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The fast-growing measles outbreak in South Carolina is now the largest in the United States since the disease was declared eliminated in this country more than two decades ago.
With 789 cases reported as of Tuesday, the South Carolina outbreak surpassed a massive outbreak in Texas, which reached 762 cases before it ended in August last year. Two children died during the outbreak in Texas.
South Carolina, which first reported cases in October, has added more than 600 cases in 2026 alone. At least 18 people – adults and children – have been hospitalized for complications of measles, the state health department said Tuesday, and no deaths have been reported.
There are an additional 557 people in quarantine in South Carolina, meaning they may have been exposed to measles and don't have immunity to it through vaccination or prior infection. The health department reported exposures at three additional schools Tuesday, on top of existing quarantines among students at 20 others.
Cases in North Carolina and Washington have also been linked to the South Carolina outbreak.
Measles was declared eliminated in the US in 2000, meaning there has not been continuous transmission for more than a year at a time.
Before 2025, there were an average of about 180 measles cases reported each year since elimination, according to US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data. The US reported more than 2,200 confirmed measles cases in 2025 — significantly more than there have been in any year since 2000.
The CDC said on Friday that there have been 416 confirmed measles cases reported in the US so far in 2026, but its update included data up until Thursday, before South Carolina's latest numbers came in. At least 14 states have reported a confirmed measles case so far this year, and another large outbreak continues to grow along the Arizona-Utah border.
The spread of measles over the past year has left the US at risk of losing elimination status, which the Pan American Health Organization could decide to revoke when it meets in April.
The CDC previously called measles elimination “a historic public health achievement,” possible in large part because of vaccination.The measles vaccine was licensed in 1963 and the combination measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine that is most commonly used first became widely available in the US in the 1970s.
Previously, the country's elimination status was threatened in 2019, amid large outbreaks in New York concentrated in Orthodox Jewish communities in Brooklyn and Rockland County.
Under US Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a longtime vaccine skeptic, the federal government's posture toward measles has changed.
CDC Principal Deputy Director Dr. Ralph Abraham, a former Louisiana surgeon general who ended some vaccine promotion in his state before taking his new post late last year, argued last week that ongoing measles transmission from the Texas outbreak, which started in January 2025, has not been proved.
Nonetheless, Abraham said the loss of measles elimination status would “not really” be significant.
“It's just the cost of doing business with our borders,” Abraham told reporters in a briefing. “We have these communities that choose to be unvaccinated. That's their personal freedom.”
Abraham added that “vaccination remains the most effective way to prevent measles” and said the CDC is “here to help,” but they're willing to listen to alternatives “for treatment and prevention.”
The vast majority of cases in the South Carolina outbreak are among children, nearly all of whom were not fully vaccinated with the recommended two doses of MMR vaccine. Of the 789 cases reported as of Tuesday, more than 700 were not vaccinated or had not received the two recommended MMR doses, the health department said.
State health officials have been encouraging vaccination, including through facilitating mobile health unit vaccination events, to try to contain the outbreak.
In Spartanburg County, the epicenter of the outbreak, 90% of students had required immunizations in the 2024-25 school year, among the lowest vaccination rates in the state, according to state data – with some schools there reporting much lower rates. Public health experts say a 95% vaccination rate is typically needed to keep measles from spreading in a community because the virus is so contagious.
The MMR vaccine is widely available at doctors' offices, pharmacies and health departments, and is free for many families through the Vaccines for Children program or health insurance, State Epidemiologist Dr. Linda Bell said last week.
“As we continue to watch this daily surge in cases, [the Department of Public Health] strongly encourages those who are not protected to take advantage of the opportunity to get protected against unexpected exposures and illnesses now to help us stop this outbreak and to help us protect our communities,” Bell said.
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Paul Allen's comments came when people were demonstrating against ICE's killing of Renee Nicole Good
A veteran Minneapolis sports radio commentator has apologized and says he is “taking a few days off” after invoking on air a conservative conspiracy theory that people demonstrating against the Trump administration's deadly immigration crackdown were being paid to protest.
Paul Allen's remarks about the protesters on his show Friday came a little more than two weeks after a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer shot Renee Nicole Good to death on 7 January as she drove away from an encounter with him in Minneapolis, igniting street protests.
Those comments from Allen also came one day before border patrol personnel in the city set off more protests after disarming, restraining and then fatally shooting Alex Pretti – who, like Good, was a 37-year-old US citizen.
“I made a comment … about protesters … that was insensitive and poorly timed, and I'm sorry,” Allen said Monday in a pre-recorded statement aired by the KFAN sports station that has employed him since 1998. “It was a misguided attempt at humor, and while it was never made with any political intent or political affront, I absolutely and wholeheartedly want to apologize to those who genuinely were hurt or offended by it.”
He later continued: “My best was lacking Friday, and for that I am sorry.
“I am taking a few days off – wanted to express these thoughts and my sincere apology with you before I do.”
Allen's protesters commentary on Friday, which came during a conversation on KFAN with Chad Greenway, a former Minnesota Vikings pro football team player, had subsequently drawn backlash.
Tens of thousands were marching Friday in downtown Minneapolis. There were business closures as well in solidarity of the protesters, who took to the streets even though that region and much of the US was preparing to endure an intensely cold winter storm over the weekend.
“In conditions like this, do paid protesters get hazard pay?” said Allen, who has done the play-by-play for radio broadcasts of Vikings games on KFAN since 2002.
Allen pressed on after Greenway ignored the comment, saying “everyone's catching strays” (or facing criticism), including other football personalities. “They're just all over. Protesters caught one this morning.”
There were then demands from some quarters for Allen to resign. His apologetic statement aired Monday morning during a commercial break on a KFAN show he hosts.
The show – 9 to Noon – “doesn't formulate political opinions”, he said. Instead, he said, its purpose is to afford the audience “a place where we chat about sports – [to] offer an escape from the heavy stuff and give listeners the distraction they need from everything else going on”.
“We serve you – not the other way around,” he added. “We're very fortunate, and thank you for counting on us as long as you have. It means more than you'll ever know.”
KFAN program director Chad Abbott did not immediately respond to a request for comment seeking more details about the nature of Allen's time off, including whether or not it was voluntarily taken. The Vikings also did not reply when asked for comment.
President Trump's allies on the US political right have frequently sought to dismiss large protests against his two presidencies with allegations that they are the work of compensated agitators rather than genuine expressions of discontent with his administration.
Nonetheless, on Monday, just two days after Pretti's killing, the Trump administration reportedly removed border patrol official Gregory Bovino from his role as the agency's “commander at large” position.
Allen's paid protesters barb Friday arrived nearly 16 years to the day from what some consider to be his most famous play call – when the Vikings' quarterback at the time, Brett Favre, threw a late-game interception that essentially doomed his team to defeat against the New Orleans Saints with a Super Bowl berth on the line.
“You've gotta be kidding me – I can't believe what I just saw,” Allen said in the moments after Favre's ill-advised pass attempt.
Bringing the National Football League's then-lowly Lions into the rant, Allen went on to shout: “Why do you even ponder passing? I mean you can take a knee and try a … field goal!
“This is not Detroit, man! This is the Super Bowl!”
Hundreds at zoo in Tokyo say farewell to Lei Lei and Xiao Xiao, as China ends ‘panda diplomacy' with Japan
Hundreds of people have gathered to say farewell to two popular pandas departing Tokyo for China, leaving Japan without any of the beloved bears for the first time in 50 years, as ties between the Asian neighbours fray.
Panda twins Lei Lei and Xiao Xiao were transported by truck out of Ueno zoological gardens, their birthplace, disappointing many Japanese fans who have grown attached to the furry four-year-olds.
“I've been coming to watch them since they were born,” Nene Hashino, a woman in her 40s wearing a panda-themed jacket and clutching a stuffed bear toy, said. “It feels like my own children are going somewhere far away. It's sad.”
The pandas' abrupt return was announced last month during a diplomatic spat that began when the Japanese prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, hinted that Tokyo could intervene militarily in the event of an attack on Taiwan. Her comment provoked the ire of Beijing, which regards the island as its own territory.
The animals, loaned out as part of China's “panda diplomacy” programme, have symbolised friendship between Beijing and Tokyo since they normalised ties in 1972.
Their repatriation comes a month before their loan period expires in February, according to the Tokyo metropolitan government, which operates Ueno zoo.
Guo Jiakun, China's foreign ministry spokesperson, said: “According to the relevant agreement between China and Japan, the giant pandas who were living in Japan, Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei, today began their return trip to China.
“As always, we welcome the Japanese public to come see giant pandas in China.”
Japan has reportedly been seeking the loan of a new pair of pandas.
However, a weekend poll by the liberal Asahi Shimbun newspaper showed that 70% of those surveyed did not think the government should negotiate with China on the lease of new pandas, while 26% said they would like it to.
On Sunday, Ueno zoo invited 4,400 winners of an online lottery to see the pandas for the last time.
Well-wishers wearing panda-themed clothes, hats and badges waited for hours on the streets lining the zoo two days later to say their final goodbyes.
They called out to the animals as the windowless truck left the gates. “It's so sad,” said Daisaku Hirota, a 37-year-old shop worker who said he tried to visit the pandas as often as he could on his days off. “I lost one part of my heart,” he said.
Lei Lei and Xiao Xiao were delivered in 2021 by their mother, Shin Shin, who arrived in 2011 and was returned to China in 2024 because of declining health.
Since late last year, China has discouraged its nationals from travelling to Japan, citing deteriorating public security and criminal acts against Chinese nationals in the country.
Beijing is reportedly also choking off exports to Japan of rare-earth products crucial for making everything from electric cars to missiles.
However, China routinely removes pandas from foreign countries and the latest move might not be politically motivated, said Masaki Ienaga, a professor at Tokyo Woman's Christian University and an expert in east Asian international relations.
“If you talk about [Chinese] politics, the timing of sending pandas is what counts,” and pandas could return to Japan if bilateral ties warm, Ienaga said.
Other countries used animals as tools of diplomacy, including Thailand with its elephants and Australia with its koalas, he added. “But pandas are special,” Ienaga said. “They have strong customer-drawing power, and ... they can earn money.”
LONDON, January 27. /TASS/. The number of British military personnel in Ukraine who provide security for the embassy in Kiev and are involved in military operations has increased since the Labor Party came to power in July 2024, said Defense Secretary John Healy.
"We have a number of UK personnel in Ukraine, they are providing support to the embassy and they are providing support to Ukraine in its defense," he told the defense committee of the House of Commons (lower house) of the British parliament. "This has been the case since we reopened the defense section in April 2022. Since the election [in July 2024], that number has grown. We continue to step up UK support at Ukraine's request."
Russian ambassador to London Andrey Kelin told TASS earlier that Britain was involved in the conflict in Ukraine, perhaps deeper than any other NATO member country. He said that the presence in Ukraine of special forces, instructors, and military specialists involved in the launch of long-range Storm Shadow missiles had been officially confirmed.
Philip Glass has withdrawn his symphony based on Abraham Lincoln from the Kennedy Center, with the award-winning composer writing to the board of the arts institution that its values conflict with the work.
“Symphony No. 15 is a portrait of Abraham Lincoln, and the values of the Kennedy Center today are in direct conflict with the message of the Symphony,” Glass wrote in the letter, which was shared with CNN. “Therefore, I feel an obligation to withdraw this Symphony premiere from the Kennedy Center under its current leadership.”
The world premiere of Symphony No. 15 was scheduled at the Kennedy Center for June 12 and 13. The symphony was co-commissioned by the Kennedy Center and the National Symphony Orchestra, which was set to perform the piece, according to the event page on the center's website.
CNN has reached out to the Kennedy Center for comment.
Glass's withdrawal follows a string of cancellations at the Kennedy Center after the board moved to change the arts institution's name to recognize President Donald Trump. The facility has been renamed to “The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts.”
Some artists who have pulled out of their performances at the center have directly pointed to the name change as the reason behind the cancellation.
Kristy Lee, a folk singer-songwriter, who last month canceled her January 14 show, said in a social media post, “When American history starts getting treated like something you can ban, erase, rename, or rebrand for somebody else's ego, I can't stand on that stage and sleep right at night.”
Since returning to the White House, Trump has dramatically reshaped the performing arts center, gutting the board of trustees and ousting its chairman. Soon after, the president was elected chair of the center.
Glass was among the Kennedy Center honorees recognized in 2018. Trump — then serving his first term — skipped the event.
But the president was center stage at the 2025 awards show, serving as its host as musicians George Strait, Gloria Gaynor and the band KISS were honored, along with actors Sylvester Stallone and Michael Crawford. He previously boasted that he personally rejected some honorees who he felt were too “woke.”
CNN's Kevin Liptak, Piper Hudspeth Blackburn and Aleena Fayaz contributed to this report.
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First lady Melania Trump on Tuesday called on Americans to unify in the wake of the fatal shootings of two US citizens by federal law enforcement and widespread protests in Minneapolis this month.
“We need to unify. I'm calling for unity. I know my husband, the president, had a great call yesterday with the governor and the mayor, and they're working together to make it peaceful and without riots,” Trump told Fox News.
It has been rare for the first lady to address current events during President Donald Trump's second term, but she appeared on Fox News from the White House ahead of the Friday release of her eponymous documentary — marking her first on-camera interview since the 2024 presidential transition.
The federal law enforcement killing of Alex Pretti has struck a chord with many Americans, including longtime allies of the president, with lawmakers, conservative media personalities and even the National Rifle Association pushing back on the administration's rhetoric. That has led to a significant shift in tone and strategy from the White House as it seeks to distance the president from those remarks.
“I'm against the violence,” Melania Trump said Tuesday morning. “So if, please if you protest, protest in peace, and we need to unify in these times.”
After taking a relatively low-key approach to the start of her second term — spending the majority of her time in Florida and New York — the first lady has steadily scaled up her public appearances in the months ahead of her documentary's release.
Trump will ring the bell at the New York Stock Exchange on Wednesday and will attend a premiere at the Kennedy Center, which the president now calls the Trump Kennedy Center, with her husband on Thursday evening.
As chaotic scenes played out in Minnesota on Saturday, the White House hosted a private screening of the documentary for a small group — including Apple CEO Tim Cook, boxer Mike Tyson and Queen Rania of Jordan. Guests munched on popcorn in boxes emblazoned with “Melania” and listened to a waltz from the film's score.
It all sets up a major test for Amazon MGM Studios, which has spent a whopping $35 million promoting the film, plus the roughly $40 million deal it struck with Trump, underscoring its recognition of the public's curiosity about the notoriously private first lady.
The documentary chronicles the 20 days leading into Trump's return to the White House — and her relationship with her husband.
“I give him my advice, and I tell him what I think. Sometimes he listens, sometimes he doesn't. But I am here to support him. I think it's very important to have open communication,” she told Fox News when asked how involved she was in the president's day-to-day.
Trump also weighed in on the choice of ending the film's trailer with a scene showing a phone call between the first lady and the president. “Hi, Mr. President. Congratulations,” Melania Trump says in the scene, as she looks out at the Manhattan skyline.
On the other end of the phone, her husband asks, “Did you watch it?”
“I did not. Yeah. I will see it on the news,” the first lady responds.
She told Fox News that she was “very involved” in “leading the production and choosing the trailer,” adding she wanted to show audiences they will see the “private communications between me and my husband.”
The president, she said, “loved” the film, which he first saw during the private screening Saturday evening. Her son, Barron Trump, “liked it, too.” Her stepchildren haven't seen it yet but will soon, she added.
The film, she said, chronicles “many different emotions: humor, sadness, grief.”
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The controversial “commander at large” of US President Donald Trump's federal immigration enforcement push in Minnesota has been removed from his post following two deadly shootings, several media outlets have reported.
The reported departure of US Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino comes in the wake of the killing of activists Renee Good on January 7 and Alex Pretti on Saturday by federal agents. The incidents sparked a public outcry and nationwide protests.
On Monday, Trump announced that White House border czar Tom Homan will be dispatched to Minneapolis to oversee immigration enforcement operations.
A source told Reuters on Tuesday that Bovino would be returning to his former job as the head of California's El Centro sector of the US-Mexico border.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said in a post on X that “some federal agents” will start leaving the city, but did not mention Bovino directly. “I will continue pushing for the rest involved in this operation to go,” Frey added.
CNN claimed that Trump was “unhappy” with how Bovino and US Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem handled the fallout of Pretti's killing. Noem was reportedly criticized for making premature statements while defending the agents involved.
Bonino has insisted that the slain US citizen was armed and wanted to “massacre law enforcement.” The video footage circulating online appears to show Pretti holding a phone immediately before he was tackled and shot. He apparently had a weapon on his person, but agents had taken it away from him.
CNN reported that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has locked the 55-year-old commander out of his social media accounts effective immediately after he sparred with lawmakers online over the shootings.
Bovino critics online have also claimed that the commander had “Nazi looks” due to his closely cropped haircut and military-style greatcoat that went viral.
Bovino's 5'4'', has a buzz cut, and wears Nazi-looking jackets. You really can't make up a more cartoonish ICE villain. pic.twitter.com/Q9v406u4Uq
Assistant DHS Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said on X that despite the transfer, Bovino remains “a key part of the President's team and a great American.”
The police said that 26 people were arrested overnight as they protested outside a hotel where Bovino was believed to have been staying.
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“WHATEVER HAPPENED TO GLOBAL WARMING?” Trump asked in a recent Truth Social post.
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In a Truth Social post last week, President Donald Trump questioned the existence of the climate crisis, citing extreme cold weather that was set to hit the country over the weekend.
“Record Cold Wave expected to hit 40 States. Rarely seen anything like it before,” Trump said, before delving into his skepticism.
“Could the Environmental Insurrectionists please explain — WHATEVER HAPPENED TO GLOBAL WARMING???” he asked.
Trump has frequently peddled disinformation about the climate crisis over the years, and has dismantled a wide range of climate protections while in office. He has, for example, expanded non-renewable energy production in the U.S., including oil and coal, and early in his second term (as he did in his first), he withdrew the U.S. from the international Paris Climate Agreement.
Climate scientists have noted that Trump's claims on the storm are not based in science, as warmer global temperatures — especially those in the Arctic — can actually result in weather phenomena like the polar vortex.
“Big waves like this are more common when the Arctic is unusually warm, and it's near record-warm right now,” Jennifer Francis, an atmospheric scientist and senior scientist at the Woodwell Climate Research Center, told Inside Climate News.
Indeed, when warmer air currents move into the Arctic, it pushes the cold air that normally resides there to the south, resulting in colder temperatures in areas like the U.S. This is observable even to people without a degree in meteorology: In Chicago on Friday, wind chill temperatures reached -36 degrees Fahrenheit, while in Nuuk, Greenland, evening temperatures on the same day were a positive 36 degrees Fahrenheit.
The consequences of misunderstanding these types of weather patterns, as Trump has demonstrated, can be dire. Over this past weekend, at least 30 people in the U.S. died due to the extreme cold, and as of Monday, more than 600,000 homes and businesses were still without power.
Meanwhile, Trump has made major cuts to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Such cuts could have devastating consequences, limiting how effective the agency can be in helping Americans in need of aid during extreme weather events. Importantly, the federal government paused some FEMA layoffs and funding cuts as this storm was approaching. But those cuts will likely be implemented at some point, meaning future events could see more distressing outcomes.
The continued warming of the planet also means weather events like these are likely to become the new norm. Indeed, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration recently ranked 2025 as the third-warmest year on record, with the 10 warmest years all occurring since 2015. If that trend continues, future extreme events, including intense polar vortices, will be commonplace.
Progressive nonprofits are the latest target caught in Trump's crosshairs. With the aim of eliminating political opposition, Trump and his sycophants are working to curb government funding, constrain private foundations, and even cut tax-exempt status from organizations he dislikes.
We're concerned, because Truthout is not immune to such bad-faith attacks.
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Milan's mayor says agents'not welcome' in co-host city and that Italy can take care of security itself
A unit of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents will have a security role in the Winter Olympic Games in Italy, sparking uproar and petitions against the deployment.
Sources at the US embassy in Rome confirmed a statement from ICE, the agency embroiled in a brutal immigration crackdown in the US, saying that federal agents would support diplomatic security details during the Milan-Cortina games but would not run any enforcement operations.
The statement said: “At the Olympics, ICE's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) is supporting the US Department of State's Diplomatic Security Service and host nation to vet and mitigate risks from transnational criminal organisations.
“All security operations remain under Italian authority.”
Speculation in Italy over ICE's involvement in the Games, which begin on 6 February, had been brewing for days and mounted further on Monday after the president of the Lombardy region, Attilio Fontana, said on Monday that the US vice-president, JD Vance, and secretary of state, Marco Rubio, would be protected by ICE “bodyguards” at the Olympics.
The speculation fuelled outrage in Italy over ICE's immigration operations, especially after the fatal shootings this month of the US citizens Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis.
The daily newspaper La Repubblica claimed Italy's far-right government, which has nurtured friendly relations with Donald Trump's administration, had briefly looked into blocking the participation of ICE agents in the delegation, but that would have required a departure from how US officials are usually protected during similar high-profile visits abroad.
Milan's mayor, Giuseppe Sala, told RTL radio that the agents would not be welcome in the city “because they don't guarantee they're aligned with our democratic security management methods”.
“This is a militia that kills,” he said. “It's clear that they are not welcome in Milan, there's no doubt about it. Can't we just say no to Trump for once?
“We can take care of their security ourselves. We don't need ICE.”
Alessandro Zan, a member of the European parliament for the centre-left Democratic party, said the presence of ICE agents would be unacceptable.
“In Italy, we don't want those who trample on human rights and act outside of any democratic control,” he wrote on X.
Two small opposition parties – the Green and Left Alliance (AVS) and Azione – have started petitions calling on the Italian government and the Olympic organising committee to prevent the ICE agents' entry and involvement in the security operations.
“ICE is the militia that shoots people on the streets of Minneapolis and takes children away from their families,” AVS said.
Speaking on the sidelines of a Holocaust Remembrance Day ceremony in Rome, Italy's foreign minister, Antonio Tajani, sought to play down concerns.
“It's not like the SS are coming,” he said, referring to the Nazi paramilitary organisation. “Let's be clear. They're not coming to maintain public order in the middle of the streets. They're coming to collaborate in the operations rooms.”
The confirmation of ICE's role comes after RAI state TV aired video of ICE agents threatening to break the window of the vehicle its crew were using to report in Minneapolis.
Since this “ceasefire” started, I've witnessed two strikes on my camp in Gaza.
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Since the supposed “ceasefire” in Gaza came into effect on October 10, 2025, I have personally borne witness to two ceasefire breaches in my refugee camp.
One was on October 19, when Israeli forces bombed a café — a space to breathe away from scenes of destruction, a place to work or study with a reliable internet connection, a meeting point for displaced friends, a brief chance to enjoy the moment. I could have been there. I was juggling my studies ahead of a musculoskeletal exam for medical school, planning to go to the café for a stable internet connection. But something held me back. I stayed home.
Midway through taking my exam in my refugee camp, an explosion shook the ground, and billowing smoke blurred our vision. Back then, I did not have the luxury of knowing where it fell or exactly what it hit. But I heard the crowds screeching. My mind was racing as I relentlessly tried to stay focused on answering my exam questions.
Then it turned out to be the Twix Café I used to visit — the strike left six patrons killed and many injured. Their only crime was choosing to live, to breathe, to thrive. But Israeli bombs were already woefully closer.
Then, Israeli media announced that the Israeli military had ended its escalation in Gaza and achieved its targets. People were left with nothing but to believe in this fragile truce.
The second ceasefire breach that touched me personally occurred on November 22, when the Israeli military committed a massacre in my neighborhood against an entire family. Members of the Abushawish family were gathered in the hall, opening a humanitarian aid parcel when the airstrike hit. Only their eldest daughter survived because she had happened to step into her room just minutes before the airstrike. The family had survived many attacks before, but this one tore them into pieces, inflicting devastation beyond repair.
The airstrike also further weakened the already perilous shelters in my camp and damaged water and sewage infrastructure — systems that had been repaired and re-repaired after every previous bombardment. In an instant, Israel wiped out an entire family, tearing them apart and leaving only one survivor — alone, cold, speechless, carrying muffled memories inside a shattered home.
This Sham Ceasefire Follows Decades of Other Broken Promises
The falsity of the current “ceasefire” in Gaza should perhaps come as no surprise given all the other broken promises we have endured over the years.
A ceasefire that does not halt killing, does not stop the targeting of buildings, does not mandate the withdrawal of Israeli military forces, and continues to block food cannot, by any definition, be called a ceasefire.
In 1993, Palestinians hoped the Oslo Accords, signed between the Palestine Liberation Organization and the Israeli occupation, would bring an end to Israel's expansionist, settler-colonial project and entrench Palestinians' right to self-determination and sovereignty over their own land — at the cost of relinquishing armed resistance. Nearly three decades later, this decree — branded as a “peace process” — was preserved, yet it has never yielded peace of any kind. Oslo was neither a perfect nor an optimal solution to the Palestinian struggle, but it was believed (perhaps desperately) that it might mitigate decades of apartheid and oppression. Instead, Israeli forces reneged on their promises, further entrenching Palestinian statelessness. Since then, more than six wars have been unleashed on Gaza City, punctuated by countless shorter aggressions.
After two years of genocide, Donald Trump advanced a so-called 20-point peace plan, unveiled at the White House, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu standing beside him. The plan sidelined Palestinian sovereignty and proposed the establishment of foreign forces to control Gaza, while Palestinian technocrats would be responsible for day-to-day governance under severely limited authority.
Violence is imposed whenever Israeli leaders choose, paused when convenient, and resumed explicitly without charge.
This was hardly surprising. Purveyors of genocide have long mastered the choreography of violence: When the fire turns against them, they mask their language as salvation; when it serves them, they ignite it and rebrand devastation as a world-changing necessity. The proposal purported to end the bloodshed in Gaza and guarantee a lasting peace in the Middle East.
Yes, ultimately, a ceasefire was declared in October 2025. But so far, it has failed to amount to an actual ceasefire. At best, it has produced “reduced fire” or “slow fire.” A ceasefire that does not halt killing, does not stop the targeting of buildings, does not mandate the withdrawal of Israeli military forces, and continues to block food, medicine, and fuel from entering except in insufficient quantities cannot, by any definition, be called a ceasefire. Rather, it is a transformed form of death — one that operates in the shadows, not in broad daylight — while the world convinces itself that a chapter of today's atrocities has been closed and numbly moves on to the next eye-catching catastrophe.
According to the Gaza Government Media Office, Israel committed 969 ceasefire violations within 80 days of the ceasefire taking effect, resulting in the killing of 418 Palestinians, the injury of 1,141 others, and the detention of 45 people. Among these violations, 289 cases were documented as direct gunfire, 54 as military incursions, and 455 incidents involved shelling and the deliberate targeting of civilians and their homes.
Since 1948, the pattern has been glaringly obvious: Israel has never reliably complied with treaties, kept promises, or abided by international law. It wreaks havoc as though the world were not governed by any order, embarking on genocide now justified as a response to October 7 — without mentioning the decades spent killing and dispossessing Palestinians, when neither October 7 nor resistance factions even existed to be blamed. Violence is imposed whenever Israeli leaders choose, paused when convenient, and resumed explicitly without charge, only for them to be praised as possessing “the most ethical military in the world” — shielded from accountability and trusting that time alone will be enough for the world to forget.
What usually happens in occupied Palestine is that Palestinians cease, and Israelis fire.
The late, dear Dr. Refaat Alareer, a poet, writer, and lecturer in the English Literature Department at the Islamic University of Gaza, put it plainly as early as 2021, before he was killed in 2023, reasserting that the ceasefire is more a façade than a truce. He said that what usually happens in occupied Palestine is that Palestinians cease, and Israelis fire. Indeed.
The “Ceasefire” Is a Smokescreen for the Ongoing Genocide
There is no peace in this “ceasefire.” It is a minefield, masquerading shallowly as a truce.
In mid-December, a wedding ceremony was turned into a bloodbath, killing at least six people and severely wounding dozens more. Back then, people were fooled too by the illusion of a ceasefire, naively believing that this would be the last breach. Instead, violence continues unabated in myriad forms, seemingly designed not merely to kill Palestinians but to deny us any attempt at living.
Violence continues unabated in myriad forms, seemingly designed not merely to kill Palestinians but to deny us any attempt at living.
The “ceasefire” has become a hollow claim, a smokescreen for a concealed, ongoing genocide. Western media outlets turn their backs and endorse Trump's plans as if they are unfolding effectively, all while they are buried under the weight of silence. Even Amnesty International declared in November that Gaza's genocide is far from over.
As of December 2025, evacuation orders were issued in Gaza City's Al-Tuffah neighborhood, aimed at expanding the Yellow Line and consolidating control over Gaza.
People outside of Gaza are still misled into believing that the genocide has ended, that starvation has vanished, and recovery has begun.
Meanwhile, during this supposed “ceasefire,” Israeli forces attacked young girls in Khan Younis, claiming they posed a threat, and the menacing drone flying overhead continues to fill us with dread.
The sound of explosions targeting what remains within the Yellow Line has stripped me of any sense of safety. The complete blockade, the restrictions imposed on aid trucks and humanitarian organizations, and the systematic denial of medication have shattered any illusion of ceasefire.
The bombs may be reduced in number, but they are still falling.
Progressive nonprofits are the latest target caught in Trump's crosshairs. With the aim of eliminating political opposition, Trump and his sycophants are working to curb government funding, constrain private foundations, and even cut tax-exempt status from organizations he dislikes.
We're concerned, because Truthout is not immune to such bad-faith attacks.
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Hend Salama Abo Helow is a researcher, writer and medical student at Al-Azhar University in Gaza. She is also a writer with We Are Not Numbers and has published in the Washington Report on Middle East Affairs, Institute for Palestinian Studies, Mondoweiss and Al Jazeera. She believes in writing as a form of resistance, a silent witness to atrocities committed against Palestinians, and a way to achieve liberation.
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Rep. Chip Roy appears determined to blame anyone other than the agents who fired their weapons.
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After the extrajudicial killing of ICU nurse Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, federal officials were quick to put the blame on him. Pretti was accused of planning a “massacre” of cops, while videos depict him filming and rendering aid to a woman before he was shot in the back.
This has been the Trump administration's playbook since federal agents occupied Minneapolis: A controversial use of force, then false accusations blaming the victim without evidence or investigation.
Renee Good suffered the same fate after she was killed by an ICE agent earlier this month. Kristi Noem called her a domestic terrorist just hours after she was gunned down. Again, an accusation without evidence.
Shortly after the killing of Good, we interviewed the MAGA conservative Rep. Chip Roy on the steps of the US Capitol about ICE's actions.
His answers were revealing and worth revisiting in light of the continued use of the victim-blaming playbook, if only to understand what all this rhetorical posturing implies about the continuing presence of ICE in American cities.
Roy is one of the most conservative members of Congress. He's also a MAGA stalwart. When we asked him if Renee Good's killing was justified, he initially stuck to blaming the victim.
“I think she put herself in a bad position by interfering with law enforcement and by hitting the gas in a car with a law enforcement officer right in front of her. That's what I think,” Roy responded.
Then, as the interview progressed, his defense of ICE shifted.
“Do we talk about the ICE officer who was dragged down the street in a car? Do we talk about the ICE officer who had a steel thermos beat against his head and lacerations across his face when he was executing an arrest against a really bad guy?” he asked.
“How come? Where's the headlines on that? Where's the stories on CNN, or MSNBC, or Fox, or anywhere?”
His argument is revealing. It suggests ICE's violence is justified. Not due to the specific circumstances which precipitated Good and Pretti's killing. Instead, because of unrelated and alleged violence against ICE officers.
But Roy didn't stop there. I asked him to respond to Democrats who recently called for the impeachment of DHS Secretary Kristi Noem. Instead of addressing the question directly, he rattled off a list of victims who died at the hands of immigrants.
“I can tell you what, Jocelyn Nungaray's not here and Laken Riley's not here. And Rachel Morin's not here. And Kayla Hamilton's not here.” He continued, “I can keep going down the list of all the Americans who are not here because our streets were made dangerous by the previous regime.”
To be clear, all of the names he listed were victims of heinous crimes. Brutal deaths at the hands of criminals. But would preventing that horrific violence justify killing more American citizens, or anyone else, for that matter? Because that's what Roy is implying.
By tossing them into the debate, Roy is suggesting it's all tit for tat. He situated ICE's legally questionable and violent actions within the scope of government-sponsored vengeance. His argument discards constitutional safeguards in exchange for settling scores.
If this is what's on the mind of other Republicans, then when ICE guns down US citizens there is no law or safeguard that will hold this increasingly rogue agency to account.
There has been some pushback on Roy's hardline response.
Recently, a handful of senators have called for an independent investigation into Pretti's killing, including retiring North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis and Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski.
But Roy's Twitter/X account posted an interview with Fox News shortly after the shooting where he still directed the blame for Pretti's death at Democrats.
“As a former federal prosecutor, I'm trained to wait for the facts to come in,” Roy stated.
“I'm talking about what led to them, and it is very clearly the Democrats in Minneapolis and Minnesota Democrats across the country, they're inflaming tensions that led to the situation where these agitators put themselves between ICE carrying out their job.”
Roy appears determined to blame anyone other than the agents who fired their weapons. The thirst for retribution is boundless, extra-constitutional, and impossible to constrain.
That's what ICE and their supporters are counting on.
Progressive nonprofits are the latest target caught in Trump's crosshairs. With the aim of eliminating political opposition, Trump and his sycophants are working to curb government funding, constrain private foundations, and even cut tax-exempt status from organizations he dislikes.
We're concerned, because Truthout is not immune to such bad-faith attacks.
We can only resist Trump's attacks by cultivating a strong base of support. The right-wing mediasphere is funded comfortably by billionaire owners and venture capitalist philanthropists. At Truthout, we have you.
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Taya Graham is a correspondent for The Real News Network.
Stephen Janis is a producer with The Real News Network.
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Chief judge orders Todd Lyons to appear, saying patience is exhausted as migrants remain jailed despite rulings
Minnesota's top federal judge has summoned the acting head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to appear before him on Friday, warning he may be held in contempt for allegedly defying court orders.
Chief US district judge Patrick Schiltz demanded ICE lead Todd Lyons explain himself personally in a three-page order issued Monday evening, declaring that “the court's patience is at an end”.
The rebuke follows weeks of tilting anger during the so-called “Operation Metro Surge”, the Trump administration's large-scale, aggressive and now deadly immigration enforcement campaign in Minneapolis-St Paul. The operation has generated numerous emergency lawsuits from immigrants claiming unlawful arrest or detention, with judges consistently ruling in their favor.
Schiltz, appointed by George W Bush, accused the Trump administration of deliberately delaying or ignoring judicial directives across Minnesota's federal courts. His order came in the case of a man he had ordered released on 15 January who remained in custody as of Monday night.
The judge said the government's non-compliance had caused “significant hardship” to immigrants, many of whom had lived and worked legally in the United States for years. He described detained individuals being sent to Texas when they should remain in Minnesota, or being released far from home without means to return.
Other Minnesota federal judges have voiced similar concerns. US district judge Michael Davis, a Clinton appointee, accused the administration of attempting to “defy court orders” and “deny noncitizens their due process rights”.
Several judges are now considering broader legal challenges that could significantly restrict federal immigration enforcement in Minnesota or halt Operation Metro Surge entirely. Another federal judge is weighing whether the deployment of 3,000 immigration agents constitutes an unconstitutional occupation, a case that's gained momentum following the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti by federal officers last week.
US district judge Kate Menendez has ordered government lawyers to respond by Wednesday evening to claims the operation was designed to punish the state for its sanctuary policies.
Schiltz also clashed with the administration last week when federal prosecutors sought his help arresting former CNN anchor Don Lemon and others linked to an anti-ICE church protest. After he declined to overturn a magistrate's denial of arrest warrants, the justice department appealed directly to the eighth circuit court of appeals.
The circuit court rejected the government's request, prompting Schiltz to write letters criticising the justice department's approach and highlighting the flood of what he termed “illegal” detention cases overwhelming Minnesota courts.
U.S. Border Patrol Cmdr. Gregory Bovino in Minneapolis on January 21.Angelina Katsanis/The Associated Press
The commander of President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown in Minneapolis is leaving the city after federal agents fatally shot two people in less than three weeks.
Gregory Bovino had been the go-to architect for the large-scale immigration crackdowns ordered by Trump and the public face of his administration's city-by-city sweeps. The Border Patrol chief led agents in Los Angeles, Chicago and New Orleans before he headed to Minnesota in December for what the Department of Homeland Security called its largest-ever immigration enforcement operation.
He's also been heavily criticized for his norm-breaking tactics.
Smashing car windows
Bovino revels in breaking norms. Agents have smashed car windows, blown open a door to a house and patrolled the fabled MacArthur Park in Los Angeles on horseback.
Smashing windows when a driver refuses to open and is subject to arrest is “a safer tactic than letting someone drive away and then getting in a high-speed pursuit,” he said.
White House softens tone on Minnesota crackdown, shuffles ICE leadership
Blasting the door off a home in Huntington Park, California, to search for a man accused of ramming a Border Patrol vehicle days earlier was a “very, very prudent, thoughtful application of tactics,” said Bovino, who joined that early-morning raid. “I don't want to surround a house for hours and hours and hours and then create another riot.”
Bovino often appears in tactical gear, as he did outside California Gov. Gavin Newsom's news conference on congressional redistricting in August.
The Associated Press
Agents rappel from helicopter in Chicago
In Chicago, agents stormed an apartment complex by helicopter, deploying chemical agents near a public school and handcuffed a Chicago City Council member at a hospital.
Agents rappelled down to the apartment building from a Black Hawk helicopter. Authorities said they were targeting the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, but only two of the 37 immigrants arrested were gang members. The others were in the country illegally, they said, including some with criminal histories. One U.S. citizen was arrested on an outstanding narcotics warrant.
Opinion: How much state violence will America accept?
Activists, residents and leaders said the combative tactics sparked violence and fuelled neighbourhood tensions in the nation's third-largest city.
Bovino also drew a rare public rebuke from a federal judge who said he misled the court about the threats posed by protesters and deployed tear gas and pepper balls without justification during a chaotic confrontation downtown.
U.S. Border Patrol Cmdr. Gregory Bovino outside the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building in Minneapolis on January 8.Tom Baker/The Associated Press
Vowing a ‘turn and burn' approach
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the agency primarily responsible for interior immigration enforcement since its was created in 2003, has historically made arrests in the streets after lengthy investigations of individual targets, including surveillance that an official once likened to watching paint dry. Officials rarely have judicial warrants to enter a home, causing them to wait outside.
Minnesota killing prompts criticism against Trump administration from Second Amendment advocates
It is not a pace that will lead to the mass deportations Trump has promised.
“We're going to turn and burn to that next target and the next and the next and the next, and we're not going to stop,” he said in an interview in a seventh-floor conference room of the federal building in West Los Angeles, where an unused office wing serves as a sparsely furnished temporary base.
Almost forced to retire in 2023
Bovino was one of 20 regional Border Patrol chiefs around the country when he was relieved of his command leading the agency's sector in El Centro, California.
He blamed an online profile picture of him posing with an M4 assault rifle; social media posts that were considered inappropriate; and sworn congressional testimony that he and other sector chiefs gave on the state of the border during a record surge of migrants.
Thirty minutes after his second congressional hearing, Bovino said, he was removed from his position and asked, “Are you going to retire now?”
He didn't retire. The change in administration from President Joe Biden to Trump in 2025 turned Bovino into a MAGA-world hero. The profile photo with the assault rifle was back online and by the summer, he was leading immigration enforcement in Los Angeles, where the Trump administration launched its first sustained blitz of a U.S. city.
Federal agents fire flash-bang grenades as they advance toward protesters during clashes on January 24 in Minneapolis.KEREM YUCEL/AFP/Getty Images
Deporting people who ‘skip the line'
Bovino joined the Border Patrol in 1996 and is nearing the agency's mandatory retirement age of 57. He eventually plans to return home to North Carolina to harvest apples.
He served as Border Patrol chief in El Centro, California, long a relatively quiet part of the southern border that has become even quieter as illegal crossings have plummeted to their lowest levels in six decades.
His media savvy is on display each summer when Border Patrol sector chiefs hold news conferences to warn against illegal crossings. In 2021, Bovino led journalists in swimming across the All-American Canal, whose deceptively swift current and smooth concrete lining result in migrant deaths every year. In 2023, he locked reporters in a vehicle trunk, saying he wanted them to appreciate the dangers firsthand.
Minnesota judge orders ICE chief to appear in court to explain why he shouldn't be held in contempt
While administration officials like to say they are deporting the “worst of the worst,” Bovino embraces arrests of hard-working people with deep roots in the country. He said they “skip the line” ahead of people waiting to enter the country legally.
“The folks undercutting American businesses, is that right?” he said. “Absolutely not. That's why we have immigration laws in the first place, and that's why I'm here.”
‘Not afraid to push the envelope'
ICE has led interior immigration enforcement since it was created in 2003, but the Border Patrol has been around much longer. Bovino's sense of mission never strayed from the Border Patrol's roots. When assigned to lead a station in Blythe, California, he pitched his boss, Paul Beeson, on raiding the airport and bus stations in Las Vegas.
The 2010 operation was supposed to last three days but got called off after the first hour yielded dozens of arrests and unleashed a furious reaction from then-Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, a Nevada Democrat.
“He's not afraid to push the envelope, very articulate, leads from the front,” said Beeson, who, as a sector chief, selected Bovino to lead stations in Blythe and in Imperial Beach, California.
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President Donald Trump met for nearly two hours with Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and her senior adviser, Corey Lewandowski, in the Oval Office on Monday evening, two sources familiar with the meeting told CNN, after Noem had asked to speak with Trump in person.
The meeting comes as the Trump administration has showed its first signs of retreat in Minneapolis following Saturday's fatal shooting of Alex Pretti, the second person killed by federal agents in the city this month.
Trump did not threaten Noem's or Lewandowski's jobs during the meeting, the sources said. Instead, the group had a frank conversation about how to continue carrying out the president's immigration agenda in Minnesota amid national backlash — including criticism from some Republicans — and unrest in the state.
Other top Trump officials, including chief of staff Susie Wiles, press secretary Karoline Leavitt and communications director Steven Cheung, also attended the meeting, which was first reported by The New York Times.
The White House declined to comment on the meeting, though an official reiterated the president's support for Noem.
In the wake of Saturday's shooting, administration officials shared a torrent of claims that have either been contradicted by video footage or unsupported by any evidence presented so far. Over the weekend, Border Patrol chief Gregory Bovino, who had been leading the immigration crackdown in Minneapolis, scrapped with lawmakers and others online, claiming in social media posts that Pretti was assaulting federal law enforcement officers before he was killed.
Bovino, whose social media accounts were suspended by DHS on Monday, is expected to leave Minneapolis on Tuesday after Trump announced he's sending border czar Tom Homan to lead the operation.
Asked about the Oval Office meeting on Fox News, Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said Tuesday that Trump and Noem have “had at-length discussions.”
“I can't get into those specifics, but Secretary Noem will continue to oversee, of course, the Department of Homeland Security,” McLaughlin said. She added that Noem is “very happy” that Homan will be overseeing immigration operations in Minneapolis.
Homeland Security Investigations — the DHS' investigation agency — is leading the federal investigation into Saturday's shooting, with the FBI acting in a supportive role, according to officials. But days after the killing, questions remain about where investigations stand. The Justice Department has not opened a civil rights investigation, and a crisis coordination center was erected in Minneapolis to investigate protesters.
CNN's Kaanita Iyer, Daniel Dale, Priscilla Alvarez, Michael Williams, Holmes Lybrand and Aaron Blake contributed.
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MOSCOW, January 27. /TASS/. Russian Human Rights Commissioner Tatyana Moskalkova has proposed establishing a dedicated checkpoint on the border with Ukraine to facilitate the reunification of Russian citizens with their relatives. She announced this initiative during a meeting of the Communist Party faction in the State Duma.
"Perhaps we should consider opening a single checkpoint for Russian citizens in Ukraine who wish to visit their family and friends in Russia," Moskalkova suggested.
She explained that many Russian nationals in Ukraine with expired passports are unable to leave the country - even through third states. Over the past year, more than 50 families separated by the escalation of the conflict have been able to reunite, Moskalkova noted. She is actively working on this issue in cooperation with her Ukrainian counterpart.
The White House said on Jan. 26 that President Donald Trump will not retreat from his demands for strict immigration enforcement in Minnesota, pressing state and city leaders to fully cooperate with federal authorities and laying out the president's strategy to bring back law and order following unrest in Minneapolis.
Fourteen European countries warned on Jan. 26 that ships sailing in the Baltic Sea and North Sea under multiple flags may be treated as stateless vessels, part of a crackdown against Moscow's shadow fleet.
All vessels must maintain valid documentation, communication with relevant authorities, and follow safety rules and international regulations, according to a joint statement by Germany, France, the Nordic and Baltic countries, the Netherlands, Belgium, the U.K., and Poland.
The measures are designed to "uphold and strengthen maritime safety in the Baltic Sea and North Sea region," the countries said days after French forces boarded a shadow fleet tanker in the Mediterranean.
The shadow fleet is a group of aging, poorly insured tankers that Moscow uses to evade international sanctions.
Western governments have linked the fleet to Russian-backed hybrid operations, while experts say it poses environmental risks due to an increased likelihood of oil spills.
Several Russia-linked shadow tankers were detained in recent weeks by the U.S. as part of Washington's crackdown on the Venezuelan oil trade. This included a ship sailing under a Russian flag that the U.S. deemed to be flying a false flag and therefore a stateless vessel.
The European coastal countries also warned of growing Russian-linked interference in the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) in the Baltic Sea region.
"These disturbances, originating from the Russian Federation, degrade the safety of international shipping. All vessels are at risk," the statement read.
The European nations urged the international community to recognize GNSS interference and Automatic Identification System (AIS) manipulation as "threats to maritime safety and security" and develop alternative systems in the event of GNSS disruptions.
Western officials have repeatedly warned about Russia carrying out GPS jamming and radar interference across NATO's eastern flank, a move seen as part of Moscow's hybrid warfare.
Reporter
Martin Fornusek is a reporter for the Kyiv Independent, specializing in international and regional politics, history, and disinformation. Based in Lviv, Martin often reports on international politics, with a focus on analyzing developments related to Ukraine and Russia. His career in journalism began in 2021 after graduating from Masaryk University in Brno, Czechia, earning a Master's degree in Conflict and Democracy Studies. Martin has been invited to speak on Times Radio, France 24, Czech Television, and Radio Free Europe. He speaks English, Czech, and Ukrainian.
As an additional incentive, the U.S. has reportedly offered Ukraine more weapons to equip its army in the post-war period.
Odesa was the hardest hit among Ukrainian cities overnight.
Fourteen European countries warned on Jan. 26 that ships sailing in the Baltic Sea and North Sea under multiple flags may be treated as stateless vessels.
"People with chronic respiratory and cardiovascular conditions are advised, if possible, to stay indoors," officials said.
Hungary and Slovakia plan to sue the European Union over its REPowerEU plan to phase out imports of Russian oil and gas, officials wrote on Jan. 26.
Seapeak's share of Yamal LNG's trade in 2025 amounted to 37.3%, more than any other company, according to Urgewald's analysis based on Kpler data.
The reasons could be "possible limitations of a technical or political character," Ukraine's military intelligence told the Kyiv Independent.
A full ban on Russian LNG will take effect in early 2027, followed by pipeline gas imports in the autumn of that year.
MOSCOW, January 27. /TASS/. A call by a German general for citizens to get ready for a serious war with Russia is a sick fantasy reflecting his own criminal desires, State Duma Deputy Speaker Irina Yarovaya told journalists.
"Calls by a German lieutenant general to prepare for a serious war with Russia are nothing but his own sick fantasies. They reveal his deep criminal wishes, but they have nothing to do with us, not even remotely," she said.
Addressing the German officer's statement, Yarovaya quoted lines from Yevgeny Yevtushenko's famous Soviet-era anti-war poem "Do Russians Want War?"
"Say, do the Russians want a war? Go ask our land, then ask once more, that silence lingering in the air above the birch and poplar fair, beneath those trees lie soldier lads, whose sons will answer for their dads to add to what you learnt before."
"Say, do the Russians want a war? Those soldiers died on every hand, not only for their native land, but so the world at night could sleep and never have to wake and weep. New York and Paris spend their nights asleep beneath the leaves and lights. The answer is in their dreams, be sure. So, do the Russians want a war?"
The Russian lawmaker pointed out that the poem was written in 1961, and since then, "nothing has changed."
"We have only become more certain that Russians never sought war, and still don't. Today, we must defend our people and their right to be Russian against the neo-Nazis and terrorists of the Kiev regime. No one in the world should ever, even in the wild ideas of their generals, become an ally of these neo-Nazis or contemplate attacking our country," Yarovaya emphasized.
Prime Minister Mark Carney speaks during the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, last Tuesday.Denis Balibouse/Reuters
He beautifully invoked Vaclav Havel's The Power of the Powerless. He also misused it.
In his Davos speech, Prime Minister Mark Carney said that we find ourselves in the same position as the manager of a fruit and vegetable shop in Havel's 1978 essay, who puts a “Workers of the world, unite!” sign in his window.
This man does not believe in the slogan, or any of the other dogmas of Soviet communism. He has no burning desire to share his passion for the dictatorship of the proletariat. The sign is there because he wants to signal compliance. His peace and comfort depend on publicly performative fealty to a totalitarian ideology.
Havel called this “living within the lie.”
Opinion: Carney rang an opening bell in Davos. What comes next?
Mr. Carney said that the current international order had become a lie. He didn't name the United States or President Donald Trump, but all his listeners had them in mind.
He said that economic ties were being weaponized by superpowers to impose upon the weak, and that the response – from leaders of nations to titans of industry – had been to pretend that it wasn't happening. To go along to get along.
But, said Mr. Carney, “you cannot ‘live within the lie' of mutual benefit through integration when integration becomes the source of your subordination.”
He said that we have to “stop pretending” that the world as it was is the world as it is. We have to talk about objective reality – rather than saying obsequious things about a certain president, in the hope that we will be rewarded with the quiet enjoyment of yesterday's economic and security benefits.
“It is time,” he said “for companies and countries to take their signs down.”
Mr. Carney is mostly right.
But it's important to understand what he's right about, including the extent to which Havel's situation applies to our own – and the many ways it does not.
If by “take their signs down,” Mr. Carney means that the free world has to stop pretending that the insane and threatening things Mr. Trump has said and done are not, in fact, insane and threatening, then he's absolutely correct. We have to dare to call out Trumpian falsehoods and threats, in the hope of defeating them.
We must “live within the truth,” as Havel put it.
Mr. Carney said that means we must “stop invoking the ‘rules-based international order' as though it still functions as advertised.” He said we must recognize that superpowers are pursuing their interests “using economic integration as coercion.”
So far, so true.
Opinion: The hard truths Mark Carney left unsaid in Davos
But there are huge differences between our situation and that of Havel's man in 1970s Eastern Europe, dutifully putting up a poster from the communist government, exhorting the advance of the global dictatorship of the proletariat.
That poster was a lie, full stop. The people of Czechoslovakia had not benefited from the Soviet imposition of communism, ever. It had not stopped working; it had never worked. It had been non-viable, and widely unwanted, from day one. It always had been maintained at the barrel of a gun.
Mr. Carney's speech suggested that the old American-led international order was somewhat like that, with fibs in the system that had now grown into full-blown lies.
That gets something very wrong about what Mr. Trump has done, and is doing.
NATO is a truly voluntary alliance. Joining NATO was not supporting a lie.
The 1988 Canada-U.S. Free Trade Agreement was not a lie that we had to pretend to like because the hegemon next door would send troops to occupy our country, as the Soviets did to Czechoslovakia in 1968.
Our deals with the Americans were freely chosen, freely accepted and largely mutually beneficial. No lie.
Pre-Trump America didn't always live up to its best principles but neither do any countries, or human beings. This is not what Havel's “living a lie” was about.
He was talking about a system where the principles themselves are a lie, and where ideology demands that a naked emperor be treated as fully clothed.
The lie of communism for Havel was that you had to pretend it was helping you while it was harming you; that it was giving when it was taking; that it embodied freedom while crushing it.
It was an Orwellian ideology of make believe, where everyone pledged allegiance to untruths.
Mr. Trump is the complete opposite, and not just because he's from the right rather than the left. He is a non-ideologue. He is what Havel would have classified as an old-style dictatorship.
He takes from others to the extent of his wants, and to the extent that he can. He demands obedience, but unlike left-wing ideologies of the past, or wokeism in the present, there is no elaborate ideology to provide his followers with a philosophical justification for going along. There is just raw power. Obey, or else.
And that, paradoxically, is a reason for hope. The ideals of the old world and the old America, are still there. They have been buried; they have not been proven false. We can still acknowledge their truths.
That they live in our heads means they are not dead. Not yet.
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Official who said Alex Pretti wanted to ‘massacre' agents relegated to bench as White House appears to change tack
US politics live – latest updates
Critics have called him a would-be Napoleon and mocked his “Nazi” aesthetic, but with Donald Trump's anti-immigrant surge into Minneapolis, Gregory Bovino seemed to have found the political moment he had long been seeking.
Bovino, 55, a senior US border patrol official, initially rose to prominence as the figurehead of immigration crackdowns in Los Angeles, Chicago and other cities.
But his provocatively unapologetic utterances in Minneapolis after the shooting of Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old American citizen, by border patrol officers propelled him to a new level of notoriety that finally exceeded the tolerance even of the Trump administration.
With the White House under intense pressure amid a fierce backlash against Pretti's fatal shooting, Bovino – rather than being lionised – has become an early casualty of the Trump administration's efforts to change its posture. Officials revealed that he was to be withdrawn from his frontline role in the midwestern city. He was expected to be pulled out as Tom Homan, Trump's “border czar”, was sent in to oversee the operation on the ground.
In a startling illustration of the extent of his sudden defenestration, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Monday suspended Bovino's access to his social media account, which he had used as a vehicle to publicise his militant commitment to Trump's anti-immigration agenda.
Bovino had put himself in the vanguard of the administration's initial aggressive pushback against the revulsion sparked by Pretti's killing by claiming that the dead man had intended to “massacre law enforcement” agents.
As mounting video evidence laid waste those claims, he doubled down defiantly on the US's Sunday talkshows.
Even while acknowledging that an investigation was under way, Bovino seemed to forestall its outcome by blaming the deceased, whom he continued to call a “suspect” rather than a victim.
“The suspect put himself in that situation,” Bovino told Dana Bash on CNN's State of the Union on Sunday, ignoring footage that suggested Pretti had been trying to help a woman who had been violently pushed to the ground by agents. “The victims are the border patrol agents there.”
Rather than retreat from his unsubstantiated earlier claims about Pretti's murderous intent, Bovino instead embarked on a chilling homily about moral choices.
“When someone makes the choice to come into an active law enforcement scene, interfere, obstruct, delay or assault law enforcement officer and – and they bring a weapon to do that, that is a choice that that individual made,” he told Bash.
Bovino's appearances in Minneapolis caught widespread attention even before Saturday's tragic episode. He was captured on film throwing a teargas canister at protesters.
Pictures of him striding around the city wearing a long winter greatcoat with brass buttons were also noted by German media, which commented that his appearance – including a closely cropped haircut – seemed intended to evoke fascist aesthetics, which Bovino has denied.
After the photographed detention of five-year-old Liam Ramos last week, Bovino engaged in incendiary tactics of a different kind, telling journalists that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and border patrol agents were “experts in dealing with children”. Of the boy's detention in a Texas facility with his father, Bovino added: “That child is in the least restrictive setting possible … I don't think it gets any better than that.”
He had previously been criticized by a US district judge in Chicago, Sara Ellis, for lying under oath, in his testimony to a court about different aspects of the immigration crackdown in the city. Responding to a challenge from Bovino on social media, CNN presenter Jake Tapper on Monday highlighted Ellis's criticisms expressed in a 233-page judgment in which she dismissed his testimony as “not credible” and characterised his answers as ranging from “cute responses [to] outright lying”.
Bovino had earlier captured headlines in Los Angeles, the first major city targeted by the Trump administration's immigration offensive. Amid howls of disapproval from elected Democratic officials, he and squads of Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents embarked on aggressive, gun-toting patrols that netted thousands of arrests, often carried out with little more justification than that the detainees spoke Spanish or appeared to be from Latin America.
Masked agents smashed car windows, blew open a door to a house and staged an intimidating horseback patrol in MacArthur Park, all supposedly aimed at detaining people in the US without documentation.
Bovino, who formally heads the border patrol's El Centro sector in southern California and is a 29-year veteran of the agency, organised the production of videos on social media that depicted his team's work in scenes resembling action films. They seemed tailor-made to appeal to the president's renowned taste for audiovisual bombast – for example, by portraying Bovino's unit on manoeuvres in Los Angeles to a soundtrack of heavy metal music.
He came under further scrutiny after he arrived in Chicago in September to lead an offensive targeting undocumented people in a city Trump has labelled “the most dangerous in the world”.
That appearance drew the attention of WBEZ Chicago, a public radio station, which carried out an investigation into his background, seeking clues as to what drove his zeal for immigration enforcement.
The station reported that Bovino had been inspired to become a border agent in his early teens after watching The Border, a Hollywood film featuring Jack Nicholson and Harvey Keitel. But according to the station, he was apparently disappointed that the production failed to depict border patrol agents as the good guys.
The investigation also noted that Bovino's father, Mike, a former bar owner, had been jailed when his son was 12 after being convicted of drink-driving over an accident in which a 26-year-old woman was killed and her husband seriously injured.
In his role as a border patrol supremo enforcing the Trump administration's crackdown, Bovino has frequently cited the dangers supposedly posed by immigrants causing accidents through drink-driving, WBEZ reported.
Bovino's family background and professional career seem at odds with the mission he has embraced with such gusto.
He was born and raised in North Carolina. Biographies note that his paternal great-grandparents were poor immigrants from rural southern Italy, not unlike many of the people he has been targeting in his aggressive patrols.
His great-grandfather Michele was a migrant coalminer in Pennsylvania when he applied for US citizenship in 1924, shortly after Congress passed a law limiting immigration from southern and eastern Europe, regions which were deemed at the time to be wellsprings of crime. He was naturalised in 1927, thereafter bringing his wife and four children from the Italian region of Calabria, in a process of chain migration.
That immigrant background, critics say, somewhat contradicts Bovino's frequent nativist invocations of “Ma and Pa America”.
His deployment to Minneapolis in freezing midwinter is likewise far removed from his normal border patrol bailiwick in southern California. Minneapolis, and other urban environments he and his agents have recently been sent to, represent drastically different challenges to what they are familiar with – and pose potentially high risks, experienced law enforcement officers say.
“Border patrol is trained and at their most effective on the border or within 25 miles of the border,” said Gil Kerlikowske, who was the CBP commissioner during Barack Obama's presidency and a former chief of police in Seattle.
“They are not trained in policing a city like Chicago or Los Angeles or Boston [and] they are clearly in the wrong venue. To police an urban environment takes really special skills. They work with senior officers to understand the community they serve.
“They don't get parachuted in to Los Angeles or other cities marching to some type of rock music.”
Bovino has dismissed Democrats' criticism – that the raids are targeting people seeking work to feed their families rather than criminals – as “uninformed” and “wishful thinking”.
“Those individuals come in, they may have a criminal history in their home country,” he said. “So, I don't feel bad.” Discussing the operations in Los Angeles, he pushed back on criticism from the mayor, Karen Bass: “There's something here that Bass and the governor and the other folks haven't seemed to touch on, [which] is look at the professionalism of DHS entities in our allied law enforcement agencies.
“Very few, if any, civilians [are] hurt.”
It is a claim that has a bitterly ironic ring to it several months later.
Canada's main stock index slipped on Tuesday, dragged by mining shares as investors took profits after strong gains, while they awaited interest rate decisions from the U.S. Federal Reserve and the Bank of Canada later this week.
The S&P/TSX Composite Index was down 0.63% at 32,886.36 points as of 10:28 a.m. ET. The gold-focused index led losses with a 3.3% fall as investors rushed to book profits after three straight days of gains on the back of skyrocketing precious metal prices.
The broader materials index, which houses miners, lost 2.6% — on pace for its worst day in nearly a month.
An index of consumer staples fell 1.7%, with Metro dipping 5.3% after the supermarket operator's first-quarter profit marginally missed analysts' estimates.
But the energy index rose 0.3% as crude prices advanced after a winter storm disrupted Gulf Coast crude production and refineries.
Looking ahead, the Bank of Canada is set for its interest-rate decision on Wednesday. Economists polled by Reuters expect the central bank to keep policy rate unchanged at 2.25%.
The Fed is also widely expected to keep the rates unchanged on Wednesday.
Big Tech earnings are also on the way, with Microsoft and Meta set to report quarterly results later this week.
“Over the next couple of days, we're going to find out a lot about AI spend,” said Allan Small, senior investment advisor, Allan Small Financial Group at iA Private Wealth.
“If we find out that the AI spend is slowing down, that could be a bad thing for the stock market.”
The information technology sector gained 1%, with electronics manufacturing services company Celestica rising 7.9%.
Among other stocks, Cogeco Communications fell 6.4% after investment fund La Caisse said on Monday it will sell a part of its stake in the telecom firm.
On Wall Street, the S&P 500 and Nasdaq were higher as investors digested a flurry of major earnings releases, including results from airplane maker Boeing and shipping company United Parcel Service, which also said it would cut up to 30,000 jobs in operational roles this year.
Along with a decline of about 2% in Boeing, the Dow Industrials were pulled lower by a drop of nearly 20% in UnitedHealth, which said its 2026 revenue would shrink, while health insurers were lower overall in the wake of a lower-than-expected Medicare reimbursement proposal for 2027 from the government.
Markets were also awaiting earnings this week from heavyweight names that are part of the so-called Magnificent Seven, such as Microsoft, Apple, Tesla and Meta Platforms, while the Federal Reserve is scheduled to release its policy statement on Wednesday.
“Our view this year is the impetus for markets to continue to rise is going to be an earnings story rather than a multiples story,” said Charlie Ripley, senior investment strategist at Allianz Investment Management in Minneapolis. “There's an expectation that those earnings will be fairly robust and you're seeing that reflected in stocks moving higher.”
The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 443.84 points, or 0.90%, to 48,968.36, the S&P 500 rose 26.55 points, or 0.38%, to 6,976.78 and the Nasdaq Composite rose 200.89 points, or 0.85%, to 23,801.43.
MSCI's gauge of stocks across the globe rose 6.81 points, or 0.65%, to 1,050.98 and was on track for a fifth straight daily gain, its longest run of gains this year. The pan-European STOXX 600 index rose 0.58%, boosted by a 1.6% jump in bank shares.
South Korea scrambled to assure the U.S. it remained committed to implementing a trade deal after U.S. President Donald Trump said he would hike tariffs on autos and other imports from its ally, blaming a delay in enacting the pact agreed last year. It was the latest tariff threat from Trump after he announced plans to issue levies on several European countries over Greenland last week.
The dollar index, which measures the greenback against a basket of currencies, fell 0.78% to 96.35, with the euro up 0.67% at $1.1958. The Korean won strengthened 0.57% against the greenback to 1,437.36 per dollar after falling as much as 0.63%.
Against the Japanese yen, the dollar weakened 0.73% to 153.02 after hitting 152.86, its lowest level since early November, while Sterling strengthened 0.75% to $1.378.
The yen had come under pressure since new Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi ascended to her position in October, in part due to worries over Japan's government debt as Takaichi based her campaign for next month's elections on expanded stimulus measures.
But the Japanese currency strengthened sharply on Friday as chatter about rate checks by the New York Fed as well as the Bank of Japan fueled the risk of a joint U.S.-Japan intervention to halt the yen's slide.
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A federal appeals court on Jan. 26 granted the Trump administration a full stay of a lower court ruling that prevented ICE agents from detaining protesters or using nonlethal munitions and crowd dispersal tools during protests in Minnesota without probable cause.
In its ruling, the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals panel said that U.S. District Judge Kate Menendez's Jan. 16 injunction was “too vague” and that the Department of Homeland Security has made “a strong showing” that its challenge is likely to succeed on the merits.
Federal officials have referred Minnesota to the Justice Department (DOJ) over alleged civil rights violations stemming from the state's refusal to halt male participation in female sports.
The referral came from the Education Department (ED) and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which concluded in September that the state violated Title IX's prohibition on sex-based discrimination in federally funded education.
LUGANSK, January 27. /TASS/. Russian fighters have been consolidating their positions by the day near Krasny Liman (known as Liman in Ukraine) in the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR), military expert Andrey Marochko told TASS.
"Our servicemen have been conducting their routine combat work, showing tactical successes near Krasny Liman almost every day. Over the past day, our servicemen have improved their tactical position inside the city and gained a new foothold there," he said.
Earlier, Marochko told TASS that Russian troops are fighting fierce battles on the outskirts of Krasny Liman, while the command of the Ukrainian armed forces continues its military buildup in the city.
Live Updates
• Trump backs Noem: President Donald Trump says Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem is not stepping down. Trump met with Noem for nearly two hours last night, according to sources.
• Leadership shakeup: Border czar Tom Homan is now in Minnesota and has met with Gov. Tim Walz. Top Border Patrol official Gregory Bovino and some of his agents are expected to leave Minneapolis today, sources said, amid backlash against the immigration crackdown in the state.
• Shift in tone: Trump said he does not believe Alex Pretti was an “assassin,” and he'll be “watching over” the investigation into the ICU nurse's fatal shooting. Meanwhile, first lady Melania Trump has called for unity in a rare interview.
• Judge's order: Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons has been ordered to appear in federal court on Friday by a Minnesota judge to explain why he should not be held in contempt for violating an order in the case of a man challenging his detention.
Top Border Patrol official Gregory Bovino and some of his agents are expected to leave Minneapolis today, sources said.
Some Minnesotans tell CNN that they are glad to see him go, but are apprehensive about whether anything will change.
Here's what they say:
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and his leadership team said that House Democrats will launch impeachment proceedings against Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem if she is not fired by President Donald Trump, a major escalation in the party leaders' position.
In the wake of Saturday's fatal shooting of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, the second person killed by federal agents in the city this month, Jeffries along with Reps. Katherine Clark and Pete Aguilar released a statement that responded to the growing calls from within the party to take further action against Noem.
“Kristi Noem should be fired immediately, or we will commence impeachment proceedings in the House of Representatives,” the trio of Democratic leaders wrote.
Up until Pretti was killed in Minneapolis over the weekend, Jeffries had been trying to keep his options open and was trying to steer his party away from a rushed impeachment effort.
“We haven't ruled anything in and we haven't ruled anything out, but what is clear is that Kristi Noem is a corrupt political hack who is deeply unqualified,” Jeffries said last week.
But the number of House Democrats signing onto an impeachment effort against Noem only continued to grow.
The top Democrat on the House Homeland Security Committee, Rep. Bennie Thompson, has also launched an investigation into Noem.
Video obtained by The Associated Press show a chaotic scene just moments after Alex Pretti was shot on Saturday.
Some federal agents and emergency responders can be seen attempting to administer aid to Pretti as he lays on the ground.
Warning: Disturbing content.
“Call an ambulance, please, please, we're all people,” one man can be heard saying to an agent. “I understand but you have to stay out of the way,” an agent replies.
The scene continues to unfold as emergency responders arrive and one person begins chest compressions on Pretti.
Agents and witnesses continue to go back and forth.
“Why don't you be quiet please?” one agent says. “We've witnessed this multiple times in this city,” a man replies. “No, you haven't,” the agent says. “Yes, we have,” the man replies. “Not by us,” the agent adds.
Agents then attempt to keep bystanders back as police begin putting up yellow caution tape around the scene.
President Donald Trump's crackdown on immigration contributed to a year-to-year drop in the nation's growth rate as the US population reached nearly 342 million people in 2025, according to population estimates released Tuesday by the US Census Bureau.
The 0.5% growth rate for 2025 was a sharp drop from 2024's almost 1% growth rate, which was the highest in two decades and was fueled by immigration. The 2024 estimates put the US population at 340 million people.
Immigration increased by almost 1.3 million people last year, compared with 2024's increase of 2.8 million people. If trends continue, the gain from immigrants in mid-2026 will drop to only 321,000 people, according to the Census Bureau, whose estimates do not distinguish between legal and illegal immigration.
Today's data release comes as researchers have been trying to determine the effects of the second Trump administration's immigration crackdown after the Republican president returned to the White House in January 2025.
The numbers reflect change from July 2024 to July 2025, covering the end of President Joe Biden's Democratic administration and the first half of Trump's first year back in office.
The 2025 numbers were a jarring divergence from 2024, when net international migration accounted for 84% of the nation's 3.3 million-person increase from the year before. The jump in immigration two years ago was partly because of a new method of counting that added people who were admitted for humanitarian reasons.
“They do reflect recent trends we have seen in out-migration, where the numbers of people coming in is down and the numbers going out is up,” Eric Jensen, a senior research scientist at the Census Bureau, said last week.
President Donald Trump said today that he does not believe Alex Pretti was acting as an “assassin” in Minneapolis, the most direct contradiction he's made yet of how some members of his administration described Pretti in the immediate aftermath of his killing.
Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump was asked about the “assassin” description, which was used on Saturday by deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller.
“No,” Trump said, “not as an — no.”
He turned back after a moment to offer an addendum to his answer.
“With that being said, you can't have guns. You can't walk in with guns. You just can't. You can't walk in with guns, you can't do that. But it's a very unfortunate incident,” he said.
After Pretti was shot to death on Saturday, Miller referred to him as “a would-be assassin” who “tried to murder federal agents,” a claim Vice President JD Vance reposted on social media. Miller was among those who boarded Marine One with Trump on Tuesday as the president headed to Iowa for a speech.
At the White House on Monday, press secretary Karoline Leavitt sought to put distance between those comments and Trump's feelings. She said she hadn't heard Trump “characterize Mr. Pretti in that way.”
President Donald Trump expressed confidence in his homeland security secretary Tuesday, telling reporters at the White House that Kristi Noem is not stepping down.
CNN reported earlier today that Trump met for nearly two hours with Noem and her senior adviser Monday night, as she and the department face backlash over their response to the shooting of another US citizen at the hands of federal agents.
Asked directly whether Noem was going to step down, Trump said, “No,” before moving on to the next question.
The president said that “she's doing a very good job” when asked again later about Noem.
Trump said border czar Tom Homan, whom the president sent to Minneapolis, is set to meet with Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey.
“He's meeting with the governor, and he's meeting with the mayor, I think later, and I hear that's all going very well,” Trump said.
Walz's office said earlier today he met with Homan and the two “agreed on the need for an ongoing dialogue.”
President Donald Trump on Tuesday called for an “honorable and honest” investigation into the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti and said he'd be “watching over it.”
Asked Tuesday whether he believed Pretti's death was justified, the president indicated that he would be involved with the investigation.
“Well you know, we're doing a big investigation. I want to see the investigation. I'm going to be watching over it. I want a very honorable and honest investigation. I have to see it myself,” he told reporters while departing the White House for a trip to Iowa.
The president struck a more moderate tone than many of his top lieutenants, some of whom have cast Pretti as a “domestic terrorist.” There has been a shift in tone and strategy from the White House over the past day, with Trump announcing on Monday that he was sending border czar Tom Homan to Minneapolis to replace Border Patrol chief Greg Bovino on the ground.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz's office said he met with White House border czar Tom Homan today and the two “agreed on the need for an ongoing dialogue.”
The Democratic governor said he reiterated Minnesota's priorities, including “impartial investigations into the Minneapolis shootings involving federal agents, a swift, significant reduction in the number of federal forces in Minnesota, and an end to the campaign of retribution against Minnesota.”
Walz and Homan “will continue working toward those goals, which the President also agreed to yesterday,” the governor's office said.
The Minnesota Department of Public Safety will be the primary liaison with Homan in ensuring those goals are met, Walz's office noted.
Some background: President Donald Trump and Walz spoke by phone yesterday in what they both described as a productive conversation. “It was a very good call, and we, actually, seemed to be on a similar wavelength,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, striking a notably conciliatory tone.
In a separate statement, Walz said Trump agreed to consider reducing the number of federal agents in Minnesota and pledged to talk to his Department of Homeland Security about ensuring that state officials can investigate Saturday's fatal shooting of Alex Pretti.
Three days after the fatal shooting of 37-year-old Alex Pretti by federal agents, Minneapolis residents are still out in the streets protesting the immigration crackdown in their city, and there has been a change in the border officials deployed there.
Sources told CNN that top Border Patrol official Gregory Bovino and some of his agents are expected to leave the city today, with border czar Tom Homan being dispatched there in his place.
For those just joining us, here are some of the latest developments coming out of Minneapolis:
CNN's Jeff Winter, Priscilla Alvarez, Kit Maher, Alayna Treene, Betsy Klein, Kaanita Iyer, Arlette Saenz and Martin Goillandeau contributed to this reporting.
Federal immigration officers have been collecting personal information about protesters and agitators in Minneapolis, sources told CNN — and had documented details about Alex Pretti before he was shot to death on Saturday.
It is unclear how Pretti first came to the attention of federal authorities, but sources told CNN that about a week before his death, he suffered a broken rib when a group of federal officers tackled him while he was protesting their attempt to detain other individuals.
The earlier incident started when he stopped his car after observing Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents chasing what he described as a family on foot, and began shouting and blowing his whistle, according to a source who asked not to be named out of fear of retribution.
Pretti later told the source that five agents tackled him, and one leaned on his back — an encounter that left him with a broken rib. The agents quickly released him at the scene.
“That day, he thought he was going to die,” said the source.
Pretti was later given medication consistent with treating a broken rib, according to records reviewed by CNN.
DHS did not respond to questions about Pretti's previous encounter or more details about efforts to collect information on protesters.
A memo sent earlier this month to agents temporarily assigned to the city asked them to “capture all images, license plates, identifications, and general information on hotels, agitators, protestors, etc., so we can capture it all in one consolidated form,” according to correspondence reviewed by CNN.
Read more.
CNN's Isabelle Chapman contributed to this report..
While a Minnesota judge waits for acting Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director Todd Lyons to appear in federal court this week to answer questions about violating the judge's order, the man in the case is “suffering” in ICE custody, his attorney said.
Juan Hugo Tobay Robles filed a habeus corpus petition on January 8 challenging his detention, according to court documents.
“He is suffering in detention and feels he does not have the medical care he needs,” Graham Ojala-Barbour, an attorney for Robles, told CNN.
Robles is currently detained at El Valle Detention Center in Raymondville, Texas.
“He had been detained in El Paso and was transferred a few times in Texas,” Ojala-Barbour said. “He got Covid in custody.”
Robles was detained by ICE agents in Minnesota on January 6, according to Ojala-Barbour.
“He was pulled over on the freeway and arrested by 12 to 13 agents. The agents that arrested him hit him in the back and hurt his hand as they detained him,” the attorney said.
CNN has reached out to the Department of Homeland Security for comment on the case.
Judge Patrick Schiltz, the chief district judge in Minnesota, said in a court filing yesterday that “The Court's patience is at an end,” and that Lyons must appear in court Friday and explain why he should not be held in contempt for violating the a judge's order.
Lyons, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and David Easterwood, the acting ICE director in the St. Paul field office, have failed to comply with “dozens of court orders” in recent weeks, Schiltz said in the filing, including scheduling a bond hearing for Robles.
Former President Joe Biden has criticized the Trump administration's actions in Minneapolis and called for “full, fair and transparent investigations” into the fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti.
“What has unfolded in Minneapolis this past month betrays our most basic values as Americans. We are not a nation that guns down our citizens in the street. We are not a nation that allows our citizens to be brutalized for exercising their constitutional rights. We are not a nation that tramples the 4th Amendment and tolerates our neighbors being terrorized,” he said in a post on X today.
Biden praised the people of Minnesota for their resilience after the deaths of Good and Pretti, saying they have “reminded us all what it is to be American, and they have suffered enough at the hands of this Administration.”
“Violence and terror have no place in the United States of America, especially when it's our own government targeting American citizens. No single person can destroy what America stands for and believes in, not even a President, if we — all of America — stand up and speak out,” he said. “We know who we are. It's time to show the world. More importantly, it's time to show ourselves.”
“Now, justice requires full, fair, and transparent investigations into the deaths of the two Americans who lost their lives in the city they called home,” he said. “Jill and I are sending strength to the families and communities who love Alex Pretti and Renee Good as we all mourn their senseless deaths.”
Despite subzero temperatures in Minneapolis, mourners continue to gather to honor Alex Pretti and Renee Good at their respective memorials.
At Good's memorial, a man has set up a fire to help keep people warm.
The locations where Pretti and Good were fatally shot by federal agents are close to each other and not far from where George Floyd was killed by law enforcement in 2020.
View more images from the scenes at the memorials:
Related gallery
In pictures: The Minneapolis immigration crackdown
President Donald Trump met for nearly two hours with Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and her senior adviser, Corey Lewandowski, in the Oval Office last night, two sources familiar with the meeting told CNN, after Noem had asked to speak with Trump in person.
The meeting comes as the Trump administration has showed its first signs of retreat in Minneapolis following Saturday's fatal shooting of Alex Pretti, the second person killed by federal agents in the city this month.
Here's who was at the meeting and what was discussed, according to sources:
Candid conversation: Trump did not threaten Noem's or Lewandowski's jobs during the meeting, the sources said. The group had a frank conversation about how to continue carrying out the president's immigration agenda in Minnesota amid national backlash — including criticism from some Republicans — and unrest in the state.
Who else was there? Other top Trump officials, including chief of staff Susie Wiles, press secretary Karoline Leavitt and communications director Steven Cheung, also attended the meeting, which was first reported by The New York Times. The White House declined to comment on the meeting, though an official reiterated the president's support for Noem.
What DHS is saying: Asked about the meeting on Fox News, DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said today that Trump and Noem have “had at-length discussions.” She said: “I can't get into those specifics, but Secretary Noem will continue to oversee, of course, the Department of Homeland Security.” McLaughlin said that Noem is “very happy” that border czar Tom Homan will be overseeing immigration operations in Minneapolis.
CNN's Kaanita Iyer, Daniel Dale, Priscilla Alvarez, Michael Williams, Holmes Lybrand and Aaron Blake contributed to this report.
Across the globe from Minnesota, outrage is growing in Italy over the deployment of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to assist US security operations at the Winter Olympics next month.
Current and former lawmakers have urged Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni to intervene to block the agents' presence in the wake of two fatal shootings during the immigration crackdown in Minneapolis.
The US Department of Homeland Security confirmed the reports in a statement to CNN today.
ICE will serve “a security role” at the Olympics, a DHS spokesperson said. “They don't do immigration enforcement (operations) in a foreign country obviously,” the spokesperson added.
The agency is “supporting” the US diplomatic security service at the Games, DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said, later adding that “all security operations remain under Italian authority.”
“At the Olympics, ICE's Homeland Security Investigations is supporting the U.S. Department of State's Diplomatic Security Service and host nation to vet and mitigate risks from transnational criminal organizations,” McLaughlin told CNN in a statement.
According to the Associated Press, citing sources, federal agencies have supported security for US diplomats in previous Olympics, including Homeland Security Investigations, which is a part of ICE.
Read the full story.
As criticism mounts over the Trump administration's response to the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti by a federal agent in Minneapolis, some Republican lawmakers are asking the administration to do more.
Here are some of the GOP senators who are calling for an investigation into Pretti's death:
Meanwhile, the chairmen of the Senate and House Homeland Security Committees – Paul and Rep. Andrew Garbarino – are calling for top immigration officials to testify to Congress.
And GOP Rep. Mike Lawler of New York penned a New York Times op-ed calling for “congressional scrutiny” and an “an immigration plan that settles the issue.”
“After 40 years of failure — and, now, two more deaths that did not need to occur — my colleagues and I should feel only more profoundly the responsibility to rebuild trust and act in America's common interest,” the congressman wrote.
This post has been updated with additional information.
CNN's Aaron Blake and Annie Grayer contributed to this post.
Scores of people in Minneapolis have taken to the streets to sing while marching against Operation Metro Surge, the federal government's surge of immigration officers into the city.
One organizer told CNN that people are singing to “grieve,” “feel rage” and “strengthen (themselves).”
Watch Anderson Cooper's interview with that organizer below:
What began with a small group singing in freezing temperatures has grown into a movement in Minneapolis, where hundreds are gathering to use protest songs as a way to grieve, express fear, and find courage. CNN's Anderson Cooper reports.
President Donald Trump is expected to travel to Iowa today, heading there later this morning to deliver a speech on the economy in the city of Clive at 4 p.m. ET.
According to his chief of staff Susie Wiles, who spoke to reporters on Air Force One en route to Switzerland last week, the president is expected to start traveling domestically once a week with the frequency increasing as the 2026 midterms approach.
The speech is Trump's only public engagement today, and it follows yesterday's self-described “great conversations” with Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.
“I had two very good talks. I had Jacob Frey and I had Governor Walz,” Trump said this morning on WABC radio's “Sid & Friends In The Morning.” “They were great calls, so let's see how they're reported. But they were very nice calls, very respectful.”
He indicated that a compromise of some kind can be reached regarding immigration enforcement action in the state, emphasizing how the goal is to target criminal undocumented immigrants.
Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin declined to peel back Secretary Krisi Noem's characterization of Alex Pretti's actions on Saturday as domestic terrorism.
McLaughlin deferred to the investigation led by the department and FBI, as well as the internal Customs and Border Patrol review, when pressed in an interview on Fox News Tuesday morning, claiming that Pretti obstructed a federal immigration operation.
“In this situation, we have seen on the ground in Minneapolis a highly coordinated campaign of violence against our law enforcement,” McLaughlin said. “In this case, we saw an individual who, he was armed. He got into a physical altercation with law enforcement. He was in the course of obstructing a federal operation, which is a federal crime.”
Pretti was a lawful gun owner with a concealed carry permit and in video analyzed by CNN, he is not seen brandishing his weapon at federal agents. Video also shows that Pretti was disarmed before a Border Patrol agent shot him multiple times.
“You have the right to practice your first amendment, of course, and your second amendment rights, but do so responsibly and without breaking federal law,” McLaughlin said.
Pennsylvania Democratic Sen. John Fetterman is calling for DHS Secretary Kristi Noem to be fired.
In a social media post appealing directly to President Donald Trump, Fetterman called for the president to “immediately fire” Noem.
“Americans have died. She (Noem) is betraying DHS's core mission and trashing your border security legacy,” Fetterman wrote.
“DO NOT make the mistake President Biden made for not firing a grossly incompetent DHS Secretary,” he said, referring to Alejandro Mayorkas.
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A University of Michigan student has been found dead following a daylong search that began when he left a fraternity party in just a T-shirt and jeans in sub-zero winter weather conditions.
Engineering student Lucas Mattson, 19, was last seen walking without a coat at around 1 a.m. Friday, Jan. 23, as temperatures plummeted as low as 0 degrees, according to the University of Michigan's Division of Public Safety and Security.
His body was found Saturday night following a 20-hour search in "extreme cold conditions," police said.
Authorities said that there are no obvious signs of trauma and foul play is not suspected. The Washtenaw County Medical Examiner's Office will determine the cause and manner of death.
Lucas Mattson, 19, was last seen walking without a coat as temperatures dropped to 0 degrees in Ann Arbor, Michigan. (University of Michigan Department of Public Safety and Security)
KANSAS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TEACHER FOUND DEAD IN SNOW DAYS AFTER GOING MISSING
Mattson was reported missing to the Ann Arbor Police Department (AAPD) 15 hours after he was noticed missing at 1 a.m.
The nearly 20-hour search effort to locate him took place in extreme cold conditions and included officers from AAPD and University of Michigan Division of Public Safety and Security, as well as the University of Michigan Police Department Drone Unit, the agency said.
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The University of Michigan's campus. Officials said that Lucas Mattson, 19, disappeared during sub-freezing temperatures. (Getty Images)
Authorities said that Mattson was last seen wearing a light colored T-shirt, blue jeans and white sneakers when he disappeared from the fraternity party.
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"Please join me in extending our deepest condolences to Lucas's family, friends, and all who loved him," University of Michigan interim president Domenico Grasso said in a statement, warning against "misinformation" spreading about his death around the school community.
A missing persons flyer for 19-year-old Lucas Mattson. (University of Michigan Department of Public Safety and Security)
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Grasso also said he has asked school officials to retrace the events of the night Mattson disappeared "to better understand what transpired and identify possible steps to help prevent similar tragedies in the future."
"I am grateful for the outpouring of support from so many people worried about Lucas's welfare, including those who searched for him in extremely difficult weather conditions," the university president said.
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Sarah Rumpf-Whitten is a U.S. Writer at Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to sarah.rumpf@fox.com and on X @s_rumpfwhitten
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Live Updates
• Leader sidelined: Top Border Patrol official Gregory Bovino and some of his agents are expected to leave Minneapolis today, sources said, as President Donald Trump is sending border czar Tom Homan to manage the immigration crackdown in the state. Trump also met with Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem for nearly two hours last night, according to sources.
• President shifts tone: Trump said he had “great conversations” with Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey yesterday, indicating that a compromise could be reached. Meanwhile, first lady Melania Trump called on Americans to “unify” in the wake of the shooting deaths of Alex Pretti and Renee Good and the subsequent protests.
• Judge's order: Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons has been ordered to appear in federal court on Friday by a Minnesota judge to explain why he should not be held in contempt for violating an order in the case of a man challenging his detention.
President Donald Trump expressed confidence in his homeland security secretary Tuesday, telling reporters at the White House that Kristi Noem is not stepping down.
CNN reported earlier today that Trump met for nearly two hours with Noem and her senior adviser Monday night, as she and the department face backlash over their response to the shooting of another US citizen at the hands of federal agents.
Asked directly whether Noem was going to step down, Trump said, “No,” before moving on to the next question.
The president said that “she's doing a very good job” when asked again later about Noem.
Trump said border czar Tom Homan, whom the president sent to Minneapolis, is set to meet with Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey.
“He's meeting with the governor, and he's meeting with the mayor, I think later, and I hear that's all going very well,” Trump said.
Walz's office said earlier today he met with Homan and the two “agreed on the need for an ongoing dialogue.”
President Donald Trump on Tuesday called for an “honorable and honest” investigation into the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti and said he'd be “watching over it.”
Asked Tuesday whether he believed Pretti's death was justified, the president indicated that he would be involved with the investigation.
“Well you know, we're doing a big investigation. I want to see the investigation. I'm going to be watching over it. I want a very honorable and honest investigation. I have to see it myself,” he told reporters while departing the White House for a trip to Iowa.
The president struck a more moderate tone than many of his top lieutenants, some of whom have cast Pretti as a “domestic terrorist.” There has been a shift in tone and strategy from the White House over the past day, with Trump announcing on Monday that he was sending border czar Tom Homan to Minneapolis to replace Border Patrol chief Greg Bovino on the ground.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz's office said he met with White House border czar Tom Homan today and the two “agreed on the need for an ongoing dialogue.”
The Democratic governor said he reiterated Minnesota's priorities, including “impartial investigations into the Minneapolis shootings involving federal agents, a swift, significant reduction in the number of federal forces in Minnesota, and an end to the campaign of retribution against Minnesota.”
Walz and Homan “will continue working toward those goals, which the President also agreed to yesterday,” the governor's office said.
The Minnesota Department of Public Safety will be the primary liaison with Homan in ensuring those goals are met, Walz's office noted.
Some background: President Donald Trump and Walz spoke by phone yesterday in what they both described as a productive conversation. “It was a very good call, and we, actually, seemed to be on a similar wavelength,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, striking a notably conciliatory tone.
In a separate statement, Walz said Trump agreed to consider reducing the number of federal agents in Minnesota and pledged to talk to his Department of Homeland Security about ensuring that state officials can investigate Saturday's fatal shooting of Alex Pretti.
Three days after the fatal shooting of 37-year-old Alex Pretti by federal agents, Minneapolis residents are still out in the streets protesting the immigration crackdown in their city, and there has been a change in the border officials deployed there.
Sources told CNN that top Border Patrol official Gregory Bovino and some of his agents are expected to leave the city today, with border czar Tom Homan being dispatched there in his place.
For those just joining us, here are some of the latest developments coming out of Minneapolis:
CNN's Jeff Winter, Priscilla Alvarez, Kit Maher, Alayna Treene, Betsy Klein, Kaanita Iyer, Arlette Saenz and Martin Goillandeau contributed to this reporting.
Federal immigration officers have been collecting personal information about protesters and agitators in Minneapolis, sources told CNN — and had documented details about Alex Pretti before he was shot to death on Saturday.
It is unclear how Pretti first came to the attention of federal authorities, but sources told CNN that about a week before his death, he suffered a broken rib when a group of federal officers tackled him while he was protesting their attempt to detain other individuals.
The earlier incident started when he stopped his car after observing Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents chasing what he described as a family on foot, and began shouting and blowing his whistle, according to a source who asked not to be named out of fear of retribution.
Pretti later told the source that five agents tackled him, and one leaned on his back — an encounter that left him with a broken rib. The agents quickly released him at the scene.
“That day, he thought he was going to die,” said the source.
Pretti was later given medication consistent with treating a broken rib, according to records reviewed by CNN.
DHS did not respond to questions about Pretti's previous encounter or more details about efforts to collect information on protesters.
A memo sent earlier this month to agents temporarily assigned to the city asked them to “capture all images, license plates, identifications, and general information on hotels, agitators, protestors, etc., so we can capture it all in one consolidated form,” according to correspondence reviewed by CNN.
Read more.
CNN's Isabelle Chapman contributed to this report..
While a Minnesota judge waits for acting Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director Todd Lyons to appear in federal court this week to answer questions about violating the judge's order, the man in the case is “suffering” in ICE custody, his attorney said.
Juan Hugo Tobay Robles filed a habeus corpus petition on January 8 challenging his detention, according to court documents.
“He is suffering in detention and feels he does not have the medical care he needs,” Graham Ojala-Barbour, an attorney for Robles, told CNN.
Robles is currently detained at El Valle Detention Center in Raymondville, Texas.
“He had been detained in El Paso and was transferred a few times in Texas,” Ojala-Barbour said. “He got Covid in custody.”
Robles was detained by ICE agents in Minnesota on January 6, according to Ojala-Barbour.
“He was pulled over on the freeway and arrested by 12 to 13 agents. The agents that arrested him hit him in the back and hurt his hand as they detained him,” the attorney said.
CNN has reached out to the Department of Homeland Security for comment on the case.
Judge Patrick Schiltz, the chief district judge in Minnesota, said in a court filing yesterday that “The Court's patience is at an end,” and that Lyons must appear in court Friday and explain why he should not be held in contempt for violating the a judge's order.
Lyons, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and David Easterwood, the acting ICE director in the St. Paul field office, have failed to comply with “dozens of court orders” in recent weeks, Schiltz said in the filing, including scheduling a bond hearing for Robles.
Former President Joe Biden has criticized the Trump administration's actions in Minneapolis and called for “full, fair and transparent investigations” into the fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti.
“What has unfolded in Minneapolis this past month betrays our most basic values as Americans. We are not a nation that guns down our citizens in the street. We are not a nation that allows our citizens to be brutalized for exercising their constitutional rights. We are not a nation that tramples the 4th Amendment and tolerates our neighbors being terrorized,” he said in a post on X today.
Biden praised the people of Minnesota for their resilience after the deaths of Good and Pretti, saying they have “reminded us all what it is to be American, and they have suffered enough at the hands of this Administration.”
“Violence and terror have no place in the United States of America, especially when it's our own government targeting American citizens. No single person can destroy what America stands for and believes in, not even a President, if we — all of America — stand up and speak out,” he said. “We know who we are. It's time to show the world. More importantly, it's time to show ourselves.”
“Now, justice requires full, fair, and transparent investigations into the deaths of the two Americans who lost their lives in the city they called home,” he said. “Jill and I are sending strength to the families and communities who love Alex Pretti and Renee Good as we all mourn their senseless deaths.”
Despite subzero temperatures in Minneapolis, mourners continue to gather to honor Alex Pretti and Renee Good at their respective memorials.
