AI tool to predict patients at risk of intimate partner violence
Summary
NIH-funded, automated clinical decision support could facilitate timely interventions for at-risk patients years before they might otherwise seek help. NIH-funded, automated clinical decision support could facilitate timely interventions for at-risk patients years before they might otherwise seek help. NIH-funded, automated clinical decision support could facilitate timely interventions for at-risk patients years before they might otherwise seek help. NIH-funded, automated clinical decision support could facilitate timely interventions for at-risk patients years before they might otherwise seek help.
You don’t need to be very altruistic to stop an epidemic
Summary
Reducing social contact is widely understood to slow disease spread, but because there is no personal health benefit gained from self-isolating, this would seem to require some concern for others. But how much do you have to care about others before you would choose to self-isolate when sick? Even people who are only barely altruistic still choose to self-isolate when infected, suggesting it may be a natural survival strategy, finds a new University of Warwick-led study. Reducing social contact is widely understood to slow disease spread, but because there is no personal health benefit gained from self-isolating, this would seem to require some concern for others. But how much do you have to care about others before you would choose to self-isolate when sick? Even people who are only barely…
Rising temperature may shift sex ratios at birth, analysis of five million births finds
Summary
"Temperature and sex ratios at birth," a new study led by researchers at the Department of Sociology at the University of Oxford and published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, provides new evidence that higher temperatures can influence the sex ratio at birth, with important implications for population health and gender balance in a warming world. The study analyzes more than five million births across 33 sub-Saharan African countries and India. By linking large-scale survey data with high-resolution temperature records, the authors examine how exposure to heat during pregnancy affects the sex ratio at birth. "Temperature and sex ratios at birth," a new study led by researchers at the Department of Sociology at the University of Oxford and published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, provides…
New imaging technique could transform precision of vocal fold injection procedures
Summary
Researchers at Stanford University, in collaboration with scientists at the German Cancer Institute, have shown for the first time that shortwave infrared (SWIR) imaging can be used to visualize injectable filler materials during injection laryngoplasty, a common procedure used to treat vocal fold paralysis and other forms of glottic insufficiency. The findings, published in Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, of this novel visualization technique could pave the way for precision-guided techniques in laryngeal surgery. Researchers at Stanford University, in collaboration with scientists at the German Cancer Institute, have shown for the first time that shortwave infrared (SWIR) imaging can be used to visualize injectable filler materials during injection laryngoplasty, a common procedure used to treat vocal fold paralysis and other forms of glottic insufficiency. The findings, published in Otolaryngology–Head and Neck…
Lifestyle
Spotify Just Partnered With One of Amazon’s Best Bookselling Rivals
Summary
What do you primarily use Spotify for? Enjoying music? Keeping up with your favorite podcasts? Listening to audiobooks? Well, the next time you open it (at least on Android) you might just use it to shop for a book—not just an ebook, mind you, but a physical book. Spotify is officially a bookseller As reported by TechCrunch, Spotify is now selling physical books on its Android app to users in the U.S. and the U.K., with plans to roll out the feature to iPhones next week. The company first announced the initiative back in February, revealing that it was partnering with Bookshop.org to facilitate the transactions. This isn't your typical corporate agreement, either: Bookshop.org is designed to connect buyers to their local independent bookstores, rather than some enormous conglomerate or…
OpenAI Just Cut ChatGPT Pro’s Price in Half
Summary
While ChatGPT may have kicked off the generative AI era we now live in, it is far from alone these days. There is steep competition from multiple companies in this space, including Google, Anthropic, and even Microsoft—which has a huge financial stake in OpenAI. To compete, it seems OpenAI is trying to make its paid subscription plans more attractive to users, as the company just cut the price of ChatGPT Pro in half. ChatGPT Pro now starts at $100 As reported by TechCrunch, OpenAI's new pricing model now offers a Pro plan at $100 per month, down from $200 per month. That now gives users a choice between the following: a free plan, which comes with ads; a Go plan offering more usage limits for $8 per month (still with…