At Good's memorial, a man has set up a fire to help keep people warm.
The locations where Pretti and Good were fatally shot by federal agents are close to each other and not far from where George Floyd was killed by law enforcement in 2020.
View more images from the scenes at the memorials:
Related gallery
In pictures: The Minneapolis immigration crackdown
President Donald Trump met for nearly two hours with Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and her senior adviser, Corey Lewandowski, in the Oval Office last night, two sources familiar with the meeting told CNN, after Noem had asked to speak with Trump in person.
The meeting comes as the Trump administration has showed its first signs of retreat in Minneapolis following Saturday's fatal shooting of Alex Pretti, the second person killed by federal agents in the city this month.
Here's who was at the meeting and what was discussed, according to sources:
Candid conversation: Trump did not threaten Noem's or Lewandowski's jobs during the meeting, the sources said. The group had a frank conversation about how to continue carrying out the president's immigration agenda in Minnesota amid national backlash — including criticism from some Republicans — and unrest in the state.
Who else was there? Other top Trump officials, including chief of staff Susie Wiles, press secretary Karoline Leavitt and communications director Steven Cheung, also attended the meeting, which was first reported by The New York Times. The White House declined to comment on the meeting, though an official reiterated the president's support for Noem.
What DHS is saying: Asked about the meeting on Fox News, DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said today that Trump and Noem have “had at-length discussions.” She said: “I can't get into those specifics, but Secretary Noem will continue to oversee, of course, the Department of Homeland Security.” McLaughlin said that Noem is “very happy” that border czar Tom Homan will be overseeing immigration operations in Minneapolis.
CNN's Kaanita Iyer, Daniel Dale, Priscilla Alvarez, Michael Williams, Holmes Lybrand and Aaron Blake contributed to this report.
Across the globe from Minnesota, outrage is growing in Italy over the deployment of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to assist US security operations at the Winter Olympics next month.
Current and former lawmakers have urged Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni to intervene to block the agents' presence in the wake of two fatal shootings during the immigration crackdown in Minneapolis.
The US Department of Homeland Security confirmed the reports in a statement to CNN today.
ICE will serve “a security role” at the Olympics, a DHS spokesperson said. “They don't do immigration enforcement (operations) in a foreign country obviously,” the spokesperson added.
The agency is “supporting” the US diplomatic security service at the Games, DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said, later adding that “all security operations remain under Italian authority.”
“At the Olympics, ICE's Homeland Security Investigations is supporting the U.S. Department of State's Diplomatic Security Service and host nation to vet and mitigate risks from transnational criminal organizations,” McLaughlin told CNN in a statement.
According to the Associated Press, citing sources, federal agencies have supported security for US diplomats in previous Olympics, including Homeland Security Investigations, which is a part of ICE.
Read the full story.
As criticism mounts over the Trump administration's response to the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti by a federal agent in Minneapolis, some Republican lawmakers are asking the administration to do more.
Here are some of the GOP senators who are calling for an investigation into Pretti's death:
Meanwhile, the chairmen of the Senate and House Homeland Security Committees – Paul and Rep. Andrew Garbarino – are calling for top immigration officials to testify to Congress.
And GOP Rep. Mike Lawler of New York penned a New York Times op-ed calling for “congressional scrutiny” and an “an immigration plan that settles the issue.”
“After 40 years of failure — and, now, two more deaths that did not need to occur — my colleagues and I should feel only more profoundly the responsibility to rebuild trust and act in America's common interest,” the congressman wrote.
This post has been updated with additional information.
CNN's Aaron Blake and Annie Grayer contributed to this post.
Scores of people in Minneapolis have taken to the streets to sing while marching against Operation Metro Surge, the federal government's surge of immigration officers into the city.
One organizer told CNN that people are singing to “grieve,” “feel rage” and “strengthen (themselves).”
Watch Anderson Cooper's interview with that organizer below:
What began with a small group singing in freezing temperatures has grown into a movement in Minneapolis, where hundreds are gathering to use protest songs as a way to grieve, express fear, and find courage. CNN's Anderson Cooper reports.
President Donald Trump is expected to travel to Iowa today, heading there later this morning to deliver a speech on the economy in the city of Clive at 4 p.m. ET.
According to his chief of staff Susie Wiles, who spoke to reporters on Air Force One en route to Switzerland last week, the president is expected to start traveling domestically once a week with the frequency increasing as the 2026 midterms approach.
The speech is Trump's only public engagement today, and it follows yesterday's self-described “great conversations” with Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.
“I had two very good talks. I had Jacob Frey and I had Governor Walz,” Trump said this morning on WABC radio's “Sid & Friends In The Morning.” “They were great calls, so let's see how they're reported. But they were very nice calls, very respectful.”
He indicated that a compromise of some kind can be reached regarding immigration enforcement action in the state, emphasizing how the goal is to target criminal undocumented immigrants.
Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin declined to peel back Secretary Krisi Noem's characterization of Alex Pretti's actions on Saturday as domestic terrorism.
McLaughlin deferred to the investigation led by the department and FBI, as well as the internal Customs and Border Patrol review, when pressed in an interview on Fox News Tuesday morning, claiming that Pretti obstructed a federal immigration operation.
“In this situation, we have seen on the ground in Minneapolis a highly coordinated campaign of violence against our law enforcement,” McLaughlin said. “In this case, we saw an individual who, he was armed. He got into a physical altercation with law enforcement. He was in the course of obstructing a federal operation, which is a federal crime.”
Pretti was a lawful gun owner with a concealed carry permit and in video analyzed by CNN, he is not seen brandishing his weapon at federal agents. Video also shows that Pretti was disarmed before a Border Patrol agent shot him multiple times.
“You have the right to practice your first amendment, of course, and your second amendment rights, but do so responsibly and without breaking federal law,” McLaughlin said.
Pennsylvania Democratic Sen. John Fetterman is calling for DHS Secretary Kristi Noem to be fired.
In a social media post appealing directly to President Donald Trump, Fetterman called for the president to “immediately fire” Noem.
“Americans have died. She (Noem) is betraying DHS's core mission and trashing your border security legacy,” Fetterman wrote.
“DO NOT make the mistake President Biden made for not firing a grossly incompetent DHS Secretary,” he said, referring to Alejandro Mayorkas.
Acting Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director Todd Lyons has been ordered to appear in federal court this Friday and explain why he should not be held in contempt for violating a judge's order in the case of a man challenging his detention.
Judge Patrick Schiltz, the chief district judge in Minnesota, said in a court filing Monday that “The Court's patience is at an end,” with the administration, which sent thousands of federal agents to the Minneapolis area for an immigration crackdown.
The administration's anti-immigration efforts have sparked widespread protests in Minneapolis, particularly after the fatal shooting of two US citizens by federal agents.
The judge said Lyons, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and David Easterwood, the acting ICE director in the St. Paul field office have failed to comply with “dozens of court orders” in recent weeks.
Schiltz pointed to a January 14 order, in which the court ordered Lyons, Noem and Easterwood to provide a man in ICE detention with a bond hearing within seven days or release him from custody. On January 23, the court was notified that the man was still in detention and did not receive a bond hearing, according to the filing.
“The practical consequence of respondents' failure to comply has almost always been significant hardship to aliens (many of whom have lawfully lived and worked in the United States for years and done absolutely nothing wrong),” Schiltz wrote in Monday's filing.
The filing was first reported by Politico.
President Donald Trump said that he had “great conversations” with Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz on Monday.
“I had two very good talks. I had Jacob Frey and I had Governor Walz,”Trump said Tuesday morning on WABC radio's “Sid & Friends in the Morning.” “They were great calls, so let's see how they're reported. But they were very nice calls, very respectful.”
“Actually, they were both great conversations,” Trump said. “So, let's hope that turns out to be so.”
Trump indicated that a compromise of some kind can be reached, emphasizing how the goal is to target criminal undocumented immigrants.
“What we need is their criminals. You know, they have criminals and all I said, just give us your criminals. And if you give us the criminals, it all goes away,” Trump said.
First lady Melania Trump called on Americans to “unify” in the wake of a pair of federal law enforcement shootings of US citizens in Minneapolis and widespread protests this month.
“We need to unify. I'm calling for unity. I know my husband, the president, had a great call yesterday with the governor and the mayor, and they're working together to make it peaceful and without riots,” Trump told Fox News host Ainsley Earhardt.
It has been extremely rare for Trump to address current events during President Donald Trump's second term but the first lady appeared on Fox News from the White House ahead of the Friday release of her eponymous documentary.
“I'm against the violence. So if, please if you protest, protest in peace, and we need to unify in these times,” Trump said.
Her comments come amid a significant shift in tone from the White House this week as CNN reported that border czar Tom Homan was being dispatched to Minneapolis, with Border Patrol commander Greg Bovino expected to depart the city.
US President Donald Trump and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz spoke over the phone yesterday about the sweeping immigration enforcement operation taking place in the Twin Cities, with both describing the call positively.
In a Truth Social post, Trump said that Walz had called him “with the request to work together with respect to Minnesota.” Describing the discussion as “very good,” the president said that he and Walz “actually, seemed to be on a similar wavelength.”
“I told Governor Walz that I would have (border czar) Tom Homan call him, and that what we are looking for are any and all Criminals that they have in their possession. The Governor, very respectfully, understood that, and I will be speaking to him in the near future,” Trump wrote, adding that Walz is “happy” Homan is going to Minnesota.
For his part, Walz said that Trump agreed to consider reducing the number of federal agents in his state, and that the president also pledged to talk to his Department of Homeland Security about ensuring state officials can investigate Saturday's fatal shooting of 37-year-old Alex Pretti.
Trump has called for more cooperation from Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, including that they “turn over” all undocumented immigrants incarcerated in the state to federal authorities.
“The Governor reminded President Trump that the Minnesota Department of Corrections already honors federal detainers by notifying Immigration and Customs Enforcement when a person committed to its custody isn't a US citizen,” Walz's office said in a readout of the call.
CNN's Kit Maher and Kaitlan Collins contributed to this reporting.
Approximately 26 people were arrested last night during a protest outside a suburban Twin Cities hotel, police told CNN.
Video from the Associated Press showed dozens of protesters gathered at the SpringHill Suites in Maple Grove, where they believed top Border Patrol official Gregory Bovino was staying. The protesters used pots, pans and kitchen utensils to make noise outside the building.
“The situation escalated when individuals in the crowd engaged in unlawful behavior,” the Maple Grove Police Department said in a statement on Facebook. “Property damage occurred and objects were thrown at officers.”
Police issued a dispersal order and “those who failed to comply with lawful orders or committed crimes were arrested,” the statement said, before the crowd dispersed by 10 p.m.
Police told CNN they were still processing the arrests and the final number may change.
CNN has reached out to CBP and the DHS for more information. The hotel declined to comment.
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Longtime Minnesota Vikings announcer Paul Allen said that he is taking a few days off from his radio show after making comments about "paid protesters" on Friday.
KFAN's Allen wondered if those protesting in the extreme cold were getting hazard pay.
"In conditions like this, do paid protesters get hazard pay? Those are the things that I've been thinking about this morning," Allen said on Friday.
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Minnesota Vikings play-by-play announcer Paul Allen walks the field before an NFL game between the Minnesota Vikings and the Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida, on Nov. 10, 2024. (Chris Leduc/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Allen referenced the paid protesters again when he mentioned people who were catching strays.
"Everybody's catching strays this week. (Vikings defensive coordinator Brian) Flores, Kevin Stefanski from Baker (Mayfield), Charlie ‘Biyatch' caught one out of nowhere. They're just all over, paid protesters caught one this morning," Allen said, referencing his earlier comments.
Allen's comments came before a Border Patrol-involved shooting left one dead in Minnesota over the weekend. He posted about the shooting on Saturday.
"I have to stop watching all this for a little bit. I'm so sad this terror is happening all around us here in MN," Allen posted on X.
BRUCE PEARL RIPS TIM WALZ, DEMOCRATS AFTER BORDER PATROL-INVOLVED SHOOTING IN MINNESOTA
Minnesota Vikings radio commentator Paul Allen looks on before the NFL game between the Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Jan. 4, 2026. (Bailey Hillesheim/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
"I just prayed to God's will for it to somehow stop and now and started crying. I truly am sorry for all hurting like me through this, and I just want us to be a Love Covenant again. Truly. Let's all pray this stops somehow because it's awful. And no more cheap one-liners from me."
He opened Monday's show with an apology.
"Good morning. I made a comment on air Friday about protesters and the weather that was insensitive and poorly timed. And I'm sorry. It was a misguided attempt at humor. And while it was never meant with any ill intent or political affront, I absolutely and wholeheartedly want to apologize to those who genuinely were hurt or offended by it," Allen said.
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Minnesota Vikings radio announcer Paul Allen (left) greets general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah (right) before the preseason game against the Las Vegas Raiders at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Aug. 10, 2024. (Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)
"‘Nine-to-Noon' doesn't formulate political opinions. We don't bash or praise political discussions or even focus on political issues. This time slot always has been a sports-centered space built to entertain, a place where we chat about sports, offer an escape from the heavy stuff, and give listeners the distraction they need from everything else going on. As I've stated many times before, we serve you, not the other way around. We are very fortunate and thank you for counting on us as long as you have. It means more than you'll ever know."
"My best was lacking Friday and for that I am sorry. I am taking a few days off but wanted to express these thoughts and my sincere apology with you before I do. We thank our friend Paul Charchian for handling 'Nine to Noon' today."
KFAN has not said if Allen was disciplined for the comment. He has been with KFAN since 1998 and has been the Vikings radio play-by-play announcer since 2002.
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From 1992 until 2014, Derek Jeter was with the New York Yankees.
Not including spring training, Jeter totaled 3,210 games at all levels of the Yankees organization. Growing up, it was the only team he wanted to play for.
But there was a time when he did wear another jersey, and he even wore it against his beloved pinstripes.
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Derek Jeter at bat against the New York Yankees during an exhibition game between the New York Yankees and the USA Baseball team at George Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, Florida on March 3, 2009. (Rick Friedman/Corbis via Getty Images)
For one game and one game only, Jeter was in the visitors' clubhouse in front of Yankees fans, as he was the shortstop for the United States' 2009 World Baseball Classic squad.
It was Jeter's second time representing the Stars and Stripes, and Team USA that year played an exhibition against the Yankees during spring training.
In a recent interview with Fox News Digital, Jeter made sure to note that he got two hits that afternoon.
"When I came up, they didn't have all these USA teams. It was either the Olympic team or that was it. So it was an honor for me. I really, really enjoyed it. Played with a lot of top players in the game and really enjoyed it," Jeter said of his stint on Team USA.
During those times, Jeter shared a dugout with some of his archrivals in Dustin Pedroia, Kevin Youkilis and Jason Varitek of the Boston Red Sox and New York Mets legend David Wright while simultaneously playing against Bernie Williams and Robinson Cano. Even during that USA-Yankees game, he went up against Jorge Posada, despite the two being by one another's side throughout their careers.
Derek Jeter plays defense against the New York Yankees in an exhibition game on March 3, 2009. (Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images)
DEREK JETER DEFENDS YANKEES OWNER HAL STEINBRENNER AMID GROWING FAN CRITICISM OF TEAM'S TITLE DROUGHT
This year, the event figures to be the best one yet, as Team USA is stacked with the two-time reigning American League Most Valuable Player Aaron Judge, and each of the reigning Cy Young Award winners in Paul Skenes and Tarik Skubal.
It used to be a pain to get some of the biggest stars to play, but the 2023 version saw Mike Trout go up against Shohei Ohtani for the final out of the championship game — at the time, they were Los Angeles Angels teammates. Perhaps that convinced many stars today that the WBC was not just some exhibition.
For Jeter, having the best players on the diamond is what's most important for baseball.
"It's important. I think if you talk about the growth of the game, then you need the top players to participate, and they're doing it," Jeter said.
Derek Jeter of Team USA celebrates the win with teammates after the 2009 World Baseball Classic Pool C match on March 8, 2009, at the Rogers Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Elsa/Getty Images)
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Bryce Harper, Cal Raleigh, Mason Miller, Logan Webb, Bobby Witt Jr., Will Smith and Kyle Schwarber also will represent Team USA. Japan is bringing back 15 members of its 2023 title-winning team, including Ohtani and World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
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Five-time Team USA Olympic skeleton athlete tells Fox News Digital about her battle to get a spot in the upcoming Winter Games after Team Canada withdrew from a recent competition, affecting her ability to earn points for qualification.
At least 12 countries have come out in support of American skeleton athlete Katie Uhlaender.
The Olympic committees of Malta, Israel, the Virgin Islands, South Korea, Belgium, Brazil, Jamaica, Denmark, Netherlands, Ghana, Nigeria and Trinidad, sent to the International Olympic Committee (IOC), have signed their support for Uhlaender either in their own letters or signing the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC)'s letter to the IOC advocating for the American to be granted qualification for the Milan Cortina Winter Games.
Uhlaender is suddenly leading an international protest to gain qualification after a decision by Team Canada cost her the chance to make her sixth Winter Olympics.
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Katie Uhlaender (U.S.) competes in the women's skeleton event at the Pyeongchang 2018 Olympic Winter Games at the Olympic Sliding Center in Pyeongchang, South Korea, on Feb. 17, 2018. (James Lang/USA TODAY Sports)
After Team Canada withdrew athletes from the North America Cup earlier this month, reducing the amount of points the competition could award. The reduction made it mathematically impossible for Uhlaender to earn enough points to qualify.
Bobsleigh Canada Skeleton (BCS) said the decision to withdraw the athletes was made "after careful evaluation of the program's needs and in consultation with the IBSF" and "careful consideration of athlete health, safety, and long-term development."
"It was determined that continuing to race these athletes was not in their best interests, nor in the best interests of the program," it added.
However, one of the Canadian athletes said the coaches said the reason for the withdrawal was due to "the best interest for the way points had worked."
"They had come over and explained to us that it would be in the best interest for the way points had worked for Jane, so that we as a team can qualify two spots to the Olympics," Canadian skeleton racer Madeline Parra told The Canadian Press.
NHL STAR DISAPPOINTED TO BE LEFT OFF TEAM USA'S OLYMPIC ROSTER: 'THOUGHT MY PLAY THIS YEAR WAS WORTHY'
Katie Uhlaender of the U.S. reacts after the women's skeleton heat 2 run during the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at the Olympic Sliding Center in Pyeongchang, South Korea, on Feb. 16, 2018. (Mark Ralston / AFP via Getty Images)
IBSF's Interim Integrity Unit (IIU) investigated allegations of competition manipulation. It acknowledged the withdrawals raised concern but concluded the governing rules allow teams to withdraw athletes at any time. Because the rulebook contains no penalty or safeguard for late withdrawals that alter points distribution, the IIU dismissed the complaint.
The IOC has since responded to the USOPC's letter advocating for Uhlaender.
"This matter relates to the application of the IBSF's rules and procedures in connection with an IBSF organized event. The IOC understands that IBSF has already responded to Ms Uhlaender on this matter," the IOC said in a statement provided to Fox News Digital.
Uhlaender has the support of at least 12 nations behind her. And that list could grow leading up to the start of the Games.
Vice President JD Vance will lead the U.S. Presidential Delegation to the Milan Cortina Olympics next month. Uhlaender hopes the vice president will advocate for her participation.
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Katie Uhlaender of Team United States poses for a portrait during the Team USA Beijing 2022 Olympic shoot on Sept. 12, 2021, in Irvine, California. (Tom Pennington/Getty Images for Team USA)
"As U.S. Vice President JD Vance is scheduled to meet with the leadership of the International Olympic Committee, I respectfully ask that he stand with me as an Olympian that has represented the United States of America and our values, the USOPC, and the many affected nations in supporting our request to IOC President Kirsty Coventry to use her authority to uphold fairness in Olympic sport by granting a wildcard entry," Uhlaender said.
"Doing so would protect the integrity of competition and prevent further harm. Such action would send a powerful message to young athletes everywhere: that standing up for ethics and integrity may be difficult, but it matters."
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Jackson Thompson is a sports reporter for Fox News Digital covering critical political and cultural issues in sports, with an investigative lens. Jackson's reporting has been cited in federal government actions related to the enforcement of Title IX, and in legacy media outlets including The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Associated Press and ESPN.com.
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Diego Pavia was a Heisman Trophy finalist in his last year with the Vanderbilt Commodores, and he is now looking ahead to a potential NFL career in the next few months.
As NFL scouts and media descended on the Senior Bowl this week, Pavia's measurables were recorded. He was listed at 5-foot-9 7/8 and 198 pounds.
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Vanderbilt Commodores quarterback Diego Pavia (2) throws a pass against the Iowa Hawkeyes in the first quarter during the ReliaQuest Bowl at Raymond James Stadium on Dec. 31, 2025. (Nathan Ray Seebeck/Imagn Images)
Height is something that doesn't necessarily define a player's career, but it is something teams take into account when making their draft selections. The average height for an NFL quarterback is somewhere between 6-foot-2 and 6-foot-3. Bryce Young and Kyler Murray are among the smallest quarterbacks in the NFL at 5-foot-10.
Pavia didn't seem to be too concerned with his vitals when he spoke to reporters on Monday.
"Yeah, my size has been doubted my whole life," he said, via AL.com. "I feel like the only thing the NFL cares about is can you win, and I view myself as a winner. I've been fortunate with all these great teams that I've had — we've never had a losing season. So that's something to look forward to, I hope, for the rest of my career, that's how it's going to be.
GIANTS' CAM SKATTEBO SAYS COLLEGE EARNINGS FROM NIL ARE CREATING ENTITLED NFL ROOKIES
Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia (2) celebrates after the team's win over Kentucky at FirstBank Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee, Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025. (Mark Zaleski/The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
"I feel like God has blessed me in so many ways to be a connector, and I feel like that's one of my superpowers that I've got — I can connect. We unite, and then once you unite, you want to play for one another, and once you give 120% effort, there's no one that can stop your team."
Heart and hustle are something Pavia showed during his time with Vanderbilt.
He had 2,293 passing yards and 20 touchdown passes in 2024 during his first season with Vanderbilt following his transfer from New Mexico State. Vanderbilt was 7-6 and delivered a major win over Alabama.
Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia (2) throws to a receiver during warmups before an NCAA college football game against Tennessee, Saturday, Nov. 29, 2025, in Knoxville, Tennessee. (AP Photo/Wade Payne, File)
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In 2025, Vanderbilt was 10-3 and nearly made the College Football Playoff. Pavia earned a spot as a Heisman finalist with 3,539 passing yards and 29 touchdown passes.
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Ryan Gaydos is a senior editor for Fox News Digital.
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"NFL RedZone" host Scott Hanson talks to Fox News Digital about why Super Bowl LX is really the "Hope Bowl."
The New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks are the final two teams standing in the 2025 NFL season, set to face off at Levi's Stadium on Feb. 8 to determine who will hoist the Vince Lombardi Trophy as Super Bowl LX champions.
As the debates begin about who has the X-factor, and who will win the Super Bowl, "NFL RedZone" host Scott Hanson can't help but take a step back and look at what this matchup really means for the league.
In fact, Hanson has another name for this year's final game of the season.
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NFL Network host Scott Hanson presents on stage during the NFL Draft at Union Station on April 29, 2023, in Kansas City, Missouri. (Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images)
"I'm gonna tell you what: Super Bowl LX is the ‘Hope Bowl,'" he told Fox News Digital while also discussing his excitement for Lowe's "Earn Your Sunday Bucket Belt." "The Super Bowl this year is the ‘Hope Bowl,' and it might sound weird."
It may sound weird at first, but when you really look at these two teams set to play in Santa Clara, California, Hanson's vision comes to life.
"The Seahawks fans are sky-high, the Patriots fans are sky-high. I'm not even speaking to them right now," he continued. "I'm speaking to the other 30 NFL fan bases whose season ended in disappointment in the playoffs, or disappointment in the last week of the regular season, or by Thanksgiving their team was out of it. There is hope, my friends, because we're about to watch, on Super Bowl Sunday, the Seattle Seahawks, a non-playoff team from a year ago. The Seattle Seahawks, a team that was in the quarterback market a year ago. The Seattle Seahawks who have a second-year head coach who had never been a head coach before — they're playing in the biggest game in American sport."
PATRIOTS' DRAKE MAYE CALLED HIS OWN NUMBER TO SEAL SUPER BOWL SPOT, TEAMMATE REVEALS
When the Seahawks hired Mike Macdonald two years ago, he hadn't been a head coach in the NFL despite his defensive prowess under John Harbaugh with the Baltimore Ravens. But there was hope for Seattle when they went 10-7 in his inaugural season, though they missed the playoffs.
To build off that season, the Seahawks were quick to make trades, including a big one to the Las Vegas Raiders. Geno Smith, the journeyman quarterback, reunited with Pete Carroll in Sin City, while the Seahawks set their sights on the free agent market and Sam Darnold.
Hanson called Darnold the best "human interest story" in this game given his road to this moment two weeks from now. But Darnold was clearly the right call by Macdonald, GM John Schneider and the rest of the organization, leading Seattle to a 14-win season after doing the same thing with the Minnesota Vikings in 2024.
Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold lifts the winner's trophy next to Michael Strahan, left, after a win over the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Championship game Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
Unlike that season, which ended against the Los Angeles Rams in the wild-card round, Darnold got some redemption with a three-touchdown game to win the NFC conference, and earn a spot in the "Big Game.
On the other sideline, Hanson sees even more hope for those fan bases perhaps at the bottom of the barrel in the standings this year.
"Taking on the New England Patriots, who were a four-win team a year ago. A four-win team two years ago," he added. "They completely hit the reset button at head coach, at quarterback, at so many other key positions, and they're playing in the biggest game in American sport."
Head coach Mike Vrabel returned to the franchise he once played for, and helped turn things around immediately. Second-year quarterback Drake Maye became an MVP finalist with his production throughout the season, while Vrabel's aggressive defensive nature spread throughout this unit all season long.
While some say they had an easy road to the Super Bowl, the Patriots faced three of the league's top-five defenses, two in games where snow played a large factor. The schedule may have been easier than others, but the Patriots beat who they were supposed to, reaching this height for the first time since the Tom Brady days in Foxborough.
"Whatever team you root for in the NFL, Super Bowl LX gives you hope that 365 days from now you and me, Scott, will be talking here on Fox about, ‘So-and-so versus so-and-so in the Super Bowl. Can you believe it?'" Hanson said.
New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye celebrates with the trophy after the AFC Championship game against the Broncos, Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/John Locher)
"I think it's a fantastic, inspirational Super Bowl matchup."
As you sit and watch Super Bowl LX, heed Hanson's words – there is hope for your favorite team.
The Patriots and Seahawks are proof.
All season long, Lowe's has been finding ways to help NFL fans "Earn Their Sundays," and their best way for Super Bowl LX is something Hanson is very excited about.
The "Earn Your Sunday Bucket Belt" looks like a regular tool belt that would go around a five-gallon Lowe's bucket, but Hanson wants to see snacks, beverages, grilling tools and more on it for the Big Game.
Lowe's introduces the Bucket Belt ahead of this year's Super Bowl LX matchup between the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks. (Lowe's)
Gameday essentials are reimagined, and Hanson believes everyone should have one for Feb. 8.
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"Theoretically, it's for all your tools. But on Super Bowl Sunday, it's beverages, it's snacks. The only tools are grilling tools that we want to see in there," Hanson said. "Straps on top of the bucket here, and you can fill it up with ice for your favorite beverages. There's some football goodies and you will earn your Super Bowl Sunday and enjoy Super Bowl LX in Lowe's style."
The bucket belt can be purchased now exclusively for MyLowe's Rewards and MyLowe's Pro Rewards members.
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Scott Thompson is a sports writer for Fox News Digital.
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Teresa Hurst waves an upside-down American flag on top of a car during a rally against federal immigration enforcement on Friday, Jan. 23, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Angelina Katsanis)
Prominent Republicans and gun rights advocates helped elicit a White House turnabout this week after bristling over the administration's characterization of Alex Pretti, the second person killed this month by a federal officer in Minneapolis, as responsible for his own death because he lawfully possessed a weapon.
The death produced no clear shifts in U.S. gun politics or policies, even as President Donald Trump shuffles the lieutenants in charge of his militarized immigration crackdown. But important voices in Trump's coalition have called for a thorough investigation of Pretti's death while also criticizing inconsistencies in some Republicans' Second Amendment stances.
If the dynamic persists, it could give Republicans problems as Trump heads into a midterm election year with voters already growing skeptical of his overall immigration approach. The concern is acute enough that Trump's top spokeswoman sought Monday to reassert his brand as a staunch gun rights supporter.
Demonstrator holds signs during a protest outside the office of Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., on Monday, Jan. 26, 2026, in Minneapolis, after Alex Pretti was fatally shot by a U.S. Border Patrol officer over the weekend. (AP Photo/Adam Gray)
“The president supports the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding American citizens, absolutely,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters.
Leavitt qualified that “when you are bearing arms and confronted by law enforcement, you are raising … the risk of force being used against you.”
That still marked a retreat from the administration's previous messages about the shooting of Pretti. It came the same day the president dispatched border czar Tom Homan to Minnesota, seemingly elevating him over Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Border Patrol chief Greg Bovino, who had been in charge in Minneapolis.
Within hours of Pretti's death on Saturday, Bovino suggested Pretti “wanted to … massacre law enforcement,” and Noem said Pretti was “brandishing” a weapon and acted “violently” toward officers.
“I don't know of any peaceful protester that shows up with a gun and ammunition rather than a sign,” Noem said.
White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller, an architect of Trump's mass deportation effort, went further on X, declaring Pretti “an assassin.”
EDS NOTE: OBSCENITY - People protest against ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) in downtown Minneapolis, Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Adam Gray)
Bystander videos contradicted each claim, instead showing Pretti holding a cellphone and helping a woman who had been pepper sprayed by a federal officer. Within seconds, Pretti was sprayed, too, and taken to the ground by multiple officers. No video disclosed thus far has shown him unholstering his concealed weapon -– which he had a Minnesota permit to carry. It appeared that one officer took Pretti's gun and walked away with it just before shots began.
As multiple videos went viral online and on television, Vice President JD Vance reposted Miller's assessment, while Trump shared an alleged photo of “the gunman's gun, loaded (with two additional full magazines!).”
The National Rifle Association, which has backed Trump three times, released a statement that began by casting blame on Minnesota Democrats it accused of stoking protests. But the group lashed out after a federal prosecutor in California said on X that, “If you approach law enforcement with a gun, there is a high likelihood they will be legally justified in shooting you.”
That analysis, the NRA said, is “dangerous and wrong.”
FBI Director Kash Patel magnified the blowback Sunday on Fox News' “Sunday Morning Futures With Maria Bartiromo.” No one, Patel said, can “bring a firearm, loaded, with multiple magazines to any sort of protest that you want. It's that simple.”
Erich Pratt, vice president of Gun Owners of America, was incredulous.
“I have attended protest rallies while armed, and no one got injured,” he said on CNN.
Federal agents detain a person on Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Angelina Katsanis)
Conservative officials around the country made the same connection between the First and Second amendments.
“Showing up at a protest is very American. Showing up with a weapon is very American,” state Rep. Jeremy Faison, who leads the GOP caucus in Tennessee, said on X.
Trump's first-term vice president, Mike Pence, called for “full and transparent investigation of this officer involved shooting.”
Liberals, conservatives and nonpartisan experts noted how the administration's response differed from past conservative positions involving protests and weapons.
Multiple Trump supporters were found to have weapons during the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. Trump issued blanket pardons to all of them.
Republicans were critical in 2020 when Mark and Patricia McCloskey had to pay fines after pointing guns at protesters who marched through their St. Louis neighborhood after the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. And then there's Kyle Rittenhouse, a counter-protester acquitted after fatally shooting two men and injuring another in Kenosha, Wisconsin, during the post-Floyd protests.
A federal agent points a weapon at a person outside a hotel during a noise demonstration protest in response to federal immigration enforcement operations in the city Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Adam Gray)
“You remember Kyle Rittenhouse and how he was made a hero on the right,” Trey Gowdy, a Republican former congressman and attorney for Trump during one of his first-term impeachments. “Alex Pretti's firearm was being lawfully carried. … He never brandished it.”
Adam Winkler, a UCLA law professor who has studied the history of the gun debate, said the fallout “shows how tribal we've become.” Republicans spent years talking about the Second Amendment as a means to fight government tyranny, he said.
“The moment someone who's thought to be from the left, they abandon that principled stance,” Winkler said.
Meanwhile, Democrats who have criticized open and concealed carry laws for years, Winkler added, are not amplifying that position after Pretti's death.
The blowback against the administration from core Trump supporters comes as Republicans are trying to protect their threadbare majority in the U.S. House and face several competitive Senate races.
Perhaps reflecting the stakes, GOP staff and campaign aides were reticent Monday to talk about the issue at all.
The House Republican campaign chairman, Rep. Richard Hudson of North Carolina, is sponsoring the GOP's most significant gun legislation of this congressional term, a proposal to make state concealed-carry permits reciprocal across all states.
The bill cleared the House Judiciary Committee last fall. Asked Monday whether Pretti's death and the Minneapolis protests might affect debate, an aide to Speaker Mike Johnson did not offer any update on the bill's prospects.
Gun rights advocates have notched many legislative victories in Republican-controlled statehouses in recent decades, from rolling back gun-free zones around schools and churches to expanding gun possession rights in schools, on university campuses and in other public spaces.
William Sack, legal director of the Second Amendment Foundation, said he was surprised and disappointed by the administration's initial statements following the Pretti shooting. Trump's vacillating, he said, is “very likely to cost them dearly with the core of a constituency they count on.”
___
Associated Press writer Kimberlee Kruesi in Providence, Rhode Island, contributed to this report.
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
Alexander Vindman, who became a key player along with his twin brother in President Donald Trump's first impeachment, announced on Tuesday that he is running for the US Senate as a Democrat in Florida.
Vindman, an Army veteran, was serving on the National Security Council in 2019 when the Republican president pressured Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to investigate Joe Biden, then a Democratic candidate. He and his brother, Eugene, a lawyer on the National Security Council, reported their concerns and sparked investigations.
Eugene Vindman now serves as a congressman from Virginia. If Alexander Vindman clinches the Democratic nomination, he'll challenge Republican Sen. Ashley Moody, a former state attorney general who was appointed to fill the seat vacated by Marco Rubio as he became secretary of state.
The winner of November's special election will finish the last two years of Rubio's term.
Vindman described Trump as a “wannabe tyrant” and federal immigration agents as “thug militias” in his announcement video, which features the recent killing of two US citizens during the deportation campaign in Minnesota.
Vindman was forced out of the National Security Council and later retired from the Army after testifying against Trump during impeachment hearings. He said “this president unleashed a reign of terror and retribution, not just against me and my family but against all of us.”
He urged voters to “stand with me now to put a check on Donald Trump and the corrupt politicians who think your tax dollars are their personal piggybank.”
Vindman becomes the most prominent Democrat in the Florida Senate contest as the party tries to reclaim the Senate majority in this fall's midterm elections.
Their task in Florida will not be easy. The onetime swing state, which is Trump's legal residence, has swung decidedly red in recent years. A Democrat has not won a Senate seat there since 2012.
Still, Democrats are hopeful that Vindman's fundraising prowess and the national political environment — including the backlash against Trump's immigration crackdown and his lack of focus on the economy — gives them a chance.
Trump denied any wrongdoing when he was impeached, and he was acquitted by the Senate. He later was impeached over the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol and again was acquitted.
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This cover image released by Spiegel & Grau shows “Go as a River” by Shelley Read. (Spiegel & Grau via AP)
This cover image released by Spiegel & Grau shows “Go as a River” by Shelley Read. (Spiegel & Grau via AP)
NEW YORK (AP) — From her house up high in Colorado's Elk Mountains, author Shelley Read can only look out in amazement at the worldwide success of her debut novel, “Go as a River.”
“There were upward of 30 translations already secured before the novel was introduced in the U.S.,” says Read, a fifth-generation Coloradan who lives with her husband in Crested Butte, in a home they built themselves. “And that is when I was like, ‘Oh my goodness.' It's thrilling, scary, magnificent.”
Published in 2023 by Spiegel & Grau, “Go as a River” received little major review attention beyond trade publications when first released and its honors are mostly regional, including a High Plains Book Award and a Reading the West Book Award. But her novel has been a hit in the U.S. and well beyond, appearing on bestseller lists everywhere from North America to Scandinavia and selling more than 1 million copies. Mazur Kaplan, co-founded by producer Paula Mazur and independent book seller Mitchell Kaplan, is working on a film adaptation. Eliza Hittman, whose credits include the award-winning “Never Rarely Sometimes Only,” is expected to direct.
Read's 300-page novel spans from the 1940s to the 1970s, and centers on a 17-year-old Colorado farm girl's ill-fated romance with an itinerant Indigenous man and how it haunts and changes lives for decades to come. “Go as a River” proves that some books can break through without high-profile endorsements or author name recognition. It also adds the 61-year-old Read to a special list of first-time authors — from Frank McCourt to Louis Begley — middle aged or older who finally get around to that book they had been meaning to write and receive wide acclaim.
“What she's done is unusual,” says Spiegel & Grau co-founder Cindy Spiegel. “Every now and then someone comes along who has a vision that they've held for many, many years and they really do write it down. Most people don't.”
A native of Colorado Springs, Read is a graduate of the University of Denver who has a master's degree from Temple University's creative writing program. She is a longtime educator who parsed and absorbed so many books, with works by Virginia Woolf and Czeslaw Milosz among her favorites, that one of her own inevitably came out on the other end.
For nearly three decades, she taught writing and literature among other subjects at Western Colorado University. During that time, a character kept turning up in her thoughts, the germ of what became her novel's protagonist, Victoria Nash. There was something about Victoria, an empathetic quality, Read related to. But she had her career and two young children, and “was just trying to keep my head above water as a super busy mom and with a lot of very intense challenges.”
With Victoria unwilling to leave her be, Read began jotting down notes on Post-its, napkins and other papers that might be around. With her husband's encouragement, she took early retirement and committed to completing her book. She had written stories in her early years, but had never attempted a full-length narrative.
“I had no idea where it was going. I had no intentions about where it was going, because I had never written a novel before,” Read says, speaking via Zoom from her home. “Once I figured out this was going to be a novel, I was like, ‘Oh no!' I have studied novels thousands of times throughout my life, but I never even considered that I would write one.”
Read stepped down in 2018 and by the following year had finished a manuscript, drawn in part from such historical events as a 1960s flood in Iola, Colorado, and from her lifelong affinity for the local landscape. First-time authors of any age struggle to find representation, but during a 2017 writers conference at Western Colorado University, Read had met Sandra Bond, a Denver-based agent. A “Colorado girl,” Bond calls herself.
“We hit it off immediately,” Bond says. “We have very similar backgrounds in growing up in Colorado.”
Read's manuscript “knocked my socks off,” Bond remembers, but it wasn't an easy sell. The second half of the book “didn't quite meet the standards of the first” and Bond didn't have the editing skills to fix it. “Go as a River” was turned down by 21 publishers before Spiegel signed it up. Spiegel & Grau, which began as a Penguin Random House imprint and reopened in 2020 as an independent a year after PRH shut it down amid a corporate reorganization, has worked with authors ranging from Ta-Nehisi Coates and Sara Gruen to Iain Pears and Kathryn Stockett.
“I had a feeling Cindy might be able to see how to guide Shelley in revising the second half — what was really working and what wasn't and why,” Bond says.
Spiegel and Read worked on revisions — the finished version is entirely from Victoria's perspective; the original draft shifted narrators midway. Meanwhile, the publisher showed the manuscript to the international agent Susanna Lea, who “read it one sitting” and quickly arranged for meetings with foreign publishers. It was mid-July, and she remembers tracking down publishers in Norway and Finland and other parts of Scandinavia at a time of year when book executives usually are on vacation.
“Suddenly, they were all reachable,” she says.
Read is working on a second novel, set in southeastern Colorado, where her homesteader-grandparents lived. Meanwhile, royalties from “Go as a River” allowed her a few indulgences, from installing solar panels on her house to a little travel, not to mention paying off college tuition for her son and building up the family retirement savings.
“Not too sexy,” she acknowledges. “We're still do-it-yourselfers, & I still drive an old Toyota pickup. The main thing about the royalties is that I get to be a writer for a living, and that is a dream come true.”
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
The mayor of Milan, Italy, has said Immigration and Customs Enforcement is “not welcome” at the Winter Olympics early next month after reports confirmed the U.S. agency will provide extra security at the games.
Upon learning the news, Mayor Giuseppe Sala criticized ICE over its role in two fatal shootings in Minnesota this month.
“This is a militia that kills,” he said in an Italian radio interview. “It's clear that they are not welcome in Milan. There's no doubt about it. Can't we just say no to Trump for once?”
The ICE-linked security team will support diplomatic security details in Milan without carrying out any immigration enforcement operations, according to the Associated Press. ICE confirmed its participation in the security detail.
“Obviously, ICE does not conduct immigration enforcement operations in foreign countries,” Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement. “At the Olympics, ICE's Homeland Security Investigations is supporting the U.S. Department of State's Diplomatic Security Service and host nation to vet and mitigate risks from transnational criminal organizations.”
McLaughlin stressed that “all security operations remain under Italian authority.”
When the Washington Examiner asked whether ICE's investigative component has provided security during past Olympics, DHS did not provide a direct response.
Reports indicate several federal agencies, including ICE's HSI, have supported security at previous Olympics and other major international events. It's not uncommon for a DHS agency to do so, considering HSI operates extensively around the world.
It's unclear how many ICE officers will be deployed to the Winter Olympics, scheduled from Feb. 6 to Feb. 22.
Vice President JD Vance, second lady Usha Vance, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are set to attend the sporting event's opening ceremony on Feb. 6. There is no indication that President Donald Trump will be in attendance.
HOW LOCAL BUSINESSES ARE HELPING ANTI-ICE ACTIVISTS OBSTRUCT IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT
Italy's Interior Ministry said the United States has not confirmed the makeup of its security detail but noted that it doesn't appear ICE “will act as an escort to the American delegation,” made up of the three White House officials at this time.
Meanwhile, ICE has been met with widespread opposition to its immigration actions in Minneapolis from residents and state politicians. The heated situation has led to two separate officer-involved shootings, one of which killed Renee Good earlier this month and the other claimed the life of Alex Pretti over the weekend. Their deaths have motivated anti-ICE protesters to continue resisting federal law enforcement.
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Former college basketball coach Bruce Pearl appears on OutKick's "Don't @ Me with Dan Dakich" to talk about the Border Patrol-involved shooting in Minnesota.
Former MLB Gold Glove outfielder Kole Calhoun ripped the Trump administration on Monday following the Border Patrol-involved shooting in Minnesota over the weekend.
Calhoun wrote a lengthy statement on his Instagram Stories, starting with his assertion that Alex Pretti – the Minneapolis man who was shot and killed on Saturday – was "straight murdered."
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Los Angeles Angels right fielder Kole Calhoun (56) runs the bases after hitting a solo home run against the Boston Red Sox during the eighth inning at Fenway Park on Aug. 11, 2019. (Brian Fluharty/USA TODAY Sports)
He then recalled his playing days for the Los Angeles Angels, Arizona Diamondbacks, Texas Rangers and Cleveland Guardians and how he played with teammates of different backgrounds and was delighted to see some of them being able to send money back to their native countries to help their families buy houses.
The 38-year-old Arizona native said he used to sit in the middle of political discourse and tried to stay out of the conversation for the most part. But that was until the latest shooting involving federal officers occurred.
"The United States we live in now could not be more divided, but this is a turning point," he said. "The images and videos from Minnesota are alarming on all fronts, to what this country was built on and our core values as a society are under attack. There is (a) right way to do things and a wrong way and the tactics on display for the world to see, the ones designed to create fear and intimidate by recruits of this administration, are the wrong way.
Texas Rangers left fielder Kole Calhoun (56) throws the ball into the infield during the sixth inning against the Seattle Mariners at Globe Life Field on July 16, 2022. (Jerome Miron/USA TODAY Sports)
BRUCE PEARL RIPS TIM WALZ, DEMOCRATS AFTER BORDER PATROL-INVOLVED SHOOTING IN MINNESOTA
"What this administration is doing when it comes to immigration is blatantly racist, targeting people based on the color of their skin or the sound of their last name. There is a much more civilized way to do this that involves working together with state officials opposed to inserting the administration's will on a state whose citizens have stood up for their neighbors and said this is not right!
"I've been silent because that is easy. But silence is a privilege and silence is complicit. Standing up and speaking for what you believe in takes courage. I don't care about what side you're on or who you voted for, this is wrong. This is wrong and is imposing on the basic freedoms we have in the country. Wake up! Speak out!"
In the wake of the shooting, Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino, the face of the Trump administration's campaign to arrest and deport criminal illegal immigrants, will be leaving Minnesota, along with some border agents, amid violent, and sometimes deadly, clashes between federal authorities and anti-ICE agitators.
Bovino and an unspecified number of U.S. Border Patrol agents will be leaving the state as soon as Tuesday, multiple federal sources told Fox News.
An Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent raises a finger moments after detaining a man during an immigration raid, days after an ICE agent fatally shot Renee Nicole Good, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Jan. 18, 2026. (Leah Millis/Reuters)
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President Donald Trump said earlier Monday he spoke with Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey about the shooting.
Fox News' Louis Casiano and Bill Melugin contributed to this report.
Ryan Gaydos is a senior editor for Fox News Digital.
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Coco Gauff's hopes of winning this year's Australian Open came crashing down in just 59 minutes on Tuesday, as she was beaten in straight sets in the quarterfinals by Ukrainian star Elina Svitolina.
The American had been playing so well in Melbourne that many tipped her to win her first Australian Open and third grand slam overall, but she struggled to find any of that previous form against Svitolina in sweltering conditions.
The Ukrainian, who has also been on a hot streak this year, capitalized on Gauff's poor performance to win 6-1, 6-2 in less than an hour and booked her place in the semifinal against world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka.
Clearly frustrated by her level during the quarterfinal, Gauff was filmed smashing her racket against a concrete ramp after making her way off the court at Rod Laver Arena. It was a moment of frustration that she thought was private.
“I tried to go somewhere where I thought there wasn't a camera because I don't necessarily like breaking rackets,” Gauff told reporters after the match.
Coco Gauff replaces coach with biomechanics specialist ahead of US Open
“I tried to go somewhere where they wouldn't broadcast it, but obviously, they did. So, yeah, maybe some conversations can be had because I feel like at this tournament the only private place we have is the locker room.”
A lot of Gauff's frustration likely stemmed from her poor serving performance in the first set, where the world No. 3 produced five double faults that saw her broken in four service games.
While her serving improved in the second set, the 21-year-old still made 12 unforced errors, which saw any hopes of a comeback extinguished.
“I just felt like all the things I do well, I just wasn't doing well today,” Gauff said. “The backhand wasn't firing. Forehand wasn't really firing. Returns.
“There was just a lot that didn't go well today. I credit it to her because she forced me to play like that. It's not like I just woke up and, yeah, today was a bad day, but bad days are often caused by your opponent. So she did well.”
Gauff said she doesn't necessarily regret smashing her racket behind the scenes, knowing the importance of letting off steam after such a frustrating day at the office.
She would much prefer to do that, she said, rather than take it out on her coaching team in the player's box.
“I don't want to lash out on my team. They're good people. They don't deserve that, and I know I'm emotional,” she added.
“I just took the minute to go and do that. I don't think it's a bad thing. Like I said, I don't try to do it on court in front of kids and things like that, but I do know I need to let out that emotion.
“Otherwise, I'm just going to be snappy with the people around me, and I don't want to do that because, like I said, they don't deserve it. They did their best. I did mine. Just need to let the frustration out.”
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National Security Council aide Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman testifies before the House Intelligence Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, Nov. 19, 2019, during a public impeachment hearing of President Donald Trump's efforts to tie U.S. aid for Ukraine to investigations of his political opponents. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File)
Alex Vindman, who became a key player along with his twin brother in President Donald Trump's first impeachment, announced on Tuesday that he is running for the U.S. Senate as a Democrat in Florida.
Vindman, an Army veteran, was serving on the National Security Council in 2019 when the Republican president pressured Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to investigate Joe Biden, then a Democratic candidate. He and his brother, Eugene, a lawyer on the National Security Council, reported their concerns and sparked investigations.
Eugene Vindman now serves as a congressman from Virginia. If Alex Vindman clinches the Democratic nomination, he'll challenge Republican Sen. Ashley Moody, a former state attorney general who was appointed to fill the seat vacated by Marco Rubio as he became secretary of state.
The winner of November's special election will finish the last two years of Rubio's term.
Vindman described Trump as a “wannabe tyrant” and federal immigration agents as “thug militias” in his announcement video, which features the recent killing of two U.S. citizens during the deportation campaign in Minnesota.
Vindman was forced out of the National Security Council and later retired from the Army after testifying against Trump during impeachment hearings. He said “this president unleashed a reign of terror and retribution, not just against me and my family but against all of us.”
Former National Security Council Director for European Affairs Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman walks at the Capitol to review transcripts of his testimony in the impeachment inquiry of President Donald Trump, in Washington, Nov. 7, 2019. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)
He urged voters to “stand with me now to put a check on Donald Trump and the corrupt politicians who think your tax dollars are their personal piggybank.”
Vindman becomes the most prominent Democrat in the Florida Senate contest as the party tries to reclaim the Senate majority in this fall's midterm elections.
Their task in Florida will not be easy. The onetime swing state, which is Trump's legal residence, has swung decidedly red in recent years. A Democrat has not won a Senate seat there since 2012.
Still, Democrats are hopeful that Vindman's fundraising prowess and the national political environment — including the backlash against Trump's immigration crackdown and his lack of focus on the economy — gives them a chance.
Trump denied any wrongdoing when he was impeached, and he was acquitted by the Senate. He later was impeached over the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol and again was acquitted.
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Attorney General Pam Bondi's demand that Minnesota hand over sensitive voter registration records to the federal government amid tensions over ICE and immigration enforcement underscores the importance of the administration's nationwide data grab that is facing resistance in multiple states and has stumbled in the courts.
The Justice Department has already sued Minnesota and 23 other states for the voter data, but Bondi on Saturday urged Gov. Tim Walz to help “bring an end to the chaos,” by turning over the records, among other requests.
The administration has said it wants the full registration records so that they can “help” states “clean” their rolls of ineligible voters. Voter advocates, former DOJ attorneys and at least one federal judge are dubious that's the administration's only goal with the data collection.
As courts review the DOJ's rationale for needing the data, a separate judge – handling a challenge to the administration's immigration tactics – expressed concerns with how Bondi raised the demand in the context of the unrest.
“Is the executive trying to achieve a goal through force that it cannot achieve through the courts?” district Judge Kate Menendez asked the Justice Department directly during a hearing Monday.
An attorney for the DOJ replied that the administration was simply “trying to enforce federal law.”
Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon, like many other state officials, has declined to provide the data because he says doing so would violate state and federal privacy laws.
Simon told CNN's Jake Tapper on Monday that it was “deeply disturbing” to receive Bondi's letter.
“Literally hours after the second, let's not forget second, killing of an American citizen in the city of Minneapolis by ICE agents … there's this term sheet,” he said, “this ransom note.”
Adrian Fontes, the Democratic secretary of state in Arizona, compared Bondi's letter to “organized crime”.
“They move into your neighborhood. They start beating everybody up, and then they extort what they want. This is not how America is supposed to work,” Fontes said in a social media post.
Bondi's letter did not explicitly promise a change in President Donald Trump's immigration approach in exchange for the voter records, instead pointing to a need to “bring back law and order” to Minneapolis.
Asked for comment, the Justice Department pointed to comments by Bondi on Saturday blaming Minnesota officials for inviting the “worst of the worst” to Minneapolis through “sanctuary city” policies.
In a statement, White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson argued that the Justice Department has “full authority” to ensure states comply with federal election laws.
“President Trump is committed to ensuring that Americans have full confidence in the administration of elections, and that includes totally accurate and up-to-date voter rolls free of errors and unlawfully registered non-citizen voters,” she said.
The department, in its unprecedented data-gathering campaign, has requested states produce their full voter rolls, which can include non-public information like voters' Social Security and driver's license numbers, full birth dates and current addresses.
But even the Justice Department's stated plan of conducting its own review of the rolls is raising legal questions amid concerns that eligible voters may be purged.
The department says it's entitled to registration records under the 1960 Civil Rights Act but no court yet has agreed with that argument, and two courts have rejected it outright.
A federal judge in California threw out the department's voter-roll lawsuit against that state earlier this month, with a scathing opinion that warned against “unbridled consolidation of all elections power in the Executive without action from Congress and public debate.” A judge in Oregon also has decided to dismiss the case, finding DOJ's legal arguments lacking, he confirmed in a hearing Monday.
Amid those court losses, Bondi pressing the dispute in her letter to Walz “appears to be desperation,” said David Becker, a former DOJ attorney who now leads Center for Election Innovation & Research.
In most of the lawsuits, DOJ has targeted Democratic state officials, but that doesn't mean that Republican-led states have been eager to hand over their voter rolls.
The Trump administration first sent state officials letters requesting the sensitive voter information in the summer, but so far, just 14 states have either fully complied or are working on complying with the requests, according to comments a department lawyer made in court.
States that go along with the department's demands are opening themselves to lawsuits as well. Voter advocates have sued Nebraska to prevent the state from handing over voters' personal information to the DOJ. The Democratic National Committee, meanwhile, has warned 10 states about potential legal problems in a plan – surfaced in proposed agreements the department offered states – to hand over their voter rolls for extra scrutiny by the federal government.
The proposals say that the Department would notify the states of “issues” it has found in their registration records, and states would then have 45 days to “clean” the rolls of ineligible voters. Such a process could run afoul of a federal law that puts guardrails on how and when states can remove voters, the DNC said, pointing to steps the law requires before purging voters who are believed to have moved.
Election officials in at least two of the states targeted by Democrats have since said that, while they are sharing the data with the Trump administration, they have declined to agree to the proposal's terms.
The administration's stated desire to take a more direct role in list maintenance comes as a tool Trump has encouraged states to use on a voluntary basis to purge their rolls appears to pose its own problems.
Last year, a division of the Department of Homeland Security dramatically revamped a tool called the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlement or SAVE, which has been used for years to verify the immigration and citizenship status of people seeking government benefits.
The expanded tool now includes access to Social Security and US passport data, and the Trump administration has encouraged states to upload their voter files to the beefed-up SAVE system to hunt for potential noncitizens on their voter rolls.
But questions persist about the accuracy of the results and the potential impact on eligible voters if state and local officials don't fully vet the matches the system generates.
In deep-red Texas, for instance, state election officials last year identified 2,724 potential noncitizens on the rolls after running its full list of more than 18 million voters through the SAVE system. The state in turn asked local election officials to verify the citizenship status of the flagged voters in their counties.
But in Travis County, home to Austin, a more thorough search of the state's own data showed that 11 of 97 county voters initially flagged by the Secretary of State's office as potential noncitizens already had provided proof of citizenship when they registered to vote through the state driver's license division, according to Celia Israel, who oversees the county's voter registration program.
CNN's Marshall Cohen and Katelyn Polantz contributed to this report.
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Now 81, Ilana Kantorowicz Shalem is one of the youngest Holocaust survivors. She survived only because she was born towards the end of the war, when the German leadership was in disarray. Now, more than eight decades after the end of the Holocaust, Shalem is starting to share her story, realizing how few Holocaust survivors are left to bear witness. (AP Video by Ami Bentov and Shlomo Mor)
TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — In the last months of World War II, Lola Kantorowicz tried her best to hide her pregnancy. She succeeded because most of the prisoners at the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp had bellies that were distended and bloated from extended starvation.
As she went into labor in March 1945, the Russians were advancing through Germany, and Bergen-Belsen was in chaos. Her daughter, Ilana, was born on March 19, 30 days before the camp was liberated by the British.
Now 81, Ilana Kantorowicz Shalem is among the youngest Holocaust survivors. She survived only because she was born when the Nazi leadership was in disarray as the war was ending. Otherwise, she most certainly would have been killed.
More than eight decades after the end of the Holocaust, Shalem is sharing her story — and her mother's story — for the first time, realizing how few Holocaust survivors are left.
Holocaust survivor Ilana Kantorowicz Shalem, born in the Nazi Bergen-Belsen concentration camp, holds a photo of her with her mother Lola taken in the camp in 1946, in Tel Aviv, Israel, Jan. 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)
International Holocaust Remembrance Day is observed across the world on Jan. 27, the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, the most notorious of the death camps where some 1.1 million people, most of them Jews, were killed. The U.N. General Assembly adopted a resolution in 2005 establishing the day as an annual commemoration.
About 6 million European Jews and millions of other people, including Poles, Roma, people with disabilities and LGBTQ+ people, were killed by the Nazis and their collaborators. Some 1.5 million were children.
Commemorations this year are taking place amid a rise of antisemitism that gained traction during the two-year-long war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
Shalem's mother and father met as teenagers in the Tomaszow Ghetto in Poland. Lola Rosenblum was from the town, while Hersz (Zvi) Abraham Kantorowicz was moved to the ghetto from Lodz, Poland.
After spending several years in the ghetto under hard labor conditions, including losing family members, they were shuffled through several labor camps, where they were able to continue meeting clandestinely for several months.
“My mother said there was actually a lot of love in those places,” Shalem recalled of the labor camps. “They used to walk along the river. There was romance.”
Her mother's friends used to help set up secret meetings between the two, who had married in an informal ceremony back in the ghetto.
In 1944, the couple was separated. Hersz Kantorowicz would eventually perish in a death march just days before the war ended. Lola spent time in Auschwitz and the Hindenburg labor camp. She completed a death march to Bergen-Belsen in Germany while pregnant.
Photos of Holocaust survivor Ilana Kantorowicz Shalem born in the Nazi Bergen-Belsen concentration camp with her with mother Lola in the camp in 1946, in Tel Aviv, Israel, Jan. 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)
“If they discovered she was pregnant, they would have killed her,” Shalem said. “She hid her pregnancy from everyone, including her friends, because she didn't want the extra attention or anyone to give her their food.”
Yad Vashem archivist Sima Velkovich, who has researched Shalem's story, called it “unimaginable” that a baby was born in such conditions.
“In March, the conditions were really awful, there were mountains of corpses,” Velkovich said. “There were thousands, dozens of thousands of people who were ill, almost without food at that time.”
To this day, Shalem doesn't have an explanation for how her mother not only survived the conditions of the camp but gave birth to a healthy baby. Mother and daughter spent a month in the Bergen-Belsen camp before it was liberated by the British, and then two years in a nearby camp for displaced persons.
They then moved to Israel, where her father's parents had moved before the war. Shalem's mother held out hope for years that her father had survived. She never married again, nor had additional children.
In the immediate months after the war, baby Ilana was constantly fussed over, one of the only children in the refugee camp.
A photo of the birth certificate of Holocaust survivor Ilana Kantorowicz Shalem, born in the Nazi Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in 1946 , is on display in Tel Aviv, Israel, Jan. 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)
“Actually, I was everyone's child, because for them, it was some kind of sign of life,” Shalem said. “Many, many women took care of me there, because they were very excited to be with a little baby.”
Photos from that time show a beaming baby Ilana surrounded by a cadre of adults. Her mother's friends spoke of her as “a new seed,” and a ray of hope during a dark time, Shalem said.
She's not aware of any other children born in the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp who survived. Yad Vashem, Israel's Holocaust museum and research center, has documented over 2,000 babies born at the Bergen-Belsen refugee camp after its liberation, between 1945 and 1950. The museum at Bergen-Belsen was able to locate documentation of Ilana's birth, including the hour she was born, which is now kept at Yad Vashem.
Shalem, who studied social work, started asking her mother questions while she was in university in the 1960s, when it was still taboo in Israeli society to dig into the experiences of survivors.
“Now we know, in order to absorb trauma, we need to talk about it,” Shalem said. “These people didn't want to talk about it.”
She noted how, in the wake of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on southern Israel, many survivors of that attack immediately began to speak about what happened to them.
But the aftermath of the Holocaust, especially in Israel, was different. Many survivors were trying to forget what had happened. Ilana's mother often faced disbelief when she shared her story of giving birth in a concentration camp, so she mostly stopped telling it. Sometimes her mother would talk about what she endured with other survivor friends, but rarely with strangers, Shalem said.
Holocaust survivor Ilana Shalem-Kantorowicz born in the Nazi Bergen-Belsen concentration camp holds a photo of her with her mother Lola in the camp in 1946, in Tel Aviv, Israel, Jan. 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)
Shalem has never publicly shared the story of her mother, who died in 1991 at the age of 71. Last year, she completed a genealogy course at Yad Vashem and began to understand how few Holocaust survivors are left to share their stories.
According to the New York-based Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany, also referred to as the Claims Conference, there are approximately 196,600 living Holocaust survivors, half of whom live in Israel. Nearly 25,000 Holocaust survivors died last year. The median age of Holocaust survivors is 87, meaning most were very young children during the Holocaust. Shalem is among the youngest.
Shalem, who has two daughters, remembers sharing her own pregnancies with her mother, and marveling at what she had endured.
“It's a situation that was very unusual, it probably required special strength to be able to believe,” Shalem said.
“She said that one of the things was that if she had known my father was killed, she wouldn't have tried so hard. She wanted him to know me.”
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
Leavitt says the killing by a federal immigration officer of Minneapolis protester Alex Pretti “occurred as a result of a deliberate and hostile resistance by Democrat leaders.” She also put distance between Trump and ‘assassin' rhetoric on Pretti.
“We are praying for the relief that we the state of Minnesota needs, from the court,” Attorney General Keith Ellison said after the hearin.g (AP Video by Laura Bargfeld)
U.S. Secretary of Department of Homeland Security Kristi Noem said Alex Pretti had “reacted violently” to attempts to disarm him during Saturday's protests. Bystander footage from the scene tells a different story.
A federal officer shot and killed a 37-year-old man in Minneapolis amid the Trump administration's immigration crackdown, according to a hospital record obtained by the Associated Press. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, a Democrat, said in a social media post that he had been in contact with the White House after the shooting.
U.S. Border Patrol Cmdr. Gregory Bovino walks through a Target store Jan. 11, 2026, in St. Paul, Minn. (AP Photo/Adam Gray, File)
A federal agent stands guard near a hotel during a noise demonstration protest in response to federal immigration enforcement operations in the city Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Adam Gray)
A federal agent points a weapon at a person outside a hotel during a noise demonstration protest in response to federal immigration enforcement operations in the city Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Adam Gray)
Federal agents try to clear demonstrators near a hotel, using tear gas during a noise demonstration protest in response to federal immigration enforcement operations in the city Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Adam Gray)
A man, center left, next to a Minneapolis police officer grabs a protester in the doorway during a noise demonstration protest in response to federal immigration enforcement operations in the city Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Adam Gray)
▶ Follow live updates on federal immigration enforcement in Minneapolis
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino is expected to leave Minneapolis on Tuesday, according to a person familiar with the matter, as the Trump administration reshuffles leadership of its immigration enforcement operation and scales back the federal presence after a second fatal shooting by federal officers.
President Donald Trump said he was placing his border czar, Tom Homan, in charge of the mission, with Homan reporting directly to the White House, after Bovino drew condemnation for claiming the man who was killed, Alex Pretti, had been planning to “massacre” law enforcement officers, a characterization that authorities had not substantiated.
Saturday's fatal shooting of Pretti, an ICU nurse, by Border Patrol agents ignited political backlash and raised fresh questions about how the operation was being run.
Bovino's leadership of highly visible federal crackdowns, including operations that sparked mass demonstrations in Los Angeles, Chicago, Charlotte and Minneapolis, has drawn fierce criticism from local officials, civil rights advocates and congressional Democrats.
From AP's Standards and Stylebook teams: The AP is using anonymous sourcing to provide information for this story. Click here to hear Deputy Director of U.S. Text Production Christina Paciolla explain AP's policy on the use of anonymous sources.
A person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press that Bovino is among the federal agents leaving Minneapolis. The person was not authorized to publicly discuss details of the operation and spoke to AP on condition of anonymity.
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The departure accompanies a softer tone from Trump on the Minnesota crackdown, including the president's touting of productive conversations with the governor and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey.
The mayor said he asked Trump in a phone call to end the immigration enforcement surge, and Trump agreed the present situation cannot continue. Frey said he would keep pushing for others involved in Operation Metro Surge to go.
Homan will take charge of Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations in Minnesota. Frey said he planned to meet Homan on Tuesday.
Trump and Democratic Gov. Tim Walz spoke in a phone call and later offered comments that were a marked change from the critical statements they have exchanged in the past. Their conversation happened on the same day a federal judge heard arguments in a lawsuit aimed at halting the federal immigration enforcement surge in the state.
“We, actually, seemed to be on a similar wavelength,” the president wrote in a social media post.
Walz, in a statement, said the call was “productive” and that impartial investigations into the shootings were needed. Trump said his administration was looking for “any and all” criminals the state has in their custody. Walz said the state Department of Corrections honors federal requests for people in its custody.
Meanwhile, attorneys for the administration, the state and the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul appeared Monday before U.S. District Judge Katherine Menendez, who is considering whether to grant requests to temporarily halt the immigration operation.
She said the case was a priority, but in an order later Monday, she told the federal government's attorneys to file an additional brief by 6 p.m. Wednesday. She told them to address, among other things, the assertion by the state and cities that the purpose of Operation Metro Surge is to punish them for their sanctuary laws and policies.
Lawyers for the state and the Twin Cities argued the situation on the street is so dire it requires the court to halt the federal government's enforcement actions.
“If this is not stopped right here, right now, I don't think anybody who is seriously looking at this problem can have much faith in how our republic is going to go in the future,” Minnesota Assistant Attorney General Brian Carter said.
The judge questioned the government's motivation behind the crackdown and expressed skepticism about a letter Attorney General Pam Bondi recently sent to Walz. The letter asked the state to give the federal government access to voter rolls, to turn over state Medicaid and food assistance records, and to repeal sanctuary policies.
“I mean, is there no limit to what the executive can do under the guise of enforcing immigration law?” Menendez asked. She noted that the federal requests are the subject of litigation.
Brantley Mayers, a Justice Department attorney, said the government's goal is to enforce federal law. Mayers said one lawful action should not be used to discredit another lawful action.
Menendez questioned where the line was between violating the Constitution and the executive's power to enforce the law. She also asked whether she was being asked to decide between state and federal policies.
“That begins to feel very much like I am deciding which policy approach is best,” she said.
At one point, while discussing the prospect of federal officers entering residences without a warrant, the judge expressed reluctance to decide issues not yet raised in a lawsuit before her.
The state of Minnesota and the cities sued the Department of Homeland Security earlier this month, five days after Renee Good was shot by an Immigration and Customs officer. Pretti's shooting added urgency to the case.
Late Monday, a federal appeals court declined to lift a temporary hold on a ruling Menendez issued in a separate case on Jan. 16. She ruled then that federal officers in Minnesota cannot detain or tear gas peaceful protesters who are not obstructing authorities, including people who follow and observe agents. A three-judge panel of the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals said that ruling was unlikely to hold up on appeal.
News of Bovino's departure didn't stop dozens of protestors from gathering outside a hotel where they believed Bovino was staying. They blew whistles, banged pots and one person blasted a trombone. Police watched and kept them away from the hotel entrance.
Trump posted Monday on social media that Homan would report directly to him.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Homan would be “the main point of contact on the ground in Minneapolis” during continued operations by federal immigration officers.
In court Monday, an attorney for the administration said about 2,000 Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers were on ground, along with at least 1,000 Border Patrol officers.
The lawsuit asks the judge to order a reduction in the number of federal law enforcement officers and agents in Minnesota back to the level before the surge and to limit the scope of the enforcement operation.
The case has implications for other states that have been or could become targets of ramped-up federal immigration enforcement operations. Attorneys general from 19 states plus the District of Columbia, led by California, filed a friend-of-the-court brief supporting Minnesota.
In yet another case, a different federal judge, Eric Tostrud, took under advisement a request from the Justice Department to lift an order he issued late Saturday blocking the Trump administration from “destroying or altering evidence” related to Saturday's shooting.
Attorneys for the state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension told the judge they can't trust the federal government to preserve the evidence, citing the lack of cooperation the state is getting from federal authorities after they said they were blocked from the scene.
But the federal government's attorneys argued that the temporary restraining order should be dissolved because its investigators are already following proper preservation procedures, and they'd object to “micromanaging” from the court what evidence the state can examine while the federal investigation is ongoing.
___
Balsamo reported from Washington. Associated Press writers Jack Brook in Minneapolis, Giovanna Dell'Orto in St. Paul, Minnesota, and Mike Catalini in Trenton, New Jersey, contributed to this report.
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
U.S. Border Patrol Cmdr. Gregory Bovino stands with Federal agents outside a convenience store on Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Angelina Katsanis)
Today's live updates have ended. Read what you missed below and find more coverage at apnews.com.
A senior Border Patrol commander and some agents are expected to leave Minneapolis as early as Tuesday, a person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press.
The departure of Border Patrol commander Greg Bovino, who has been at the center of the Trump administration's aggressive immigration enforcement surge in cities nationwide, comes as President Donald Trump dispatched border czar Tom Homan to Minnesota to take charge of Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations.
The person familiar with the matter was not authorized to publicly discuss details of the operation and spoke to AP on condition of anonymity.
Bovino's departure marks a significant public shift in federal law enforcement posture amid mounting outrage over the fatal shooting of 37-year-old ICU nurse Alex Pretti by Border Patrol agents. Criticism has increased around Bovino in the last few days after his public defense of the Pretti shooting and disputed claims about the confrontation that led to his death.
Here's what to know:
Watch live as a noise demonstration unfolds in Maple Grove, Minnesota after the fatal shooting over the fatal shooting of 37-year-old ICU nurse Alex Pretti by Border Patrol agents.
People blew whistles, banged pots and one person blasted a trombone. Police watched and kept them away from the hotel entrance.
Matthew Mottl said he and his wife had been feeling “helpless” watching the violence unfolding in the Twin Cities and believed that showing up to make noise outside the hotel where protesters believed Bovino was staying was one small way to signal their opposition.
“It's been a nightmare the last couple of weeks,” he said. “The lack of kindness, the lack of compassion, the lack of respect. The total disregard for the law. It's really, really sad to know that there are people like that out there — and that a lot of them are employed by the federal government.”
After the deadly shooting of ICU nurse Alex Pretti by a federal agent in Minneapolis, AI-enhanced images of the incident have spread on social media that include inaccurate or non-existent details.
An injunction barring federal officers in Minnesota from detaining or tear-gassing peaceful protesters who are not obstructing authorities, including people who follow and observe agents, will remain blocked, according to a federal appeals court.
The panel declined to lift a temporary hold on an injunction against detaining peaceful protesters and using crowd dispersal tools like tear gas and pepper spray. U.S. District Judge Kathleen Menendez issued the injunction Jan. 16 before it was put on hold.
The panel upheld the hold pending a final decision in the case. It did grant a request by the American Civil Liberties Union of Minnesota to expedite handling of the case.
In a partial dissent, Appeals Judge Raymond Gruender wrote that he would have lifted the stay on the portion of the injunction that prohibited federal agents from using crowd dispersal tools against peaceful protesters.
In a social media post, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi hailed Monday's decision, calling the injunction a “reckless attempt to undermine law enforcement.”
The younger sister of Alex Pretti issued a statement Monday memorializing her big brother's kindness and criticizing “disgusting lies” told in the wake of his death.
Micayla Pretti called her brother a hero and thanked everyone who had reached out to the family with messages or posts she described as sharing the overwhelming positivity that reflected his character, work ethic and passions.
“All Alex ever wanted was to help someone — anyone,” she said. “Even in his very last moments on this earth, he was simply trying to do just that.”
Alex Pretti was an intensive care nurse, and through his work at the Veterans Administration, “he touched more lives than he probably ever realized,” his sister said.
She lamented how some have portrayed her brother.
“When does this end? How many more innocent lives must be lost before we say enough?” Micayla Pretti asked. “Hearing disgusting lies spread about my brother is absolutely gut-wrenching.”
FILE - Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey holds a news conference on Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Jen Golbeck)
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said he spoke to Trump about the immigration crackdown in his city and some federal officers will begin leaving.
Frey said he asked Trump in a phone call to end the immigration enforcement surge and that Trump agreed the present situation cannot continue.
Frey said some agents will begin leaving Tuesday. The mayor said he would keep pushing for others involved in Operation Metro Surge to go.
Trump posted on social media that he had a good conversation with Frey.
“Lots of progress is being made!” he wrote.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has agreed to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee for the first time on March 3 after months of negotiations with Republicans, according to a person familiar with the private talks who requested anonymity to discuss them.
The agreement follows the Minneapolis shooting over the weekend. Democrats have criticized Noem and other officials for saying Pretti “approached” immigration officers with a gun and acted violently when video evidence appears to show otherwise.
Senators from both parties had expressed frustration as Noem has so far not appeared for a routine oversight hearing before the Judiciary panel, which oversees the Department of Homeland Security along with several other committees. Republican Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina was holding up some department nominees over her refusal to appear.
Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin, the top Democrat on the Judiciary panel, said in a statement that Noem should testify sooner.
“With all of the violence and deaths involving DHS, the Secretary is apparently in no hurry to account for her mismanagement of this national crisis,” Durbin said.
A senior Border Patrol commander and some agents are expected to leave Minneapolis as early as Tuesday, a person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press.
The departure of Border Patrol commander Greg Bovino, who has been at the center of the Trump administration's aggressive immigration enforcement surge in cities nationwide, comes as President Donald Trump dispatched border czar Tom Homan to Minnesota to take charge of Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations.
U.S. Border Patrol Cmdr. Gregory Bovino stands with Federal agents outside a convenience store on Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Angelina Katsanis)
The person familiar with the matter was not authorized to publicly discuss details of the operation and spoke to AP on condition of anonymity.
Bovino's departure marks a significant public shift in federal law enforcement posture amid mounting outrage over the fatal shooting of 37-year-old ICU nurse Alex Pretti by Border Patrol agents.
His leadership of highly visible federal crackdowns, including operations that sparked mass demonstrations in Los Angeles, Chicago, Charlotte and Minneapolis, has drawn fierce criticism from local officials, civil rights advocates and congressional Democrats.
Criticism has increased around Bovino in the last few days after his public defense of the Pretti shooting and disputed claims about the confrontation that led to his death.
Democrats on the U.S. House Homeland Security Committee held a congressional field hearing in New Orleans Monday on a recent federal immigration enforcement operation in south Louisiana.
Residents and city leaders lambasted federal officials over “Catahoula Crunch” – the deployment of hundreds of immigration agents to, and around, the blue city. The operation began in December and largely concluded this month.
Mayor Helena Moreno said while Homeland Security officials described the operation as targeting the “worst of the worst” that was not the case. Moreno said “non-violent individuals” were “overwhelmingly targeted and profiled” by agents, causing “widespread fear.” Documents previously reviewed by AP showed the majority of people arrested in the Louisiana crackdown's first days lacked criminal records.
Advocates called for sweeping changes to immigration enforcement, with some suggesting the abolishment of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Many reiterated concerns over the constitutionality of raids and detention – pointing to not only New Orleans but also the immigration crackdown in Minnesota that's led to the fatal shootings of two people by government officers.
“What we saw here, and now in much more severe fashion, in Minneapolis is no longer an issue of immigration, public safety or even politics,” Moreno said. “This is a cruel, divisive agenda lacking humanity.”
The Federal Aviation Administration has created a no-fly zone for drones near immigration enforcement operations, including moving vehicle convoys.
The agency issued the security notice earlier this month, prohibiting unmanned aircraft from operating within 1,000 feet above or 3,000 feet adjacent to Department of Homeland Security assets, including ground vehicle convoys and escorts.
The no-fly zone also includes Department of Defense, Department of Energy and and Department of Homeland Security facilities, and the FAA says violators can face criminal and civil penalties. The area around the immigration enforcement operations is considered “national defense airspace,” according to the notice.
The Jan. 16 notice expands nationwide and does not have an end date.It says drone operators should coordinate in advance with the appropriate federal entities, but does not say how drone operators are expected to identify moving no-fly zones when immigration raids or other federal vehicle convoys are not announced in advance.
The chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee is inviting three top Homeland Security Department officials to testify before Congress after a fatal shooting of a protester in Minneapolis over the weekend.
Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., sent letters Tuesday to the heads of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) and Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) inviting them to a hearing on Feb. 12. His letters come after the GOP chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, New York Rep. Andrew Garbarino, requested a similar hearing over the weekend.
In the letters, Paul wrote that Congress has a duty to oversee taxpayer dollars and “ensure the funding is used to accomplish the mission, provide proper support for our law enforcement and, most importantly, protect the American people.”
Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany, also a candidate for Wisconsin governor, said Monday he has not seen any of the videos of Alex Pretti being shot and killed by a federal Border Patrol officer in Minneapolis.
“I have not seen the video,” Tiffany told reporters at a news conference called to release his property tax plan.
Tiffany said he was also not aware of comments from Trump administration officials alleging that Pretti was a “would-be assassin” who intended to “massacre” federal agents.
“I didn't see those comments, but I'd have to see the context of them,” Tiffany said.
Wis. Rep. Tom Tiffany speaks during Turning Point USA's AmericaFest 2025, on Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Tiffany said he supports a “full investigation” into what happened that includes Minnesota officials working with those from the federal government. He called the loss of life in Minnesota “tragic.”
“Let's get all the facts on the table and be sure to make a reasoned decision in what has been a chaotic time,” Tiffany said.
Tiffany is a strong supporter of President Donald Trump and said if elected governor of Wisconsin he would work closely with federal immigration officers.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said that Trump wants to see the bipartisan spending package passed this week to avoid the possibility of a government shutdown.
Leavitt said that “policy discussions on immigration in Minnesota are happening” and that Trump as president “is leading those discussions.”But she said those conversations “should not be at the expense of government funding for the American people.”
“We absolutely do not want to see that funding lapse,” Leavitt said. “And we want the Senate to move forward with passing the bipartisan appropriations package that was negotiated on a bipartisan basis.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison says a federal judge's decision on whether to halt an immigration crackdown in the state will have major ramifications for the rest of the nation.
“This decision is extremely important to the sovereignty of every single state,” Ellison said shortly after the hearing before U.S. District Judge Katherine Menendez came to a close on Monday. State and Twin Cities officials have asked Menendez to order a halt to the crackdown.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison speaks with reporters at the federal courthouse in Minneapolis on Monday, Jan 26, 2026, after a judge heard arguments in a lawsuit by the state and the cities to put the brakes on the federal immigration surge that's targeting Minnesota. (AP Photo/Steve Karnowski)
“We're asking for preliminary relief,” he later continued. “The case will go on. But what is decided in Minnesota, overall, this case, and everything that we're doing to try to protect our state, has great ramifications for the rest of the country.”
Menendez' ruling will not weigh in on the merits of the case, but instead determine if the crackdown needs to stop temporarily while the lawsuit moves forward in court.
“We're never going to stop defending Minnesota, If things go our way, great. If they don't, we're right back to the drawing board,” Ellison said. “The moment will never arrive when we stop fighting for this state. Full stop.”
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said that Tom Homan, the administration's border czar, would be “the main point of contact on the ground in Minneapolis” during continued operations by federal immigration officers.
That marks something of a change as Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino had been the public face of operations in the city.
Leavitt said that Bovino would “very much continue to lead Customs and Border Patrol, throughout and across the country.”
White House border czar Tom Homan listens to reporters during an interview, Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks with reporters in the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House, Monday, Jan. 26, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
“While Americans have a constitutional right to bear arms, Americans do not have a constitutional right to impede lawful immigration enforcement operations,” Leavitt said, adding that, when an armed person is confronted by law enforcement, “you are raising the assumption of risk, and the risk of a force being used against you.”
Leavitt was asked about FBI Director Kash Patel's remarks that someone could not bring a loaded firearm to a protest.
Family members said Pretti owned a handgun and had a permit to carry a concealed handgun in Minnesota, but that they had never known him to carry it.
The Department of Homeland Security has said Pretti was shot after he “approached” Border Patrol officers with a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun but did not specify if he brandished it.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said at the news briefing that she has not heard Trump commit to release body camera footage from federal immigration officers involved in the shooting and killing of Alex Pretti, who was protesting the administration's actions.
Leavitt later said that the administration is talking with members of Congress about requirements to have federal immigration officers wear body cameras.
Asked if Noem had made a mistake that led Trump to send border czar Tom Homan to Minnesota, Leavitt said no.
Noting that Noem oversees “the entire Department of Homeland Security,” Leavitt stressed that that includes the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which is managing response to “a brutal winter storm, where hundreds of thousands of Americans have been impacted by that.”
Leavitt said that Homan “is in a unique position to drop everything and go to Minnesota to continue having these productive conversations with state and local officials,” adding that he would be “catching a plane in just a few hours to do just that, at the at the request of the president.”
White House press secretary says that she has “not heard the president characterize” as a domestic terrorist Alex Pretti, the Minneapolis protester shot and killed on Saturday by a federal immigration officer.
That marks something of a difference with the message of other administration officials. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has labeled Pretti as committing an act of domestic terrorism.
Leavitt said she has “heard the president say he wants to get the facts on the investigation” of the shooting
Asked about deputy White House chief of staff Stephen Miller's social media characterization of Pretti, without offering any evidence, as “an assassin” who “tried to murder federal agents,” Leavitt stressed that Trump hadn't used such words.
“This has obviously been a very fluid and fast moving situation throughout the weekend,” Leavitt said, adding that Trump “has said that he wants to let the investigation continue and let the facts lead.”
Asked if Miller would apologize to Pretti's family, Leavitt again turned to Trump's position.
“Nobody here at the White House, including the president of the United States, wants to see Americans hurt and losing their lives,” she said.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the shooting and killing by a federal immigration officer of Minneapolis protester Alex Pretti “occurred as a result of a deliberate and hostile resistance by Democrat leaders in Minnesota.”
Her remarks showed the administration still seeks to blame the violence on political rivals, despite Trump seeking to ease tensions by saying Monday that he had a productive phone conversation with Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.
The White House continues to say that resistance to Trump's agenda is what led to the shootings and killings of Pretti and Renee Good after ICE agents have engaged in aggressive operations in Minnesota.
Walz, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and other elected Democrats “were spreading lies about federal law enforcement officers,” Leavitt said at the White House briefing.
“They have also used their platforms to encourage Left-Wing agitators to stalk, record, confront, and obstruct federal officers who were just trying to lawfully perform their duties, which has created dangerous situations threatening both these officers and the general public and Minnesotans alike,” Leavitt said.
Reporters raise their hands to ask a question as White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks with reporters in the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House, Monday, Jan. 26, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
During a briefing on Monday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said that a trio of “active investigations” and internal probes of the shooting were underway by federal agencies.
Leavitt said that the Department of Homeland Security and FBI were investigating the shooting and that U.S. Customs and Border Protection was “conducting their own internal review.”
“As President Trump said yesterday, the administration is reviewing everything with respect to the shooting, and we will let that investigation play out,” Leavitt added.
Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, who has been a strong supporter of Trump's crackdown on immigration, said Monday the White House needs to “recalibrate” what it is doing in Minnesota.
Abbott spoke with conservative radio host Mark Davis and said immigration agents deserve respect as law enforcement.
Abbott said he believes the White House is working on a “game plan” for immigration agents to “go about their job in a more structured way to make sure that they are going to be able to remove these people, but without causing all the kinds of problems and fighting in communities that they are experiencing right now.”
Abbott also blamed Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor for not doing enough to calm the situation on the ground.
Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey renewed her calls for Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to resign when asked by reporters on Monday.
In a lengthy response, Healey accused the head of the FBI of not understanding the Second Amendment and Attorney General Pam Bondi of extorting Minnesota for its voter rolls.
Healey added that Trump's administration was “doing a huge disservice” to the American public.
Monday's hearing in federal court on Minnesota and the Twin Cities' suit aiming to halt the Trump administration's surge of immigration law enforcement has ended without the judge ruling from the bench.
U.S. District Court Judge Katherine Menendez emphasized the urgency of the case, saying she plans to issue a written opinion, though didn't specify when.
A Monday morning call between President Donald Trump and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz about fatal shootings by immigration officers appears to have been well-received by both sides.
Walz' office said the call was “productive.”
“The Governor made the case that we need impartial investigations of the Minneapolis shootings involving federal agents, and that we need to reduce the number of federal agents in Minnesota,” his office wrote in a release.
Renee Good and Alex Pretti, both Minnesota residents and U.S. citizens, were fatally shot and killed by federal immigration officers in separate incidents in Minneapolis.
Trump agreed to talk to the Department of Homeland Security about ensuring the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is able to conduct an independent investigation, Walz' office said, and also agreed to look into either reducing the number of federal agents in Minnesota or working with the state “in a more coordinated fashion on immigration enforcement regarding violent criminals.”
Trump wrote in a social media post earlier Monday that the two “actually” seem to be on the same page in wanting to work together on immigration issues in Minnesota. He said the people the administration is seeking “are any and all Criminals that they have in their possession” and Walz “very respectfully, understood that.”
More than 3,000 federal immigration officers are part of the immigration enforcement surge in Minnesota, a Department of Justice attorney told a federal judge on Monday.
Brantley Mayers, counsel to the DOJ's assistant attorney general, told U.S. District Judge Katherine Menendez that at least 2,000 Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers and at least 1,000 Customs and Border Patrol officers were part of the operation, and that he would provide her with an exact number later.
Minnesota state and Twin Cities officials have asked Menendez to halt the immigration crackdown, which has led to widespread unrest. Two Minnesota residents have been shot and killed by immigration officials since the crackdown began.
Menendez asked Mayers why so many officers were needed. Mayers said it had to do with complications surrounding how immigration officers typically stage for enforcement operations, gathering in parking lots.
Twin Cities officials have taken steps to prohibit city-owned parking lots and garages from being used in immigration enforcement operations. Chicago officials took similar steps after immigration crackdowns in that city last year.
“I failed to view the DHS funding vote as a referendum on the illegal and immoral conduct of ICE in Minneapolis,” Rep. Tom Suozzi, D-N.Y., posted on social media. “I hear the anger from many of my constituents, and I take responsibility for that. I have long been critical of ICE's unlawful behavior and I must do a better job demonstrating that.”
Suozzi was one of the seven moderate Democrats who voted with Republicans last week to pass a tranche of funding for the Department of Homeland Security.
The congressman added that the “senseless and tragic murder of Alex Pretti underscores what happens when untrained federal agents operate without accountability” and called on President Donald Trump to end ICE's enhanced enforcement operation in Minnesota.
A federal judge asked a Justice Department attorney about the federal government's motivation behind the immigration crackdown in Minnesota during a hearing on the state's request for an emergency halt to the immigration enforcement.
“So the goal of the surge is not to get the state and cities to change sanctuary policies?” Menendez asked Brantley Mayers, counsel to the DOJ's assistant attorney general.
No, Mayers said — the goal is to enforce federal law.
The judge also expressed skepticism about a letter recently sent by Attorney General Pam Bondi to Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz asking the state to allow the federal government to access state voter roles, turn over state Medicaid and food assistance records, and repeal sanctuary policies. All three requests are the subject of litigation, she noted.
“Would 10,000 ICE agents on the ground in the Twin Cities cross the line?” Menendez asked Mayers. “I mean, is there no limit to what the executive can do under the guise of enforcing immigration law?”
Mayers said one lawful action shouldn't be used to discredit another lawful action.
“I don't see how the fact that we're also doing additional things that we are allowed to do, that the Constitution has vested us with doing, would in any way negate another piece of the same operation, the same surge.”
FILE - Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz speaks during a House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform hearing, June 12, 2025, at the U.S. Capitol in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson, File)
FILE - President Donald Trump speaks before departing on Marine One from the South Lawn of the White House, Jan. 20, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)
And the president said the two “actually” seem to be on the same page in wanting to work together as it relates to immigration issues in Minnesota.
Trump said the people the administration is seeking “are any and all Criminals that they have in their possession” and Walz “very respectfully, understood that.”
“He was happy that Tom Homan was going to Minnesota, and so am I!” Trump wrote in a social media post which was notable for its warm and collaborative tone toward Minnesota's governor, whom Trump frequently derides.
At issue is whether the federal court should at least temporarily halt the immigration crackdown in Minnesota that's led to the fatal shootings of two people by government officers.
In arguments before U.S. District Judge Katherine Menendez, lawyers for the state and Twin Cities argued the situation is so dire on the street as to require the court to halt the federal government's immigration enforcement actions.
“If this is not stopped right here, right now, I don't think anybody who is seriously looking at this problem can have much faith in how our republic is going to go in the future,” Minnesota Assistant Attorney General Brian Carter said.
The Justice Department's attorneys were set to speak later Monday.
Judge Menendez asked attorneys for the state and cities where she should draw the line between legitimate law enforcement response and one that violates the Constitution.
FILE - Former Vice President Mike Pence, waits outside the funeral services for former Vice President Dick Cheney at the Washington National Cathedral, Thursday, Nov. 20, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
“The images of this incident are deeply troubling and a full and transparent investigation of this officer involved shooting must take place immediately,” the Republican who served during President Trump's first term wrote on X. He also said he was praying for Alex Pretti's family as well as Minnesota citizens and state and federal law enforcement officers.
“The American people deserve to have safe streets, our laws enforced and our constitutional rights of Freedom of Speech, peaceable assembly and the right to keep and bear Arms respected and preserved all at the same time,” Pence wrote. “That's how Law and Order and Freedom work together in America.”
Pence is one of a growing number of Republicans to press for a deeper investigation into federal immigration tactics in Minnesota.
A woman holds a sign memorializing Renee Good as activists protest outside an ICE facility in Pflugerville, Texas, requesting the organization to leave the county, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in solidarity with nationwide protests after the killing of U.S. citizen Renee Good by ICE agents in Minneapolis on Wednesday. (Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman via AP)
The attorney representing the family of Renee Good, who was fatally shot by a federal immigration officer earlier this month in Minneapolis, said in a statement that it was “terrifying, deeply disturbing, and heartbreaking” that another person had died.
“It is time for a hard reset,” attorney Antonio Romanucci said in the statement released Sunday. “ICE agents can leave Minneapolis. The residents of Minnesota cannot. We call for a complete and immediate end to the ICE invasion of this beautiful American city.”
Minnesota gubernatorial candidate Chris Madel, a Minneapolis attorney who provided legal support to the ICE agent who shot and killed Renee Good, ended his GOP campaign in a surprise video announcement Monday.
Madel called the recent immigration enforcement operation in the Twin Cities an “unmitigated disaster.”
“I cannot support the national Republican's stated retribution on the citizens of our state,” Madel said. “Nor can I count myself a member of a party that would do so.”
He was among a large group of candidates seeking to replace Democratic Gov. Tim Walz, who dropped his reelection bid earlier this month. Madel described himself as a “pragmatist,” and said national Republicans “have made it nearly impossible for a Republican to win a statewide election in Minnesota.”
“I have read about and I have spoken to help countless United States citizens who have been detained in Minnesota due to the color of their skin,” Madel said.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announces issuing “investigative subpoenas” to Orange County employees during a press conference in Orlando, Fla., on Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2025. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel via AP, File)
That support from the Republican governor for the Department of Homeland Security's immigration enforcement efforts came Monday as tensions in Minnesota ratcheted up over the weekend following the fatal shooting of a Minneapolis protester by a federal agent.
DeSantis pointed to his administration's signing of cooperative agreements with Homeland Security agencies when it comes to detaining people in the U.S. illegally as a model for other states. As he has before, DeSantis noted that state and local law enforcement agencies had detained nearly 20,000 people in the U.S. illegally in the past year.
DeSantis made no mention of the fatal shooting of 37-year-old Alex Pretti by a federal officer Saturday. Following the shooting, several Republican elected officials have questioned President Trump's hard-line immigration crackdown in Minnesota, but DeSantis was not among them.
Homan will report directly to Trump, the president said in a social media post, adding that Homan is “tough but fair.”
“He has not been involved in that area, but knows and likes many of the people there,” Trump said Monday morning.
A growing number of Republicans are pressing for a deeper investigation into federal immigration tactics in Minnesota after a U.S. Border Patrol agent fatally shot a man in Minneapolis, a sign the Trump administration's accounting of events may face bipartisan scrutiny.
House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Andrew Garbarino sought testimony from leaders at Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Customs and Border Protection and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, saying “my top priority remains keeping Americans safe.”
A host of other congressional Republicans, including Rep. Michael McCaul of Texas and Sens. Thom Tillis of North Carolina, Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, pressed for more information. Their statements, in addition to concern expressed from several Republican governors, reflected a party struggling with how to respond to Saturday's fatal shooting.
▶ Read more about Republicans' response to the shooting
The shooting of Pretti prompted some fellow Republicans to question Trump's hard-line immigration crackdown, but the president on Sunday night continued to blame Democratic officials.
After remaining relatively quiet on Sunday, the Republican president in two lengthy social media posts said that Democrats had encouraged people to obstruct law enforcement operations. He also called on officials in Minnesota to work with immigration officers and “turn over” people who were in the U.S. illegally.
“Tragically, two American Citizens have lost their lives as a result of this Democrat ensued chaos,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social media network.
Trump's refusal to back away from his pledge to carry out the largest deportation program in history and the surge of immigration officers to heavily Democratic cities came as more Republicans began calling for a deeper investigation and expressing unease with some of the administration's tactics.
▶ Read more about Trump's comments
Video captures a confrontation between federal officers and a 37-year-old man leading up to a fatal shooting in Minneapolis. This shooting comes amid widespread protests after the shooting of Renee Good.
Leaders of law enforcement organizations expressed alarm Sunday over the latest deadly shooting by federal officers in Minneapolis while use-of-force experts criticized the Trump administration's justification of the killing, saying bystander footage contradicted its narrative of what prompted it.
The federal government also faced criticism over the lack of a civil rights inquiry by the U.S. Justice Department and its efforts to block Minnesota authorities from conducting their own review of the killing of Pretti.
In a bid to ease tensions, the International Association of Chiefs of Police called on the White House to convene discussions “as soon as practicable” among federal, state and local law enforcement.
While questions remained about the latest confrontation, use-of-force experts told The Associated Press that bystander video undermined federal authorities' claim that Pretti “approached” a group of lawmen with a firearm and that a Border Patrol officer opened fire “defensively.” There has been no evidence made public, they said, that supports a claim by Border Patrol senior official Greg Bovino that Pretti, who had a permit to carry a concealed handgun, intended to “massacre law enforcement.”
▶ Read more about the videos
The state of Minnesota and the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul sued the Department of Homeland Security earlier this month, five days after Renee Good was shot by an Immigration and Customs officer. Saturday's shooting by a Border Patrol officer of Alex Pretti has only added urgency to the case.
Since the original filing, the state and cities have substantially added to their original request. They're trying to restore the state of affairs that existed before the Trump administration launched Operation Metro Surge on Dec. 1.
The hearing is set for Monday morning in federal court in Minneapolis. Democratic Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said he plans to personally attend.
They're asking that U.S. District Judge Katherine Menendez order federal law enforcement agencies to reduce the numbers of officers and agents in Minnesota to levels before the surge, while allowing them to continue to enforce immigration laws within a long list of proposed limits.
▶ Read more about the hearing
This item has been corrected to show the judges' first name is Katherine, not Kathleen.
Democratic senators are vowing to oppose a funding bill for the Department of Homeland Security following the shooting death of a 37-year-old Minnesota man, a stand that increases the prospect of a partial government shutdown by the end of the week.
Six of the 12 annual spending bills for the current budget year have been signed into law by President Donald Trump. Six more are awaiting action in the Senate, despite a revolt from House Democrats and mounting calls for Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem's impeachment.
If senators fail to act by midnight Friday, funding for Homeland Security and the other agencies covered under the six bills will lapse.
Republicans will need some Democratic support to pass the remaining spending bills in time to avoid a partial shutdown. That support was already in question after Renee Good, a mother of three, was fatally shot and killed earlier this month by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent in Minneapolis. But the fatal shooting Saturday of Alex Pretti, an intensive care unit nurse, quickly prompted Democrats to take a more forceful stand.
▶ Read more about the possible shutdown
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A federal appeals court on Monday blocked a lower-court judge's restrictions on Immigration and Customs Enforcement tactics in Minnesota, handing the Trump administration a significant win as protests and legal challenges continue to surround federal immigration operations in the Twin Cities.
The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals issued an indefinite stay of a Jan. 16 order by U.S. District Judge Katherine Menendez that sharply limited how federal officers could respond to protests tied to ICE activity in Minneapolis. The stay will remain in effect while the government's appeal proceeds.
WIN AGAINST JUDICIAL ACTIVISM IN MINNESOTA Our great @TheJusticeDept attorneys have now obtained a FULL STAY in this crucial case. Liberal judges tried to handcuff our federal law enforcement officers, restrict their actions, and put their safety at risk when responding to… https://t.co/j1kvm7gQGR
Attorney General Pam Bondi lauded the decision, saying lower court judges like Menendez “tried to handcuff our federal law enforcement officers, restrict their actions, and put their safety at risk when responding to violent agitators.”
“The DOJ went to court. We got a temporary stay. NOW, the 8th Circuit has fully agreed that this reckless attempt to undermine law enforcement cannot stand,” Bondi said.
That order by Menendez, an appointee of former President Joe Biden, had barred federal officers from arresting, detaining, pepper-spraying, or retaliating against individuals engaged in what she described as peaceful and unobstructive protest activity. It also restricted officers from stopping vehicles unless they had reasonable suspicion that occupants were forcibly interfering with immigration enforcement. The appeals court previously intervened on Wednesday without issuing a written decision.
In a brief per curiam decision Monday afternoon, the appeals court said the government made a “strong showing” that the injunction is unlikely to survive appellate review. The panel concluded the order was both overly broad and impermissibly vague, raising constitutional and practical concerns.
The court said the injunction effectively amounted to a universal injunction by extending relief to a sweeping, uncertified class of protesters and observers. Citing recent Supreme Court precedent, the panel said federal courts lack authority to impose such broad restrictions on executive branch operations.
The judges also faulted the order for failing to clearly define the scope of conduct agents would be prohibited from engaging in, concluding it largely directed federal officers to “obey the law.”
“Even the provision that singles out the use of ‘pepper-spray or similar nonlethal munitions and crowd dispersal tools' requires federal agents to predict what the district court would consider ‘peaceful and unobstructive protest activity,'” the majority wrote.
Such vague commands, the court said, leave agents guessing how to respond during fast-moving protest situations and expose them to possible contempt sanctions.
The ruling comes amid sustained protests in Minneapolis following two fatal encounters involving federal agents. An ICE officer shot and killed Renee Good on Jan. 7, and a Border Patrol agent fatally shot Alex Pretti, a U.S. citizen, on Saturday during separate enforcement operations, according to authorities. Both incidents fueled demonstrations and intensified scrutiny of Operation Metro Surge, a large-scale federal immigration enforcement effort in the Twin Cities.
President Donald Trump has escalated the federal response, placing roughly 1,500 U.S. troops on standby to assist federal agents and warning that he could invoke the Insurrection Act if unrest continues. However, he indicated a strategy shift in communication with the state's recalcitrant leadership on Monday, suggesting he and Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN) spoke and were on a “similar wavelength” with one another.
The underlying lawsuit, filed in December, alleges that federal officers violated the First and Fourth Amendment rights of six protesters. Plaintiffs claim agents boxed in a civilian's car and pointed a rifle inside during enforcement operations. They sought classwide relief on behalf of anyone who observes, records, or protests ICE activity in Minnesota.
Menendez said in her Jan. 16 order that protesters showed an “ongoing, persistent pattern” of intimidating conduct by ICE officers. She cited extensive media coverage of aggressive federal responses to protests across the Twin Cities.
FEDERAL JUDGE SKEPTICAL OF MINNESOTA'S PLEA FOR COURT TO END SWEEPING DHS OPERATION
Although her injunction is now on pause, Menendez is still weighing a separate request from Minnesota officials to halt the broader deployment of federal immigration officers in the state. At a hearing Monday, she said she was wrestling with the scope of the request but acknowledged that federal officials have “a lot of power” to enforce immigration laws.
Minnesota argues the surge unconstitutionally interferes with the state's authority and threatens public safety. The appeals court, however, said staying the injunction serves the public interest by preventing federal agents from hesitating while carrying out lawful duties.
House Democratic leaders on Tuesday threatened to begin impeachment proceedings against Department of Homeland Secretary Kristi Noem if President Donald Trump does not fire her first.
Noem has faced increased pressure in recent days for her comments in the wake of the shooting of Alex Pretti, a U.S. citizen killed by federal agents in Minneapolis on Saturday.
"The violence unleashed on the American people by the Department of Homeland Security must end forthwith. Kristi Noem should be fired immediately, or we will commence impeachment proceedings in the House of Representatives," the Democrats said in a statement.
"We can do this the easy way or the hard way," they said.
In the aftermath of Pretti's killing, Noem claimed he had been "brandishing" a weapon and that he had responded "violently" to officers' attempts to disarm him, claims that were later contradicted by video analysis and analyses from multiple news outlets.
Trump on Tuesday said "no" when a reporter at the White House asked him if Noem would leave her post.
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Lululemon has laid off 100 part-time employees in its customer service department in an effort to "strengthen" the business.
The layoffs have affected staff in North America working at the company's contact center.
A Lululemon company spokesperson said: "Over the past several months and as part of our ongoing strategic efforts to strengthen our business, we have been assessing ways to optimize and better support this experience for our guests and employees in North America.
"After careful consideration, we have made the decision to transition our North America GEC to a full-time employee staffing model. As a result, approximately 100 part-time positions in our GEC have been impacted," they said.
The company has come under pressure in recent months. Its sales in the Americas have slid, and analysts say the brand has veered from its yoga roots and become more generic. Its stock price has sunk 53% in the past year.
It previously cut around 150 corporate staff last summer.
Chip Wilson, the founder of Lululemon, has also become increasingly vocal in his criticism of the athleisure company.
At the end of last year, he launched a proxy battle to change the leadership of Lululemon's board.
Wilson weighed in again last week, when the brand briefly halted online sales of its "Get Low" leggings after customers complained they were see-through. Wilson described this as a "total operational failure," and the fault of the company's board.
Lululemon's current CEO, Calvin McDonald, will step down at the end of this month. His permanent replacement has yet to be announced.
Do you work for Lululemon and have a tip or story to share? Contact this reporter via email at rshahidi@insider.com.
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TikTok has agreed to settle with a plaintiff and will no longer be part of a high-profile social media trial kicking off on Tuesday.
An attorney for the plaintiff said the trial, held in Los Angeles Superior Court, will proceed as scheduled against Meta and Alphabet's YouTube.
"This is a good resolution, and we are pleased with the settlement," Mark Lanier, an attorney representing the plaintiff said in a statement. "Our focus has now turned to the Meta and YouTube for this trial."
The trial is the first of multiple major legal cases against social media companies in 2026 that have drawn comparisons to lawsuits brought against 'Big Tobacco' in the 1990s.
The cases center around allegations that the design of several social media and streaming video apps like Instagram and YouTube harmed the mental well-being of teenagers and young adults, leaving them addicted to the services.
The focus on the apps' alleged design flaws is part of a legal strategy to counter arguments made by the technology companies that certain content shared on their platforms is protected via the Section 230 provision of the Communications Decency Act.
Last week, Snap, the parent company of the Snapchat social media app, reached an agreement to settle with the plaintiff, and is no longer part of the trial.
TikTok is still a defendant in other personal injury cases, attorneys for the plaintiff said.
Next week, another major trial commences in Santa Fe, New Mexico, involving Meta.
In that case, the New Mexico Attorney General alleges that the Facebook-parent company failed to safeguard its apps, resulting in the exploitation of children by online predators.
Later this year, another major social media trial will begin in the Northern District of California involving TikTok, Meta, YouTube and Snap.
In this federal case, the social media firms will argue against allegations that the design of the apps led to unhealthy and addictive behaviors in teens and children.Since TikTok's U.S. operations became an independent joint venture in order to satisfy a national security law, it has been hit by a wave of glitches and errors. The company said the stumbles were due to a power outage at one of its data centers.
Some users have complained about the hiccups and have also claimed that the app was censoring certain political information.
WATCH: TikTok finalizes deal to stay in the U.S.
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In this article
TikTok has agreed to settle with a plaintiff and will no longer be part of a high-profile social media trial kicking off on Tuesday.
An attorney for the plaintiff said the trial, held in Los Angeles Superior Court, will proceed as scheduled against Meta and Alphabet's YouTube.
"This is a good resolution, and we are pleased with the settlement," Mark Lanier, an attorney representing the plaintiff said in a statement. "Our focus has now turned to the Meta and YouTube for this trial."
The trial is the first of multiple major legal cases against social media companies in 2026 that have drawn comparisons to lawsuits brought against 'Big Tobacco' in the 1990s.
The cases center around allegations that the design of several social media and streaming video apps like Instagram and YouTube harmed the mental well-being of teenagers and young adults, leaving them addicted to the services.
The focus on the apps' alleged design flaws is part of a legal strategy to counter arguments made by the technology companies that certain content shared on their platforms is protected via the Section 230 provision of the Communications Decency Act.
Last week, Snap, the parent company of the Snapchat social media app, reached an agreement to settle with the plaintiff, and is no longer part of the trial.
TikTok is still a defendant in other personal injury cases, attorneys for the plaintiff said.
Next week, another major trial commences in Santa Fe, New Mexico, involving Meta.
In that case, the New Mexico Attorney General alleges that the Facebook-parent company failed to safeguard its apps, resulting in the exploitation of children by online predators.
Later this year, another major social media trial will begin in the Northern District of California involving TikTok, Meta, YouTube and Snap.
In this federal case, the social media firms will argue against allegations that the design of the apps led to unhealthy and addictive behaviors in teens and children.Since TikTok's U.S. operations became an independent joint venture in order to satisfy a national security law, it has been hit by a wave of glitches and errors. The company said the stumbles were due to a power outage at one of its data centers.
Some users have complained about the hiccups and have also claimed that the app was censoring certain political information.
WATCH: TikTok finalizes deal to stay in the U.S.
Got a confidential news tip? We want to hear from you.
Sign up for free newsletters and get more CNBC delivered to your inbox
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From his small, snow-covered farm outside Toronto, home to cats and a dog, and soon some donkeys, Mark Surman has been laying the groundwork for a fierce battle with the world's leading artificial intelligence companies, located about 2,300 miles away in the San Francisco area.
The bespectacled 56-year-old is president of Mozilla, a nonprofit organization best known for its Firefox browser and a pledge to keep the internet open and accessible to all. Having taken on Microsoft in the browser market in the early 2000s, and Apple and Google in the years that followed, Mozilla is right at home playing the role of underdog.
These days, Surman is preoccupied with the tech industry's influence over the next big thing: AI. And it's too big of a challenge for Mozilla to tackle on its own.
Surman is building what he's described as "a rebel alliance of sorts," using a phrase that's long been part of Mozilla's lexicon. In this case, the alliance is a loose network of tech startups, developers and public interest technologists committed to making AI more open and trustworthy and to checking the power of industry heavyweights like OpenAI and Anthropic.
"It's that spirit that a bunch of people are banding together to create something good in the world and take on this thing that threatens us," Surman told CNBC in an interview. "It's super corny, but people totally get it."
In practice, Mozilla is focused on deploying its roughly $1.4 billion worth of reserves to support "mission driven" tech businesses and nonprofits, including its own, according to a report the organization released Tuesday. It's pursuing investments that promote AI transparency, and can potentially act as a counterforce to companies that are growing at historic rates with limited guardrails.
Financially, Mozilla is at a massive disadvantage. In 2022, it launched a venture capital fund called Mozilla Ventures and pledged to invest an initial $35 million in early-stage companies. It's now exploring raising additional funds.
Mozilla's cash pile is dwarfed by OpenAI, which has raised more than $60 billion from investors across the globe, and its rival Anthropic, which has raised more than $30 billion, according to PitchBook. Tech megacaps like Google and Meta are also sparing no expense, shelling out billions of dollars to hire AI researchers and tens of billions a year to build out massive data centers.
Mozilla represents a growing swath of the AI industry that's afraid of what OpenAI has become and the power that it now wields.
When OpenAI was founded as a nonprofit AI lab in 2015, its stated goal was to "advance digital intelligence in the way that is most likely to benefit humanity as a whole, unconstrained by a need to generate financial return."
But in the decade that followed, OpenAI turned into a commercial entity with astronomical growth rates, transformed largely by the launch of ChatGPT in late 2022.
OpenAI now sports a $500 billion valuation, and completed a recapitalization in October that cemented its future as a for-profit business under the umbrella of a nonprofit. It's a structure that resembles Mozilla, but the similarities end there.
Only a few of OpenAI's co-founders, including CEO Sam Altman, remain at the company, and a number of early employees who left have been sharply critical of what they broadly describe as a focus on growth at the expense of safety.
Among the loudest critics is co-founder Elon Musk, who departed in 2018, started a competitor called xAI in 2023, and then sued OpenAI and Altman for alleged breach of contract and financial damages. OpenAI has dismissed Musk's efforts as part of a "campaign of harassment," and the case is expected to head to trial in April.
OpenAI didn't provide a comment, and xAI returned CNBC's request for comment with an automated response.
Anthropic was founded in 2021 by a group of former OpenAI executives and researchers who disagreed with the company's direction. But, even as it's taken a more pro-safety stance in AI development, Anthropic has been racing alongside AI commercially, commanding a $350 billion valuation.
Mozilla's uphill battle is even steeper because of the position of the Trump administration, which is determined to stay ahead of China in the global AI race and has been quick to lash out at companies, states and lawmakers that are perceived as potential threats to that agenda.
David Sacks, the venture capitalist serving as the administration's AI and crypto czar, accused Anthropic of supporting "woke AI" in October due to its approach on regulation. President Donald Trump in December signed an executive order for a single regulatory framework for AI, establishing a litigation task force to challenge state AI laws, namely those led by Democratic lawmakers.
An Anthropic spokesperson declined to comment, but directed CNBC to a blog post from CEO Dario Amodei in October. Amodei wrote in the post that Anthropic had increased its revenue run rate from $1 billion to $7 billion in nine months, "and we've managed to do this while deploying AI thoughtfully and responsibly."
Surman remains undeterred, and says Mozilla will be able to help "do for AI what we did for the web."
"There is an alternative that's real and is emerging, and it's a lot of small pieces that add up to that alternative," Surman said. "The people in it are hungry to look where there's weak spots in the current market and take advantage of them."
Mozilla has long viewed itself as a rebel.
In the 2024 "State of Mozilla" report, Surman used the phrase "rebel alliance" to describe the coalition of players that helped disrupt Microsoft's dominance over the web. In 2020, Mozilla published a report titled "Mozilla & the Rebel Alliance," which was dedicated to the organization's alliance of "tens of thousands of people around the globe who believe in Mozilla."
Even so, Surman said it took some time to convince his colleagues that the moniker applied to the AI era.
That process actually started long before generative AI took off. In 2019, Surman shifted the philanthropic and advocacy efforts of the Mozilla Foundation to focus on "trustworthy AI."
By the spring of 2023, Mozilla had launched its venture firm and its own AI company, Mozilla.ai. The following year, Surman said Mozilla's leadership agreed that keeping AI "trustworthy and open" was a fight worth picking.
While its biggest priority remains growing and investing in Firefox, investing in the rebel alliance is "at the heart of who Mozilla is today," according to the report on Tuesday. Supporting startups is central to that strategy.
Mozilla Ventures has invested in more than 55 companies to date, including dozens of AI startups, with more deals to come in 2026.
Trail, a German startup that offers an AI governance solution for regulated enterprises, raised a pre-seed round in 2024, with participation from Mozilla.
Anna Spitznagel, who co-founded the company the prior year, said Trail and Mozilla are exploring ways to collaborate more closely, like by building an open-source framework. Mozilla has supported open-source technology since its origin in 1998.
But Spitznagel isn't completely sold on Surman's rebel alliance concept. She said it's a "fun analogy" and wants to be aligned with the movement to enable trustworthy AI, but also wants in on the broader AI transformation.
"Rebel is a word that for me, personally, it has the wrong association," Spitznagel said in an interview. "I do think about [AI] a bit differently, but I also want to be part of the revolution that actually enables us to deploy AI and not hinder it."
Tony Salomone and Ali Asaria, co-founders of Mozilla portfolio company Transformer Lab, said they're similarly on the fence.
"I'm not going to lie, I sometimes talk that way to get people kind of excited or engaged in our way of thinking," Salomone said.
Founded in 2024, Transformer Lab is building open-source tools that developers can use to build, train and evaluate advanced AI models. The company has yet to publicly disclose any funding and, as of November, had fewer than 10 employees, mostly based in Canada.
Asaria said rebel alliance isn't a term he's used, but that there is an ecosystem of smaller AI companies that keep in touch and regularly cross paths at conferences and other events.
"There's definitely a group of folks who are interested in this idea of trying to be sustainable companies that can have an impact on the industry and have an appreciation for AI, but don't want to see just a few big companies win," Asaria said.
When it comes to the big companies in AI, Surman cautioned that a "winner-takes-all" mentality still lurks behind their open-source efforts. He said their contributions to open-source communities are welcome, but that those same companies will "eat you if you're not careful."
It's an issue that resonates with Oumi CEO Manos Koukoumidis. Backed by Mozilla, Oumi operates an open-source platform that researchers and engineers can use to train, fine-tune, evaluate and deploy AI models. Koukoumidis previously spent around a decade working in AI at Microsoft, Facebook and most recently Google, where he became disillusioned with the future he was building.
While all the big tech companies contribute to a variety of open-source projects, some of which they manage, Koukoumidis said the bigger objective at the "tech mammoths" is dominance. In terms of safety, he is "very confident that they're taking a lot of shortcuts."
Koukoumidis and Surman agree that a much larger community of researchers and entrepreneurs should be collaborating to advance AI, which is one of the goals of Oumi.
"Even the couple thousand people that are at OpenAI, Anthropic or anywhere else, because they're operating in a silo, they're not enough to advance this technology sufficiently, safely, cost efficiently, sustainably," Koukoumidis said in an interview. "What's happening right now, it's complete insanity. We're wasting billions, tens of billions, hundreds of billions."
But Koukoumidis knows that abandoning a high-paying job at a place like Google has its drawbacks. He has substantially fewer resources at his disposal, and said his decision to leave the company was "intimidating."
When the Transformer Lab team set out to raise funding in Silicon Valley and Canada, they were repeatedly told that it was going to be "technically impossible" for them to compete.
"When you enter into the space of AI as a new startup, it's scary, because these few companies control so much more than just the intellectual property," Asaria said. They control funding and access to infrastructure, making it "very hard to just walk into the space without starting with $100 million or a billion dollars," he said.
Surman acknowledges he has to play the long game.
By 2028, he wants Mozilla to be funding a growing open-source AI ecosystem that's on its way to becoming "mainstream" for developers. And he's determined to prove that Mozilla's approach is economically viable.
Mozilla is targeting a series of financial metrics over the next few years, including 20% annual growth in nonsearch revenue, according to a November report.
"For many people, the idea that open-source AI can win, or this rebel alliance, that those players can actually take a piece of the market, they find it hard to believe," Surman said. "But there's a bunch of trends that are underway."
WATCH: AI honeymoon is over and this will be its hardest year yet, says Deutsche Bank's Adrian Cox
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In a move perhaps unsurprising to anyone familiar with trademarks, the viral Clawdbot AI agent has a new, equally lobster-y name.
The popular AI agent, which debuted in December, was originally named after the monster users see while reloading Claude Code. Then Anthropic came knocking, sparking a new name: Moltbot.
"Anthropic asked us to change our name," Moltbot wrote on X on Tuesday. "'Molt' fits perfectly - it's what lobsters do to grow."
On his own X feed, creator Peter Steinberger was more direct: "I was forced to rename the account by Anthropic. Wasn't my decision."
Moltbot's mission will remain the same: a free, open-source agent that does everything from booking dinner reservations to overseeing vibe-coding sessions.
You might wondering, why not simply remove the "d" and make it Clawbot? After all, it would fit the branding. "Not allowed to," Steinberger wrote. Clawdbot's mascot has also been renamed Molty.
Clawd, the official logo of Claude Code, was created in June 2024. The logo and Claude name are both trademarked by Anthropic.
In an episode of the "Insecure Agents" podcast published three days before the renaming, Steinberger said he believed the "Clawdbot" name was legally viable.
"I looked it up," Steinberger said. "There's no trademark for this."
Crypto traders are especially peeved by the name change, as there is an unrelated "Clawd" meme coin. Steinberger posted a message shortly after announcing the renaming, asking crypto fans to stop "pinging" and "harassing" him. "You are actively damaging the project," he wrote.
Steinberger's personal GitHub account was briefly taken over by "crypto scammers," he wrote on X, though Moltbot's account was unaffected.
Some Moltbot fans were perturbed. In one post that Steinberger reposted, an engineer tagged Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei. "Do you hate success?" he asked.
This isn't the first trademark issue to result in some changes in the AI world. OpenAI scrubbed the news of its deal with Jonny Ive from its site in June, after the AI hardware startup iyO filed a dispute (Ive's startup was called "io"). Cameo also sued OpenAI over the name of its virtual likeness tool on the Sora app, leading OpenAI to rename the feature.
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Amazon is closing the supermarket chain that it spent nearly six years building from scratch.
The tech and retail giant said it plans to close its Amazon Fresh stores "to prioritize investment in growth areas," in a company blog post on Tuesday. Amazon has around 60 Fresh stores in the US listed on its website.
The company is also shuttering about 15 Amazon Go convenience stores, it said.
"While we've seen encouraging signals in our Amazon-branded physical grocery stores, we haven't yet created a truly distinctive customer experience with the right economic model needed for large-scale expansion," Amazon said in the post.
Some of the locations are set to become Whole Foods stores, Amazon said.
The closures are the latest pivot for Amazon's grocery business. Despite creating Amazon Fresh, buying Whole Foods, and building its grocery delivery muscle, Amazon's market share is still a fraction of several rivals.
Walmart has emerged as a particular source of inspiration for Amazon's grocery business lately, Business Insider has reported. The company has plans to build a Walmart Supercenter-like megastore near Chicago, for example.
Amazon has spent the better part of a decade trying to build a grocery store model using its own name that meets its expectations. It opened the first Amazon Go location to the public in 2018 and the first Amazon Fresh store in 2020.
The Fresh stores offered more mass-market groceries, such as some sodas and snacks, than Whole Foods stores did. Amazon also touted the stores for their use of technology, such as the company's Just Walk Out system.
Amazon said Tuesday that Whole Foods and delivery will be the focus of its grocery business in 2026.
The company plans to open over 100 Whole Foods supermarkets "over the next few years," it said in the blog post. Amazon is also opening five new Whole Foods Market Daily Shop stores in 2026, offering a pared-down selection of groceries in smaller stores.
Amazon is also working on expanding its grocery delivery capabilities this year, it said. The company offers delivery in 5,000 cities and towns in the US, including many where customers can get same-day delivery on perishable goods like fresh produce and ice cream.
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Being patriotic means you also need to call out "overreach" when you see it, Sam Altman privately told OpenAI employees in a message that said Immigration and Customs Enforcement had gone "too far."
"I love the US and its values of democracy and freedom and will be supportive of the country however I can; OpenAI will too," the OpenAI CEO wrote in an internal Slack message. "But part of loving the country is the American duty to push back against overreach. What's happening with ICE is going too far."
OpenAI employees responded positively to Altman's message on Slack, including heart and thank-you emojis.
Altman's message, which was first reported by The New York Times' Dealbook newsletter, comes as CEO and tech leaders face internal and external pressures in the wake of ICE's deadly shooting of Alex Pretti on Saturday. Pretti is the second person to be fatally shot by federal law enforcement amid a surge in immigration enforcement in and around Minneapolis.
Altman also praised Trump's leadership in his message and expressed hope that the president could cool tensions — the latest example of a CEO attempting to balance being critical of actions tied to the Trump administration's policies while also staying on the president's good side.
"President Trump is a very strong leader, and I hope he will rise to this moment and unite the country," Altman wrote. "I am encouraged by the last few hours of response and hope to see trust rebuilt with transparent investigations."
As a general principle, Altman wrote that OpenAI tries to "stick to our convictions and not get blown around by changing fashions too much."
On Monday, the White House appeared to be recalibrating its response in the wake of significant criticism, including from some congressional Republicans.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt declined to associate Trump with Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and White House advisor Stephen Miller's initial statements that Pretti was trying to commit domestic terrorism.
Do you work at OpenAI? Contact the reporter from a non-work email and device at bgriffiths@businessinsider.com
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Amazon said Tuesday it plans to sunset its Fresh and Go brick-and-mortar chains, marking a major pivot in the company's grocery strategy.
"After a careful evaluation of the business and how we can best serve customers, we've made the difficult decision to close our Amazon Go and Amazon Fresh physical stores, converting various locations into Whole Foods Market stores," the company wrote in a blog post.
Amazon said the closures are part of an effort to prioritize investments, though it hasn't given up on physical retail. The company still plans to roll out other brick-and-mortar concepts, including "a mass physical store format." It will continue to operate its Fresh grocery service and invest in same-day delivery of groceries, the company said.
The company said it expects to open more than 100 new Whole Foods locations over the next few years. It will also expand its line of Whole Foods Daily Shops, which are mini-markets that offer a smaller assortment of grocery items.
Last month, Amazon received approval from local officials in a Chicago suburb to construct a big-box store that would offer groceries, household essentials and general merchandise.
Amazon declined to share how many Fresh and Go workers will be impacted by the store closures. It said it's working to help employees find roles in its operations network, and that they will be eligible for a severance package.
For almost two decades, Amazon has been determined to become a bigger player in the grocery market. In 2017, the company spent $13.7 billion to acquire Whole Foods, the largest deal in its history.
Amazon debuted its Fresh grocery chain in 2020, with an eye toward mass-market shoppers. The rollout was turbulent in its early days, with Amazon opening a flurry of locations, before it shuttered some stores and halted expansion of the chain as part of broader cost-cutting efforts.
The company launched a revamped Fresh store concept in 2023, and then continued to tweak its strategy. Amazon shuttered all of its U.K. Fresh stores last September, and closed a handful of locations in Southern California soon after.
Amazon's Go convenience marts, which debuted in 2018, were a pet project of founder Jeff Bezos. The stores were designed to alleviate the headache of standing in a checkout line by allowing shoppers to "Just Walk Out." Locations were outfitted with an array of cameras and sensors that tracked each item shoppers picked off the shelf and automatically charged them as they exited the store.
"No one likes to wait in line," then-CEO Bezos wrote in his 2018 letter to shareholders. "Instead, we imagined a store where you could walk in, pick up what you wanted, and leave."
The company shifted further away from the cashier-less technology in 2024 when it removed the systems from its grocery stores.
In recent years, Amazon has sought to sell the software to other companies, primarily sports stadiums, concert venues, hospitals and colleges. It's also tested the automated grab-and-go technology in its warehouses.
Amazon has brought the Whole Foods division closer to its in-house grocery teams since the 2017 acquisition. Last January, Amazon tapped Whole Foods CEO Jason Buechel to oversee its worldwide grocery business.
The company also began testing a "store within a store" concept at some Whole Foods locations where customers can order a wider array of Amazon products that aren't typically offered at the upscale grocer from an automated warehouse affixed to the store.
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Amazon said Tuesday it plans to sunset its Fresh and Go brick-and-mortar chains, marking a major pivot in the company's grocery strategy.
"After a careful evaluation of the business and how we can best serve customers, we've made the difficult decision to close our Amazon Go and Amazon Fresh physical stores, converting various locations into Whole Foods Market stores," the company wrote in a blog post.
Amazon said the closures are part of an effort to prioritize investments, though it hasn't given up on physical retail. The company still plans to roll out other brick-and-mortar concepts, including "a mass physical store format." It will continue to operate its Fresh grocery service and invest in same-day delivery of groceries, the company said.
The company said it expects to open more than 100 new Whole Foods locations over the next few years. It will also expand its line of Whole Foods Daily Shops, which are mini-markets that offer a smaller assortment of grocery items.
Last month, Amazon received approval from local officials in a Chicago suburb to construct a big-box store that would offer groceries, household essentials and general merchandise.
Amazon declined to share how many Fresh and Go workers will be impacted by the store closures. It said it's working to help employees find roles in its operations network, and that they will be eligible for a severance package.
For almost two decades, Amazon has been determined to become a bigger player in the grocery market. In 2017, the company spent $13.7 billion to acquire Whole Foods, the largest deal in its history.
Amazon debuted its Fresh grocery chain in 2020, with an eye toward mass-market shoppers. The rollout was turbulent in its early days, with Amazon opening a flurry of locations, before it shuttered some stores and halted expansion of the chain as part of broader cost-cutting efforts.
The company launched a revamped Fresh store concept in 2023, and then continued to tweak its strategy. Amazon shuttered all of its U.K. Fresh stores last September, and closed a handful of locations in Southern California soon after.
Amazon's Go convenience marts, which debuted in 2018, were a pet project of founder Jeff Bezos. The stores were designed to alleviate the headache of standing in a checkout line by allowing shoppers to "Just Walk Out." Locations were outfitted with an array of cameras and sensors that tracked each item shoppers picked off the shelf and automatically charged them as they exited the store.
"No one likes to wait in line," then-CEO Bezos wrote in his 2018 letter to shareholders. "Instead, we imagined a store where you could walk in, pick up what you wanted, and leave."
The company shifted further away from the cashier-less technology in 2024 when it removed the systems from its grocery stores.
In recent years, Amazon has sought to sell the software to other companies, primarily sports stadiums, concert venues, hospitals and colleges. It's also tested the automated grab-and-go technology in its warehouses.
Amazon has brought the Whole Foods division closer to its in-house grocery teams since the 2017 acquisition. Last January, Amazon tapped Whole Foods CEO Jason Buechel to oversee its worldwide grocery business.
The company also began testing a "store within a store" concept at some Whole Foods locations where customers can order a wider array of Amazon products that aren't typically offered at the upscale grocer from an automated warehouse affixed to the store.
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A top federal judge in Minnesota ordered the acting head of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to personally appear at a hearing in Minneapolis on Friday to explain why he should not be held in contempt of court after his agency repeatedly violated judicial orders related to immigration enforcement actions.
The three-page order issued late Monday to ICE acting Director Todd Lyons by U.S. District Court Chief Judge Patrick Schiltz was scathing, accusing federal immigration authorities of failing to comply with "dozens of court orders" in recent weeks, including one issued by the judge mandating a bond hearing for a detained immigrant.
"This Court has been extremely patient with respondents, even though respondents decided to send thousands of agents to Minnesota to detain aliens without making any provision for dealing with the hundreds of habeas petitions and other lawsuits that were sure to result," Schiltz wrote in the order.
"This Court's patience is at an end," Schiltz wrote.
The judge said that the Department of Homeland Security and Lyons' agency, which is a division of DHS, "have continually assured the Court that they recognize their obligation to comply with Court orders," and that they would take steps to honor those orders.
"Unfortunately, though, the violations continue," Schiltz wrote.
"Accordingly, the Court will order Todd Lyons, the Acting Director of ICE, to appear personally before the Court and show cause why he should not be held in contempt of Court," Schiltz wrote.
CNBC has requested comment from ICE on the order.
The judge called his order "an extraordinary step."
"But the extent of ICE's violation of court orders is likewise extraordinary, and lesser measures have been tried and failed," Schiltz wrote.
The order comes as Minnesota state officials press for ICE and other federal immigration authorities to cease aggressive actions rounding up undocumented people in Minneapolis and elsewhere in the state.
Schiltz's order also came two days after federal agents fatally shot Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse on a Minneapolis street, and weeks after an ICE agent shot and killed mom of three Renee Good in her car. Both Pretti and Good were U.S. citizens.
Those, and other incidents, have sparked widespread outrage in the state and nationally.
The judge's order does not relate to either shooting but to his previous order that DHS and ICE grant a detained immigrant a bond hearing by last Wednesday.
That man remains detained despite Schiltz's directive, according to a court filing by the man's lawyer.
"This is one of dozens of court orders with which respondents have failed to comply in recent weeks," Schiltz wrote Monday.
"The practical consequence of respondents' failure to comply has almost always been significant hardship to aliens (many of whom have lawfully lived and worked in the United States for years and done absolutely nothing wrong): The detention of an alien is extended, or an alien who should remain in Minnesota is flown to Texas, or an alien who has been flown to Texas is released there and told to figure out a way to get home," the judge wrote.
Schiltz said that if, before the hearing, the parties inform him that the detained man "has been released from custody, the Court will cancel the hearing and will not require Lyons to appear."
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United Parcel Service on Tuesday announced that it was planning to eliminate an additional 30,000 jobs this year as part of winding down its partnership with Amazon and a multiyear turnaround plan.
CFO Brian Dykes said on a call with analysts Tuesday following the company's quarterly earnings release that UPS plans to reduce total operational hours by approximately 25 million associated with the Amazon decline.
"In terms of variable costs, we expect to reduce operational positions by up to 30,000," Dykes said. "This will be accomplished through attrition, and we expect to offer a second voluntary separation program for full-time drivers."
UPS also said it has identified 24 buildings for closure in the first half of 2026, with additional closures possible later in the year. Last year, UPS closed 93 buildings, it reiterated Tuesday.
The company is also planning to "further deploy automation" across its network, according to Dykes.
The planned job cuts come after UPS eliminated 48,000 jobs last year, 34,000 of which were operational and 14,000 of which were management. The company had previously estimated those combined reductions to total around 20,000.
In a Tuesday statement, representative for the Teamsters said its union workers "still know [their] worth" if UPS brings back its buyout program.
"We're perfectly happy for UPS to realize growth and cost savings on the backs of corporate managers so long as they uphold their contractual commitments to our members and reward the Teamsters who actually make the company run," the statement read.
UPS is in the midst of a turnaround plan under CEO Carol Tomé, aiming to reinvigorate the business. Though Amazon was previously UPS' largest customer, the two companies are in the process of gliding down operations together. UPS said Tuesday it expects a total of $3 billion in savings related to the Amazon unwind.
UPS reported fourth-quarter earnings Tuesday, beating Wall Street estimates and citing encouraging process in its turnaround efforts.
Shares of the company were up 4% in morning trading.
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When I lived in the US, Saturday mornings spent standing in long lines to find deals on prepackaged, processed junk were the norm.
As an American, the way I shopped for groceries always made me feel like I was stockpiling for a global emergency.
My cart would be filled with things like massive bags of frozen vegetable mixes that tasted like freezer burn, fruits that hadn't been in season in months yet were somehow in stock, and several packages of cookies that felt like too good a deal to pass up.
Once I moved to Thailand in 2018, though, I was open to a new kind of grocery shopping. This time, I got my food in open-air markets that let me interact directly with the farmers who grew it.
There, I'd choose from fresh piles of in-season produce, like bright-red, juicy tomatoes, and fragrant greens bundled in bunches and tied with dried raffia. I'd pass entire sections of the market where whole cows were being butchered in plain view, a sign of just how fresh the meat being sold really was.
This certainly beat walking through warehouses stocked with massive aisles of bulk canned and vacuum-sealed goods.
And as I bopped around the world over the next seven years to places like Cambodia, Myanmar, Rwanda, Turkey, and others, I found that my culinary experiences were very similar.
Living overseas introduced me to markets where everything felt alive and fresh — and it was the start of me changing my relationship with food for the better.
What motivated me to make the move abroad was the opportunity to focus on my health.
At 40 years of age, I was about 100 pounds overweight, dealing with crippling anxiety, difficulty sleeping, and fibroids that made my belly look pregnant.
I'd tried many diets in an effort to lose weight: raw food, keto, fasting, low-carb, cabbage soup, etc. But every time I lost a little weight, I'd gain it back plus more the second I was stressed from work and home life. I was desperate for help.
I was certain that what I needed was a fresh start in a country that moved a little slower and valued home cooking with high-quality ingredients that didn't take up a large chunk of my freelance writer pay.
Even so, there was a slight learning curve. When I first arrived at my first open-air market in Thailand, my instinct was to stockpile everything that looked interesting.
I loved wandering around, discovering fruits and vegetables I'd never cooked with before. I was seduced by the sweet scent of ripe melons and guava long before I turned a corner and saw them piled high like an ancestor altar.
Just like at home, I stocked up on everything that caught my eye.
By the end of the week, I had a refrigerator full of spoiled fruit, shriveled-up cucumbers, and wilted herbs. I didn't realize that because the food was so fresh, it tended to go bad quickly.
So, I had to develop a new shopping rhythm.
When it comes to fresh fruits, herbs, and vegetables, I started to only buy what I need for the next two to three days. Other items like grains, nuts and seeds, and dried spices could be bought in small bulk quantities to last me throughout the month.
I've found that, in most of the countries I've lived in outside the US, I'd spend only about $50 on groceries each week. Abroad, my money seemed to go further and get me more than just cheap processed products.
I'd spend about $30 on fresh fruits and vegetables, and $20 for "splurge items" like locally made sauerkraut, meat and fish, hemp seeds, cheeses, olive oils, and other foods that turned my kitchen into a gourmet restaurant.
It was exciting to fill my bag with the kinds of fresh, high-quality ingredients that felt out of my budget and harder to access back in the US.
After I moved overseas, my meals became simpler and easier to prepare. Because I relocated every three to six months, often to a new city or country, my kitchens were minimal.
I usually had a small refrigerator and a two-burner stove — maybe a rice cooker or blender if I was lucky. I learned to rely on simple meals like one-pot soups, stir-fries, and salads loaded with produce in every color of the rainbow.
Along the way, I began making my own salad dressings and sauces from scratch, cutting out much of the excess salt and sugar I used to overlook in ingredient lists for premade options in the States.
This diet shift, combined with a more active lifestyle — daily walking and running along the beaches and hillsides near where I lived — led to effortless weight loss.
Over the past seven years of living abroad, I've lost about 100 pounds.
Looking back on my old habit of stockpiling food, I realize I spent many years living in survival mode. I grew up expecting to run out of money for food and other basic necessities, and that mindset followed me into adulthood.
Living abroad helped me build a healthier relationship with food that's rooted in seasonality and respect for nature.
I no longer feel the need to buy summer watermelon in the middle of winter. I cook only what I plan to eat, and when I have extra, I invite friends to share.
By honoring my body with fresh food, I have more energy to move in ways that feel good — not in pursuit of thinness, but because I've learned that my body thrives on movement.
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A version of this article first appeared in the CNBC Property Play newsletter with Diana Olick. Property Play covers new and evolving opportunities for the real estate investor, from individuals to venture capitalists, private equity funds, family offices, institutional investors and large public companies. Sign up to receive future editions, straight to your inbox.
Fundrise, a Washington, D.C.-based online investment platform that prides itself on opening up investment in private real estate companies, real estate assets and private technology companies to the average individual, is now setting its sights on artificial intelligence.
Fundrise is launching RealAI, a new AI platform that changes how single- and multifamily real estate professionals and individual investors find and use data. It gives users instant access to high-level market intelligence, ranging from neighborhood income and migration trends to multifamily comps and average rents — right down to each individual property.
Fundrise's co-founder and CEO, Ben Miller, says it goes far beyond what more generalized AI, like ChatGPT, can offer. The tool is launching with residential data, but Miller said he expects to expand to other commercial real estate sectors within six months.
"It does the work of a real estate analyst, and it's for anyone," Miller told Property Play. "We went out and built a database of, now, 3.5 trillion data points of all the real estate knowledge you want. That's every property in America."
RealAI is free to users for the first dozen uses and then charges a monthly rate of $69 for a standard plan.
Fundrise culls its data from both public records and private databases. It also includes information on the people living and working in the properties, like their education level, credit scores and income. It gets some of that from social media.
By using these extremely comprehensive, proprietary real estate datasets, it can compare markets, evaluate any property and model returns. Miller ran a simulation for Property Play to demonstrate how it works.
"You'll be able to actually know what is the best property to buy based on all the factors you give it," Miller said. "This is the type of stuff that I've talked to some of the big asset managers [about] — Blackstone, [TPG Angelo Gordon], some of them have dedicated machine learning teams. Most people do not."
The real estate industry has always been notoriously slow to modernize, but major players are starting to tout the game-changing impact of AI. JLL has several AI platforms for property analysis and portfolio management in multiple real estate sectors, but those tools are only available to its employees and clients.
In a recent Property Play podcast, Barry Sternlicht, chairman and CEO of Starwood Capital Group, said AI would change the world faster than the industrial revolution.
"That is terrifying to me. I'm not so complacent, and I look at my companies and how we spend money, and what I can do with AI agents that I do with humans today," said Sternlicht, speaking about his hotel businesses. "I think we have to let people go, right? … Jobs of 15 people can be done with a chatbot that costs me $36 a month."
Miller said he has been on a mission to democratize investing since starting Fundrise in 2012. It started as a crowdfunding platform for real estate but quickly evolved into a fund structure, the first non-traded public venture fund.
CNBC's Property Play with Diana Olick covers new and evolving opportunities for the real estate investor, delivered weekly to your inbox.
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Fundrise now has $3 billion in assets under management in funds for both commercial real estate and technology, and, according to Miller, over 2 million investors. The investment minimum is just $10.
By using technology to pool capital and offer low minimum investments, Fundrise has opened up access to asset classes that were traditionally limited to wealthy individuals and institutions. Its tech venture fund includes investments in private companies like OpenAI, Databricks and Anthropic.
Miller, whose father was a major real estate developer in the D.C. area, says he has always wanted to be a "traitor to my class."
"My dream is to get wealthy by tearing down the incumbents, and so technology is the best way to disrupt the status quo. We've been leveraging technology year after year, doing new things that hopefully change the way things are done," he said.
Miller admits that AI will cause job losses in all sectors of commercial real estate. He said he has not let people go at Fundrise, but he has stopped hiring.
"This is what technology has been doing so far in America the last 20 years. It makes the rich richer, and it has a negative impact on the normal worker," Miller said. "This is going to happen. I just want it to be available to everybody, not just the biggest institutions. I think that would be a bad outcome for society."
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Pinterest said Tuesday it plans to lay off less than 15% of its workforce and cut back on office space as the company embraces artificial intelligence.
In a securities filing, Pinterest said it expects the cuts will be complete by the end of its third quarter in late September. Shares of Pinterest slid more than 9%.
The social media company said it's "reallocating resources" to AI-focused teams and prioritizing "AI-powered products and capabilities." It said it's also reshaping its sales and marketing strategy.
The company said it expects to record pre-tax restructuring charges of about $35 million to $45 million.
Pinterest had more than 4,500 employees globally as of last April, according to its most recent proxy filing.
Pinterest has looked to inject AI throughout its platform to show more personalized and relevant content to users. The company last October released a "Pinterest Assistant" shopping tool.
At the same time, Pinterest has rolled out more automated advertising tools for marketers as it faces increasing competition from TikTok, Meta's Facebook and Instagram.
"Our investments in AI and product innovation are paying off," Pinterest CEO Bill Ready said in November. "We've become a leader in visual search and have effectively turned our platform into an AI-powered shopping assistant for 600 million customers."
Pinterest isn't the only company downsizing as it invests in AI. AI was cited as the reason for almost 55,000 layoffs in the U.S. last year, according to consulting firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas.
Some experts have questioned whether the technology is the real source of the job reductions, saying some companies could be "AI-washing," or blaming layoffs on the new technology to cover up cost-cutting efforts or other issues with their businesses.
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Pinterest said Tuesday it plans to lay off less than 15% of its workforce and cut back on office space as the company embraces artificial intelligence.
In a securities filing, Pinterest said it expects the cuts will be complete by the end of its third quarter in late September. Shares of Pinterest slid more than 9%.
The social media company said it's "reallocating resources" to AI-focused teams and prioritizing "AI-powered products and capabilities." It said it's also reshaping its sales and marketing strategy.
The company said it expects to record pre-tax restructuring charges of about $35 million to $45 million.
Pinterest had more than 4,500 employees globally as of last April, according to its most recent proxy filing.
Pinterest has looked to inject AI throughout its platform to show more personalized and relevant content to users. The company last October released a "Pinterest Assistant" shopping tool.
At the same time, Pinterest has rolled out more automated advertising tools for marketers as it faces increasing competition from TikTok, Meta's Facebook and Instagram.
"Our investments in AI and product innovation are paying off," Pinterest CEO Bill Ready said in November. "We've become a leader in visual search and have effectively turned our platform into an AI-powered shopping assistant for 600 million customers."
Pinterest isn't the only company downsizing as it invests in AI. AI was cited as the reason for almost 55,000 layoffs in the U.S. last year, according to consulting firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas.
Some experts have questioned whether the technology is the real source of the job reductions, saying some companies could be "AI-washing," or blaming layoffs on the new technology to cover up cost-cutting efforts or other issues with their businesses.
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Despite the expected arrival of a new Trump-appointed Federal Reserve chair in coming months, respondents to the CNBC survey are only forecasting modest changes to the funds rate over the next two years.
The results, which mirror pricing in the fed funds futures market, show that neither Wall Street nor economic forecasters believe that the next Fed chair will drive down overnight rates toward the low levels demanded by the president.
The survey shows the average outlook is for two more quarter-point cuts this year, or 50 basis points, with no reductions expected yet for 2027. The funds rate is seen settling around 3% this year and staying there through 2027. President Donald Trump, who is currently considering who to name to succeed Fed Chair Jerome Powell, has said U.S. rates should be among the lowest in the world and asked for the Fed to reduce interest rates to 1%.
Given a 2% inflation rate, the president is essentially asking for negative real rates.
A reason for the firmer rate outlook could be an improving growth view. Gross domestic product is forecast this year to come in at 2.4%, and 2.2% next year, both higher than what the Fed has typically viewed as potential growth of the economy. The unemployment rate is seen rising just a tenth from the current level to 4.5% by year-end and dropping slightly next year.
"We anticipate continued solid and more consistent economic growth in 2026, underpinned by fiscal stimulus and easier monetary policy," Kathy Bostjancic, chief U.S. economist with Nationwide, wrote in.
The consumer price index is forecast to end the year at 2.7% and decline to 2.5% in 2027. The CPI can run around a half point higher than the Fed's preferred personal consumption expenditures inflation gauge, so the forecast suggests the Fed comes close to its target by the end of this year and hits it by 2027.
Also working against rate cuts is a decline in the recession probability over the next year to 23% from 30% in the December survey. It rose as high as 53% in May, following the "liberation day" tariffs, which the president mostly reduced.
Tariffs remain a significant source of concern, but 58% say the majority of the tariff effects are behind the economy. Still, large majorities say they will continue to drag down growth, unemployment and retail margins while pushing up inflation. The average respondent sees tariffs raising inflation by about 0.3% this year.
From the positive side, the economy is seen gaining momentum from capital spending and a strong consumer. More than two-thirds believe business investment will be stronger in 2026 than in 2025, likely the result of huge spending on artificial intelligence, but also tax changes stimulating investment.
Nearly three-quarters believe consumer spending will be higher or the same as in 2025, which is good news because last year was a strong year.
Productivity, already elevated even before the impact of artificial intelligence is widespread in the economy, is another potential plus, said Allen Sinai of Decision Economics. "A sustained and sustainable 'productivity boom' of historical proportions is driving a surprisingly strong and solid expansion with no inflation acceleration, a weaker but not weak labor market, and stunningly strong company earnings and profit margins," he said, calling it "a 1990s-like picture."
Still, there are risks, with the top concern among respondents "uncertainty around the Trump administration's actions and policies," followed by the bursting of the AI bubble, threats to the Fed's independence, high inflation and tariffs.
With the survey coming in the wake of Trump's tariff threats over Greenland, several respondents also wrote in "geopolitical risk" as a major area of concern.
"Policy uncertainty acts as a tax on the economy," said Diane Swonk, chief economist at KPMG. "It causes paralysis. I was hopeful policy uncertainty would abate as we move into 2026. Thus far, that has not been the case."
But Douglas Gordon of Russell Investments sees the good outweighing the bad in 2026 for the economy. "There are certainly no shortages of potential exogenous risk sources to capital markets," he wrote. "This comes, however, against a backdrop of seemingly waning tariff impact (save new ones), 'good enough' labor data, elevated but not worrisome inflation, and, perhaps most importantly, still robust earnings."
The survey found some differences over who will be the next Fed chair between respondents and prediction markets. While Blackrock's Rick Rieder leads in the prediction markets, 50% of respondents expect former Fed Governor Kevin Warsh to be tapped for the job by Trump.
The prospect that Warsh will be named, compared with National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett in the prior survey, leads forecasters to feel more optimistic that the next Fed chair will run policy independently of the White House, even while he's seen as more dovish than Fed Chair Powell.
While respondents think the president will pick Warsh, 44% think he should pick Fed Governor Chris Waller. They are evenly divided on whether Powell will remain on the board as a governor after his term expires at 42%, but a majority is concerned about the Fed's independence if Trump appointees make up a majority of the Fed's board of governors.
Yet respondents believe that the Federal Open Market Committee will oppose policy from a chair that is either too dovish or hawkish.
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As Meta tries to rapidly construct massive data centers to keep pace with the artificial intelligence craze, it's turning to a 175-year-old glass manufacturer for help.
Meta has committed to paying Corning up to $6 billion through 2030 for fiber-optic cable in its AI data centers, Corning CEO Wendell Weeks told CNBC in an exclusive interview about the deal from a cable factory in Hickory, North Carolina.
Corning's stock popped 17% on the news, on pace for its best day since 2003.
Corning is expanding the facility to accommodate growing demand from Meta and other big spenders like Nvidia, OpenAI, Google, Amazon and Microsoft as part of an extended industry buildout that's reaching into the trillions of dollars. When the project is complete, Corning says it will be the largest fiber-optic cable plant in the world.
"Almost every phone call I get from my customers is trying to see, how do we get them more?" Weeks said. "I think next year the hyperscalers will be our biggest customers."
Shares of Corning, once a boom-and-bust dot-com era story, have risen more than 75% in the last year, with optical communications as the company's largest and fastest-growing business segment. Corning is among a wider swath of providers to the data center boom seeing historic levels of demand as the stack gets refreshed for the AI age.
Meta's AI strategy, on the other hand, has puzzled Wall Street. The stock, which underperformed the market in 2025, had its worst day in three years in October after the company announced ambitious AI spending but without a clear monetization plan. The next month, Meta committed to spending $600 billion in the U.S. by 2028, on data centers and the infrastructure they require. Corning is part of that.
Meta's plan for 30 data centers includes 26 facilities in the U.S.
"We want to have a domestic supply chain that's available to support that," Joel Kaplan, Meta's chief global affairs officer, said in an interview.
In addressing concerns that China could win the AI race, Kaplan said, "If we as a country don't make the right policy choices and the right investments, that's a real risk."
Two of Meta's largest data centers currently under construction are its Prometheus one-gigawatt site in New Albany, Ohio, and five-gigawatt Hyperion site in Richland Parish, Louisiana. Both will include Corning fiber-optic cable as part of the new deal.
Having lived through a prior tech bubble, Corning is familiar with the narrative that's emerging in parts of the market, with skeptics questioning whether all of this building turns into new, sustainable businesses. AI announced more than $1 trillion in compute deals in 2025, leading some industry experts to predict a new bubble is forming.
Fiber brought Corning huge success in the dot-com boom due to demand for communications equipment. The stock multiplied by about eightfold from the beginning of 1997 through its peak in September 2000, before losing over 90% of its value over a roughly two-year market collapse.
"What we learned then was that it wasn't enough to do great innovations," Weeks said.
With respect to the current data center buildout and the possibility of a slowdown, Weeks said fiber-optic demand has grown at about 7% annually on average, "so we'll find a good use for it."
He said he's also "not concerned about Meta being successful in this space," because, "In the end, really technical excellence, willingness to commit to the infrastructure, compute matters."
Key to Corning's level of confidence is that its business is diversified with "some more stable, high cash flow businesses in our mix."
"We're built to withstand bad weather," Weeks said.
Meta Marshall, an analyst covering networking equipment at Morgan Stanley, said "there is volatility on the fiber side," but that Corning can likely manage through it.
"The market will still need TVs and phones and cars and auto glass and vials for medications," said Marshall, who has the equivalent of a hold rating on the stock.
Corning has had to re-invent itself time and again to get to this point.
Founded in the gold rush era, the company built glass for Edison's light bulbs in the late 1870s, and over the following decades moved into Pyrex cookware, car filters, spacecraft windows, TV screens and vials for Covid vaccines.
Since the launch of the iPhone in 2007, Apple has been a key customer, relying on Corning's glass for its flagship device. Apple announced a $2.5 billion deal in August, to manufacture all the cover glass for the iPhone and Apple Watch at a Corning plant in Harrodsburg, Kentucky.
In 1970, Corning invented the first glass fiber that was useful for long-distance communication. Fiber-based broadband makes up the majority of the internet's backbone, with billions of miles of cable connecting continents, data centers, businesses and homes.
Fiber can transmit data at nearly the speed of light. Unlike traditional copper phone lines that transmit information as electrical signals, fiber-optic cables are tiny bendable strands of glass through which data is sent as photons — lasers emitting pulses of light — at far higher speed, using less energy.
"Moving photons is between five and 20 times lower power usage than moving electrons," Weeks said. "As power becomes a bigger and bigger issue, fiber inevitably gets closer and closer and closer to the compute."
Demand for Corning's fiber has skyrocketed of late in part because AI data centers require more fiber than traditional cloud computing infrastructure. Revenue in Corning's optical communications business, which includes fiber, jumped 33% in the third quarter to $1.65 billion, while total sales rose 14% to $4.27 billion. Corning said in its earnings release that enterprise sales of optical communications soared 58% in the quarter, "driven by the continued strong adoption of Corning's new Gen AI products."
Weeks described it as a "whole separate network" that's "trying to create the connections just like it is between the neurons in your brain."
All those connections require so much fiber that Corning invented a brand new type specifically for AI, called Contour. Weeks' name is on the patent. He showed CNBC the new cable that fits twice as many fiber strands into a standard size conduit, and reduces a set of 16 connectors down to a single one.
Weeks told CNBC development of the new AI products began more than five years ago, long before the 2022 debut of ChatGPT, following a conversation he had with a leader in generative AI.
"They were saying, 'Listen, you need to put in a lot more capacity,'" Weeks recalled, without naming the person. "He's like, 'No, you totally don't get it. This is what's going to happen and how much compute is going to be needed, how the scaling laws are working.'"
Mike O'Day, Corning's head of fiber optics, told CNBC that the company has now made over 1.3 billion miles of optical fiber. Weeks says 8 million miles will be needed in Meta's Louisiana data center alone. Keeping up with demand is Corning's current challenge.
It may get even harder as fiber eventually replaces copper inside server racks like those used by Nvidia. Copper cables still dominate when it comes to connecting chips within a server, but Weeks says the change to fiber is "inevitable" once the number of graphics processors in each rack climbs into the hundreds.
At that scale of connectivity, Weeks said, "Fiber optics become much more economical and much more power efficient."
Corning and Meta both report fourth-quarter earnings on Wednesday.
Watch: Inside the world's largest fiber factory, where Corning is winning the AI infrastructure boom
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If 2025 was the year Wall Street came to grips with massive artificial intelligence infrastructure spending from tech's megacaps, 2026 looks to be more of the same.
But as the price tag for AI goes up, so do expectations for the returns on investment.
Earnings season kicks off this week for tech's biggest names, with reports from Apple, Meta, Microsoft and Tesla. Next week features earnings announcements from Alphabet and Amazon.
It's the first opportunity for industry leaders to clearly lay out their spending visions for the year as AI dealmaking accelerates and companies move from announcing new data centers to constructing them.
It's also a chance for investors to hear how and when those projected build-outs are expected to turn profitable.
In total, the four so-called hyperscalers — Microsoft, Meta, Alphabet and Amazon — are expected to boost capital expenditures this year to over $470 billion from about $350 billion in 2025, according to analyst estimates compiled by FactSet.
As they address analysts, some CEOs are likely to find themselves in defense mode, justifying their investments after sentiment soured in some capital-intensive corners of the market late last year.
To date, executives have repeatedly said that they can't build out fast enough to meet the insatiable demand for new models and services.
In October, Alphabet, Amazon and Meta all upped their spending guidance for 2025, and Microsoft's finance chief said higher growth was on the horizon.
Meta's stock had its worst day in three years after the company lifted its spending forecast, with investors concerned that the social media company is most at risk of racking up losses on its infrastructure because it doesn't have anything resembling a cloud computing business.
Chatter of an inflating AI bubble picked up in the fourth quarter, as OpenAI's commitments reached $1.4 trillion, meaning the ChatGPT maker needs to keep raising hefty amounts of cash to fund its plans. And those plans are increasingly tied to the fate of the rest of the tech industry.
OpenAI announced multibillion-dollar agreements with Nvidia, Broadcom, Oracle, Amazon and Google as it lessened its reliance on Microsoft, which long served as the company's anchor partner and investor. A year ago, OpenAI and Microsoft ended an exclusive cloud agreement.
But unlike OpenAI or Anthropic, which remain private companies, the megacaps need to show that the aggressive dealmaking is supporting a grand plan, while also growing revenue and keeping investors happy.
Here's what Wall Street is expecting as tech earnings season kicks into gear.
Microsoft has to show that it can control costs as it builds out data centers to meet AI demand and to support its Azure cloud unit.
The stock dropped in October after the company upped its spending guidance, and CFO Amy Hood said capex growth in 2026 would mark an increase from 2025, after previously saying that growth would slow.
Analysts polled by FactSet expect capex to rise to $99 billion this fiscal year, which ends in June, and jump again over the next two years. The Visible Alpha consensus for fiscal second-quarter capital expenditures and finance leases was $36.25 billion, up 60% year over year.
In October, the company called for its operating margin to be flat year over year, while analysts polled by Visible Alpha foresee the narrowest operating margin in three years, at 67%.
While OpenAI diversifies away from Microsoft, the same is true from the other side.
In November, Microsoft announced a strategic partnership with Anthropic that included a $5 billion investment in the Claude maker. Anthropic committed to buying $30 billion of Azure compute capacity.
The company's big growth play remains in cloud infrastructure.
In its last earnings report, Microsoft called for 37% growth in revenue at constant currency from Azure infrastructure and other cloud services for the current period, slipping from 39% at constant currency in the September quarter.
Analysts from Evercore ISI said in report last week that, after attending a Microsoft AI Tour event in New York, they felt that Azure continued to enjoy a "healthy competitive position."
One big question for Microsoft remains adoption of its enterprise AI services, notably the Microsoft 365 Copilot add-on, as it's viewed as a source of revenue growth for the company's software suite. KeyBanc analysts, in a note on Jan. 22, offered some reasons for concern.
"We heard from one partner that over half of organizations are licensing only up to 10% of the M365 user base, while just under 25% of these organizations are licensing Copilot for up to 25% of the user base," wrote the analysts, who recommend buying the stock.
Meta gets almost all of its revenue from digital advertising, a reality that has left some investors puzzled as the company has ramped up investments in AI with no clear monetization story.
Furthermore, its costly AI strategy has shifted over the last few months following a failed launch of its latest Llama model. The big move was a $14.3 billion investment in Scale AI in June, which brought over CEO Alexandr Wang and other top talent to the company.
In its October earnings report, Meta lifted its 2025 guidance for capital expenditures to between $70 billion and $72 billion from a prior range of $66 billion to $72 billion. CEO Mark Zuckerberg insisted that Meta was investing in AI for a future big payoff.
"We're seeing the returns in the core business that's giving us a lot of confidence that we should be investing a lot more, and we want to make sure that we're not underinvesting," he said.
Analysts polled by FactSet are projecting nearly 57% growth in capital expenditures in 2026 to over $110 billion. Goldman Sachs sees that number going even higher, forecasting capex this year of $125 billion, going to $144 billion in 2027.
"Investor fears around the potential impact to earnings from the projected spend, as well as reduced financial flexibility from the elevated investments in the near-to-mid-term, could somewhat outweigh optimism around faster growth," analysts at Deutsche Bank wrote.
Last month, CNBC reported that Meta was working on new frontier AI model known internally as Avocado.
Apple is fresh off a high-profile deal with Google to use its Gemini models for a massive Siri overhaul.
In the spring, the company had pushed off a revamp of its flagship Siri voice assistant after warning that certain personalization features would take longer than expected to deliver. Analysts at Bank of America said the agreement with Google could be a major driver for iPhone upgrades in the months ahead.
Apple has long been at risk of falling behind rivals such as OpenAI and Google on AI tools. And, while the company is growing its AI strategy, it's doing so at a much slower pace. Apple hasn't made a major AI announcement since the launch of Apple Intelligence in 2024, and even that rollout brought its own obstacles.
Last January, the company briefly disabled AI notification summaries for news after it displayed inaccurate facts.
Investors will be closely watching for signs of any shift in the company's AI strategy or higher capital expenditure costs. They're also monitoring for insight into a potential iPhone super-cycle, with analysts expecting a big quarter after the iPhone 17 launch in September received positive reviews.
Apple said in October that it expects 10% to 12% revenue growth in the current quarter and iPhone revenue growth in the double digits year over year.
At the time, CEO Tim Cook told CNBC's Steve Kovach that the company was expecting the "best ever" December quarter in its history and that reception for the Phone 17 devices was "off the chart."
Amazon upped its capex forecast in October to $125 billion for 2026, from $118 billion, due to demand for its AI services. That was the highest spending forecast among the megacap companies.
Analysts are forecasting over 17% growth in 2026 to more than $146 billion, according to FactSet.
Amazon has long been a leading provider of cloud infrastructure technology, but has also faced growing pressure from investors to explain its AI strategy and prove it can better compete against companies like OpenAI, Google and Anthropic.
In November, Amazon Web Services signed a $38 billion deal with OpenAI, its first contract with the ChatGPT maker. As part of the deal, OpenAI would run workloads on AWS infrastructure, using Nvidia's graphics processing chips.
The following month, CNBC reported that the e-commerce giant was in talks over a potential $10 billion investment in OpenAI. Amazon has long backed OpenAI competitor and Claude maker Anthropic, which recently raised a $10 billion funding round at a $350 billion valuation.
While AWS leads the cloud infrastructure market, Microsoft's Azure has been growing faster. Amazon CEO Andy Jassy said on the company's third-quarter earnings call that the business was "gaining momentum," especially from AI workloads.
Last year proved to be a big spending year for Alphabet, but it was also the best year for the stock since 2009 as investors gained confidence in its AI strategy.
Alphabet in October lifted its 2025 capex forecast to a range of $91 billion to $93 billion and said it was expecting a "significant increase" in spending in 2026. The company previously upped the range to $85 billion in July due to robust cloud products and services demand.
For 2026, analysts expect over $115 billion in spending from the search giant.
Over the last year, Google has inked deals with both OpenAI and Anthropic. In October, Anthropic and Google Cloud signed a multibillion-dollar deal that would bring over a gigawatt of AI compute capacity by 2026. The deal gave Anthropic access to as much as 1 million of Google's tensor processing units.
Alphabet is also fresh off a deal with Apple to use its Gemini model for the iPhone maker's massive Siri overhaul. The deal, announced earlier this month, was another major boost of confidence in Google's AI revival after OpenAI got off to a hot start with ChatGPT.
Google already shells out billions to Apple each year to be the default search engine on iPhones. Terms of the latest arrangement will be of interest to Wall Street.
Investors will also be watching for signs of ongoing search growth, and indications that AI hasn't cannibalized the company's core business. OpenAI said earlier this month that it would soon begin testing ads on ChatGPT in the U.S.
The story for Tesla looks slightly different than it does for its peers.
For years, Elon Musk has sold investors on the vision of a "sustainable abundance" future, where robots outnumber people and do every job imaginable.
Investors more focused on the current year will want updated guidance on Tesla's core automotive and energy sales. The company's automotive deliveries fell 8.6% in 2025 to 1.64 million, from 1.79 million in 2024.
Meanwhile, Tesla's energy unit, which sells battery energy storage systems for use in homes, businesses and massive utility-scale projects, grew last year.
Part of the company's energy sales also supported Musk's AI company, xAI, and investors will be watching to see if the carmaker's board plans to invest in the OpenAI competitor.
Wall Street also wants to see that the company can show future growth and profit from its newer ventures, including its Robotaxi ride-hailing service launched in 2025 and its Optimus humanoid robots that have yet to go on sale.
Last quarter, Tesla shares slumped after Musk talked up the company's Optimus and Robotaxi efforts but failed to confront questions about the fundamentals of the auto segment.
Investors will also be watching Tesla's planned capex, especially for the chip technology that will underpin future autos and robotics.
During Tesla's annual shareholder meeting in November, Musk said the company would be moving ahead with production of new chips with Samsung and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing.
Analysts polled by FactSet expect capex to grow to $11 billion this year from a projected $9.5 billion in 2025.
— CNBC's Jordan Novet, Jonathan Vanian, Lora Kolodny, Kif Leswing, Jennifer Elias and Annie Palmer contributed reporting
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UnitedHealth Group on Tuesday posted a modest fourth-quarter earnings beat, but issued soft revenue guidance, as the parent company of the nation's largest private insurer works to turn itself around amid higher-than-expected medical costs.
Here's what the company reported for the fourth quarter compared with what Wall Street was expecting, based on a survey of analysts by LSEG:
The results come two days after UnitedHealth CEO Stephen Hemsley and other chief executives of Minnesota's largest businesses banded together to sign an open letter calling for an "immediate deescalation of tensions" in the state after federal immigration agents fatally shot U.S. citizen Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse.
The company posted fourth-quarter net income of $10 million, or 1 cent per share, compared with $5.54 billion, or $5.98 per share, in the year-ago period. Excluding items like business divestitures, restructuring and costs related to a massive cyberattack on its business unit Change Healthcare, UnitedHealth earned $2.11 per share.
Revenue climbed from $100.81 billion in the prior-year quarter.
UnitedHealth is banking on a new leadership team to carry out a turnaround plan. The strategy involves shrinking membership, raising prices, cutting benefits and increasing transparency to restore profitability — along with the company's reputation — after a series of hurdles over the last two years.
UnitedHealth expects 2026 revenue to exceed $439 billion, a 2% year-over-year decline that reflects "right-sizing across the enterprise," the company said in a release. That comes far below the $454.6 billion in sales that analysts were expecting for the year.
"It's the first time in a decade that UnitedHealth Group has had declining revenue," CFO Wayne DeVeydt said in an interview, referring to the sales guidance.
He pointed to three factors driving the expected decline, including the company's divestitures in the fourth quarter and others set for later this year, such as its operations in the U.K. and South America. He also pointed to a "fairly sizable" overall U.S. membership decline of more than 3 million in 2026.
"I would say that in the fourth quarter, we righted the ship in the sense that we removed through the friction, obviously, South America, European operations," he said. "We are focusing on American domestic businesses and we have essentially strengthened the balance sheet and repositioned the company for the historical growth that investors have seen."
The third factor is that 2026 is the final year of the transition to Medicare's new coding system – known as V28 – which has reduced payments to insurers by changing how patient diagnoses are weighted, DeVeydt said. That will translate to a $6 billion revenue hit, $2 billion of which will impact the company's insurer, UnitedHealthcare, with the rest affecting its Optum health-care unit, he noted.
On Monday, shares of UnitedHealth and other health insurers plunged after the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services proposed nearly flat payment rates for insurers in Medicare Advantage, the privately run insurance program that now covers more than half of all Medicare beneficiaries.
That closely watched government payment rate determines how much insurers can charge for monthly premiums and plan benefits they offer — and ultimately helps to shape their profits.
Medical costs from Medicare Advantage patients have spiked over the last two years as more older adults return to hospitals to undergo procedures they had delayed during the pandemic, such as joint and hip replacements. In the fourth quarter, those medical costs were "still elevated and high but not growing beyond expectations," DeVeydt said.
For 2026, UnitedHealth expects its insurance segment's medical benefit ratio — a measure of total medical expenses paid relative to premiums collected — to come in at 88.8%, plus or minus 50 basis points. That would be an improvement from the 89.1% ratio reported for 2025. A lower ratio typically indicates that the company collected more in premiums than it paid out in benefits, resulting in higher profitability.
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The deadly shootings by ICE agents in Minnesota are driving some CEOs to publicly wade into politics again. It's a break from a corporate retreat fueled by fears of irking President Donald Trump, investors, consumers and others.Their remarks in recent days range from expressions of grave concern and grief to blunt criticism.
More than 60 heads of large companies based in the Minneapolis area, including UnitedHealth, 3M, and General Mills, called for "deescalation of tensions" in an open letter that didn't mention Trump, ICE, or the shooting victims, Alex Pretti and Renee Good, by name.
Target's incoming CEO, who starts next week, sent a video message to staff in which he described the violence and loss of life in the local community as "incredibly painful;" he did not mention Trump or ICE directly.
Others have been more blunt. Big names in tech and venture capital, as well as small business owners around the country, have expressed outrage at the Trump administration and ICE on their own social media pages, using words like "murderer," "shameful," and "a conscious-less administration."
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, senior associate dean for leadership studies at the Yale School of Management, said "CEOs are feeling the community pressure."
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He said that reactions that convey sorrow and don't mention Trump or ICE are likely to be perceived as an unwelcome challenge to the White House's immigration agenda. "That is not what the Trump administration wanted," he said.
A White House spokesperson referred Business Insider to press secretary Karoline Leavitt's remarks on X from a briefing on Monday, in which she said "nobody in the White House, including President Trump, wants to see people getting hurt or killed in America's streets."
Leavitt also said the shooting of a US citizen in Minneapolis over the weekend was a tragedy that occurred "as a result of a deliberate and hostile resistance by Democrat leaders in Minnesota."
Some CEOs who voiced dissent in the past have faced blowback.
Earlier this month, Trump said he was "inclined" to block ExxonMobil from operating in Venezuela after the company's CEO, Darren Woods, told him the country was not ready for investment.
Trump ally Elon Musk faced the president's ire after the tech leader maligned the president's spending bill in June. Trump responded by threatening to cancel government contracts with Musk's companies.
"It's probably still best for companies and CEOs to play it safe," said Michael Serazio, a communications professor at Boston College. "Trump can use all the levers of government, whether it be Department of Justice investigating your company, or some kind of tariff-based targeting of something that your company does."
Some CEOs have decided it's worth speaking up anyway.
Robert Pasin, CEO of toy company Radio Flyer, recently shared an email on LinkedIn that he sent to his employees that was critical of the shootings in Minneapolis.
"I am deeply concerned about the current state of our democracy, and the continued actions we are seeing from President Trump and his administration that are intended to undermine democratic institutions, the rule of law, and the norms that hold our country together," he wrote.
The response from staff at Chicago-based Radio Flyer was "overwhelmingly positive," Pasin told Business Insider.
During Trump's first term as president, CEOs talked about politics more freely, most notably after the murder of George Floyd by a police officer in 2020, and again after the January 6 riots.
"You previously had corporations embracing a much more, quote, woke positioning," said Serazio.
In recent years, some major CEOs have had a change of heart, going from Trump critic to Trump supporter. "It became a competition of who can suck up to him the most," said Serazio.
Any public statement from a CEO carries the risk of alienating customers and shareholders. But some see taking a stand as necessary at times like this.
Lloyd Vogel, CEO of the outdoor retailer Garage Grown Gear, said he felt compelled to condemn the shootings in a LinkedIn post because he lives and works in the Twin Cities.
"My primary rationale was to show solidarity with my community," he told Business Insider. "It's also just bad for business when people are afraid to leave their homes."
Vogel described being so forthcoming on social media as nerve-racking, "especially in such a charged environment." But he added that doing so was one of the few levers he could pull.
"There's so much fear in Minnesota right now," he said. "It would just be cowardice to not have a perspective on this."
Jeff Berman, CEO of the US media company WaitWhat, also posted critical remarks on LinkedIn about the Trump administration's crackdown. He wishes more US leaders would do the same, especially those who helm big companies, since they are more likely to draw widespread attention.
What's holding most back, Berman said, is a narrow calculus focused on short-term shareholder pressure and fears of retaliation by Trump. Instead, he said CEOs should consider the long-term risks to all stakeholders — and to democracy itself.
"They stay quiet at their own peril," said Berman. "We know what happens in countries that follow this trajectory."
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TikTok's U.S. app, now under majority American ownership, said a recent wave of glitches and content disruption was due to a power outage at one of its data centers, pushing back against claims that the platform was censoring political speech.
Users have reported issues with their accounts since the video-sharing app began operating under a newly-formed U.S.-led joint venture, following months of political pressure over its Chinese ownership.
Against the backdrop of a tense political environment in the U.S., a growing number of viral complaints about TikTok have accused the platform of censoring certain political positions and even the word "Epstein" within direct messaging.
CNBC confirmed that messages containing the word "Epstein" triggered an error message, but was unable to independently verify broader claims of political censorship.
Asked about the issues, a spokesperson for the TikTok joint venture told CNBC that the platform does not prohibit sharing the name 'Epstein' in messages and that it is investigating why some users are experiencing the problem, among others.
The sensitivity surrounding the messaging issue relates to Jeffrey Epstein, the late financier and convicted sex offender. The Department of Justice has, since December, been releasing caches of documents tied to its investigations of Epstein, but has yet to release the entirety of the so-called "Epstein files."
The recent complaints about TikTok have been amplified by California Gov. Gavin Newsom, whose press office said in a Tuesday post on X that "our office has received reports — and independently confirmed instances — of suppressed content critical of President Trump."
"[Gavin] Newsom is launching a review of this conduct and is calling on the California Department of Justice to determine whether it violates California law," it added.
Newsom's office didn't provide evidence to support the claims, though many users have posted videos allegedly showing the issue. In a viral X post, freelance journalist David Leavitt shared a screenshot of videos on his profile that had been flagged as "Ineligible for Recommendation," and claimed TikTok had begun censoring anti-Trump and anti-ICE content.
ICE refers to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, which is currently engaged in a politically charged operation in the city of Minneapolis. The fatal shootings of two U.S. citizens during federal enforcement actions by ICE have sparked outrage and political debate.
Just hours before Newsom issued his threat, the new TikTok joint venture posted an update on its X account saying the company was "continuing to resolve" its major infrastructure issue.
"While the network has been recovered, the outage caused a cascading systems failure that we've been working to resolve with our data center partner," it said, adding that users may notice multiple bugs, slower load times, and timed-out requests when posting new content.
The company also said creators might temporarily see "0" views or likes on videos due to server timeouts.
When asked directly about recent accusations of censorship, including claims related to content about ICE, a TikTok USDS Joint Venture spokesperson said that videos of the incident in Minnesota were available on the platform and had been since Saturday.
Separately, users reported this week that direct messages containing the name "Epstein" failed to send through TikTok's direct messaging feature. CNBC was able to recreate this error message when sending a message containing the name "Epstein."
That message read: "This message may be in violation of our Community Guidelines, and has not been sent to protect our community." Users were given the option to report potential mistakes.
TikTok had faced a potential shutdown in the U.S. last year after the Supreme Court upheld a law requiring it to exit the market unless its China-based parent company, ByteDance, divested the business, among other national security-related requirements.
Trump later issued a series of executive orders allowing the platform to remain online while negotiations over a divestment continued.
Last Thursday, TikTok announced it had formed a joint venture to keep the app operating in the U.S. under new leadership. Under the deal, ByteDance retains a 19.9% ownership stake, while U.S. and global investors hold 80.1%. Key investors include Oracle, Silver Lake, and MGX, each with a 15% stake.
Oracle's co-founder Larry Ellison, a prominent Trump supporter, was previously floated by the U.S. President as a potential TikTok buyer as far back as January last year.
The Trump administration and a Trump-backed crypto firm have previously been involved in deals with MGX, an Emirati state-owned investment firm focused on artificial intelligence technologies.
— CNBC's Matthew Chin contributed to this report
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This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Jason White, a 46-year-old startup founder in the San Jose area. Business Insider has verified his former employment with documentation. His words have been edited for length and clarity.
I've spent half of my 20 years in the tech industry working at Google and Meta. These companies allowed me to work on some amazing projects, but I've now resigned from them both.
I joined Google in 2016 as a tech lead in the Gmail division and transitioned to the Google Search team in 2020. By 2024, I realized I wanted to lean more heavily into AI. I didn't feel my position at Google would give me the opportunity to do that, so I opened myself up to other opportunities.
When a Meta recruiter reached out about an AI machine learning engineer role, I decided to pursue it and eventually received an offer. I left Google in July 2024 and started at Meta a month later.
I had a positive experience at Meta. I worked with great people in a high-resource environment and learned a lot. I was also able to lean into AI as I'd hoped, focusing fully on AI products.
However, halfway through 2025, I started thinking about resigning to build a startup — specifically, a venture that would use AI to help the typical household with their finances.
Business Insider is speaking with workers who've found themselves at a corporate crossroads — whether due to a layoff, resignation, job search, or shifting workplace expectations.
Share your story by filling out this form, contacting this reporter via email at jzinkula@businessinsider.com, or via Signal at jzinkula.29.
Whether to resign from Meta was a complex decision.
The startup was something I was growing increasingly passionate about. I know what financial pressure feels like — I had been a low-paid graduate student trying to provide for a newborn.
Many people don't have access to great financial planning and management tools to help improve their financial situations. While I was still figuring out what the business would look like, I felt there was an opportunity to help people, and that was very motivating for me.
I connected with a potential cofounder — a friend of a friend — and we spent a lot of time talking through the opportunity. That helped me grow more comfortable with the idea of leaving Meta, but there were still a lot of other factors to consider.
It's hard to leave a world-class team with people you like — not to mention a reliable source of income.
I know some people start businesses on the side while keeping their full-time jobs, but I couldn't do that because I was already juggling two demanding roles as a Meta employee and a parent.
My other concern was legal. I would've had to disclose any outside business to Meta, and there could've been non-compete issues — especially since my business idea was related to AI, like my role at Meta.
I wanted to make sure my family had enough savings to cover at least one year of our current expenses without touching our retirement accounts. My wife works, but I wanted a cushion in case she lost her job. I figured that would give me at least one year to build the business, and, if things went really badly, enough time afterward to find a job.
We already were in a good place savings-wise, so we were still able to take vacations, hire tutors for our kids, and order DoorDash. I had about six months before resigning to make some minor adjustments, including cutting back on 401(k) contributions and putting more money into liquid savings accounts.
This financial planning process for my family really helped crystallize the direction I wanted to go with the startup. In September 2025, I resigned from Meta.
When I shared the news with my colleagues, the response was a mix of surprise, support, and a large amount of jealousy. A lot of people want to leave and start their own thing, but for various reasons they can't or won't — whether it's because of their visa status, financial constraints, or broader fear.
I'm now focused on my business, Bear Financial. My cofounder and I are planning to publicly launch in the second half of this year. We may seek external funding, but for now, we're bootstrapping the business, so I've tracked our spending very carefully.
I have a few pieces of advice for people considering leaving their jobs to start their own business. First, get your finances in order. Second, make sure anyone who depends on you, like your family, is supportive of the decision — I was fortunate to have a supportive partner who knew that I felt limited working in Big Tech.
Third, choose an idea you deeply believe in. With a startup, you have to be the one to bring the energy, the enthusiasm, the vision — and to carry others into it.
Address your knowledge gaps. Startup founders often need to be generalists, which means having a basic understanding of a lot of areas.
I'd also suggest envisioning the worst-case outcome and asking yourself whether you'd be OK with it. I thought about what it would look like one year later if my business failed. I believe I'd still value everything I learned over those 12 months.
If I eventually decide to pursue a corporate position again, I have faith that I'd be able to find something — even though it's hard to predict what the job market will look like.
There are, however, a lot of potential barriers to success: we have to navigate a moving target on regulations, we need to figure out ways to convince potential customers to give us a try, and there are super well-resourced companies that could become direct competitors.
At the end of the day, I want to take the swing.
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Tesla offered a free trial of its FSD system in December. I was driven autonomously for most of the month and came away with new insights.
The latest software was impressive, but my experience revealed a glaring problem that could hamper Tesla's path toward a full, unsupervised Robotaxi service.
First, the good stuff. I have a Model 3 Performance with HW4 hardware. It doesn't have a camera near the front bumper, but otherwise it's modern hardware. I also have an up-to-date version of FSD.
This combination resulted in an amazing FSD experience. I drove from Silicon Valley to Lake Tahoe in supervised autonomous mode and had no issues. I drove into SF and back several times, trouble-free.
I estimate 90% to 95% of my driving was in FSD mode during December. It's a new state of driving that I think is safer than human driving. I spend less time worrying about where I'm going and which turn to make. Instead, my eyes are on the road and my hands are ready near the wheel, just in case.
Despite the ability to text while being driven now, I pay more attention to the road in FSD mode, not less.
A surprise bonus: I argue (OK, debate!) less with my wife about directions when we are on FSD-powered trips together. There's no discussion about whether this or that route is better. FSD just does it. This reduces the potential for marital spats. That's probably worth the entire $100-a-month FSD subscription cost.
When Tesla told me my month-long trial was ending, I was genuinely disappointed. Do I pay monthly now? No. But I don't drive enough at the moment. If my wife's or my commute becomes much longer, we would certainly pay.
This was all supervised autonomous driving. That means Tesla requires human owners to be at the wheel and alert at all times.
Unsupervised autonomy is the next frontier. That's when cars drive themselves with no human at the wheel. Waymo already does this in Silicon Valley and a few other urban areas in the US. Tesla's Robotaxi service started doing this in Austin recently, but elsewhere, these Robotaxis still have safety drivers behind the wheel.
Making this leap is a huge feat. And Tesla is trying to do this with a purely camera-based system, while Waymo uses cameras, Lidar, and other sensors that are not just vision-based.
This is the big schism in the industry. Backers of the multi-sensor approach say their systems are better and safer because components such as Lidar collect data without "seeing," so they work in more environments. However, this is more expensive than camera-only systems.
Tesla's approach is cheaper, so that's good for efficiently mass-producing millions of robotaxis, such as the upcoming Cybercab. But, can camera-only systems actually work as well in unsupervised situations?
This is where my December FSD experience sowed some seeds of doubt in my mind. To be clear, I'm not an expert. I'm a huge fan of my Tesla vehicle, and I hope both autonomous approaches work and make roads safer. Still, here's what happened last month.
The main front camera at the top of my windshield sometimes gets condensation, dust, or dirt inside the glass and plastic compartment.
A couple of times, when I was in FSD mode and being driven into the low sun, I got a loud, red warning sign on the screen of my Tesla telling me to take over immediately or the system would pull over. I took the wheel quickly with no further issues and restarted FSD soon after.
But these incidents were slightly unsettling. My interpretation is that sunlight was streaming into the front camera compartment, and the glare was combining with condensation and/or dust to degrade the quality of the images being collected.
A week or so later, I got an alert from Tesla to bring my vehicle in for a service. The goal was to clean the inside of the front camera. I set up an appointment, which the Tesla app told me would cost $60.
I took it to a nearby Tesla location, and the cleaning lasted about an hour. Tesla didn't charge me. After that, I didn't get any red warning signs for the rest of December while using FSD.
This front camera is not easy to clean because it has a housing around it, which might also trap moisture that could otherwise dissipate more easily from the car's interior.
If Tesla wants its cars to be fully unsupervised Robotaxis, a front interior camera that fogs up and needs to be professionally cleaned seems like a potentially big problem. With a million Robotaxis on the road, how many times might Tesla service employees have to clean these cameras?
This also suggests that a multi-sensor approach — that doesn't 100% rely on cameras that need cleaning — might be a better way to attain full autonomy at scale.
There are signs that Tesla may already be responding to this issue, as it gets more experience running its Robotaxi service.
In September, Elon Musk wrote on X that keeping the front camera clean is "a major area of focus."
About a month later, the company rolled out a software update that enabled the windshield wipers to do extra wiping around the front camera. You can see it in action here. That only addressed exterior dirt and moisture, though.
More recently, Tesla Robotaxis have been spotted with new cleaning systems that squirt water onto the outside cameras to clean them.
More importantly, there's a new setup for the front camera behind the windshield, according to photos posted on X recently by Tesla investor and owner Sawyer Merritt.
"Black lines surrounding the entire front camera housing, which could mean improved sealing to prevent off-gassing inside the car from fogging the cameras, potentially eliminating the need for Tesla to perform front camera cleanings (just speculation)," he wrote.
Another Tesla owner posted a photo this week of a new Model Y with an updated front camera housing.
Tesla also has a patent for a new way of preventing front camera glare, for use in autonomous and semi-autonomous vehicles.
"The glare shield features a textured surface composed of an array of micro-cones, or cone-shaped formations, which serve to scatter incident light in various directions, thereby reducing glare and improving camera vision," Tesla wrote in the patent filing.
It's unclear how well these fixes will work. But Tesla is obviously trying hard to address these challenges. Its camera-only approach depends on it.
I asked Tesla and Elon Musk all about this on Monday in a detailed email. They didn't respond by publication time on Tuesday morning.
Sign up for BI's Tech Memo newsletter here. Reach out to me via email at abarr@businessinsider.com.
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Nvidia ran into some resistance as one of the world's biggest banks struggled to adopt its AI enterprise software, signaling how hard it can be for massive, highly regulated companies to put cutting-edge technology to use.
Nvidia sales executives recapped conversations with key customers — including Bank of America — following a conference late last year, according to an internal email thread from November viewed by Business Insider.
The chip giant has been selling its "AI Factory" — a full setup of chips and software designed to build, train, and run large-scale AI systems — to large businesses.
Bank of America told Nvidia it was struggling with deployment, according to the email thread. The exchange reveals that while companies rush to purchase AI infrastructure, operational and regulatory hurdles make deploying it far harder — a key challenge for Nvidia as it expands from selling chips into enterprise software. On the thread, Nvidia executives also discussed how they can better work with customers in using its AI products.
"You sold us a Formula 1 race car," an Nvidia executive reported the bank said, comparing the AI Factory to the race car, "and now you have to help us as local car mechanics drive the race car!"
Bank of America declined to comment. Nvidia did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.
A second executive later responded that Nvidia "can't just sell" AI Factory hardware but needs to provide a software solution to help business customers succeed.
The gap between buying infrastructure and actually deploying AI is common across industries, said Rumman Chowdhury, who advises companies on responsible AI.
"Buying GPUs or signing a cloud contract is a business decision; deploying AI is an institutional change," she told Business Insider. "It's much easier to approve a budget line item than to re‑architect workflows, retrain teams, and rewrite governance processes."
Recapping its meeting with Bank of America, the first Nvidia executive said the bank lacked "the MLOps skills in house." MLOps refers to machine learning operations, or the processes for implementing AI models in real-world use cases.
That executive added that Bank of America did not think Nvidia's AI enterprise software was "ready for their highly regulated banking industry."
The executive also pointed to other concerns, including Bank of America's security and governance requirements, such as documentation and support for air gapping — isolating systems from other networks to improve security. They noted the challenges the bank faced in supporting multiple AI models and software systems to meet different needs.
Nvidia vice president Ian Buck subsequently jumped into the thread, signalling how senior leaders at the chip giant can step in when customer concerns surface.
"Looks like they need help and/or our product is coming up short," Buck wrote.
The struggles at Bank of America echo earlier issues with Nvidia's enterprise software efforts, including a need to educate prospective clients on what it is and isn't.
AI deployment obstacles aren't exclusive to banking; they are prevalent across sectors. While banks have a long history of using AI for tasks like credit decisioning, they may be the first to run into issues because of the scale of their data and customers, said Tom Davenport, an information technology and management professor at Babson College.
"The technology's out way ahead of what individual banks or most companies actually can implement quickly," he said.
Have a tip? Contact this reporter via email at gweiss@businessinsider.com or Signal at @geoffweiss.25. Use a personal email address, a nonwork WiFi network, and a nonwork device; here's our guide to sharing information securely.
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If your techie friend is texting a lobster, here's why.
Clawdbot is an open-source AI agent that works around the clock and can connect to many common consumer apps. Users have asked their Clawdbots to organize their schedules, monitor vibe-coding sessions, and build new AI employees.
(Also, it's not called Clawdbot anymore. After Anthropic reached out over similarities in the name and logo, its creator Peter Steinberger gave the agent a new name: Moltbot.)