Yes, Microsoft Really Said Copilot Is ‘for Entertainment Purposes Only’ (but That’s Changing)
Summary
AI inspires strong feelings. Some love it, some hate it, few are indifferent. But, usually, AI's biggest proponents are the companies that make and sell the tech. You expect OpenAI to tout ChatGPT's benefits, or Google to talk-up how useful Gemini is. For a company like these to say that their AI tools are nothing but a plaything would be a ludicrous concept—and yet, that's apparently what Microsoft did. As reported by TechCrunch, Microsoft's terms of service for Copilot aren't too laudatory of the AI tech or its capabilities. The policy, which was last updated on October 24, 2025, says the following: “Copilot is for entertainment purposes only...It can make mistakes, and it may not work as intended. Don’t rely on Copilot for important advice. Use Copilot at your own…
Reddit Is (Mostly) Shuttering r/all, but There’s Still a Way to Access It
Summary
Reddit is what you make of it. The "front page of the internet" is really a collection of different subreddits, each with its own communities, rules, and cultures. The main idea is to subscribe to the subreddits that match your interests, so that your internet's "front page" is tailored to you, not other users. Still, it can be fun to browse the posts from subreddits that are blowing up across Reddit, even when you don't personally subscribe to them. This is the purpose of r/popular and r/all: The former offers popular posts from a variety of subreddits, while the latter does the same, albeit with fewer filters. You might not want to browse r/all while you're at work, for example, though Reddit says it doesn't include sexually explicit content. Still,…
Marketing & SEO
Google confirms AI headline rewrites test in Search results
Summary
Google is testing AI-generated headline rewrites in Search results, describing it as a small, narrow experiment for now. What’s happening. Google confirmed to The Verge (subscription required) that it’s testing AI-generated titles in traditional Search results, not just Discover. The test is “small” and “narrow,” and not approved for broader rollout. It impacts news site but isn’t limited to them. The goal is to better match titles to queries and improve engagement, Google said. One example showed Google replacing original headlines with shorter or reworded versions, sometimes changing tone or intent (e.g., reducing “I used the ‘cheat on everything’ AI tool and it didn’t help me cheat on anything” to “‘Cheat on everything’ AI tool.”). Why we care. Google Search is already sending fewer clicks. Now you also have to…
Yahoo CEO: Google AI Mode is the biggest threat to web traffic
Summary
Yahoo CEO Jim Lanzone said AI-powered search — especially Google’s AI Mode — is putting the open web’s core traffic model at risk and argues AI search engines must send users back to publishers. “I think that the LLMs are one big reason that they’re under threat, with AI Mode in Google being the biggest challenge.” “Those publishers deserve [traffic], and we’re not going to have the content to consume to give great answers if publishers aren’t healthy.” Why we care. Many websites are seeing less traffic from answer engines like Google and OpenAI — and I think it’ll only get worse. So it’s encouraging to see Yahoo trying to preserve the “search sends traffic” model. As he said: “We have very purposefully highlighted and linked very explicitly and bent…
Meta is passing Europe’s digital taxes directly to advertisers
Summary
Starting July 1st, Meta will add “location fees” to ad buys targeting users in six countries — effectively offloading the cost of European digital services taxes onto the advertisers themselves. The numbers. Fees will match each country’s digital services tax rate: France, Italy, Spain: 3% Austria, Turkey: 5% UK: 2% How it works in practice. Per Meta’s email to advertisers — “$100 in ads delivered to Italy will cost $103, plus any applicable VAT on top of that.” The fine print. The fees apply to where the ad is delivered, not where the advertiser is based — meaning a US brand running campaigns targeting French users will pay the French rate regardless. Why we care. This is a direct, unavoidable cost increase hitting European campaigns on July 1 — with…
Court restricts Perplexity’s AI shopping bot from accessing Amazon
Summary
Perplexity AI must stop using its Comet browser agent to make purchases on Amazon. A federal judge sided with Amazon in an early ruling over AI shopping bots. Why we care. The case targets a core promise of AI agents: completing tasks like shopping on a user’s behalf. If courts restrict how agents access sites, AI agents could face strict limits when interacting with logged-in accounts on major websites. What happened. U.S. District Judge Maxine Chesney granted Amazon a preliminary injunction Monday in San Francisco federal court. The order blocks Perplexity from using its Comet browser agent to access password-protected parts of Amazon, including Prime subscriber accounts. Chesney wrote that Amazon presented “strong evidence” that Comet accessed accounts “with the Amazon user’s permission but without authorization by Amazon.” The ruling…