It's scored some high-profile fans, from Y Combinator CEO Garry Tan to multiple Andreessen Horowitz partners. Many have praised it, others have meme'd it, and some have warned people about potential security concerns.
You can spot Clawdbot/Moltbot by its friendly lobster mascot.
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Founded by Steinberger, it's an AI agent that manages "digital life," from emails to home automation. Steinberger previously founded PSPDFKit.
In a key distinction from ChatGPT and many other popular AI products, the agent is open source and runs locally on your computer. Users then connect the agent to a messaging app like WhatsApp or Telegram, where they can give it instructions via text.
The AI agent was initially named after the "little monster" that appears when you restart Claude Code, Steinberger said on the "Insecure Agents" podcast. He formed the tool around the question: "Why don't I have an agent that can look over my agents?"
"I already did the whole startup thing," Steinberger said. "I'm just here to have fun."
bro came back from retirement> built @clawdbot > solved "AI forgets everything" problem> and still gave it to us for freeabsolute legend 🐐 pic.twitter.com/tPwwicah42
It runs locally on your computer 24/7. That's led some people to brush off their old laptops. "Installed it experimentally on my old dusty Intel MacBook Pro," one product designer wrote. "That machine finally has a purpose again."
Others are buying up Mac Minis, Apple's 5"-by-5" computer, to run the AI. Logan Kilpatrick, a product manager for Google DeepMind, posted: "Mac mini ordered." It could give a sales boost to Apple, some X users have pointed out — and online searches for "Mac Mini" jumped in the last 4 days in the US, per Google Trends.
But Steinberger said buying a new computer just to run the AI isn't necessary.
"Please don't buy a Mac Mini," he wrote. "You can deploy this on Amazon's Free Tier."
The Mac Mini buy-ups have spawned dozens of memes.
One founder wrote that his "meal prep" was a fridge full of Mac Minis and Monster energy drinks. An engineer joked that his Mac Mini had quit his job and divorced his wife. Another founder prophesied a wave of Mac Mini returns in two weeks.
getting a mac mini just to run clawd has got be most performative thing you can do to start the year pic.twitter.com/KwTYIEcJqI
Many techies are excited by the agent's capabilities.
One founder asked it to make him a dinner reservation; when it couldn't complete the task via OpenTable, it used its ElevenLabs skill to call the restaurant. "AGI is here and 99% of people have no clue," he wrote.
Others were less impressed. One founder called it a "generational psyop," joking that it took him 6 texts to get a calendar invite.
The AI seems to be at least moderately popular. Steinberger posted on X that he had 89 GitHub pull requests — and that venture capitalists were flooding his inbox.
Is Moltbot the future of agents? Some onlookers seem skeptical.
First, the setup process can be technical. A16z partner Olivia Moore described the process, from terminal commands to API keys. "For most consumers (or even prosumers), the learning curve is likely too steep," she wrote.
Then there's the security question. You are giving an AI agent almost unlimited access to your digital life and passwords, after all.
Rahul Sood, a former Microsoft exec who founded its investment arm, wrote that it turned text messages into "attack surfaces" and had "zero guardrails by design." He advised using it carefully.
Gave Clawdbot access to my portfolio."Trade this to $1M. Don't make mistakes"25 strategies. 3,000+ reports. 12 new algos.It scanned every X post. Charted every technical. Traded 24/7.It lost everything.But boy was it beautiful. pic.twitter.com/wYpEZ3kB67
One hacker described the AI as hiring a "brilliant" butler who later opened your home to the public, allowing a stranger to read your diary.
Steinberger responded to these security concerns by outlining some guardrails users could employ, including reading the security document and avoiding adding the AI to group chats.
How much should we hand over our digital lives to AI? A16z partner Justine Moore warned against being the "guy who automated his entire life with ClawdBot."
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A horse toy in China meant to be a Lunar New Year decoration has turned into a symbol of corporate agony on Chinese social media.
The red horse toy in question, made by the shop Happy Sisters in China's western Yiwu city, features an upside-down snout, giving it a morose look at odds with its festival golden bell. Per the Chinese zodiac, the incoming year will be the year of the horse.
The seller told local media that a shop worker had accidentally sewn the horse's smile upside down, turning it into a frown. But after the toy went viral on social media, the shop decided to produce more of the defective toy.
Happy Sisters did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.
For many Chinese workers, the crying horse came to represent permission to be vulnerable — rare in the country's high-pressure work culture. China is infamous for its grueling 9-9-6 work culture, which means 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., six days a week.
A user, He Qingshan, wrote on RedNote earlier this month that the doll is "healing in a high-pressure society."
Priced at about 25 Chinese yuan, or $3.60, its affordability helped it spread quickly online, turning it into a "national-level emo doll" and a form of "collective emotional projection," they wrote.
Another person on RedNote, Liang Chenxing, said in a post in January that the horse's "drooping mouth" had "struck a chord with contemporary workers." The post received more than 1,000 likes.
"Who hasn't had moments when they want to cry but still have to hold it together?" the user wrote.
On the platform, creators have begun placing the horse beside their office computers, posting photos with captions like: "Me when my proposal gets rejected."
One RedNote user described keeping it on their desk as having "a little companion that understands all your fatigue and your dreams."
"It's okay to cry on the face, but life must always be moving forward!" they wrote.
Mark Tanner, the managing director of Chinese consumer research firm China Skinny, said he wasn't sure he believed the manufacturing error story, but it was a smart business move nonetheless.
"This has been happening for some years, particularly with movements like lying flat, but it captures a general psyche where many Chinese consumers are feeling less optimistic at the moment," Tanner said.
Jacob Cooke, the CEO of Beijing-based e-commerce consulting firm WPIC Marketing + Technologies, said that "younger consumers are increasingly comfortable acknowledging stress in light, ironic ways."
"Consumer products and internet memes can act as outlets for discussing work pressure, especially on platforms like Xiaohongshu, where consumer culture and emotional expression are tightly intertwined," Cooke said.
He compared the crying horse toy to Chinese toymaker Pop Mart's "ugly-cute" IPs, Labubu and Crybaby.
And Jason Yu, the managing director of Beijing-based CTR Market Research, said the handmade sewing mistake on the toy resonated with audiences because it did not feel like a "cold assembly-line product."
"The emotional value the toy conveys is higher than any perfect toy can provide," Yu said.
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Dario Amodei still has a lot to say.
On Monday, the Anthropic CEO dropped an over 19,000-word essay entitled "The Adolescence of Technology" on the future of AI on Monday, opining on everything from his fellow CEOs to feudalism, and even the Unabomber.
Best known for his warning that AI could eliminate up to 50% of entry-level white-collar jobs in the next 1 to 5 years, Amodei has tangled with Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and the Trump White House over his views.
Here are seven of the most alarming and surprising quotes.
Amodei remains optimistic about AI overall, but his essay detailed "an intimidating gauntlet that humanity must run" to reap the benefits of AI without letting the breakthrough technology destroy the world.
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"I believe if we act decisively and carefully, the risks can be overcome — I would even say our odds are good. And there's a hugely better world on the other side of it," he wrote. "But we need to understand that this is a serious civilizational challenge."
AI development can't be stopped, Amodei wrote, a conclusion even some of AI's skeptics share. The financial and security benefits are just too massive for the private and public sectors to pass up.
It's why winning the AI race and doing so in an ethical way is so critical, he concludes.
Jensen Huang hasn't changed Amodei's mind on China.
"A number of complicated arguments are made to justify such sales, such as the idea that 'spreading our tech stack around the world' allows 'America to win' in some general, unspecified economic battle," Amodei said. "In my view, this is like selling nuclear weapons to North Korea and then bragging that the missile casings are made by Boeing and so the US is 'winning.'"
In November, Nvidia announced a partnership with Anthropic that includes an investment of up to $10 billion in the AI startup. The news sparked speculation that tensions between Amodei and Huang might be cooling.
Whatever the status of their relationship, Amodei is resolute that it is a horrendous decision to allow US companies to sell advanced chips to China.
"China is several years behind the US in their ability to produce frontier chips in quantity, and the critical period for building the country of geniuses in a data center is very likely to be within those next several years," Amodei wrote. "There is no reason to give a giant boost to their AI industry during this critical period."
Amodei would like his critics to see the scoreboard.
Anthropic's leader hasn't tried to curry favor with the White House, nor has he vocally embraced President Donald Trump's AI policies to the same degree as his rival CEOs. Amodei's outspoken call for AI regulation even led David Sacks, Trump's AI czar, to publicly rebuke him.
Anthropic is running a sophisticated regulatory capture strategy based on fear-mongering. It is principally responsible for the state regulatory frenzy that is damaging the startup ecosystem. https://t.co/C5RuJbVi4P
None of it has changed Amodei's view that the AI industry "needs a healthier relationship with government — one based on substantive policy engagement rather than political alignment."
"Many people have told me that we should stop doing this, that it could lead to unfavorable treatment, but in the year we've been doing it, Anthropic's valuation has increased by over 6x, an almost unprecedented jump at our commercial scale," he wrote.
Of all of his hopes, this one appears the unlikeliest. Already, AI CEOs have formed dueling super PACs ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
The tech elite made AI, and they should help society grapple with its fallout, he wrote in the essay. Amodei has long called on governments to prepare for mass job displacement. In one of the most eyebrow-raising parts of the essay, Anthropic CEO detailed what his fellow billionaires and companies must do.
Beyond philanthropy, Amodei said companies need to be "creative" in how they stave off layoffs.
In the long term, he wrote, "It may be feasible to pay human employees even long after they are no longer providing economic value in the traditional sense."
One of the biggest themes of Amodei's essay is the risk that AI companies themselves pose. It's a conclusion that he admits is "somewhat awkward" for him to reach. As an example, he points to the roiling topic of the sexualization of children. While he does not name xAI directly, Grok is facing investigations in multiple countries over the non-consensual sexualization of images of real people.
"Some AI companies have shown a disturbing negligence towards the sexualization of children in today's models, which makes me doubt that they'll show either the inclination or the ability to address autonomy risks in future models," he wrote.
Overall, he expressed skepticism that AI companies will sacrifice profit for broader societal good. "Ordinary corporate governance," Amodei wrote, is ill-equipped to address his worries.
Amodei said that fears that AI models may defy orders and perhaps even try to eliminate humanity are complicated by bad actors in the industry who aren't as transparent about the risks they are seeing in their models.
"While it is incredibly valuable for individual AI companies to engage in good practices or become good at steering AI models, and to share their findings publicly, the reality is that not all AI companies do this, and the worst ones can still be a danger to everyone even if the best ones have excellent practices," he wrote.
Amodei doesn't see the largest risks to humanity coming from AI pursuing total domination, but rather in what AI could enable humans to unleash.
Amodei described his fears that AI is lowering the barrier of entry necessary to make killer biological weapons. His greatest concern is that AI could provide the step-by-step know-how that could eventually enable even an average person to produce a bioweapon.
AI companies, Amodei said, need to ensure they create sufficient backstops to block such inquiries, including by making it difficult for hackers to jailbreak models. Adding such security is expensive, Amodei said, noting that these measures are "close to 5% of total inference costs" for some of the companies' models.
"I am concerned that over time there may be a prisoner's dilemma where companies can defect and lower their costs by removing classifiers," he wrote. "This is once again a classic negative externalities problem that can't be solved by the voluntary actions of Anthropic or any other single company alone."
Amodei is one of the AI industry's most vocal proponents of AI legislation. While Meta and Microsoft supported a federal preemption of state-level AI laws, Anthropic supported AI transparency bills in California and New York that are now law.
Throughout the essay, Amodei outlined multiple areas for future legislation, including industry-wide transparency requirements like those at the state level. Even he concludes that new laws might not be enough.
"The rapid progress of AI may create situations that our existing legal frameworks are not well designed to deal with," he wrote.
It's why Amodei said he would go so far as to support a constitutional amendment. The US has not amended the Constitution since 1992, when the over two-century-long battle to add a limitation on congressional pay finally passed the 38th state legislature.
"I would support civil liberties-focused legislation (or maybe even a constitutional amendment) that imposes stronger guardrails against AI-powered abuses," he wrote.
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Target employees are pushing the company to take a firmer stand against ICE.
In a letter emailed to management on Friday, employees called on Target to "do the right thing" and bar federal immigration authorities from its stores. The letter, viewed by Business Insider, was signed by 284 employees, many of whom said they were residents of Minnesota, where Target is headquartered.
"Target's continued inaction in the face of the current administration puts all of us at risk of more harm in our workplaces and represents a moral failure to protect those in our community," said the letter, which included current CEO Brian Cornell and incoming CEO Michael Fiddelke as recipients.
A day after the letter was sent, federal agents shot and killed a second Minneapolis resident, Alex Pretti, further complicating tensions between protesters and the Trump administration.
The letter also highlights the January 7 death of Renee Good after her encounter with immigration authorities in Minneapolis. No charges have been filed in connection with Good's death, and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche has said there is currently no basis for a criminal civil rights investigation. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said the officer fired in self-defense, while Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz has called for a transparent investigation.
Target has made several public moves since the letter was sent, including joining a statement with more than 60 other Minnesota businesses calling for de-escalation. Cornell also met with local faith leaders on Thursday to discuss the situation.
On Monday, Fiddelke sent a video message to staff that did not mention Trump or ICE by name, but said "the violence and loss of life in our community is incredibly painful."
The Minneapolis-based retailer employs roughly 7,000 corporate employees at its headquarters offices, among its 440,000 employees across the US and around the world. The company also operates roughly 50 stores in the Twin Cities market.
The letter from employees highlighted Target's scaled-back LGBTQ+ Pride collection, its wind-down of certain DEI initiatives, and its donation to Donald Trump's inauguration fund as examples of how the company has "abandoned its community" in recent years.
Some of the demands may be outside Target's legal ability to fully address, such as the calls on Target to block immigration authorities from its properties.
Corporate immigration attorney John Medeiros told the AP last week that law enforcement officers are typically allowed to operate in publicly accessible areas of retail businesses, like parking lots and sales floors.
Guidance from the Minnesota Attorney General's office says employees should not interfere with agents' lawful activities at their places of business, but neither are workers required to answer questions or tell agents whether a certain person is on the premises.
In a memo last week, chief HR officer Melissa Kremer said Target "does not have cooperative agreements with any immigration enforcement agency."
Read the full letter from employees here:
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Forgotten Runiverse, the fantasy-themed massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) on Ethereum scaling network Ronin, is going offline until further notice.
The team behind the game—which is part of the Forgotten Runes project—cited financial infeasibility, though maintained that they are not abandoning the project.
“Over the past months, we've faced a number of overwhelming challenges,” the Forgotten Runiverse team wrote on X. “While our team worked tirelessly and was initially able to overcome many of these obstacles, we've reached a point where it no longer makes sense financially to maintain the game in a live environment in its current state.”
The open world spawned out of the lore from the Ethereum NFT collection Forgotten Runes Wizard's Cult, and launched globally last year after hosting a stress test which asked users to “crash its servers.”
But less than a year after launch, its free-to-play, browser-based game servers will be taken offline on Tuesday. All account and progress data will remain securely preserved, the team said, but the game will be inaccessible as the team evaluates a potential path forward.
“We will share updates if/when we have them,” the team wrote. “The Runiverse isn't gone, merely resting.”
The MMORPG's shuttering continues the trend of crypto games that have been forced to close their doors as funding dries up and games struggle to garner adoption. Last year, numerous high-profile blockchain games including Deadrop, Nyan Heroes, and Pirate Nation shut down, and the carnage appears to be continuing into 2026.
GG Story of the Year 2025: Crypto Gaming Collapses as Funding Dries Up
As a result, crypto gaming enthusiasts were not entirely surprised on social media, with mixed replies ranging from disappointment to praising the team for their efforts.
Forgotten Runiverse, which had raised funds from Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian and others, was at one point approved for development across Nintendo, PlayStation, and Xbox.
A representative for the Forgotten Runiverse did not immediately respond to Decrypt's request for comment.
SharpLink CEO Joseph Chalom, who previously led BlackRock's digital assets strategy, framed the Ethereum-versus-Solana debate as a mismatch between narrative and actual institutional behavior: TradFi firms may praise speed and low fees, but the highest-value financial use cases are gravitating to networks optimized for trust, security, and liquidity.
Speaking with CoinDesk's Jennifer Sanasie on Jan. 26, Chalom said he would avoid positioning his view as opinion and instead point to what he called observable market signals. “Maybe I'll just share facts,” he said. “The fact is that Ethereum has been around for 10 years. It's the secure, trusted, and liquid ecosystem. And I talk about both the layer 1 mainnet as well as the long set of layer 2s who help do that rollup strategy.”
That longevity, in his telling, matters because institutions aren't selecting chains the way consumers pick apps. They're selecting settlement rails for moving money, tokenizing assets, and representing ownership, workflows where operational failure and security assumptions are existential. Solana, Chalom acknowledged, has carved out a reputation for performance. But he drew a hard line on reliability. “Solana has been fast and cheap but it has not been secure. It has had downtime,” he said, arguing that downtime risk is disqualifying for “high value projects.”
Chalom's thesis is that when the use case is “tokenizing assets” and “moving money,” the decision criteria compress into three buckets. “The real institutions who care only about three things,” he said, are “trust, security, and liquidity.” On that basis, he argued, “they're building on Ethereum for high value projects,” adding: “It's happening on Ethereum.”
He also anchored the comparison in stablecoin and tokenized-asset activity, citing a sharp share gap as evidence of where the market is allocating serious volume. “More than 65% of stablecoins and tokenized assets are happening there,” Chalom said, describing that as “10x what you see on Salana.” He reinforced the directional claim immediately after: “Ethereum leads in high quality assets in DeFi, tokenization, and stable coins by a factor of 10 to one over Salana. And that gap is only getting larger.”
Still, Chalom did not argue for a single-chain world. Instead, he mapped Ethereum and Solana to different product surfaces based on security tolerance. “I do think there's a role for cheap, fast, less secure chains,” he said, and suggested Solana's comparative advantage shows up where finality speed and cost trump institutional-grade assurances. “I think Solana will win in the memecoin, maybe the gaming space where actually security matters a lot less and speed matters more.”
The subtext is a segmentation story: Ethereum as the default rail for high-value, regulated, reputation-sensitive flows; Solana as the venue for high-throughput consumer and speculative activity where users accept different risk tradeoffs. Chalom insisted this is not about persuasion so much as migration patterns. “It's not my perspective,” he said. “People are voting with their feet.”
Notably, SharpLink Gaming (Nasdaq: SBET) has emerged as one of the largest corporate ETH holders, with public trackers putting its holdings at roughly 864,840 ETH (about $2.5B at recent marks).
At press time, ETH traded at $2,921.
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Jake Simmons has been a Bitcoin enthusiast since 2016. Ever since he heard about Bitcoin, he has been studying the topic every day and trying to share his knowledge with others. His goal is to contribute to Bitcoin's financial revolution, which will replace the fiat money system. Besides BTC and crypto, Jake studied Business Informatics at a university. After graduation in 2017, he has been working in the blockchain and crypto sector. You can follow Jake on Twitter at @realJakeSimmons.
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A rotating cast of top candidates has roiled Polymarket betting on the next chair of the Federal Reserve, but the new favorite, BlackRock's Rick Rieder, has argued that bitcoin will replace gold and has recommended people should have it in their portfolios.
Rieder, BlackRock's chief investment officer for global fixed income, has rocketed to the top of the list of President Donald Trump's likely picks in the prediction markets, and he's frequently waxed supportive of cryptocurrencies.
He said as far back as 2020 — in much earlier days of digital assets — that bitcoin would take over for gold as a store of value, "because it's so much more functional than passing a bar of gold around," he said in a CNBC interview. And more recently, he told the same outlet that bitcoin should be part of a smart investment mix, saying that the leading digital token and gold were "things that give you a little bit of ballast in the portfolio."
In that September interview, when bitcoin was still above $112,000, he predicted "it's going to go up." The cryptocurrency is currently trading around $88,000, having fallen recently on possible tariffs and other geopolitical turmoil.
Trump has a choice to make before the term of Fed Chairman Jerome Powell — who the president has framed as his economic nemesis — is set to expire on May 15. It was Trump who originally placed Powell, a Republican, in that pivotal role, but the president has since routinely lamented his performance, calling him "dumb" and "stupid" and nicknames such as "Mr. Too Late."
Meanwhile, Trump has often teased about frontrunners for his replacement, making for a volatile prediction market. Rieder has said it's "an unbelievably honor to even be mentioned in that list."
Rieder vocally shares Trump's frustrations at the sedate pace at which the Fed has cut interest rates. In a recent interview during the president's trip to Davos in Switzerland, Trump called Rieder "very impressive," and his odds on Polymarket have climbed from under 3% to almost 53% at their height, before settling at a current 48%.
For the crypto sector, a Fed chair can pull multiple levers. Apart from a heavy influence in the group that sets the federal funds rate, the chair controls the board's regulatory agenda. However, Powell has deferred to the vice chair for supervision, Michelle Bowman, on the Fed's supervisory work.
So Rieder's crypto enthusiasm may not have a significant play in the rules the regulatory side of the Fed writes for such things as stablecoins or central bank digital currencies (CBDCs).
More than as a mechanic of policy, a Fed chair has a softer role as an outsized voice on the health and direction of the U.S. economy, and a staunch bitcoin advocate in that position would be a first.
Though Powell is departing soon as chairman, his term as a regular governor on the Fed board continues, leaving some question about whether he'll take the traditional route and exit after his leadership expires or stay on another two years. Every member of the board has an automatic seat on the Federal Open Market Committee that decides U.S. interest rates, meaning a Powell decision to stay would keep his generally centrist position in place in that group and would fail to open another seat for a Trump appointee.
Trump's relentless criticism of Powell escalated last month when his Department of Justice said it's investigating the central bank chairman for his public descriptions of renovations at the Federal Reserve buildings in Washington. Powell released an unusual, direct response.
"The threat of criminal charges is a consequence of the Federal Reserve setting interest rates based on our best assessment of what will serve the public, rather than following the preferences of the president," Powell said.
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For those who don't have the compass and the time to track Congress through its arcane procedures, here's what's likely to affect you if a bill passes. Or doesn't.
What to know:
Disclosure & Polices: CoinDesk is an award-winning media outlet that covers the cryptocurrency industry. Its journalists abide by a strict set of editorial policies. CoinDesk has adopted a set of principles aimed at ensuring the integrity, editorial independence and freedom from bias of its publications. CoinDesk is part of Bullish (NYSE:BLSH), an institutionally focused global digital asset platform that provides market infrastructure and information services. Bullish owns and invests in digital asset businesses and digital assets and CoinDesk employees, including journalists, may receive Bullish equity-based compensation.
Finding a true 50X opportunity in crypto usually comes down to timing and structure. By the time most assets trend on social media, much of the upside is already priced in. The projects that deliver outsized returns are often the ones building quietly, with clear use cases and early adoption.
This list looks at five altcoins with different growth drivers, ranging from infrastructure and AI to real-world finance. Among them, Digitap ($TAP) stands out for a simple reason: it is still early, focused on everyday use, and structured around participation rather than hype.
For anyone scanning the market for an altcoin to buy with long-term potential, these picks offer a balanced view of risk, utility, and timing.
Digitap earns the first spot because it balances risk and opportunity better than most early projects. Instead of chasing narratives, Digitap focuses on how people actually use money. The platform brings together fiat and crypto, supports global transfers, and aims to make everyday financial activity simple and reliable.
Digitap is currently in Round 3 of its presale, with the $TAP token priced around $0.0439. This stage reflects early participation, not market hype. As features roll out and users join, value grows through usage rather than speculation. That is why many investors now describe Digitap as the best crypto presale candidate for those looking ahead to 2026.
Key strengths include a unified account experience, privacy-first access, real-world spending support, smart routing to reduce fees, and multi-chain compatibility. An upcoming Solana deposit option further improves access by allowing users to fund accounts directly from the Solana ecosystem, strengthening Digitap's role as a practical, everyday financial platform even during market slowdowns.
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Kaspa positions itself as a high-performance Layer-1 built for speed and scalability. Its blockDAG design allows faster confirmation times without sacrificing security. This technical approach has helped Kaspa gain attention as a serious infrastructure project rather than a short-term trade.
Kaspa's upside comes from continued adoption and network usage. As more users and developers value speed and low latency, Layer-1 chains like Kaspa can benefit. However, it also faces strong competition from other scalable blockchains. For aggressive investors, Kaspa offers growth potential, but its trajectory depends on sustained ecosystem expansion.
Render offers exposure to the growing demand for AI and GPU computing. The network connects unused GPU power with creators and developers who need it for rendering and AI workloads. As demand for compute increases, platforms like Render can benefit from broader adoption.
RNDR's upside depends on how fast decentralized compute gains traction. While the AI narrative is strong, it also comes with volatility tied to market sentiment. Render fits investors looking for sector-specific exposure rather than everyday financial use.
Chainlink plays a critical role in crypto infrastructure by providing reliable data feeds to blockchains. It supports DeFi, tokenized assets, and cross-chain communication. This makes Chainlink less flashy but highly important.
LINK's growth is steadier than speculative tokens, driven by integration and usage rather than hype cycles. While it may not deliver instant multiples, its role in real-world asset tokenization keeps it relevant in long-term portfolios.
Arweave focuses on permanent, decentralized data storage. Its model allows users to store data indefinitely with a one-time fee. This appeals to developers and organizations that value long-term data integrity.
Adoption remains niche, but the use case is clear. Arweave's potential depends on whether permanent storage becomes a standard requirement for applications and records. It is a patient bet rather than a fast mover.
Lists and rankings help narrow choices, but timing matters more than position. The biggest gains often come from entering before mass attention arrives. Among these five projects, Digitap stands out because it combines early entry with real utility rather than hype.
Looking toward 2026, platforms that people actually use tend to hold value better than those driven purely by trading. Digitap's presale stage, clear use case, and growing feature set place it in a strong position as adoption expands, especially as access continues to improve across ecosystems like Solana. This practical focus gives it an edge as markets mature.
For investors thinking long term, structure matters more than short-term excitement. Digitap's steady development and everyday financial approach make it one of the best crypto coins to invest in for 2026, offering a balanced path built on use, not speculation.
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The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has published the latest report in its Tech Futures series on the topic of agentic AI (the Report). While not formal guidance, the Report is a useful indication of the ICO's current thinking on this emerging technology, including the key data privacy risks to be considered, depending on its evolving capability and uptake.
What is agentic AI?There is no legal definition of agentic AI, but the ICO suggests defining it as a system that:
The ICO provides a wide variety of examples, including current uses, such as coding assistants, and emerging uses, such as ‘personal assistant' type systems which could become increasingly integrated and personalised.
Potential data privacy risksWhilst many of the potential risks associated with agentic AI are the same or similar to those associated with generative AI, there are certain novel risks associated with agentic AI, including:
Despite increased levels of autonomy, agentic AI does not mean the removal of human, and therefore organisational, responsibility for data processing. Organisations remain responsible for data protection compliance of the agentic AI they develop, deploy or integrate in their systems and processes.
Potential mitigations Organisations should use privacy by design and privacy-friendly innovation in agentic AI. The ICO encourages exploration of tools which could assist with:
The ICO also uses a capability / adoption matrix to explore different future scenarios relating to agentic AI and how this might shape their regulatory intervention in the future.
Wider regulatory interest and collaboration In the EU, the European Data Protection Supervisor recently released a podcast on agentic AI, which echoes agentic AI's potential to compound the risks we already recognise about generative AI – such as errors cascading through multiple decisions before being spotted, or compounding the negative impacts of a system trained on biased data.
Given the likely uptake of agentic AI, it is helpful to see regulators collaborating to identify potential risks, opportunities and mitigations. In the UK, the Digital Regulation Cooperation Forum (DRCF) launched a Thematic Innovation Hub (the Hub) in October last year. The DRCF brings together four key regulators in the UK (the ICO, Competition Markets Authority, Financial Conduct Authority and Ofcom) and the Hub aims to increase engagement and regulatory advice on key topics – the first of which is agentic AI.
Next stepsThe ICO is keen to emphasise that the Report is only their early-stage thinking and that they welcome contact from any stakeholders wishing to continue the conversation (by emailing emergingtechnology@ico.org.uk). AI continues to be a priority for the ICO, with a statutory code on AI and ADM expected this year and the ICO committing to hold workshops and other engagement exercises around the topic of agentic AI.
Agentic AI has the potential to enable fundamental changes, such as consumer behaviour in the retail sector, where marketing will need to appeal to algorithms rather than individuals, and this will have a direct impact on business strategies. With this Report and upcoming guidance, the ICO is clearly signposting that data privacy has to be part of that shift.
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The majority of enterprises — including leading payments companies, global banks, fintech platforms, and asset managers — are not looking to build or manage blockchain infrastructure. They want to solve a specific business problem: faster settlement, better liquidity, lower reconciliation risk, and so on. They want the speed, transparency, programmability — not ownership of the plumbing. Their focus is on what improves existing operations or customer experience, not on operating new systems.
They also know that blockchain technology can help them achieve these goals. They're interested — but recognizing the value of blockchain often isn't enough: Enterprises need a clear path to implementation to address their problems. What matters is not incentives or loyalty, but whether a concrete use case creates enough operational or economic upside (e.g., cost savings, better efficiency, fee compression) to justify engagement.
From development and deployment to ongoing infrastructure management, protocol teams should make it as easy as possible for an enterprise to use their product — whether that means deploying a blockchain network, incorporating stablecoin infrastructure, or enabling an enterprise to interact with an onchain application. While this post focuses primarily on protocol teams building blockchains, the same logic applies more broadly: The path to adoption is easier when the operational burden on the enterprise is minimized.
Enterprises don't adopt solely because they believe in your chain; they adopt because someone else does the work to solve their problem. If the protocol team can do that work themselves, they should — and they should be explicit about it in enterprise conversations. If not, they need partners who can, so enterprises never have to run the infrastructure or do the heavy lifting themselves. It's up to protocol teams to deliver on this promise, whatever path they pursue.
Trying to entice corporates to adopt blockchain infrastructure — or seeming to — is where many protocol teams go wrong. Even well-intentioned pitches like “You could issue your asset here” or “You could run payments on our chain” can come across as a request to take on blockchain infrastructure these teams don't want to own or operate. To a corporate counterpart, these pitches may sound like: “Run your own payments network.” And that's almost certainly not what they want. A protocol's work is less about selling blockchain directly to these enterprises. It's more about aligning their needs with existing tech by orchestrating solutions.
Why orchestration? Most protocol teams don't have the services capacity to design, integrate, and operate production systems on behalf of these customers. But their partners do. The protocols that succeed are the ones that translate enterprise needs into concrete, partner-deliverable implementations. In other words, the protocol teams that succeed make it easier to ship real deployments without forcing enterprises to own or operate the underlying infrastructure.
Why does this approach work? First, it solves corporates' problems, just like any other tech solution. Second, it's familiar to corporates: Just as companies outsource critical but non-core infrastructure like payments, custody, or compliance, most will rely on their existing partners to handle anything that touches the chain. And in many cases, they're already accustomed to leaning on large integrators (like Accenture or Deloitte) to manage complex technical builds on their behalf.
Regional dynamics matter here as well. In South Korea, for instance, large conglomerates historically tried to own the entire blockchain stack. Kakao built Klaytn, Naver (via LINE) built Link, and WeMade built Wemix. But after seeing the challenges of operating their own L1s, many have shifted towards piloting on existing chains or using modular stacks like Avalanche subnets or OP Stack.
Across markets, these dynamics shape how enterprises engage with blockchain infrastructure. These engagement patterns largely tend to fall into three major categories.
For protocol teams working with enterprise partners, the core question isn't whether enterprises will use blockchain infrastructure, it's how to position the protocol so enterprises can engage without taking full operational ownership.
In practice, most enterprise engagement falls into one of three categories:
Some teams are also exploring adjacent models, from co-managed networks operated by multiple institutions (e.g., Canton) to interoperability layers that connect existing chains (e.g., LayerZero). But these models all reinforce the same principle: Corporates don't want to own infrastructure; they want it to work for their use case.
For example, banks evaluating public blockchains often cite upgrade predictability as a concern: Each time the chain upgrades, they would need to depend on a validator set they don't control to adopt the new version. Delays or staggered upgrades can impact performance or, in some cases, even reliability.
Across all three paths above, the same principle holds: Corporates don't want to own infrastructure. They want infrastructure that works for their use case.
For most enterprise teams, the goal then isn't to convince corporates to run the chain — It's to give them a way to use it.
That means starting from the use case and identifying the clearest path to addressing it. In most enterprise contexts, the corporate defines the use case, the protocol provides the underlying infrastructure and incentives, and the partner delivers the solution — whether that means issuing a stablecoin, integrating a settlement layer, or building the application logic around it.
In this model, the protocol team isn't the one building the end solution. It's enabling a partner to do so. The goal isn't open-ended co-development or accommodating endless, bespoke requests; it's getting your current solution deployed in the real world as quickly and credibly as possible. Think of Visa working with Circle to enable stablecoin settlement across multiple chains, or Anchorage issuing Western Union's stablecoin on Solana. At this stage, “winning” means empowering the right partners to deliver, even if it means accepting some loss of autonomy over the final implementation.
This is analogous to how public-facing chains often incubate a “killer app” to showcase what's possible and give users a clear way to actually use the chain and realize the benefits. In the enterprise context, your “killer app” isn't a consumer product. It's a clear pathway, often via a partnership, that allows enterprises to realize value from using your chain.
A thoughtful design partner model can help capture this shift well. In this context, a design partner isn't just an early customer or integration. It's a partner that commits to working closely with the protocol team to map a real production workflow onto the chain, often before the product is fully finalized or broadly available.
In practice, the protocol team handles deployment, compliance, and throughput tuning, while partners integrate only the components relevant to their business logic.
The result: the chain is built for them, not by them.
For chains that haven't launched yet, design partners create a critical feedback loop: They help shape the network around real workflows long before mainnet. This can help ensure the protocol can solve problems that enterprises actually have, not just theoretical ones.
For chains already live, engaging design partners can help refine the roadmap and even amplify GTM by creating credible reference partners, tightening integrations, validating use cases, and pressure-testing the network under real operational conditions.
A strong design partner program goes beyond logo swaps and surface-level co-marketing. What matters is depth of engagement: design partners are involved in real product feedback cycles, and when the protocol is ready, real integration work, production workflows and live deployments. Without this level of engagement, early visibility may spike, but it rarely translates into meaningful, long-term adoption – especially when another option makes integration easier or more directly serves the use case.
The model is already taking shape across the ecosystem.
For instance, Avalanche's Evergreen subnets work with traditional financial institutions to pilot tokenized asset infrastructure, where Avalanche manages the network layer and partners bring distribution.
In another example, Base's integration work with Coinbase's enterprise clients, and Circle's collaborations with banks and PSPs, follows the same logic: Abstract complexity away from corporates while empowering existing partners to operationalize blockchain benefits without having to stand up their own infrastructure.
In each of these cases, partners make the chain usable for enterprises without requiring them to run infrastructure themselves or build out their own custom solutions.
That means your GTM focus as a protocol team should shift from “convince corporates” to “enable partners.” Make it effortless for integrators, processors, and custodians to build on your behalf.
#1 The first step in enabling partners is identifying and engaging the relevant set who work with the companies you're targeting. This could include traditional consulting or technology implementation firms like Accenture or Deloitte, who routinely handle large digital-transformation programs and are already embedded with enterprise clients. It could also include more specialized technology providers like Alchemy, Fireblocks, or Chainalysis, who enterprises rely on for node access, custody, or compliance workflows. In some verticals, this may also extend to processors like Stripe or Worldpay, or custody and settlement providers like Anchorage, who can embed your chain directly into the services enterprises already consume
# 2 Once you've engaged this partner set, it's critical to empower them to a) speak to and even advocate for your solution and b) easily establish a path to integrate. This could look like a series of joint technical deep-dives, co-branded enablement sessions for their deployment teams, or quickstart demos that show how your infrastructure plugs into existing tooling. Some teams even produce public-facing recorded walkthroughs or sandbox demos that partners can share with clients during discovery.
These two motions — combined with providing up-to-date documentation — can help streamline the process of getting partners to actually start closing deals for you.
***
Adoption happens when the chain disappears or becomes invisible.
Don't sell the chain — sell the capability.
The chain is just the delivery mechanism.
The protocols that win enterprise adoption won't be the ones that convince corporates to run blockchains. They'll be the ones whose infrastructure becomes the default choice because partners can use it to deliver real value to enterprises – seamlessly and for specific use cases.
***
The views expressed here are those of the individual AH Capital Management, L.L.C. (“a16z”) personnel quoted and are not the views of a16z or its affiliates. Certain information contained in here has been obtained from third-party sources, including from portfolio companies of funds managed by a16z. While taken from sources believed to be reliable, a16z has not independently verified such information and makes no representations about the current or enduring accuracy of the information or its appropriateness for a given situation. In addition, this content may include third-party advertisements; a16z has not reviewed such advertisements and does not endorse any advertising content contained therein.
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The Trump family-backed American Bitcoin has increased its bitcoin reserves to about 5,843 BTC, pushing the company into the ranks of the world's largest corporate holders of the cryptocurrency.
The miner said it achieved a bitcoin yield of roughly 116% from its Nasdaq debut on Sept. 3, 2025 through Jan. 25, 2026, reflecting accumulation during a volatile stretch for the broader crypto market.
Bitcoin yield is a simple way to show how much a company's bitcoin holdings have grown over time, including coins mined or bought. A higher yield means the firm increased its bitcoin exposure without raising new capital, which investors often see as efficient balance-sheet growth.
American Bitcoin has increased its total Bitcoin reserve to ~5,843 BTC and achieved a BTC Yield of ~116% from its Nasdaq debut on September 3, 2025 through January 25, 2026. pic.twitter.com/xt095jZUNC
The latest figures place American Bitcoin as the 18th-largest corporate holder of bitcoin, ahead of firms such as Nakamoto Inc. and GameStop Corp.
Shares of American Bitcoin rose about 2% in premarket trading Tuesday, according to Yahoo Finance, though the stock remains down roughly 11% year-to-date as investors navigate shifting macro conditions, geopolitical uncertainty and recent weakness in bitcoin prices.
The reserve growth follows a strong operational period for the company after going public last year. American Bitcoin is roughly 20% owned by Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump and became a standalone public entity after merging with Gryphon Digital Mining and spinning out from Hut 8's mining operations. Hut 8 retains an approximately 80% stake in the business.
In its Q3 2025 earnings, American Bitcoin reported a return to profitability and a sharp jump in revenue as it expanded mining capacity and benefited from higher bitcoin prices earlier in the cycle. At the time, the company said its bitcoin holdings had risen to just over 4,000 BTC, meaning reserves have grown by more than 1,800 coins in the months since.
The accumulation comes as publicly listed miners increasingly position bitcoin on their balance sheets as a long-term asset rather than a source of near-term liquidity.
That strategy has gained traction even as bitcoin trades below recent highs and broader markets see a flight to precious metals and bonds.
For investors, American Bitcoin's growing reserves add another data point in how some mining firms are choosing to manage balance sheets in a post-ETF, institution-heavy bitcoin market.
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What to know:
Pudgy Penguins is emerging as one of the strongest NFT-native brands of this cycle, shifting from speculative “digital luxury goods” into a multi-vertical consumer IP platform. Its strategy is to acquire users through mainstream channels first; toys, retail partnerships and viral media, then onboard them into Web3 through games, NFTs and the PENGU token.
The ecosystem now spans phygital products (> $13M retail sales and >1M units sold), games and experiences (Pudgy Party surpassed 500k downloads in two weeks), and a widely distributed token (airdropped to 6M+ wallets). While the market is currently pricing Pudgy at a premium relative to traditional IP peers, sustained success depends on execution across retail expansion, gaming adoption and deeper token utility.
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BNB rises 2.5%, nears $900 mark as prediction market growth signals utility expansion
A new physically backed BNB exchange-traded product launched on Nasdaq Stockholm, adding to existing investment options.
What to know:
Disclosure & Polices: CoinDesk is an award-winning media outlet that covers the cryptocurrency industry. Its journalists abide by a strict set of editorial policies. CoinDesk has adopted a set of principles aimed at ensuring the integrity, editorial independence and freedom from bias of its publications. CoinDesk is part of Bullish (NYSE:BLSH), an institutionally focused global digital asset platform that provides market infrastructure and information services. Bullish owns and invests in digital asset businesses and digital assets and CoinDesk employees, including journalists, may receive Bullish equity-based compensation.
Ever since Bitcoin plunged below $90,000, it has been struggling to reclaim those levels. Moreover, this price action has kept the Ethereum price restricted below $3000, BNB below $900, XRP below 11USDT.9, Cardano around $0.35, and Dogecoin around $0.122. In the meantime, some of the altcoins have been showing massive strength. The Axie Infinity price revives a strong upswing, while the Hyperliquid price surges as HIP-3 open interest marks an ATH. Additionally, the Pump.fun price also surged extensively and reached a critical turning point.
With these moves, it appears the AltSeason could be nearby, but observing the on-chain data reveals that altcoins are at a structural turning point, but not a comfort zone.
Altcoin Market Structure Shows Signs of Breakdown
The chart highlights a critical shift in the broader altcoin market structure. The long-term uptrend that had been in place since 2023 has already been broken, and the recent price action confirms growing weakness. Most notably, a key support zone, one that previously acted as a base during accumulation phases and sustained multiple rallies, has now flipped into resistance. The latest retest of this level resulted in a clear rejection, signaling that buyers are no longer in control at this range.
This shift changes the character of the market. Rallies are no longer signs of strength but tests of overhead resistance. While prices are still holding near recent lows, the failure to reclaim this former support suggests increasing downside risk. From here, altcoins face a narrow window: either reclaim this resistance quickly and re-establish acceptance, or risk entering a prolonged phase of weak bounces, lower highs, and sustained underperformance as liquidity and attention rotate elsewhere.
Liquidity Rotation Signals Risk-Off Conditions, Limiting Altseason Potential
The Santiment chart highlights a clear contraction in on-chain liquidity, with the combined market capitalization of the top 12 stablecoins dropping by $2.24 billion over the past 10 days. As of January 26, 2026, this represents an approximate 0.8% decline in stablecoin supply, coinciding with Bitcoin pulling back toward the $87,000 level.
This reduction is critical. Stablecoins act as the primary liquidity fuel for altcoin speculation. When their supply contracts instead of expanding, it suggests capital is leaving risk assets rather than rotating within crypto. In parallel, growing allocations toward gold and silver point to a broader risk-off rotation. Until stablecoin market caps stabilize and begin expanding again, the conditions required for a sustained altseason remain structurally weak.
Can We Expect an Altseason in 2026?
Current market conditions continue to reflect softening momentum across altcoins, contracting stablecoin liquidity, and a broader rotation toward defensive assets. Together, these factors do not support the kind of sustained, broad-based rally typically associated with a full altseason.
Adding to this view, Tom Lee, Chairman of Bitmine, has highlighted the ongoing FOMO-driven rally in gold and silver as a key force diverting liquidity away from crypto markets. According to Lee, this rotation has acted as a temporary ceiling on crypto upside. However, he also notes that once momentum in traditional safe-haven assets fades, capital could rotate back aggressively into Bitcoin and Ethereum.
Even so, a liquidity shift back into crypto would not automatically trigger a classic altseason. Instead, 2026 is more likely to see selective, rotation-driven rallies. Here, only certain altcoins demonstrate strong bullish phases at intermittent intervals rather than a synchronised market-wide surge.
Select market data provided by ICE Data Services. Select reference data provided by FactSet. Copyright © 2026 FactSet Research Systems Inc.Copyright © 2026, American Bankers Association. CUSIP Database provided by FactSet Research Systems Inc. All rights reserved. SEC fillings and other documents provided by Quartr.© 2026 TradingView, Inc.
In every historic bull market across all asset classes, there is a persistent temptation to call the top.
Investors often look for validation by drawing parallels to famous contrarian calls, most notably Michael Burry's housing market warning in 2007.
This tendency becomes more pronounced as prices accelerate and volatility increases, which is currently the environment in the silver market.
The bitcoin to silver ratio currently stands near 780. This is now below the 2017 peak when bitcoin hit $20,000 and now close to the level seen in November 2022, when bitcoin bottomed near $15,500 as the ratio fell to around 700. Such convergence suggests silver may be entering a more vulnerable phase relative to bitcoin.
Silver has surged nearly 300% over the past year. On Monday, silver fell almost 15% after rising by a similar amount earlier in the session, briefly reaching highs near $117 per ounce before pulling back to around $112.
Previous local tops in silver have tended to cluster around the early part of the calendar year, with most occurring in the first half of the year. Notable examples include February 1974 and January 1980 which marked a clear blow off top at $47, February 1983, May 1987, February 1998, April 2004, May 2006, March 2008, and April 2011 at $50 which was also a blow off phase.
This historical pattern raises a potential red flag on silver's price action, if history is repeating itself, the precious metal may have reached its cycle peak, or even a blow off top.
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Pudgy Penguins: A New Blueprint for Tokenized Culture
Pudgy Penguins is building a multi-vertical consumer IP platform — combining phygital products, games, NFTs and PENGU to monetize culture at scale.
What to know:
Pudgy Penguins is emerging as one of the strongest NFT-native brands of this cycle, shifting from speculative “digital luxury goods” into a multi-vertical consumer IP platform. Its strategy is to acquire users through mainstream channels first; toys, retail partnerships and viral media, then onboard them into Web3 through games, NFTs and the PENGU token.
The ecosystem now spans phygital products (> $13M retail sales and >1M units sold), games and experiences (Pudgy Party surpassed 500k downloads in two weeks), and a widely distributed token (airdropped to 6M+ wallets). While the market is currently pricing Pudgy at a premium relative to traditional IP peers, sustained success depends on execution across retail expansion, gaming adoption and deeper token utility.
More For You
BNB rises 2.5%, nears $900 mark as prediction market growth signals utility expansion
A new physically backed BNB exchange-traded product launched on Nasdaq Stockholm, adding to existing investment options.
What to know:
Disclosure & Polices: CoinDesk is an award-winning media outlet that covers the cryptocurrency industry. Its journalists abide by a strict set of editorial policies. CoinDesk has adopted a set of principles aimed at ensuring the integrity, editorial independence and freedom from bias of its publications. CoinDesk is part of Bullish (NYSE:BLSH), an institutionally focused global digital asset platform that provides market infrastructure and information services. Bullish owns and invests in digital asset businesses and digital assets and CoinDesk employees, including journalists, may receive Bullish equity-based compensation.
Paris, France, January 27th, 2026, Chainwire
After several years of development, Zama recently announced its launch on mainnet with the first Confidential USDT (cUSDT) transfer on Ethereum. Over the last few days, the Zama Public Auction became the first production application built on the Zama Protocol, demonstrating real-world usage and scalability.
The Zama auction app was the most-used application on Ethereum on January 24th, above USDT, USDC, and Uniswap. It took Zama only three days to grow Total Value Shielded (TVS) above $100m, something that took other Ethereum-based privacy protocols multiple years. The protocol experienced no downtime, and was able to keep up with the throughput of Ethereum itself, proving that FHE is now production-ready and can be used at scale by anyone building a financial application on the blockchain.
The Zama Public Auction
The Zama ICO was done through a confidential sealed-bid Dutch auction.
After studying more than a hundred TGEs, auctions were identified as offering the best balance of fair distribution, price discovery, and capital efficiency. In a Dutch auction, the clearing price isn't the highest bid, it's the lowest price at which a bid gets filled. Confidentiality is critical: when participants can see others' bids, price discovery becomes distorted as people react to one another rather than bidding what they truly believe.
Participants picked a price (public) and an amount (private). Bid sizes were not visible to other participants or to automated systems. When the auction closed, the clearing price was calculated homomorphically, directly on encrypted data.
The numbers
The auction ran from January 21–24, 2026.
What's next
The Zama Public Auction accounted for 12% of the initial supply and was handled in three segments:
The upcoming pre-TGE sale will give a chance to participants who did not get their bids filled in the auction to buy $ZAMA tokens at the auction clearing price, with a $10k participation cap.
Claiming opens February 2nd. $ZAMA tokens will be distributed as standard ERC-20 tokens, fully unlocked and immediately usable for paying encryption and decryption fees on the Zama Protocol.
All $ZAMA holders can stake their tokens on their choice of operators to earn rewards and help secure the Zama Protocol.
Using the Zama Portfolio, anybody can start to shield and send confidential tokens.
Finally, blockchain gets its HTTPS moment, marking the end of fully transparent transactions. Zama calls this vision HTTPZ.
Additional links
About Zama
Zama is an open-source cryptography company building state-of-the-art FHE solutions for blockchain. Its technology enables a broad range of use cases, from confidential finance to Web3 and network states. Zama was founded by Dr. Pascal Paillier and Dr. Rand Hindi, and has the largest research team in homomorphic encryption.
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Crypto was once sold as a financial outsider. Bitcoin was framed as protection against inflation and monetary excess. Ethereum was positioned as the foundation of a parallel digital economy. For years, investors believed these assets could move on their own terms, detached from Wall Street cycles.
That separation is fading. Recent market behavior shows crypto moving increasingly in step with U.S. equities, especially growth and technology stocks. When the Nasdaq climbs, Bitcoin and major altcoins often follow. When bond yields rise and equity valuations compress, crypto tends to fall even harder. Instead of acting as a hedge or alternative system, crypto is starting to resemble a leveraged version of the broader risk trade.
The growing overlap between crypto and equities reflects who now drives trading activity. In earlier cycles, price action was dominated by retail speculation and industry-specific events. Today, institutional investors play a much larger role.
Asset managers, hedge funds, and proprietary trading firms now treat crypto as part of their global allocation decisions. When financial conditions loosen, capital flows into high-growth assets, including technology stocks and digital tokens. When liquidity tightens, exposure is reduced across the board.
This shift in ownership has changed how crypto behaves. Instead of responding primarily to blockchain narratives, it reacts to the same macro signals as equity markets. Employment data, inflation readings, and central bank guidance now influence crypto prices alongside traditional assets.
In practical terms, crypto has joined the class of high beta assets. These are investments that exaggerate market movements. They outperform during periods of optimism and underperform when fear dominates.
One of the strongest links between crypto and equities is interest rate sensitivity. Rising rates reduce the appeal of speculative investments by increasing the return on safer alternatives such as Treasury bills. They also lower the present value of future growth and adoption, which weighs on assets priced for long-term potential.
This dynamic mirrors what happens in technology stocks. Companies whose profits lie far in the future suffer most when discount rates rise. Crypto follows a similar pattern because much of its value rests on expectations of future usage and network growth rather than current cash flow.
When yields fall, the opposite occurs. Investors become more comfortable taking risk, and capital rotates back into growth-oriented assets. Crypto often responds with outsized gains, reinforcing its role as a high beta expression of broader market sentiment.
The influence of central bank policy has therefore grown. Statements from the Federal Reserve now shape crypto prices just as they do equity indices and bond markets. What once appeared detached from monetary policy is now firmly embedded within it.
Market language has evolved alongside these patterns. Bitcoin is increasingly described as a proxy for risk appetite. Ethereum is treated as a leveraged bet on digital activity and innovation. Smaller tokens are viewed as speculative extensions of that theme.
This is the same framework investors use for equity sectors. Technology stocks respond to rates and earnings expectations. Cyclical stocks move with economic growth. Defensive stocks rise when stability is prized.
Crypto now fits neatly into this structure. It is no longer discussed as a separate universe but as another category within the global risk spectrum.
The introduction of exchange-traded products tied to Bitcoin has reinforced this change. These vehicles allow institutions to hold crypto exposure using familiar tools. As a result, digital assets are now included in portfolio models alongside stocks and bonds. Rebalancing decisions affect crypto just as they affect equities, strengthening the correlation.
Several forces explain why crypto has lost much of its independent behavior.
First, the investor base has matured. Early participants were motivated by ideology and experimentation. Most of the capital now comes from professional investors whose decisions are driven by returns and risk control rather than ideology. They respond to inflation data, employment reports, and interest rate expectations in the same way equity traders do.
Second, leverage plays a greater role. Futures and options markets magnify price swings in both directions. When risk sentiment turns negative, forced liquidations accelerate declines. This dynamic is familiar in equity markets, where margin calls amplify sell-offs.
Third, stablecoins and tokenized financial instruments have linked crypto more closely to the dollar system. Rather than existing as a parallel economy, much of crypto activity now depends on dollar liquidity. That ties its fortunes to Federal Reserve policy instead of freeing it from it.
Together, these changes have pulled crypto deeper into the structure of traditional finance.
Despite this convergence, crypto has not fully surrendered its unique drivers. Structural differences still matter. Bitcoin's supply schedule is fixed. Ethereum's relevance rises and falls with how much activity takes place on its blockchain, from trading to payments to on-chain applications. These characteristics have no direct equivalent in equity markets.
Crypto also reacts to industry-specific events. Regulatory announcements, security breaches, and protocol upgrades can still move prices independently of macro trends. Periods of rapid technological development have produced temporary decoupling in the past.
The distinction is that these internal factors now compete with macro forces rather than replacing them. Innovation can lift prices, but it must operate within a broader financial environment shaped by interest rates and liquidity.
For investors, this evolution changes how crypto should be understood.
Its diversification value is weaker than it once appeared. If crypto rises and falls with technology stocks, it behaves less like an alternative asset and more like an extension of the growth trade. Risk exposure becomes more concentrated rather than spread.
Timing also matters more. Crypto tends to struggle during tightening cycles and thrive when financial conditions ease. That pattern aligns it with other speculative assets and reduces the usefulness of narratives about insulation from monetary policy.
At the same time, its high beta character can be attractive. When confidence returns and liquidity expands, crypto often outperforms traditional markets. Volatility becomes a feature rather than a flaw for investors who understand its macro sensitivity.
The main risk lies in clinging to outdated assumptions. Treating crypto as fundamentally detached from Wall Street ignores how deeply it has been absorbed into global capital flows.
Crypto's journey from outsider to mainstream asset has reshaped its market behavior. Instead of moving on its own logic, it increasingly reflects the forces that drive equities and bonds. Interest rates, central bank signals, and investor sentiment now play a central role in shaping prices.
This does not erase crypto's technological promise, but it changes its investment identity. Digital assets still represent new financial infrastructure, yet they now trade within the same macro framework as high growth stocks.
For investors, the debate is no longer about whether crypto is different. It is about whether they are prepared to treat it as what it has become: a high beta expression of global risk appetite.
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President Donald Trump has given China an opportunity to strengthen its grip on the global economy.
Since taking office, the 79-year-old's erratic foreign policies have shaken confidence in the US dollar — and China is seizing the opportunity.
Over the past year, Beijing has promoted greater usage of its digital renminbi as an alternative in cross-border payments.
In 2026, the People's Bank of China, or PBoC, will ramp up those efforts by championing the international usage of the digital yuan as part of the ruling Communist Party's 15th five-year plan.
“While it's unlikely to upset the dollar dominance applecart anytime soon, it certainly should be looked at as a statement of intent by China,” Sean Tuffy, a financial regulation expert, told DL News. “It continues to lay the foundation for a possible world where the dollar isn't king.”
Beijing has no shortage of reasons to want to challenge the greenback's iron grip on the global economy. Higher demand for the renminbi will strengthen its value, which is something China's President Xi Jinping is increasingly pressured to do.
If the yuan's value rises, then it will be cheaper for Chinese businesses to import goods and boost the currency's attractiveness for emerging economies where Beijing wants to assert its influence.
It will also enable it to further distance itself from the dominance of the dollar, one of the main motivations behind the rollout of the digital yuan, Richard Turrin, the author of the book “Cashless: China's Digital Currency Revolution,” told DL News.
In short, it's about power.
Challenging the greenback as the reserve and cross-border trading currency of choice is a tall order.
In 2025, the dollar accounted for almost 90% of the $95 trillion foreign global trade, according to a report from the Bank for International Settlements. The yuan, by contrast, represented 8.5% of all transactions.
And while the digital yuan may provide a smoother, cheaper experience than traditional payment rails, dollar-pegged stablecoins offer similar advantages for the greenback — and at scale.
Dollar-pegged stablecoins make up 99% of the $311 billion market, according to DefiLlama data. The market is up 51% over the past year.
Emerging economies where China seeks to exert financial and geopolitical influence have been key drivers in that growth, Ari Redbord, global head of policy at blockchain investigations firm TRM Labs, told DL News.
“Rather than accelerating de-dollarisation, the past few years have arguably reinforced dollar dominance in digital form,” Redbord said, echoing an argument the US crypto industry has championed for years.
Even so, those challenges aren't stopping the PBoC's global central bank digital currency rollout efforts.
The PBoC's international digital yuan push is a long time coming.
Since it first rolled out a string of domestic pilots in China in 2019, it has also promoted the use of the CBDC for cross-border payments. In June, the PBoC established an international operations centre in Shanghai that specialises in international trades using the digital yuan.
In December, the digital yuan took its first steps into Southeast Asia, finding use as a payment tool in cross-border trade between China and nearby Laos — with the PBoC hinting at further initiatives down the line.
The central bank has also launched initiatives to enable widespread use of the digital yuan alongside other nations' CBDCs.
A CBDC interoperability project, mBridge, has processed over $55 billion in international trade transactions since 2022, according to a January report from the Atlantic Council think tank. That number is expected to grow.
For instance, Russia could use the digital yuan “in the future, as could some Association of Southeast Asian Nations members and Latin American countries,” Wang Huiyao, founder of the Beijing-based think tank Centre for China and Globalisation, told DL News.
Indeed, 2026 may just be the beginning for the Chinese CBDC.
“Given its scale, sophistication, and integration into national strategy, the digital yuan is likely to remain a central feature of China's economy and of the global future of money debate for years to come,” said Alisha Chhangani, associate director for future of money at the Atlantic Council.
Tim Alper and Eric Johansson both report on international markets for DL News. Got a tip? Email them on tdalper@dlnews.com and eric@dlnews.com.
Bitcoin BTC$88,326.08 traded under the $88,500 level in early-week trading as crypto markets softened heading into a pivotal stretch for global risk assets, marked by Federal Reserve policy decision and a heavy slate of Big Tech earnings.
The largest cryptocurrency traded around $88,400 during Asian hours, modestly lower on the day and down roughly 4% over the past week, according to CoinDesk data. Ether ETH$2,928.20 hovered near $2,940, while solana SOL$124.64, XRP XRP$1.8825 and DOGE$0.1223 also posted small declines, extending a cautious tone across major tokens.
Silver (XAU) pulled back from the day's extremes in late U.S. trading after logging its sharpest jump since 2008, while gold (XAU) slipped off record highs after briefly topping $5,000 an ounce as choppy price action rattled the metals rally.
The white metal still finished Monday up 0.6%, even after a more than 14% intraday surge that briefly pushed it to a record above $117 an ounce — its biggest one-day swing since the global financial crisis.
Crypto, by contrast, has struggled to participate in the broader macro trade. Bitcoin remains well below its October peak, even as falling real yields, a weaker dollar and rising geopolitical uncertainty have fueled gains in equities and precious metals.
The divergence has reinforced the view that crypto is currently trading less as a hedge and more as a high-beta asset sensitive to positioning and liquidity.
"Cryptocurrencies remain a lagging class of risk-sensitive assets, falling short of metals and the strongest global currencies," Alex Kuptsikevich, FxPro chief market analyst, said in an email.
"The technical bearish picture remains relevant, despite the gains in recent hours. BTC remains below its key moving average lines and has not attempted to break through the support of the last two months," he added.
The Federal Reserve is widely expected to hold interest rates steady at its policy meeting on Wednesday, while earnings from several Magnificent Seven companies are set to test whether the AI-driven equity rally can extend. Both events are seen as potential catalysts for broader shifts in risk appetite, which can weigh down on crypto markets.
Whether crypto can regain momentum may depend less on crypto-specific news and more on how markets respond to the Fed's messaging and Big Tech results. Until then, bitcoin appears pinned near current levels, drifting lower as investors wait for clearer direction.
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Pudgy Penguins: A New Blueprint for Tokenized Culture
Pudgy Penguins is building a multi-vertical consumer IP platform — combining phygital products, games, NFTs and PENGU to monetize culture at scale.
What to know:
Pudgy Penguins is emerging as one of the strongest NFT-native brands of this cycle, shifting from speculative “digital luxury goods” into a multi-vertical consumer IP platform. Its strategy is to acquire users through mainstream channels first; toys, retail partnerships and viral media, then onboard them into Web3 through games, NFTs and the PENGU token.
The ecosystem now spans phygital products (> $13M retail sales and >1M units sold), games and experiences (Pudgy Party surpassed 500k downloads in two weeks), and a widely distributed token (airdropped to 6M+ wallets). While the market is currently pricing Pudgy at a premium relative to traditional IP peers, sustained success depends on execution across retail expansion, gaming adoption and deeper token utility.
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BNB rises 2.5%, nears $900 mark as prediction market growth signals utility expansion
A new physically backed BNB exchange-traded product launched on Nasdaq Stockholm, adding to existing investment options.
What to know:
Disclosure & Polices: CoinDesk is an award-winning media outlet that covers the cryptocurrency industry. Its journalists abide by a strict set of editorial policies. CoinDesk has adopted a set of principles aimed at ensuring the integrity, editorial independence and freedom from bias of its publications. CoinDesk is part of Bullish (NYSE:BLSH), an institutionally focused global digital asset platform that provides market infrastructure and information services. Bullish owns and invests in digital asset businesses and digital assets and CoinDesk employees, including journalists, may receive Bullish equity-based compensation.
BlackRock has filed an S-1 for an “iShares Bitcoin Premium Income ETF,” a product that aims to track bitcoin's price while generating option premium by systematically selling calls tied primarily to its own spot bitcoin ETF, IBIT. For BTC-linked derivatives markets, the filing is being read less as a directional catalyst and more as another potential source of mechanical volatility supply.
Bloomberg ETF analyst Eric Balchunas flagged the document on X, noting that key commercial details are still missing. “BlackRock just dropped the official S-1 for it's upcoming iShares Bitcoin Premium Income ETF.. no fee or ticker yet,” Balchunas wrote. “The strategy is to ‘track performance of the price of bitcoin while providing premium income through an actively managed strategy of writing (selling) call options primarily on IBIT shares and, from time to time, on ETP Indices.'”
BlackRock just dropped the official S-1 for it's upcoming iShares Bitcoin Premium Income ETF.. no fee or ticker yet. The strategy is to “track performance of the price of bitcoin while providing premium income through an actively managed strategy of writing (selling) call options… pic.twitter.com/CZDahm4mNj
Here's What It Could Mean For Bitcoin
The basic premise is familiar to anyone who has watched covered-call equity ETFs: sell upside to monetize implied volatility. In bitcoin's case, the underlying options are written on an ETF wrapper rather than directly on BTC, but the economic effect is similar, steady call overwriting can increase supply of short-dated upside exposure and compress the premiums available to sellers over time, particularly if multiple products pursue comparable programs.
That dynamic was the focus of commentary from Wintermute's head of OTC trading, Jake Ostrovskis, who framed the filing as additive to an already crowded volatility-selling landscape. “BTC vols already suffer from significant oversupply following the rollout of ETFs, SP's & options on IBIT,” Ostrovskis posted. “Now add more mechanical vol selling and the only logical outcome is further steady decline in yield from market-implied premiums.”
The implication is not that bitcoin's price must fall because a premium-income ETF exists, but that the “income” component could become harder to sustain at attractive levels if implied volatility continues to be leaned on by systematic call sellers. In that world, headline yields may drift lower, and the payoff profile becomes increasingly path-dependent, premium capture in quiet regimes can look reliable, but it can also leave investors structurally underexposed to sharp upside moves if BTC trends higher through the strikes being sold.
For market participants trying to extract option premia from BTC exposure, Ostrovskis argued the edge shifts away from simply being short vol and toward execution and distribution. “Structuring/timing + leaning on axes via OTC desks will become increasingly important to optimise returns on otherwise dormant assets,” he wrote, pointing to the growing role of bespoke structuring, strike selection, tenor management, and liquidity access as the trade becomes more crowded.
If BlackRock proceeds and demand materializes, the next question for traders will be how much incremental call supply the strategy represents relative to existing IBIT options activity and whether that supply concentrates in specific expiries or strikes. Either way, the filing underscores a broader maturation trend: as BTC exposure becomes more ETF-native, the center of gravity for volatility pricing may continue to migrate toward the wrapper's options market, with implied premiums increasingly shaped by systematic flows rather than discretionary views.
At press time, Bitcoin traded at $87,633.
Select market data provided by ICE Data Services. Select reference data provided by FactSet. Copyright © 2026 FactSet Research Systems Inc.Copyright © 2026, American Bankers Association. CUSIP Database provided by FactSet Research Systems Inc. All rights reserved. SEC fillings and other documents provided by Quartr.© 2026 TradingView, Inc.
The UK Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has published updated guidance on international transfers of personal information, aiming to simplify compliance under the UK GDPR and reduce complexity for businesses handling cross-border data flows.
Released on 15 January, the refreshed guidance introduces a clearer structure for organizations navigating transfer rules, including a new “three step test” to determine when restricted transfers apply. The ICO said the overhaul is intended to make it faster for companies to identify obligations and implement appropriate safeguards, reflecting a broader commitment to support responsible innovation and economic growth.
The update also expands content in areas where organisations frequently seek clarification, particularly around roles and responsibilities in multi-layered transfer scenarios — an increasingly common issue as companies rely on global cloud providers, processors and sub-processors.
New tools include a brief guide, glossary and quick-reference FAQs designed for organizations without specialist privacy expertise. The ICO said further enhancements are underway, including updated transfer risk assessment (TRA) guidance, additional detail on international data transfer agreements (IDTAs) and cloud services, and an interactive tool to help assess whether transfers are restricted.
Planned improvements also include examples and case studies to reflect real-world global transfer models, acknowledging the growing complexity of legal and technical arrangements in cross-border digital infrastructure.
To support implementation, the ICO will host a webinar outlining key changes and practical considerations for organiations making or advising on restricted transfers.
International data transfers remain a central issue for UK regulators after Brexit, with the government seeking to position the UK as a competitive hub for data-driven businesses while maintaining continuity with global privacy standards. The ICO said the latest update aligns with that strategy, promoting clarity while ensuring adequate protections for individuals whose personal information is transferred overseas.
The new guidance is available through the ICO's website.
If you have questions or concerns about any global guidelines, regulations and laws, don't hesitate to reach out to BABL AI. Their Audit Experts can offer valuable insight, and ensure you're informed and compliant.
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Self-amplifying mRNA (saRNA) vectors hold promise for the sustained expression of mRNA vaccines in vivo. However, their inherently high immunogenicity and low-fidelity replication—stemming from the RNA viral genome's replication mechanisms—limit their efficacy as replacements or adjuncts to protein therapies. Here we report an engineered viral protein genome-linked (VPg) saRNA vector derived from a Norovirus replicon, designed for rapid loading of therapeutic protein mRNAs in vitro. The engineered VPg saRNA is adapted for a range of therapeutic scenarios, including treatment of tumor-associated cachexia under conditions of translational restriction in cap-dependent metabolism, precise encoding of oncolytic mRNAs in vivo to achieve complex functionality, and therapy for graft-versus-host disease in highly auto-immune environments. VPg saRNA addresses key limitations of linear mRNA and conventional saRNA therapies, broadening the potential applications of mRNA-based treatments.
Source data for Figs. 1–7 and Supplementary Figs. 1–7 are provided as Source Data files. LC–MS/MS raw datasets and Sanger sequencing chromatograms generated in this study have been deposited in Figshare and are available at https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3078216546 and https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3069415146. Raw fluorescence microscopy, cryo-transmission electron microscopy (cryo-TEM), immunohistochemistry (IHC), and hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining images are not publicly available due to large file sizes, instrument-specific formats, and institutional data management restrictions; however, all processed and representative images supporting the findings of this study are included in the paper and its supplementary materials. All other data, including raw imaging data, are available from the corresponding author upon request. Source Data are provided with this paper.
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This research was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (32471002, 82401829, 82472617, and 82404553; F.Z.Y.), the National University of Singapore (NUHSRO/2020/133/Startup/08, NUHSRO/2023/008/NUSMed/TCE/LOA, NUHSRO/2021/034/TRP/09/Nanomedicine, NUHSRO/2021/044/Kickstart/09/LOA, 23-0173-A0001; C.X.Y.), the National Medical Research Council (MOH-001388-00, CG21APR1005, MOH-001500-00, MOH-001609-00; C.X.Y.), the Singapore Ministry of Education (MOE-000387-00; C.X.Y.), the National Research Foundation (NRF-000352-00; C.X.Y.), the Leading Innovative and Entrepreneur Team Introduction Program of Zhejiang (2023R01002; Z.G.W.), the Distinguished Young Scientists Fund of Zhejiang (LR25H250001; Z.G.W.), and the National Science and Technology Major Project of China (No. 2025ZD1802201; Z.G.W.).
State Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Drugs and Large-scale Preparation, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
Zunyong Feng, Liuxi Chu, Jing Zhou, Ping Wu & Xiaokun Li
The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
Liuxi Chu, Xiaokun Li & Zhouguang Wang
Human Anatomy Experimental Training Center, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wannan Medical College, Wuhu, Anhui, China
Qiang Li, Zhiliang Xu, Liang Yan & Yanjiao Huang
Respiratory Medicine and Acute Care Center, First Affiliated Hospital of Wannan Medical College (Yijishan Hospital of Wannan Medical College), Wuhu, China
Qiang Li & Qun Chen
Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine; Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, College of Design and Engineering; Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Design and Engineering; Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Science; Clinical Imaging Research Centre, Centre for Translational Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine; Nanomedicine Translational Research Program, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine; Theranostics Center of Excellence (TCE), Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
Xuanbo Zhang, Yuanbo Pan, Jianhua Zou & Xiaoyuan Chen
Department of Neurosurgery, Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
Yuanbo Pan
Oujiang Laboratory, Zhejiang Lab for Regenerative Medicine, Vision and Brain Health, Wenzhou, China
Zhouguang Wang
Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Precision Oncology, Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute, Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, 250117, China
Xiaoyuan Chen
Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Agency for Science, Technology, and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, Singapore
Xiaoyuan Chen
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Z.Y.F. conceived and designed the overall study, supervised key experiments, and led data analysis and interpretation. Z.Y.F. and L.X.C. performed most molecular and cellular experiments. J.Z. and P.W. assisted with cell culture and animal studies. Q.L., Z.L.X., L.Y., and Y.J.H. contributed to data processing, statistical analysis, and figure preparation. X.B.Z., J.H.Z., and Q.C. provided essential reagents, technical guidance, and methodological support. Y.B.P. performed imaging and histopathological examinations. X.K.L., Z.G.W., and X.Y.C. jointly supervised the project, contributed to conceptual refinement, and provided funding and resources. Z.Y.F. wrote the manuscript with input from all authors. All authors discussed the results, revised the manuscript, and approved the final version.
Correspondence to
Xiaokun Li, Zhouguang Wang or Xiaoyuan Chen.
Xiaoyuan Chen is a co-founder of and holds shares in Yantai Lannacheng Biotechnology Co., Ltd. The remaining authors declare no competing interests.
Nature Communications thanks the anonymous reviewers for their contribution to the peer review of this work. A peer review file is available.
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Which animals came first? For more than a century, most evidence suggested that sponges, immobile filter-feeders that lack muscles, neurons and other specialized tissues, were the first animal lineages to emerge. Then, in 2008, a genomic study pointed to a head-scratching rival1: dazzling, translucent predators called comb jellies, or ctenophores, with nerves, muscles and other sophisticated features.
Ancient sea jelly makes tree of life wobble
Ancient sea jelly makes tree of life wobble
That single study ignited a debate that has raged for nearly 20 years, sparking fierce arguments about how complexity evolved in animals. But after dozens of studies — some of which analysed and reanalysed the same data and reached different conclusions — the debate has become entrenched, some researchers say.
“Where it might have been healthy for people to engage with curiosity and an interest in finding the truth together, it became a battle,” says Nicole King, an evolutionary biologist at the University of California, Berkeley, who co-authored a paper last November that landed cautiously on ‘team sponge'2.
She has since asked to retract the paper because of flaws identified after its publication, and is reconsidering whether she wants to be part of the debate in the future. Scientists, including King, argue that a different approach is needed: one in which researchers from both sides work together to answer the question.
Fresh ideas — and attitudes — would catalyse progress, they say. “We must think out of the box,” says Leonid Moroz, a neuroscientist at the University of Florida in Gainesville, whose work has supported comb jellies as the lineage at the root of the animal family tree3.
Around 600 million to 800 million years ago, radically different organisms emerged. Instead of consisting of lone cells, like all previous life did, these creatures were formed of multiple, interacting cells. Multicellularity was so successful that it sparked an explosion in innovative body forms and new ways to sense and respond to environments.
In an evolutionary blink of an eye — perhaps within tens of millions of years — five major groups of animals appeared. As well as the ancestors of modern-day sponges and comb jellies, there were placozoa (now represented by blob-like marine invertebrates); cnidarians (modern members of which include jellyfish and sea anemones); and bilaterians that show mirror-image body symmetry in early development that would give rise to invertebrates, including starfish, snails and spiders, and vertebrates, including humans (see ‘Tree of life — now with two options').
Source: Ref. 2 and M. Telford et al. Nature 529, 286–287 (2016)
Fossil evidence of the earliest animals is sparse and hard to decipher — a porous cavity here or a branching tube there. Identifying the first animal lineage, along with knowledge of its modern-day descendants, is another way to gain insight into these early creatures. “Knowing this will tell us something, not everything, about what those first animals might have looked like,” says Max Telford, an evolutionary biologist at University College London. Evolutionary biologists sometimes call this first animal the ‘sister' to other animal groups, because it shares a common parent with all of them.
For more than a century, most scientists placed the sponge lineage at the base of the animal tree, mainly because modern-day sponges lack many of the features that define other animals, including specialized tissues such as muscle, nerve and gut, which were thought to have evolved later. “If the sponge tree were right, everything would just rather fall into place,” says Telford. But when scientists turned to rapid genome sequencing to confirm this seemingly settled picture, it fell apart.
Casey Dunn, an evolutionary biologist now at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, never planned to kick off a decades-long debate. But the arrival of faster and cheaper DNA-sequencing technologies in the early 2000s inspired Dunn and his colleagues to build the animal tree of life using genome data — one of the first such efforts.
They analysed thousands of gene sequences from 77 organisms — from sponges to sea spiders, and chickens to corals. The study was the first to include comb-jelly genome data, says Dunn, but “going into this we had no idea we would get a result other than sponges are a sister to the rest of animals”. Their 2008 conclusion that comb jellies, not sponges, were the first animal group1 landed like a bombshell.
The idea that comb jellies were the first animal lineage landed like a bombshell.Credit: Alex Mustard/Nature Picture Library
The finding drew two kinds of response, says Dunn. One was open-minded curiosity. “Maybe the common wisdom that is in the first few chapters of zoology textbooks isn't correct,” he says. “There was another response where a variety of folks were like, ‘Hey, sponges have always been the sister and they always will be.'”
Dozens more papers followed, some using new data sets, different methods of analysis or both. Some gave further support for comb jellies as the lineage at the root of the animal family tree, others re-established sponges as the sister to all other animals (see ‘Papers ping-pong'). Journals published essays, perspectives and other expert analyses, while institutional press releases and media coverage sometimes painted each advance as the final word. “It fell into this sort of back and forth of trying to disprove each other, and then with each subsequent pronouncement saying this is the answer,” says King.
Source: Ref. 2
Unlike the sponge-sister hypothesis, which fits neatly with the apparent simplicity of modern-day sponges, putting comb jellies at the root of the animal tree raises new questions. One is how complex tissues such as nerve, muscle and gut could be present in the first animals but absent in members of some later lineages. One possibility is that these tissues evolved not just once, but independently in multiple lineages. Another option is that those features were present in the first animals, but were lost in later lineages, including sponges. Some biologists think that a similar loss occurred in the placozoa lineage, the modern members of which also lack nervous systems and muscles.
A sisterly dispute
A sisterly dispute
The two camps tend to segregate by discipline, observes Antonis Rokas, an evolutionary geneticist at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee. Sponge-sister proponents mostly have backgrounds in zoology and evolutionary-developmental biology. For these scientists, the gradual accrual and elaboration of complex traits was compelling.
Those arguing for a comb-jelly sister, meanwhile, are often trained in genomics, and are more open to the idea that complexity could evolve independently and was routinely gained and lost. Rokas counts himself in this group. “I'm not going to say this is the answer because I've been around long enough,” he says.
The challenge of piecing together the origin of animals that existed hundreds of millions of years ago using modern-day genome sequences is similar to that faced by astrophysicists discerning the early history of the Universe from the night sky, says Rokas. “The signal is low, it has travelled a long distance and there are multiple things that can erode that signal.”
To determine which of the two lineages — comb jelly or sponge — are at the root of the animal family tree, scientists are hunting for signs of the small number of genetic variations that appeared in a very specific time window: after the first animal lineage diverged and before the next one branched off. These are all that distinguish that first lineage from successive branches before each one starts to follow its own evolutionary path.
Modern sponges, such as Aplysina fistularis, are seemingly simple creatures.Credit: Alex Mustard/Nature Picture Library
But it's tricky to find this genetic signal. The window might have lasted fewer than five million years, say researchers, less than the time since humans and chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) shared a common ancestor, meaning that there wasn't long for many changes to accumulate. And the signal's trace faded quickly: after the animal lineages started evolving independently, some 600 million years ago, these early gene variations would have quickly become lost or obscured among newer changes along specific lineages.
When looking for such a weak signal, seemingly minor decisions can exert a major influence on the conclusion. In a 2021 analysis4, for example, Rokas and his colleagues found that whether a study comes to a sponge-sister or comb-jelly-sister conclusion can depend on which non-animals — called outgroups — are included in the analysis, as well as various assumptions about how different gene sequences evolve.
“These are good people earnestly trying to get a good answer, but the puzzle is really hard,” says evolutionary biologist Sean Carroll at the University of Maryland, College Park.
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Sponge-like fossil could be Earth's earliest known animal
Two comb jellies fuse their bodies and then act as one
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Genome reveals comb jellies' ancient origin
Big data renews fight over animal origins
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Sponge-like fossil could be Earth's earliest known animal
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The epigenome of human immune cells is shaped by both genetics and environmental factors, yet the relative contributions of these influences remain incompletely characterized. Here we use single-nucleus methylation sequencing and assay for transposase-accessible chromatin using sequencing (ATAC–seq) to systematically explore how pathogen and chemical exposures, along with genetic variation, are associated with changes in the immune cell epigenome. Distinct exposure-associated differentially methylated regions (eDMRs) and differentially accessible regions were identified, and a significant correlation between these two modalities was observed. Additionally, genotype-associated DMRs (gDMRs) were detected, indicating that eDMRs are enriched in regulatory regions, whereas gDMRs are preferentially located within gene body marks. Disease-associated single-nucleotide polymorphisms were frequently colocalized with methylation quantitative trait loci, providing cell-type-specific insights into the genetic basis of diseases. These findings highlight the complex interplay between genetic and environmental factors in shaping the immune cell epigenome and advance understanding of immune cell regulation in health and disease.
The debate between nature and nurture is a long-standing discussion in both biology and society. It centers around the relative impact of genetic inheritance (nature) versus environmental factors (nurture) on human development. While inherited epigenetic marks are passed down through generations, acquired features arise from environmental influences and can alter gene expression without changing the underlying DNA sequence. Understanding the contributions of these two sources of epigenetic variation is crucial for comprehending how genes and environments together shape biological outcomes.
The interplay between genetic predispositions and environmental factors shapes biological outcomes1. Previous twin studies based on bulk tissues have estimated that the average heritability of methylation levels at cytosine–guanine dinucleotides (CpGs) across the genome ranges from 5% to 19% in different tissues2,3,4,5. Methylation quantitative trait locus (meQTL) studies have shown associations between genetic variation and methylation at individual CpG sites6,7,8,9,10,11. However, these studies rely on bulk tissues and often use arrays to profile the methylome. The genome-wide, cell-type-specific relationship between genetic variation and methylation has yet to be fully elucidated.
To investigate the cell-type-specific contributions of genetic and environmental factors on the human immune cell epigenome, we analyzed 171 peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) samples from 110 individuals with defined exposures to pathogens (human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1), influenza A virus (IAV), methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA), anthrax vaccine and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)) and chemicals (organophosphates (OPs)). Seven major immune cell types were isolated using fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS), followed by snmC-seq2 and single-nucleus ATAC–seq (snATAC–seq) profiling. We identified exposure-associated differentially methylated regions (eDMRs) and genotype-associated DMRs (gDMRs), which showed distinct genomic enrichments—eDMRs were enriched at enhancers, whereas gDMRs were predominantly found in gene bodies, highlighting divergent regulatory mechanisms. Exposure-specific DMRs exhibited unique epigenomic signatures, with several implicating master transcription factor (TF) binding sites. HIV-1-induced changes in DNA methylation and chromatin accessibility were significantly correlated. Moreover, we observed substantial colocalization between meQTLs and GWAS variants, providing cell-type-resolved insights into disease-associated loci. This comprehensive atlas of exposure- and genetics-associated epigenomic features in human immune cells provides a valuable resource for mechanistic studies of infectious and genetic disease.
We collected 171 PBMC samples from 110 individuals who were exposed or not exposed to seven major exposures (Fig. 1 and Supplementary Table 1). HIV-1-exposed samples were collected from the iPrEx cohort, a phase 3 clinical trial12, which was designed to evaluate the efficacy of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV-1 prevention. We analyzed PBMC samples from nine donors at three distinct time points—approximately 200 days before HIV-1 positivity (pre), the day of HIV-1 diagnosis (acu) and approximately 200 days after initiating treatment (cro). For IAV exposure, the BARDA-Vaccitech FLU010 study13 evaluated the VTP-100 vaccine against the H3N2 influenza virus strain. We studied prechallenge and 28 days postchallenge (with live H3N2 influenza virus) PBMC samples from 18 donors who received the placebo vaccine. Additionally, we also analyzed PBMC samples from donors who were exposed to SARS-CoV-2 and had severe or nonsevere coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) symptoms.
For HIV-1 and IAV, we have internal control samples that are from the same set of donors before infection and collected samples from them after exposure. We also collected PBMC from 12 healthy donors as external controls. For exposures without internal controls (COVID, anthrax vaccine, MRSA/MSSA and OP), all healthy samples were used as controls. We performed snATAC–seq and snmC-seq2 on the PBMCs and identified the eDMRs associated with exposures and genotypes. We also identified the gDMRs using this dataset. BA, B. anthracis. The figure is created with BioRender.com.
For bacterial exposure, PBMCs from 19 patients who tested positive for MRSA or MSSA were analyzed, yielding a total of 27 samples. We also obtained PBMC samples from 27 vaccinated participants who handled Bacillus anthracis in a controlled Biosafety Level 3 (BSL3) facility while wearing appropriate personal protective equipment. These individuals were trained scientists working in a BSL3 laboratory who had received either BioThrax, an inactivated acellular vaccine primarily composed of the nonpathogenic protective antigen (PA) protein or the anthrax vaccine adsorbed, in accordance with the facility's safety protocols. OPs are a class of pesticides known to have a severe impact on the dopaminergic and serotonergic systems. A common form of this pesticide, that is, chlorpyrifos, has been widely used in the United States. As part of this study, samples were collected from farm workers and nearby residents. By tracking the levels of TCPY over four months, samples from 27 donors were classified as exposed to high, moderate or low levels of OP.
PBMCs from these samples were FAC-sorted into major immune cell types (Extended Data Fig. 1) and processed through the snmC-seq2 pipeline as previously described14. A total of 96 cells per sample and cell type were sorted to ensure adequate coverage. To control for potential batch effects, all cell types were sorted onto the same 384-well plate (Extended Data Fig. 1). Single-nucleus methylation data were analyzed using in-house pipelines, as previously described14. After filtering out low-quality cells, individual cells exhibited 5–10% genome coverage (Extended Data Fig. 2a). A total of 104,000 cells were then clustered using the average CG methylation score in 5-kb bins across the autosomes. Pseudobulk profiles demonstrated high genome coverage and sufficient depth at single-CpG resolution (Extended Data Fig. 2b–e). snATAC–seq data from our companion study were integrated with the methylation data and cell-type labels were transferred.
To assess whether exposures are associated with the methylome of each immune cell type, we performed within-cell-type clustering for the major sorted immune cell types. The t-distributed stochastic neighbor embedding (t-SNE), with or without harmony integration, showed similar embedding (Extended Data Fig. 3a). This analysis revealed heterogeneity in methylation profiles, resulting in more than ten distinct clusters for each cell type (Fig. 2a). We observed significant bias of cells from each exposure in each cell type. Of note, HIV-1, SARS-CoV-2 and MRSA/MSSA exposures were associated with distinct monocyte, CD4 and CD8 naive T cell profiles (Fig. 2a and Extended Data Fig. 3b). The proportion of immune cells from each exposure in these clusters varied substantially (Fig. 2b). For example, we observed a cluster of monocytes enriched in both severe and nonsevere COVID samples. Considering that the biased distribution among clusters of different exposures might also be caused by heterogeneity between individuals rather than the specific exposures, we focused on proportional changes in HIV-1 and IAV samples collected from the same donors before and after infections. While IAV samples have comparable proportions in each cluster across the cell types, HIV-1 infection markedly changed the cell proportions among clusters, indicating that HIV-1 remodeled the global methylome and functional states of these immune cells, particularly NK cells, CD8 memory and naive T cells (Fig. 2c).
a, UMAP of cells in each cell type from FACS using snmC-seq2 data. The cells are colored according to exposure (HIV, exposure to HIV; HIV_pre, before HIV infection from the same donors; Flu_pos, after IAV infection; Flu_pre, before IAV infection from the same donors; COVID_S, severe COVID patient samples; COVID_nS, nonsevere COVID patient samples; MRSA, samples exposed to MRSA; MSSA, samples exposed to MSSA; BA, samples from the donors that have taken anthrax vaccine and work frequently or infrequently in a controlled BSL3 facility handling B. anthracis; OP, samples from the donors that are exposed to OP). b, Bar plots show the proportions of cells from each group and cell type in the Leiden clusters, colored by the FACS cell types. The x axis is the Leiden clusters and the y axis shows the proportions of cells in each Leiden cluster in each group. c, Scatter plot shows the cell proportional changes before and after infection with HIV and IAV in each Leiden cluster. Dots represent clusters with IAV exposures and crosses indicate HIV exposures. Color shows the FACS cell types. d, UMAP of cells from HIV exposure donors in the cell types that have the most cell proportion changes. The three rows are UMAP of cells from NK cell, Tc-mem and Tc-naive, and the columns are the cells from ‘pre', ‘acu' and ‘cro' stages. Cells from the stage are shown in red and cells from other stages are shown in gray. e, The dot plot shows the odds ratio using two-sided Fisher's exact test on cells from the three HIV infection stages (‘pre', ‘acu', ‘cro') in the Leiden clusters. The heatmap shows the GO enrichment of DMGs of the corresponding Leiden cluster. The dot plot and heatmap have the same x axis. f, Two clusters of monocytes were identified. The bar plot depicts the cell proportions of the two monocyte clusters in controls, severe and nonsevere COVID-19 samples. Statistical tests were done using the two-sided chi-square test. (Asterisk indicates that P = 1.32 × 10−278). g, Gene body methylation levels at classical and nonclassical monocyte markers in the two clusters of monocytes. h, GO enrichment using the hypergeometric test with Benjamini–Hochberg FDR correction (implemented in Metascape) for DMGs between the two clusters of monocytes.
To further validate the changes in functional states of different immune cell types associated with HIV-1 infection, we performed within-cell-type clustering of HIV-1 samples. The clustering revealed that cells from the three stages of HIV-1 infection (pre, acu and cro) were unevenly distributed among the clusters, with biased clusters exhibiting different global methylation levels (Fig. 2d and Extended Data Fig. 4a). To further characterize the identity of each subtype that is significantly differentially distributed among the three stages (false discovery rate (FDR) < 0.05, Fisher's exact test), we identified differentially methylated genes (DMGs) in each cluster compared to all other clusters and performed functional enrichment analysis of these genes. Immune cell activation and differentiation-related functions are enriched among these clusters (Fig. 2e). The CD8 memory T cell cluster, specifically enriched in ‘acu' stage cells, is enriched in positive regulation of immune response.
The monocyte cluster uniquely enriched with COVID samples and depleted in controls and other exposures is likely associated with this specific exposure (Fig. 2f). Almost half of the monocytes from both severe and nonsevere COVID-19 samples are separated in these two clusters (Fig. 2f), significantly more than the control samples (P = 2.05 × 10−237, Fisher's exact test). Gene body methylation levels are highly similar between classical and nonclassical monocyte markers (Fig. 2g). We identified 321 DMGs between ‘monocyte1' and ‘monocyte2' (Extended Data Fig. 4b). Functional enrichment of these genes showed that genes hypomethylated in both monocyte clusters are enriched in pro-inflammation functions like ‘IL-18 signaling pathway' and ‘regulation of interleukin-1 (IL-1) production' (Fig. 2h). Both IL-18 and IL-1 have been reported to have protective roles during mouse coronavirus infection15, whereas IL-1 has a pivotal role in the induction of cytokine storm as a result of uncontrolled immune responses in SARS-CoV-2 infection16. Moreover, in addition to IL-1 and IL-18 production-related functions, DMGs in ‘monocyte2' are also enriched for ‘phagocytosis' and ‘endocytosis' (Fig. 2h), indicating the antigen presentation function of this cluster, which is specifically enriched in COVID-19 monocytes.
We refined our cell types by integrating methylation information with FACS. B cells and NK cells can be separated into two clusters by global CG methylation level (Fig. 3a). The higher methylated clusters were annotated as a naive state (B-naive and NK-naive), while the cluster with lower methylation level of B cells is annotated as memory B cells (B-mem) and a lower methylated cluster of NK cells is defined as the active state (NK-active)17. We observed some inconsistency between FACS and methylation profile clustering, with some naive T cells clustered together with memory T cells, indicating a transition of cell states in some naive T cells (Fig. 3a). These cells were still labeled as naive T cells based on cell-surface marker CCR7+ and CD45RA+. Some sorted NK cells (CD56+ or CD16+ and CD14−) exhibited methylation profiles similar to monocytes, suggesting that they may represent CD16+ monocytes. These cells were excluded from the downstream analysis. We also observed bias among different exposures in the Uniform Manifold Approximation and Projection (UMAP) representation (Extended Data Fig. 5a), which may reflect exposure-specific effects. Nevertheless, our clustering results remained highly consistent following integration-based correction for donor and batch effects (Extended Data Fig. 5b,c). In the following analysis, we dissected the contributions of exposures and genetics to the epigenome in these nine immune cell types.
a, UMAP of all cells from all exposures using single-nucleus methylation profiles. Cells are colored by the global methylation level of each cell. b, UMAP of all cells from all exposures using single-nucleus methylation profiles. Cells are colored by the FACS cell types. c, The bar plots show the hypomethylated (top plot) and hypermethylated (bottom plot) eDMR counts. ‘Hypo' indicates the eDMRs are hypomethylated in exposures compared to controls. ‘Hyper' is the other way around. The colors represent the exposures and the x axis denotes cell type, which is colored and sorted in the same order for all exposures. d, Scatter plot shows the two top PCs of ethnicity-dependent MRSA/MSSA eDmRs. e, Venn diagram shows the overlap of ethnicity-dependent MRSA/MSSA eDMRs between individuals of African and European genetic ancestry. f, Scatter plot shows the two top PCs of ethnicity-dependent COVID-19-associated eDmRs. g, Venn diagram shows the overlap of ethnicity-dependent COVID-19-associated eDMRs between individuals of African and European genetic ancestry. h, Dot plot shows the enrichment of eDMRs from COVID, HIV and MSSA in histone modification peaks. Each column shows the hypo-eDMRs in that condition. The color of the dots shows the enrichment or depletion in the corresponding histone modification. i, Dot plot shows the motif enrichment from HOMER, which uses the one-sided cumulative hypergeometric test on eDMRs from each exposure and cell type. The dot size indicates the P values of enrichment and the color shows the cell type from which the eDMRs are.
We aimed to dissect the impact of different exposures on the epigenome in these cell types by identifying the eDMRs. Given the difficulty of controlling other exposures each individual may have experienced and the donors' diverse genomes, we used internal controls for HIV-1 and IAV exposures, for which we have cells before and after exposure. We used a stringent pipeline to identify the eDMRs of other exposures (Methods), in which the external controls are used. These eDMRs were not significantly different between any two sets of controls, minimizing the contribution of individual genetic variation and baseline exposures to these eDMRs.
We identified 756,575 eDMRs across all exposures and cell types, including 517,698 hypomethylated and 238,877 hypermethylated eDMRs (Fig. 3c and Supplementary Table 2). On average, each exposure and cell type exhibited approximately 10,000 eDMRs. SARS-CoV-2, OP and MRSA/MSSA showed the most abundant eDMRs across the majority of the cell types, highlighting their pronounced impact on the epigenetic profiles (Fig. 3c). To control for the false positive rate, we performed sample label shuffling and found that our identified eDMRs were substantially more significant than DMRs detected in shuffled samples (Extended Data Fig. 5d). Of note, the majority of eDMRs in each exposure and cell type consist of single CpG sites (Extended Data Fig. 5e).
We examined the effect-size distributions of exposure-associated eDMRs to assess the magnitude of methylation change (Extended Data Fig. 5f–k). HIV-1 induced broad, multimodal shifts, particularly during early infection. MRSA/MSSA and anthrax vaccine exposures had distinct peaks, while OP caused highly variable changes. COVID responses were skewed by severity and IAV showed a symmetric, trimodal pattern. These distributions illustrate the magnitude of methylation changes associated with each exposure.
Although the externally controlled exposures involved sizable cohorts, donor variability in genetic background, sex and age could still confound the results. To address this, methylation levels were adjusted for these covariates and eDMRs significantly associated with them were excluded, resulting in 271,592 hypomethylated and 138,551 hypermethylated eDMRs that more likely reflect exposure-specific effects. To examine genetic-ancestry-related responses, we identified genetic-ancestry-related eDMRs after regressing out sex and age. Notably, in both MRSA/MSSA and SARS-CoV-2 exposures, individuals of African genetic ancestry showed stronger methylation effects (Fig. 3d,e), with most eDMRs unique to each group (Fig. 3f,g), consistent with reports of greater disease severity in individuals of African genetic ancestry Americans18,19,20.
We further examined the association between eDMRs and histone modification peaks from ENCODE21 in each cell type. We found that both hypomethylated and hypermethylated eDMRs across all exposures are slightly enriched in heterochromatin regions marked by H3K9me3 (Fig. 3h and Extended Data Fig. 6a). Notably, COVID-19-associated hypermethylated eDMRs in monocytes, naive T cells and NK-naive cells showed significant enrichment in enhancer marks like H3K27ac and H3K4me1, as well as the promoter mark H3K4me3, across all immune cell types (Fig. 3h). Similar patterns were observed for HIV-1, with hypomethylated eDMRs in CD8 memory T cells and hypermethylated eDMRs in CD8 naive T cells showing enrichment in these active histone marks (Fig. 3h). Furthermore, MSSA monocyte hypermethylated eDMRs were enriched in H3K27ac. In contrast, NK-active cells from MSSA-infected individuals (but not MRSA-infected ones) showed enrichment in enhancer regions. Interestingly, naive T cells from severe COVID-19 patients had hypomethylated eDMRs with greater enrichment in active histone marks than those from nonsevere patients (Fig. 3h). These eDMRs are generally depleted at CG islands, promoters and short interspersed nuclear elements but slightly enriched in DNA, long interspersed nuclear elements and long terminal repeat transposable elements (Extended Data Fig. 6b).
DNA methylation influences TF binding to DNA22,23, potentially altering gene expression. We observed that master TF motifs were enriched in COVID-19 monocytes and CD4 naive T cells. For example, PRDM1 (encoding BLIMP-1) in monocytes24 and TCF family TFs (including TCF7) motifs in CD4 naive T cells are uniquely enriched in COVID-19 samples24,25. Similarly, CEBP family TF motifs are specifically enriched in MRSA/MSSA monocytes26 (Fig. 3i). These results suggest that methylomes associated with exposures might be able to inhibit the binding of master TFs. On the other hand, hypomethylated eDMRs across the exposures share many similarly enriched motifs (Extended Data Fig. 6c). Although further validation is needed, ChIP-seq profiles from previous studies27 showed significant enrichment of eDMRs within relevant TF binding sites (Extended Data Fig. 6d). To assess functional relevance, we examined their overlap with differentially expressed genes from prior HIV-1 and SARS-CoV-2 studies28,29 and found significant enrichment, especially in monocytes and T cells, compared to random genes or CpGs (Extended Data Fig. 6e–h).
We integrated snATAC–seq data from paired and unpaired donors across all exposure groups, except for MRSA and MSSA. For the HIV-1 exposure, in which samples were collected at different time points from the same donors, we integrated snDNA methylation data with snATAC–seq data using 5-kb bins on autosomes. UMAP plots generated before integration showed clear batch effects between the two modalities, which were partially mitigated following integration (Extended Data Fig. 7a,b). We mapped cells from single-cell ATAC–seq to methylation clusters and transferred cell-type labels via canonical correlation analysis30 (Fig. 4a,b). We observed a strong genome-wide correlation between the two modalities across all cell types, with the highest correlation observed in monocytes (Extended Data Fig. 7c). Interestingly, we detected a loss of methylation and an increase in accessibility after HIV-1 infection in memory CD8 T cells at the intron of DGKH (Fig. 4c), a gene previously reported to exhibit differential methylation between elite controllers and individuals receiving antiretroviral therapy31. Although this region experienced a loss of chromatin accessibility, the methylation level remained unchanged between the ‘acute' and ‘chronic' stages (Fig. 4c). We found a considerable fraction of eDMRs are consistent with changes in chromatin accessibility (Fig. 4d). The highest overlap (25.6%) between these two modalities was observed in ‘pre' stage hypo-eDMRs in CD8 naive T cells.
a, UMAP of cells from HIV exposure using single-nucleus methylation when integrating with snATAC–seq data. The color shows the cell types identified from FACS and DNA methylation. b, UMAP of cells from one HIV donor sample after integration with single-nucleus methylation data. The color indicates the cell-type labels transferred from DNA methylation data in integrating the two modalities. c, A genome browser view of a region at the DGKH gene that has consistent changes after HIV exposure in DNA methylation and chromatin accessibility in CD8 memory T cells. The top three panels are normalized ATAC–seq reads and the DNA methylation panels show the methylation levels in each bin at this locus. The eDMRs are shown in the blue bars. d, The overlap between hypo-eDMRs and gained ATAC–seq peaks in each condition in the corresponding cell types. The more accessible peaks are from pairwise comparisons, so each condition has two comparisons. The color of the heatmaps shows the proportion of overlaps between hypo-eDMRs and gained peaks.
We extended our analysis to additional exposures and found that exposure-associated differentially accessible regions overlapped with corresponding exposure-associated eDMRs by approximately 1–6% (Extended Data Fig. 7d–g). The lower concordance between the two modalities—compared to what we observed for HIV-1—may be attributed to the use of internal controls in both assays for the HIV-1 samples. These findings underscore the importance of longitudinal data for robust identification of exposure-associated epigenomic changes.
We also used this single-cell epigenomic atlas to identify gDMRs. We identified the SNPs of each individual using the DNA methylation data with biscuit32, followed by imputation and filtering (Methods). To confirm the accuracy of the SNP calls obtained using this strategy, we compared the SNPs from whole-genome sequencing (WGS) and methylation data from a previous study33. The results showed a strong agreement with WGS SNPs in a 10-Mb region, with low rates of false positives and false negatives (Extended Data Fig. 8a) and high correlation in alternate allele frequency at the overlapped SNPs (Extended Data Fig. 8b). Running SNP calls on methylation on GM12878 also show high accuracy compared to the true set (Extended Data Fig. 8c).
We first identified differentially methylated regions (DMRs) at CpG sites within each cell type and quantified methylation levels for each individual. DMRs and SNPs were filtered, followed by performing meQTL analysis as described (Methods). Principal component analysis (PCA) of the genotypes further confirmed the high quality of the SNPs derived from bisulfite reads (Extended Data Fig. 8d).
After stringent filtering of the meQTL–DMR pairs (Supplementary Tables 3–11), we identified 275,283 gDMRs across all nine cell types, of which 214,933 were cis-correlated with SNP and 60,350 were trans-correlated (Supplementary Table 12). The number of cis-gDMRs is comparable across different cell types except CD8 memory T cells, which have more gDMRs compared to other cell types (Fig. 5a). The trans-gDMRs are mostly identified in various T cell types (Fig. 5a). The cis-gDMRs and trans-gDMRs in T cells are mostly single-CpG sites (Extended Data Fig. 8e). The number of gDMRs is correlated with the number of cells sequenced in each cell type (Extended Data Fig. 8f). We did an enrichment analysis between these two sets of DMRs on different histone marks. In contrast to eDMRs at enhancer marks, gDMRs are predominantly enriched at gene body mark H3K36me3 peaks, especially in memory state lymphocytes (B cell, CD4 and CD8 T cells; Fig. 5b), while eDMRs are enriched at enhancer and promoter regions in naive lymphocytes. We also did enrichment analysis of them at the loop anchors in different immune cells from ENCODE, which showed that gDMRs are more enriched at loop anchors in memory state lymphocytes and eDMRs are more associated with naive lymphocytes (Fig. 5c). This indicates that eDMRs and gDMRs might regulate gene expression in different cell types through distinct mechanisms. This differential enrichment underscores the complexity of epigenetic control, with eDMRs and gDMRs contributing uniquely to the gene-expression landscape depending on the cell type and the nature of the environmental or genetic input. Both eDMRs and gDMRs exhibit similar genomic feature enrichment regarding genes and transposable elements (Extended Data Fig. 8g).
a, Bar plot shows the counts of gDMRs in each cell type. The colors of the bars show the cell types. b, Dot plot shows the enrichment from Fisher's exact test of gDMRs in histone modification peaks from each cell type. Each column represents a cell type and each row contains one histone modification peak for that cell type. The color of the dots indicates the enrichment or depletion of gDMRs in the corresponding histone modification. c, Dot plot shows the enrichment using Fisher's exact test of gDMRs in chromatin loops. Each column is a cell type and each row is the chromatin loop in each cell type. The color of the dots shows the enrichment or depletion of gDMRs in the corresponding chromatin loop. d, Metascape using one-sided hypergeometric test, GO enrichment of the genes that overlap with eDMRs or gDMRs. The color of the heatmap shows the log10(P) of the enrichment. Results for eDMRs and gDMRs in all cell types are sorted in the same order.
We performed a functional enrichment analysis on genes with DMRs that overlap H3K36me3 peaks. Both eDMRs and gDMRs were significantly enriched in housekeeping and immune-related functions, with immune functions more significant in eDMRs (Fig. 5d). This distinction highlights the specific impact of environmental and genetic factors on immune-related gene regulation through epigenetic modifications.
Besides chromatin states, the enriched motifs also differ between eDMRs and gDMRs. While both hypomethylated and hypermethylated eDMRs are enriched mainly in immune-related TF motifs, gDMRs do not exhibit enrichment of immune TF motifs (Extended Data Fig. 8h). Using gDMRs as the background in Homer analysis, we identified significant enrichment of RUNX and ETS family TF motifs—including PU.1, ETS1 and Fli1—within eDMRs. In contrast, no significant motif enrichment, except for ETS motifs, was observed in the gDMRs using eDMRs as background in CD8 memory T cells. These results suggest that eDMRs are primarily enriched with key TF binding sites in immune cells, potentially having a role in regulating gene expression through TF binding.
To investigate the association of gDMRs with human diseases and immune-related traits, we performed colocalization analysis between our meQTLs and GWAS SNPs (Methods) linked to various traits (Supplementary Table 13). We identified many colocalized GWAS SNPs and meQTLs within these immune cell types, suggesting potential cell-type-specific regulatory connections between methylation changes and genetic variants associated with immune functions. Enrichment analysis of GWAS SNPs within the meQTLs of each cell type revealed a predominant enrichment in CD8 naive T cells, as well as in CD4 memory and naive T cells (Extended Data Fig. 9a). This suggests that these specific immune cell types are particularly influenced by genetic variants associated with immune-related traits and diseases. For example, GWAS SNPs associated with Gallstone disease and Eczema are enriched in CD8 naive T cells and CD4 memory T cells meQTLs that colocalize with the GWAS SNPs (Extended Data Fig. 9a). We further linked the gDMRs to specific diseases and phenotypes (Extended Data Fig. 9b) through colocalization analysis between meQTLs and phenotype-associated GWAS SNPs. The analysis revealed that most gDMRs are associated with only a single phenotype (Extended Data Fig. 9b). Gallstone disease and Eczema showed the highest number of associated gDMRs, particularly in T cells, highlighting the potential role of T cell–specific epigenetic regulation in mediating genetic risk for these immune-related diseases. We further linked the gDMRs with gene expression (Methods) by performing summary-based Mendelian randomization (SMR)34 analysis and identified 252,598 substantial associations (Supplementary Table 14).
This analysis enabled us to uncover cell-type-specific regulatory connections between gDMRs and various diseases and phenotypes. For instance, SNPs associated with eczema disease showed colocalization with multiple meQTLs across various immune cell types in a cell-type-specific manner. Most of the GWAS SNPs only colocalize with meQTL in one cell type (Fig. 6a), indicating a high degree of cell-type specificity in the regulatory effects of these GWAS SNPs on the epigenome. This suggests that the impact of genetic variants on DNA methylation, and consequently on gene regulation, can be highly specialized and confined to particular immune cell types. Notably, the top eczema-associated SNP, rs10791824, colocalizes with both a meQTL and an expression QTL (eQTL; Fig. 6b). SMR analysis further reveals that the SNP-associated DMR is significantly correlated with the expression of the EFEMP2 gene, which has been implicated in eczema pathogenesis. This cell-type-specific colocalization information will greatly facilitate the mechanistic studies on the diseases.
a, Upset plot shows the number of meQTLs that are colocalized with GWAS SNPs in each cell type or multiple cell types. b, Genotype-disease association P values in the eczema GWASs (top) at EFEMP2 locus, eQTL (middle) associated with EFEMP2 expression and meQTL signal associated with a DMR in naive T cell (bottom), P values are from GWAS associations (Wald test), eQTL test (empirical P values via permutations) and meQTL test (empirical P values via permutations).
Our study provides a comprehensive, exposure-driven atlas of human immune cells, revealing how genetic and environmental factors shape the epigenomes. We constructed an intricate epigenomic atlas using snmC-seq2 and ATAC–seq, revealing the epigenomic features associated with different exposures. This comprehensive approach enabled us to identify eDMRs and gDMRs, dissecting the roles of these two factors in shaping the epigenome of human immune cells. We also identified significant colocalization between meQTLs and GWAS-associated disease SNPs, uncovering potential cell-type-specific epigenetic mechanisms underlying these SNPs.
Genetic factors and exposome have long been recognized to shape epigenomes1. While previous studies have identified DNA methylation changes associated with genetic1,6,7,8 or environmental exposures1,35,36, our study uniquely examines both eDMRs and gDMRs within the same group of donors. This approach allows for a more reliable comparison of changes driven by these two factors. The differential enrichment of eDMRs and gDMRs on the chromatin indicates that genetics and environments may regulate gene expression differently. Although we cannot fully disentangle the effects of genetics from different exposure histories in our donors, genetic factors exert a stronger regulatory influence on the gene body in memory lymphocytes. In contrast, exposome regulation has a more pronounced effect on enhancers/promoters in naive lymphocytes.
Our study highlights the intricate contributions of both genetic and environmental factors in shaping the immune cell epigenome. We identified distinct, exposure-specific eDMRs that reflect how immune cells respond to various pathogens and chemicals, while accounting for genetic background. These findings improve our understanding of immune regulation and provide a valuable resource for investigating the molecular mechanisms of environmental exposures. The eDMRs may also serve as biomarkers for specific exposures, with potential diagnostic and therapeutic applications. However, the mechanisms by which genetics and environment interact to influence the epigenome remain incompletely understood. Addressing this gap will be essential for fully elucidating how gene–environment interactions shape immune function and contribute to disease, fully addressing the ‘nature and nurture' question in human disease.
Our study has several limitations. Some exposure groups had relatively small sample sizes, which may limit statistical power and generalizability. In addition, the absence of information on other environmental exposures or longitudinal data for certain exposures restricts our ability to assess temporal dynamics and causality. Future studies with larger, more balanced cohorts and longitudinal designs will be essential to validate and extend our findings.
Cells were sorted into 384-well plates using FACS based on their specific antibody labeling. The FACS antibody cocktail allowed for the identification of seven different immune cell types in blood (Extended Data Fig. 1). The sorted cell types included naive helper T cells (CD3+, CD4+, CCR7+, CD45RA+), memory helper T cells (CD3+, CD4+, CD45RA−), naive cytotoxic T cells (CD3+, CD8+, CCR7+, CD45RA+), memory cytotoxic T cells (CD3+, CD8+, CD45RA−), B cells (CD3−, CD19+), monocytes (CD3−, CD19−, CD14+), NK cells (CD3−, CD19−, CD14−, CD16+, CD56+) and other cells (CD3−, CD19−, CD14−, CD16−, CD56−). The SONY Multi-Application Cell Sorter LE-MA900 Series was used to isolate single cells in 384-well PCR plates containing protein kinase. After cell sorting, the plates were centrifuged to collect the cells at the bottom of the wells, and the wells were then subjected to thermocycling at 50 °C for 20 min. The plates containing the DNA from the cells were subsequently stored at −20 °C or moved directly to library preparation.
For library preparation, we followed the previously described methods for bisulfite conversion and library preparation in snmC-seq2 (refs. 14,37). The snmC-seq2 libraries generated from isolated immune cells were sequenced on an Illumina Novaseq 6000 using S4 flow cells in 150-bp paired-end mode. Freedom EVOware (v2.7) was used for library preparation, while Illumina MiSeq control software (v3.1.0.13) and NovaSeq 6000 control software (v1.6.0) and Real-Time Analysis (RTA; v3.4.4) were used for sequencing.
snATAC–seq was performed as previously described38, using either the Chromium Next GEM Single Cell ATAC Library & Gel Bead Kit v1.1 (10x Genomics, 1000175) with the Chromium Next GEM Chip H (10x Genomics, 1000161) or the Chromium Single Cell ATAC Library & Gel Bead Kit (10x Genomics, 1000110). Libraries were sequenced on an Illumina NovaSeq 6000 system (1.4 pM loading concentration) using a 50 × 8 × 16 × 49 bp read configuration, targeting an average of 25,000 reads per nucleus.
For alignment and QC of the single-cell methylation data, we used the same mapping strategy used in our previous single-cell methylation projects in our lab39. Specifically, we used our in-house mapping pipeline, YAP (https://hq-1.gitbook.io/mc/), for all the mapping-related analysis. The pipeline includes the following main steps: (1) demultiplexing FASTQ files into single cells with Trim Galore (v4.4), (2) reads-level QC, (3) mapping with bismark (v0.20.0), (4) BAM file processing and QC with samtools (1.17) and Picard MarkDuplicates (v3.0.0), and (5) generation of the final molecular profile. Detailed descriptions of these steps for snmC-seq2 can be found in ref. 14. All the reads were mapped to the human hg38 genome, and we calculated the methylcytosine counts and total cytosine counts for two sets of genomic regions in each cell after mapping.
We filtered out low-quality cells based on three metrics generated during mapping—mapping rate >50%, final mC reads >500,000 and global mCG >0.5. Chromosomes X, Y and M were excluded from the analysis and the remaining genome was divided into 5-kb bins to create a cell-by-bin matrix. In this matrix, each bin was assigned a hypomethylation score (hyposcore) calculated from the P values of a binomial test, which indicates the probability of hypomethylation of that bin. The matrix was further binarized for downstream analysis using a hyposcore cutoff ≥0.95.
Hyposcore measures the likelihood of observing greater than m methylated reads under the assumption that methylation follows the binomial distribution with parameters c and p.
where m is the observed number of methylated count for region i, c is the coverage (total count) covering region i, n is the total number of 5-kb bin regions and p is the expected probability of methylation for this cell.
Let's assume
then for each 5-kb bin,
The calculation of hyposcore was implemented in ALLCools (v1.1.1, https://lhqing.github.io/ALLCools/intro.html) using SciPy40.
Bins covered by fewer than five cells and those with any absolute z score (the number of cells with nonzero values) >2 were filtered out. Additionally, we excluded bins that overlapped with the ENCODE blacklist using ‘bedtools intersect' (Dale, Pedersen and Quinlan 2011; Quinlan and Hall 2010).
To perform unsupervised clustering, we used ALLCools39, which first conducted PCA on the 5-kb bin matrix. For each exposure, we selected the top 32 principal components (PCs) for clustering using the modules in scanpy. In the HIV-1 and influenza cohorts, we observed a donor effect in the clustering results with these PCs. Therefore, we applied harmony41 to correct the donor effect on these PCs. We performed clustering separately for control samples (‘HIV_pre', ‘Flu_pre' and ‘Ctrl') and samples from the ‘MRSA/MSSA', ‘BA', ‘COVID-19' and ‘OP' groups, allowing for better comparison between the exposures and control samples.
To annotate the cells, we used both the single-cell methylation clustering results and cell-surface markers. In almost every cohort, we observed two clusters of B cells and NK cells, which were distinguished by their global mCG levels. Therefore, we assigned these clusters as naive and memory B cells, naive and active NK cells. We also merged clusters with cell-surface markers indicating memory CD4 and CD8 T cells, even if they exhibited multiple clusters in the t-SNE embedding.
To identify DMRs associated with each immune cell type, we analyzed PBMCs from healthy donors. Based on single-cell methylation and FACS, we identified nine cell types through clustering. These cell types were grouped based on their global mCG levels, and DMRs were called separately within high-mCG and low-mCG cell types. We used methylpy (v1.4.6, https://github.com/yupenghe/methylpy) for DMR calling and the resulting DMRs were further annotated with genes and promoters.
To identify DMRs associated with each exposure, we merged the control samples and samples from each exposure group. We used methylpy (https://github.com/yupenghe/methylpy) to identify DMRs between the control and exposure groups and between different exposure groups. Once we obtained the primary set of DMRs, we calculated the methylation levels of all samples at these DMRs using ‘methylpy add-methylation-level'.
Additional filtering of the DMRs was performed by comparing methylation levels across sample groups using Student's t test. Only DMRs with a minimum P value <0.05 between any two groups were retained. For DMRs associated with MRSA/MSSA, BA, OP and SARS-CoV-2, where external controls were used for DMR calling, we compared the methylation levels of exposure samples and control samples, as well as different cohorts of controls (HIV, Flu and commercial controls). DMRs that showed significant differences (P < 0.05) between the exposure group and all three control cohorts, but no significant differences (P > 0.05) between any two control cohorts, were retained.
To visualize complex heatmaps, we used PyComplexHeatmap (https://github.com/DingWB/PyComplexHeatmap)38,42. Hypomethylated DMRs in the corresponding sample groups and cell types were labeled for better visualization. The heatmap rows were split according to sample groups and the columns were split based on DMR groups and cell types. Within each subgroup, rows and columns were clustered using Ward linkage and the Jaccard metric.
To validate that the identified DMRs for each exposure were not confounded by batch effects or other factors, we shuffled the group labels of the samples within each exposure and identified DMRs among the randomly assigned groups. We quantified the methylation levels of all samples at the DMRs from the random groups and performed t tests on the methylation levels between each pair of groups.
To quantify the magnitude of methylation differences across exposure groups, we calculated Cohen's d effect sizes for each DMR using pairwise comparisons. For each DMR, methylation values were extracted across the three defined groups. Cohen's d was computed using the pooled standard deviation formula:
where mean1 and mean2 are the group means and s_pooled is the square root of the weighted average of group variances. The pooled variance was calculated with Bessel's correction to account for sample size differences. For each DMR, three pairwise d values were computed—Group1 versus Group2, Group1 versus Group3 and Group2 versus Group3. These effect sizes provide an interpretable measure of methylation divergence independent of sample size or statistical significance.
We merged the BAM files from the same donors and SNP calling was performed using Biscuit's32 variant calling function. This process identifies SNPs in both CpG and nonCpG contexts by analyzing the bisulfite-treated reads. Biscuit distinguishes between methylated cytosines and actual C/T polymorphisms, reducing the risk of false positives. To increase variant density and coverage, we imputed SNPs using Minimac4, referencing the 1,000 Genomes Phase 3 panel. Postimputation, only high-confidence SNPs present in dbSNP were retained to ensure reliability and compatibility with downstream analyses.
Standard variant filtering was applied to remove low-confidence SNPs. We excluded SNPs with a minor allele frequency (MAF) below 0.05. Additionally, SNPs overlapping with regions in the blacklist were filtered out.
We performed PCA of genotypes following standard best practices to control for population structure as follows:
Linkage disequilibrium (LD) pruning—we used PLINK 2 to filter variants to high-quality, common biallelic SNPs (--snps–only just-a–t, --max-alleles 2, --geno 0.02 and --maf 0.05) and excluded regions of extended LD (high-LD-regions-hg38.bed). We then applied LD pruning with a 200-SNP window, step size of 50 SNPs and an r2 threshold of 0.1 (--indep-pairwise 200 50 0.1).
Preparation of input genotypes—the pruned SNP set was extracted to generate a reduced variant call format (VCF) for PCA, ensuring that only informative and independent variants were retained.
PCA computation:
The primary analysis was conducted using QTLtool with the options --center, --scale, --maf 0.05 and --distance 0, which ensures mean centering, scaling and consistent handling of pruned SNPs.
For cross-validation, we also performed PCA with PLINK 2 (--pca 20 approx var-wts), which produced highly concordant results.
This approach ensured robust inference of genetic PCs, minimizing the impact of LD and technical artifacts and provided reliable covariates for downstream QTL and association analyses.
To identify meQTLs associated with DMRs, we used QTLtools (v2.0-7-g61a04d2c5e)43. The analysis was conducted using two approaches—nominal and permutation-based methods—both designed to account for the statistical significance of the association between SNPs and methylation levels. DMRs for each cell type were identified across the 110 donors using methylpy.
We used QTLtools in nominal mode to calculate the association between genotype (SNP) and methylation levels within DMRs. This method tests all SNP–DMR pairs within a specified genomic window (1 Mb) around the DMRs, reporting nominal P values for each pair. Associations were considered significant at an FDR threshold <0.01.
To assess the bias in the proportion of COVID-19 samples across different monocyte clusters, a chi-square test was applied. This test helped determine whether the distribution of samples from severe and nonsevere COVID-19 patients differed significantly from that of control samples, with results indicating a strong statistical difference (P = 2.05 × 10−237, Fisher's exact test).
We used TensorQTL in trans mode to efficiently test large-scale genotype–methylation associations. By default, TensorQTL computes parametric P values using linear regression and applies Benjamini–Hochberg FDR correction.
In both analyses, we included covariates such as age, sex, the first five PCs of genotypes and exposures. Covariate adjustment was performed using the QTLtools built-in method for linear model regression.
We obtained the hypo- and hyper-DMRs reported by methylpy from the columns ‘hypermethylated_samples' and ‘hypomethylated_samples'. HOMER (v5.1) was used to identify enriched motifs within these different sets of DMRs for each exposure. The results from HOMER's ‘knownResults.txt' output files were used for downstream analysis. Only motif enrichments with a P value <0.01 were retained. Motif enrichment results were visualized using scatter plots generated with Seaborn.
Pairwise DMG analysis for each exposure was performed using ALLCools, following the tutorial (https://lhqing.github.io/ALLCools/cell_level/dmg/04-PairwiseDMG.html). Significantly DMGs were selected based on an FDR < 0.01 and a delta mCG > 0.05. The functional enrichment analysis of the DMGs was conducted using Metascape44 (v3.5, https://metascape.org/). We also used linear regression (mCG ~ annotation + age + sex + ethnicity) to identify the genes associated with the two clusters of monocytes, regressing out age, sex and ethnicity of the donors.
We integrated our single-cell methylation data with single-cell ATAC–seq data from HIV-1. This integration was performed using canonical correlation analysis based on 5-kb bins, where we transferred our methylation cell annotations to the cells from the other modality. To generate the peaks and BigWig files for each cell type, we used SnapATAC2 (refs. 45,46).
To assess the correlation between single-cell methylation and single-cell ATAC, we calculated the correlation between the hyposcore of each 5-kb bin and Tn5 insertions in each bin. This correlation was performed both across different cell types and within matched cell types.
Summary statistics of GWAS were downloaded from the NHGRI-EBI GWAS Catalog (https://www.ebi.ac.uk/gwas/)47, including 29,401 studies and 25,111 traits. We performed colocalization analysis with coloc48 (v5.2.3) using default priors to calculate the probability that both the meQTL and GWAS traits share a common causal variant. The posterior probability (PP4) of a single causal variant associated with both DMR and GWAS traits was used to identify significant colocalizations (PP4 > 0.50). A high PP4 value indicates strong evidence for shared causality. R packages locuscomparer (v1.0.0)49 and locuszoomr (v0.3.1)50 were used to visualize the colocalization results. To assess whether meQTL and GWAS SNPs were significantly overlapping for each DMR–trait pair, we performed chi-squared tests using the ‘stats.chi2_contingency' function from the Python package SciPy40. Resulting P values were adjusted for multiple testing using the Benjamini–Hochberg method.
To investigate the relationship of eDMRs and gDMRs on gene expression, we performed SMR (v1.0) analysis34 by integrating our unfiltered meQTLs with the eQTLs derived from whole-blood gene-expression levels generated from the eQTLGen consortium34,51.
By setting the exposure as DMR and outcome as gene expression in the SMR analysis, we tested whether genetic variants associated with DMRs are also associated with expression levels of nearby genes, providing evidence for associations between the two. We did not conduct HEIDI analysis due to the differences between the two sample populations. This does not rule out the possibility that some of the DMR–gene associations identified in our SMR analysis are due to linkage rather than pleiotropy or causality. SMR associations with a P value below the Bonferroni-adjusted alpha level (α = 0.05/n) were considered significant. Default parameters were used to run SMR. We further filtered out associations in the HLA region (chr6: 28,477,797–33,448,354).
Enrichment tests were conducted using Fisher's exact test to evaluate the distribution of DMRs across exposures and cell types. This statistical approach was selected due to the small sample sizes in some groups and the need for exact calculations without relying on large-sample approximations.
To assess the bias in the proportion of COVID-19 samples across different monocyte clusters, a chi-square test was applied. This test helped determine whether the distribution of samples from severe and nonsevere COVID-19 patients differed significantly from that of control samples, with results indicating a strong statistical difference (P = 2.05 × 10−237, Fisher's exact test).
For each DMR, effect sizes were calculated using Cohen's d to quantify the magnitude of methylation differences among exposure groups. This measure allows for an understanding of the biological relevance of the observed methylation changes, independent of sample size. Cohen's d was computed for pairwise comparisons across groups (for example, exposure versus control), using the pooled standard deviation formula.
We performed pairwise differential methylation analysis between exposure groups using the methylpy package. Statistical significance was determined by calculating P values for each comparison, with a threshold of 0.05. Further, we applied FDR correction to adjust for multiple comparisons.
The study was conducted with approval from the Salk Institutional Review Board (IRB) under protocol 18-0015 titled 'Single Cell Analysis for Forensic Epigenetics (SAFE)'. Research activities were covered under Salk's Federalwide Assurance (FWA) for the Protection of Human Subjects (FWA00005316).
Further information on research design is available in the Nature Portfolio Reporting Summary linked to this article.
De-identified molecular data and associated sample metadata generated in this study are available through controlled access via the Database of Genotypes and Phenotypes (dbGaP) under accession phs003204.v1.p1 (https://dbgap.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/beta/study/phs003204.v1.p1/). Access to these data is subject to approval by the dbGaP Data Access Committee in accordance with NIH policies on the sharing of human genomic data. The single-cell ATAC–seq data were generated in our companion study52 and the processed data used in this study have been deposited in the NCBI Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) under accession GSE306525 (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/geo/query/acc.cgi?acc=GSE306525). All other data supporting the findings of this study are available within the article and its Supplementary Information files. Source data are provided with this paper.
Codes of all the analyses are available on GitHub (https://github.com/wangwl/ECHO) and Zenodo (https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17307293) (ref. 53).
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This work was supported by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) through the DARPA Epigenetic Characterization and Observation (ECHO) program for the project Single-cell Analysis for Forensic Epigenetics (SAFE), administered by the US Army Research Office under cooperative agreement W911NF-19-2-0185. J.R.E. is an investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. We thank former DARPA Biological Technologies Office Program Manager E.V. Gieson, as well as the current leadership team, including J.-P. Chretien and T. Thomou, for their guidance and insightful comments. W.J.G. acknowledges funding support from the National Institutes of Health (NIH; grants P50-HG007735, UM1-HG009442 and UM1-HG009436). S.C.S. acknowledges funding support from DARPA (grant N6600119C4022). V.G.F. acknowledges funding from NIH (grant 1R01AI165671). R.W. was supported in part by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences Predoctoral Basic Biomedical Sciences Research Training Program T32 GM145427. S.C.S. also acknowledges X. Yu, T.E. acknowledges A. Donabedian for sample collection. We extend our gratitude to the ECHO team of Arizona State University, particularly J. LaBaer and V. Murugan, for coordinating the various teams during the initial phase of the study. We thank all anonymous donors who contributed biological samples to this project through our collaborators. We thank S. Kaech for consultations on the PBMC selection strategy, and C. O'Connor and L. Boggeman at the Salk FACS Core for their assistance in standardizing the gating strategy. This work used the Stampede2 supercomputing resources at Texas Advanced Computing Center (TACC) through the Extreme Science and Engineering Discovery Environment (XSEDE) and the Anvil supercomputing resources at Purdue University's Rosen Center for Advanced Computing (RCAC), made available through the Advanced Cyberinfrastructure Coordination Ecosystem: Services & Support (ACCESS) program. These resources were funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) under grants 1540931 and 2005632, respectively, and were assessed via a research allocation to the Ecker Lab (grant MCB130189). We thank M. Gujral, L. Huang and R. Scott, and other engineers at TACC and RCAC, for their assistance in porting and optimizing computational tools on XSEDE resources, provided through the XSEDE Extended Collaborative Support Service (ECSS) program. We thank K. Claypool, R. Jaimes, A. Michaleas, D. Ricke, P. Fremont-Smith and T. White from MIT Lincoln Laboratory for providing data warehousing support. Some items in Fig. 1 were created with BioRender.com.
These authors contributed equally: Wenliang Wang, Manoj Hariharan, Wubin Ding.
Genomic Analysis Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA
Wenliang Wang, Manoj Hariharan, Wubin Ding, Anna Bartlett, Cesar Barragan, Rosa Castanon, Ruoxuan Wang, Vince Rothenberg, Haili Song, Joseph R. Nery, Jordan Altshul, Mia Kenworthy, Hanqing Liu, Wei Tian, Jingtian Zhou, Qiurui Zeng, Huaming Chen & Joseph R. Ecker
Bioinformatics and Systems Biology Program, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
Ruoxuan Wang
Duke University School of Medicine, Bryan Research Building, Durham, NC, USA
Andrew Aldridge
Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
Bei Wei & William J. Greenleaf
Integrative Cellular Biology & Bioinformatics Lab, Saarland University, Saarbrücken, Germany
Irem B. Gündüz & Fabian Müller
Healthspan, Resilience, and Performance, Florida Institute for Human and Machine Cognition, Pensacola, FL, USA
Todd Norell & Timothy J. Broderick
Center for Infectious Disease Diagnostics and Innovation, Division of Infectious Diseases, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
Micah T. McClain, Thomas W. Burke, Elizabeth A. Petzold, Christopher W. Woods, Vance G. Fowler Jr. & Felicia Ruffin
Durham Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
Micah T. McClain & Christopher W. Woods
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Pratt School of Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
Lisa L. Satterwhite
Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Innovation, Los Angeles, CA, USA
Xiling Shen
Duke Clinical Research Institute, Durham, NC, USA
Vance G. Fowler Jr.
Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
Parinya Panuwet & Dana B. Barr
Battelle Memorial Institute, Columbus, OH, USA
Jennifer L. Beare, Anthony K. Smith & Rachel R. Spurbeck
Department of Neurology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York City, NY, USA
Sindhu Vangeti, Irene Ramos, German Nudelman & Stuart C. Sealfon
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response, Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, Washington, DC, USA
Flora Castellino
Barinthus Biotherapeutics, Germantown, MD, USA
Anna Maria Walley & Thomas Evans
Howard Hughes Medical Institute, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA
Joseph R. Ecker
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J.R.E. and M.H. conceived the study. J.R.E. and W.J.G. supervised the study. W.W., M.H., W.D., R.W. and V.R. performed data analysis. A.B., C.B., R.C., A.A., J.A., M.K. and J.R.N. performed snmC-seq2, with A.B., C.B. and R.C. also involved in standardizing the PBMC gating strategy and FACS. H.S., V.R., W.D., H.L., W.T., J.Z., B.W., F.M., Q.Z. and I.B.G. were involved in data analysis. H.C. and J.R.N. performed data management. M.T.M., L.L.S., T.J.B., E.A.P., X.S., C.W.W., V.G.F., T.N., M.T.M., P.P., D.B.B. and F.R. collaborated in the selection of the PBMC samples for the HIV, MRSA, MSSA, COVID and OP cohorts. J.L.B., A.K.S. and R.R.S. collaborated in the selection of the PBMC samples for the Anthrax cohort. S.V., I.R., G.N., S.C.S., F.C., A.M.W. and T.E. collaborated in the selection of the PBMC samples for the Flu cohort. W.W. designed the research framework, did the investigation and wrote the manuscript. All authors read the manuscript and provided comments.
Correspondence to
Joseph R. Ecker.
An application for a patent based on the results of this work has been filed with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) under application US 63/489,546. J.R.E. is a scientific advisor for Zymo Research Inc. and Ionis Pharmaceuticals. W.J.G. is named as an inventor on patents describing ATAC–seq methods. 10x Genomics has licensed intellectual property on which W.J.G. is listed as an inventor. W.J.G. holds options in 10x Genomics and is a consultant for Ultima Genomics and Guardant Health. W.J.G. is a scientific cofounder of Protillion Biosciences. V.G.F. reports personal fees from Novartis, Debiopharm, Genentech, Achaogen, Affinium, Medicines, MedImmune, Bayer, Basilea, Affinergy, Janssen, Contrafect, Regeneron, Destiny, Amphliphi Biosciences, Integrated Biotherapeutics, C3J, Armata, Valanbio, Akagera and Aridis, Roche; grants from NIH, MedImmune, Allergan, Pfizer, Advanced Liquid Logics, Theravance, Novartis, Merck, Medical Biosurfaces, Locus, Affinergy, Contrafect, Karius, Genentech, Regeneron, Deep Blue, Basilea and Janssen; royalties from UpToDate; stock options from Valanbio and ArcBio; honoraria from Infectious Diseases of America for service as Associate Editor of Clinical Infectious Diseases; and a patent for sepsis diagnostics pending. S.C.S. is the scientific founder and serves as Chief Scientific Officer of GNOMX. This article was prepared while I.R. was employed at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. The opinions expressed in this article are the authors' own and do not reflect the view of the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Health and Human Services or the United States government. The other authors declare no competing interests.
Nature Genetics thanks Musa Mhlanga and the other, anonymous, reviewer(s) for their contribution to the peer review of this work. Peer reviewer reports are available.
Publisher's note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
a, An example gating process for one sample. b, An example of gating statistics of one sample. c, We sorted different cell types in the same plate for each sample.
a, The genome coverage distribution of all single cells sequenced in this study. b, The CpG sites coverage distribution of each merged sample. c, Heatmap shows the distribution of sequencing depth at all CpG sites of all merged samples, each row is a sample, x-axis shows the covered depth at CpG site, color shows the number of CpG sites at that depth. d, The CpG sites coverage distribution of all cells merged in each exposure condition. e, Heatmap shows the distribution of sequencing depth at all CpG sites of all merged exposure conditions, each row is a condition, x-axis shows the covered depth at CpG site, color shows the number of CpG sites at that depth.
a, t-SNE after harmony integration of each sorted cell type, colored by exposures. b, The cells from the corresponding exposure are colored in red, while other cells and control cells are colored in dark gray and gray.
a, The UMAP of cells from HIV exposure in each FACS cell type. The color shows the global methylation level of each cell. b, Methylation level of DMGs between the two clusters of monocytes in COVID samples.
a, UMAP without harmony integration, colored by exposures. b, UMAP after harmony integration by donors, colors show the cell types by FACS sorting. c, UMAP after harmony integration by donors, colors show the exposures. d, Histplot shows the distribution of p values when calling exposure conditions eDMRs and DMRs from label shuffled samples. e, Heatmap shows the ratio of single CpG eDMRs in each exposure and cell type. f–k, Plots show the effect size distributions of eDMRs from each exposure.
a, Dot plot shows the enrichment of eDMRs from BA, influenza virus and OP in histone modification peaks. Each column shows the hypo-eDMRs in that condition. Color of the dots shows the enrichment or depletion in the corresponding histone modification. b, Genomic features enrichment of eDMRs in each cell type and exposure. c, Motif enrichment of hypo-eDMRs in each cell type and exposure. d, Dot plots show the enrichment of eDMRs from each cell type in COVID-19 and MRSA/MSSA with the transcription factor ChIP-seq peaks in the corresponding cell types. e,f, Dot plots show the HIV-1-associated eDMRs near DEGs, compared with random genes (e) or with random CpG sites (f). g,h, Dot plots show the COVID-19-associated eDMRs near DEGs, compared with random genes (g) or with random CpG sites (h).
a, UMAP shows the joint embedding of snATAC-seq and snmC-seq2 data from one sample before harmony integration. b, UMAP shows the joint embedding after harmony integration. c, Global correlation of DNA methylation and chromatin accessibility using 5 kb bins across the genome. d, Heatmap shows the corresponding changes in both DNA methylation and chromatin accessibility in anthrax vaccine exposure. e, Heatmap shows the corresponding changes in both DNA methylation and chromatin accessibility in OP exposure. f, Heatmap shows the corresponding changes in both DNA methylation and chromatin accessibility in SARS-CoV-2 exposure. g, Heatmap shows the corresponding changes in both DNA methylation and chromatin accessibility in IAV exposure.
a, Venn diagram shows the overlap of SNPs called from methylation reads and WGS in a 10 Mb region. The SNPs are intersected with dbsnp. b, kdeplot shows the correlation of alternative allele frequency of the SNPs from WGS and biscuit c, Venn diagram shows the overlap of SNPs called from methylation reads and ground truth SNPs for NA12878. The SNPs are intersected with dbsnp. d, Scatter plot shows the PCA result of SNPs, the first two PCs were shown, color shows the ethnicity of the donors. e, Heatmap shows the ratio of single CpG gDMRs in each cell type in trans and cis. f, Scatter plot shows the correlation between gDMR (cis and trans) counts with the number of cells sequenced in each cell type. g, Genomic features enrichment of eDMRs and gDMRs. h, Motif enrichment of gDMRs and eDMRs using each other as background.
a, Enrichment of colocalized GWAS SNPs from each phenotype with the meQTLs from each cell type. b, Heatmap shows the distribution of colocalized meQTLs with different phenotypes in each cell type.
Sample metadata.
eDMRs table.
meQTL results in memory B cells.
meQTL results in naive B cells.
meQTL results in monocytes.
meQTL results in active NK cells.
meQTL results in naive NK cells.
meQTL results in CD8 memory T cells.
meQTL results in CD8 naive T cells.
meQTL results in CD4 memory T cells.
meQTL results in CD4 naive T cells.
gDMR table.
Coloc results.
SMR results.
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As pressure mounts globally on drug pricing and development cost continues to rise, clinicians and translational scientists in biotech, academia and biopharma companies are re-evaluating when, where and how to launch early clinical programs. These initial patient data become critical to de-risk development programs and allow developers to deploy their limited time and resources on the most promising drugs. We evaluate four fundamental shifts in drug development that appear to be unfolding and may well become critical to future global biopharma success: use of large-scale high quality cohort studies, sponsor-driven investigator-initiated trials, the integration of affordable artificial intelligence with extensive high quality data registries, and China's focus on precision medicine. —
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Caidya, Raleigh, NC, USA
Lingshi Tan
Candid Therapeutics, San Diego, CA, USA
Ken Song
Shanghai Academy of Natural Sciences, Shanghai, China
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Fudan University, Shanghai, China
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L.T. developed the basic outline of the article and organized most of the secondary research. B.L and K.S. along with L.T. provided practical examples from their respective roles as an academic (B.L.), US biotech CEO (K.S.) and founder of a global clinical CRO (L.T.).
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L.T. is the founder and chairman of Caidya. K.S. is chairman, president and CEO of Candid Therapeutics. B.L. is the founder and chairman of 4B Technologies.
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Tumor-infiltrating T cells have been the primary focus of cancer immunotherapy; however, accumulating evidence points to a critical role for B cells and plasma cells in shaping responses to immune checkpoint blockade. In this study, we investigated the humoral immune response in 38 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma treated with neoadjuvant anti-programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) therapy. In responders, defined by more than 50% tumor necrosis, we observed on-treatment enrichment of clonally expanded IgG1+ plasma cells within the tumor. Clonal tracking revealed that anti-PD-1 treatment expanded preexisting B cell clones associated with favorable clinical outcomes. Moreover, serum from responders contained IgG1 antibodies specific to cancer/testis antigens, including NY-ESO-1, and these humoral responses were linked to tumor-reactive T cell activity. We independently validated these findings across seven additional cohorts, encompassing single-cell and bulk sequencing data from 500 patients, spatial transcriptomics from seven patients and survival analyses from 1,582 patients. Our findings apply to recently approved treatments, such as PD-1 and vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A) blockade, but not to chemotherapy alone, suggesting broad relevance to individuals treated with immunotherapy. Collectively, our results demonstrate that PD-1 blockade induces tumor-specific IgG1+ plasma cell responses that complement cellular immunity and contribute to clinical benefit, underscoring a coordinated humoral−cellular axis in effective antitumor immunity.
Immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) has become the backbone in the treatment of numerous types of cancer, although there remain major gaps in mechanistic understanding of what leads to clinical response1,2. ICB primarily targets inhibitory pathways, such as PD-1/programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) and cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen 4 (CTLA-4), that regulate T cell function, thereby enhancing T cell activation, infiltration, cytotoxicity and antitumor immune responses3,4. In addition to T cells, ICB also has the potential to modulate other lymphoid and myeloid lineages, including B cells, natural killer (NK) cells and dendritic cells. A robust tumor immune microenvironment response requires the coordination of several immune cell types to activate cytotoxic tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs)5. Previously, we described intratumoral niches containing mature dendritic cells and CXCL13+ helper T cells, leading to a coordinated clonal expansion of granzyme K+ and PD-1+ effector-like CD8+ T cells in ICB responders with early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)6.
In several cancers, infiltrating plasma cells (PCs) and B cells carry strong prognostic significance and have emerged as potential predictors of response to immune checkpoint inhibitors7,8,9. Moreover, they can perform a variety of functions, including antigen presentation and antibody production, which enable them to support both T cell responses and innate mechanisms such as complement activation and opsonization of cancer antigens7. Tumor-associated B cells have been shown to play a crucial role in melanoma inflammation and have been associated with response to ICB therapy10. Intratumoral B cells and PCs identified by single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) showed predictive association with overall survival to PD-L1 blockade, independently of intratumoral CD8+ T cells and PD-L1 expression11. Additionally, these cells can also be present in tertiary lymphoid structures (TLSs), which may contribute to their differentiation into immunoglobulin-secreting plasma cells11,12. These TLSs, particularly those with mature organization with T cells and PCs surrounding germinal center class-switching B cells, have been associated with clinical benefit in multiple studies13.
Although a predictive association between PCs and overall survival in patients treated with anti-PD-1 or anti-PD-L1 (PD-(L)1) therapy blockade has been established, the underlying intricate mechanisms (clonal composition and dynamics, isotype and subclass usage and specificity) driving this association are poorly understood, and no study to date has demonstrated the ability of PD-(L)1 blockade to induce or potentiate humoral antitumor immunity7,14. Furthermore, B cells represent a highly heterogenous and diverse population, and the specific subset of B cells or PCs that might be most important for effective antitumor immunity has not been clearly elucidated.
In the present study, we investigated B cells and PCs during ICB responses with neoadjuvant anti-PD-1 therapy, with or without radiation, in HCC. We used bulk, single-cell and B cell receptor (BCR) RNA sequencing to assess longitudinal dynamics and isotype and clonal expansion in tumor and normal tissues as well as lymph nodes. Responders showed tumor-enriched IgG1 class switching, PC differentiation and clonal expansion after ICB, whereas non-responders accumulated dysfunctional memory B cells. The findings were validated in independent cohorts treated with PD-1, PD-L1, CTLA-4 or VEGF-A blockade. Baseline and tumor-enriched IgG1 PCs correlated with clinical response, and elevated circulating IgGs against cancer/testis antigens (CTAs) suggested humoral antitumor immunity in responders after ICB15,16,17.
To test the hypothesis that B cells or PCs have a key role during immunotherapy and treatment response, we examined specimens from eight sets of independent clinical trial cohorts: two newly generated datasets from our own investigator-initiated trials in patients with HCC treated with neoadjuvant PD-1 blockade, with or without radiation, for discovery and validation, respectively. We also analyzed published datasets of a combination of PD-1, PD-L1, CTLA-4 and VEGF-A blockade, including large cohorts such as IMbrave150 and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) (Fig. 1a). No sex-associated differences were observed in any of the analyzed outcomes, consistent with the balanced representation of male and female patients in the cohort.
a, Overview of cohorts analyzed in this study. The discovery cohort (D1) consisted of 38 patients (27 patients with HCC treated with anti-PD-1 and 11 untreated patients with HCC). Seven additional validation cohorts were included. Across all cohorts (D1 and V2), data types encompassed pretreatment and posttreatment samples from 48 in-house and 131 external patients, including bulk and single-cell RNA-seq, BCR-seq, mIHC, spatial transcriptomics, seromics (autoantibody panel), ELISpot and ELISAs. Certain validation cohorts included additional therapeutic contexts—for example, V7 included cabozantinib, a multi-tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI). b, Uniform manifold approximation and projection (UMAP) plots showing the integrated analysis of 1.2 million cells from 38 patients and the reclustering of 50,000 B cells and PCs. Clusters are colored by cell type/state. Annotation was based on canonical B cell and PC markers together with differentially expressed genes. c, Top, tumor enrichment scores for 27 patients, comparing tumor versus adjacent normal tissue using Wilcoxon rank tests with FDR correction. Box plots show medians, interquartile ranges (IQRs) (Q1–Q3), whiskers (≤1.5× IQR) and outliers. Bottom, dot plot of canonical and top differentially expressed genes per cluster, identified by Wilcoxon tests. The adjacent panel shows enrichment of each cluster in normal (light blue) versus tumor (orange); circle size represents statistical significance. d,e, Box plots (as defined above) showing tissue-specific enrichment of clusters between responders (R; dark blue, n = 8) and non-responders (NR; dark red, n = 19). Proportions were estimated using Dirichlet regression; log-transformed fold change (log2FC) significance was assessed using log-likelihood tests and Benjamini−Hochberg-adjusted P values. Color indicates log2FC; circle size reflects adjusted P value. The y axis indicates percent of cells. f,g, Principal component analysis of bulk RNA-seq showing variance explained by each principal component and sample separation in PC1 and PC2, colored by response category and timepoint (pre/post). h, Box plot showing baseline IgG1 expression, higher in responders (n = 4) than in non-responders (n = 8), with increases after treatment in responders (P = 3 × 10−3, left-sided Wilcoxon test) and no significant change in non-responders (P = 0.8). i, Volcano plot showing differential expression between responders and non-responders on-treatment (x axis: log2FC; y axis: –log10P value). j, GSVA scoring of four single-cell-derived signatures projected into bulk showing increased PC signature after treatment in responders (P < 0.05, two-sided Wilcoxon). Data represent 12 patients (4 responders and 8 non-responders). DC, dendritic cell; GSVA, gene set variation analysis; ILC, innate lymphoid cell; PC1/2, principal component 1/2.
First, we profiled approximately 30,000 B cells and PCs derived from 1.2 million single-cell transcriptomes of the tumor microenvironment, uninvolved adjacent liver and the draining lymph nodes resected from 38 patients with early-stage HCC of the discovery cohort18. Of these, 27 patients received neoadjuvant ICB in the form of an anti-PD-1 blocking antibody, and 11 were untreated controls (Extended Data Fig. 1a,b). We resolved six distinct B cell states (naive, memory, activated, class-switched, class-unswitched and atypical) alongside plasmablasts and three PC populations with discrete transcriptional programs (Fig. 1b). Naive B cells were characterized by the expression of IGHD and CD19 and were decreased in tumor compared to adjacent tissue (false discovery rate (FDR) < 0.05); memory B cells showed MYC, CD69 and NR4A1 associated with an activation phenotype and with tumor enrichment, whereas PCs were characterized by MZB1 and JCHAIN (Fig. 1c). Naive B cells dominated the B cell fraction of the immune cells across the tissue compartments, followed by memory B cells, relative to total B cells and PCs (Extended Data Fig. 1c–f). As expected, canonical and cluster-specific genes were expressed in more than 70% of cells (Extended Data Fig. 1g,h). Pathological responses to neoadjuvant PD-1 were defined as more than 50% necrosis of tumor at the time of surgery, followed by differential cell abundance showing an enrichment of all PC phenotypes in the tumor among ICB responders (FDR < 0.05), which was not as pronounced in adjacent uninvolved liver (Fig. 1d,e). Conversely, non-responders were enriched in unswitched memory B cells in tumor (FDR < 0.05) but less so in normal tissues (Fig. 1d,e).
We hypothesized that skewing of IgG1-producing PCs is linked to clinical response, given their overrepresentation in single-cell data from responders (Extended Data Fig. 1i). To test this, we used complementary bulk RNA-seq of paired pretreatment biopsies and posttreatment resected tumors from the discovery cohort. Principal component analysis showed that gene expression profiles were markedly different between responders and non-responders (Fig. 1f,g and Extended Data Fig. 1j–k).
In posttreatment tumors, IGHG1 emerged as one of the top upregulated genes. Its expression was already elevated in pretreatment samples from responders and increased significantly after therapy, whereas it remained unchanged or decreased in non-responders (FDR < 0.01; Fig. 1h,i). Projection of the single-cell signatures onto bulk data emphasized the increase of PCs in responders (FDR < 0.01) (Fig. 1j). Thus, these results suggest that skewing toward an IgG1 signature may exist at baseline (pretreatment) in anti-PD-1 responders, which was significantly amplified after ICB treatment and was highly associated with response.
Using a combination of BCR-seq with scRNA-seq, we investigated clonal expansion and immunoglobulin isotype (Fig. 2a). We found that plasmablasts and PCs were largely of the IgG1 and IgG2 subclass (FDR < 0.01), whereas other memory and naive B cells were an admixture of IgM, IgD, IgA and, to a much lesser degree, the other IgG subclasses (Fig. 2b, top). When stratifying by ICB response, IgG1 and IgG2 PCs were almost exclusive to responders, whereas IgM, IgA and IgD dominated in non-responders (Fig. 2b, bottom, and Extended Data Fig. 2a,b). Irrespective of ICB response, 26% of total B cells and PCs were expanded (more than one cell per clone) (Extended Data Fig. 2d,e). Responders exhibited marked intratumoral IgG1+ PC and plasmablast expansion, unlike non-responders, who showed memory B cell expansion (Fig. 2c–e and Extended Data Fig. 2c,f,g). IGHG1, MZB1, JCHAIN and XBP1 were among the top genes enriched in clonally expanded cells from responders (Fig. 2f). In responders, clonally expanded cells were enriched for IgG1+ PCs, whereas non-expanded cells expressed MS4A1 (encoding CD20) (Fig. 2g). Together, these data suggest a tumor-specific clonal expansion of IgG1 antibody-producing cells in ICB responders.
a, Flowchart illustrating Ig isotype mapping for 37,000 single B cells, including 30,000 cells with paired BCR-seq and 7,000 additional cells mapped via gene-expression-based inference. Bottom panels show correlations between isotype assignments from gene expression and scBCR-seq for the 30,000 cells with paired data. b, Stacked bar plots showing isotype composition per sample and per patient. Multiple samples per patient were sequenced to ensure reproducibility. Single-cell BCR-seq data include six patients with HCC treated with ICB (two responders and four non-responders). Using scRNA-seq-based isotype inference, the analysis was expanded to 8 responders and 14 non-responders. The y axis represents the proportion of cells (0–1). Consistent across BCR-seq and scRNA-seq-rescued isotypes, PC clusters are enriched for IgG1/IgG2, whereas naive and memory B cell clusters predominantly express IGHM and IGHA (bottom bar plots and pie charts). c, Volcano plot showing Dirichlet regression comparing responder and non-responder frequencies across clusters and isotypes (from both scRNA-seq and scBCR-seq). The log-transformed fold changes and P values were obtained from log-likelihood tests; adjusted P values were computed using Benjamini−Hochberg correction. PCs and IgG1/IgG2 responses are significantly enriched in responders. d, Box plot (as defined in Fig. 1c) showing increased IgG1+ PC representation in tumor tissue of responders with available BCR-seq. Ratios were estimated using Dirichlet regression with log-likelihood testing. e, Stacked bar plot of expanded clones per cluster, defining expansion as two or more cells per clonotype. Expansion occurs specifically in PCs of responders. f, Differential expression (two-sided Wilcoxon test, Benjamini−Hochberg adjusted) comparing expanded clones in responders versus non-responders. IGHG1, MZB1, JCHAIN and XBP1 are associated with clinical response. g, Differential expression comparing expanded versus non-expanded cells in responders shows expansion-associated upregulation of IGHG1, MZB1, JCHAIN and XBP1, whereas non-expanded cells upregulate LTB, MS4A1, CD52 and IRF8 (Benjamini−Hochberg adjusted). h, Box plots showing clonal sizes after filtering for shared CDR3 sequences within clonotypes and clusters across 27 patients. Clonal sizes increase for IgG1, IgG2, IgA and IgM in both B and plasma compartments (two-sided Wilcoxon test). i, Clonal sizes of expanded (≥2 cell) clones from bulk BCR-seq in two responders and non-responders show increased IgG1 expansion in responders. LN, lymph node.
Next, we investigated whether B cell differentiation and clonal expansion occur at the primary tumor site or in draining lymph nodes. In lymph nodes, IgM was the dominant isotype (Extended Data Fig. 2h). Although unique CDR3 sequence overlap among lymph node, tumor and adjacent liver samples was limited within individual patients (Extended Data Fig. 2i), clonal tracking revealed significantly larger IgG1+ and IgG2+ tumor PC clones in responders compared to non-responders (FDR < 0.01; Fig. 2h). The shared CDR3 clonotypes across cellular compartments (lymph node, naive, B memory and plasmablast/PC) revealed that clonally expanded cells with the same CDR3 sequence could be found at the lymph node as well as the tumor site (Fig. 2i and Supplementary Table 1), thus suggesting trafficking of these expanded clones between the tumor and the draining lymph node. Further inspection of the bulk sequencing data validated the expansion of IGHG1 phenotype, including evidence of the same CDR3 barcodes before and after treatment in both responders and non-responders (Extended Data Fig. 2j).
Using multiplex immunohistochemistry (mIHC) and computational tools19, we examined the spatial distribution of the B cells (CD20+), PCs (MZB1+) and other immune cells in the tumor and adjacent liver in 17 mIHC biopsies (6 responders and 11 non-responders) from our discovery cohort. We observed that among anti-PD-1 responders, the MZB1+ PCs were highly infiltrative throughout the tumor parenchyma compared to the PCs in non-responders (Fig. 3a,b). Next, we used a radial binning approach to define cell communities or immune aggregates in an unsupervised fashion (Fig. 3c). Here, responders showed enrichment of CD3+CD8+ T cells, CD68+ macrophages and MZB1+ PCs. Conversely, CD20+ B cells were found within the lymphoid aggregates or within the stromal compartment of the tumor rather than admixed with tumor parenchyma, reinforcing PC expansion as a hallmark of effective ICB response (Fig. 3d).
a, Representative examples showing increased PC infiltration in responders compared to non-responders, quantified as the percentage of PCs within unsupervised neighborhood regions derived from mIHC images. P, patient. b, Box plots (as defined in Fig. 1c) comparing PC infiltration scores between responders (n = 6) and non-responders (n = 10), shown both per patient and as averaged scores across regions (P < 0.05, two-sided Wilcoxon rank test). The left plot displays individual regions per patient; the right plot summarizes patient-level averages across 16 total patients. c, Unsupervised identification of immune cell aggregates from mIHC using a spatial enrichment analysis. A radial gradient approach quantifies local immune communities by evaluating up to three markers within a 10-µm distance (approximately one cell diameter) from a reference cell. Community size is estimated by the area captured within the radial gradient. d, Spatial enrichment of immune populations within aggregates in responders versus non-responders. Responders show increased PCs (MZB1+), cytotoxic T cells (CD3+CD8+) and macrophages (CD68+), whereas non-responders show higher levels of B cells (CD20+) and regulatory T (Treg) cells (CD3+CD8−FOXP3+). e, Schematic of spatial transcriptomics integration using an autoencoder-based framework to cluster spatial spots. f, Spot clustering results identifying 13 spatial clusters across approximately 17,000 spots from seven patients (four responders and three non-responders). g, Enrichment of responder-associated clusters and top markers per most abundant cluster for each patient, demonstrating sample-level concordance between spatial clusters and biological phenotypes. h, Top pathways associated with each spatial cluster, highlighting cellular, molecular and functional programs tied to distinct microenvironmental niches. i, Box plots (as in Fig. 1c) showing cluster-level enrichment patterns stratified by clinical response. Responders exhibit higher representation of plasma, T cell and myeloid-associated clusters, whereas non-responders are enriched for regulatory and dysfunctional phenotypes. Statistical significance was assessed with a two-sided Wilcoxon rank test across seven patients (four responders and three non-responders). j, Canonical cell markers enriched per cluster, confirming the identity of dominant immune and stromal populations defining each spatial niche. ECM, extracellular matrix.
Next, we applied an single-cell variational inference-based autoencoder to integrate the spatial transcriptome cohort3 and then used CellCharter to identify spatial clusters constituted by multiple cell types (Fig. 3e,f). In ICB responders, we saw a marked enrichment of IgG1+ PCs confined to an immune-rich T cell/B cell/vascular fibroblast hybrid niche, with significant upregulation of IL-4 and IL-13 signaling (Fig. 3g,h). Pathway analysis of these clusters revealed a pro-BCR/TCR signaling hub, marked by MZB1, IL2RG, FCER2, PRDM1 and CD79A, consistent with a highly immunogenic, PC-driven microenvironment (Fig. 3h,i). By contrast, non-responders harbored focal accumulations of CD27+ memory and dysfunctional B cells within fibroinflammatory stromal regions. These niches were accompanied by regulatory T, T helper 17 (TH17) and monocyte signatures, collectively defining an immunosuppressive ‘stromal memory/exhausted B cell reservoir' (Fig. 3g–j).
To validate these findings in an independent cohort18, we analyzed B cells and PCs from patients with HCC treated with neoadjuvant stereotactic radiation followed by anti-PD-1 therapy (biopsy, lymph node, tumor and adjacent normal) (Fig. 1a and Extended Data Fig. 3a–c). In bulk sequencing, differential gene expression between responders and non-responders was most pronounced in pretreatment biopsies and posttreatment tumors but minimal in lymph nodes and adjacent normal tissues (Extended Data Fig. 3d–h). After treatment, total immunoglobulin increased, with responders showing selective IgG1 enrichment (Extended Data Fig. 3i,j). The bulk data also showed an increase in IGHG1, IGHG2 and IGHG3 expression in tumor tissue of responders (Extended Data Fig. 3k). As expected, we observed higher plasmablast and PC levels in responder biopsies (FDR < 0.2) (Extended Data Fig. 3l–n). Interestingly, the increase in IGHG1−IGHG4 and decrease in IGHM were also observed in responders across tissues (FDR < 0.2) (Extended Data Fig. 3o). Clonal size analysis showed that the largest clones were identified in lymph nodes, followed by pretreatment and posttreatment tumor tissue (Extended Data Fig. 3p). Shared clonotypes were observed between all three posttreatment tissue types and pretreatment biopsies (Extended Data Fig. 3q).
Consistent with our findings, validation cohort scRNA-seq revealed significantly enriched plasmablasts in tumor tissue (FDR < 0.05) (Extended Data Fig. 4a). Activated B memory, class-switched and unswitched cells were also enriched in responders' adjacent normal tissues (FDR < 0.05) (Extended Data Fig. 4b). In tumor tissue of responders, there was a minor increase in PCs (FDR < 0.2), whereas, in non-responders, there was a clear increase in B memory cells (FDR < 0.01) (Extended Data Fig. 4c). However, differential expression analysis recapitulated IGHG1 as the top marker of clinical response in both tumor and adjacent liver (Fig. 4a,b). Contrary to our discovery cohort, this independent validation cohort showed similar B cell and PC numbers between adjacent normal and tumor tissue (Extended Data Fig. 4e). Notably, most of the sequenced cells were already clonally expanded (Extended Data Fig. 4f–h). However, once again, the IgG1 isotype dominated across all PC and non-naive B cell phenotypes in tumor tissues of responders, whereas non-responder B cells and PCs were more prevalent for IgM and IgA (Fig. 4c). Regardless of tissue, differential abundance analysis showed that IGHG1 isotype, activated memory B cells, PCs and plasmablasts were associated with response, whereas IgM and IgG2 in memory B cells were enriched in non-responders (Fig. 4d,e). Although clonal expansion sizes were similar between B cells and PCs, tracking shared CDR3 clones revealed greater memory-to-plasma compartment transitions in responders, with exceptionally large IGHG1 clones (Fig. 4f,g). Together, these results show that IgG1 PCs account for more than 50% of total isotypes identified in responders and for less than 30% in non-responders (Fig. 4h).
V2 cohort (radiation + anti-PD-1): a,b, Differential expression analysis of adjacent normal and tumor tissues revealed IGHG1 as the most significant gene associated with response, using a two-sided moderated t-test. c, Tumor heavy-chain isotype composition by cell cluster showed IGHG1 enrichment in responders. d, Differential abundance modeling using Dirichlet regression and log-likelihood testing identified IGHG1+ PC and B cell phenotypes as significantly enriched in responders. e, Box plots (as in Fig. 1c) illustrate the magnitude and heterogeneity of cluster enrichment in responders versus non-responders across 10 patients (four responders and six non-responders), with significant findings at FDR < 0.05 (Benjamini−Hochberg correction). f, Proportions of clonally expanded cells (BCR-seq derived) showed that most cells were expanded in both groups, with no significant difference in overall expansion prevalence. g, Dot plots of shared heavy-chain clonal sizes per patient demonstrated larger IGHG1 clonal expansions in responders. h, Responders showed dominant and expanded IgG1 PC isotypes in both tumor and adjacent normal tissue. V3 cohort (anti-PD-1 and CTLA-4 plus PD-1): i, Heavy-chain isotype analysis confirmed that PC isotypes were predominantly IgG1. j, Box plots comparing pretreatment and posttreatment samples showed that responders increase PC abundance over time, whereas non-responders decrease; memory B cell frequencies remained unchanged (Wilcoxon test). k, Both PD-1 alone and CTLA-4+ PD-1 therapies induced a responder-specific plasma IgG1 signature. V4 cohort (IMbrave150): l, Bulk RNA-seq showed nominal posttreatment increases in CD20 (MS4A1) and MZB1 expression in responders although not statistically significant due to expression heterogeneity (moderated t-test). V5 cohort (anti-PD-1 and anti-VEGF-A): m, Responders receiving VEGF-A blockade in combination with PD-1 therapy also exhibited increased plasma IgG1 abundance relative to non-responders. V6 cohort (multiple treatments in HCC and ICCA): n, Box plots show that HCC samples contain higher PC abundance than ICCA samples and display slower progression times (Wilcoxon test). o, Across samples, disease progression positively correlated with tumor diversity scores and inversely correlated with PC abundance.NA, not available.
To further extend our observations, we analyzed public datasets and found that patients with melanoma who responded to PD-1 with or without CTLA-4 blockade3 also showed expansion of PCs after treatment and a decrease in non-responders, despite a larger non-responder PC compartment before treatment, potentially due to low number of cells in this study (Fig. 4i–k). Furthermore, inspection of the isotype also showed IgG1 enrichment in PCs of responders (Fig. 4i–k and Extended Data Fig. 5e). Next, we validated our findings in advanced HCC treated with anti-PD-1 and anti-VEGF-A therapies in two independent cohorts of unresectable HCC: IMbrave150 (ref. 20) and Cappuyns et al.21 (Fig. 4l,m). In both datasets, responders exhibited a skewing toward the IgG1 isotype, with IgG1 emerging as the dominant subclass. Another independent cohort of patients with HCC and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICCA)22 showed that HCC tumors had a low tumor diversity score, linked to favorable outcomes, whereas ICCA tumors exhibited a high tumor diversity score, linked to a more aggressive phenotype and worse outcomes (6-month survival for ICCA versus 26-month survival for HCC). Notably, HCC samples had greater PC abundance, consistent with better progression-free survival in HCC than in ICCA (Fig. 4n,o). Together, these findings suggest that IgG1 PCs are strongly linked to ICB response.
Given the enrichment of IgG1 PCs in ICB responders, we explored whether these patients potentially generated antitumor antibodies detectable in the patients' serum. Thus, we investigated serum samples collected before and during treatment from our discovery cohort, testing against a panel of 20 tumor-associated antigens. This panel included common CTAs, mutational antigens and stem-cell-associated antigens. A higher proportion of responders (63%) exhibited antitumor IgG antibodies in their serum compared to non-responders (17%), with the IgG antibodies primarily belonging to the IgG1 subclass and targeting CTAs such as MAGE-A, GAGE7, PRAME and NY-ESO-1 (Fig. 5a,b). These data suggest that responders with circulating IgG antibodies against CTAs generally had higher titers than non-responders. Conversely, IgG titers in non-responders were less dynamic, showing minimal changes after anti-PD-1 treatment. IgG1 antibodies targeting CTAs can enhance antigen presentation by antigen-presenting cells and potentially prime CD8+ T cells through immune complexes and cross-presentation23,24.
a,b, Pie chart and bar plots showing that antibodies against cancer-associated antigens are predominantly enriched in responders compared to non-responders, respectively. c,d, ELISpot analysis of IFNγ-secreting cells in response to varying effector-to-target (E:T) ratios. The left panel shows wells with decreasing numbers of spots from top to bottom, corresponding to different ratios (1:1 and 5:1) for two conditions, indicating the frequency of cytokine-producing cells. The right panels represent different experimental conditions or treatments, with each row representing different replicates or conditions. Darker and more numerous spots indicate higher frequencies of cells secreting IFNγ. e, Similarly, a broader characterization using seromics indicates increased abundance of autoantibodies against CTAs in responders compared to non-responders. f, Number of antigens enriched between responders and non-responders. g, Analysis of 16 patients (8 responders and 8 non-responders) showed that an enrichment of antibodies against CTA, tumor-associated antigen (Tu/AutoAg) and other antigens was also higher in responders. Specifically, comparisons of CTA-specific IgG and IgA levels between responders and non-responders showed statistically significant differences (P = 0.04 and P = 0.01, respectively), as determined by the Wilcoxon rank-sum test and visualized by box plots (same definition as in Fig. 1c). h, Box plots (same definition as in Fig. 1c) showing the CTA gene expression signature divided by timepoint (pre or post) and clinical response (responders and non-responders); paired t-test and Wilcoxon rank test were used to estimate the significance between both groups; only paired t-test results are shown in the figure. i,j, The increase in autoantibodies against CTAs in responders, specifically in the IgG1 and IgA isotypes, was assessed using a heatmap to visualize relative abundance patterns across samples, violin plots to display the distribution and variability of antibody levels and quantile−quantile (Q−Q) plots to evaluate deviations from normality and highlight differences in distribution between responders and non-responders. KS, Kolmogorov–Smirnov test; NS, not significant; P/I, phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) and ionomycin positive control.
Next, to investigate T cell responses, we performed an ELISpot assay with CD8+ T cells isolated from pretreatment and on-treatment peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), resected tumors and draining lymph nodes with detectable NY-ESO-1 antibodies. The responder's CD8+ T cells showed significant IFNγ, whereas the CD8+ T cells from the non-responder, who had predominantly IgA, showed only minimal reactivity (Fig. 5c,d). Notably, the responder had circulating NY-ESO-1 antibodies before ICB treatment, but IFNγ production by CD8+ T cells was observed only in on-treatment samples, suggesting that antitumor B cell response may precede T cell response, as in previous reports23,24.
To assess if serum autoantibodies target cancer antigens more than other autoimmune targets, we performed seromic profiling (IgG and IgA against approximately 20,000 antigens, including 186 CTAs; Supplementary Table 1) on 32 paired pretreatment and posttreatment samples from a discovery HCC neoadjuvant PD-1 cohort (8 responders and 8 non-responders). We observed that IgG autoantibodies and, to a lesser extent, IgA were enriched for CTAs in responders compared to non-responders (Fig. 5e).
Surprisingly, reactivity to CTA was enriched for response, as antibodies detected to another approximately 400 other known non-CTA tumor antigens (including p53) had similar prevalence in responders and non-responders for IgG and IgA (Fig. 5f). Notably, almost all antigen-specific antibodies were unique to individual patients and were found before treatment and after treatment, although some increases in reactivity were noted after treatment (Extended Data Fig. 4i,j). Looking in individual samples, only CTA-specific antibodies showed a significant increase with clinical benefit in total number of reactivities (on average, 2−3 hits in responders versus 0−1 hits in non-responders) (Fig. 5g). In parallel, we did not observe correlation between gene expression of CTAs and autoantibodies, suggesting that immunogenicity is more important than expression alone (Fig. 5h). Finally, the increase in autoantibodies against CTAs in responders (P < 0.05) in IgG was identified as specific for CTAs compared to IgA, autoantigens and other antigens (Fig. 5i,j). Together, these results support the notion that antibody production and reactivity against CTAs are indicators of clinical response to ICB, in parallel to an increase of IgG1 PCs.
To explore the relevance of IgG1 PC expression in patient survival, we used independent immunotherapy clinical trials (approximately 1,500 patients)25,26,27. Notably, high IGHG1 expression was associated with improved overall survival in multiple datasets, including skin cutaneous melanoma (SKCM) (TCGA)25 and POPLAR26 and OAK26 trials (patients with NSCLC treated with anti-PD-L1) (Fig. 6a). Notably, non-immunotherapy trials showed no effect of IGHG1 on survival (lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC) and liver hepatocellular carcinoma (LIHC)). These results indicate that chemotherapy-treated cancers have no clear link between clinical response and IGHG1.
a, Kaplan−Meier survival analysis from TCGA and clinical trial cohorts (POPLAR and OAK) stratified by high versus low IgG1 expression levels across multiple cancer types (SKCM, LUSC and LIHC). High IgG1 expression is associated with improved survival in several contexts (log-rank P values shown). OS, overall survival. b, Cell−cell interaction contribution scores for each cell type, highlighting plasma IgG1 cells as major contributors in responders. Bar plot shows interaction weight ratios (R/NR) per interaction pathway, color coded by interaction strength. cDC1/2, conventional type 1/2 dendritic cells; HSC, hematopoietic stem cells; MAIT, mucosal-associated invariant T cells; TFH, follicular helper T cells. c,d, Top cell−cell interactions enriched in responders (blue) and non-responders (red), based on ligand−receptor analysis. Arrows indicate the directionality and magnitude of cell type interactions, with plasma IgG1 cells and myeloid compartments prominently engaged in responders. e, Trajectory analysis and differential expression overlap between responders and non-responders showing genes significantly changing between compartments and between responders and non-responders (FDR < 0.05 and Moran's I > 0.5, estimated using two-sided Wilcoxon rank test and the Monocle 3 pseudotime package). f, Line plots showing the pseudobulk normalized median expression of RRBP1, CXCR4, ERN1 and IGHG1 along the trajectory path traced using the Monocle 3 algorithm and Moran's I statistical tests (FDR < 0.05 and Moran's I > 0.5 were estimated in e using two-sided Wilcoxon rank test and Monocle 3 pseudotime package). g, RNA trajectories build using either responders (blue) or non-responders (red) showing that responders differentiate mostly in activated and switched B cells leading to plasmablasts and PCs, whereas non-responders have higher pseudotime scores in atypical and memory B cells. Trj., trajectory.
Finally, we evaluated the immune cell contributions in cell−cell communication networks. IgG1 PCs, alongside specific macrophage and T cell subsets, were key drivers of interaction strength in responders (Fig. 6b). Responders showed stronger interaction scores among IgG1 PCs, plasmacytoid dendritic cells and macrophages, whereas non-responders had enriched interactions involving monocytes, regulatory T cells, NK cells and immature dendritic cells (Fig. 6c,d). These findings suggest IgG1-skewed PCs foster a favorable immunogenic microenvironment through enhanced immunostimulatory signaling, potentially improving immunotherapy outcomes. We also identified key pathways potentially driving plasma IgG1 differentiation, including IL-6, TNF, MK, CD70, BTLA, MIF, BAG and CypA, which were enriched as both incoming and outgoing signals (FDR < 0.05) (Extended Data Fig. 5a–d and Supplementary Table 2).
By integrating these signaling results with differential gene expression and pseudotime analysis, we identified genes strongly associated with clinical outcomes. Responders showed higher expression of genes related to PC differentiation, such as ERN1 and RRBP1, whereas non-responders showed increased CXCR4 (Fig. 6e,f and Supplementary Table 2). These patterns suggest that ICB induces B cell activation and class switching, leading to plasmablast expansion and differentiation into IgG1-secreting PCs (Fig. 6f,g). By contrast, non-responders accumulate fewer diverse memory cells, atypical B cells and non-IgG1 PCs. In summary, we identified critical gene programs that support sustained B cell activation and plasma IgG1 differentiation, both of which are associated with favorable clinical response.
Although ICB is a cornerstone of cancer therapy, its effect on humoral immunity is not well understood. The presence of intratumoral B cells is strongly associated with positive ICB responses across various cancers14, but the specificity of these cells to tumor antigens and the mechanisms driving this benefit remain unclear28,29. We found that clinical responders were enriched in IgG1 PCs, which have high antitumor potential, similar to findings in colorectal cancer30. We observed a dynamic, tumor-specific differentiation of these IgG1 PCs, which were present at baseline and expanded upon ICB treatment. Conversely, non-responders had an abundance of naive and memory B cells, phenotypes that can contribute to cancer progression31,32,33. These data suggest that different B cell phenotypes are recruited to the tumor or lymph nodes12,34, and improper differentiation can worsen outcomes35,36,37,38. This is supported by observations that antigen-specific B cells differentiating into PCs are associated with improved ICB outcomes39,40,41.
The presence and expansion of circulating IgG1 antibodies against CTAs in responders further suggests a dynamic, antigen-driven adaptive immune response. We hypothesize that these antibodies enhance T cell induction through cross-priming23,24, which aligns with previous findings where CTA seropositivity correlates with ICB benefit15,16,17,42,43 despite being linked to worse prognosis44,45,46. Although both responders and non-responders have preexisting tumor-specific clonotypes, only responders show significant clonal expansion with immunotherapy. Correspondingly, PCs in responders heavily infiltrate the tumor parenchyma, mimicking CD8+ T cells, whereas infiltration in non-responders is sparse. These findings suggest that PCs in responders have active effector functions and that CTA-targeted therapies, such as vaccines combined with ICB, could be a promising strategy to stimulate these beneficial IgG1 responses47. Combined, these findings suggest that PCs of responders have active effector function compared to other subsets of B cells.
The B cells and PCs present in the tumor or adjacent tissues in non-responders had a diverse immunoglobulin repertoire, including IgA, IgG1−IgG4 and IgM without specific isotype enrichment, whereas, on the contrary, responders had an enrichment of IgG1 PCs and plasmablasts. Interestingly, studies have associated IgA plasmablasts derived from reprogramming by cancer-associated fibroblasts to be linked with poor clinical outcomes48. However, we noted that, in responders, not only was there a skewing toward IgG1 at baseline, but there was also an amplification of preexisting matching CDR3 IgG1 cells after immunotherapy compared to their abundance in biopsies taken prior to treatment. The expansion of plasma IgG1 effector cells is potentially associated with immunotherapy induced type I interferon responses49. Together, these findings suggest that an IgG1 PC signature may serve as an important pretreatment biomarker. Moreover, the observed increase in IgG1 abundance after ICB indicates that this dynamic change is strongly associated with a favorable response to therapy. Incorporating these insights into current treatment strategies could involve promoting B cell differentiation toward IgG1-producing PCs by targeting pathways identified in this study, such as IL6, TNF, RRBP1, ERN1 and CD70 signaling. Therapeutic agents such as IL-6 agonists or TNF pathway activators warrant exploration as potential means to enhance IgG1 skewing, thereby potentially improving the efficacy of ICB.
A potential mechanism that favors the survival and expansion of plasma IgG1 involves the CyPA and Midkine signaling pathways, which help inhibit IL-6 degradation and promote survival through CD74, respectively50,51. In combination with proinflammatory conditions due to stimulation from myeloid cells through MIF, GAS, CXCL and Complement, IgG1-secreting PCs may be sustained during antitumoral response52,53. Elegant in vitro studies congruent with our trajectory analysis have emphasized the importance of sustained signaling of PCs and stimulation of ERN1 to achieve clinical response54,55. We observed significant clonal expansion after combination of radiation and ICB, suggesting that Ig-secreting PCs survived the radiation treatment, which was also reported to be associated with activation of ERN1 and XBP1 genes56.
These findings from patients with liver cancer treated with neoadjuvant ICB mirror observations in patients with advanced melanoma or NSCLC3 treated with PD-1 with or without CTLA-4 inhibitors from TGCA-SKCM25, POPLAR26 and OAK27 cohorts (immunotherapy as frontline). By contrast, cancers where chemotherapy is frontline are not associated with the IgG1 PC phenotype (TCGA-LUSC and TCGA-LIHC). The association between IgG1 skewing and improved survival across different tumor types underscores the broader implications of our results in guiding immunotherapy strategies34,57,58,59. The dominance of IgG1 subclass antibodies and their correlation with T cell activation highlights the interplay between humoral and cellular immune responses in mediating antitumor immunity. Overall, our study provides insights into the key role of B cell and PC responses in antitumor immunity and in response to ICB therapy, offering potential biomarkers for treatment stratification, and supports the hypothesis that tumor-specific humoral immunity is involved in ICB response. Further exploration of these mechanisms may facilitate the development of more effective immunotherapeutic strategies that further harness the role of the humoral immune system in antitumor immunity.
A shortcoming of our study was small pretreatment biopsy sizes, restricting comprehensive immune tumor microenvironment analysis and allowing only bulk sequencing before ICB. Low cell and patient numbers from single-cell sequencing, limited clonal tracking to unique CDR3 regions and unverified antigen specificity of clonally expanded PCs were additional constraints. For instance, in the radiation plus cemiplimab (PD-1) cohort, PCs were abundant in non-responders but lacked clear IgG1 signatures seen in responders. However, we aimed to overcome these limitations by integrating multiple approaches and cohorts that consistently linked increased IgG1 PC phenotype to posttreatment clinical response.
Discovery cohort (D1). Early-stage HCC lesions and matched non-involved liver specimens were surgically resected after two doses of cemiplimab (ClinicalTrials.gov registration: NCT03916627; cohort B1) or 2−4 doses of nivolumab. Patients across all HCC etiologies responded to ICB, defined as ≥50% tumor necrosis by pathological examination18.
Validation cohort (V2). Early-stage HCC lesions and matched non-involved liver specimens were treated with stereotactic body radiotherapy ((SBRT) 8 Gy × three fractions) followed by two doses of cemiplimab prior to surgery. These patients were subsequently surgically resected after two doses of cemiplimab. Patients across all HCC etiologies responded to ICB, defined as ≥50% tumor necrosis by pathological examination18 (NCT03916627; cohort B2).
Biopsies and tumor tissues from D1 and V2 cohorts were obtained from these patients undergoing surgical resection at Mount Sinai Hospital, after obtaining informed consent in accordance with a protocol reviewed and approved by the institutional review board (IRB) at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (IRB 18-00407).
Validation cohort (V3), Sade-Feldman et al.3. Patients with metastatic melanoma provided written informed consent for the collection of tissue and blood samples for research and genomic profiling, as approved by the Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center IRB (DF/HCC protocol 11-181) and The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (IRB LAB00-063 and 2012-0846). Tumor samples (n = 48) were obtained from 32 patients at baseline and/or after checkpoint therapy. Checkpoint blockade therapy used antibodies targeting CTLA-4, PD-1 or PDL-1 (database of Genotypes and Phenotypes (dbGaP) study accession numbers phs001680.v1.p1 and PRJNA489548).
Validation cohort (V4), IMbrave150 (ref. 20): a phase 3, open-label, randomized study of atezolizumab in combination with bevacizumab compared to sorafenib in patients and untreated locally advanced or metastatic HCC. This study evaluated the efficacy and safety of atezolizumab in combination with bevacizumab compared to sorafenib in participants with locally advanced or metastatic HCC who have received no prior systemic treatment. The participants were randomized in a 2:1 ratio to one of the two treatment arms: arm A (experimental arm): atezolizumab + bevacizumab; arm B (control arm): sorafenib (NCT03434379).
Validation cohort (V5), Cappuyns et al.21. This cohort was from the University Hospitals Leuven in Leuven, Belgium. Single-cell transcriptomics was used to characterize the intratumoral and peripheral immune context of patients with advanced HCC treated with atezolizumab + bevacizumab. Both blood and tumor tissue were evaluated (EGAS00001007547).
Validation cohort (V6), Ma et al.22. This cohort consists of individuals aged 18 years or older diagnosed with gastrointestinal cancers, including throat, stomach, gallbladder, liver, pancreatic or colon cancer, who are scheduled for treatment at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Clinical Center. Participants will undergo a screening process involving a physical examination and medical history, provide a baseline blood sample and contribute additional blood samples at 2 months and 4 months after baseline as well as at the completion of their treatment, across 1−4 NIH visits. They will also provide tumor tissue samples if they undergo cancer-related surgery, with no treatment provided as part of this study, which focuses on analyzing their immune system's response to the cancer through these samples. The data are available at the Sequence Read Archive (SRA) repository: GSE151530 (NCT01313442).
Validation cohort (V7), Zhang et al.60. This cohort consists of data from the tumor microenvironment in HCC resection specimens from a prospective clinical trial of neoadjuvant cabozantinib, a multi-tyrosine kinase inhibitor that primarily blocks VEGFR2, and nivolumab, a PD-1 inhibitor in which five out of 15 patients were found to have a pathologic response at the time of resection. However, only four responders and three non-responders had data available. The data are available at the SRA repository: GSE238264 (NCT03299946).
Validation cohort (V8)25,26,27. Multiple cohorts with available overall survival data were evaluated with survival analysis. These cohorts include TCGA cohorts25. Data were accessed via the Genomic Data Commons (https://portal.gdc.cancer.gov) and https://www.cancer.gov/tcga. Furthermore, we also investigated the cohorts POPLAR and OAK from NCT01903993 and NCT02008227, respectively.
ELISA was used to detect and quantify circulating IgG antibodies to known tumor antigens, as previously described. In brief, plasma samples were analyzed by low-volume semiautomated ELISA for seroreactivity to a panel of recombinant protein antigens (NY-ESO-1, p53, SOX2, HORMAD1, ERG, DHFR, PRAME, WT1, MELAN-A, SURVIVIN, UBTD2, CT47, MAGE-A1, MAGE-A4, SSX4, CT10, SSX2, XAGE, GAGE7 and MAGE-A10). Low-volume 96-well plates were coated overnight at 4 °C with 0.5–1 μg ml−1 antigen and blocked for 2 h at room temperature with PBS containing 5% non-fat milk and 0.1% Tween 20. Plasma was titrated from 1:100 to 1:6,400 in fourfold dilutions and added to blocked and washed 96-well plates. For assay validation and titer calculation, each plate contained positive and negative controls (pool of healthy donor sera). After overnight incubation, plates were extensively washed with PBS 0.2% Tween 20 and rinsed with PBS. Plasma antigen-specific IgG was detected after incubation with alkaline-phosphatase-conjugated goat anti-human IgG (SouthernBiotech, 2040-4, diluted 1:4,500), revelation using AttoPhos substrate and buffer and measurement using a fluorescence reader (BioTek Synergy). By linear regression, a reciprocal titer was calculated for each sample and for each antigen as the predicted or interpolated dilution value at which the titration curve meets a cutoff value7. A positive significant result was defined as reciprocal titers more than 100.
After bead-guided selection, CD8+ T cells were independently cultured with peptide-pulsed, irradiated T-cell-depleted PBMCs (serving as antigen-presenting cells) in RPMI + 10% serum type AB (to avoid potential reactivity) supplemented with IL-2 (10 U ml−1) and IL-7 (20 ng ml−1) twice a week. Cells were assessed for specificity at day 10 of culture for CD8, using autologous antigen-presenting cells pulsed with NY-ESO-1 peptides or controls (influenza nucleoprotein peptide pool or dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO)). The IFNγ ELISpot assay was performed on CD8+ T cells. In brief, 96-well nitrocellulose ELISpot plates (Millipore, MAHA S4510) were coated overnight at 4 °C with 2 μg ml−1 anti-human IFNγ monoclonal antibody (1-D1K) and blocked with 10% human AB serum containing RPMI 1640 for 2 h at 37 °C. Then, 2 × 104 sensitized CD8+ T cells and 2 × 104 peptide-pulsed T-APCs were placed in each well of the ELISpot plate at a final volume of 100 μl of RPMI 1640 medium without serum. After incubation for 22 h at 37 °C in a CO2 incubator, the plate was developed using 0.2 μg ml−1 biotinylated anti-human IFNγ monoclonal antibody (Mabtech, 7-B6-1), 1 μg ml−1 streptavidin-alkaline phosphatase conjugate (Roche Diagnostics) and 5-bromo-4-chloro-3-indolyl phosphate/NBT (Sigma-Aldrich). The number of spots was evaluated using a CTL ImmunoSpot analyzer and software (Cellular Technology Limited). Results are shown as the number of spot-forming cells without subtracting the number of background spots, because the number of spot-forming cells in negative control was fewer than three spots per well in all assays. A positive response with more than 50 spot counts per well as well as spot counts ≥twofold more than background spots obtained with non-pulsed target cells was considered to be significant. The significance was defined descriptively only, if the number of spots observed for NY-ESO-1 in pre, post or lymph node was greater than >2× the number of spots in control DMSO as well as more than 50 spots per 50,000 cells.
Seromics profiling was performed using CDI Labs' HuProt Human Proteome Microarray version 4.0, which includes over 21,000 individually purified full-length human proteins and isoforms, providing comprehensive coverage of more than 80% of the human proteome. The proteins were printed in duplicate pairs on PATH nitrocellulose slides (CDI Labs). Patient sera were diluted 1:500 in Seromics Sample Buffer. Simultaneously, the barcoded HuProt Microarrays were blocked using CDIArrayBlock buffer to minimize non-specific binding. The diluted sera samples were applied to the blocked microarrays and incubated for 1 h at room temperature on a shaker. After incubation, the microarrays underwent a series of washes. Goat Anti-Human IgG Fc Cross-Adsorbed Secondary Antibody DyLight 550 and Goat Anti-Human IgA Chain Alpha Antibody DyLight 650 were applied to the microarrays. These were incubated for 1 h at room temperature on a shaker, followed by additional washes. The microarrays were gently dried and scanned immediately using a GenePix 4300A Microarray Scanner, using GenePix Pro software (Molecular Devices). The resulting images were analyzed with Mapix microarray image acquisition and analysis software (Innopsys), where signal intensities of background and positive and negative control spots were quantified.