Politics & Society
CDC Director Susan Monarez ousted just weeks after confirmation
Summary
Susan Monarez, the longtime government scientist recently confirmed as director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), has been let go from her position after less than a month in the role. A source familiar with the situation confirmed to The Hill that Monarez is ousted as CDC director. The Senate confirmed her on July 29. The Washington Post was first to report Monarez's firing. The Hill has reached out to the Department of Health and Human Services for comment. Prior to being nominated to lead the CDC, Monarez had served as acting CDC Director shortly after the start of the second Trump administration. She previously served as deputy director at the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H). President Trump chose Monarez as his second choice after…
Suspected Minnesota shooter’s rifle magazine had ‘Kill Donald Trump’ inscription
Summary
The suspected shooter who killed two children at a Minnesota church on Wednesday wrote incendiary messages on gun magazines, including one that read “Kill Donald Trump.” The images appeared in a manifesto posted online around the same time as the shooting on Wednesday morning. The manifesto included a lengthy written note from the suspected shooter as well. The video had been taken down from YouTube as of late Wednesday afternoon. The video also showed messages written on rifle magazines that said "For the Children" and "Where is your God." "This level of violence is unthinkable," said Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem, in a post on X where she discussed the messages. "Our deepest prayers are with the children, parents, families, educators, and Christians everywhere. We mourn with them,…
Trump ramps up DC power grab
Summary
President Trump is ramping up his power grab over Washington, D.C., on everything from the city’s law enforcement to a takeover of its transportation hub and key cultural center. He’s called for the death penalty in D.C. murder cases, cleared out homeless encampments, and is promising to fix everything from fences to light fixtures in what he calls a “beautification” of the city. On Wednesday, his Transportation secretary also announced a takeover of managing Union Station, where National Guard troops have been stationed for weeks. It marked the latest escalation by Trump to encroach on the city’s key institutions and landmarks, and that timing, according to a source close to Trump World, is no coincidence ahead of Congress coming back. “Trump is on very firm political footing on this issue.…
Nvidia revenue jumped 56 percent last year, beats Wall Street expectations
Summary
Nvidia reported a solid jump in second-quarter revenue Wednesday, beating Wall Street expectations for its highly anticipated earnings report. The chipmaker reported $46.7 billion in second-quarter revenue, up 6 percent from the previous quarter and 56 percent over the past year. Wall Street analysts had forecasted revenue of roughly $46 billion, according to consensus estimates. Nvidia has become one of the most powerful and richest U.S. technology companies amid the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) technology, including generative AI chatbots and image generators, which use immense computing power. Nvidia has risen to prominence as the top U.S. manufacturer of the semiconductor chips widely used to run AI programs. The company has also found itself caught in the crossfire of the U.S-China battle over AI. Nvidia and AMD, another major U.S.…
Science
NASA Invites Media to Latvia Artemis Accords Signing Ceremony
Summary
Credit: NASA The Republic of Latvia will sign the Artemis Accords during a ceremony at 9 a.m. EDT Monday, April 20, at NASA Headquarters in Washington. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman will host Dace Melbārde, Latvia’s minister for education and science; Jānis Beķeris, chargé d’affaires at the Embassy of the Republic of Latvia to the United States; and Jacob Helberg, under secretary of state for economic affairs at the U.S. Department of State. This event is in person only. Media interested in attending must RSVP no later than 3 p.m. on Friday, April 17, to: hq-media@mail.nasa.gov. NASA’s media accreditation policy is online. The signing ceremony will take place in the James E. Webb Memorial Auditorium at NASA Headquarters in the Mary W. Jackson building, 300 E Street SW. In 2020, during the first…
At the Edge of Light
Summary