Sample preparation: single-cell suspensions from HCC tissues were obtained, as described above. Cell dissociation was achieved using gentleMACS standard dissociation protocol. Samples were broadly enriched for CD45+ cells by fluorescence-activated cell sorting, and these cells were suspended in PBS supplemented with 0.05% BSA. Viability of single cells was assessed using Acridine Orange/Propidium Iodide viability staining reagent (Nexcelom Bioscience), and debris-free suspensions of more than 80% viability were deemed suitable for the experiments. Single-cell RNA-seq was performed using the Chromium platform (10x Genomics) with the 5′ gene expression (5′ GEX) V2 kit, as per the manufacturer's instructions, for a target cell recovery of 10,000 cells per lane. Both gene expression and BCR V(D)J libraries were constructed, according to the manufacturer's instructions. All libraries were quantified via Agilent 2100 hsDNA Bioanalyzer or TapeStation 4200 and KAPA library quantification kit (Roche, 0797014001). Libraries were sequenced at a targeted depth of 25,000 reads per cell for gene expression and 5,000 reads per cell for BCR V(D)J, using the paired-end Illumina NovaSeq S4 300-cycle kit.
Seven HCC samples (cohort V7) profiled using 10x Genomics Visium were integrated using scVI (version 1.3.0). Spatial clustering was performed with CellCharter (version 0.3.3), and differential gene expression analysis was conducted within the scVI framework. For each cluster, canonical immune and HCC-related genes were subjected to pathway enrichment analysis (using gseapy version 1.1.8) to guide annotation. Non-canonical genes were included if uniquely or highly expressed within a specific cluster. Heatmaps of enriched pathways and marker expression profiles were generated for visual comparison.
Seventeen mIHC biopsies (six responders and 11 non-responders) from the discovery cohort (D1) were analyzed to identify TLS-like communities. CD3+, CD8+ and CD20+ cells were used as seeds for community detection. Cells within 10 µm of each other were iteratively connected if positive for any of the three markers, forming spatially contiguous TLS-like communities. Radial density profiles were computed for CD20+, CD3+, CD8+ and MZB1+ cells within each community by defining concentric rings from the centroid—determined via mean shift clustering—to encompass approximately 10% of the effective community area per ring. Marker-specific densities were calculated cumulatively across these rings.
To assess global infiltration of MZB1+ PCs, spatial graphs were constructed using all cell centroids within each tissue section. A k-nearest neighbor (KNN) graph (k = 10) was constructed and partitioned using the Leiden algorithm. The infiltration score for each community was defined as the ratio of MZB1+ cells to the total number of cells within the community. These scores were used to compare PC dispersion between responders and non-responders.
Gene expression reads were aligned to the hg38 reference transcriptome, and count matrices were generated using the default Cell Ranger 2.1 workflow, using the ‘raw' matrix output. After alignment, barcodes matching cells contained more than 200 unique genes and at maximum 1,000 counts. From these cells, those with transcripts more than 25% mitochondrial genes were filtered from downstream analyses. Matrix scaling, logarithmic normalization and batch correction via data alignment through canonical correlation analysis and unsupervised clustering using a KNN graph partitioning approach were performed as previously described. Single-cell clustering was done on the top 2,000−3,000 genes based on the dataset. Immunoglobulin light, heavy and variable chains were excluded from clustering due to their overabundance in PCs and B cells. Differentially expressed genes were identified using the FindMarkers function (Seurat). Mean unique molecular identifiers (UMIs) were imputed to determine logarithmic fold changes in expression between cell states to further the analysis of markers of interest. Gene set enrichment analysis was performed using the Enrichr, Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes databases. Other R packages used include scDissector version 1.0.0, ComplexHeatmap version 2.0, ggplot2 version 3.3.5, tidyverse version 1.0, Matrix version 0.9.8, seriation version 1.3.5, Dream version 1.0, singleR version 1.0, CellChat version 1.0, Dirichlet version 0.9 and immunarch version 1.5. Survival analyses were performed using the survival, survminer and gtsummary R packages. Differential abundance was done using Dirichlet regression modeling strategies. BCR analysis was done using immunarch and Wilcoxon rank test. Reconstruction of BCRs from bulk and single cells was done using TRUST4 and MixCR algorithms. Trajectory analyses were conducted using Monocle 3 and Moran's I index.
Further information on research design is available in the Nature Portfolio Reporting Summary linked to this article.
The following external bulk and single-cell RNA-seq datasets were used for analyses shown in this study: GSE206325, GSE238264, GSE120575, GSE151530 and EGAS00001007547. The data generated by this study are available via Zenodo (https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17393774)61. For additional details, please contact edgar.gonzalez-kozlova@mssm.edu, and we will respond within 48 h.
The analysis code is available at https://github.com/eegk/B_and_Plasma_Cell_Studies. For additional details, please contact edgar.gonzalez-kozlova@mssm.edu, and we will respond within 48 h.
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We thank the patients and their families for participating in our research study and for providing clinical trial and donor specimens. We thank the Biorepository and Pathology CoRE Laboratory of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai for support. We also thank members of the Merad and Gnjatic laboratories for their help and support. This work was supported in part through the computational and data resources and staff expertise provided by Scientific Computing and Data at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and supported by the Clinical and Translational Science Awards grant UL1TR004419 from the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences. The clinical trial (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03916627, cohort B) and part of this project were funded by Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. S.G. was partially supported by National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants CA224319, DK124165 and CA196521. M.M. was partially supported by NIH grants CA257195, CA254104 and CA154947. T.U.M. was partially supported by the Tisch Cancer Institute Cancer Center Support Grant (P30 CA196521).
These authors contributed equally: Edgar Gonzalez-Kozlova, Robert Sweeney, Igor Figueiredo, Kevin Tuballes.
Department of Immunology and Immunotherapy, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
Edgar Gonzalez-Kozlova, Robert Sweeney, Igor Figueiredo, Kevin Tuballes, Sinem Ozbey, Pauline Hamon, Matthew D. Park, Giorgio Ioannou, Yohei Nose, Ruiwei Guo, Paula Restrepo, Mark Buckup, Vladimir Roudko, Clotilde Hennequin, Jessica Le Berichel, Nicholas Venturini, Laszlo Halasz, Leanna Troncoso, Alexandra Tabachnikova, Christie Chang, Amanda Reid, Haley Brown, Theodore Chin, Rafael Cabal, Raphaël Mattiuz, Shingo Eikawa, Diane Marie Del Valle, Tina Ruth Gonsalves, Nelson M. LaMarche, Hajra Jamal, Alona Lansky, Nancy Yi, Daniella Nelson, Jarod Morgenroth-Rebin, Raphael Merand, Bryan Villagomez, Darwin D'Souza, Emir Radkevich, Kai Nie, Zhihong Chen, Stephen C. Ward, Maria Isabel Fiel, Rachel Brody, Parissa Tabrizian, Ganesh Gunasekaran, Alice O. Kamphorst, Noah Cohen, Maria Curotto de Lafaille, Olivia Hapanowicz, Natalie Lucas, Kathy Wu, Myron Schwartz, Seunghee Kim-Schulze, Miriam Merad, Thomas U. Marron & Sacha Gnjatic
Marc and Jennifer Lipschultz Precision Immunology Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
Edgar Gonzalez-Kozlova, Robert Sweeney, Igor Figueiredo, Kevin Tuballes, Sinem Ozbey, Giorgio Ioannou, Yohei Nose, Ruiwei Guo, Paula Restrepo, Mark Buckup, Vladimir Roudko, Clotilde Hennequin, Jessica Le Berichel, Nicholas Venturini, Laszlo Halasz, Leanna Troncoso, Alexandra Tabachnikova, Christie Chang, Amanda Reid, Haley Brown, Theodore Chin, Rafael Cabal, Raphaël Mattiuz, Shingo Eikawa, Diane Marie Del Valle, Tina Ruth Gonsalves, Nelson M. LaMarche, Hajra Jamal, Alona Lansky, Nancy Yi, Daniella Nelson, Jarod Morgenroth-Rebin, Raphael Merand, Bryan Villagomez, Darwin D'Souza, Emir Radkevich, Kai Nie, Zhihong Chen, Stephen C. Ward, Maria Isabel Fiel, Rachel Brody, Parissa Tabrizian, Ganesh Gunasekaran, Alice O. Kamphorst, Noah Cohen, Maria Curotto de Lafaille, Olivia Hapanowicz, Natalie Lucas, Kathy Wu, Myron Schwartz, Seunghee Kim-Schulze, Miriam Merad, Thomas U. Marron & Sacha Gnjatic
Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
Edgar Gonzalez-Kozlova, Robert Sweeney, Igor Figueiredo, Kevin Tuballes, Sinem Ozbey, Giorgio Ioannou, Yohei Nose, Ruiwei Guo, Mark Buckup, Vladimir Roudko, Clotilde Hennequin, Jessica Le Berichel, Nicholas Venturini, Laszlo Halasz, Leanna Troncoso, Alexandra Tabachnikova, Christie Chang, Amanda Reid, Haley Brown, Theodore Chin, Rafael Cabal, Raphaël Mattiuz, Shingo Eikawa, Diane Marie Del Valle, Tina Ruth Gonsalves, Nelson M. LaMarche, Hajra Jamal, Alona Lansky, Nancy Yi, Daniella Nelson, Jarod Morgenroth-Rebin, Raphael Merand, Bryan Villagomez, Darwin D'Souza, Emir Radkevich, Kai Nie, Zhihong Chen, Stephen C. Ward, Maria Isabel Fiel, Rachel Brody, Parissa Tabrizian, Ganesh Gunasekaran, Alice O. Kamphorst, Noah Cohen, Maria Curotto de Lafaille, Olivia Hapanowicz, Natalie Lucas, Kathy Wu, Myron Schwartz, Seunghee Kim-Schulze, Miriam Merad, Thomas U. Marron & Sacha Gnjatic
Human Immune Monitoring Center, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
Hajra Jamal, Alona Lansky, Nancy Yi, Daniella Nelson, Jarod Morgenroth-Rebin, Raphael Merand, Bryan Villagomez, Darwin D'Souza, Emir Radkevich, Kai Nie, Zhihong Chen, Seunghee Kim-Schulze, Miriam Merad & Sacha Gnjatic
Division of Cancer Immunology, Research Institute EPOC, National Cancer Center, Tokyo and Chiba, Japan
Yasuko Tada & Hiroyoshi Nishikawa
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Tarrytown, NY, USA
Nicola James, John C. Lin, Gavin Thurston & Nathalie Fiaschi
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E.G.K. and S.G. led the conceptualization, writing, project management, data analysis and figure generation. R.S. contributed to writing, data analysis, figure generation and assay development. K.T., P.H. and I.F. supported assay execution, data analysis, figure generation and interpretation of results. S.O. and M.P. assisted with data analysis and figure preparation. Y.N. and R.G. contributed to data analysis. Assay development and execution were supported by M.B., V.R., G.I., R.C., S.E., H.J., A.L., N.Y., D.N., J.M., R.M., B.V., D.D., E.R., K.N., Y.T. and H.N. Project management was coordinated by C.H., J.L., L.T., A.T., C.C., A.R., H.B., T.C. and D.M. Writing support was provided by R.M., Z.C., S.W., M.F., R.B., P.T., G.G., N.C., M.L., O.H., K.W., C.L., G.T., M.S. and N.F. S.K.S. contributed to both assay development and writing. M.M., T.M. and S.G. secured funding, conceived the study and contributed to writing, data analysis and figure generation. All authors reviewed and provided feedback on the final manuscript.
Correspondence to
Sacha Gnjatic.
S.G. reports other research funding from Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol Myers Squibb, Celgene, Genentech and Takeda not related to this study. S.G. has served on a scientific advisory board for Taiho Pharmaceuticals. S.G. is a named co-inventor on an issued patent (US20190120845A1) for Multiplexed Immunohistochemical Consecutive Staining on Single Slide (MICSSS), an mIHC technology to characterize tumors and treatment responses that is filed through the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and currently remains unlicensed. M.M. serves on the scientific advisory board of and holds stock from Compugen Inc., Dynavax Inc., Morphic Therapeutic Inc., Asher Bio Inc., Dren Bio Inc., Nirogy Inc., Oncoresponse Inc. and Owkin Inc. M.M. also serves on the scientific advisory board of Innate Pharma Inc., DBV Inc. and Genenta Inc. M.M. receives funding for contracted research from Regeneron and Boerhinger Ingelheim. T.U.M. has served on advisory and/or data safety monitoring boards for Rockefeller University, Regeneron, AbbVie, Bristol Myers Squibb, Boehringer Ingelheim, Atara, AstraZeneca, Genentech, Celldex, Chimeric, Glenmark, Simcere, Surface, G1 Therapeutics, NGMbio, DBV Technologies, Arcus and Astellas and has research grants from Regeneron, Bristol Myers Squibb, Merck and Boehringer Ingelheim. This technology was used to evaluate tissue in this study, and the results could impact the value of this technology. Finally, this study was partially funded by Regeneron. The remaining authors declare no competing interests.
Nature Medicine thanks Zlatko Trajanoski, Changhoon Yoo and the other, anonymous, reviewer(s) for their contribution to the peer review of this work. Primary Handling Editor: Anna Ranzoni, in collaboration with the Nature Medicine team.
Publisher's note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
a. Schematics of the workflow for downstream of cell ranger single cell analysis. b. Table showing the number of patients without treatment, with and without treatment stratified in adjacent normal and tumor tissue. c. Stacked bar plot showing the cluster composition per sample. d. Bar plot showing the landscape of cells per cluster. e, f. UMAP and pie chart showing that 54% of cells corresponded to tumor tissue and 29% of cells belong to patients who responded to therapy, respectively. g. Dot plot showing the percent expressed and average expression levels of canonical genes associated with Plasma and B Cells. In parallel, we show the absence of gene expression associated to non-B/Plasma cells such as CD3, CD4, CD8 and similar. h. Top 10 most expressed genes per cluster. i. Volcano plot showing the significant genes for differential expression between non-responders (NR) in dark red and responders (R) in dark blue. Differential expression was calculated using a two-sided moderate t test through mixed effect models. The top 4 genes based on Log2FC, and percent expressed cells (transparency) are labeled. j. Bulk RNAseq HCC cohort, violin plot showing the percent variance explained associated with patient, infiltration, response and timepoint, ordered from most to least variance explained. k. Principal component analysis of HCC bulk RNAseq data showing the variance explained for each component.
a. Pie chart showing on top the number of patients and cells with available scBCRseq. Bottom shows the number of responder and non-responders. b. Heatmap showing the average log10 expression per isotype for every cluster of cells identified. c. Percent of plasma cell isotypes identified in responder and non-responders in normal tissue; differences did not reach statistical significance. The percent values are shown in the y-axis, while the isotype labels are shown by colors. d. Distribution of clonally expanded B and plasma cells. e. Pie chart showing the total number of cells classified as expanded or unique. f. Stacked bar plot panel showing expansion levels for all the data set, normal tissue and tumor issue, from left to right, respectively. g. Stacked bar plot showing the composition of expanded and non-expanded cells in normal tissue for responders and non-responders. h. Bar plot showing the isotype composition of cells in the lymph node. i. Overlap of CDR3 barcodes between LN, tumor and adjacent normal tissue samples for 3 patients, samples are matched per patient. j. Y-axis average shared clonotypes per individual identified in cells across different clusters (LN (lymph node), Naïve, Memory and Plasma compartments) for IgG1, IgG2, IgM and IgA. This figure shows that plasma IgG1 and IgG2 have larger clones in responders, while Naïve or Memory cells with IgM or IgA isotype are most commonly present in non-responders.
Bulk RNAseq (Radiation+PD-1 cohort) a. Table showing the number of samples per tissue type and response. b. Principal component analysis showing the percent variance explained by every principal component. c. Violin plot from the variance analysis showing the effect of covariates modeled in this analysis. Tissue type was the largest source of variance for this bulk RNAseq. d. Barplot showing the number of differentially expressed associated with either response or non-response per comparison using moderated t test statistics. e–j. Volcano plots showing the direction and position of IG heavy chains in the differential expression gene (DEG) results. In tissue comparisons, there was no difference between responders and non-responders for IGH isotypes. However, changes over time for either responders or non-responders showed an increase of IGH expression (i-j). The p-values were calculated using a two-sided moderate t test. k. Boxplots (same definition as 1c) showing the average clonal sizes for responders and non-responders. Median increase in IGHG1 and IGHG2 reached nominal statistical significance (pval<0.05), but not FDR correction when using a two-sided Wilcoxon rank test. l. Boxplots (same definition as 1c) showing the results from a projection of previously identified single cell signatures for Plasma and Plasmablast clusters into bulk RNAseq showed a significant increase when using a two-sided Wilcoxon rank test at the time of biopsy and borderline significant changes post treatment for plasma cells. Single cell RNAseq (Radiation+PD-1 cohort). m, n. Principal component analysis showing PC1 and 2 reflecting approximately 50% of the variance distinguishing clinical response and tissue type. o. Box plots (same definition as 1c) showing the normalized expression levels of IGHX heavy chain genes corresponding to either responder and non-responder. The p-values were estimated using a two-sided Wilcoxon rank test p. Dotplots showing the average clonal sizes per patient for the different tissue types and timepoints available. q. Dotplots showing the heavy chain clonal sizes per isotype that are shared between tissue origin and clinical response status.
Validation cohort, Radiation+PD-1 treatment. a. Tumor enrichment in normal and adjacent tumor tissue using Dirichlet regression. The number of samples analyzed was 20. The stars and circles above the figure represent the log2FC and pvalue calculated using a log-likelihood test. b, c. Boxplot (same definition as 1c) showing the Dirichlet regression and log-likelihood test comparing responders and non-responders in either normal or tumor tissue for 8 responders and 12 non-responders. Single cell RNAseq results. d. Sample distribution in validation cohort scRNAseq data. e, f. Principal components of the RNAseq profiles labeled for response and type of treatment, respectively. Both figures capture the variance between samples represented as distances between each point. c. Normalized gene expression for heavy chains IGHG1-2, A and M for biopsies (pre-treatment), and post-treatment lymph nodes, adjacent normal and tumor tissues. g. Dotplot showing the average clonal sizes between tissues for every patient regardless of response and IG heavy chain isotype. h. Dotplots showing the heavy chain clonal sizes that are shared between tissues for every IG isotypes stratified per response. i, j. IgG antibody reactivity against human antigens including CTs, tumor antigens and others. Top bar shows response in red (NR) and blue (R), while lateral bar shows CTs in color black. The scale is the normalized log2 titers converted to z-score across samples for easier visualization.
a. Heatmap showing incoming and outgoing signaling pathways between B or plasma cell clusters in tumor tissue calculated using the algorithm cellchat. b. Heatmap showing the average expression per category of cells and specific genes corresponding to signaling pathways with FDR < 0.01. c. Heatmap showing incoming and outgoing signaling pathways between B or plasma cell clusters in responders and non-responders calculated using the algorithm cellchat. d. Spearman Correlation plots showing the directionality and strength of the association between differentially expressed genes that are also high in Moran I's score for responders and non-responders (FDR < 0.05 & Moran I > 0.5). e. Barplot showing the isotype composition of immunoglobulin heavy chain stratified by responders, treatment and pre/post tissues in Feldman et al. re-analysis.
Supplementary File 1 containing the quantification of autoantibodies and statistical results for the seromics assay.
Supplementary File 2 containing pages for clone tracking and gene signatures per cluster.
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Gonzalez-Kozlova, E., Sweeney, R., Figueiredo, I. et al. Humoral IgG1 responses to tumor antigens underpin clinical outcomes in immune checkpoint blockade.
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Alternative splicing (AS) is a ubiquitous post-transcriptional regulatory mechanism, that has greatly expanded the transcriptomic and proteomic diversity in vertebrates. While gene regulation of hematopoiesis has been extensively researched in vertebrates, the functions of species- and cell lineage-specific splice variants in vertebrates are largely unknown. Here, we curate transcriptomic data on fetal hematopoietic organ development in six vertebrates and hematopoietic cell differentiation in humans and mice. To identify functional exon-skipping events among thousands of cassette exons in protein-coding genes for a specific differentiation lineage and species, we develop a machine-learning model interrogating 19 features including dynamic expression, protein structure, and evolutionary conservation, and integrate them into a single prediction score, named Functional AS Score (FAScore). Using FAScore, we identify four previously-uncharacterized functional AS events in which deletion of the AS exon leads to defects in erythropoiesis and myelopoiesis. Furthermore, we demonstrate that deletion of exon 15 of TBC1D23 reduces erythropoiesis in mice and zebrafish through elevated binding capacity to RANBP2/RANGAP1 leading to increased SUMOylation level of HDAC1. Collectively, our study presents a valuable tool to identify functional exon skipping (ES) events during hematopoietic lineage commitment, and establishes a research paradigm that can be broadly applied to other biological processes.
For lineage differentiation datasets, raw sequencing data of mouse are deposited in the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database under the accession number GSE142216, and raw sequencing data of human are available from the Blueprint Consortium website (http://www.blueprint-epigenome.eu) and the European Genome-phenome Archive with accession number EGAD00001000745. For FHO development datasets, the raw sequencing data are available through the NCBI: human (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/bioproject/PRJEB26969), rhesus (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/bioproject/PRJEB26956), rabbit (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/bioproject/PRJEB26840), mouse (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/bioproject/PRJEB26869), rat (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/bioproject/PRJEB26889), Opossum (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/bioproject/PRJEB27035) and chicken (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/bioproject/PRJEB26695). For zebrafish, the accession number for the RNA-seq data is the GEO database: GSE120581. The data of single-cell RNAseq, including sequencing reads and single-cell expression matrices, are available from the GEO: GSE276911. The mass spectrometry proteomics data have been deposited to the ProteomeXchange Consortium (https://proteomecentral.proteomexchange.org) via the iProX partner repository106,107 with the dataset identifier PXD072614 and PXD072611. Source Data are provided with this paper. The intermediate data related to model training and prediction have been deposited in the Figshare database (https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.29069336.v4). All newly generated plasmids and other relevant materials are available upon request from the corresponding author. Source data are provided with this paper.
FAScore code, documentation and tutorials are available at GitHub: (https://github.com/LuChenLab/FAScore.git108).
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This work was supported by Noncommunicable Chronic Diseases-National Science and Technology Major Project (Grant No. 2023ZD0500500 to L. C.), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 82370233 to L. C., 92369116 to J.-w.L., 82300133 to C. T., 92254302 and 32430027 to D. J.), National Key Research and Development Program of China (Grant No. 2022YFA1105200 to D. J.), and National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars (Grant No. 32125012 to D. J.). We also appreciate the help of Prof. Lunzhi Dai at Sichuan University for the analysis of Proteomics and mass spectrometry. We would like to thank Huifang Li at Core Facilities of West China Hospital for her assistance in cell sorting.
These authors contributed equally: Xiao Hu, Jinrui Wang, Li Chen, Qin Yang, Manuel Tardaguila.
These authors jointly supervised this work: Nicole Soranzo, Jing-wen Lin, Da Jia, Lu Chen.
Department of Laboratory Medicine, West China Second University Hospital. Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children, Ministry of Education, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
Xiao Hu, Jinrui Wang, Qin Yang, Bin Mao, Shenghui Niu, Zijie Xu, GuiHua Wang, Dan Zhang, Yating Zhang, Zhen Zhou, Jing Luo, Zhifeng He, Defu Liu, Da Jia & Lu Chen
Biosafety Laboratory of West China Hospital, Center for Biological and Translational Research, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
Li Chen, Chao Tang & Jing-wen Lin
Human Technopole, Fondazione Human Technopole, Milan, Italy
Manuel Tardaguila & Nicole Soranzo
Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, UK
Nicole Soranzo
Department of Haematology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Puddicombe Way, Cambridge, UK
Nicole Soranzo
British Heart Foundation Centre of Research Excellence, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
Nicole Soranzo
National Institute for Health and Care Research Blood and Transplant Research Unit in Donor Health and Behaviour, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
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L.C., D.J., J.-w.L, and N.S. conceived and supervised the project. X.H. performed all the mouse studies and analyzed the data. Y.Z., G.W., J.L., Z.Z. assisted in the mouse studies. J.W. performed all the cellular studies. X.H. and S.N. assisted in the plasmid construction. Q.Y. performed all zebrafish studies. Li.C. and M.T. performed the machine learning and bioinformatics analysis. Z.X., D.Z., Z.H., and D.L. assisted in bioinformatics analysis. X.H., Li.C., J.W., and Q.Y. wrote the manuscript and generated the figures. B.M., C.T., L.C., D.J., and J.-w.L. edited the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final version of the manuscript.
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Nicole Soranzo, Jing-wen Lin, Da Jia or Lu Chen.
The authors declare no competing interests.
Nature Communications thanks the anonymous reviewers for their contribution to the peer review of this work. A peer review file is available.
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Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article's Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article's Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.
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What happens here matters everywhere
by Todd Bishop on Jan 27, 2026 at 10:35 amJanuary 27, 2026 at 11:01 am
Microsoft is heading into its earnings report facing what one analyst calls a “prove it” moment, with investors looking for signs that its massive AI bet is sparking sustained cloud growth.
The tech giant will report fiscal second-quarter results after the market close on Wednesday, Jan. 28, covering the three months ended Dec. 31. Analysts expect revenue of $80.3 billion, up 15% from a year ago, and earnings per share of $3.85, up 19% from $3.23 a year earlier.
Microsoft has been spending big to keep up in the AI infrastructure race against Amazon, Google, and others. Its capital expenditures hit a record $34.9 billion in the fiscal first quarter alone, up from $24.2 billion in the prior quarter, as it moves quickly to build out data centers.
That ratchets up the pressure on Azure, Microsoft's cloud platform and the engine driving its growth. Investors will be watching closely to see if it can hit the roughly 37% growth rate (in constant currency) that CFO Amy Hood projected on the company's October earnings call.
That would be down from the 39% constant-currency growth Azure posted in the prior quarter (40% without adjusting for currency fluctuations). Analysts and investors will be asking whether a slower growth rate reflects temporary capacity constraints or something more concerning.
Wedbush analyst Dan Ives called this week a “prove it” moment for CEO Satya Nadella and team, noting that “doubters are building” in the stock even as his checks with Microsoft partners remain “incrementally strong” around Copilot and Azure deployments.
Outside the cloud, the picture is more mixed. Microsoft ended support for Windows 10 in October, pushing users toward Windows 11 or paid extended support. The transition creates revenue opportunities but has also generated customer friction amid reported update issues.
Meanwhile, some analysts say demand has softened in the PC and small-business segments.
But when it comes to AI adoption, Microsoft is touting continued signs of traction. At Barclays' tech conference last month, Microsoft Commercial CEO Judson Althoff called Microsoft 365 Copilot “the fastest growing product we've ever launched with the highest utilization.”
Althoff also offered a window into how quickly AI agents are proliferating inside large organizations. Microsoft turned on its new Agent 365 management tool internally before announcing it at its Ignite conference, he said, and discovered 138,000 agents being used by 88,000 employees on a weekly basis.
“I would be willing to bet you have more AI happening inside your organizations than you know about,” Althoff told the audience.
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Meta has started blocking its users from sharing links to ICE List, a website that has compiled the names of what it claims are Department of Homeland Security employees, a project the creators say is designed to hold those employees accountable.
Dominick Skinner, the creator of ICE List, tells WIRED that links to the website have been shared without issue on Meta's platforms for more than six months.
“I think it's no surprise that a company run by a man who sat behind Trump at his inauguration, and donated to the destruction of the White House, has taken a stance that helps ICE agents retain anonymity,” says Skinner.
As agents from Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which are under DHS, have continued to terrorize immigrant communities and kill US citizens, activists have sought to track and record their activity online in a bid to hold them accountable. But as well as threatening to prosecute those they claim are “doxing” ICE agents, the Trump administration has pressured tech companies to block any efforts at crowdsourcing the location and activities of those agents.
ICE List has been operating since last June. Skinner says it is run by a core team of five people, including him, as well as hundreds of anonymous volunteers who share information about ICE agents operating in cities across the US.
The site went viral earlier this month when it claimed to have uploaded a leaked list of 4,500 DHS employees to its site, but a WIRED analysis found that the list relied heavily on information the employees shared publicly about themselves on sites such as LinkedIn.
Skinner said volunteers he works with across the US first reported problems with posting links on Meta's platforms on Monday night.
On Tuesday morning, WIRED verified that posting links to the site was blocked on Instagram, Facebook, and Threads. WIRED also confirmed that links can still be sent on WhatsApp, another Meta-owned product.
While all the social media platforms where the link is blocked are owned by Meta, the reasons users are given for their inability to link to the ICE List website vary.
When WIRED attempted to post a link to the site, we received a message that read: “Posts that look like spam according to our Community Guidelines are blocked on Facebook and can't be edited.” Hours later, however, that message was updated to read: “Your content couldn't be shared, because this link goes against our Community Standards.” The message linked to Meta's Community Standards homepage rather than a specific part of those rules.
Meanwhile on Threads, the link instantly disappeared when pasted into a new post, with a notice simply saying: “Link not allowed.”
On Instagram, a notice appearing after an attempt to post a Story read: “We restrict certain activity to protect our community. Let us know if you think we made a mistake.”
When asked about the block, Meta spokesperson Andy Stone directed WIRED to the company's policy about sharing personally identifiable information. When WIRED pointed out that the information on the ICE List did not appear to contain any of the information listed on Meta's policy, he said it was in relation to the policy prohibiting “content asking for personally identifiable information of others.”
In response, Skinner pointed out that ICE List has been asking for tips about the identities of ICE agents for six months.
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Tech Moves covers notable hires, promotions and personnel changes in the Pacific NW tech community. Submissions: [email protected]
by Lisa Stiffler & Taylor Soper on Jan 27, 2026 at 10:00 amJanuary 27, 2026 at 10:00 am
— Dr. Johnathan Lancaster — an oncologist, cancer genomics expert and former exec at Regeneron — has joined Seattle-area health data company Truveta as its new president and chief scientific officer.
Lancaster, who spent the past six years at publicly traded biotech giant Regeneron, called his new job “the most meaningful leadership opportunity of my career.”
“It's a chance to help shape what this team has built into an enduring company — one that can become the definitive intelligence platform at the intersection of science, health systems, and AI,” he wrote in a blog post.
Truveta reached unicorn status last year after raising $320 million. The company's technology aggregates medical record data in order to reveal connections between treatments and health outcomes. It is led by CEO Terry Myerson, a former Microsoft executive vice president.
— Data protection and ransomware recovery company Veeam Software announced three leadership changes to its team. The Kirkland, Wash.-based company relocated its headquarters last year from Columbus, Ohio.
— Fortive named Amee Desjourdy as chief people officer of the Everett, Wash.-based industrial giant. The company has 10 operating brands in healthcare and industrial safety and productivity.
Desjourdy joins from Hitachi and has worked for three decades in human resources. Other past employers include Brightcove, Quantrix and others.
CEO Olumide Soroye welcomed Desjourdy in a LinkedIn post, saying that “she combines her vast experience with fervent courage to innovate; she has been a pioneer in implementing real-world innovative HR solutions including AI-powered digital agents.”
— Mike Fridgen, a Seattle startup vet who previously led Madrona Venture Labs is working on a new AI consumer travel company. “If you've ever wanted to work on a product at the intersection of AI, design, and human experience — and travel means something to you too — I'd love to connect,” Fridgen wrote on LinkedIn.
Fridgen's resume includes multiple travel-related stops, including at Expedia and Alaska Airlines. He was also an exec at Farecast, a Seattel travel startup acquired by Microsoft, and was CEO of Decide, a Seattle-based online shopping and comparison service that eBay acquired in 2013.
Fridgen was the managing director of Madrona Venture Labs, the startup studio associated with Madrona Venture Group, for more than nine years. Madrona Venture Labs closed last year. Fridgen then moved to pet care company Rover as chief operating officer. He remains a part-time Madrona venture partner.
— Art Litvinau is now chief product and technology officer of Heard, a Seattle-based startup that supports mental health professionals with financial software and services.
“Heard takes on the financial complexity of running therapy & wellness practices, freeing clinicians to focus on their clients. I'm excited to bring AI and automation for Heard workflows as we shape what's next,” Litvinau said on LinkedIn.
Litvinau is a serial tech entrepreneur who most recently helped launch Foundations, a startup community hub. He also created Runner, a startup targeting real estate market workflow, and co-founded and was CTO of the data platform company Craft.co.
— Sharath Katipally is now head of enterprise AI at the employee training and development company Cornerstone OnDemand. Katipally, based in the Seattle area, joins the company from JPMorganChase and was previously head of data and sciences at Amazon, leaving the tech giant in 2021.
“Having spent years helping global organizations turn data into decisions and navigate large-scale change, I've seen firsthand that learning, skills, and talent readiness are often the primary constraints and yet the greatest accelerators of AI's impact,” Katipally said on LinkedIn.
— Michael Frank has been promoted from VP to senior VP of engineering and design at McKinstry, a Seattle-based construction and energy services company that operates nationwide.
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It hasn't even been a full week since TikTok's U.S. operations came under new management, and the app is already under fire with users claiming mass censorship.
California Governor Gavin Newsom announced Monday night that he is launching a review into whether TikTok is violating state law by allegedly “censoring Trump-critical content.” Newsom made the announcement in a post on X, resharing a user's claim that when they tried to send a direct message containing the name “Epstein,” it failed to go through because it may have violated TikTok's community guidelines.
“Following TikTok's sale to a Trump-aligned business group, our office has received reports — and independently confirmed instances — of suppressed content critical of President Trump,” Newsom's press office also posted on X. “Gavin Newsom is launching a review of this conduct and is calling on the California Department of Justice to determine whether it violates California law.”
The governor's press office was referring to news announced last Thursday of a new joint venture that now oversees TikTok's U.S. business, led by three managing investors who each hold a 15% stake. Those managing investors include Oracle, the tech giant founded by Trump ally Larry Ellison, as well as private equity firm Silver Lake and Abu Dhabi–based MGX.
“We don't have rules against sharing the name ‘Epstein' in direct messages and are investigating why some users are experiencing issues,” a TikTok U.S. spokesperson told NPR.
While the new TikTok joint venture did not immediately respond to a request for comment, it did post on X, claiming recent issues with the app stemmed from a power outage at a data center.
“We're continuing to resolve a major infrastructure issue triggered by a power outage at one of our U.S. data center partner sites,” the statement read. “While the network has been recovered, the outage caused a cascading system failure that we've been working to resolve together with our data center partner.”
The statement went on to list issues users may experience, including slower load times and creators temporarily seeing zero views or likes on their videos.
That explanation came after multiple users reported issues that appeared to primarily affect political content on the platform.
A Georgetown law professor claimed in a Bluesky post on Sunday that a video he uploaded to TikTok criticizing the Department of Homeland Security had been “under review” for hours and still couldn't be shared.
Other users reported having trouble uploading videos related to ICE protests, while still others said they noticed a sudden drop in political content on the app more broadly.
TikTok also experienced wider technical issues over the weekend, with Downdetector reporting more than 500,000 user reports between Sunday and Monday. Many of those complaints cited problems with the app's functionality, including the For You page failing to refresh.
On Monday, CNBC reported that the number of U.S. users who were deleting the app had increased by 150 percent, according to Sensor Tower data.
The timing of the disruptions fueled rumors that the problems were tied to the new ownership of TikTok's U.S. business.
In its announcement, the joint venture said its mandate was to “secure U.S. user data, apps and the algorithm through comprehensive data privacy and cybersecurity measures,” adding that the algorithm would be retrained on U.S. user data and secured on Oracle servers.
Still, some lawmakers have suggested in the past that the years-long push to ban TikTok had less to do with national security and more to do with the kind of political content circulating on the platform.
At a forum in May 2024, then-Sen. Mitt Romney linked broad bipartisan support for banning TikTok unless it cut ties with China to concerns among lawmakers about pro-Palestinian content on the app.
Newsom wasn't the only politician to call out TikTok more recently
“I know it's hard to track all the threats to democracy out there right now, but this is at the top of the list,” Sen. Chris Murphy wrote in a post on X, referencing the alleged censorship.
Sen. Bernie Sanders said, in his post on Monday, that Ellison now controls the TikTok algorithm alongside media properties owned by Paramount, including CBS, MTV, and Nickelodeon.
“This is what Oligarchy looks like,” Sanders said.
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Thousands of American TikTok users have reported having issues with the app this past weekend.
Don't worry. No one is threatening to take away your access to Sweden-based Spotify.
An entity has been created and a deadline has been avoided, as the TikTok deal drags on.
You won't believe which state is completely unaffected.
Arizona, New Hampshire, and Texas have enacted laws aimed at creating their own reserves.
The AG said that "the avalanche of reports detailing the non-consensual, sexually explicit material that xAI has produced" is shocking.
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Employees at Google DeepMind have asked the company's leadership for plans and policies to keep them “physically safe” from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) while on the company's premises, according to screenshots of internal messages obtained by WIRED.
On Monday morning, two days after federal agents shot and killed Minneapolis nurse Alex Pretti, a Google DeepMind employee sent the following message in an internal message board for the company's roughly 3,000-person AI unit:
“US focused question: What is GDM doing to keep us physically safe from ICE? The events of the past week have shown that immigration status, citizenship, or even the law is not a deterrent against detention, violence, or even death from federal operatives.”
It continues: “What kinds of plans and policies are in place to ensure our safety at the office? Coming to and from work? As we have seen, government agency tactics can change and escalate quite rapidly. With offices in many metro areas across the US, are we prepared?”
The message received more than 20 “plus emoji” reactions from Google DeepMind staffers.
By Monday evening, no senior leaders from Google had responded to the message. In fact, Google's top brass—including CEO Sundar Pichai and DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis—have remained silent on Pretti's killing even inside the company, sources say.
The messages show some of the latest divisions forming between AI firms and their employees over the Trump administration's deployment of federal immigration agents across America. While Silicon Valley CEOs have largely bent the knee to Trump, their employees have started raising concerns internally and externally about the federal government's actions.
Google DeepMind's chief scientist, Jeff Dean, has been one of the industry's most outspoken critics of ICE. In a post on X Sunday, he responded to a video of Pretti's shooting saying, “This is absolutely shameful.”
Employees at the defense tech firm Palantir have questioned the company's decision to work with ICE. WIRED previously reported that one Palantir employee wrote in Slack, “In my opinion ICE are the bad guys. I am not proud that the company I enjoy so much working for is part of this.”
Employees of AI labs that partner with Palantir—including OpenAI, Google, Anthropic, and Meta—have also discussed whether to push leaders to cut ties with the defense tech firm, The New York Times reported.
Concerns about ICE agents entering Google's offices are not unfounded. In a message obtained by WIRED, a separate Google DeepMind staffer raised concerns about a federal agent's alleged attempt to enter the company's Cambridge, Massachusetts, office in the fall.
Google's head of security and risk operations responded to this message to clarify what had happened. They noted that an “officer arrived at reception without notice” and that the agent was “not granted entry because they did not have a warrant and promptly left.”
Google declined to comment.
Google is one of many Silicon Valley firms that relies on thousands of highly skilled foreign workers, many of whom are in the United States on visas. In light of the Trump administration's immigration crackdown, these firms have had to offer increased protections for many of their workers. Late last year, Google and Apple advised employees on visas not to leave the country after the White House toughened its vetting of visa applicants.
At that time, Silicon Valley leaders were not shy about defending visa programs, which have allowed the United States to bring in top talent from around the globe.
But AI executives have appeared hesitant to speak out about the federal government's latest immigration actions. Beyond Google, top executives from Silicon Valley firms—including OpenAI, Meta, xAI, Apple, and Amazon—have yet to publicly comment on ICE activities. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman addressed the Minnesota incident in an internal message to the company, according to DealBook, telling employees that “what's happening with ICE is going too far.”
Anthropic executives have proved to be an exception. “I'm horrified and sad to see what has happened in Minnesota,” said Anthropic cofounder and president Daniela Amodei in a post on LinkedIn on Monday. “What we've been witnessing over the past days is not what America stands for.”
Update 1/27/26 at 1pm EST: This story has been updated with Google's decline to comment.
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Nintendo's Virtual Boy deserves your respect. At least, that seems to be Nintendo's latest missive, as it's set to bring back its worst-selling console from the grave as a Switch 2 accessory. What's more, Nintendo's $100 Virtual Boy recreation may be the best way to experience the eye strain-inducing early rendition of 3D gaming thanks to several exclusive features and games that went unreleased until now.
If you weren't already aware, Nintendo's faux-3D console from 1995 is once again offering players the chance to hunch down into a pair of goggles built into a kickstand. Instead of using the 30-year-old device's novel single LED strip and rotating mirrors, it instead asks you to slot in the Switch 2 to act as its stereoscopic screens. In its latest video, Nintendo showcases the games that will launch alongside the actual Virtual Boy peripheral. There are some oldies but goodies you've probably never had the chance to play before.
Nintendo is bringing back several games like Galactic Pinball, Golf, and 3D Tetris that were only ever available on the Virtual Boy. There are more oddities in store, such as Teleroboxer, a kind of Mike Tyson's Punch Out! style game, but instead of smacking up Glass Joe, you're beating up a robot (this seems to be a trend in robotics nowadays).
The console will also ship with Japan-only titles like The Mansion of Innsmouth, an early 3D maze-like adventure game. There are also the unknown classics like Red Alarm and Wario Land. The latter game uses the stereoscopic 3D effect in interesting ways, allowing players to jump back and forth from foreground and background platforming sections.
Nintendo promises we'll get even more games throughout 2026, including Mario Tennis, Space Invaders Virtual Collection, Virtual Bowling, Vertical Force, and V-Tetris. The big benefit of this device is that Nintendo plans to release several “unreleased” titles, including Zero Racers and D-Hopper. These titles were notoriously previewed in early video games magazines and shown off at trade shows but never saw the light of day, mostly because the Virtual Boy crashed and burned.
The Virtual Boy will have extra features, being that this is merely an emulation of the real thing. Like other titles in the Nintendo Classics collection, you can suspend the game to drop a save point, change your control scheme or rewind a few frames if you screw up a particularly hard shot in Golf. Nintendo says there will be more exclusive features, including the ability to change the screen color from red to yellow, green, and white. You'll have to remove the Virtual Boy peripheral's built-in red filter to get these color changes.
As one of the few people on this floating blue orb in space who actually enjoys the still-unrealized concept of stereoscopic, faux-3D gaming, I'm hoping the Virtual Boy peripheral may showcase more of what this kind of medium has to offer. I've played emulations of Virtual Boy in VR, and the experience is far more engrossing than many players realize today. Sure, goggles built on a kickstand are a recipe for eye and neck strain, and the novelty may wear off quickly for some. For others, it's a mode to see the untapped potential of 3D displays.
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The new Core Ultra Series 3 chips and XeSS 3 AI upscaler can juice up frame rates on laptops, but handhelds may benefit the most.
Everyone's favorite dino buddy is joining the cast of 'Super Mario Galaxy,' and he looks adooooorable.
The retro Game Boy maker's first pro-level controller may still be enticing even to non-hypochondriacs.
AMD's new Ryzen 7 9850X3D seems powerful, though it's not a massive leap over what we already have.
Nintendo's Wonder Flower toy joins Alarmo to annoy everybody in the bedroom.
Have you ever seen a display with a horizontal resolution of one pixel? Neither have we.
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RAM pricing seems to be hitting a plateau after several months of constant hikes. We see this in the pricing data compiled by PC-building platform PCPartPicker.com, with the cost of some DDR4 and DDR5 modules finally hitting a stable value. Memory modules that have leveled off prices include DDR4-3200 (2x8GB), DDR4-3600 (2x16GB), DDR4-3600 (2x32GB), DDR5-4800 (2x16GB), and DDR5-5200 (2x16GB). On the other hand, other high-performance memory modules like the DDR5-5600 and DDR5-6000 still seem to have some upticks, although at a slower pace compared to the previous months.
Beyond these trends, specific examples include the Corsair Vengeance 32GB (2x16GB) DDR5-6000 CL36 on Amazon, which stabilized at $339 between November and January (from a low just over $100), before making another hike to $439 in early January and staying there until today. There's also the Patriot Viper Elite 5 16GB DDR5-6000 CL30 on Newegg, which was priced at $169.99 since early December 2025, although it only cost $43.99 in October 2025. We also saw this Corsair 32GB Vengeance kit go on sale for a brief period, bringing its price down to $344 from a high of $410.
Indications of a memory shortage started appearing in the third quarter of 2025, when the insatiable demand for HBM by the AI infrastructure build-out coincided with several fabs phasing out DDR4 in favor of higher margin DDR5. We started to fully see its impact by November and December, when retailers in Japan and Germany started rationing memory and storage chip-heavy components, like RAM, SSDs, and even GPUs. This is why a Kingston rep told users that they shouldn't wait if they need to upgrade their RAM or SSD, as prices will only continue to go up.
For now, chip prices seem to be stabilizing, albeit at a new, inflated price that will be difficult for enthusiasts to stomach. One Sapphire employee predicted in December 2025 that we will eventually hit this plateau in six to eight months — hopefully, the price equilibrium we're seeing at the moment is the early arrival of this forecast and isn't just a pause before they start racing up again.
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Help desk automation is a billion-dollar industry, and one of the most likely to be disrupted by tech built upon AI. Major players like Zendesk, ServiceNow, and Freshworks currently dominate the space, but lots of smaller startups are betting that reshuffling workflows will give them a chance to cut in.
Risotto is one of those startups, and after today, it will have plenty of runway to test its theory. The company on Tuesday said it has raised a $10 million seed round led by Bonfire Ventures, with participation from 645 Ventures, Y Combinator, Ritual Capital, and SurgePoint Capital.
Designed to autonomously resolve help desk tickets, Risotto sits between ticket management systems like Jira and the complex internal tooling needed to resolve them. The product is built on a third-party foundation model, but CEO Aron Solberg says the core of the business is the infrastructure that sits between the model and the customer, keeping the non-deterministic nature of the model in check.
“Our special sauce is the prompt libraries, the eval suites, and the thousands and thousands of real-world examples that the AI gets trained on to ensure it actually does what it's expected to do,” Solberg told TechCrunch.
Working with the payroll company Gusto, Risotto was able to automate away 60% of the company's support tickets. Its current work is focused on conventional ticketing systems, but Risotto is also positioning itself for a more radical shift in the industry, as AI triggers more fundamental changes in the way help desks function.
“With 95% of our customers, humans still solve tickets the traditional way,” Solberg said. “But we see the newer companies shifting to have the primary interface between humans and the technology be an LLM.”
In practical terms, this would mean tasks are managed through tools like ChatGPT for Enterprise, which coordinate help-desk tickets alongside a range of other professional tasks. Solberg says his team has already worked on integrations with ChatGPT for Enterprise and Gemini, connecting Risotto over MCP.
If that approach becomes more common, it would mean significant changes for the industry at large. Risotto and similar products would function as tools that would be called by a central AI, offering more focused and reliable service than a general-purpose system could perform on its own. It's a new paradigm for thinking about SaaS products — one where reliability and context-management are more important than human-friendly interfaces.
In the meantime, Risotto's most immediate value proposition comes from taming the mess of different IT systems. As Solberg sees it, there is still plenty of value in making it easier to use existing ticketing systems.
“One of our customers has four full-time employees just to manage Jira,” Solberg says. “And that's to say nothing about implementing AI. That's just to wrangle the platform itself.”
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by Todd Bishop on Jan 27, 2026 at 7:01 amJanuary 27, 2026 at 8:00 am
Amazon's homegrown grocery stores are getting shelved.
The company said Tuesday morning that it's closing all of its Amazon Go and Amazon Fresh locations, a total of 72 stores nationwide, concentrating its efforts instead on its Whole Foods Market locations and grocery delivery from Amazon.com.
The move follows a decade of experimentation and expansion in Amazon-branded grocery and convenience stores. Despite “encouraging signals,” Amazon said it wasn't able to create “a truly distinctive customer experience with the right economic model needed for large-scale expansion.”
The final day for most Amazon Fresh and Amazon Go locations will be this Sunday, Feb. 1. California stores will stay open 45 more days due to state labor notification requirements.
In a post announcing the news, Amazon cast the move as a strategic shift, not a retreat from grocery, citing the growth of Whole Foods and same-day delivery for perishables.
The company framed its physical grocery investments as a learning experience, saying it has “gathered valuable insights about what matters to customers” throughout the process of operating the Amazon Fresh and Amazon Go stores.
All 57 Amazon Fresh and 15 remaining Amazon Go stores will close. A limited number of Amazon Fresh stores are expected to eventually reopen as new Whole Foods locations.
Amazon did not disclose the total number of employees impacted. The company is working to place workers in other roles, including in its fulfillment and operations network. It's offering 90 days of full pay and benefits as part of its severance package.
With the closures, Whole Foods will become Amazon's only physical store brand in the U.S., a decade after it began its push into brick-and-mortar retail with its first bookstore in Seattle. The company has closed the bookstores and other retail concepts in recent years.
Amazon says it will keep operating a hybrid Amazon grocery store alongside Whole Foods in Chicago, and a “store within a store” format at a Whole Foods in Pennsylvania where customers can shop Amazon products alongside groceries.
In addition, Amazon says it's still experimenting with concepts in physical retail, so it's possible that new types of Amazon-branded stores could emerge in the future.
The closures impact 11 Seattle-area locations, including the original Go store at Amazon headquarters on 7th Avenue in Seattle, where the company debuted its “Just Walk Out” technology in 2018.
It's part of a broader reset at Amazon, which is also preparing for another wave of corporate layoffs as soon as this week. CEO Andy Jassy has attributed the cuts to a need to streamline operations and reduce bureaucracy after years of rapid growth.
In an internal memo Tuesday morning, Jason Buechel, the Amazon Worldwide Grocery Stores VP and Whole Foods CEO, told employees who built and ran the Fresh and Go stores that they “pioneered something new” and noted that the Amazon Fresh brand will still live online.
“Although we're closing these stores, the impact of your work will shape our next generation of store concepts and customer experiences,” he wrote in the memo, obtained by GeekWire.
As part of the changes, Amazon is moving its online grocery fulfillment, logistics and related operations to SVP Udit Madan‘s Worldwide Operations organization.
Amazon launched its Fresh grocery delivery service in Seattle in 2007, starting a long push into one of retail's largest and most difficult categories. Grocery margins are thin and competition is fierce, but the prize is massive: Americans spend more than $1 trillion a year on groceries, and winning those purchases means winning a customer's weekly routine.
The company reiterated today that it is now one of the top three grocers in the U.S., with more than $150 billion in gross sales and 150 million customers shopping for groceries each year.
Amazon says Whole Foods sales have increased by more than 40% since it acquired the chain in 2017, now operating in more than 550 locations. The company says it will open more than 100 additional stores over the next several years, and expand its smaller Whole Foods Daily Shop format from five to 10 locations by the end of 2026.
The company recently won approval to build a 230,000-square-foot “supercenter” in Orland Park, Illinois, a Chicago suburb, combining groceries with general merchandise. That store, Amazon's largest physical retail venture yet, is expected to open in 2027.
In the meantime, Amazon is expanding its Same-Day Delivery service for fresh groceries, now available in 2,300 U.S. cities and towns. The company says perishable grocery sales through the service have grown 40-fold since January 2025, and that fresh items now make up nine of the top 10 most-ordered products where the service is available.
The “Just Walk Out” technology originally developed for Amazon Go convenience stores, which uses overhead cameras and sensors to avoid traditional checkout, will live on as a licensing business.
Amazon says the technology now operates in more than 360 third-party locations across five countries, including hospitals and sports arenas, and in more than 40 of its own fulfillment center breakrooms.
Investors who follow Amazon's business closely may not be surprised by the news. On the company's October earnings call, Evercore ISI analyst Mark Mahaney asked Jassy directly whether Amazon still needed Fresh stores given the traction in online grocery delivery.
Jassy's answer was telling, especially in hindsight. “We continue to experiment with various formats,” he said, without answering the question about the need for the Fresh stores directly.
The CEO made it clear that the format Amazon was most excited about was same-day delivery of perishable groceries. Since August, Amazon has expanded same-day delivery of groceries from 1,000 cities to 2,300, integrating items like milk and produce into the same shopping cart as electronics and household goods.
“We're on to something very significant with what we're doing with perishables from our same-day facilities,” Jassy said on the October call.
At the same time, the consolidation around Whole Foods has been building. A year ago this week, Amazon expanded Buechel's role beyond Whole Foods to oversee its entire worldwide grocery business, including Amazon Go and Amazon Fresh — a move that, in retrospect, may have signaled where the company was headed.
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Amazon closes Fresh grocery store south of Seattle; state filing says 125 workers impacted
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Phia's team is locked in — literally. The startup is laser-focused on building an AI shopping agent, but also, after a snowstorm barreled through New York City, Phia founders Phoebe Gates and Sophia Kianni can't leave their respective apartments. So it's a rarity that when I chat with the former Stanford roommates and best friends, they are not together, nor are they in the Phia office.
“We were like, ‘It's okay, stay home.' It's dangerous. Nobody needs to go to the office,” Kianni told TechCrunch, laughing. But while she and Gates hunkered down at home, many of their employees still made the trek to the office. “Our team is sending Slack photos right now… The entire porch is snow.”
Such is the life of a fast-growing startup. Phia is ten months old, yet it just closed a $35 million funding round led by Notable Capital with participation from Khosla Ventures and returning investor Kleiner Perkins.
It's a quick turnaround. When I last spoke with Phia in October on the TechCrunch Disrupt stage, they were just one month removed from an $8 million round that included checks from celebrity investors like Kris Jenner, Sara Blakely, and Sheryl Sandberg. (Yes, Phoebe Gates is the daughter of Bill and Melinda; no, her parents are not bankrolling her startup.)
“We are just at such a prime time of opportunity,” Gates said to explain the new fundraise. “Commerce itself for the consumer hasn't really been adapted in the last 30 years, and the opportunity to make a truly personalized, end-to-end shopping experience is today.”
With hundreds of thousands of monthly active users, Phia has achieved 11x revenue growth since launch and onboarded 6,200 retail partners.
As it stands, Phia is a mobile app and a web browser extension that seeks to help shoppers save money by showing them resale or second-hand alternatives to the products they're looking for. If you're about to buy a brand new Anthropologie dress for $200, for example, Phia could show you that the same dress is available on Poshmark for $80.
There's a sustainability angle to buying second-hand – Kianni is a climate activist and former advisor to the United Nations – but as a tech company, the founders understand that their way to build a customer base is to simply help them save money. Beyond resale options, Phia might also recommend similar items from less expensive brands, which is where its partnerships come in.
“A lot of [brand partners] were very much taking a bet on us and joining the platform when we had less proof points,” said Kianni. When brands make sales on Phia, the app gets a cut, similar to an affiliate marketing model. “With new offerings that we have, we actually have data to be able to show things like, we can give them a 15% increase in average order value, or 30% stronger new customer acquisition, or 50% lower return rates.”
Much of Phia's success stems from its founder-led marketing tactics. As Gen Z digital natives, Gates and Kianni have amassed over 2 million followers across social media platforms. This includes their podcast “The Burnouts,” in which the duo talk about their entrepreneurship journey and interview prominent figures in business and entertainment, from Bryan Johnson to Paris Hilton.
The Phia founders have ambitions to turn the app into what Gates calls a “holistic shopping agent,” which is why the company plans to use its newfound capital to recruit top machine learning engineers.
“Our number one goal was always bringing the top engineering talent specifically into our company, and being able to have capital that can really attract the best people,” Kianni said.
The current Phia team, who all work out of the New York office (so long as there's not a massive snowstorm), is about twenty people, which is small for a company with somewhat nebulous ambitions to revolutionize commerce – but as Kianni puts it, “It's not even about team size anymore. It's just about the quality of the talent you're attracting.”
To bring their ideas to fruition, they're going to need that kind of talent.
“Gone are the days where you would go to a static HTML page that's not personalized for you, your taste, your sizes, and what you already own that's in your closet,” Gates said.
As the company grows, she wants people to “go to Phia first, really to start that shopping journey from the top of the funnel, both with your own personalized feed and outfit recommendations for you based on your current closet, or understanding what you might want to donate or sell.”
In order to create such personalized experiences, however, Phia needs to collect user data, which is tricky to accomplish in a secure manner that keeps users informed about how much they're sharing.
As reported by Fortune in November, cybersecurity researchers found a feature in Phia's browser extension that was able to capture the HTML code of the websites users visited while using the extension, essentially collecting data from their browser history. The company removed the feature once notified and said in a statement to Fortune that “the extension previously logged webpage content to understand if the site was a shopping destination,” and that Phia has “never in the past, or at present, stored this data.”
“We always are extremely transparent with users about the reasons why we are requesting certain permissions, and everything is displayed very clearly up front,” Kianni said. “In terms of the way that we're building our tech and our back end, we've always made sure all data is aggregated, anonymous, and only used for the purpose of being able to help users find the best products as efficiently as possible.”
Hopefully, that incident is remembered as a growing pain for the startup, and not an indicator of problems to come – because Phia is right that online shopping could use a makeover.
“I think that's where AI agents play a huge role,” Kianni said. “All this cumbersome, manual work really can become compressed and be able to get you to the shortest path possible to the perfect item.”
“We're on the cusp of a completely new way of shopping,” Gates added. “We want to make the entire ecosystem just way more efficient and make shopping fun again.”
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Posted:
Pinterest said on Tuesday that it plans to lay off less than 15% of its workforce to cut back on office space and reallocate resources for its AI initiatives. In a regulatory filing, the company noted it expects to complete the layoffs by late September.
The filing stated that Pinterest would be “reallocating resources to AI-focused roles and teams that drive AI adoption and execution” and “prioritizing AI‑powered products and capabilities.”
The company had 4,666 full-time employees at the end of 2024, which means roughly 700 workers will be affected by cuts.
The move comes as Pinterest, and every other tech company, has been investing in AI. A few months ago, the company launched “Pinterest Assistant,” an AI companion users can talk to for shopping advice and recommendations. It also began experimenting with AI-powered personalized boards.
During Pinterest's last earnings call, Pinterest CEO Bill Ready emphasized the promise of open-source AI models to help the company keep costs down.
The company said it expects to record pre-tax restructuring charges of about $35 million to $45 million.
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The DGX Spark is a well-rounded toolkit for local AI thanks to solid performance from its GB10 SoC, a spacious 128GB of RAM, and access to the proven CUDA stack. But it's a pricey platform if you don't intend to use its features to the fullest.
GB10 SoC is efficient and reasonably fast for AI tasks
128GB of RAM makes it easy to run most local AI models
Polished software and extensive docs get you up and running fast
Proven CUDA ecosystem
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Pricey if you don't need everything it offers
Doesn't run Windows (yet)
Gaming on GB10 is possible, but this isn't a GeForce
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The fruits of the AI gold rush thus far have frequently been safeguarded in proprietary frontier models running in massive, remote, interconnected data centers. But as more and more open models with state-of-the-art capabilities are distilled into sizes that can fit into the VRAM of a single GPU, a burgeoning community of local AI enthusiasts has been exploring what's possible outside the walled gardens of Anthropic, OpenAI, and the like.
Today's hardware hasn't entirely caught up to the rapid shift in resources that AI trailblazers demand, though. Thin and light x86-powered "AI PCs” largely constitute familiar x86 CPUs with lightweight GPUs and some type of NPU bolted on to accelerate machine learning features like background blur and replacement. These systems rarely come with more than 32GB of RAM, and their relatively anemic integrated GPUs aren't going to churn through inference at the rates enthusiasts and developers expect.
Gaming GPUs bring much more raw compute power to the table, but they still aren't well-suited to running more demanding local models, especially large language models. Even the RTX 5090 "only" has 32GB of memory on board, and it's trivial to exhaust that pool with cutting-edge LLMs. Getting the model into RAM is just part of the problem, too. As conversations lengthen and context lengths grow, the pressure on VRAM only increases.
If you want to get more VRAM on a discrete GPU to hold larger AI models, or more of them at once, you're looking at professional products like an $8500+ RTX Pro 6000 Blackwell and its 96GB of GDDR7 (or two, or three, or four). And that's not even counting the cost of the exotic host system you'll need for such a setup. (Can I interest you in a Tinybox for $60K?)
The hunger for RAM extends to other common AI development tasks, like fine-tuning an already trained AI model for better performance on domain-specific data or quantizing an existing model to reduce its resource footprint for less powerful systems.
In the face of this endless hunger for RAM, systems with large pools of unified memory have become attractive platforms for those looking to explore the frontiers of local AI. Apple paved the way with its M-series SoCs, which in their latest and greatest forms pair as much as 512GB of LPDDR5 and copious memory bandwidth with powerful GPUs.
And AMD's Ryzen AI Max+ 395 (aka Strix Halo) platform has found a niche as a somewhat affordable way to get 128GB of RAM alongside a relatively powerful GPU for local LLM tinkering.
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But none of those systems natively support Nvidia's CUDA, which remains the dominant software platform for AI development the world over. Enter the DGX Spark, first announced all the way back at CES 2025, which brings the combo of a high-performance Arm CPU and a Blackwell GPU to desktops for the first time alongside full support for the CUDA ecosystem.
The centerpiece of the DGX Spark is Nvidia's GB10 SoC, which combines a MediaTek-produced Arm CPU complex joined together with a Blackwell GPU on one package. Both of these chiplets are fabricated on a TSMC 3nm-class node, and they're joined together by Nvidia's coherent, high-bandwidth NVLink C2C interconnect. Those chips share a coherent 128GB pool of LPDDR5X memory that offers a tantalizing canvas for pretty much any common AI workload you can think of.
The Spark itself is a pretty straightforward mini PC. It measures just 5.9” by 5.9” by 2” (150mm by 150mm by 50.5mm) for a volume of just 1.1 liters.
The Founders Edition version we're reviewing today has a spiffy gold finish with a metal foam front and back panel for ventilation. The “rack handles” at the front of the device conceal air intakes, but the top and sides are otherwise featureless.
Flip the Spark over, and you see another air intake along the bottom edge, as well as a removable rubber foot that conceals the wireless networking antennas and allows for access to the user-replaceable M.2 2242 SSD. Our unit came with a 4TB drive.
Around back, you get a power button, one USB-C power input, three USB-C 20Gbps ports with DisplayPort alt mode support, an HDMI 2.1a port, a 10Gb Ethernet port, and two QSFP ports for the onboard ConnectX 7 NIC running at up to 200 Gbps. That exotic NIC lets you cluster a pair of Sparks together for experimentation with Nvidia's NCCL distributed computing libraries.
If the Founders Edition Spark isn't to your liking, Nvidia has made the GB10 platform available to its system partners with a bit of wiggle room for customization. Dell, Acer, Asus, Gigabyte, HP, Lenovo, and MSI have all created GB10 boxes of their own with small variations in power, cooling, storage, cosmetics, and remote management options. Those options are likely of most interest to corporate and institutional IT departments that already have preferred vendors and support contracts.
Nvidia makes it easy to integrate the Spark into your existing workflow in a number of ways. The preinstalled DGX OS is a lightly Nvidia-flavored version of Ubuntu 24.04 LTS. You can use it as a regular PC with keyboard, mouse, and monitor connected, or you can set it up headless and use the free Nvidia Sync app to SSH into the system from your Windows PC or Mac. Using tools like Tailscale, you can conceivably connect to your Spark from anywhere in the world.
The included Nvidia Sync utility for Windows and macOS is handy, and it's easy to set up. For just one example, I was able to leave ComfyUI running on the Spark and created a custom port forwarding rule that let me turn any PC in my house into a generative AI workstation with a single click. You can also set up Ollama for a private web chat interface or Cursor for AI-assisted coding in the same way.
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Reading time 6 minutes
If your gaming machine isn't rendering any frames itself, what's the point of having a costly computer at all? I know some of you out there are mumbling resentments, asking that question already knowing the answer. To add to the grumbling, Intel has finally come off the line with its first edition of Panther Lake CPUs, dubbed Core Ultra Series 3, and a new version of its existing upscaler promising to push gaming on lightweight devices. I've already tested it out on the Asus Zenbook Duo. It's a great laptop with a great chip. Now here comes the nitty-gritty of what that actually means for players desperate for one machine to finally do it all.
Which brings me to the elephant in the room. Along with Panther Lake, Intel is offering players the chance to test multi-frame generation—aka “fake frames”—for themselves without needing an increasingly expensive Nvidia or AMD GPU. Intel's head of Arc graphics, Tom Petersen, previously told Gizmodo he's used it in multiple games, and he doesn't even mind the odd graphical glitches it creates. The more important thing for him, he recently told Digital Foundry, is a general sense of smoothness for gaming—mostly cutting down on CPU timings to eliminate awkward in-game stuttering.
I can compromise on some things for a good gaming experience, but not on others. I'm hardly the crabbiest stickler for graphical purity. Frame generation is one of those software sleight-of-hand tricks that PC gamers have come to loathe. For some players, the barest concept of “fake frames” drives them mad, especially since they're paying thousands of dollars for a gaming-capable PC. This latest rendition won't change their minds.
Intel's latest XeSS 3 model is one of several AI upscalers that take an image rendered at a lower resolution and then use AI to massage those pixels into something resembling the promised resolution. This enhances frame rates at the cost of some visual fidelity. To the PC purists' chagrin, many modern PC games enable upscalers such as Nvidia's DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling) and AMD's FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution) by default. Every major gaming console from Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo all includes some upscaling capabilities.
While Nvidia's DLSS 4.5 and AMD's FSR Redstone are both locked to proprietary hardware, Intel's XeSS (Xe Super Sampling) is device agnostic (though AMD's open FSR 3 and 3.5 models remain active on many existing titles). Either way, XeSS multi-frame gen uses AI to inspect the scene to create multiple frames, which are then interpolated in between two fully rendered frames. XeSS had access to 2x frame generation before. Multi-frame generation only exacerbates the promise and problems inherent to frame interpolation.
Intel touted the gaming abilities of the Core Ultra Series 3's chips, and they are enticing. There are two varieties of these CPUs among the 14 offerings the chipmaker showed off earlier this year. The versions with an “X” in their name, namely the Intel Core Ultra X7 and X9, include the extra 12Xe3 GPU cores. These graphics cores based on the Arc B390 microarchitecture are supposed to offer strong performance for tasks like rendering and gaming, all without pushing these laptops' total power package into the stratosphere.
While XeSS is hardware agnostic, it does come with certain advantages on an Intel machine. Like Nvidia, Intel has special software to override in-game graphics settings to ensure they're using the latest XeSS 3 model. You can set universal XeSS settings or frame generation to 2x, 3x, or 4x on a per-game basis. Unfortunately, the software sometimes fails to recognize which games are actually installed.
A title like Cyberpunk 2077 can get close to 50 fps when running on “Ultra” settings at 1080p on the Asus Zenbook Duo. You'll only maintain around 36 fps in benchmarks with the Zenbook Duo's max 2,880 x 1,800 resolution. Once you enable XeSS, the frame rate can jump to closer to 45 fps, more or less depending on if you opt for “performance” or “quality” settings. If you want to play with any ray tracing at all, you can only expect playable frame rates with XeSS.
Cyberpunk 2077 running on an Asus Zenbook Duo with ray tracing “low” settings and max resolution. It can still hit that frame rate without frame gen thanks to XeSS upscaling.
Once frame generation comes online, that's when I can start to play the game at near 60, near 80, and closer to 90 fps with 2x, 3x, or 4x frame generation, respectively. But here's the major caveat. Frame generation causes two major issues: latency and visual artifacts. The game running at 4x frame gen feels noticeably floatier—though not unplayable. I could notice how when flicking the camera quickly, I would see ghostly flickering of streetlights and screens over the streets of Night City.
What Intel doesn't tell you is that to avoid any visual glitches, you want as close to 60 fps as possible already before you enable frame generation. If I drop Cyberpunk 2077 down to 1080p, then I can edge closer to 40 fps to keep ray tracing going and see less odd flickering. There were fewer problems with the existing 2x frame gen, in any case.
In a game like Hogwarts Legacy, I can net more than 90 fps indoors when the laptop is only rendering less than 30 fps. When running around, I noticed numerous graphical glitches with creeping shadows that climbed up the player character's robes.
Here you can see Hogwarts Legacy without and with frame generation. The game runs fairly well even without generated frames.
Without frame generation, with Intel XeSS on balanced settings, I can hit a solid 40 fps to 50 fps in indoor environments and between 30 fps and 40 fps outdoors with all the graphics cranked up to max. Do I need 60 fps? I may as well reduce some graphics settings rather than make excuses for awkward graphical artifacting.
So what if we go truly ludicrous and try and play Cyberpunk 2077 with 4x frame gen with ray tracing settings set to ultra? Sure, I can get more than 60 fps in the game when the actual generated frame rate is close to 20 fps at the Zenbook Duo's highest, 3K resolution. All I can say is that the laptop is doing its best, but there are some obvious and glaring visual artifacting that even the most tolerant player would find hard to excuse.
Gamers are no monolith. Some players may not care about reducing their resolution to half of what their screen actually supports if it means a playable game. I'm one of those players who cannot stand to look at fuzzy textures and reduced UI detail for the sake of higher frame rates. I would rather reduce graphics settings than reduce my resolution.
Mind you, those base frame rates I can get in games without frame generation are still impressive. On a Zenbook Duo, games like Cyberpunk 2077 are indeed playable and visually stunning in scenes. It's the closest we've seen to the single-chip performance of AMD's Strix Halo chips and at a much lower TDP (thermal design power) and without AMD's touted GPU architecture. And there's the rub. You'll need to sacrifice something for gaming on a mobile Intel Panther Lake device.
For smaller, cheaper devices, upscaling and—yes—even frame generation make much more sense. It's worth a look on a laptop (even one as expensive as the $2,300 Asus Zenbook Duo), though I wouldn't hinge my hopes on it. Intel has already called its shot by promising we'll see a handheld-specific chip, dubbed Intel Core G3. We may even see Intel-based handheld gaming PCs from companies like Acer and MSI later this year, or so we hope. There, 1080p gaming is the norm. When gaming on a smaller screen, it's much harder to spot any visual inconsistencies. For the sake of playable frame rates on the go, Intel may already be kicking in AMD's teeth on its way through the door.
For now, Intel's fake frames on laptops will still be a mixed bag. Some who buy an expensive laptop with one of Intel's higher-end GPU chips may not care about floatier controls or awkward visuals if they can push their frame rate to near the max of what their display is capable of. Others may be more gun-shy, and rightfully so.
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Get ready to return to the neck-straining magic of red and black gaming with several never-released games for the Virtual Boy.
Intel's Panther Lake shines, but more than that, this laptop proves two screens are better than one.
The retro Game Boy maker's first pro-level controller may still be enticing even to non-hypochondriacs.
AMD's new Ryzen 7 9850X3D seems powerful, though it's not a massive leap over what we already have.
It's got an incredibly bright OLED screen with performance that will keep you from using it for much else than work.
This may be the moment when ARM really takes off on PCs, though it couldn't come at a worse time.
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If one of your 2026 goals is to pick up a new hobby that could also bring in extra income, you might want to explore 3D printing. 3D printers can basically help you create realistic, three-dimensional physical objects from digital designs. You can make literally anything – from customized phone cases to household organizers, toys, gaming accessories, keychains, building blocks, and a lot more.
These devices have come a long way, and advanced options today are much more compact, efficient, versatile, and quiet. Those shopping for an easy-to-use, but smart option today should consider grabbing the latest Elegoo Centauri Carbon 2 Combo, which is the brand's updated version of the CoreXY FDM 3D printer Centauri Carbon, and also its first multicolor FDM 3D printer. It features a bunch of significant upgrades over its predecessor, making it incredibly easy (and a lot of fun) to bring your creative ideas to life.
This printer just hit the market. You might not be able to find it on retailers like Amazon and Best Buy as of now, but it's up for grabs at Elegoo's official website. Get your orders in before the stock runs out – we're expecting it to be a highly popular pick!
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The Centauri Carbon 2 Combo lets you print using up to four colors at a time. The independent motor control and minimized feed paths allow for instant color switching during the process, while the RFID-tagged filaments are auto-recognized by the system. The former activates the recommended print settings for their type and color, so you won't have to fiddle with options to get the thing going.
This 3D printer is packed with features designed to keep things running smoothly with minimal input from you. There's auto refill that continues printing with the next spool when one runs out, along with built-in tangle prevention that automatically detects and pauses the process if something goes wrong. An upgraded spool holder also rewinds the unused filament to minimize tangles and reduce waste. Getting started is surprisingly easy, thanks to the new 5-inch touchscreen that's convenient to use for people of all ages and skill levels.
Performance is nothing short of excellent. The enclosed chamber with a thermal cover and an auto-controlled smart grille in the printer makes sure each material stays at just the right temperature, which prevents warping and cracking. This level of heat stability makes quite a lot of difference when dealing with challenging materials. For instance, since the 350°C hardened steel nozzle offers superior heat resistance during the process, you can work with advanced materials like PC, PET, and fiber-reinforced filaments without worrying about inconsistent quality.
However, despite all this power, the thing prints at a whisper-quiet 45 dB that isn't distracting or frustrating. You can keep going for as long as you want without worrying about disturbing the entire house.
Basically, if you've been wanting to try 3D printing but don't want to deal with those large, complicated setups that seem almost impossible to use, the Elegoo Centauri Carbon 2 Combo is an excellent option to consider. It packs in all the advanced features that make it easy to get started and bring your creative ideas to life.
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‘Why let mere mortals decide CPU priorities when the cosmos can guide us?' asks the developer.
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A software engineer has developed a fully functional Linux scheduler that takes its cues from the popular pseudoscience of astrology. The scx_horoscope scheduler “makes CPU scheduling decisions based on real-time planetary positions, zodiac signs, and astrological principles,” notes its creator, Lucas Zampieri. Thus, if you are a Gemini, working on your computer on April 10, 2026, for example, your CPU tasks would run 50% slower.
someone built a Linux CPU scheduler that makes scheduling decisions based on planetary positions and zodiac signsit actually works haha: pic.twitter.com/21rSldWBBKJanuary 26, 2026
It may sound like an exercise in silliness, unless you are a believer, but this GitHub project does a great job demonstrating the power and flexibility of sched_ext. In brief, sched_ext is a relatively new pluggable framework that allows for custom Linux schedulers to be implemented without kernel patching. We are sure the feature wasn't designed to assign CPU time and other system resources based on the movements of heavenly bodies – but it can.
Zampieri, who is a software engineer at Red Hat specializing in RISC-V architecture projects, discusses the features and implementation of his scx_horoscope on the afore-linked GitHub repository. However, I must confess that the astrological scheduling rules, which weigh the complex mix of planetary domains, the zodiac, element effects, retrograde effects, and more, to balance the priorities of your CPU, networking, system, and memory tasks, are hard to fathom. That complexity makes sched_ext all the more impressive.
The dizzying arrays of mumbo jumbo behind this scheduler almost encourage blind acceptance in its prioritizing decisions. After reading the GitHub, head spinning as I thought about the ever-moving boosts and debuffs of elemental effects, I almost felt hypnotized into believing. I was ready to accept, as Zampieri puts it, “if the universe can influence our lives, why not our CPU scheduling too.”
To sum up, it is a rather extraordinary piece of work to interweave astrology and a fully functional operating system scheduler. It actually draws on resources like accurate geocentric planetary positions, lunar phases, cosmic weather reports, and dynamic time slicing to come up with its scheduling adjustments, too.
Zampieri is clear that this GPL-2.0 licensed project is a “scientifically dubious, cosmically hilarious” work. It definitely isn't recommended for use in production systems - not because of bugs, but because it works as intended… The dev is still looking to add “more cosmic chaos” to scx_horoscope, so contributors are welcome.
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The detention of Newegg's majority shareholder in China has caused the market to panic.
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PC retailer Newegg's stock price declined sharply last week after its majority owner disclosed that its chairman, He Zhitao, was reportedly detained by the Haibei Prefecture Supervisory Commission. According to its SEC disclosure, He's family informed the company that they received a “Notice of Detention” and a “Notice of Investigation” from provincial authorities, and that he was subsequently detained. China established supervisory commissions as its primary anti-corruption investigatory body in 2018, with each province having its own agency that's led by the National Supervisory Commission.
The company said that He's detention is based on personal matters, and that its operations continue normally. “The Company has a sound governance structure and internal control mechanism, and it's daily operations and management are handled by its executive officers,” Hangzhou Lianluo Interactive Information Technology Co. (Lianluo) said in its statement. “Currently, all other directors and executive officers are performing their duties normally, the Board of Directors is fulfilling its responsibilities in accordance with the laws, and all business activities of the Company and its subsidiaries are proceeding normally.”
Newegg was established in California by Fred Chang in 2001, but Lianluo acquired a majority stake in the privately held company in 2016. By 2021, it had merged with Beijing-based Lianluo Smart Limited, with the company being renamed Newegg Commerce, Inc., finally taking it public. At the moment, Lianluo currently owns 54.5% of Newegg.
Even though Lianluo insists that He was detained due to personal matters, Newegg's stock still took a nosedive; perhaps because he was arrested by an anti-corruption body. Because of this, several law firms are now calling for investors affected by the news as they look into the possibility of a class action lawsuit against the company for violating federal securities laws. "On January 21, 2026, Newegg disclosed that it had received a notice from the family of the Company's controlling shareholder and chairman, He Zhitao, that he is being placed under investigation and has been detained for matters that 'pertain personally to Mr. He Zhitao,'" Glancy Prongay & Murray LLP said in a press release. "On this news, Newegg's stock price fell $9.79, or 17.7%, to close at $45.53 per share on January 21, 2026, thereby injuring investors."
This isn't the first time that investors and shareholders have attempted to sue a company because of a major drop in their investment. Earlier this year, Oracle bondholders filed a complaint against the company after claiming that it failed to disclose that it plans to release a bigger bond offering a few weeks after its initial bond offering, resulting in $1.3 billion in paper losses. Intel was also slapped with a lawsuit over its single-day $32 billion loss in 2024, although it was eventually dismissed the following year. Newegg's stock has since recovered some of its losses since the news broke.
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Intel's take on multi-frame generation is now available
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Intel has begun rolling out support for XeSS 3, its next-generation AI-powered upscaling technology with Multi-Frame Generation, through a new graphics driver update. First announced at last year's Intel Tech Tour event in Arizona, XeSS Multi-Frame Generation offers similar 2x, 3x, and 4x modes (one, two, or three additional frames), much like Nvidia's DLSS Multi-Frame Generation.
During the showcase, Intel said that XeSS 3 with Multi-Frame Generation will not require developers to update existing XeSS 2 titles to add support. Any game that already supports XeSS 2 frame generation will be compatible with XeSS MFG and can be enabled via an override in the Intel Graphics Software control panel. Depending on the game title, Intel also expects XeSS MFG settings to be available via in-game settings in the future. Since XeSS 3 supports Arc GPUs with XMX units, the new upscaling tech will be available on Arc A-series and B-series discrete GPUs as well as integrated graphics solutions powered by Xe2/Xe3.
In our early hands-on of Intel's XeSS Multi-Frame Generation on a Panther Lake engineering system at Intel's Tech Tour event, we found that the image quality was impressive, with no obvious artifacts that made the generated frames stand out. That said, input lag felt high for fast-paced shooters, and we were also left unconvinced by Intel's reliance on baseline frame rates as a measure of acceptable input lag, as the two don't always correlate as closely as the company implies.
The latest Intel Graphics Driver versions 32.0.101.8425 and 32.0.101.8362 also serve as the launch drivers for Intel's newly announced Arc B390 and B370 iGPU solutions, available on the latest Core Ultra 3 series (codenamed Panther Lake) mobile CPUs. Additionally, the drivers also cover Intel's existing Arc A-series and B-series discrete GPUs, along with a wide range of integrated graphics across the Core Ultra processor family, including Meteor Lake, Lunar Lake, Arrow Lake-S, and Arrow Lake-H.
Release notes for the latest driver additionally mention fixes for specific crashes seen in the Pragmata Sketchbook demo on certain Arc and Core Ultra hardware, as well as a correction to a display software issue where the Variable Refresh Rate range showcased incorrect values in the settings interface.
A number of known issues across Intel Arc and Core Ultra platforms have also been listed including color corruption and crashes in titles like Ghost of Tsushima, The Finals, No Man's Sky, Star Citizen, and Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord, as well as intermittent graphical corruption in Call of Duty Black Ops 6 and benchmark instability in PugetBench for DaVinci Resolve Studio.
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It was a perfect June evening in New York when I received my first email from the source who would ask me to call him Red Bull. He was writing from hell, 8,000 miles away.
A summer shower had left a rainbow over my Brooklyn neighborhood, and my two children were playing in a kiddie pool on the roof of our apartment building. Now the sun was setting, while I—in typical 21st-century parenting fashion, forgive me—compulsively scrolled through every app on my phone.
The message had no subject line and came from an address on the encrypted email service Proton Mail: “vaultwhistle@proton.me.” I opened it.
“Hello. I'm currently working inside a major crypto romance scam operation based in the Golden Triangle,” it began. “I am a computer engineer being forced to work here under a contract.”
“I've collected internal evidence of how the scam works—step by step,” the message continued. “I am still inside the compound, so I cannot risk direct exposure. But I want to help shut this down.”
I knew only vaguely that the Golden Triangle was a lawless jungle region in Southeast Asia. But as a reporter who has covered cryptocurrency crime for the past decade and a half, I understood that crypto scamming—specifically the version of it that's come to be known as “pig butchering,” in which victims are lured with promises of romance and lucrative investments, only to be tricked into handing over their life savings—has become the most profitable form of cybercrime in the world, pulling in tens of billions of dollars annually.
This sprawling scam industry is, today, staffed by hundreds of thousands of forced laborers in compounds across Myanmar, Cambodia, and Laos. They're trafficked there from the poorest regions of Asia and Africa and pressed into the service of Chinese organized crime groups. The result is a self-perpetuating, constantly growing, globe-spanning money funnel that destroys lives on both ends—bankrupting one kind of victim, enslaving another.
I had read harrowing reports of scam compounds where laborers are beaten, tortured with electric shock batons, starved, and even murdered by their captors. Those stories have mostly come from the rare survivors who have escaped or been rescued by law enforcement. Never before, though, had I heard of someone currently working within a scam compound offering to act as a whistleblower—an actual source on the inside.
I had no idea, still, if this purported source was real. But I wrote back anyway, asking them to switch over from email to the encrypted messaging app Signal and turn on disappearing messages to better cover their tracks.
The source wrote back immediately and told me to expect to hear from them in two hours.
That night, after my kids were asleep, the Signal messages began to light up my phone. First, the source sent carefully prepared documents: a flowchart and then a written guide that described the scam processes of the compound in northern Laos. (I'd come to learn that the Golden Triangle—once the American nickname for a vast hotbed of opium and heroin production—now mainly refers to a city-size Laotian “special economic zone” bordering Myanmar and Thailand and largely controlled by Chinese business interests.) The two write-ups described every step in the compound's work: creating fake Facebook and Instagram profiles; using hired models and AI deepfake tools to complete the illusion of a real romantic prospect; tricking victims into “investing” in fake trading platforms they recommended. It even detailed the small gong that would be struck in the office when someone pulled off a successful scam.
I had barely had time to skim these detailed descriptions—this was not how I'd planned to spend a Saturday evening with my wife—when my phone rang, just after midnight.
I picked up the Signal call. A polite Indian-accented voice said, “Hello.”
“What do I call you?” I asked.
“You can call me any name, brother, no matter,” the voice said with a shy laugh.
I insisted that I'd need a name for him, even if he just wanted to make one up on the spot.
“You can call me Red Bull,” he said. Months later, he would tell me that he'd been looking at an empty can of the energy drink as we spoke.
Red Bull explained that he'd tried reaching out to US and Indian law enforcement agencies and Interpol, as well as the tip lines for a few news outlets, but no one had responded other than me. He asked me to tell him more about myself—and then cut me off as soon as I'd said two sentences about my work covering crypto crime.
“So you are the person I share everything with,” he said hurriedly. “And you will help me to expose this, right?”
Thrown off, I told him he'd have to first tell me who he was.
For the next few minutes, Red Bull warily answered my questions. He didn't tell me his real name but said he was from India—that most of the compound's forced laborers were from India, Pakistan, or Ethiopia.
He was in his early twenties and had a diploma in computer engineering, he said. Like most of his coworkers, Red Bull had been tricked by a fake job offer—in his case, to work as an IT manager for an office in Laos. Then his passport had been taken from him by his Chinese bosses. He was forced to sleep in a dormitory room with five other men and work 15 hours at a time on a nocturnal schedule designed to sync with the daytime of the Indian Americans they targeted for scamming. (That system—matching scammers with victims of their own ethnicity to build rapport and avoid language issues—is common, I'd later learn.)
Red Bull's situation was not precisely the brutal modern slavery I had read about elsewhere. It was more like a grotesque parody of a corporate sales floor. In theory, the staffers were incentivized with commissions designed to create the illusion that they could get rich from hard work. In reality, they were kept in perpetual debt and servitude. Red Bull told me he was paid a base salary of 3,500 Chinese yuan a month, close to $500, but the money was almost entirely taken from him by daily fines for various infractions, most often not meeting his quota of initial conversations with victims. The result was that he had virtually no income and subsisted off the food in the cafeteria, mostly rice and vegetables that he said tasted of strange chemicals.
He was bound into this system by a one-year contract, and believed when that time was over—in about six more months—he'd be allowed to leave. So far, he told me, he hadn't successfully scammed anyone, only skated by with the minimum number of plausible attempts. That meant he was still essentially captive unless he escaped, served out his time, or paid off his contract with thousands of dollars he didn't have.
A city-sized “special economic zone” just inside Laos, the Golden Triangle is controlled largely by Chinese business interests—often illegal ones. This map shows the office and dormitory where Red Bull was kept.
Red Bull told me he'd heard of people who were beaten and electrocuted for breaking rules, a female staffer who he believes was sold into sexual slavery, and other coworkers who mysteriously disappeared. “If they knew I was talking to you or doing something wrong to them, they would directly kill me,” he said. “But I promised myself that whether I stay alive or not, I will stop this scam.”
Then Red Bull launched into the immediate purpose of his call: There was a scam in progress he knew about, targeting an Indian American man who had already been scammed at least once, but remained in the thrall of one of Red Bull's colleagues. The man's crypto wallet service appeared to have frozen his account on the suspicion that he was being defrauded. So for the next payment, a courier was being sent to pick up a six-figure sum in cash.
The pickup was set to happen in three or four days. The victim lived just a few hours away from me. If I acted quickly, Red Bull explained, I could alert law enforcement and help set up a sting operation to capture the courier. Beyond this tip, he wanted me to find him an FBI agent to be his handler going forward, while continuing to work with me as a source. We'd spoken for just over 10 minutes.
Red Bull impatiently said that he'd write me the details on Signal and hung up. Within seconds, he was sending screenshots of the compound's internal chat logs, his colleagues' conversations with victims, and more details on the sting operation he wanted me to arrange.
With my mind reeling, I paused for a moment. Then I called Red Bull back on Signal without warning—with video enabled. I wanted to see who I was talking to.
The view from the hotel room where Red Bull first spoke to WIRED, as seen over a Signal video call.
Red Bull picked up. He was slim and handsome, with slightly shaggy hair and a trim beard. He gave me a half smile, seemingly unconcerned about revealing his face. I asked him to show me his surroundings, and he flipped the video to display a bare hotel room—he explained that he'd risked booking a room in the hotel next to his office to have somewhere to talk to me—and the view out the window of ugly concrete buildings and parking lots, construction sites, and a few palm trees. At my request, he walked outside and showed me the Chinese-language sign on the front of the building. I didn't know much about the Golden Triangle, but this appeared to be it.
Finally, Red Bull showed me his work ID, with a Chinese name the compound had given him: Machao. (None of the workers in the office, he explained, knew each other's real name.)
I began to believe Red Bull was what he said: a real whistleblower in a Laos scam compound. I told him I'd consider everything he'd asked for, but that I wanted to work with him patiently and carefully to minimize his risk.
“I am with you and whatever I do, I do under your guidance,” he wrote back at 1:33 am. “Have a nice night ahead.”
At 4 am, I was still lying awake in bed, considering what to do with the eager new source who seemed determined to put his life in my hands.
After a few hours' sleep, I texted Erin West, a California prosecutor—or, as I would learn in our phone call later that day, a former prosecutor. Toward the end of 2024, West became so fed up with the US government's failure to do anything about the pig butchering epidemic that she'd retired early from her position as a deputy district attorney and was now focused full-time on running her own anti-scam organization, called Operation Shamrock.
I asked West for advice about who in law enforcement could help arrange the sting that Red Bull had requested. West, to my surprise, was far more excited about the story that Red Bull wanted me to write. “This is a major, major deal,” West said. “Here's someone on the inside who's willing to share this information and tell us everything about how this whole operation runs.”
But she quickly shot down the idea of a sting. No time to arrange it, she said. Nor did she think that arresting a lowly money mule would be the major win that Red Bull believed it to be. Most couriers of this kind, she said, were freelancers even further down the hierarchy of a scam operation than Red Bull himself and would know nothing of value.
More important, a sting—or any effort to warn the victim myself by asking Red Bull for his contact and reaching out—could also create suspicion of a leak inside the scam compound that might be traced to Red Bull and put his life in jeopardy. Preventing one case of fraud, or taking down one courier, hardly seemed worth that risk of exposure.
I had been talking to Red Bull for less than 24 hours. Already I was making the decision to stand by as a potential six-figure scam took place, as a cost of protecting him.
Beyond this question of a sting, West told me, she wasn't sure that handing Red Bull over to the FBI was the right approach. If he were to become a law enforcement source, she said, the FBI or Interpol would almost certainly tell him to stop talking to me or any other journalist. And the result of whatever he shared with the feds would likely fall far short of his expectations: criminal charges, in absentia, for low-level bosses at best. “If he thinks that the FBI and Interpol are going to march into Laos and take this place down, that's never going to happen. The cavalry is not coming.”
Far more valuable than building a case against this single operation, she argued, would be to use whatever Red Bull could share to tell the larger story: the high-resolution reality of pig butchering compounds, their operational details, the scale of their work. Some of this had been described before by survivors of the compounds, but never, to West's knowledge, by an insider source leaking documents and evidence in real time.
The role of human trafficking in scam compounds' operations has only become harder to measure, West told me, with the Trump administration's destruction of USAID, which funded humanitarian organizations in the region. “The Trump presidency has taken away any of the eyes on the ground that we had,” West said.
All of that has enabled Chinese-origin gangs to continue stealing “a generation's worth of our wealth” through a system of slavery that's increasingly come to control an entire region of the world, as West described it. “The story here is how we allowed these criminals to embed themselves in Southeast Asia like a festering cancer,” West said. “And how it's disrupting our ability to trust people.”
I told Red Bull that we couldn't arrange a sting operation without risking his life. I also made the case that if he wanted to be a source for me, he'd likely have to wait to talk to law enforcement. He accepted all this with surprising decisiveness. “OK, done,” he said.
Red Bull and I soon settled into a routine of speaking on Signal every morning New York time, around 10 pm in Laos, as he walked around outside his dormitory in the half hour after he woke up and before he went into the cafeteria for a meal. (This “dinner” preceded his approximately 15-hour workday, which included two breaks to eat.)
He spent much of our first conversations pitching a series of increasingly high-risk evidence-gathering methods: He wanted to wear a hidden camera or microphone. He suggested setting up remote desktop software so I could see in real time everything on his screen. He offered to install spyware on the computer of his team leader, another Indian worker with aviator glasses and a short beard who went by the name “Amani.” He even proposed to hack into the laptop of Amani's supervisor, 50k, a short Chinese man with a paunch, tight pants, and a tattoo on his chest that Red Bull could never quite make out. Maybe that spyware would help us gather intel on 50k's communications with his own boss, “Alang,” whom Red Bull never saw in person.
For every one of these brazen ideas, I consulted with colleagues and experts who told me, one after another, how hidden-camera evidence-gathering required training, how the software Red Bull wanted to install on the office computers left behind detectable artifacts—why, in other words, all these ideas were likely to get him caught and killed.
We settled on a far simpler approach: He would use Signal on his work computer to send me messages and materials throughout his work hours, using Signal's disappearing messages feature set to a five-minute countdown timer to cover his tracks. At times he started calling me “Uncle” to bolster the cover story that he was just speaking to a relative, in case he was caught.
We adopted a protocol in which one of us would start a conversation by saying “Red.” The other would respond “Bull.” This exchange would verify no one had taken over his account. It was Red Bull's idea to change the name and icon of the Signal app on his computer to make it look like a desktop shortcut for its hard drive.
He began to send me a steady stream of pictures, screenshots, and videos: a spreadsheet and photos of a whiteboard on which his team's work was tracked, with scam totals in the thousands of dollars next to many of the group's nicknames. A photo of a Chinese ceremonial drum on a stand that stood in the office, ready to be struck to celebrate big wins of $100,000 or more. Pages and pages of chat logs, posted to the office WhatsApp group, documented the scamming wins of Red Bull's colleagues and the tragic responses from victims: “Always had a dream of having a girlfriend then wife like you” … “U stopped talking to me” … “I will continue praying for your Mom” … “Please help me withdraw my money OK?” … “??????” … “😭” One video showed a victim crying in his car after losing a six-figure sum; the mark had sent the clip to his scammer to elicit guilt, perhaps, but it was instead being passed around the office for laughs.
Every member of the team was required to post daily updates—how many “first chats” they'd started, how many “deep chats” they'd had, the kind that might lead to successful scams. Their group chat used euphemisms like “opening a new customer,” for hooking a new mark, and “recharges,” for repeat victims. Each team had a quota, typically around a million dollars a month. If they met it, they'd be rewarded with weekends off, the freedom to have snacks in the office, even parties at a nearby club. (Their bosses, Red Bull said, would spend those parties in a private room separated by a curtain.) Miss the target, and they'd be berated, fined, and forced to work seven nights a week.
A whiteboard in the office tracked scam successes, listed alongside workers' pseudonyms and team names.
Every worker also posted a mandatory daily schedule—not of their own nocturnal life sitting at a desk in a fluorescent-lit office and sending Facebook and Instagram messages, but the schedule of the rich, single woman they were pretending to be: 7 am “peaceful yoga and meditation,” 9:30 am “self-care and vacation planning,” 2:30 pm “dentist visit,” 6 pm “dinner and talking with mother.”
Sometimes during our voice calls, Red Bull would tell me to enable video and record my screen. Then he would walk into the cafeteria and surreptitiously film his surroundings while pretending to talk to his “uncle.” I got a tour through the bright lights of the building's lobby and stairwells, the lines of depressed-looking South Asian and African men lining up for food. Once he even showed me the inside of the office, a large, beige room where I could see clusters of desks with red, yellow, and green flags on them that connoted each team's scamming performance.
A video surreptitiously recorded via a Signal call shows the inside of the Boshang scam compound's office.
After a few days, Red Bull and I tried upgrading our cover story, and I became a secret girlfriend he was texting with—a better explanation for his use of Signal should it be detected. We peppered our conversation with heart emojis, referred to each other as “dear,” and signed off with “miss you,” until our chat logs started to look almost like the fraud romances his team carried on daily. But we soon found the pretense too embarrassing and gave it up.
On another occasion, as I was heading to sleep, Red Bull wrote a surprisingly sensitive farewell message: “Good night! 🌙 Rest easy—you've done enough for today. Let your mind reset, and let tomorrow come with fresh clarity and quiet strength.”
As stilted as the language felt, I admit to being moved by the unusually thoughtful note—I had, in fact, gotten very little sleep over the several stressful days since we'd first started communicating.
Then, during our call the following morning, Red Bull began explaining to me the role that AI chat tools like ChatGPT and DeepSeek play in the compound's work: how they're trained to use them to clean up their language, find just the right sentiment, never run out of inviting turns of phrase.
His goodnight message the previous evening, he told me without hesitation, had been copied directly from ChatGPT. “Everyone does this here; they teach us this,” he said.
Funny, I thought, how easy it is to be taken in by a bit of sympathetic text sent by a new acquaintance on the other side of the world.
In the few minutes I had with Red Bull every day between the dormitory and the office, amid our other conversations about his safety and evidence-gathering tactics, I asked how he'd come to be trapped in the compound and why he had become so singularly motivated to expose it. In answering, in hurried snippets of conversation and then later in longer texts, he told me the 23-year story of his life.
Red Bull grew up, he told me, as one of eight children in a Muslim family in a mountainous village in Jammu and Kashmir, a disputed territory on the India–Pakistan border. His father was a schoolteacher but also sometimes worked as a construction laborer and, along with Red Bull's mother, raised dairy cattle and sold ghee—clarified butter—to survive.
When Red Bull was a young child in the mid-2000s, the family would often leave their village for areas in northern Kashmir to escape the intermittent conflicts between the Indian Army and Pakistani-supported guerrillas. Muslim men in the region had sometimes been conscripted to fight or carry supplies for Pakistani-backed forces, then branded as terrorists and killed by India's military.
When the conflict died down, Red Bull's parents sent him to live with his grandparents in the city of Rajouri, a four-hour bus ride away, where they hoped their unusually bright and inquisitive child could get a better education. His grandparents were harsh guardians, he told me. They forced him to chop wood and fetch water when he wasn't studying, and his school was a 6-mile walk away. He wore out his shoes, blistered his feet, and attended classes with a rope tied around his pants for a belt.
Even then, he says, he maintained a kind of defiant optimism. “I kept thinking: If not today then tomorrow things will get better,” he wrote to me.
When he was 15, Red Bull's grandparents sent him to live with the family of a pair of his teachers, who made him work as a servant in exchange for paying his school fees. He would wake up early every morning to clean the house before breakfast, then wash the dishes before going to school—including the separate set they required him to use.
One day in that house, he remembers watching, entranced, as the family's eldest son played the latest FIFA game on his PC, the first time Red Bull had ever seen a computer. He was told to get back to work. This became the beginning of his computer fixation. “I felt ashamed and disrespected because I was not even allowed to touch it,” Red Bull wrote. “I told myself that one day I would become the master of this machine.”
After a particularly humiliating scolding, Red Bull decided to run away. He left the next morning before the family was awake and traveled to the city, where he found odd jobs cleaning houses, doing construction work, cutting rice. For a time he went door-to-door selling Ayurvedic medicines. At night he would study alone in the room he rented. In 2021, he was accepted into the computer science program at Kashmir Government Polytechnic College in Srinagar, the region's biggest city.
At the university, he slept in a room without proper bedding through the freezing Kashmiri winters, and often went hungry. A friend taught him how to make Facebook pages for businesses, or buy and sell them like a real estate developer flipping properties. Working on the school's PCs, he soon made the equivalent of $200, enough to buy his own used Dell laptop—a prized, life-changing possession.
After three years of studying, working, and sending money home to his family, he graduated with a diploma in computer engineering—the first time, he says, that anyone from his village had ever attained that level of technical education. He'd also developed a stubborn, even angry determination to chart his own path through the world.
“My mom and dad always advised me to have patience and to stay strong, and their advice gave me some inner strength, but the fight itself I always carried alone,” he wrote. “It is very hard for anyone to truly understand me, but I never stopped fighting my circumstances.”
Not long after Red Bull graduated, he was making a livable wage creating Facebook pages and websites, earning as much as a thousand dollars a month. But he had bigger ambitions. He dreamed of working in artificial intelligence, in the biomedical field, or in cybersecurity as a whitehat hacker. (The TV show Mr. Robot had long been one of his favorites.) He wanted to study abroad but couldn't afford it, and was rejected when he sought student loans.
He resigned himself to working for a year or two to save money. A friend from college told him of someone in Laos who seemed to be able to find people good work. Red Bull began talking to that thirdhand contact, called Ajaz, who said he knew an agent who could get him hired as an office IT manager making around $1,700 a month. For Red Bull, that alluring salary would mean he might only have to work for a single year before returning to school.
Ajaz told Red Bull to fly to Bangkok and then call the recruiting agent from the airport. He boarded the plane without even knowing what industry his employer might be in—only that he would help manage its computers. He remembers the excitement of traveling abroad for the first time, dreaming of his future throughout the red-eye flight across the Indian Ocean.
The next morning in Bangkok, he called the agent, an East African man who summarily told him to take a 12-hour bus ride to Chiang Mai, and then a taxi to the border with Laos. When Red Bull arrived there, he was to take a selfie showing that he was outside the immigration office, and text it to the agent. A few minutes after Red Bull did as instructed, an immigration official came outside, flashed the selfie he'd evidently received from the agent, and demanded 500 Thai baht—about $15. Red Bull paid, the official stamped his passport, and he was sent down to a boat waiting on the Mekong River below. The ferry crossed the river just south of the point where the three borders of Thailand, Laos, and Myanmar meet in a single nexus: the Golden Triangle.
After the boat had crossed into Laos, a young Chinese man waiting on the opposite river bank showed Red Bull the same selfie. He took Red Bull's passport without explanation and gave it to immigration officials along with some Chinese currency. It came back with a visa.
The Chinese man pocketed the passport and told Red Bull to wait for the East African agent. Then he left, taking Red Bull's passport with him.
An hour later, the agent arrived and drove him in a white van to a hotel in northern Laos, where he would spend the night. Lying in the bed of that bare hotel room, he remained entirely focused on the anxiety and excitement of his first real job interview, scheduled for the next day. He still suspected nothing.
The next morning, he was brought to an office, a gray tower of concrete surrounded by other drab buildings amid the lush green mountains of northern Laos. Red Bull sat nervously at a desk as a Chinese man and a translator administered a typing test and an English language test, both of which he breezed through. They told him he'd passed, and they began asking him about his familiarity with social networks like Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
Red Bull eagerly answered their questions. Finally they asked him whether he understood the job he'd be starting. “As an IT manager?” he asked. No, they said, for once speaking without euphemism: He would be a “scammer.”
As the reality of his situation finally became clear, Red Bull spiraled into panic. The Chinese boss told him he'd be starting immediately. Trying to buy time, he begged to instead return to the hotel to rest for one night before beginning work. The boss agreed.
That night in the hotel room, Red Bull frantically searched the internet for information about scam operations in the Golden Triangle. Only then did he see the dimensions of the trap that had sprung around him: Too late, he read about the thousands of Indians deceived and ensnared just as he had been, with no passport or means of escape. In the midst of this sickening epiphany, his parents video-called him to ask if he'd gotten the IT manager job. Burying his shame and regret, he said he had, smiled, and accepted their congratulations.
The colored flags in each team's work area indicate whether it's been meeting scam revenue quotas.
A Chinese ceremonial drum stands ready to be struck by any worker who achieves a scam of $100,000 or more.
Over the next days, with little in the way of orientation, he was pulled into the machinery of the scamming organization he'd come to know as the Boshang compound: He was trained to create fake profiles, given scam scripts, and then set to work on a nocturnal schedule, manually spamming out hundreds of introductory messages every night to lure new victims. At the end of his shifts, he would return to the top bunk of his six-man dorm room—little bigger than the hotel room he'd occupied those first nights—with a toilet in the corner.
Yet from the very beginning, he says, he was determined to again defy his circumstances. It struck him that he knew more about computers than most of his coworkers, or even his bosses, who seemed to understand only how to use social media, AI tools, and cryptocurrency. Within days, he began daydreaming of using his technical skills to quietly gather information on the compound and, somehow, expose it.
There was, Red Bull came to believe, little to prevent him from leaking the compound's secrets. Team leaders took employees' personal phones and put them in a box when they began their shifts, and they were strictly prohibited from taking work devices out of the office. But otherwise, the surveillance of staffers and their own phones seemed surprisingly loose.
Bosses seemed to depend largely on the fear and despair of Red Bull's fellow trafficking victims—most of whom had, it seemed to him, lost all hope of resistance. “They tell themselves survival is the only goal, and they shut down anything that feels human,” Red Bull wrote to me. “Empathy, guilt, even memories of who they were before.”
He kept his own hope alive in part with a sense that he was different. “Most people don't have the skills, or the tools, or even the mental strength to fight from the inside,” he wrote. “I can move through the system. I can observe. I can gather evidence, names, scripts, patterns, connections.”
At times, though, I still struggled to understand what had given Red Bull the conviction to reach out to me, to risk his life rather than merely serve out his time. “Maybe it's justice, or maybe it's conscience,” he responded. “If there's a God, I hope he sees what I'm doing. If there isn't, then at least I'll know I stayed human in a place that tries to turn people into monsters.”
As time passed and the collection of materials Red Bull sent to me mounted, I was also getting the sense that the walls were closing in on him. One day, Red Bull told me, his team leader Amani asked him with menacing calm why he was spending so much time outside—referring, most likely, to the walks when Red Bull would talk to me on Signal—and generating so few new “clients.” Maybe, Amani suggested, a beating or some electric shocks would increase his productivity.
Around the same time, Red Bull told me that new surveillance cameras had been installed in the office, including on the ceiling both behind and in front of his desk. I told him he should immediately stop communicating with me from the office—it was now far too risky. My editors came to a more severe conclusion: I should shut down my reporting with Red Bull altogether until he was free.
Red Bull had, by this point, sent me a collection of 25 scam scripts and guides in English and Chinese. The documents displayed the anatomy of scamming at a level of resolution I'd never seen before: lists of conversation starters; tutorials on what to do when a target asks for a video call and how to delay until a deepfake model is ready to speak with them; tips on how to complain about overcautious financial institutions so victims don't get spooked by their own bank's warnings.
Maybe what he'd given me was already enough. Following my editors' lead, I told Red Bull that it was time to stop. “OK, done,” he said, with his usual quick pivot.
A video secretly recorded over a Signal call shows the inside of the Boshang compound's cafeteria. Red Bull says the food tasted of strange chemicals. Access to the cafeteria was frequently denied to workers for violations as basic as showing up late to a shift or not being in their dorm rooms at check-in time.
Now, I told him, he should focus on completing the remaining six months of his contract as safely as possible, and we'd talk again when he was free. But Red Bull, once again, was already several thoughts ahead. If our reporting process was finished, he told me, he wanted to leave now.
He told me about a plan he'd been concocting to get home: He'd forge an Indian police letter stating that he was under investigation back in Jammu and Kashmir. If he didn't go back, he'd tell his supervisor, it would cause serious trouble for him, his family, and ultimately the compound. He would plead to take a two-week trip home, deal with the situation, and return. Maybe, he said, his bosses would buy this story and let him leave.
I didn't think it would work, and I told him as much: I warned that his overseers might detect the forgery and punish him. But after all the risky schemes I had already talked Red Bull out of, he seemed more stubbornly intent on this one. I asked him to please wait, and I told him I'd try to find him someone in the region who was more familiar with scam compound escape tactics. I was in touch, for instance, with a Southeast Asian activist who asked to be identified only as “W,” who had experience helping political refugees escape from the region.
Red Bull suddenly switched into cover story mode as he entered the office lobby. “No problem uncle, you stay relaxed,” he said as he walked by the security guard. “Things will be better soon, OK?” Then he ended the call.
At another point in those daily conversations, Red Bull brought up another potential path to freedom: If only he could pay the equivalent of $3,400, he could buy out his contract and go home. He just needed to get the money somehow.
In a matter of seconds, a fleet of thoughts ran through my mind. First, a flash of hope for Red Bull and a desire to pay off his debt. Then the realization that, of course, WIRED couldn't possibly give money to a source in this way, much less reward an organized crime group for human trafficking. The idea violated journalistic ethics—payments to sources are generally considered a corrupting conflict of interest—and would set an unforgivable precedent. I said as much to Red Bull, and he quickly responded that he understood “completely” and that he had never asked me or WIRED to pay.
Even so, the mere mention of that payment option also planted in my mind a different, darker thought that I now couldn't shake: What if Red Bull was scamming me? I had set aside my initial skepticism of Red Bull once I'd seen enough proof that he was who he said he was: a real person trapped in a grim compound in Laos. Now, almost two weeks into our relationship, the troubling possibility nagged at me: What if he truly was a scam compound insider, but this had been the scam all along? The mere thought felt like a betrayal of all the trust he seemed to have placed in me.
I decided to compartmentalize my suspicions, keeping the possibility of an ulterior motive in my mind next to the more likely probability that his intentions were genuine.
A couple of days later, meanwhile, he mentioned his forged document idea again, and I again suggested he wait for help from someone like W and not risk the scheme. But with every day, I could tell that he was increasingly set on his plan. “I have no other options,” he said. “Let's see what happens.”
Just a few days later, on a Saturday afternoon, I was surprised to get an email from the same Proton Mail account that Red Bull had first reached out from but hadn't used since we'd switched to Signal. Just like that first email, it had no subject line.
I opened the message and my mind instantly went blank with dread.
“they people cath me and now they get my phone everything,” it read. “they beaten me andn ow may be they kill me”
Red Bull had tried his forged-police-document deception. Now, it seemed, the worst possible outcome had come to pass.
I suppressed panic as my mind spun through options. I texted my editors and W, in the hopes they might have some idea of how to help. Fifteen minutes after that first email came another, more coherent message from Red Bull: “I'm trapped. I have no way to get out. They have my personal phone and my ID card,” this one read. “If there's anything you can do, please help me.”
In the meantime, W responded to me on Signal. Over the phone, we hurriedly talked through what we could possibly do to increase Red Bull's chances of survival. I didn't know how Red Bull was emailing me, but W cautioned that it would be dangerous to respond. His bosses knew he'd lied to them to try to escape. It still seemed they didn't know he was talking to a journalist and leaking their secrets.
If they found out, there was little doubt they would kill him. “Brutally,” W said. “There's no way he'd get out of this area alive.” He advised that I wait to hear more from Red Bull about his situation and how to safely communicate.
Twenty-four excruciating hours passed before I received another email from Red Bull—a long, stream-of-consciousness block of frantic text.
“Last night those people beat me I am still hungry I have not eaten anything they disconnected my card my personal phone and everything today they will decide what to do with me the Indian team leader and everyone sat in front of me and said do you know who we are and they beat me again and then made me sit back in the office today I have to accept that whatever I did was fake and I have to accept my mistake I cannot run away from here I have no money and I cannot even go outside the gate I am contacting you from the system PC if you have any way then send me an email I will check it and tell W to talk to me on my email and those people are telling me to give them 20k yuan they said if I give it they will leave me without doing anything more please tell W to reply to my email whenever they torture me and bring me back to the office I am only on the system PC have a nice evening ahead”
Before I could respond to this email, I got a Signal message: “Red.”
“Bull,” I wrote back.
He wrote quickly, this time with the short version: He'd been put in a room and told again to find someone to pay 20,000 yuan for his release, the equivalent of around $2,800.
In the midst of this life-or-death crisis, I couldn't help but think that this might just as easily be the endgame of the scam I'd suspected in the back of my mind: Hook a journalist's attention, lure him in, give him responsibility for a source's safety, and now require a payment to save his life.
Regardless, my editors had made clear to me that neither WIRED nor I could pay Red Bull or his captors. They were, in fact, warier than ever that he might be scamming me. But the more likely truth, I still felt, was that this nightmare was all entirely real.
Red Bull seemed to have his phone back—likely to allow him to find someone to pay his ransom—but it felt too risky to call him. I texted him, suggesting he instead try to speak to W about who might be able to help him escape. W was far more experienced in these situations—and if Red Bull were monitored, he'd at least be caught speaking to an activist rather than a reporter.
I also told Red Bull that, as terrible as I felt that he was going through this hell, I wouldn't be able to pay his ransom, any more than I'd been able to pay out his contract.
“Okay,” Red Bull wrote. “I understand.” He asked me to tell W to get in touch, and I told him I would.
I watched as he set Signal's disappearing message feature to delete messages after only five seconds, a sign of how closely he feared he was being watched.
He posted a thumbs-up emoji. Then it was gone.
Over the next few days, I spoke with one person after another who I hoped might be able to help Red Bull, perhaps even by paying his ransom: Erin West, W, W's boss at the nonprofit he worked for. One by one, each of them backed away—either from concerns about rewarding a scam compound's human trafficking, suspicion that Red Bull's story might itself be a scam, or some combination of the two.
West, despite her enormous enthusiasm when Red Bull first came forward, now said it sounded like a human trafficking racket she'd heard of elsewhere, in which fake victims solicit fake ransoms. W got as far as speaking to Red Bull on multiple Signal voice calls but was overwhelmed by his panicked energy and thought his desperate pleas for the ransom payment—and promises to pay W back in the future—were dubious. “It sounded like ‘Send me one bitcoin and I'll send you two,'” W told me afterward.
But I still felt I owed it to Red Bull to take his situation at face value and—assuming it was all true—do whatever I could within the bounds of journalistic ethics to get him out.
Three days had passed since he was first held ransom. It was becoming clearer that he was no longer being closely monitored, perhaps because his captors were growing bored with him. I decided to risk a call. “Things are not going good,” he told me with typical understatement, speaking softly, close to the phone's microphone. He told me he had a fever, that he'd been beaten several times, slapped and kicked and made to confess that he'd forged the Indian police document. On one occasion the bosses put a white powder into a cup of water and told him to drink it. He found that it made him unnaturally talkative and confident but then gave him a rash of raised red bumps on his skin. He was sometimes sent back to his dormitory to sleep, he told me, but hadn't eaten in days and was deprived of water for long stretches.
He'd written to various Indian embassies and consulates across Southeast Asia, but none had responded. “No one is going to help me. I don't know why,” he said a few minutes into our call, his voice finally breaking into a muffled sob, the first time I'd ever heard him express self-pity.
Then he quickly controlled himself with a single breath. “I want to cry,” he said. “But let's see.”
Four days after he'd first been caught trying to escape and held for ransom, Red Bull texted me to say that something had changed in the compound. Everything was strangely quiet, and no one had summoned him to the office. When he asked some of his coworkers, they told him there were rumors the Laotian police were planning a raid. Their Chinese bosses had gotten a tip from someone on the inside and were laying low.
The next day, with rumors of a raid still circulating through the compound, Red Bull got a hopeful message from the Indian embassy in Laos. “Please share your passport copy, company ID,” it read. “Embassy will take necessary action to rescue you.”
Salvation seemed to be on the horizon. But then more days passed, and—nothing. The embassy stopped responding to Red Bull's messages. Late one night, I managed to get an Indian embassy official on the phone after several tries. He seemed confused about which person we were talking about, then repeated the government's vague assurance that it would rescue him, and hung up.
As the days went by—with no more clarity from the Indian government, no police raid, and no one willing to pay for his freedom—Red Bull seemed to be sinking into fatalism. One day I woke up to a series of messages offering up a confession, as if he feared he might die in the room where he was being held and wanted to absolve himself of sin.
“I want to say something honestly. When I first talked to you I said I never scammed anyone. That was not fully true,” he wrote. “The truth is the Chinese bosses forced me to bring two people into the scam. I did not do it by choice. I feel guilty about it every day. That is why I want to tell the full truth now.”
He later told me more details of those two victims. From one, he'd taken $504. From the other, around $11,000. He gave me both of their names. I tried contacting them but couldn't find one, and the other never responded. For the larger of those two sums, Red Bull should have received a commission based on the scam compound's incentive structure. But he says he was never paid any reward beyond his meager base salary.
I'd later look back at the picture of the office whiteboard Red Bull had shared early on. On it I could see, quite clearly, the Chinese name the compound had given him, “Machao,” next to the sum of $504. I had entirely missed this, though he'd made no attempt to hide it.
“I am trusting you with my real story,” Red Bull concluded his confession. “This is the truth.”
After 10 days in limbo, Red Bull told me that he and his coworkers had been ordered to pack their things. The office computers had been boxed up and stored in the dormitory. The entire staff was moving to a new building a few hundred feet away, and the workers were told they'd have to continue their work from these temporary dorm rooms rather than the office. According to the rumors, a raid was finally coming.
Throughout this time, Red Bull was treated more or less like a dog, as he described it, a pariah set apart from the other workers: He had no bedding; sometimes he slept on the floor and was fed only when someone remembered to give him food, often spoiled leftovers. He lost weight and suffered from body aches, fever, and what felt like the flu.
Yet somehow, even then, Red Bull was still motivated to keep digging.
During this hiatus from the office, work devices were now allowed into the dormitory—a loosening of security that Red Bull realized could offer him an opportunity. One day when one of his roommates was asleep, he found the man's work phone.
He had seen the man enter his passcode over his shoulder, and now quickly unlocked it. Red Bull then connected his own personal phone to the man's WhatsApp using the app's “linked device” feature, allowing him to read the scam compound's internal messaging. He used that access to make screen recordings, meticulously scrolling through months of the compound's internal conversations, as well as all the screenshots of chat logs with victims his colleagues had posted.
Another day, he found his own work phone left unattended in a different dorm room—he hadn't had access to it since he was first caught trying to escape—and repeated the WhatsApp linking trick so that he could access that device's messages, too, from his personal phone. Then he made another screen recording of scrolling through its chats. Together, the videos added up to a detailed record of three months of the compound's day-to-day operations. Red Bull sent me samples of these recordings, but the full videos ran to nearly 10 gigabytes, far more than he could text me from his phone's data plan.
A raid by Laotian police targeted the building that housed the Boshang compound offices, but Red Bull's bosses had already moved their operation on a tip. So the raid appeared to round up forced laborers in other offices.
A week later, after he and his coworkers had moved to the new building, Red Bull sent me a very different, more dramatic series of short clips: One showed dozens of South Asian men standing outside of a high-rise building, being lined up by what appeared to be Laotian police in khaki and black uniforms. Another showed a similar-looking crowd sitting in rows in a lobby. The raids, Red Bull told me, had arrived, sweeping the scam operations that hadn't taken the precaution of vacating the old building, as his bosses had. Now these videos were circulating among workers who had only narrowly missed the crackdown.
As the rest of the compound's operations struggled to adapt to their new makeshift workspace, Red Bull, of course, had already been stuck in purgatory for weeks. He pleaded with his bosses to be released, arguing that he was no use to them. He had no money, and clearly there was no one willing to pay his ransom. He was dead weight, taking up space when they were already crowded into their temporary building.
Shockingly, his bosses agreed. Rather than kill him, they told him he could go.
To scrape together enough money for a return journey, Red Bull borrowed a few hundred dollars from his brother. Then he wrote to an Indian acquaintance who had a position in a scam compound nearby, telling him that he needed to go home to see his family but would soon return. If the acquaintance could send enough money to buy plane tickets, Red Bull proposed, he'd let the man take the recruitment fee when he returned. Soon he had several hundred more dollars in his account. Red Bull had scammed a scammer, and he'd found a path home.
In late July, Red Bull's team leader, Amani, intercepted him outside the dormitory, handed him his passport, and told him it was time to leave. Red Bull explained that most of his things, including his shoes, were in his room. He was wearing only a pair of flip-flops.
Amani told him he didn't care. 50k himself was waiting in an Audi to drive Red Bull to the border of the Golden Triangle region. From there, he'd be on his own. He got in the back of the car in his flip-flops and left.
Later, when Red Bull had finally escaped, he would marvel at this last slight, as if it were somehow worse than all the slaps, kicks, drugging, and starvation he'd endured. “I never expected this from them,” he wrote to me, punctuating his text with crying emojis. “They didn't even allow me to wear my shoes.”
A few days after that drive to the border, near the end of a journey that involved buses, a train, and a dirt-cheap plane itinerary with no fewer than five layovers, Red Bull was finally back in India. During a stopover on the way to his home village, he began sending me the WhatsApp screen-recording videos he'd smuggled out of the compound on his phone.
For an analysis of the thousands of pages of materials that Red Bull leaked to WIRED, click here.
These files would turn out to be the most significant and unique material he provided me. A team of reporters at WIRED would later convert them into a 4,200-page PDF of screenshots and share them with scam compound experts. The document, we'd discover, offers a detailed diary of life inside the compound, cataloging every successful scam it achieved during those months and laying out the scale and hierarchy of the operation. It also reveals the mundane minute-by-minute life of the forced laborers carrying out those scams, from their daily schedules to the fines and punishments they received to the Orwellian language their bosses used to manipulate, cajole, and discipline them—some of which is included in the text interspersed throughout this story.
Ultimately, no one had given Red Bull the help he needed to escape—not the human rights groups I tried to connect him with, not the Indian government (which never rescued him as promised), and not WIRED. Red Bull had rescued himself. Now, despite that complete lack of incentive or aid, amid the most desperate circumstances, he had obtained and given me the biggest data prize yet.
Red Bull, back in his home country of India.
Red Bull's hands weren't clean. He had admitted to me that, under duress, he'd scammed two innocent people. But despite my fears and those of the others I'd tried to connect him with, his motivation to act as a whistleblower had proven to be pure.
Now there could finally be no doubt: Red Bull was real.
On a quiet backstreet of a city somewhere in India, I wait alone—surrounded by several dozen macaque monkeys lounging, grooming each other, and parkouring off the neighborhood's
balconies and electrical wires. Then the monkey troop disperses into the trees and onto rooftops, and a white SUV emerges around a corner, drives up the street, and stops in front of me.
A door opens, and out steps Red Bull, displaying the same shy smile he had on his face when he picked up my first Signal video call. He looks smaller than I imagined, very thin, but more put together than he did on my phone screen, with a button-up flannel shirt and a fresh haircut. As he walks toward me, he breaks into a bigger, less restrained grin, and I shake his hand.
Now that he's finally free, Red Bull has given me permission to reveal his real name: Mohammad Muzahir.
Mohammad Muzahir, aka Red Bull, in a car in India after his first in-person meeting with a WIRED reporter.
“I'm feeling very, very happy to meet with you. I've been waiting a long time to meet with you and share everything, face-to-face,” Muzahir says after we've checked him into his hotel and we're riding in the SUV to mine. “I have no words to express it right now.”
The three months between Muzahir's escape and this in-person meeting have been far from easy. He's virtually broke, but he can't bring himself to focus on building websites and Facebook pages as he has done in the past, nor does he even have a laptop. Instead he has worked as a waiter and taken construction jobs to survive. When Muzahir isn't working or applying to jobs and universities abroad—so far without success—he obsessively researches scam operations on his phone, which is cracked on both front and back, with glitching lines across its damaged screen.
In that research, Muzahir has come to believe that almost all of the men rounded up in the raids that displaced his compound were later released back into the Golden Triangle. He assumes the police action was all just for show and barely disrupted the scam operations there. He has also learned that the Boshang operation that indentured him has since relocated to Cambodia, taking many of his former coworkers with it.
Muzahir is haunted by the coworkers he left behind in the compound—which has since relocated to Cambodia—and racked with guilt over the two people he scammed.
Muzahir sleeps as little as three hours a night, he tells me after we sit down in an empty lounge in the basement of my hotel. He's haunted, he says, by the fact that the scam compound he escaped, and dozens like it, are still operating and even expanding across lawless zones in Southeast Asia, and now other parts of the world. He thinks compulsively about the colleagues he left behind. He feels crushing guilt, too, about the two people he scammed, even while telling himself it was a necessary precursor to his actions as a whistleblower. He dreams of earning enough to somehow pay the two men back. “Honestly this is not a happy ending to the story,” he says.
After experiencing so many personal betrayals—and working for an operation where industrialized betrayal was, in fact, the business model—Muzahir's more fundamental problem is that he has trouble putting faith in anyone. He's reluctant to engage with even the human-rights NGOs and survivor groups I've tried to introduce him to. “These people are just wasting time and giving false hope,” he wrote to me at one point. “I'm not trusting too much in people.”
Somehow I've become an exception to that near-universal mistrust. But now that we're finally meeting in person, I feel compelled to confess to Muzahir that there were times when I didn't trust him—that even when he most needed my help, I still feared, incorrectly, that he might be scamming me.
To my relief, he just grins at this. “You did good,” Muzahir says. If I had paid off his contract or even paid his ransom, he points out, he would have left the compound before he had a chance to record and share the operation's full WhatsApp conversations.
Muzahir is eager now for WIRED to release our full analysis of that data. I've pointed out to him that, when we do, the Chinese mafia could find a way to retaliate against him in India, or elsewhere if he follows through on his plan to leave the country. We could obscure his identity, but his team was small enough that it will likely still be immediately clear to his former bosses who the leaker was—even if we didn't publish this detailed narrative of his experience.
Muzahir responds that he's willing to accept that risk to get his story out—including his real identity. After everything he has suffered, Muzahir is still idealistic enough to hope that his experience will serve not only as a warning but as a source of inspiration to others like him.
As he explains that decision, I can see more clearly than ever before the motivation driving every risk he has taken: He's speaking not only to me but to every potential resister or whistleblower inside the burgeoning scam compound industry and the global power structures that enable it, to its survivors, to the hundreds of thousands of other voiceless people trapped in its systems of modern slavery.
“When someone reads about me, then maybe a lot of Red Bulls will stand up and speak,” Muzahir says with his usual shy smile. “When a lot of Red Bulls speak in this world, it will help to make things better.”
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Just before 8am one day last April, an office manager who went by the name Amani sent out a motivational message to his colleagues and subordinates. “Every day brings a new opportunity—a chance to connect, to inspire, and to make a difference,” he wrote in his 500-word post to an office-wide WhatsApp group. “Talk to that next customer like you're bringing them something valuable—because you are.”
Amani wasn't rallying a typical corporate sales team. He and his underlings worked inside a “pig butchering” compound, a criminal operation built to carry out scams—promising romance and riches from crypto investments—that often defraud victims out of hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars at a time.
Read the full story of WIRED's source, Mohammad Muzahir, here.
The workers Amani was addressing were eight hours into their 15-hour night shift in a high-rise building in the Golden Triangle special economic zone in Northern Laos. Like their marks, most of them were victims, too: forced laborers trapped in the compound, held in debt bondage with no passports. They struggled to meet scam revenue quotas to avoid fines that deepened their debt. Anyone who broke rules or attempted to escape faced far worse consequences: beatings, torture, even death.
The bizarre reality of daily life in a Southeast Asian scam compound—the tactics, the tone, the mix of cruelty and upbeat corporate prattle—is revealed at an unprecedented level of resolution in a leak of documents to WIRED from a whistleblower inside one such sprawling fraud operation. The facility, known as the Boshang compound, is one of dozens of scam operations across Southeast Asia that have enslaved hundreds of thousands of people. Often lured from the poorest regions of Asia and Africa with fake job offers, these conscripts have become engines of the most lucrative form of cybercrime in the world, coerced into stealing tens of billions of dollars.
Last June, one of those forced laborers, an Indian man named Mohammad Muzahir, contacted WIRED while he was still captive inside the scam compound that had trapped him. Over the following weeks, Muzahir, who initially identified himself only as “Red Bull,” shared with WIRED a trove of information about the scam operation. His leaks included internal documents, scam scripts, training guides, operational flowcharts, and photographs and videos from inside the compound.
Of all Muzahir's leaks, the most revealing is a collection of screen recordings in which he scrolled through three months' worth of the compound's internal WhatsApp group chats. Those videos, which WIRED converted into 4,200 pages of screenshots, capture hour-by-hour conversations between the compound's workers and their bosses—and the nightmare workplace culture of a pig butchering organization.
“It's a slave colony that's trying to pretend it's a company,” says Erin West, a former Santa Clara County, California, prosecutor who leads an anti-scam organization called Operation Shamrock and who reviewed the chat logs obtained by WIRED. Another researcher who reviewed the leaked chat logs, Jacob Sims of Harvard University's Asia Center, also remarked on their “Orwellian veneer of legitimacy.”
“It's terrifying, because it's manipulation and coercion,” says Sims, who studies Southeast Asian scam compounds. “Combining those two things together motivates people the most. And it's one of the key reasons why these compounds are so profitable.”
In another chat message, sent within hours of Amani's saccharine pep talk, a higher-level boss weighed in: “Don't resist the company's rules and regulations,” he wrote. “Otherwise you can't survive here.” The staffers responded with 26 emoji reactions, all thumbs-ups and salutes.
Scam compound whistleblower Mohammad Muzahir, photographed in India after returning home from his ordeal as a forced laborer in the Golden Triangle.
In total, according to WIRED's analysis of the group chat, more than 30 of the compound's workers successfully defrauded at least one victim in the 11 weeks of records available, totaling to around $2.2 million in stolen funds. Yet the bosses in the chat frequently voiced their disappointment in the group's performance, berated the staff for lack of effort, and imposed fine after fine.
Rather than explicit imprisonment, the compound relied on a system of indentured servitude and debt to control its workers. As Muzahir described it, he was paid a base salary of 3,500 Chinese yuan a month (about $500), which in theory entailed 75 hours a week of night shifts including breaks to eat. Although his passport had been taken from him, he was told that if he could pay off his “contract” with a $5,400 payment, it would be returned to him and he would be allowed to leave.
In reality, the WhatsApp chats reveal how even that meager salary was almost entirely chipped away with fines. One message warns that anyone who fails to start a “first chat”—an introductory conversation with a scam victim—on any given day will be fined 50 yuan, and the failure will be announced to the group. Filing a false progress report results in a fine of 1,000 yuan. Falling asleep in the office, or “watching unrelated video, chatting with friends, and any activity that is not related to the job” are each punishable with a 200 yuan fine, as is any “disturbance” in the dormitory, where workers sleep five or six to a room in bunk beds.
One message notes a fine of 500 yuan for a worker who slept late, and another fined 200 yuan for not being in the dorm at “check-in time” following his shift. Resist a fine by not signing a form that admits to the misbehavior, and the fine is doubled.
An org chart for part of the Boshang scam compound, assembled from leaked messages and Muzahir's knowledge of the operation.
Muzahir himself described being fined so much that he was virtually broke. The food in the office cafeteria was also frequently denied as a punishment, the messages showed, with workers' ID badges that granted access to the canteen sometimes being taken away for seven days for small infractions like tardiness. Even the freedom to bring in snacks and drinks—other than betel nuts, a stimulant—could be rescinded if staff underperformed. Time off was also withheld, with staff sometimes forced to work seven nights a week, Muzahir says.
Yet those punishments could be avoided, the bosses frequently promised, if they successfully scammed someone—or “opened a customer,” as the bosses euphemistically described scamming a new victim. (Scamming the same victim multiple times was called a “recharge.”) In theory, workers were entitled to a commission, over and above their salary, for any scams they pulled off. Muzahir says he successfully perpetrated two scams during his months in the compound—both of which left him racked with regret, he says—and he was never paid after either of them.
Bosses nonetheless used workers' illusory hope of paying off their debt—or even going home rich—as a motivator. “I understand—when penalties or fines come your way, it's easy to feel disheartened. But I urge you not to see it as a punishment, but as a lesson and an investment in your own growth,” wrote Amani. “Don't fear the fine. Let it fuel your fire.”
The more senior boss, who went by the name Da Hai, spelled out the carrot-and-stick approach more clearly. “The company's incentives are much higher than the fines, so as long as you work hard to open new customers you will receive a generous reward!” he wrote.
One of the bosses' tactics was to play teams off one another, reprimanding underperforming workers while pointing to the success of other scammers in the compound. Each room of the office appears to have had a Chinese ceremonial drum, played when a worker successfully scammed a victim for a six-figure sum. “Do you know why the next office is beating drums?” wrote a higher-level boss called Alang.
A victim had paid “480k,” a boss who goes by the name Libo answers.
“It doesn't matter, because he belongs to others,” Alang responds. “The important thing is, which one of you can play the drum?”
Beyond these manipulative tactics, the messages occasionally offer glimpses of a far harsher reality—as does the personal experience and testimony of Muzahir himself. Muzahir describes hearing stories of people who were tortured and says he was himself threatened by Amani with beating and electrocution if he didn't find new “clients.” Sometimes coworkers disappeared without explanation.
Eventually Muzahir came up with a plan to trick his captors into letting him leave. When the bosses caught on, he was held in a room, beaten, slapped and kicked, denied food and water, and made to drink a solution with a white powder dissolved in it, which seems to have been intended to make him more cooperative with their interrogation.
Occasional messages in the chat logs hint that these cruel punishments lurked underneath the compound's motivational messages. At one point, the boss Alang mentions a girl who “sneaked away from the company and went to work in a brothel,” and another person in the group mentions that the “company” still holds her passport. Among the captive workers, Muzahir says, rumor had it that the girl was in fact sold into prostitution, a practice documented in other accounts from scam compound survivors.
At another point, while chastising the group for underperformance, the boss Da Hai hints at the large sum of money workers needed to produce if they ever hoped to leave the compound. “You continue to violate the company's regulations,” he writes to the group. “If you continue like this, please prepare your compensation and get out of here.”
Such references to paying “compensation” for release are in fact “coded words for ransom and debt bondage,” says Harvard's Sims. The nation of Laos, Sims points out, is a signatory to the Palermo Protocol, which classifies anyone held in debt and forced to work without freedom of movement a victim of human trafficking. “There is no gray area here.”
The leaked WhatsApp chats include a message from a boss who went by the name Terry laying out a strict work schedule for those under his supervision. “Obey and respect the working time,” the message says. Each shift would start at around 11:30 pm Beijing time—10:30 pm in Laos—with people told to arrive a few minutes early. Before the day ended at 2 pm Beijing time, there would be two break periods, one of which was set aside for meals. By 5 pm everyone was required to be back in their dormitories and “sleep or keep silence, no disturbing the others.” If the rules weren't followed, fines would be issued and ID badges could be taken away.
The reason for this nocturnal schedule was to sync with the waking hours of victims in the US—almost entirely Indian-American men. (It's a common practice to pair scammers with victims of their own ethnicity, to avoid language and culture barriers.)
In grim contrast to their actual lives, all staffers were required to post an imaginary daily schedule for their fake personas—the wealthy, attractive women they'd pretend to be during scams. In hour-by-hour breakdowns, they describe mornings spent meditating, practicing yoga, taking walks, and “setting positive intentions” for the day. Other activities include a “relaxed” lunch with their team, dinner with loved ones, and time at the gym—when in reality they were spending entire nights in front of a screen in a fluorescent-lit office space.
Many of the staffers writing the schedules were nonetheless admonished for not sticking to the script while scamming. “The purpose of editing a daily plan is to let everyone know clearly what you are going to share with your clients today when you start working,” one boss complained. “I find that many people just do it to get the job done and don't apply your plan to your clients.”
An example of the schedules workers were required to post daily—not for themselves, but for the wealthy female personas they adopted in their chats with victims.
The announcement of a successful scam posted to the compound's WhatsApp group. This one celebrates a $338,000 theft.
During each day's work, the forced scammers were also required—under the threat of more fines—to report their scamming efforts back to the bosses in detail. The WhatsApp logs are filled with lengthy messages from every team member that offer those reports in identical message templates, listing their “team,” their name, and their recent online activity with the fake profiles. They would report how many active social media accounts they were operating, if any of their accounts were suspended, how many chats they'd started, how many were ongoing, any successful scams, and their target for the month. The internal chats also show scammers sharing with bosses and colleagues screenshots of their victim chats on Facebook Messenger, Instagram, Snapchat, and other chat apps, while asking questions about potential victims.
Bosses frequently gave pointed feedback about how workers were managing the meta-narrative of their scams. “When sharing travel topics, you need to know how to share details,” one chat says. Another message from a boss admonishes workers not to mention the car their persona drives if they can't provide a convincing photo of it.
Managers would keep a close eye on the activity. On multiple occasions, bosses ask the forced workers to connect their WhatsApp accounts to the managers' computers so they could monitor the conversations themselves.
The 25 scripts and guides Muzahir shared with WIRED, too, offer a window into the tactics and training of the compound's workers. Many of the guidance documents pertain to the nitty gritty of carrying out cryptocurrency investment scams, including how to build a friendship that can segue into an investment proposition, how to explain what cryptocurrency is, and what to do once a target agrees to make an investment.
One document lists “100 chat topics,” geared toward building the emotional intimacy required for a romance scam (“What was your dream when you were little?” “What was the last time I cried for?”). Another suggests providing an update about having gotten into a car accident. “On my way to work in the morning, my car was hit by a car following at a traffic light, which almost delayed my meeting in the morning. Thank you for your concern. I am fine.”
Multiple documents guide scammers to pretend they are currently making an investment, then introduce the idea that banks are resistant to letting their customers convert their money into cryptocurrency. “If we transfer or withdraw funds, they will have one less customer,” one proposed scam script says. “If everyone does this, then the bank will be in crisis and there will be a situation of capital rupture. I can understand their motives, but as a bank customer, I should not be hindered from transferring assets reasonably and legally. This is what makes me angry.”
The documents also display a technique that researchers say is often used in Southeast Asian investment and romance scams: Attackers intentionally mention the concept of scams—even directly talking about the threat of investment scams—as a way of inoculating themselves against suspicion. The idea is that if a person is willing to talk openly about scams and isn't avoiding the subject or acting strange about it, then they couldn't be a scammer themself.
A flow chart of the compound's operations that Muzahir created and shared with WIRED in his first conversation with a reporter.
That strategy goes so far as to include mentally preparing a victim for the anti-fraud warnings from their bank or even law enforcement that they may have to ignore in order to transfer large amounts of fiat currency into cryptocurrency. “I was going to transfer funds to my coinbase today, but I was deliberately delayed and obstructed by the bank staff,” one script reads, referring to the popular crypto wallet service Coinbase. “I also received an anti-fraud call from the FBI today, which wasted a lot of my time.”
The materials Muzahir provided from the Boshang compound also document the key role generative AI tools play in its deceptions. Muzahir described to WIRED how the compound workers are trained in using tools like ChatGPT and Deepseek to come up with responses in chats with victims and craft natural-sounding turns of phrase. But even more crucial was the compound's use of deepfake AI software to allow scammers to convincingly video chat with victims at their request using an AI-generated face, impersonating an individual whose photos they've stolen for a fake persona.
The internal chat logs Muzahir captured describe a dedicated “AI room” where a female model conducts face-swapped calls on request with an endless parade of victims. One WhatsApp message from a boss to the group chat notes that “Sana (our model who helps us to call) is not available tonight. she is not feeling well. Therefore, don't promise your customers to call them. Maybe she will come at work in the morning. Plan your work accordin[g]ly.”
Other chats about the AI room relate to scheduling challenges given demand for face-swapped calls and the fact that a single model can only do one deepfake call at a time. One chat, for example, notes: “If there is a ‘busy' sign on her door, change it to ‘free' when you come out, so as to avoid crowding and frequent door openings.”
The scripts Muzahir shared also include tips for delaying a video chat with a victim—perhaps until the scammer is prepared to use deepfake tools. “When we meet, it will not be awkward but rather we will look forward to it,” says one script about what to say when a victim asks to video chat. It continues, “We are strengthening our relationship every day. You have also seen my photos. When we meet, can you recognize me?”
As dystopian as the Golden Triangle compound described in the leaked documents may be, its work environment appears to have been relatively lax compared to other compounds in countries like Cambodia or Myanmar. In those facilities, Operation Shamrock's Erin West says, she has heard firsthand stories of workers being beaten simply for missing their quota of scams or being forced to work 18-hour shifts while standing, with none of the pretense of voluntary work in a corporate environment.
The relative leniency of Muzahir's compound, says Harvard's Sims, likely stems from scam operations' sense of total control in Laos' Golden Triangle region—a zone of the country controlled largely by Chinese business interests that has become a host to crimes ranging from narcotics and organ sales to illegal wildlife trafficking. Even human trafficking victims who escape from a compound there, Sims points out, can be tracked down relatively easily thanks to Chinese organized crime's influence over local law enforcement. “These guys don't have to be held in a cell,” Sims says. “The whole place is a closed circuit.”
Nonetheless, the Boshang compound that held Muzahir appears to have moved in November from the Golden Triangle to Cambodia, a country that's become by some measures an even safer base for scammers to operate from. Based on messages from his former coworkers, Muzahir says he's determined that the operation and its captive workers are now based in the town of Chrey Thom, what Sims and West both describe as a growing hot spot for scam operations.
The move may have been precipitated, Sims speculates, by police raids on compounds across the region around that time. Many of those raids appear to have been part of a “performative crackdown,” as Sims puts it. (One such raid in June targeted the building where Muzahir's compound had previously been located, but Muzahir says the workers who were rounded up by police were quickly released again and returned to work.)
Nonetheless, the nuisance of even those superficial disruptions may have persuaded the operation's bosses to relocate to Cambodia. In that country, even the family of the country's prime minister, Hun Manet, has been linked to a corporate conglomerate that oversees a subsidiary with documented ties to the burgeoning scam industry. “It's been a very hospitable environment to do this work,” West says.
One of Muzahir's old bosses also confirmed to him in a private text exchange that the compound is still “recruiting” new workers—victims trapped in a system of modern slavery hidden under a thin facade of a willing workplace.
“This is a place to work, not to enjoy,” that same boss had written in the group chat during Muzahir's time in the compound, in a rare moment when the mask of a normal office environment seemed to slip. “You can only enjoy life when you leave here.”
Additional reporting by Sophia Takla, Maddy Varner, and Zeyi Yang.
Let us know what you think about this article. Submit a letter to the editor at mail@wired.com.
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According to TechCrunch, Meta will soon roll out a vast array of new features it's planning to weld onto the Instagram, WhatsApp, and Facebook apps in various configurations.
But you'll have to pay for them.
TechCrunch says multiple approaches to packaging premium features are in the works, and that feature bundles will be made available across the three apps, with each bundle distinct from the others.
Following the rollout of X's paid verification program, Meta introduced Meta Verified, which allowed users to pay $11.99-per-month for a verification badge and some added security—so it was for influencers and celebrities, basically. This wave of supposed premium features, by contrast, would be aimed at enhancing (in theory) the experience of average users by adding things like productivity enhancements and video generation.
One or more subscriptions will reportedly involve Manus, the maker of AI agents recently purchased by Meta. In case you need a refresher, at the time of Meta's $2 billion acquisition deal, Manus was Singapore-based, but it was originally founded in China. Meta reassured the world that no ties to China would remain once the transaction was complete.
Noted app sleuth Alessandro Paluzzi claims to have discovered a Manus feature in Instagram already buried in the code. That feature, if real, would prompt users to “research, create, and build with Manus.”
Another set of premium features Paluzzi claims to have uncovered is a great deal more middle school-ish. It involves being able to highlight which followed users don't follow you back, and allows you to stealthily look at stories without anyone knowing.
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Big tech helped get us into this situation. Workers want it to help get us out, starting with canceling ICE contracts.
Meta's commitment might be wavering, but other entrants in the VR field feel stronger than ever.
While X is still the microblogging champion in web browsers, multiple reports are making Threads' ascent seem durable and convincing.
The VR dream is dead, but AR glasses may still force us to work two inches from our screens.
It is, once again, a very bad moment for VR.
AI infrastructure will provides Meta with a "strategic advantage," Zuckerberg said. He once said almost the exact same thing about the metaverse.
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A multi-decade long question lingering over hybrids and fully electric vehicles is how long the batteries last and how much they cost to replace. Many internal combustion engine vehicle drivers love to brag about how their car has over 200,000 miles with “just regular oil changes.” EV drivers have less to worry about now according to a new study, but they could be doing better if they changed their charging habits.
EVs heavily using North America DC “fast-charging” public charging stations suffer from almost twice the level of battery degradation than the similar vehicles charging at less than 100 kW, according to a study by Geotab, released this month. Geotab, which monitors battery life in EVs, said its annual survey showed a 2.3% annual loss in initial capacity among 21 models. Those using fast-charging stations more than 12% per cycle showed an average 2.5% annual loss, twice as high as EVs using DC charging less than 12% of the time.
That might seem obvious to those who know the higher the charging speed the harder it is on an EV battery (same usually goes for electronic devices), but Geotab's 2025 study showed the rate of battery degradation increased from two years prior when it was just 1.8% annually. While the firm admits it tests a larger and aging pool, it throws responsibility at an increase in DC fast charging use among the growing EV population.
Still, it's not all bad news. Geotab concludes that EV batteries are lasting well beyond initial expectations and likely beyond the typical life of a vehicle on U.S. roads, which was nearly 13 years as of last year, according to S&P Global.
“Our latest data shows that batteries are still lasting well beyond the replacement cycles most fleets plan for,” said Charlotte Argue, Geotab's Senior Manager of Sustainable Mobility. “What has changed is that charging behavior now plays a much bigger role in how quickly batteries age, giving operators an opportunity to manage long-term risk through smart charging strategies.”
What this study reinforces is that public fast-charging stations are ideal for long highway trips where charging from 10% to 80% relatively quickly to get back on the road. That's why many are built or planned where gas stations would be or attached to convenience stores like the partnership Mercedes-Benz and Buc-ee's created in 2023.
And DC fast-charging stations are considerably more expensive than Level 2 ones, let alone charging at home for some people. According to Stable.Auto, the national average price at a Level 2 public charging station between July 2024 and July 2025 was 25 cents per kWh versus 47 cents for DC fast charging. Home charging averaged just 18 cents per kWh.
Studies such as Geotab's show Level 2 charging still serves a useful role in new public charging stations — malls, office parks, street parking come to mind — where drivers away from home and in need of some juice can power up usually more inexpensively and prolong battery life.
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If it wasn't bad enough that Elon Musk manufactured your car, it's getting worse.
HugInCore, integrated AI, and Nvidia-powered infotainment are some of the features in Volvo's new electric SUV.
Sony Honda Mobility introduced the Afeela Prototype 2026 at CES as a larger crossover EV.
Lucid's EVs will use HERE location data to improve EV routing and advanced driving features.
For the auto industry, reality is about to set in.
China's BYD is breathing down Elon Musk's neck.
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What is the best way to cram people into a tin can in the sky?
For five decades, Dallas-based budget airline Southwest made its reputation on its unique open seating policy. Savvy passengers who checked in early got to board early, too, lining up at distinctive silver stanchions to claim first dibs on whichever seat they preferred. The fairer-than-thou approach extended all the way into Southeast's cabins: For years, the airline had no first-class seating, and all seats basically looked the same.
No longer! On Tuesday, Southwest Airlines officially inaugurated its new assigned seating policy, the last in a suite of changes that moves it closer to the mean of airline operations. Taken by itself, the new policy, which breaks passengers into boarding groups and loads them according to seat location, should be more efficient.
But unfortunately for optimization enthusiasts, Southwest's new boarding plan comes with some asterisks—concessions that executives say will goose profits—that will likely make the process pokier than it could be.
First, a bit more about the new plan. In lieu of boarding by check-in time, passengers will enter the cabin by group. They'll be assigned to those groups according to the Window-Middle-Aisle method, or WILMA for short: starting at the back of the airplane and moving forward, window seat holders get onboard first; then middle seaters, also starting at the back of the plane; then aisle. Airlines use the WILMA method because it reduces clogs in the aisle as people find their seats. It also gives window seaters time to stow their luggage before the next wave of passengers board the flight. United Airlines, which switched back to the WILMA method in 2023, says it shaves minutes off the boarding process—a big deal in a business where time is tight and equals money.
But the new Southwest Airlines process has some catches that will gum up the works. The company also inaugurated in the past year a more capitalist approach to air travel that gives more perks to frequent Southwest fliers, and passengers willing to spend more to board early or snag extra legroom. People who buy a new “priority boarding” fare get on first. Then top-tier frequent fliers, people who choose the most expensive “choice extra fare,” and those who have bought the airline's new “extra legroom” sets. Then other frequent fliers, those who choose the next fare level, and credit card members. Then, finally, those bottom-of-the-barrel economy class folks.
Southwest believes all these extra complications will make the company more money. Just the extra legroom seats, which rolled out last May, should deliver an extra $1.5 billion annually by next year, Southwest Airlines president and CEO Robert Jordan told investors last fall. Plus, passengers really want assigned seats, the airline said when it announced the changes back in 2024.
Still, the frequent flier programs, credit card perks, and even baggage fee strategies are getting in the way of perfectly efficient boarding processes industry-wide, says John Milne, an engineering management professor at Clarkson University who researches airplane boarding procedures. Overall, these sorts of perks mean airlines are getting "generally worse” at loading people onto planes quickly.
“They're trying to get the extra money—I understand that,” says Milne. “But it does slow things down. ”
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Note: This story has been updated with additional testing on the Intel Core Ultra X7 358H in the MSI Prestige 14 Flip.
This isn't just another Intel chip launch. Far from it. For years, most updates to Intel's laptop chips have been nothing more than modest performance increases over the previous year. That's not the case with the long-awaited arrival of Panther Lake.
It's a chip design announced almost five years ago as part of the company's ambitious rescue plan to get back on track. Intel's CEO at the time (and mastermind of the grand plan), Pat Gelsinger, called the technology the “cornerstone of the company's turnaround strategy.” Now, I have laptops in front of me with these Panther Lake chips inside, officially known as Intel Core Ultra Series 3. Having tested it myself, I'm left extremely impressed. I'm not sure if the Series 3 will redeem Intel's recent foibles, but these chips certainly feel like a big win for a company that really needs one.
To succeed with the Core Ultra Series 3, Intel at least needed to fulfill the promises it made when the chips were announced last year. Namely, battery life and efficiency equivalent to its predecessor (Lunar Lake) with improved performance. That alone has been a major hurdle for the kind of x86 processors Intel has always made. The company has also boldly claimed that its higher-powered silicon for gaming laptops will do the opposite: maintain the performance of last year's chips with added efficiency for better battery life. That is, yet again, another tall order.
I tested the Core Ultra X9 388H new Intel Core Ultra Series 3 line of chips, both on the higher end of the spectrum: the Intel Core Ultra X7 358H in the MSI Prestige 14 Flip and the Core Ultra X9 388H in a 16-inch Lenovo IdeaPad reference unit. These are both 16-core CPUs, broken down into four performance cores, eight efficiency cores, and four low-power efficiency cores.
Interestingly, this is actually two fewer performance cores than the Core Ultra 9 285H, though it gets confusing as to which chip from the Intel Core Ultra Series 2 this chip is the successor to. The 2025 MSI Prestige 14 Flip, for example, used the Core Ultra 7 258V Lunar Lake rather than an H-series Arrow Lake chip. In other words, there's no exact one-to-one here in terms of comparing price and performance. Here's a sampling of the scores it posted in my testing.
The Core Ultra 7 258V listed above was tested in the Dell 14 Plus, a laptop of similar size to the MSI Prestige 14 Flip. As you can see, there's a significant 52 percent increase in multi-core CPU performance, as well as a 54 percent GPU upgrade, as tested in 3DMark Steel Nomad Light. Notably, that also surpasses the current-generation M4 MacBook Air.
Intel still can't compete on single-core performance against Apple, and that's where the improvement is the most modest. It's also not as fast as the M4 Pro or M4 Max, which still have the edge in every category, though the difference in multi-core performance between the X9 and the M4 Pro is only 14 percent. Apple's M5 Pro and M5 Max are just around the corner, too. I'd also love to test the Core Ultra X7358H against upcoming processors in next-gen laptops like the Snapdragon X2 Elite Enhanced, but I don't have them on hand yet for comparisons.
The graphics really stand out, though, especially when you get to the X9 chip. For once, the inclusion of the “X” branding in the name actually feels worthwhile. Both the X7 and X9 chips use a B390 GPU, representing the top of the line in Intel's architecture (outside of discrete desktop graphics cards). You get 12 Xe cores in the X7 and X9 configurations, the only difference between the two being clock speed. Intel claimed that Panther Lake graphics were 77 percent faster than in the previous-gen Lunar Lake laptops, and while I didn't quite see that much of a jump, it's hard to get a direct apples-to-apples comparison with laptops.
Either way, as you can see above, Intel has pulled off a huge move forward in integrated graphics. Big numbers are what you want in benchmarks, yes, but as always, how that translates into an actual product you buy is what matters.
There are two useful applications for putting stronger graphics in an otherwise basic, thin-and-light laptop. First, it speeds up all types of tasks, whether that's video editing or local artificial intelligence inferencing, without having to deal with a thicker, more expensive device.
Speaking of AI, the neural processing unit (NPU) has gotten a lot less attention this time around, but it's still capable of 50 TOPS (trillions of operations per second). That's falling behind the Qualcomm Snapdragon X2's 80 TOPS—then again, the NPU hasn't proven itself to be all that exciting just yet in average laptop use. It's the GPU performance that really has the potential to change what this class of thin-and-light laptops can do.
Non-gaming Windows laptops with discrete GPUs still aren't as common as they should be, get poor battery life, and often cost too much. That has left a space for the MacBook Pro to dominate without any real competition. While it still depends largely on laptop manufacturers, they at least now have access to chips that can handle the performance and efficiency.
Gaming is the most obvious advantage of improved graphics. Neither of the two laptops I tested is a conventional “gaming” laptop, and yet, the power of that B390 makes gaming not only possible, but actually enjoyable. That's especially true when it comes to the larger Lenovo device, which bears a lot of resemblance to the IdeaPad Pro 5i, a 16-inch laptop that had an RTX 4050 when it launched in 2024. The Core Ultra X9 388H really has room to breathe in the newer reference version I tested; its gaming performance is really impressive. Cyberpunk 2077 can hit a comfortable 55 frames per second (fps) at native medium graphics settings—and that's without any upscaling and frame generation. That's solid for a laptop not marketed for gaming at all.
When you do need higher frame rates than what this system can natively produce, such as in Marvel Rivals, Intel has XeSS upscaling, frame generation, and a low-latency mode. The Lenovo machine only got around 36 fps natively at medium graphics settings in that title, but after I turned on the XeSS 2.0 Quality setting, that jumped up to 54 fps without much of a downgrade in image quality. The combination of XeSS frame generation and low latency can push the frame rates even higher to use the full extent of this display's 120-Hz refresh rate without reducing input lag.
Here's the thing: this is a fairly large laptop. While I don't have official specs on it yet, the Lenovo reference device is around the same size as the 16-inch MacBook Pro, but the slight wedge shape makes it thicker by the hinge. It is already the size of a machine that could squeeze in a discrete graphics card, and as powerful as the Core Ultra X9 388H is, it's still a solid 25 percent behind even an older graphics card like the Nvidia RTX 4050, as well as Apple's M4 Pro.
Presumably, we'll get thinner laptops that can make use of this chip, but we'll have to see how the performance shapes up. As of now, the main benefit you're getting here isn't performance: it's battery life.
You're getting a full 22 hours of battery life on a powerful system, which is a first for Windows laptops. That's why the MSI Prestige 14 Flip's potential performance has a chance to disrupt our expectations of what laptops of this size can do. Comparing these two chips, the X9 is only 4 percent faster in GPU performance, at least as measured in the 3DMark Steel Nomad Light benchmark. The 25 percent jump in multi-core performance is what makes a stronger case for that high-end model. The result is that the X7 in the MSI Prestige 14 Flip is a pretty far fall from the X9 in real-life gaming performance.
In testing the Prestige, I found myself needing to use the aforementioned XeSS upscaling more often to get enjoyable frame rates. I was still able to play all the games I tested at native resolution, but only on low graphics settings and with upscaling set to Balanced. On a compact laptop like the Prestige 14 Flip, you won't want to play most games without relying on all of this. Don't get me wrong—I'm still impressed that I can play Marvel Rivals at decent frame rates on a laptop that's only 0.55 inches thick. I was able to get 66 fps at low settings with XeSS in Balanced mode and enjoyed fast, fluid-feeling gaming.
I love the idea of not needing a dedicated gaming device to play games, and this device sells that idea best over the Lenovo reference design. But as gaming laptops get trimmer and MacBooks push forward into gaming, Intel's success here feels like less of a revelation than I thought it would. Even the top-of-the-line X9 chip is still 26 percent behind the performance of an RTX 4050 in a laptop, and that's the lowest-tier GPU from three years ago. One of the other problems is the fan noise and surface temperatures. The hotspot right over the top left of the keyboard is problematic on the MSI Prestige 14 Flip, and it somehow stays warm even at idle. For what it's worth, the Lenovo reference unit did not have this problem.
My review unit of the MSI Prestige 14 Flip costs $1,299, and it comes with an OLED screen, 32 GB of RAM, and a terabyte of storage. That's a solid price for those components. We'll need to wait and see how other laptop manufacturers are positioning their X7 and X9 laptops to get a better sense of pricing.
A lot of what makes the performance of these chips so important is how they were made. They're built on Intel 18A, the latest process node manufactured in the company's new fab in Arizona. The facility isn't just another chip plant. It was hailed as an attempt to bring back advanced chip manufacturing to the states, largely funded by the CHIPS Act. And don't forget an $8.9 billion investment in Intel from the US government, which gained a 10 percent equity stake in the company.
Intel 18A is also a return to form in that the previous-gen Core Ultra Series 2 was partially manufactured by TSMC. This was a big deal at the time—an admission of just how far behind Intel had fallen versus the competition, especially in battery life. While it allowed those chips to be more competitive with Apple and Qualcomm in terms of efficiency and battery life, it was a bitter pill to swallow, no doubt. Notably, they didn't move the needle in performance from the Core Ultra Series 1 chips.
The Core Ultra Series 3 reverses that water-treading trend for Intel, positioning itself well against the likes of Qualcomm and Apple. Based on the number of laptops embracing the new chips announced at CES, the company hasn't lost its dominance and remains the primary choice for Windows laptops. In that way, 18A and Core Ultra Series 3 feel like a success so far, at least in terms of delivering competitive performance in consumer laptops.
What happens in the long run is harder to say. The grand architect, former CEO Pat Gelsinger, for whom 18A was such a linchpin, is no longer at the company. The cloud AI boom is surging around Nvidia, and Intel is mostly missing out. But I do know this: Panther Lake is Intel's biggest success in years and should restore some confidence in its future.
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[1] https://conduit.psiphon.ca/
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Here's Tamir's call for action https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7419994...
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I'm almost afraid to ask but how are you and everyone else?
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On the other hand, I'm currently serving in the police force (Which all able bodied men of age have to do and serve in one of the three armed forces of my country) and the bigger question since the start of the protests has been "What to do if I was put in a position against people?"Thankfully that hasn't happened yet but still there is a feeling of being stuck between a rock and a hard place.
Thankfully that hasn't happened yet but still there is a feeling of being stuck between a rock and a hard place.
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Especially now that China is taking an ever increasing share of the global information streams. Given the increased panicked the US had about tiktok. Showing the result of the western sponsored genocide in Gaza. They had to enforce ownership handover of tiktok US to a group of US based entities.So i wouldn't be surprised US internet sphere will shrink over time now that China can go on the offensive in the cyber-realm.. The components are already in place just pull the switch so cloudflare has to regulate who gets in and who gets out.
So i wouldn't be surprised US internet sphere will shrink over time now that China can go on the offensive in the cyber-realm.. The components are already in place just pull the switch so cloudflare has to regulate who gets in and who gets out.
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Hell, look at Twitter/X. It got acquired by a mental guy who was screaming about government propaganda and censorship (while doing Nazi salutes). Do you really think that if there was any government mandate to do anything like what the Russians are doing, he wouldn't have exposed it as "SEE, I TOLD YOU BIG GUBIMNT BAD!!" ?
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It's interesting you focus on "the west" when we have solid proof about e.g. Russian interference in many an election and protest via social media. From paid propagandist (e.g. Tim Pool) to the Internet Research Agency. The only factual information we have about anything remotely similar from "the west" was that research about Facebook activity in the Central African Republic being roughly 40/40/20 split between Russians, French, and actual locals. And even that isn't comparable because the French online campaign was mostly combatting Russian disinformation propaganda, not trying to bring about a coup or stoking tensions to get to a civil war.> Showing the result of the western sponsored genocide in GazaThe genocide in Gaza is not "sponsored" by the "west". US, maybe.
> Showing the result of the western sponsored genocide in GazaThe genocide in Gaza is not "sponsored" by the "west". US, maybe.
The genocide in Gaza is not "sponsored" by the "west". US, maybe.
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Well, Hamas was for decades sponsored by entire West via UNRWA while their "from the river to the sea" slogan is as clearly expressed intent to commit genocide as one can wish for.
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Spain is blocking whole blocks of internet during football matches.UK is making you "show your ID card" to jerk off.But every such country likes pointing fingers at others, "hey, our censorship is not bad, they have more of it!".edit: considering the downvotes, HN is not bothered by our censorship either
UK is making you "show your ID card" to jerk off.But every such country likes pointing fingers at others, "hey, our censorship is not bad, they have more of it!".edit: considering the downvotes, HN is not bothered by our censorship either
But every such country likes pointing fingers at others, "hey, our censorship is not bad, they have more of it!".edit: considering the downvotes, HN is not bothered by our censorship either
edit: considering the downvotes, HN is not bothered by our censorship either
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There are no ID cards in the UK, so you actually have to get a special jerking off loicense.
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Fast forward less than ten years, and here we are.
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Not physical cards, but a digital ID system is on the way :(
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No there isn't : https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c3385zrrx73o
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> "Philippe Gomes, the former president of New Caledonia's government, told POLITICO the decision aimed to stop protesters from "organizing reunions and protests" through the app."[0] https://www.politico.eu/article/french-tiktok-ban-new-caledo...This is the only example I'm aware of (are there others?) of a Western government effecting internet censorship to suppress protests. (Though the article also mentions Macron considering (but rejecting) the same idea in France, to suppress protests following a police shooting. See also[1])[1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=36599726 ("Macron floats social media cuts during riots", 105 comments)edit: There was also an incident in San Francisco way back in 2011,[2] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2879546 ("San Francisco Subway Muzzles Cell Service During Protest", 113 comments)
[0] https://www.politico.eu/article/french-tiktok-ban-new-caledo...This is the only example I'm aware of (are there others?) of a Western government effecting internet censorship to suppress protests. (Though the article also mentions Macron considering (but rejecting) the same idea in France, to suppress protests following a police shooting. See also[1])[1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=36599726 ("Macron floats social media cuts during riots", 105 comments)edit: There was also an incident in San Francisco way back in 2011,[2] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2879546 ("San Francisco Subway Muzzles Cell Service During Protest", 113 comments)
This is the only example I'm aware of (are there others?) of a Western government effecting internet censorship to suppress protests. (Though the article also mentions Macron considering (but rejecting) the same idea in France, to suppress protests following a police shooting. See also[1])[1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=36599726 ("Macron floats social media cuts during riots", 105 comments)edit: There was also an incident in San Francisco way back in 2011,[2] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2879546 ("San Francisco Subway Muzzles Cell Service During Protest", 113 comments)
[1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=36599726 ("Macron floats social media cuts during riots", 105 comments)edit: There was also an incident in San Francisco way back in 2011,[2] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2879546 ("San Francisco Subway Muzzles Cell Service During Protest", 113 comments)
edit: There was also an incident in San Francisco way back in 2011,[2] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2879546 ("San Francisco Subway Muzzles Cell Service During Protest", 113 comments)
[2] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2879546 ("San Francisco Subway Muzzles Cell Service During Protest", 113 comments)
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No, to stop the spread of targeted disinformation by foreign actors stoking those protests to turn into riots. (and if you need any proof, check out the protestors with Azeri flags, in New Caledonia. Azerbaijan's tinpot dictator hates France because France supported Armenia, so he's been trying various ways to undermine France because he's that fragile: https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/may/17/new-ca... )
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There's foreign bad-actor misinformation in every country (Iran too!)—it's cynical, and specious, to say that excuses governments who take away their citizens' internet access. New Caledonia admitted specific intent to target "organizing protests". That's exactly the reason why they shouldn't have the power to cut off their internet (though really, no one should). They shouldn't be in that position of power over the protesting faction, because their disagreements are so strong that they can't help but abuse that power. They've delegimitized the protestors; by censoring them, they're not "protecting" them from foreign actors in some well-meaning paternalistic way (their rationalization), they are rather continuing their political battle by other methods.It's an anti-pattern, all over the world right now, that groups of people who start off with irreconcilable political differences, devalue the legitimacy of the other group's speech and their right to speak it. One group calling another "mislead by propaganda" is an aspect of that delegimitization. This pattern needs to be called out and pushed back against, when it's used to rationalize silencing dissent.
It's an anti-pattern, all over the world right now, that groups of people who start off with irreconcilable political differences, devalue the legitimacy of the other group's speech and their right to speak it. One group calling another "mislead by propaganda" is an aspect of that delegimitization. This pattern needs to be called out and pushed back against, when it's used to rationalize silencing dissent.
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If you are going to post shit like that, at least get your fucking facts right.Namely that you are three weeks out of date sushine.The idea has been dropped: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c3385zrrx73o
Namely that you are three weeks out of date sushine.The idea has been dropped: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c3385zrrx73o
The idea has been dropped: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c3385zrrx73o
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The article you linked to is about the dropped plan to require ID for permission to work in the UK.The parent commenter is referring to age verification for accessing adult content using "highly effective age-assurance systems" (such as photo ID cards, biometrics, etc.) under the Online Safety Act 2023, which is still very much in effect.
The parent commenter is referring to age verification for accessing adult content using "highly effective age-assurance systems" (such as photo ID cards, biometrics, etc.) under the Online Safety Act 2023, which is still very much in effect.
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To which I say, the people of the UK are not stupid and know what a VPN is.Its not rocket-science to bypass the ID check requirement.
Its not rocket-science to bypass the ID check requirement.
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So, by your logic, russian censorship of media is ok too, just use a vpn, right? Chinese firewall? Just use a VPN! Turkey social media blackouts? VPN!
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In the Netherlands GOVERNMENT=THE PEOPLE to a rather problematic degree (if only you knew how bad things really are).If you want to start an argument "the Netherlands is just like Iran" I challenge it with 20 political parties in Parliament.
Including a pro Kremlin party lol.
If you want to start an argument "the Netherlands is just like Iran" I challenge it with 20 political parties in Parliament.
Including a pro Kremlin party lol.
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What about Russia blocking sites?As of late 2025 and early 2026, Russia has blocked numerous foreign communication, social media, and information services, restricting platforms like WhatsApp, Telegram (partially), Signal, Viber, FaceTime, Snapchat, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Many independent news, VPN services, and foreign websites (e.g., Chess.com) are also inaccessible
As of late 2025 and early 2026, Russia has blocked numerous foreign communication, social media, and information services, restricting platforms like WhatsApp, Telegram (partially), Signal, Viber, FaceTime, Snapchat, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Many independent news, VPN services, and foreign websites (e.g., Chess.com) are also inaccessible
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If we consider russia bad for doing those blocks above, then we should consider EU being bad when they do it for us.
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Of course we should not ban anything in the West.
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the end result is well... not good:https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45323856
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45323856
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So, misteriously (suspicions of bribery abound) now they block full blocks of internet preventively, bringing down innocent and paying customers with them. From Law Enforcement to privatized Minority Report.Thats what people dislike. If you are a private entity and loose money to piracy, use the legal framework to solve it. Don't override it with lobbying
Thats what people dislike. If you are a private entity and loose money to piracy, use the legal framework to solve it. Don't override it with lobbying
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But EU countries should be a bastion of freedom, free speech, free access to information, democracy, human rights, rights to this, rights to that... Why do we, the EU countries have to use the same playbook? Yes, banning the whole internet is in one way worse and in other easier, than just banning a list of sites where people can find a way around it, but again, the difference is just in the quantity, the censorship factor is the same. The government gets scared people will see some other propaganda from the other side, and censors it... and even that is done very selectively (daily mail is still accessible from over here, so are fox news and cnn)With spain it's even worse, because it's not even the government doing it, but the government giving the right of censorship to a private company which clearly abuses that right and the government tolerates this... no court orders, no judges, no way to complain, no fair use, no nothing, a private company decides and the government gives them a blank stamped paper to aprove that.Yes, i know iran has it much worse, but there's nothing we can do about it here, assuming the internet is banned for iranians and they can't read this or comment here. But EU is doing the same, and we've been tolerating it for years... a site here, a site there,... not everything, but censorship is still censorship, no matter how many sites are censored, and there are people from EU here that should argue against censorship, even if it's just a few sites and not all of them.
With spain it's even worse, because it's not even the government doing it, but the government giving the right of censorship to a private company which clearly abuses that right and the government tolerates this... no court orders, no judges, no way to complain, no fair use, no nothing, a private company decides and the government gives them a blank stamped paper to aprove that.Yes, i know iran has it much worse, but there's nothing we can do about it here, assuming the internet is banned for iranians and they can't read this or comment here. But EU is doing the same, and we've been tolerating it for years... a site here, a site there,... not everything, but censorship is still censorship, no matter how many sites are censored, and there are people from EU here that should argue against censorship, even if it's just a few sites and not all of them.
Yes, i know iran has it much worse, but there's nothing we can do about it here, assuming the internet is banned for iranians and they can't read this or comment here. But EU is doing the same, and we've been tolerating it for years... a site here, a site there,... not everything, but censorship is still censorship, no matter how many sites are censored, and there are people from EU here that should argue against censorship, even if it's just a few sites and not all of them.
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You are joking: a 'coup'? The protest movement was so large, the government's attempt to crush it killed 30,000 people in 48 hours.https://time.com/7357635/more-than-30000-killed-in-iran-say-...
https://time.com/7357635/more-than-30000-killed-in-iran-say-...
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Perhaps, you prefer Arabia, UAE or Israel's internet and find it more to your liking
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that's without even talking about killing 30,000-40,000 citizens for wanting their rights> It subsidize basic needs of its poorer citizens, such as fuel, bread, housing, education and healthcare.I'd start with supplying basic needs like water and electricity.The actual subsidizing is for the IRGC which steals whatever they can get their hands on so they can be counted on to mass slaughter the people
> It subsidize basic needs of its poorer citizens, such as fuel, bread, housing, education and healthcare.I'd start with supplying basic needs like water and electricity.The actual subsidizing is for the IRGC which steals whatever they can get their hands on so they can be counted on to mass slaughter the people
I'd start with supplying basic needs like water and electricity.The actual subsidizing is for the IRGC which steals whatever they can get their hands on so they can be counted on to mass slaughter the people
The actual subsidizing is for the IRGC which steals whatever they can get their hands on so they can be counted on to mass slaughter the people
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You mean the internet?
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Hold on, am I living in the wrong Iran?
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(i don't want to make it overly political, but once again the historical materialist offshots of the revolutionary groups are the only ones who understood the betrayal and called a boycott of this referendum. Please listen to marxists when they're in a coup, they are so used to betrayal they'll see it comming)
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lmao
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Everything is the same and comparable never mind how hyperbolic. Doubt it? be showered with cherry picked micro facts that on the surface are similar.This rests on the fact that in order to establish a big picture you have to take small facts and agree on the big picture, and that leap from small and verifiable to large and analytic is the place you can inject faith and emotion
This rests on the fact that in order to establish a big picture you have to take small facts and agree on the big picture, and that leap from small and verifiable to large and analytic is the place you can inject faith and emotion
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The UK is doing some shitty stuff and a man was arrested for wearing a “Plasticine Action” t-shirt a few weeks ago, “Palestine Action” being a proscribed group in the UK, and showing support being an offence. When the mistake was realised he was released after a few hours with an apology.These things are objectively terrible, shouldn't be happening. The UK government is under popular and legal pressure to un-proscribe the group as hundreds (thousands?) have been arrested and charged.But it is not the same as someone being ‘disappeared' in South American dictatorships, where they would be taken and denied process for years if not killed outright. Yet people here drew that comparison. He was arrested for inconvenient speech! It's the same! And then I came under fire for defending the actions of the UK, having done nothing of the sort.It's really weird to watch.
These things are objectively terrible, shouldn't be happening. The UK government is under popular and legal pressure to un-proscribe the group as hundreds (thousands?) have been arrested and charged.But it is not the same as someone being ‘disappeared' in South American dictatorships, where they would be taken and denied process for years if not killed outright. Yet people here drew that comparison. He was arrested for inconvenient speech! It's the same! And then I came under fire for defending the actions of the UK, having done nothing of the sort.It's really weird to watch.
But it is not the same as someone being ‘disappeared' in South American dictatorships, where they would be taken and denied process for years if not killed outright. Yet people here drew that comparison. He was arrested for inconvenient speech! It's the same! And then I came under fire for defending the actions of the UK, having done nothing of the sort.It's really weird to watch.
It's really weird to watch.
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About 2 decades ago I read an article about how bureucracies don't even allow for humor any more, e.g. even clearly joking about having a bomb in the airport is now taboo. Something about rigid inhumane inflexible rules, in my vague memory of that article.Where airport security has to examine babies for terrorist motives, because it's written in the rules, fuck human reasoning!Heh in my own estimation arresting supporters of Palestine Action for peacefully protesting is already too close to Iranian autocracy ideal and too far from a "democratic country" ideal which the UK used to be...
Where airport security has to examine babies for terrorist motives, because it's written in the rules, fuck human reasoning!Heh in my own estimation arresting supporters of Palestine Action for peacefully protesting is already too close to Iranian autocracy ideal and too far from a "democratic country" ideal which the UK used to be...
Heh in my own estimation arresting supporters of Palestine Action for peacefully protesting is already too close to Iranian autocracy ideal and too far from a "democratic country" ideal which the UK used to be...
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It's awful that they're arresting people with “Palestine Action” t-shirts too. It's just not the same thing as actually disappearing people.That's the point of this thread, no? Things can be bad in different ways and to different degrees.If I say I don't like the way you just spoke about my sister and punch you in the gut, that's a pretty shitty thing to do.If I say I don't like the way you just spoke about my sister and cut your throat then bury your body in the forest, I would like to think we can agree that's worse.
That's the point of this thread, no? Things can be bad in different ways and to different degrees.If I say I don't like the way you just spoke about my sister and punch you in the gut, that's a pretty shitty thing to do.If I say I don't like the way you just spoke about my sister and cut your throat then bury your body in the forest, I would like to think we can agree that's worse.
If I say I don't like the way you just spoke about my sister and punch you in the gut, that's a pretty shitty thing to do.If I say I don't like the way you just spoke about my sister and cut your throat then bury your body in the forest, I would like to think we can agree that's worse.
If I say I don't like the way you just spoke about my sister and cut your throat then bury your body in the forest, I would like to think we can agree that's worse.
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> If I say I don't like the way you just spoke about my sister and cut your throat then bury your body in the forest, I would like to think we can agree that's worse.So at what point can we start saying that violence because of words (or shirts) is bad? How much does it have to hurt? Should we act as if you're a good guy, because it was just a punch? Or should we remove you from power and punish you before your punches turn into throat cutting?10 years ago, getting arrested for wearing a tshirt with some text on it, would be on an iran/north korea level of shitty governments, something that could never happen "at home" (in uk, eu,...)... now it's somehow become "shitty, but not as bad, because in some other land you'd get shot instead," (and similar excuses). How much closer must UK come to iranian levels, before you start seeing the parallels between the behaviour of the two governments?We were pointing out "the great firewall of china" not so many years ago as a horrible thing, now we have censorship in EU. How many sites must be added to the EU list to become an equivalent of the chinese "firewall"?This behaviour has to be stopped now, when it's just arrest and excuses, and not after 10 years when people start getting shot for protesting here too.
So at what point can we start saying that violence because of words (or shirts) is bad? How much does it have to hurt? Should we act as if you're a good guy, because it was just a punch? Or should we remove you from power and punish you before your punches turn into throat cutting?10 years ago, getting arrested for wearing a tshirt with some text on it, would be on an iran/north korea level of shitty governments, something that could never happen "at home" (in uk, eu,...)... now it's somehow become "shitty, but not as bad, because in some other land you'd get shot instead," (and similar excuses). How much closer must UK come to iranian levels, before you start seeing the parallels between the behaviour of the two governments?We were pointing out "the great firewall of china" not so many years ago as a horrible thing, now we have censorship in EU. How many sites must be added to the EU list to become an equivalent of the chinese "firewall"?This behaviour has to be stopped now, when it's just arrest and excuses, and not after 10 years when people start getting shot for protesting here too.
10 years ago, getting arrested for wearing a tshirt with some text on it, would be on an iran/north korea level of shitty governments, something that could never happen "at home" (in uk, eu,...)... now it's somehow become "shitty, but not as bad, because in some other land you'd get shot instead," (and similar excuses). How much closer must UK come to iranian levels, before you start seeing the parallels between the behaviour of the two governments?We were pointing out "the great firewall of china" not so many years ago as a horrible thing, now we have censorship in EU. How many sites must be added to the EU list to become an equivalent of the chinese "firewall"?This behaviour has to be stopped now, when it's just arrest and excuses, and not after 10 years when people start getting shot for protesting here too.
We were pointing out "the great firewall of china" not so many years ago as a horrible thing, now we have censorship in EU. How many sites must be added to the EU list to become an equivalent of the chinese "firewall"?This behaviour has to be stopped now, when it's just arrest and excuses, and not after 10 years when people start getting shot for protesting here too.
This behaviour has to be stopped now, when it's just arrest and excuses, and not after 10 years when people start getting shot for protesting here too.
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Straight away!> Should we act as if you're a good guy, because it was just a punch?No, and nobody is asking you to. In fact this is the whole point, can you not distinguish between those two guys?Neither one is good. You're not being asked to decide one is 'good' and the other 'bad'. You're not being asked to accept that the more minor one is OK because it's not as bad as the other one.They can both be bad. But they aren't the same. We don't say "Dude A was upset about someone talking smack about his sister too, so he's just as bad as Dude B". Or at least most people wouldn't. But we also don't say "It's fine to punch someone in the gut because at least he didn't cut the guy's throat". Dude A probably gets a night in the cells and a minor punishment, maybe a conviction for assault and released on parole for time served. He's got some anger issues and probably some issues in his relationshp with women. B gets serious jail time.> now it's somehow become "shitty, but not as bad, because in some other land you'd get shot instead," (and similar excuses)Nobody's making excuses. That's all on you and how you're deciding to ascribe motivations to other posters. Let me say it again - nobody is saying it's OK. I'm not defending anything. If you think I am I'd invite you to re-read the thread.> How much closer must UK come to iranian levels, before you start seeing the parallels between the behaviour of the two governments?One is a strict conservative, theocratic dictatorship that is commiting mass murder in order to hold on to power. The other is a troubled democracy that, as far as anyone can tell, isn't murdering its citizens to keep order but has made some pretty fucked up decisions about what constitutes terrorism and a terrorist organisation. Both of these are bad. But they aren't the same, there are some parallels in their actions, though not so much in either motivation or outcomes. And proclaiming that the actions of the UK or the EU are the same as Iran or Russia or China provides cover for atrocities IMHO, and is straight out of the propaganda playbook those countries like to put about the place. It also just destroys nuance of discussion when basically anything negative may as well be Hitler.> 10 years ago, getting arrested for wearing a tshirtWas something that happened occasionally under varying different laws. It was shit then too.https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2012/oct/11/manchester-man-ja...And if you'd worn a pro-IRA t-shirt in the 80s/90s, you'd have faced arrest for that as well. Still would in fact. The major change that people have a problem with in the Plasticine/Palestine action cases is the classification of a pro-Human Rights, direct-action group as a terrorist organisation, and the suppression of speech as a result of that classification. If you'd like to see a list of all the organisations currently classified this way, there's one here - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/proscribed-terror...I don't think many people in the UK have a real problem with this law as it applies to (say) ISIS, or the Wagner Group, though I know that in some other countries (US?) you are more likely to be able to show support for those without facing sanction because of stronger protections of free speech.
> Should we act as if you're a good guy, because it was just a punch?No, and nobody is asking you to. In fact this is the whole point, can you not distinguish between those two guys?Neither one is good. You're not being asked to decide one is 'good' and the other 'bad'. You're not being asked to accept that the more minor one is OK because it's not as bad as the other one.They can both be bad. But they aren't the same. We don't say "Dude A was upset about someone talking smack about his sister too, so he's just as bad as Dude B". Or at least most people wouldn't. But we also don't say "It's fine to punch someone in the gut because at least he didn't cut the guy's throat". Dude A probably gets a night in the cells and a minor punishment, maybe a conviction for assault and released on parole for time served. He's got some anger issues and probably some issues in his relationshp with women. B gets serious jail time.> now it's somehow become "shitty, but not as bad, because in some other land you'd get shot instead," (and similar excuses)Nobody's making excuses. That's all on you and how you're deciding to ascribe motivations to other posters. Let me say it again - nobody is saying it's OK. I'm not defending anything. If you think I am I'd invite you to re-read the thread.> How much closer must UK come to iranian levels, before you start seeing the parallels between the behaviour of the two governments?One is a strict conservative, theocratic dictatorship that is commiting mass murder in order to hold on to power. The other is a troubled democracy that, as far as anyone can tell, isn't murdering its citizens to keep order but has made some pretty fucked up decisions about what constitutes terrorism and a terrorist organisation. Both of these are bad. But they aren't the same, there are some parallels in their actions, though not so much in either motivation or outcomes. And proclaiming that the actions of the UK or the EU are the same as Iran or Russia or China provides cover for atrocities IMHO, and is straight out of the propaganda playbook those countries like to put about the place. It also just destroys nuance of discussion when basically anything negative may as well be Hitler.> 10 years ago, getting arrested for wearing a tshirtWas something that happened occasionally under varying different laws. It was shit then too.https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2012/oct/11/manchester-man-ja...And if you'd worn a pro-IRA t-shirt in the 80s/90s, you'd have faced arrest for that as well. Still would in fact. The major change that people have a problem with in the Plasticine/Palestine action cases is the classification of a pro-Human Rights, direct-action group as a terrorist organisation, and the suppression of speech as a result of that classification. If you'd like to see a list of all the organisations currently classified this way, there's one here - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/proscribed-terror...I don't think many people in the UK have a real problem with this law as it applies to (say) ISIS, or the Wagner Group, though I know that in some other countries (US?) you are more likely to be able to show support for those without facing sanction because of stronger protections of free speech.
No, and nobody is asking you to. In fact this is the whole point, can you not distinguish between those two guys?Neither one is good. You're not being asked to decide one is 'good' and the other 'bad'. You're not being asked to accept that the more minor one is OK because it's not as bad as the other one.They can both be bad. But they aren't the same. We don't say "Dude A was upset about someone talking smack about his sister too, so he's just as bad as Dude B". Or at least most people wouldn't. But we also don't say "It's fine to punch someone in the gut because at least he didn't cut the guy's throat". Dude A probably gets a night in the cells and a minor punishment, maybe a conviction for assault and released on parole for time served. He's got some anger issues and probably some issues in his relationshp with women. B gets serious jail time.> now it's somehow become "shitty, but not as bad, because in some other land you'd get shot instead," (and similar excuses)Nobody's making excuses. That's all on you and how you're deciding to ascribe motivations to other posters. Let me say it again - nobody is saying it's OK. I'm not defending anything. If you think I am I'd invite you to re-read the thread.> How much closer must UK come to iranian levels, before you start seeing the parallels between the behaviour of the two governments?One is a strict conservative, theocratic dictatorship that is commiting mass murder in order to hold on to power. The other is a troubled democracy that, as far as anyone can tell, isn't murdering its citizens to keep order but has made some pretty fucked up decisions about what constitutes terrorism and a terrorist organisation. Both of these are bad. But they aren't the same, there are some parallels in their actions, though not so much in either motivation or outcomes. And proclaiming that the actions of the UK or the EU are the same as Iran or Russia or China provides cover for atrocities IMHO, and is straight out of the propaganda playbook those countries like to put about the place. It also just destroys nuance of discussion when basically anything negative may as well be Hitler.> 10 years ago, getting arrested for wearing a tshirtWas something that happened occasionally under varying different laws. It was shit then too.https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2012/oct/11/manchester-man-ja...And if you'd worn a pro-IRA t-shirt in the 80s/90s, you'd have faced arrest for that as well. Still would in fact. The major change that people have a problem with in the Plasticine/Palestine action cases is the classification of a pro-Human Rights, direct-action group as a terrorist organisation, and the suppression of speech as a result of that classification. If you'd like to see a list of all the organisations currently classified this way, there's one here - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/proscribed-terror...I don't think many people in the UK have a real problem with this law as it applies to (say) ISIS, or the Wagner Group, though I know that in some other countries (US?) you are more likely to be able to show support for those without facing sanction because of stronger protections of free speech.