NASA In this photo taken on April 6, 2026, a portion of the Moon’s far side is seen along the terminator—the boundary between lunar day and night—where low-angle sunlight casts long shadows across the surface. A section of Orientale Basin is visible along the upper right portion of the lunar disk, its structure subtly revealed under grazing illumination. This lighting enhances contrast across the cratered terrain, highlighting variations in surface features and providing insight into the Moon’s geologic history. See more imagery from the Artemis II mission. Credit: NASA NASA In this photo taken on April 6, 2026, a portion of the Moon’s far side is seen along the terminator—the boundary between lunar day and night—where low-angle sunlight casts long shadows across the surface. A section of Orientale Basin is…
Artemis II Crew Returns to Houston
Summary
NASA/Helen Arase Vargas NASA’s Artemis II crew – NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen – smile at friends, family, and colleagues. They shared brief remarks with the crowd after landing at Ellington Airport near NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston on Saturday, April 11, 2026, after a nearly 10-day journey around the Moon and back to Earth. View the latest imagery from the Artemis II mission on our Artemis II Multimedia Resource Page. Image credit: NASA/Helen Arase Vargas NASA/Helen Arase Vargas NASA’s Artemis II crew – NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen – smile at friends, family, and colleagues. They shared brief remarks with the crowd after landing at Ellington…
2025-2026 Dream with Us Design Challenge Winners
Summary
1 min read Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater) 2025-2026 Dream with Us Winners Congratulation to our 2025-2026 Dream with Us Design Challenge Winners! We are pleased to share this year’s winning projects: Middle School 1st Place: Scout Farm (Varenya D., Aashritha P., and Alvitha P., NJ) 2nd Place: AgriTech (Charlotte W. and Richard F., CA) 3rd Place: AgriDrone (Hasini B. and Kanishka A, TX and CA) High School 1st Place: SkySeekers (Monta Vista High School and Foothill High School, CA) Team SkySeekers Engineering Notebook 2nd Place: AeroForge (Adrian Wilcox High School, CA) Team AeroForge Engineering Notebook 3rd Place: Flight Fusion Team (Eastern Technical High School, Damascus High School, Dulaney High School, and Thomas Wooten High School, MD) Team Flight Fusion Engineering Notebook Dream with Us Facebook logo @NASA@NASAaero@NASAes @NASA@NASAaero@NASA_es…
Sports
Report: Argentina-PR moved, Chicago unrest cited
Summary
A friendly between Argentina and Puerto Rico, originally scheduled for next week in Chicago, has been relocated to Florida amid the immigration crackdown in the city, a person familiar with the decision told The Associated Press on Wednesday. A friendly between Argentina and Puerto Rico, originally scheduled for next week in Chicago, has been relocated to Florida amid the immigration crackdown in the city, a person familiar with the decision told The Associated Press on Wednesday. A friendly between Argentina and Puerto Rico, originally scheduled for next week in Chicago, has been relocated to Florida amid the immigration crackdown in the city, a person familiar with the decision told The Associated Press on Wednesday. A friendly between Argentina and Puerto Rico, originally scheduled for next week in Chicago, has been…
Phillies’ Schwarber 1st in NL to reach 50 homers
Summary
Philadelphia slugger Kyle Schwarber hit his 50th home run of the season, a three-run shot off reliever Justin Hagenman in the seventh inning that gave the Phillies a 7-1 lead en route to a comfortable 9-3 victory over the New York Mets on Tuesday night. Philadelphia slugger Kyle Schwarber hit his 50th home run of the season, a three-run shot off reliever Justin Hagenman in the seventh inning that gave the Phillies a 7-1 lead en route to a comfortable 9-3 victory over the New York Mets on Tuesday night. Philadelphia slugger Kyle Schwarber hit his 50th home run of the season, a three-run shot off reliever Justin Hagenman in the seventh inning that gave the Phillies a 7-1 lead en route to a comfortable 9-3 victory over the New…
Kane among those thrilled to see return of Toews
Summary
Like so many around the NHL, Red Wings forward Patrick Kane, who won three Stanley Cup championships with the Blackhawks playing alongside Jonathan Toews, is eager to see the return of his former running mate, who signed with the Jets this offseason. Like so many around the NHL, Red Wings forward Patrick Kane, who won three Stanley Cup championships with the Blackhawks playing alongside Jonathan Toews, is eager to see the return of his former running mate, who signed with the Jets this offseason. Like so many around the NHL, Red Wings forward Patrick Kane, who won three Stanley Cup championships with the Blackhawks playing alongside Jonathan Toews, is eager to see the return of his former running mate, who signed with the Jets this offseason.
Source: Steelers sign Peppers with Elliott injured
Summary
The Pittsburgh Steelers have signed veteran safety Jabrill Peppers, a source confirmed to ESPN, after starting safety DeShon Elliott left Sunday's season opener against the Jets with a knee injury. The Pittsburgh Steelers have signed veteran safety Jabrill Peppers, a source confirmed to ESPN, after starting safety DeShon Elliott left Sunday's season opener against the Jets with a knee injury. The Pittsburgh Steelers have signed veteran safety Jabrill Peppers, a source confirmed to ESPN, after starting safety DeShon Elliott left Sunday's season opener against the Jets with a knee injury. The Pittsburgh Steelers have signed veteran safety Jabrill Peppers, a source confirmed to ESPN, after starting safety DeShon Elliott left Sunday's season opener against the Jets with a knee injury.
Technology
OpenAI’s former Sora boss is leaving
Summary
Last month, OpenAI gave up on its Sora video generation tool, and on Friday, the Sora team's leader, Bill Peebles, announced that he is leaving the company. OpenAI has been shifting its priorities as part of an effort to avoid "side quests," and Peebles' departure is just one of many recent changes as the company moves to focus more on coding and enterprise use. As part of a note Peebles posted on X, he said: I am immensely grateful to Sam, Mark, Aditya and Jakub for fostering a research environment that allowed us to pursue ideas off-the-beaten path from the company's mainline roadmap. It's tempting in life to mode collapse to the most i … Read the full story at The Verge.
Man with @ihackedthegovernment Instagram account tells judge, “I made a mistake”
Summary
A 25-year-old Tennessee man avoided prison time after pleading guilty to accessing government systems with stolen login credentials and boasting of the deed on an Instagram account with the handle, @ihackedthegovernment. Defendant Nicholas Moore accessed user accounts on the US Supreme Court's electronic filing system, AmeriCorps, and the Veterans Administration Health System. He then publicly posted screenshots of the users' personal information to his @ihackedthegovernment account on Instagram. It's unclear how he obtained the stolen login information. Moore was sentenced to a year of probation today in US District Court for the District of Columbia. The US government had requested 36 months of probation for the unauthorized access that took place in 2023 from August to October. The government sentencing recommendation did not request any jail time or a fine.…
Trump picks qualified, normal health leader to head CDC; experts still cautious
Summary
President Trump on Thursday announced his third nominee for director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Dr. Erica Schwartz, a well-qualified former public health official and board-certified physician in preventive medicine, who has publicly supported vaccination and followed evidence-based medicine. The uncontroversial pick comes amid concern within the administration that the aggressive anti-vaccine agenda from Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.—who has no medical, science, or public health background—has become a liability for the party in the lead up to the midterms. Schwartz was deputy surgeon general in Trump's first administration. She spent much of her career as a Navy officer, held the role of Chief Medical Officer with the US Coast Guard, and is a retired rear-admiral of the US Public Health Service Commissioned Corps. She has…
$25,000 buys plenty of used EVs: Here are some options
Summary
Whether you're considering an electric vehicle because of gas prices or climate change, there has probably never been a better time to buy a used EV, despite that the Trump administration abolished the used clean vehicle tax credit last year. When we started this ongoing series looking at used EV options, initially the idea was to see what was available at bargain-basement prices. But today we're looking at the $20,000–$25,000 bracket, and we're firmly out of the basement, with thousands of EVs across the country to choose from. If you're only spending $5,000 on an EV, you're looking at much older models with smaller batteries that never had that much range even when new. But at four or five times that sum, the net casts much, much wider. Buyers can…