Neither one is good. You're not being asked to decide one is 'good' and the other 'bad'. You're not being asked to accept that the more minor one is OK because it's not as bad as the other one.They can both be bad. But they aren't the same. We don't say "Dude A was upset about someone talking smack about his sister too, so he's just as bad as Dude B". Or at least most people wouldn't. But we also don't say "It's fine to punch someone in the gut because at least he didn't cut the guy's throat". Dude A probably gets a night in the cells and a minor punishment, maybe a conviction for assault and released on parole for time served. He's got some anger issues and probably some issues in his relationshp with women. B gets serious jail time.> now it's somehow become "shitty, but not as bad, because in some other land you'd get shot instead," (and similar excuses)Nobody's making excuses. That's all on you and how you're deciding to ascribe motivations to other posters. Let me say it again - nobody is saying it's OK. I'm not defending anything. If you think I am I'd invite you to re-read the thread.> How much closer must UK come to iranian levels, before you start seeing the parallels between the behaviour of the two governments?One is a strict conservative, theocratic dictatorship that is commiting mass murder in order to hold on to power. The other is a troubled democracy that, as far as anyone can tell, isn't murdering its citizens to keep order but has made some pretty fucked up decisions about what constitutes terrorism and a terrorist organisation. Both of these are bad. But they aren't the same, there are some parallels in their actions, though not so much in either motivation or outcomes. And proclaiming that the actions of the UK or the EU are the same as Iran or Russia or China provides cover for atrocities IMHO, and is straight out of the propaganda playbook those countries like to put about the place. It also just destroys nuance of discussion when basically anything negative may as well be Hitler.> 10 years ago, getting arrested for wearing a tshirtWas something that happened occasionally under varying different laws. It was shit then too.https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2012/oct/11/manchester-man-ja...And if you'd worn a pro-IRA t-shirt in the 80s/90s, you'd have faced arrest for that as well. Still would in fact. The major change that people have a problem with in the Plasticine/Palestine action cases is the classification of a pro-Human Rights, direct-action group as a terrorist organisation, and the suppression of speech as a result of that classification. If you'd like to see a list of all the organisations currently classified this way, there's one here - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/proscribed-terror...I don't think many people in the UK have a real problem with this law as it applies to (say) ISIS, or the Wagner Group, though I know that in some other countries (US?) you are more likely to be able to show support for those without facing sanction because of stronger protections of free speech.
They can both be bad. But they aren't the same. We don't say "Dude A was upset about someone talking smack about his sister too, so he's just as bad as Dude B". Or at least most people wouldn't. But we also don't say "It's fine to punch someone in the gut because at least he didn't cut the guy's throat". Dude A probably gets a night in the cells and a minor punishment, maybe a conviction for assault and released on parole for time served. He's got some anger issues and probably some issues in his relationshp with women. B gets serious jail time.> now it's somehow become "shitty, but not as bad, because in some other land you'd get shot instead," (and similar excuses)Nobody's making excuses. That's all on you and how you're deciding to ascribe motivations to other posters. Let me say it again - nobody is saying it's OK. I'm not defending anything. If you think I am I'd invite you to re-read the thread.> How much closer must UK come to iranian levels, before you start seeing the parallels between the behaviour of the two governments?One is a strict conservative, theocratic dictatorship that is commiting mass murder in order to hold on to power. The other is a troubled democracy that, as far as anyone can tell, isn't murdering its citizens to keep order but has made some pretty fucked up decisions about what constitutes terrorism and a terrorist organisation. Both of these are bad. But they aren't the same, there are some parallels in their actions, though not so much in either motivation or outcomes. And proclaiming that the actions of the UK or the EU are the same as Iran or Russia or China provides cover for atrocities IMHO, and is straight out of the propaganda playbook those countries like to put about the place. It also just destroys nuance of discussion when basically anything negative may as well be Hitler.> 10 years ago, getting arrested for wearing a tshirtWas something that happened occasionally under varying different laws. It was shit then too.https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2012/oct/11/manchester-man-ja...And if you'd worn a pro-IRA t-shirt in the 80s/90s, you'd have faced arrest for that as well. Still would in fact. The major change that people have a problem with in the Plasticine/Palestine action cases is the classification of a pro-Human Rights, direct-action group as a terrorist organisation, and the suppression of speech as a result of that classification. If you'd like to see a list of all the organisations currently classified this way, there's one here - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/proscribed-terror...I don't think many people in the UK have a real problem with this law as it applies to (say) ISIS, or the Wagner Group, though I know that in some other countries (US?) you are more likely to be able to show support for those without facing sanction because of stronger protections of free speech.
> now it's somehow become "shitty, but not as bad, because in some other land you'd get shot instead," (and similar excuses)Nobody's making excuses. That's all on you and how you're deciding to ascribe motivations to other posters. Let me say it again - nobody is saying it's OK. I'm not defending anything. If you think I am I'd invite you to re-read the thread.> How much closer must UK come to iranian levels, before you start seeing the parallels between the behaviour of the two governments?One is a strict conservative, theocratic dictatorship that is commiting mass murder in order to hold on to power. The other is a troubled democracy that, as far as anyone can tell, isn't murdering its citizens to keep order but has made some pretty fucked up decisions about what constitutes terrorism and a terrorist organisation. Both of these are bad. But they aren't the same, there are some parallels in their actions, though not so much in either motivation or outcomes. And proclaiming that the actions of the UK or the EU are the same as Iran or Russia or China provides cover for atrocities IMHO, and is straight out of the propaganda playbook those countries like to put about the place. It also just destroys nuance of discussion when basically anything negative may as well be Hitler.> 10 years ago, getting arrested for wearing a tshirtWas something that happened occasionally under varying different laws. It was shit then too.https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2012/oct/11/manchester-man-ja...And if you'd worn a pro-IRA t-shirt in the 80s/90s, you'd have faced arrest for that as well. Still would in fact. The major change that people have a problem with in the Plasticine/Palestine action cases is the classification of a pro-Human Rights, direct-action group as a terrorist organisation, and the suppression of speech as a result of that classification. If you'd like to see a list of all the organisations currently classified this way, there's one here - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/proscribed-terror...I don't think many people in the UK have a real problem with this law as it applies to (say) ISIS, or the Wagner Group, though I know that in some other countries (US?) you are more likely to be able to show support for those without facing sanction because of stronger protections of free speech.
Nobody's making excuses. That's all on you and how you're deciding to ascribe motivations to other posters. Let me say it again - nobody is saying it's OK. I'm not defending anything. If you think I am I'd invite you to re-read the thread.> How much closer must UK come to iranian levels, before you start seeing the parallels between the behaviour of the two governments?One is a strict conservative, theocratic dictatorship that is commiting mass murder in order to hold on to power. The other is a troubled democracy that, as far as anyone can tell, isn't murdering its citizens to keep order but has made some pretty fucked up decisions about what constitutes terrorism and a terrorist organisation. Both of these are bad. But they aren't the same, there are some parallels in their actions, though not so much in either motivation or outcomes. And proclaiming that the actions of the UK or the EU are the same as Iran or Russia or China provides cover for atrocities IMHO, and is straight out of the propaganda playbook those countries like to put about the place. It also just destroys nuance of discussion when basically anything negative may as well be Hitler.> 10 years ago, getting arrested for wearing a tshirtWas something that happened occasionally under varying different laws. It was shit then too.https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2012/oct/11/manchester-man-ja...And if you'd worn a pro-IRA t-shirt in the 80s/90s, you'd have faced arrest for that as well. Still would in fact. The major change that people have a problem with in the Plasticine/Palestine action cases is the classification of a pro-Human Rights, direct-action group as a terrorist organisation, and the suppression of speech as a result of that classification. If you'd like to see a list of all the organisations currently classified this way, there's one here - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/proscribed-terror...I don't think many people in the UK have a real problem with this law as it applies to (say) ISIS, or the Wagner Group, though I know that in some other countries (US?) you are more likely to be able to show support for those without facing sanction because of stronger protections of free speech.
> How much closer must UK come to iranian levels, before you start seeing the parallels between the behaviour of the two governments?One is a strict conservative, theocratic dictatorship that is commiting mass murder in order to hold on to power. The other is a troubled democracy that, as far as anyone can tell, isn't murdering its citizens to keep order but has made some pretty fucked up decisions about what constitutes terrorism and a terrorist organisation. Both of these are bad. But they aren't the same, there are some parallels in their actions, though not so much in either motivation or outcomes. And proclaiming that the actions of the UK or the EU are the same as Iran or Russia or China provides cover for atrocities IMHO, and is straight out of the propaganda playbook those countries like to put about the place. It also just destroys nuance of discussion when basically anything negative may as well be Hitler.> 10 years ago, getting arrested for wearing a tshirtWas something that happened occasionally under varying different laws. It was shit then too.https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2012/oct/11/manchester-man-ja...And if you'd worn a pro-IRA t-shirt in the 80s/90s, you'd have faced arrest for that as well. Still would in fact. The major change that people have a problem with in the Plasticine/Palestine action cases is the classification of a pro-Human Rights, direct-action group as a terrorist organisation, and the suppression of speech as a result of that classification. If you'd like to see a list of all the organisations currently classified this way, there's one here - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/proscribed-terror...I don't think many people in the UK have a real problem with this law as it applies to (say) ISIS, or the Wagner Group, though I know that in some other countries (US?) you are more likely to be able to show support for those without facing sanction because of stronger protections of free speech.
One is a strict conservative, theocratic dictatorship that is commiting mass murder in order to hold on to power. The other is a troubled democracy that, as far as anyone can tell, isn't murdering its citizens to keep order but has made some pretty fucked up decisions about what constitutes terrorism and a terrorist organisation. Both of these are bad. But they aren't the same, there are some parallels in their actions, though not so much in either motivation or outcomes. And proclaiming that the actions of the UK or the EU are the same as Iran or Russia or China provides cover for atrocities IMHO, and is straight out of the propaganda playbook those countries like to put about the place. It also just destroys nuance of discussion when basically anything negative may as well be Hitler.> 10 years ago, getting arrested for wearing a tshirtWas something that happened occasionally under varying different laws. It was shit then too.https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2012/oct/11/manchester-man-ja...And if you'd worn a pro-IRA t-shirt in the 80s/90s, you'd have faced arrest for that as well. Still would in fact. The major change that people have a problem with in the Plasticine/Palestine action cases is the classification of a pro-Human Rights, direct-action group as a terrorist organisation, and the suppression of speech as a result of that classification. If you'd like to see a list of all the organisations currently classified this way, there's one here - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/proscribed-terror...I don't think many people in the UK have a real problem with this law as it applies to (say) ISIS, or the Wagner Group, though I know that in some other countries (US?) you are more likely to be able to show support for those without facing sanction because of stronger protections of free speech.
> 10 years ago, getting arrested for wearing a tshirtWas something that happened occasionally under varying different laws. It was shit then too.https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2012/oct/11/manchester-man-ja...And if you'd worn a pro-IRA t-shirt in the 80s/90s, you'd have faced arrest for that as well. Still would in fact. The major change that people have a problem with in the Plasticine/Palestine action cases is the classification of a pro-Human Rights, direct-action group as a terrorist organisation, and the suppression of speech as a result of that classification. If you'd like to see a list of all the organisations currently classified this way, there's one here - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/proscribed-terror...I don't think many people in the UK have a real problem with this law as it applies to (say) ISIS, or the Wagner Group, though I know that in some other countries (US?) you are more likely to be able to show support for those without facing sanction because of stronger protections of free speech.
Was something that happened occasionally under varying different laws. It was shit then too.https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2012/oct/11/manchester-man-ja...And if you'd worn a pro-IRA t-shirt in the 80s/90s, you'd have faced arrest for that as well. Still would in fact. The major change that people have a problem with in the Plasticine/Palestine action cases is the classification of a pro-Human Rights, direct-action group as a terrorist organisation, and the suppression of speech as a result of that classification. If you'd like to see a list of all the organisations currently classified this way, there's one here - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/proscribed-terror...I don't think many people in the UK have a real problem with this law as it applies to (say) ISIS, or the Wagner Group, though I know that in some other countries (US?) you are more likely to be able to show support for those without facing sanction because of stronger protections of free speech.
https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2012/oct/11/manchester-man-ja...And if you'd worn a pro-IRA t-shirt in the 80s/90s, you'd have faced arrest for that as well. Still would in fact. The major change that people have a problem with in the Plasticine/Palestine action cases is the classification of a pro-Human Rights, direct-action group as a terrorist organisation, and the suppression of speech as a result of that classification. If you'd like to see a list of all the organisations currently classified this way, there's one here - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/proscribed-terror...I don't think many people in the UK have a real problem with this law as it applies to (say) ISIS, or the Wagner Group, though I know that in some other countries (US?) you are more likely to be able to show support for those without facing sanction because of stronger protections of free speech.
And if you'd worn a pro-IRA t-shirt in the 80s/90s, you'd have faced arrest for that as well. Still would in fact. The major change that people have a problem with in the Plasticine/Palestine action cases is the classification of a pro-Human Rights, direct-action group as a terrorist organisation, and the suppression of speech as a result of that classification. If you'd like to see a list of all the organisations currently classified this way, there's one here - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/proscribed-terror...I don't think many people in the UK have a real problem with this law as it applies to (say) ISIS, or the Wagner Group, though I know that in some other countries (US?) you are more likely to be able to show support for those without facing sanction because of stronger protections of free speech.
I don't think many people in the UK have a real problem with this law as it applies to (say) ISIS, or the Wagner Group, though I know that in some other countries (US?) you are more likely to be able to show support for those without facing sanction because of stronger protections of free speech.
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The important point is, if the erosion of civil liberties continues, these governments are losing their high ground. They must stop.As in the Cold War, I would give an allowance for the West to still be preferable (modulo strict rights record) if they actually muster some sort of power to confront tyranny. But if the rulers only want cheap rhetoric wins, no.
As in the Cold War, I would give an allowance for the West to still be preferable (modulo strict rights record) if they actually muster some sort of power to confront tyranny. But if the rulers only want cheap rhetoric wins, no.
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If South American dictatorships could have their way with less blood and less noise, don't you think they would prefer that?I'm reminded of a tragicomic recent admission from Nate Silver of 538 fame. He said Disney almost never interfered in their editorial process, as if that was a good thing. What that really meant, after all, was that Disney was perfectly willing to interfere in their editorial process, but almost never felt the need to. (As you would expect. I mean, why would Disney care about political polling?)Could it similarly be that the UK government is perfectly willing to engage in brutal political suppression, but rarely has a need to? In that case maybe people are right to sound the alarm even though we haven't reached South American dictatorship levels yet.
I'm reminded of a tragicomic recent admission from Nate Silver of 538 fame. He said Disney almost never interfered in their editorial process, as if that was a good thing. What that really meant, after all, was that Disney was perfectly willing to interfere in their editorial process, but almost never felt the need to. (As you would expect. I mean, why would Disney care about political polling?)Could it similarly be that the UK government is perfectly willing to engage in brutal political suppression, but rarely has a need to? In that case maybe people are right to sound the alarm even though we haven't reached South American dictatorship levels yet.
Could it similarly be that the UK government is perfectly willing to engage in brutal political suppression, but rarely has a need to? In that case maybe people are right to sound the alarm even though we haven't reached South American dictatorship levels yet.
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It still stinks through and through of course.
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I think it's likely they will get still more scared that they won't, and ramp up the brutality accordingly.The path forward is clear: Reform gets into power, builds their own paramilitary "immigration enforcement" groups a la ICE, and you get the occasional summary execution in the streets, along with arrests based on UKs unmatched surveillance system.
The path forward is clear: Reform gets into power, builds their own paramilitary "immigration enforcement" groups a la ICE, and you get the occasional summary execution in the streets, along with arrests based on UKs unmatched surveillance system.
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And even if the man was wearing a proper "Palestine Action" shirt that'd still be pretty concerning. It is an insane stretch to say that wearing a shirt represents a matter for police action. How far the world has moved on from when the UK could be considered a forward-thinking bastion of liberalism.
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Whatever is happening in SA might be as bad, I suppose, but I don't speak Spanish or have any family connection there so I'm not going to look it up. Although if they're genocidal then they should stop too, should that need to be said.[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Africa's_genocide_case_a...
[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Africa's_genocide_case_a...
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If you're not aware of the history of people being disappeared by states such as Chile under Pinochet, or more broadly what it means for a state to disappear someone, that's kinda on you.Either way these are not equivalent actions.Yes, it's suppression of free speech in a chilling manner. I hate it. No, it's not the same as suppressing that speech by taking someone and holding them in a secret prison for years and/or killing them.
Either way these are not equivalent actions.Yes, it's suppression of free speech in a chilling manner. I hate it. No, it's not the same as suppressing that speech by taking someone and holding them in a secret prison for years and/or killing them.
Yes, it's suppression of free speech in a chilling manner. I hate it. No, it's not the same as suppressing that speech by taking someone and holding them in a secret prison for years and/or killing them.
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Sure. Though in the UK I give you Julian Assange - 5 years in BellMarsh, mostly in total isolation as if he was some major threat.
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That just might be approaching slippery slope territory to the current Iranian actions.Currently I believe we are at zero protestors casually shot on the streets of the UK, so I fail to see the equivalency
Currently I believe we are at zero protestors casually shot on the streets of the UK, so I fail to see the equivalency
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UK is not, and will not be in the situation Iran is in for the foreseeable future. There will not be several powerful countries, some widely hated in UK and openly preferring a UK in smoking ruins to democratic government in the UK, calling for revolution there (although don't get me wrong, UK too could totally could use a revolution). UK has nuclear weapons. UK has a world-class surveillance apparatus, and doesn't have to contend with the cynical people running it getting regularly murdered or bought out by more powerful actors.What all this means - and this has been the core message of just about all dissidents in western countries for decades - is that the people with control in the UK don't have to gun down hundreds (or tens of thousands, if you believe the colored reports) in the streets to cling to power. If it was their best option, they might.
What all this means - and this has been the core message of just about all dissidents in western countries for decades - is that the people with control in the UK don't have to gun down hundreds (or tens of thousands, if you believe the colored reports) in the streets to cling to power. If it was their best option, they might.
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I'm honestly not trying to defend any action by any state in this thread, I'm not trying to say that the UK is better than any other state. I'm not trying to make any point at all beyond using a specific example in agreeing with the comments above mine that "Everything is the same and comparable never mind how hyperbolic."But it seems to be construed as if I am, no matter how much I agree that the actions we're talking about are terrible. People come back and tell me the UK is bad and I should feel bad for defending it. I know right! And if I was I would!I must admit I find the whole thing very frustrating.
But it seems to be construed as if I am, no matter how much I agree that the actions we're talking about are terrible. People come back and tell me the UK is bad and I should feel bad for defending it. I know right! And if I was I would!I must admit I find the whole thing very frustrating.
I must admit I find the whole thing very frustrating.
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It's a mistake to take things like trial by jury, open justice ( not secret courts ), non-arbitrary detention, even regular elections for granted.I totally agree with you that the UK is not Iran and there is too much hyperbole - but at the same time the current government is trying to criminalise legitimate protest, cancelling elections and trying to remove trial by jury for a substantial set of things ( the ultimate protection against an authoritarian state ).As an example, it's very telling that the government ensured that in all the Assange legal proceedings it never went before a jury.The current government creating all these precedents, in the shadow of the prospect of a potential Reform government is something I think we should all be concerned about.
I totally agree with you that the UK is not Iran and there is too much hyperbole - but at the same time the current government is trying to criminalise legitimate protest, cancelling elections and trying to remove trial by jury for a substantial set of things ( the ultimate protection against an authoritarian state ).As an example, it's very telling that the government ensured that in all the Assange legal proceedings it never went before a jury.The current government creating all these precedents, in the shadow of the prospect of a potential Reform government is something I think we should all be concerned about.
As an example, it's very telling that the government ensured that in all the Assange legal proceedings it never went before a jury.The current government creating all these precedents, in the shadow of the prospect of a potential Reform government is something I think we should all be concerned about.
The current government creating all these precedents, in the shadow of the prospect of a potential Reform government is something I think we should all be concerned about.
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The idea that the state can deprive you of your freedom for a sentence likely to be less than 3 years without the chance to be tried before you peers, is worrying.Note is was six months before Nov 2024, it's 12 months now and they are looking to extend to 3 years! ( or more - given the word: likely ).Juries are not an administrative inconvenience or process inefficiency.The current legal reform seems to be operating on the assumption that the defendent is guilty - rather thana resumption of innocence.Better to let the guilty to go free, than imprison the innocent.
Note is was six months before Nov 2024, it's 12 months now and they are looking to extend to 3 years! ( or more - given the word: likely ).Juries are not an administrative inconvenience or process inefficiency.The current legal reform seems to be operating on the assumption that the defendent is guilty - rather thana resumption of innocence.Better to let the guilty to go free, than imprison the innocent.
Juries are not an administrative inconvenience or process inefficiency.The current legal reform seems to be operating on the assumption that the defendent is guilty - rather thana resumption of innocence.Better to let the guilty to go free, than imprison the innocent.
The current legal reform seems to be operating on the assumption that the defendent is guilty - rather thana resumption of innocence.Better to let the guilty to go free, than imprison the innocent.
Better to let the guilty to go free, than imprison the innocent.
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and that's why it is efficient propaganda
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I have relatives in the UK, right now. And after this conversation I'm now more concerned for them than I was this morning, and I can make some educated guesses about why ol' mate didn't want to talk to you about Pinochet, who Wikipedia suggests died 20 years ago. Sounds like something is going on in the UK right now.I mean, seriously, I have left-wing family members who might be travelling to the UK this year. Is there some sort of guide to what political t-shirts will get them arrested?
I mean, seriously, I have left-wing family members who might be travelling to the UK this year. Is there some sort of guide to what political t-shirts will get them arrested?
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You're not being asked to feel better about the UK! If you didn't know about this stuff and you feel worse about the UK, good, you probably should!But you are being asked to see a difference in degree between: Someone speaks out about human rights abuses and murder sanctioned by the state, and is arrested, then later released with an apology.
Someone speaks out about human rights abuses and murder sanctioned by the state, and is arrested, their arrest is denied by the state and they turn up several years later in a mass grave.
You're telling me those are the same thing?> I mean, seriously, I have left-wing family members who might be travelling to the UK this year. Is there some sort of guide to what political t-shirts will get them arrested?“Palestine Action” is currently a proscribed organisation. They are proscribed because some of them are alleged to have fucked with some fighter jets and done some other illegal direct action stuff.So currently it's illegal to show support for that specific group.There are open court challenges to the whole situation, and many hundreds of people are awaiting trial for continuing to show support to the group after the proscription. The whole thing is a shitshow.But you can (AFAICT) support Palestine and Palestinian people as much as you like, you're just not allowed to wave “Palestine Action” flags or t-shirts around.
But you are being asked to see a difference in degree between: Someone speaks out about human rights abuses and murder sanctioned by the state, and is arrested, then later released with an apology.
Someone speaks out about human rights abuses and murder sanctioned by the state, and is arrested, their arrest is denied by the state and they turn up several years later in a mass grave.
You're telling me those are the same thing?> I mean, seriously, I have left-wing family members who might be travelling to the UK this year. Is there some sort of guide to what political t-shirts will get them arrested?“Palestine Action” is currently a proscribed organisation. They are proscribed because some of them are alleged to have fucked with some fighter jets and done some other illegal direct action stuff.So currently it's illegal to show support for that specific group.There are open court challenges to the whole situation, and many hundreds of people are awaiting trial for continuing to show support to the group after the proscription. The whole thing is a shitshow.But you can (AFAICT) support Palestine and Palestinian people as much as you like, you're just not allowed to wave “Palestine Action” flags or t-shirts around.
Someone speaks out about human rights abuses and murder sanctioned by the state, and is arrested, then later released with an apology.
Someone speaks out about human rights abuses and murder sanctioned by the state, and is arrested, their arrest is denied by the state and they turn up several years later in a mass grave.
You're telling me those are the same thing?> I mean, seriously, I have left-wing family members who might be travelling to the UK this year. Is there some sort of guide to what political t-shirts will get them arrested?“Palestine Action” is currently a proscribed organisation. They are proscribed because some of them are alleged to have fucked with some fighter jets and done some other illegal direct action stuff.So currently it's illegal to show support for that specific group.There are open court challenges to the whole situation, and many hundreds of people are awaiting trial for continuing to show support to the group after the proscription. The whole thing is a shitshow.But you can (AFAICT) support Palestine and Palestinian people as much as you like, you're just not allowed to wave “Palestine Action” flags or t-shirts around.
> I mean, seriously, I have left-wing family members who might be travelling to the UK this year. Is there some sort of guide to what political t-shirts will get them arrested?“Palestine Action” is currently a proscribed organisation. They are proscribed because some of them are alleged to have fucked with some fighter jets and done some other illegal direct action stuff.So currently it's illegal to show support for that specific group.There are open court challenges to the whole situation, and many hundreds of people are awaiting trial for continuing to show support to the group after the proscription. The whole thing is a shitshow.But you can (AFAICT) support Palestine and Palestinian people as much as you like, you're just not allowed to wave “Palestine Action” flags or t-shirts around.
“Palestine Action” is currently a proscribed organisation. They are proscribed because some of them are alleged to have fucked with some fighter jets and done some other illegal direct action stuff.So currently it's illegal to show support for that specific group.There are open court challenges to the whole situation, and many hundreds of people are awaiting trial for continuing to show support to the group after the proscription. The whole thing is a shitshow.But you can (AFAICT) support Palestine and Palestinian people as much as you like, you're just not allowed to wave “Palestine Action” flags or t-shirts around.
So currently it's illegal to show support for that specific group.There are open court challenges to the whole situation, and many hundreds of people are awaiting trial for continuing to show support to the group after the proscription. The whole thing is a shitshow.But you can (AFAICT) support Palestine and Palestinian people as much as you like, you're just not allowed to wave “Palestine Action” flags or t-shirts around.
There are open court challenges to the whole situation, and many hundreds of people are awaiting trial for continuing to show support to the group after the proscription. The whole thing is a shitshow.But you can (AFAICT) support Palestine and Palestinian people as much as you like, you're just not allowed to wave “Palestine Action” flags or t-shirts around.
But you can (AFAICT) support Palestine and Palestinian people as much as you like, you're just not allowed to wave “Palestine Action” flags or t-shirts around.
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I can't do anything about iran, i don't live there, neither does anyone else commenting here it seems... but many of us do live in EU, and are bothered by EU doing the same thing as iran, even if it's on a smaller scale (for now). You can't support censorship at home and then act outraged when someone else just implements more of it... even though some do, as long as the censored things are the things they personally don't like.To be fair, i'm more worried about UK, since it's a "test ground" to see how things work before the bad thing are implemented elsewhere, but either way, in my small country we have a saying, that "people should first sweep infront of their own doorways", and yeah, EU and our censorship is my doorway in this case.TLDR: if we're bothered by internet censorship, we should first stop at 'at home'.
To be fair, i'm more worried about UK, since it's a "test ground" to see how things work before the bad thing are implemented elsewhere, but either way, in my small country we have a saying, that "people should first sweep infront of their own doorways", and yeah, EU and our censorship is my doorway in this case.TLDR: if we're bothered by internet censorship, we should first stop at 'at home'.
TLDR: if we're bothered by internet censorship, we should first stop at 'at home'.
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Sure EU has some fkn horrible sides to it, such as the anonymous vote to get big stuff through when a majority should be enough as democracy depicts, but currently 2 states out of all EU states can block the big decisions...
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You also don't live in the United States, or in Israel or Palestine but folks tend to forget that it seems.But you can do something anyway which is to be aware of the atrocities committed by Iran's regime, make sure your government is aware of your opinion, you can protest outside the Iranian embassy in your country, help Iranian dissidents, help Iranians find sneaky ways to get internet access, &c.I'm not expecting anyone to do those things but I find this “I don't live there” argument continue to creep up whenever it comes to Iran but it never enters conversation when it comes to specific other countries.> TLDR: if we're bothered by internet censorship, we should first stop at 'at home'.Sure but you don't have to focus on one issue at a time. Honestly resorting Internet access in Iran is probably more important than whatever rules and things the EU is implementing because in Iran people are actually dying and you can always change the EU rules back through democratic processes.
But you can do something anyway which is to be aware of the atrocities committed by Iran's regime, make sure your government is aware of your opinion, you can protest outside the Iranian embassy in your country, help Iranian dissidents, help Iranians find sneaky ways to get internet access, &c.I'm not expecting anyone to do those things but I find this “I don't live there” argument continue to creep up whenever it comes to Iran but it never enters conversation when it comes to specific other countries.> TLDR: if we're bothered by internet censorship, we should first stop at 'at home'.Sure but you don't have to focus on one issue at a time. Honestly resorting Internet access in Iran is probably more important than whatever rules and things the EU is implementing because in Iran people are actually dying and you can always change the EU rules back through democratic processes.
I'm not expecting anyone to do those things but I find this “I don't live there” argument continue to creep up whenever it comes to Iran but it never enters conversation when it comes to specific other countries.> TLDR: if we're bothered by internet censorship, we should first stop at 'at home'.Sure but you don't have to focus on one issue at a time. Honestly resorting Internet access in Iran is probably more important than whatever rules and things the EU is implementing because in Iran people are actually dying and you can always change the EU rules back through democratic processes.
> TLDR: if we're bothered by internet censorship, we should first stop at 'at home'.Sure but you don't have to focus on one issue at a time. Honestly resorting Internet access in Iran is probably more important than whatever rules and things the EU is implementing because in Iran people are actually dying and you can always change the EU rules back through democratic processes.
Sure but you don't have to focus on one issue at a time. Honestly resorting Internet access in Iran is probably more important than whatever rules and things the EU is implementing because in Iran people are actually dying and you can always change the EU rules back through democratic processes.
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On the other hand, there are many people from EU here who need to hear it, that EU is doing the same as iran... censoring websites and more (IDs, chat control,...). Yes, maybe not at the same level, less sites are censored here, but censorship is still censorship, and the trend is going towards more control and more censorship.United states, israel (and palestine), etc. are different. Are we bothered by what israel is doing in palestine? Yes! (some of us). Can we actually do something about it? Sure... the germans can tell their government to stop selling weapons to israel [0], we can implement sanctions, tarrifs, etc. This is something that we can do "at home", something that can make some change. We did that for russia, we did that for iran, north korea etc (at various times and various levels), but we did something. We didn't really do that (at least not at scale) for isreal. US is doing that to us (EU) with tarrifs every two weeks, but we didn't really properly respond, even under the threat of an invasion on greenland.Yes, restricted internet in iran is bad, but we can't stop it. Sadly, changing back EU rules is similarly hard to do, which again, is something that should be fixed, by us, at home.[0] https://www.dw.com/en/war-in-gaza-germany-supplies-30-of-isr...
United states, israel (and palestine), etc. are different. Are we bothered by what israel is doing in palestine? Yes! (some of us). Can we actually do something about it? Sure... the germans can tell their government to stop selling weapons to israel [0], we can implement sanctions, tarrifs, etc. This is something that we can do "at home", something that can make some change. We did that for russia, we did that for iran, north korea etc (at various times and various levels), but we did something. We didn't really do that (at least not at scale) for isreal. US is doing that to us (EU) with tarrifs every two weeks, but we didn't really properly respond, even under the threat of an invasion on greenland.Yes, restricted internet in iran is bad, but we can't stop it. Sadly, changing back EU rules is similarly hard to do, which again, is something that should be fixed, by us, at home.[0] https://www.dw.com/en/war-in-gaza-germany-supplies-30-of-isr...
Yes, restricted internet in iran is bad, but we can't stop it. Sadly, changing back EU rules is similarly hard to do, which again, is something that should be fixed, by us, at home.[0] https://www.dw.com/en/war-in-gaza-germany-supplies-30-of-isr...
[0] https://www.dw.com/en/war-in-gaza-germany-supplies-30-of-isr...
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(Just a reminder that the above is what I responded to)> But what can you do for iran?You can encourage your governments to take action against Iran as well. Further sanctions, diplomatic pressure, providing support to the Iranian people, &c. In my case as an American I am encouraging my government to take the toughest action possible to stop Iran. Much of the blood of dead Palestinians can be placed at their feet too since they arm and support Hezbollah and Hamas who are doing what they can to keep killing people and keep the conflict active.Just because you personally don't know what can be done doesn't mean something can't be done, and at a minimum you can encourage your government to continue to do the things it's already doing. You don't have to know what can be done, you can leave that up to others while demanding that the Iranian regime halt its indiscriminate mass murder of Iranian civilians before they make the number of people killed in Gaza look like a warmup.Not living in Iran doesn't mean you (an EU citizen I presume) can't do anything about the actions of that regime. It's simply not a valid argument.
> But what can you do for iran?You can encourage your governments to take action against Iran as well. Further sanctions, diplomatic pressure, providing support to the Iranian people, &c. In my case as an American I am encouraging my government to take the toughest action possible to stop Iran. Much of the blood of dead Palestinians can be placed at their feet too since they arm and support Hezbollah and Hamas who are doing what they can to keep killing people and keep the conflict active.Just because you personally don't know what can be done doesn't mean something can't be done, and at a minimum you can encourage your government to continue to do the things it's already doing. You don't have to know what can be done, you can leave that up to others while demanding that the Iranian regime halt its indiscriminate mass murder of Iranian civilians before they make the number of people killed in Gaza look like a warmup.Not living in Iran doesn't mean you (an EU citizen I presume) can't do anything about the actions of that regime. It's simply not a valid argument.
You can encourage your governments to take action against Iran as well. Further sanctions, diplomatic pressure, providing support to the Iranian people, &c. In my case as an American I am encouraging my government to take the toughest action possible to stop Iran. Much of the blood of dead Palestinians can be placed at their feet too since they arm and support Hezbollah and Hamas who are doing what they can to keep killing people and keep the conflict active.Just because you personally don't know what can be done doesn't mean something can't be done, and at a minimum you can encourage your government to continue to do the things it's already doing. You don't have to know what can be done, you can leave that up to others while demanding that the Iranian regime halt its indiscriminate mass murder of Iranian civilians before they make the number of people killed in Gaza look like a warmup.Not living in Iran doesn't mean you (an EU citizen I presume) can't do anything about the actions of that regime. It's simply not a valid argument.
Just because you personally don't know what can be done doesn't mean something can't be done, and at a minimum you can encourage your government to continue to do the things it's already doing. You don't have to know what can be done, you can leave that up to others while demanding that the Iranian regime halt its indiscriminate mass murder of Iranian civilians before they make the number of people killed in Gaza look like a warmup.Not living in Iran doesn't mean you (an EU citizen I presume) can't do anything about the actions of that regime. It's simply not a valid argument.
Not living in Iran doesn't mean you (an EU citizen I presume) can't do anything about the actions of that regime. It's simply not a valid argument.
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Lets make this clear: "Spain" is not blocking, some ISP companies which have many users ask the judge for permission to block IP ranges because they are streaming football matches. The judge agrees (they don't seem to know how Cloudflare works), so the ISPs are the ones that are blocking their own users to access sites behind Cloudflare. As they have millions of users, the block feels huge, but it is not issued by the government.I am not a customer of those ISP, so my internet isn't disrupted at all during football matches. Some services, like annas-archive and torrent sites, are intermittently blocked, but you can easily avoid the blocks just by switching DNS server to 1.1.1.1 or 8.8.8.8.
I am not a customer of those ISP, so my internet isn't disrupted at all during football matches. Some services, like annas-archive and torrent sites, are intermittently blocked, but you can easily avoid the blocks just by switching DNS server to 1.1.1.1 or 8.8.8.8.
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Yes, technically "Spain" is not blocking. ISPs are. It is however the armed agents of "Spain", who will come and violently lock you in a tiny room if you refuse to do as you're told. If you try to resist hard enough, they will simply execute you on the spot.
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As I said, my ISP doesn't do this block. Are they defying the Spain government mandate? Are they facing penalties or prison? This is a private thing that Movistar /O2, mainly, is doing, to protect their football stream. Thes is like saying that the US government forces Disney to enforce tneir IP protection.Your last paragraph is a shame. Execute people on the spot, what the fuck are you even talking about? Spain don't even punish people torrenting or piracing unless you are profiting from it (e.g. selling pirate streams).
Your last paragraph is a shame. Execute people on the spot, what the fuck are you even talking about? Spain don't even punish people torrenting or piracing unless you are profiting from it (e.g. selling pirate streams).
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You can see right here https://www.poderjudicial.es/search/AN/openDocument/766326fb...> Are they defying the Spain government mandate?Nobody has claimed that this is a government mandate, it isn't. It's a court order, coming from the judiciary. While Americans might consider the judiciary to be a branch of the government, in Spain it is considered entirely separate.> Execute people on the spot, what the fuck are you even talking about?The police will absolutely kill you if you try to forcefully resist them when they come to arrest you for violating a court order. This is not unique to Spain, but is more of a universal principle.
> Are they defying the Spain government mandate?Nobody has claimed that this is a government mandate, it isn't. It's a court order, coming from the judiciary. While Americans might consider the judiciary to be a branch of the government, in Spain it is considered entirely separate.> Execute people on the spot, what the fuck are you even talking about?The police will absolutely kill you if you try to forcefully resist them when they come to arrest you for violating a court order. This is not unique to Spain, but is more of a universal principle.
Nobody has claimed that this is a government mandate, it isn't. It's a court order, coming from the judiciary. While Americans might consider the judiciary to be a branch of the government, in Spain it is considered entirely separate.> Execute people on the spot, what the fuck are you even talking about?The police will absolutely kill you if you try to forcefully resist them when they come to arrest you for violating a court order. This is not unique to Spain, but is more of a universal principle.
> Execute people on the spot, what the fuck are you even talking about?The police will absolutely kill you if you try to forcefully resist them when they come to arrest you for violating a court order. This is not unique to Spain, but is more of a universal principle.
The police will absolutely kill you if you try to forcefully resist them when they come to arrest you for violating a court order. This is not unique to Spain, but is more of a universal principle.
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1. The ISP ask a judge to ban some IPs, and the judge gives them the permission to do so, because they asked. A judge could ask every ISP to do so, but they don't. But the ISP must request permission to ban, that es the reason the ban is limited to some ISP.2. It does not come from the judges, it comes from the ISP that request to do it. Some ISP don't care about football, so they don't ask, they don't ban, and they are not mandated nor allowed to ban.3. Not true, please don't FUD. In Spain is extremely rare to be killed by the police, even resisting, unless you threat them with a gun for example. And there are more cases with guns or knifes that are peacefully defused, than "executions on the spot". I don't know what are your intentions lying like that, but they don't look good.
2. It does not come from the judges, it comes from the ISP that request to do it. Some ISP don't care about football, so they don't ask, they don't ban, and they are not mandated nor allowed to ban.3. Not true, please don't FUD. In Spain is extremely rare to be killed by the police, even resisting, unless you threat them with a gun for example. And there are more cases with guns or knifes that are peacefully defused, than "executions on the spot". I don't know what are your intentions lying like that, but they don't look good.
3. Not true, please don't FUD. In Spain is extremely rare to be killed by the police, even resisting, unless you threat them with a gun for example. And there are more cases with guns or knifes that are peacefully defused, than "executions on the spot". I don't know what are your intentions lying like that, but they don't look good.
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LIGA NACIONAL DE FÚTBOL PROFESIONAL y TELEFÓNICA AUDIOVISUAL DIGITAL S.L.U filed the lawsuit against Vodafone España S.A.U, Vodafone ONO S.A.U, MASORANGE Orange Espagne S.A.U, DIGI SPAIN TELECOM S.L.U, TELEFÓNICA ESPAÑA S.A.U and TELEFÓNICA MÓVILES ESPAÑA S.A.U.> A judge could ask every ISP to do so, but they don'tYou are getting this wrong. The judge isn't acting on their on initiative here, but because La Liga (together with Movistar+) sued the biggest ISPs in Spain.They didn't bother suing the smaller ISPs, probably because co-ordinating the blocking with them isn't worth the hassle.>3. Not true, please don't FUD. In Spain is extremely rare to be killed by the police, even resisting, unless you threat them with a gun for example. And there are more cases with guns or knifes that are peacefully defused, than "executions on the spot". I don't know what are your intentions lying like that, but they don't look good.You're failing to understand that this is the implicit threat that accompanies most court orders anywhere.1) If you refuse to comply, you will be locked in a small room for an indefinite period2) If you continue to actively resist, increasing amounts of force will be used to force your compliance.3) If you still continue to resist, you will be summarily executed.
> A judge could ask every ISP to do so, but they don'tYou are getting this wrong. The judge isn't acting on their on initiative here, but because La Liga (together with Movistar+) sued the biggest ISPs in Spain.They didn't bother suing the smaller ISPs, probably because co-ordinating the blocking with them isn't worth the hassle.>3. Not true, please don't FUD. In Spain is extremely rare to be killed by the police, even resisting, unless you threat them with a gun for example. And there are more cases with guns or knifes that are peacefully defused, than "executions on the spot". I don't know what are your intentions lying like that, but they don't look good.You're failing to understand that this is the implicit threat that accompanies most court orders anywhere.1) If you refuse to comply, you will be locked in a small room for an indefinite period2) If you continue to actively resist, increasing amounts of force will be used to force your compliance.3) If you still continue to resist, you will be summarily executed.
You are getting this wrong. The judge isn't acting on their on initiative here, but because La Liga (together with Movistar+) sued the biggest ISPs in Spain.They didn't bother suing the smaller ISPs, probably because co-ordinating the blocking with them isn't worth the hassle.>3. Not true, please don't FUD. In Spain is extremely rare to be killed by the police, even resisting, unless you threat them with a gun for example. And there are more cases with guns or knifes that are peacefully defused, than "executions on the spot". I don't know what are your intentions lying like that, but they don't look good.You're failing to understand that this is the implicit threat that accompanies most court orders anywhere.1) If you refuse to comply, you will be locked in a small room for an indefinite period2) If you continue to actively resist, increasing amounts of force will be used to force your compliance.3) If you still continue to resist, you will be summarily executed.
They didn't bother suing the smaller ISPs, probably because co-ordinating the blocking with them isn't worth the hassle.>3. Not true, please don't FUD. In Spain is extremely rare to be killed by the police, even resisting, unless you threat them with a gun for example. And there are more cases with guns or knifes that are peacefully defused, than "executions on the spot". I don't know what are your intentions lying like that, but they don't look good.You're failing to understand that this is the implicit threat that accompanies most court orders anywhere.1) If you refuse to comply, you will be locked in a small room for an indefinite period2) If you continue to actively resist, increasing amounts of force will be used to force your compliance.3) If you still continue to resist, you will be summarily executed.
>3. Not true, please don't FUD. In Spain is extremely rare to be killed by the police, even resisting, unless you threat them with a gun for example. And there are more cases with guns or knifes that are peacefully defused, than "executions on the spot". I don't know what are your intentions lying like that, but they don't look good.You're failing to understand that this is the implicit threat that accompanies most court orders anywhere.1) If you refuse to comply, you will be locked in a small room for an indefinite period2) If you continue to actively resist, increasing amounts of force will be used to force your compliance.3) If you still continue to resist, you will be summarily executed.
You're failing to understand that this is the implicit threat that accompanies most court orders anywhere.1) If you refuse to comply, you will be locked in a small room for an indefinite period2) If you continue to actively resist, increasing amounts of force will be used to force your compliance.3) If you still continue to resist, you will be summarily executed.
1) If you refuse to comply, you will be locked in a small room for an indefinite period2) If you continue to actively resist, increasing amounts of force will be used to force your compliance.3) If you still continue to resist, you will be summarily executed.
2) If you continue to actively resist, increasing amounts of force will be used to force your compliance.3) If you still continue to resist, you will be summarily executed.
3) If you still continue to resist, you will be summarily executed.
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a) protests can and will be crushed by the government forces and people will be ultimately defeated;b) people have no means to force government to enable back freedoms;c) control is much easier with no internet available.Russia is on the same path by providing white-list only internet access "during Ukrainian attacks" and a bit longer every time until ultimately internet will become whitelist only.Also as we have seen specifically in russia, there is no shortage of senior software developers and network engineers truly putting in their best work to block VPNs better and deeper.Thus Iran's (and russia's) internet blackout may indeed become permanent.Update: obviously in this comment I am looking at this from the standpoint of an oppressive government.
b) people have no means to force government to enable back freedoms;c) control is much easier with no internet available.Russia is on the same path by providing white-list only internet access "during Ukrainian attacks" and a bit longer every time until ultimately internet will become whitelist only.Also as we have seen specifically in russia, there is no shortage of senior software developers and network engineers truly putting in their best work to block VPNs better and deeper.Thus Iran's (and russia's) internet blackout may indeed become permanent.Update: obviously in this comment I am looking at this from the standpoint of an oppressive government.
c) control is much easier with no internet available.Russia is on the same path by providing white-list only internet access "during Ukrainian attacks" and a bit longer every time until ultimately internet will become whitelist only.Also as we have seen specifically in russia, there is no shortage of senior software developers and network engineers truly putting in their best work to block VPNs better and deeper.Thus Iran's (and russia's) internet blackout may indeed become permanent.Update: obviously in this comment I am looking at this from the standpoint of an oppressive government.
Russia is on the same path by providing white-list only internet access "during Ukrainian attacks" and a bit longer every time until ultimately internet will become whitelist only.Also as we have seen specifically in russia, there is no shortage of senior software developers and network engineers truly putting in their best work to block VPNs better and deeper.Thus Iran's (and russia's) internet blackout may indeed become permanent.Update: obviously in this comment I am looking at this from the standpoint of an oppressive government.
Also as we have seen specifically in russia, there is no shortage of senior software developers and network engineers truly putting in their best work to block VPNs better and deeper.Thus Iran's (and russia's) internet blackout may indeed become permanent.Update: obviously in this comment I am looking at this from the standpoint of an oppressive government.
Thus Iran's (and russia's) internet blackout may indeed become permanent.Update: obviously in this comment I am looking at this from the standpoint of an oppressive government.
Update: obviously in this comment I am looking at this from the standpoint of an oppressive government.
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I mean, North Korea does manage to produce rockets and nuclear warheads. They aren't exporting technology, though.
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This is only a drawback if you think about your country's future.Which oppressive regimes do not.Thus it is an advantage, not a drawback.
Which oppressive regimes do not.Thus it is an advantage, not a drawback.
Thus it is an advantage, not a drawback.
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Those who are commuting daily to lay down flight paths for russian missiles to kill Ukrainians - those have unrestricted internet access.
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In "normal" filtering situations, we can connect to most VPNs and do our stuff.
When blackouts like these happen, EVERYTHING is blocked. It gets almost impossible to connect to a VPN. They have advanced tech that detects and blocks all VPNS and proxies. The internet speed is also now at crawling speed so you really can't upload download anything.Also, in each blackout, people find ways to work around the censorship. And each time, they detect them and patch them. We have almost ran out of ways to prevent the censorship now.
Also, in each blackout, people find ways to work around the censorship. And each time, they detect them and patch them. We have almost ran out of ways to prevent the censorship now.
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All other platforms (instant messengers, social media, news) are massively unpopular for being horrid to use at best, and government spyware at worst.To slow down the immediate damage the government has rolled back a few of the recent restrictions, hence why I can access HN. Among Google and a handful of other basic websites. But they are obviously experimenting and trying to figure out how much censorship they can get away with. There is talk of a planned "whitelisting" of the country's internet. Where almost all but a few big important services are blocked completely. This would have the bonus effect of making circumvention using VPNs and other methods even more difficult than it already is.
To slow down the immediate damage the government has rolled back a few of the recent restrictions, hence why I can access HN. Among Google and a handful of other basic websites. But they are obviously experimenting and trying to figure out how much censorship they can get away with. There is talk of a planned "whitelisting" of the country's internet. Where almost all but a few big important services are blocked completely. This would have the bonus effect of making circumvention using VPNs and other methods even more difficult than it already is.
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I wish you all the best. Stay safe my friend.
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Can anyone recommend a good book, video course or other material to learn more about these topics?
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The way that I see it, its not just a technical problem anymore. It's about making the methods as diverse as possible and to some extent messing up the network for everyone. In other words, we should increase the cost and the collateral damage of widespread censorship. As an anecdotal data point, the network was quite tightly controlled / monitored around 2023 in Iran and nothing worked reliably. Eventually people (ab)used the network (for example the tls fragments method) to the extent that most of the useful and unrelated websites (e.g., anything behind cloudflare, most of the Hetzner IPv4 addresses, and more) stopped working or were blocked. This was an unacceptably high collateral damage for the censors (?), so they "eased" some of the restrictions. Vless and Trojan were the same at that time and didn't work or were blocked very quickly, but they started working ~reliably again until very recently.[1] https://www.petsymposium.org/foci/
[1] https://www.petsymposium.org/foci/
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Here's an overview. Be warned, the conclusion is:> We enumerate the requirements that a censorship-resistant
system must satisfy to successfully mimic another protocol and
conclude that “unobservability by imitation” is a fundamentally
flawed approach.
> We enumerate the requirements that a censorship-resistant
system must satisfy to successfully mimic another protocol and
conclude that “unobservability by imitation” is a fundamentally
flawed approach.
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They can do unconditional blocking at any moment and suddenly you can experience Internet blackout. [1]The censorship from GFW is ever evolving. See the endless cat-and-mouse games yourself. [2][3][1] https://github.com/net4people/bbs/issues/511[2] https://github.com/net4people/bbs/issues?q=is%3Aissue+state%...[3] https://gfw.report/en/
The censorship from GFW is ever evolving. See the endless cat-and-mouse games yourself. [2][3][1] https://github.com/net4people/bbs/issues/511[2] https://github.com/net4people/bbs/issues?q=is%3Aissue+state%...[3] https://gfw.report/en/
[1] https://github.com/net4people/bbs/issues/511[2] https://github.com/net4people/bbs/issues?q=is%3Aissue+state%...[3] https://gfw.report/en/
[2] https://github.com/net4people/bbs/issues?q=is%3Aissue+state%...[3] https://gfw.report/en/
[3] https://gfw.report/en/
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Now, if you're doing something unrelated that the administration doesn't like, you can expect VPN use to be included in the long list of charges.
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That's the standard procedure. But polices in developed areas usually treat them like antragsdelikte(no trial without a complaint).
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Plus, the elites economic prosperity is also linked to their not being protests and for the toppling of govt to not occur and they might be willing to offset some losses to keep the average population in checkWhich sucks for the average iranian but we saw how their protests were cracked down with 20-30 THOUSAND people killed and Iran hiding bodies etc.I have heard that all shops are either shut down or running at the most minimum capacity. Economic prosperity just isn't a question now in Iran.
Which sucks for the average iranian but we saw how their protests were cracked down with 20-30 THOUSAND people killed and Iran hiding bodies etc.I have heard that all shops are either shut down or running at the most minimum capacity. Economic prosperity just isn't a question now in Iran.
I have heard that all shops are either shut down or running at the most minimum capacity. Economic prosperity just isn't a question now in Iran.
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1. The government of Iran is an oppressive, immoral dictatorship.2. Foreign intervention to try to remove it would likely result in worse outcomes, not better.
2. Foreign intervention to try to remove it would likely result in worse outcomes, not better.
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Invading Iran would be difficult, but totally destroying IRGC and military (as long as they side with the former) wouldn't be that hard. Dropping communications equipment and weapons to Iranian opposition groups wouldn't be hard either.
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The IRGC and military are HUGE. This is a numbers thing, not a competence thing. Neither the US or Israel has the munitions to make a lasting dent with air power alone.
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but even with his, i still feel angry when i want to check something on google/ins...when i dont have a realiable VPN. i remeber when we start working on golang dev, and because its under google domain so many sub sites is blocked including golang ones, its very time consuming for chinese devs to develop golang projects, you have to figure out the VPN/goproxy... stuff..
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This can be overriden to use "Starlink positioning" where the terminal ignores GPS signals and dtermines its position based on Starlink satellite signals. I think this is what is used in Ukraine where GPS is mostly jammed/spoofed to hell even far from the front.The GPS positioning is the default as it is likely more user friendly/has quicker lock in normal circumstances.Another venue of attack could be the Starlink WiFi AP included in the terminals- you could track that down.So in general:* switch the terminal to Starlink positioning* disable the Starkink terminal WiFi AP and conect by ethernet or connect an AP via ethernet with a new SSID and different MAC addressAnd it should be good to go.
The GPS positioning is the default as it is likely more user friendly/has quicker lock in normal circumstances.Another venue of attack could be the Starlink WiFi AP included in the terminals- you could track that down.So in general:* switch the terminal to Starlink positioning* disable the Starkink terminal WiFi AP and conect by ethernet or connect an AP via ethernet with a new SSID and different MAC addressAnd it should be good to go.
Another venue of attack could be the Starlink WiFi AP included in the terminals- you could track that down.So in general:* switch the terminal to Starlink positioning* disable the Starkink terminal WiFi AP and conect by ethernet or connect an AP via ethernet with a new SSID and different MAC addressAnd it should be good to go.
So in general:* switch the terminal to Starlink positioning* disable the Starkink terminal WiFi AP and conect by ethernet or connect an AP via ethernet with a new SSID and different MAC addressAnd it should be good to go.
* switch the terminal to Starlink positioning* disable the Starkink terminal WiFi AP and conect by ethernet or connect an AP via ethernet with a new SSID and different MAC addressAnd it should be good to go.
* disable the Starkink terminal WiFi AP and conect by ethernet or connect an AP via ethernet with a new SSID and different MAC addressAnd it should be good to go.
And it should be good to go.
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While that gives some ideas of how widespread the jamming is, it won't give accurate information about the range (air traffic avoids areas with jamming) of the interference or any information from places where there is no commercial air traffic (war zones, etc).
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Definitely much easier to jam. Much higher orbits for gnss satellites, much lower signal intensity.Also, starlink uses phased arrays with beamforming, effectively creating an electronically steerable directional antenna. It is harder to jam two directional antennas talking to each other, as your jammers are on the sides, where the lobes of the antenna radiation pattern are smaller.Still, we're talking about signals coming from space, so maybe it is just enough to sprinkle more jammers in an urban setting.. I'm curious as well.
Also, starlink uses phased arrays with beamforming, effectively creating an electronically steerable directional antenna. It is harder to jam two directional antennas talking to each other, as your jammers are on the sides, where the lobes of the antenna radiation pattern are smaller.Still, we're talking about signals coming from space, so maybe it is just enough to sprinkle more jammers in an urban setting.. I'm curious as well.
Still, we're talking about signals coming from space, so maybe it is just enough to sprinkle more jammers in an urban setting.. I'm curious as well.
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The components needed to build jammers and EW systems have been heavily commodified for a decade now (hell, your phone's power brick, car, and TV all have dual use components for these kinds of applications), and most regional powers have been working on compound semiconductors and offensive electronic warfare for almost a generation now.
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Iran was reported to have mobile units with a fairly short range that constantly roamed around, only hitting 2 of the 3 bands (Ku/Ka). They're also reported to have received mobile Russian military units capable of jamming all 3 (X/Ku/Ka) over a much wider area. (I'm not actually clear the extent to which X band is associated with either Starlink or Starshield. Starshield also reportedly operates to at least some extent in parts of the S band. [0])So the technology clearly exists but it doesn't seem to be something you can trivially throw together in your basement. That's quite unlike (for example) a cell phone jammer which a hobbyist can cheaply and easily assemble at home. I assume the extreme directional specificity of the antennas plays a large part in that.[0] https://www.npr.org/2025/10/17/nx-s1-5575254/spacex-starshie...
So the technology clearly exists but it doesn't seem to be something you can trivially throw together in your basement. That's quite unlike (for example) a cell phone jammer which a hobbyist can cheaply and easily assemble at home. I assume the extreme directional specificity of the antennas plays a large part in that.[0] https://www.npr.org/2025/10/17/nx-s1-5575254/spacex-starshie...
[0] https://www.npr.org/2025/10/17/nx-s1-5575254/spacex-starshie...
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They have limited service because they can't afford anything better, and the USA prevents installing additional undersea cables, but only a small number of sites are blocked by Cuba itself, such as a few Spanish language news sites run by Cuban-Americans.Many more sites are unavailable in Cuba because their USA owners refuse access to Cuba, but that's not Cuba's fault.
Many more sites are unavailable in Cuba because their USA owners refuse access to Cuba, but that's not Cuba's fault.
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https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/ALBA-1
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I am usually pretty isolationist in my thinking but I really wish the US would have already invaded.Millions of young Persians who are absolutely no different than you or I. It is now or never. If the regime can put down this uprising it is going to be hard to form another uprising for a long long time.
Millions of young Persians who are absolutely no different than you or I. It is now or never. If the regime can put down this uprising it is going to be hard to form another uprising for a long long time.
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After many years of heavy censorship on 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre, there are a lot of accounts on Chinese BBS who say all the footage "AI generated".
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At the same time, I can see Apple caving to Iran governement - or China's - and restrict this feature to countries where it is legal.
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Let me remind you that many civilians died, including two children. Don't take my word for it:The following quote can be attributed to Lama Fakih, Middle East and North Africa Director at Human Rights Watch: “Customary international humanitarian law prohibits the use of booby traps – objects that civilians are likely to be attracted to or are associated with normal civilian daily use – precisely to avoid putting civilians at grave risk and produce the devastating scenes that continue to unfold across Lebanon today. The use of an explosive device whose exact location could not be reliably known would be unlawfully indiscriminate, using a means of attack that could not be directed at a specific military target and as a result would strike military targets and civilians without distinction. A prompt and impartial investigation into the attacks should be urgently conducted.”
https://www.hrw.org/news/2024/09/18/lebanon-exploding-pagers...
The following quote can be attributed to Lama Fakih, Middle East and North Africa Director at Human Rights Watch: “Customary international humanitarian law prohibits the use of booby traps – objects that civilians are likely to be attracted to or are associated with normal civilian daily use – precisely to avoid putting civilians at grave risk and produce the devastating scenes that continue to unfold across Lebanon today. The use of an explosive device whose exact location could not be reliably known would be unlawfully indiscriminate, using a means of attack that could not be directed at a specific military target and as a result would strike military targets and civilians without distinction. A prompt and impartial investigation into the attacks should be urgently conducted.”
https://www.hrw.org/news/2024/09/18/lebanon-exploding-pagers...
“Customary international humanitarian law prohibits the use of booby traps – objects that civilians are likely to be attracted to or are associated with normal civilian daily use – precisely to avoid putting civilians at grave risk and produce the devastating scenes that continue to unfold across Lebanon today. The use of an explosive device whose exact location could not be reliably known would be unlawfully indiscriminate, using a means of attack that could not be directed at a specific military target and as a result would strike military targets and civilians without distinction. A prompt and impartial investigation into the attacks should be urgently conducted.”
https://www.hrw.org/news/2024/09/18/lebanon-exploding-pagers...
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Firstly the protesters will be able to communicate in private.And secondly, Iranians will continue to be reminded of the freedoms most other Muslims enjoy: As in free speech and free trade.One of the reasons the Berlin wall fell was that East Europeans saw on TV that how prosperous Western Europe became.
And secondly, Iranians will continue to be reminded of the freedoms most other Muslims enjoy: As in free speech and free trade.One of the reasons the Berlin wall fell was that East Europeans saw on TV that how prosperous Western Europe became.
One of the reasons the Berlin wall fell was that East Europeans saw on TV that how prosperous Western Europe became.
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The citizens of Iran, in turn, are free to leave the country as they wish. In fact, the official policy is that if you don't like it here, then you are are supposed to move out.
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Granted that can't possibly cover the entire area of the country.
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Trade was a big factor though. As the collective quality of life in the East was deteriorating, efforts were made by authorities to save the dire situation by opening trade and some degree of freedom of movement with the West. As this plan failed economically, a side effect was that it only became common knowledge across society how big the gap in quality of life really was.The idea that free internet access will magically change the situation for Iranians on it's own is naive.
The idea that free internet access will magically change the situation for Iranians on it's own is naive.
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Given the denied environment the Iranian people see themselves in. I believe its worth mentioning asynchronous networks[1].For example, they could use NNCP[2] in sneakernet style op[3].Couriers could even layer steganography techniques on top on the NNCP data going in and out on USB drives. This can all be done now, and doesn't require new circumvention research or tools.NNCPNET[4] is now active which provides email over NNCP and therefore can be done completely without internet. Once a courier gets to a location that isn't as denied, they can route it over the internet via a NNCP relay. Both for getting information out, and getting data back in.For those wanting to get information to new agencies, you should consider SecureDrop. Here[5] is a list of securedrop locations.Like all operations, please consider your OPSEC.Good luck[1] www.complete.org/asynchronous-communications/[2] www.complete.org/NNCP/[3] www.complete.org/dead-usb-drives-are-fine-building-a-reliable-sneakernet/[4] www.complete.org/nncpnet-email-network/[5] https://docs.securedrop.org/en/stable/source/source.html
For example, they could use NNCP[2] in sneakernet style op[3].Couriers could even layer steganography techniques on top on the NNCP data going in and out on USB drives. This can all be done now, and doesn't require new circumvention research or tools.NNCPNET[4] is now active which provides email over NNCP and therefore can be done completely without internet. Once a courier gets to a location that isn't as denied, they can route it over the internet via a NNCP relay. Both for getting information out, and getting data back in.For those wanting to get information to new agencies, you should consider SecureDrop. Here[5] is a list of securedrop locations.Like all operations, please consider your OPSEC.Good luck[1] www.complete.org/asynchronous-communications/[2] www.complete.org/NNCP/[3] www.complete.org/dead-usb-drives-are-fine-building-a-reliable-sneakernet/[4] www.complete.org/nncpnet-email-network/[5] https://docs.securedrop.org/en/stable/source/source.html
Couriers could even layer steganography techniques on top on the NNCP data going in and out on USB drives. This can all be done now, and doesn't require new circumvention research or tools.NNCPNET[4] is now active which provides email over NNCP and therefore can be done completely without internet. Once a courier gets to a location that isn't as denied, they can route it over the internet via a NNCP relay. Both for getting information out, and getting data back in.For those wanting to get information to new agencies, you should consider SecureDrop. Here[5] is a list of securedrop locations.Like all operations, please consider your OPSEC.Good luck[1] www.complete.org/asynchronous-communications/[2] www.complete.org/NNCP/[3] www.complete.org/dead-usb-drives-are-fine-building-a-reliable-sneakernet/[4] www.complete.org/nncpnet-email-network/[5] https://docs.securedrop.org/en/stable/source/source.html
NNCPNET[4] is now active which provides email over NNCP and therefore can be done completely without internet. Once a courier gets to a location that isn't as denied, they can route it over the internet via a NNCP relay. Both for getting information out, and getting data back in.For those wanting to get information to new agencies, you should consider SecureDrop. Here[5] is a list of securedrop locations.Like all operations, please consider your OPSEC.Good luck[1] www.complete.org/asynchronous-communications/[2] www.complete.org/NNCP/[3] www.complete.org/dead-usb-drives-are-fine-building-a-reliable-sneakernet/[4] www.complete.org/nncpnet-email-network/[5] https://docs.securedrop.org/en/stable/source/source.html
For those wanting to get information to new agencies, you should consider SecureDrop. Here[5] is a list of securedrop locations.Like all operations, please consider your OPSEC.Good luck[1] www.complete.org/asynchronous-communications/[2] www.complete.org/NNCP/[3] www.complete.org/dead-usb-drives-are-fine-building-a-reliable-sneakernet/[4] www.complete.org/nncpnet-email-network/[5] https://docs.securedrop.org/en/stable/source/source.html
Like all operations, please consider your OPSEC.Good luck[1] www.complete.org/asynchronous-communications/[2] www.complete.org/NNCP/[3] www.complete.org/dead-usb-drives-are-fine-building-a-reliable-sneakernet/[4] www.complete.org/nncpnet-email-network/[5] https://docs.securedrop.org/en/stable/source/source.html
Good luck[1] www.complete.org/asynchronous-communications/[2] www.complete.org/NNCP/[3] www.complete.org/dead-usb-drives-are-fine-building-a-reliable-sneakernet/[4] www.complete.org/nncpnet-email-network/[5] https://docs.securedrop.org/en/stable/source/source.html
[1] www.complete.org/asynchronous-communications/[2] www.complete.org/NNCP/[3] www.complete.org/dead-usb-drives-are-fine-building-a-reliable-sneakernet/[4] www.complete.org/nncpnet-email-network/[5] https://docs.securedrop.org/en/stable/source/source.html
[2] www.complete.org/NNCP/[3] www.complete.org/dead-usb-drives-are-fine-building-a-reliable-sneakernet/[4] www.complete.org/nncpnet-email-network/[5] https://docs.securedrop.org/en/stable/source/source.html
[3] www.complete.org/dead-usb-drives-are-fine-building-a-reliable-sneakernet/[4] www.complete.org/nncpnet-email-network/[5] https://docs.securedrop.org/en/stable/source/source.html
[4] www.complete.org/nncpnet-email-network/[5] https://docs.securedrop.org/en/stable/source/source.html
[5] https://docs.securedrop.org/en/stable/source/source.html
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I am hoping more tools will be built on top of it, with good tolerance for asynchronous/offline networks, particularly for communication and social. We may need it soon elsewhere.Mail over NNCP works well as you mentioned because mail is already asynchronous. Maybe Delta Chat over NNCP is worth a try.
Mail over NNCP works well as you mentioned because mail is already asynchronous. Maybe Delta Chat over NNCP is worth a try.
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It's a desperate attempt, that really shows how cornered the administration is.Any power that fears information, has to have a highly fine grained, high level control of information to maintain power. This is absolutely difficult, in a country as culturally diverse and with a long history as Iran.
Any power that fears information, has to have a highly fine grained, high level control of information to maintain power. This is absolutely difficult, in a country as culturally diverse and with a long history as Iran.
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Right now the internet access is widening and some areas are already back to normal internet — but it hasn't been stable over the past week. https://radar.cloudflare.com/traffic/ir
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https://polymarket.com/event/khamenei-out-as-supreme-leader-..."In addition to the central bank, it seems as though regular Iranians are seeking the perceived safety of cryptocurrencies as unrest disrupts the country and the economy collapses."https://www.coindesk.com/business/2026/01/21/iran-s-central-...
"In addition to the central bank, it seems as though regular Iranians are seeking the perceived safety of cryptocurrencies as unrest disrupts the country and the economy collapses."https://www.coindesk.com/business/2026/01/21/iran-s-central-...
https://www.coindesk.com/business/2026/01/21/iran-s-central-...
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Like the right to not wear scarf? Seems they had the good luck with that one.
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Imagine if all the conveniences of the internet were taken from you. Not that you'd never had them, but that you'd come to rely on them and then they were gone. Feels like some palpable oppression to me. And it has nothing to do with your political views. Everyone will feel the squeeze and nobody is gonna be dismissive about it.
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> Astroturfing much?I have been involved in antiregime activities for years. You can easily find many posts of mine evangelizing the cause in the oddest places e.g.: https://www.themotte.org/post/2196/culture-war-roundup-for-t...> I just want the regime to changeI run one of the biggest defense forums where I post about it a lot: https://www.reddit.com/r/CredibleDefense/comments/1q09y6q/ac...
I have been involved in antiregime activities for years. You can easily find many posts of mine evangelizing the cause in the oddest places e.g.: https://www.themotte.org/post/2196/culture-war-roundup-for-t...> I just want the regime to changeI run one of the biggest defense forums where I post about it a lot: https://www.reddit.com/r/CredibleDefense/comments/1q09y6q/ac...
> I just want the regime to changeI run one of the biggest defense forums where I post about it a lot: https://www.reddit.com/r/CredibleDefense/comments/1q09y6q/ac...
I run one of the biggest defense forums where I post about it a lot: https://www.reddit.com/r/CredibleDefense/comments/1q09y6q/ac...
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[1] https://x.com/netblocks/status/2015695423000756250?s=20
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You could try to bifurcate into allied and non allied, but even that would be flawed, especially in countries like the USA where it becomes a first amendment right to try to ban such connectivity. It's very hard to kill the Internet in terms of connecting peers - that's kind of the point of its design.
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This is not as hard as you think.
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Is the idea to unblock their internet if they let everyone use the internet and not just the elite? It won't work. Their elites will find workarounds and they'll leave the internet completely blocked apart from that.
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You do understand what's happening in Iran, right? Hard to take your comment seriously.
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Even with ublock Origin, these corporations will build a profile on me. Not so in Iran, where people can live without the watchful eye of Google looking at everything they do.
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I'm sorry but how tone-deaf can someone be? Over 12.000 people have been killed in the protests with some reports going up to 30.000 since then and here you are happy about the fact that Google cannot profile them anymore. Protesters are beeing shot on-masse in the streets and families from outside the country have no ideas if their brothers and sisters are even still alive. Have some decency.
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With that said, what in the actual fuck makes you say this when ten(s) of thousands are being murdered in conjunction with this ad-free period you're speaking so wistfully about?
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Some places you have the former and not the latter. Other places you have the latter and not the former. But human rights are important! Every one of them!
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While you're at it, you can try explaining Ukranians why it's fine that Russia is invading them because America is bad.
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Because I guess you're not interested in my own personal experience of witnessing said people get killed either. Or not exiting my home because I feared for my life. But you seem to have a loose definition of "unconfirmed" [1] so I won't dwell on that. Here's all I have to say:> When the Israeli government claims that Iran needs to be toppled to protect the Iranian people, while they simultaneously commit genocide in Palestine, I have to stop and think about their real motives.The Iranian government is evil.The Israeli government is evil.Both are, believe it or not, true. Conservative ruling systems often dislike other conservative ruling systems.> Trump wants to bring democracy to Iran_Iranians_ want to bring democracy to Iran. And as one of them, I sincerely don't give a shit about what Trump or Israel or anyone else outside of this fucking country wants.[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Iran_massacres
> When the Israeli government claims that Iran needs to be toppled to protect the Iranian people, while they simultaneously commit genocide in Palestine, I have to stop and think about their real motives.The Iranian government is evil.The Israeli government is evil.Both are, believe it or not, true. Conservative ruling systems often dislike other conservative ruling systems.> Trump wants to bring democracy to Iran_Iranians_ want to bring democracy to Iran. And as one of them, I sincerely don't give a shit about what Trump or Israel or anyone else outside of this fucking country wants.[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Iran_massacres
The Iranian government is evil.The Israeli government is evil.Both are, believe it or not, true. Conservative ruling systems often dislike other conservative ruling systems.> Trump wants to bring democracy to Iran_Iranians_ want to bring democracy to Iran. And as one of them, I sincerely don't give a shit about what Trump or Israel or anyone else outside of this fucking country wants.[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Iran_massacres
The Israeli government is evil.Both are, believe it or not, true. Conservative ruling systems often dislike other conservative ruling systems.> Trump wants to bring democracy to Iran_Iranians_ want to bring democracy to Iran. And as one of them, I sincerely don't give a shit about what Trump or Israel or anyone else outside of this fucking country wants.[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Iran_massacres
Both are, believe it or not, true. Conservative ruling systems often dislike other conservative ruling systems.> Trump wants to bring democracy to Iran_Iranians_ want to bring democracy to Iran. And as one of them, I sincerely don't give a shit about what Trump or Israel or anyone else outside of this fucking country wants.[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Iran_massacres
> Trump wants to bring democracy to Iran_Iranians_ want to bring democracy to Iran. And as one of them, I sincerely don't give a shit about what Trump or Israel or anyone else outside of this fucking country wants.[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Iran_massacres
_Iranians_ want to bring democracy to Iran. And as one of them, I sincerely don't give a shit about what Trump or Israel or anyone else outside of this fucking country wants.[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Iran_massacres
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Iran_massacres
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https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/03/technology/israel-hamas-i...Interestingly, during the last internet blackout in Iran, a lot of the pro Scottish independence X accounts went quiet too:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iranian_influence_operations_i...I'm sure many Iranians are deeply concerned about that cause.
Interestingly, during the last internet blackout in Iran, a lot of the pro Scottish independence X accounts went quiet too:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iranian_influence_operations_i...I'm sure many Iranians are deeply concerned about that cause.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iranian_influence_operations_i...I'm sure many Iranians are deeply concerned about that cause.
I'm sure many Iranians are deeply concerned about that cause.
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The Scottish independence movement is a very strong, grass roots campaign that has been building for many decades ( pre-web never mind pre-twitter ), with the Scottish ambivalence to the Union having deep cultural roots.What keeps Gaza and the wider actions of the current Israel government in the news is the constant killings and injustices. If they didn't want to be in the news perhaps they could stop killing people.Next you will be telling me Minnesota is only in the news due to Russia bots - and nothing to do with the killing of civilians on the streets.
What keeps Gaza and the wider actions of the current Israel government in the news is the constant killings and injustices. If they didn't want to be in the news perhaps they could stop killing people.Next you will be telling me Minnesota is only in the news due to Russia bots - and nothing to do with the killing of civilians on the streets.
Next you will be telling me Minnesota is only in the news due to Russia bots - and nothing to do with the killing of civilians on the streets.
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I am saying that there is evidence that the amount of media (and I am including X/Twitter and other social media) attention given to various causes around the world is actively manipulated. This is in response to a comment querying the perceived disparity in media coverage of events. Not that these events are or are not occurring or a more 'worthy' cause than one another.I very much understand the history around Scottish independence, but unfortunately it will take me a lot of convincing to genuinely believe that twitter accounts in Iran sharing news that Balmoral castle has been taken over by protestors [1] are well meaning.[1] https://web.archive.org/web/20260117184736/https://www.teleg...
I very much understand the history around Scottish independence, but unfortunately it will take me a lot of convincing to genuinely believe that twitter accounts in Iran sharing news that Balmoral castle has been taken over by protestors [1] are well meaning.[1] https://web.archive.org/web/20260117184736/https://www.teleg...
[1] https://web.archive.org/web/20260117184736/https://www.teleg...
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If you don't believe Iranian tweets are a major factor in Scottish independence - then why mention it?And while I agree there is a lot of media manipulation attempts out there - I'd argue, if you take your Iran/Israel issue as an example - do you truely believe that Iran is outgunning Israel in this regard??In terms of coverage - did this incident gget much coverage? https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20260125-israeli-forces-ki...In the 848 days since Oct 2023, 1109 people have been killed within the occupied terrorities by Israeli government forces or settlers.That's more than 1 a day. Are you arguing that has disproportionate coverage?I'd argue it hardly gets a mention.
And while I agree there is a lot of media manipulation attempts out there - I'd argue, if you take your Iran/Israel issue as an example - do you truely believe that Iran is outgunning Israel in this regard??In terms of coverage - did this incident gget much coverage? https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20260125-israeli-forces-ki...In the 848 days since Oct 2023, 1109 people have been killed within the occupied terrorities by Israeli government forces or settlers.That's more than 1 a day. Are you arguing that has disproportionate coverage?I'd argue it hardly gets a mention.
In terms of coverage - did this incident gget much coverage? https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20260125-israeli-forces-ki...In the 848 days since Oct 2023, 1109 people have been killed within the occupied terrorities by Israeli government forces or settlers.That's more than 1 a day. Are you arguing that has disproportionate coverage?I'd argue it hardly gets a mention.
In the 848 days since Oct 2023, 1109 people have been killed within the occupied terrorities by Israeli government forces or settlers.That's more than 1 a day. Are you arguing that has disproportionate coverage?I'd argue it hardly gets a mention.
That's more than 1 a day. Are you arguing that has disproportionate coverage?I'd argue it hardly gets a mention.
I'd argue it hardly gets a mention.
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With that said, I would argue there is a huge difference between those you have mentioned in how they deal with protests.To make my point clearer, I have an idea for you: In each of the countries you mentioned, go to the capital with a sign "I am against this regime, I want change" and see what happens.
To make my point clearer, I have an idea for you: In each of the countries you mentioned, go to the capital with a sign "I am against this regime, I want change" and see what happens.
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Nice try, but no. The main difference will be how much coverage your arrest will receive, depending on who arrests you and who covers the story.[1] https://edition.cnn.com/2025/04/12/politics/trump-krebs-khal...[2] https://www.haaretz.com/opinion/2024-04-26/ty-article-opinio...
[1] https://edition.cnn.com/2025/04/12/politics/trump-krebs-khal...[2] https://www.haaretz.com/opinion/2024-04-26/ty-article-opinio...
[2] https://www.haaretz.com/opinion/2024-04-26/ty-article-opinio...
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0.03% of Iranians vs 3% of Gazans.I think we can all agree that Iran shouldn't be massacring its own nationals even if as the government claims they are foreign-influenced, but don't use this as a platform to push an agenda that harms even your own cause.
I think we can all agree that Iran shouldn't be massacring its own nationals even if as the government claims they are foreign-influenced, but don't use this as a platform to push an agenda that harms even your own cause.
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It's 30k in a week - all civilians vs 60k in 2 years - in a mixture of civilians and combatants.
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>0.03% of Iranians vs 3% of Gazans."One death is a tragedy; a million deaths is a statistic"
"One death is a tragedy; a million deaths is a statistic"
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Sure, they all had moms and dads and to their families they were likely important and missed but there is a World of difference to the people left behind between some activist no one knows getting murdered by the state and their own families and acquaintances getting mowed down while they themselves are living precariously.This moral absolutism is relativism in disguise.edit: sorry, I shouldn't have replied to a political post however egregious. I will not engage further.
This moral absolutism is relativism in disguise.edit: sorry, I shouldn't have replied to a political post however egregious. I will not engage further.
edit: sorry, I shouldn't have replied to a political post however egregious. I will not engage further.
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The Israeli's demand was returning the hostages and the bodies of the people Hamas murdered. Hamas refused to do that for a year and a half.
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Qatar spent $20B on education alone in the US. China Russia and Qatar have collectively brainwashed millions of Americans and Europeans.
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lmao, every. single. time.
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Qatar spent $20B on education alone in the US. China Russia and Qatar have collectively brainwashed millions of Americans and Europeans.
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However, if someone pick and chooses where to apply human rights, it's unethical to say the least.
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Given the direct comparison and language of the parent comment, it's hard for me not to see an implied agenda here: Iran's regime is bad, they're islamists, just like Hamas, therefore Israel should be excused for having turned Gaza into a parking lot, or something along these lines. Our commitment to human rights should be strong enough to reject this sort of thinking and condemn every single one of these civilian deaths.
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The only real way to peace for gazans is to have a non Islamist government take over (like from the UAE) and re educate the population to not start training their children for intifada at the age of 3 or 4 and instead use some of the billions they've received in aid to build infrastructure and education.
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George Floyd got a lot because he was a borderline case, an innocent man shot by police for some, a criminal who got what he deserved for others. That creates tension. That creates arguments. "local cop shoots innocent 80-year-old woman carrying groceries" is a story for a day at best, then the cop gets punished and we move on.Gaza is the same. You have one side complaining about human rights abuses, and the pro-Israel side supporting Israle to the death. In Iran, there's no such tension, we all agree that this is bad, shrug and move on.[1] (funnily enough, this was cited today on HN in an entirely unrelated article) https://slatestarcodex.com/2014/12/17/the-toxoplasma-of-rage...
Gaza is the same. You have one side complaining about human rights abuses, and the pro-Israel side supporting Israle to the death. In Iran, there's no such tension, we all agree that this is bad, shrug and move on.[1] (funnily enough, this was cited today on HN in an entirely unrelated article) https://slatestarcodex.com/2014/12/17/the-toxoplasma-of-rage...
[1] (funnily enough, this was cited today on HN in an entirely unrelated article) https://slatestarcodex.com/2014/12/17/the-toxoplasma-of-rage...
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The reason isn't that no one disagrees, it's that Qatar, Russia and China don't think the issue is divisive and have not launched a multi billion dollar propaganda campaign about it. And the actual press couldn't care less if Israel isn't involved.
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She said, "well, how would I know about it if it's not on the news?"I said, "well, it was on the news." And then I went looking for articles about it. And y'know, I realized that unless you actually went looking, you probably wouldn't find those articles, even though they're only a few weeks old.What is super disappointing about this is that when the US does take action against the Iranian regime again, the reasoning is not going to be legible to most Americans. I don't really understand how this was erased so quickly. That meme about Columbia's campus being totally protest-free was pretty much on point. It's startling to see a large portion of the population being manipulated so thoroughly into being rabid about one thing and totally blind to another at the same time. Is having consistent values no longer a value?
I said, "well, it was on the news." And then I went looking for articles about it. And y'know, I realized that unless you actually went looking, you probably wouldn't find those articles, even though they're only a few weeks old.What is super disappointing about this is that when the US does take action against the Iranian regime again, the reasoning is not going to be legible to most Americans. I don't really understand how this was erased so quickly. That meme about Columbia's campus being totally protest-free was pretty much on point. It's startling to see a large portion of the population being manipulated so thoroughly into being rabid about one thing and totally blind to another at the same time. Is having consistent values no longer a value?
What is super disappointing about this is that when the US does take action against the Iranian regime again, the reasoning is not going to be legible to most Americans. I don't really understand how this was erased so quickly. That meme about Columbia's campus being totally protest-free was pretty much on point. It's startling to see a large portion of the population being manipulated so thoroughly into being rabid about one thing and totally blind to another at the same time. Is having consistent values no longer a value?
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> Weeks after it was exposed that Hamas' so-called “Gaza Health Ministry” has been circulating false casualty figures, much of the media are still reporting them without a hint of skepticism.> In April, research by Salo Aizenberg, a board member of HonestReporting, revealed that thousands of previously “identified” deaths — including more than 1,000 children allegedly killed in Israeli airstrikes — had quietly disappeared from Hamas' own tallies.> Aizenberg's findings echoed a December report by the Henry Jackson Society, which documented how Hamas had systematically inflated civilian casualty numbers to suggest that Israel targets non-combatants.
> In April, research by Salo Aizenberg, a board member of HonestReporting, revealed that thousands of previously “identified” deaths — including more than 1,000 children allegedly killed in Israeli airstrikes — had quietly disappeared from Hamas' own tallies.> Aizenberg's findings echoed a December report by the Henry Jackson Society, which documented how Hamas had systematically inflated civilian casualty numbers to suggest that Israel targets non-combatants.
> Aizenberg's findings echoed a December report by the Henry Jackson Society, which documented how Hamas had systematically inflated civilian casualty numbers to suggest that Israel targets non-combatants.
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Also noted, re: the two sources cited:* In November 2024, Honest Reporting Canada's assistant director, Robert Walker, was criminally charged with 17 counts of mischief for allegedly vandalizing several properties in a Toronto neighborhood by spray painting anti-Palestinian graffiti.~ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HonestReportingand* (Henry Jackson Society) Co-founder Matthew Jamison, who now works for YouGov, wrote in 2017 that he was ashamed of his involvement, having never imagined the Henry Jackson Society "would become a far-right, deeply anti-Muslim racist ... propaganda outfit to smear other cultures, religions and ethnic groups". He claimed that "The HJS for many years has relentlessly demonised Muslims and Islam".~ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Jackson_Society
* In November 2024, Honest Reporting Canada's assistant director, Robert Walker, was criminally charged with 17 counts of mischief for allegedly vandalizing several properties in a Toronto neighborhood by spray painting anti-Palestinian graffiti.~ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HonestReportingand* (Henry Jackson Society) Co-founder Matthew Jamison, who now works for YouGov, wrote in 2017 that he was ashamed of his involvement, having never imagined the Henry Jackson Society "would become a far-right, deeply anti-Muslim racist ... propaganda outfit to smear other cultures, religions and ethnic groups". He claimed that "The HJS for many years has relentlessly demonised Muslims and Islam".~ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Jackson_Society
~ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HonestReportingand* (Henry Jackson Society) Co-founder Matthew Jamison, who now works for YouGov, wrote in 2017 that he was ashamed of his involvement, having never imagined the Henry Jackson Society "would become a far-right, deeply anti-Muslim racist ... propaganda outfit to smear other cultures, religions and ethnic groups". He claimed that "The HJS for many years has relentlessly demonised Muslims and Islam".~ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Jackson_Society
and* (Henry Jackson Society) Co-founder Matthew Jamison, who now works for YouGov, wrote in 2017 that he was ashamed of his involvement, having never imagined the Henry Jackson Society "would become a far-right, deeply anti-Muslim racist ... propaganda outfit to smear other cultures, religions and ethnic groups". He claimed that "The HJS for many years has relentlessly demonised Muslims and Islam".~ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Jackson_Society
* (Henry Jackson Society) Co-founder Matthew Jamison, who now works for YouGov, wrote in 2017 that he was ashamed of his involvement, having never imagined the Henry Jackson Society "would become a far-right, deeply anti-Muslim racist ... propaganda outfit to smear other cultures, religions and ethnic groups". He claimed that "The HJS for many years has relentlessly demonised Muslims and Islam".~ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Jackson_Society
~ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Jackson_Society
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Anything coming from Hamas is certainly not trustworthy, but according to the ICJ, there were quite a few more indications that Israel did this. Just the blocking of food alone is proof of targeting non combatants.
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This goes both ways and applies to all conflicts, but somehow we always cherry-pick the source that is not aligned with western interests as the "untrustworthy".
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I "cherry-pick" sources that do not spread lies. That excludes Hamas, as well as the circle around Netanjahu. The ICJ seems more interested in truth and you may criticize how that went for them, or are they anti western in your book?
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I don't claim the bias was deliberate. The point is that we have internalized having to conform with the narrative of western (elite) interests, which in this case is to exert control on the region, resources and trade routes.
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The left loves Islamists even though Islamists are against everything the left stands for (women's rights, freedom of press, religion, sexuality, etc).I think Qatar's influence ($20B+ spent on US education) is the biggest factor here.
I think Qatar's influence ($20B+ spent on US education) is the biggest factor here.
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I think this comment is misguided enough / detached from reality enough to rightfully be flagged to death for being trite and not contributing anything to the discussion.Iranians lost internet than 3 weeks ago. They are as aware now as they ever will be about how things are going outside their borders.
Iranians lost internet than 3 weeks ago. They are as aware now as they ever will be about how things are going outside their borders.
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This is factually incorrect. Top 10 majority-Muslim countries, sorted by population:Indonesia, Pakistan, Egypt, Turkey, Algeria, Sudan, Iraq, Afghanistan, Morocco, Saudi ArabiaNow, the majority of those have problems with seeds in Western Imperialism, but the point is (a) the majority of those have problems (b) Iran's problems also have seeds in US interventions.The gap between how peaceful and educated most people are, and how bad governments are, is a phenomenon almost unique here. Figuring out how to bridge that gap is the major challenge. The trick would be establishing a collective caliphate -- where the caliph isn't an individual but an institution -- and which spans the Muslim world.
Indonesia, Pakistan, Egypt, Turkey, Algeria, Sudan, Iraq, Afghanistan, Morocco, Saudi ArabiaNow, the majority of those have problems with seeds in Western Imperialism, but the point is (a) the majority of those have problems (b) Iran's problems also have seeds in US interventions.The gap between how peaceful and educated most people are, and how bad governments are, is a phenomenon almost unique here. Figuring out how to bridge that gap is the major challenge. The trick would be establishing a collective caliphate -- where the caliph isn't an individual but an institution -- and which spans the Muslim world.
Now, the majority of those have problems with seeds in Western Imperialism, but the point is (a) the majority of those have problems (b) Iran's problems also have seeds in US interventions.The gap between how peaceful and educated most people are, and how bad governments are, is a phenomenon almost unique here. Figuring out how to bridge that gap is the major challenge. The trick would be establishing a collective caliphate -- where the caliph isn't an individual but an institution -- and which spans the Muslim world.
The gap between how peaceful and educated most people are, and how bad governments are, is a phenomenon almost unique here. Figuring out how to bridge that gap is the major challenge. The trick would be establishing a collective caliphate -- where the caliph isn't an individual but an institution -- and which spans the Muslim world.
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Which coutries are those?
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UAE directly finances the sanguinary RSF in Sudan and CTS in Yemen, Saudi Arabia/Qatar has financed institutions behind the expansion of the Muslim Brotherhood/Salafism in the worlld and Turkey has a shaky economy with a large underbelly as well as engaging in their own brand of imperialism abroad.
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The rhetoric that Sweden, Germany, UK and France are Muslim countries is exclusivley used by very far-right standing people to fearmonger and hate against immigrants. What would it even mean for these countries to be Muslim? Germany has literally a party with "Christian" in their name in the government. You still hear the bells of Christian churches everywhere.
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https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html
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It's one thing to accuse someone of not replying to the "strongest plausible interpretation of what someone says", and another thing to accuse someone of "hate", which is a very serious accusation that requires proof beyond a shadow of a doubt, especially in the EU where strong anti libel laws apply.
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>" Please respond to the strongest plausible interpretation of what someone says, not a weaker one that's easier to criticize. Assume good faith."If you had a strong plausible interpretation you'd have given one.
If you had a strong plausible interpretation you'd have given one.
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You should try it.
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What happens here matters everywhere
GeekWire chronicles the Pacific Northwest startup scene. Sign up for our weekly startup newsletter, and check out the GeekWire funding tracker and VC directory.
by Taylor Soper on Jan 26, 2026 at 4:42 pmJanuary 26, 2026 at 5:49 pm
Startup leaders in the Seattle region say a new proposal to expand the capital gains tax in Washington state could spur founders and investors to build companies somewhere else.
SB 6229 (and a companion HB 2292) would apply the capital gains tax to profits from the sale of qualified small business stock, or QSBS, even when gains are fully exempt under federal law.
That means a startup founder or early employee who takes stock instead of a bigger salary would owe tax to the state when they ultimately sell the shares, which typically happens at acquisition or IPO. Investors who back early-stage startups would face the same tax.
Depending on the value of the equity, the proposal could translate into tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars in taxes per person.
Hearings: There are public hearings scheduled on Tuesday, Jan. 27 for both bills. The House Committee on Finance will have a hearing at 8 a.m., while the Senate Committee on Ways & Means will meet at 4 p.m. Remote testimony is available for both hearings, as well as written testimony online for each bill.
What would change: QSBS is a long-standing federal incentive designed to reward the risk of starting and funding young companies. Founders, early employees, and investors can exclude up to 100% of eligible gains from federal capital gains taxes if they meet strict requirements, including holding the stock for at least five years and the company meeting federal asset limits at the time the stock was issued.
Washington's existing capital gains tax law, approved in 2021, generally follows federal definitions of taxable gains and did not explicitly reject QSBS treatment.
SB 6229 would reverse that approach. The change would apply to gains earned on or after Jan. 1, 2026. The proposal would not affect federal taxes, which would continue to exempt qualifying gains under Section 1202 of the Internal Revenue Code.
Reaction: Amy Harris, director of government affairs for the Washington Technology Industry Association (WTIA), said the proposal “weakens one of the few policies Washington has that actually rewards startup risk.” Harris told GeekWire it “sends exactly the wrong signal, effectively telling homegrown startups to build in Washington, but plan their success somewhere else.”
Seattle-based venture capitalist Leslie Feinzaig called the proposal “catastrophic” for entrepreneurs and early employees who make the “extraordinarily irrational, risky” choice to work at burgeoning startups.
“On a local level, remove the advantage, and most would be entrepreneurs will either NOT start new businesses, or take their business elsewhere,” Feinzaig wrote on LinkedIn. “And would-be investors will allocate less to the state.”
Dave Parker, another longtime Seattle-area investor and advisor, shared a similar sentiment, noting in a LinkedIn post that the law would result in a “talent drain.”
Counterpoint: But not all investors are voicing disapproval. In a response to Feinzaig's post, Brian Boland, a former Facebook exec and founder of Delta Fund, argued that founders and investors would still receive a substantial tax advantage compared with the standard federal long-term capital gains rate, which tops out at 20%.
“The bill moves from zero tax on gains which most people never get to experience to a smaller tax on gains,” Boland wrote. He added: “For risk-taking entrepreneurs they take the risk expecting a larger upside and the ability to build their own Enterprise. That shouldn't excuse them from participating in taxes that pay for infrastructure that they use to actually build their business. And they are still getting an incredible tax relief!”
Practical impact: Madhu Singh, managing attorney at Foundry Law Group who advises founders and early-stage companies, said the proposal could reshape how startups recruit talent and negotiate investment terms.
“If that talent knows they could potentially be taxed and lose out on the full value of [QSBS], will they commit?” she noted.
Abe Othman, a Seattle-based researcher at startup investment platform AngelList, said the biggest risk may not be an immediate exodus, but a slow erosion of Washington's startup pipeline.
“You'd still see successful startups but they will be happy accidents, and nobody will relocate to start their company in Seattle,” he said. “Those effects wouldn't be obvious for 10–to-15 years, but once they show up, they'll be slow or impossible to reverse.”
A handful of other states — including California, Pennsylvania, Alabama, and Mississippi — don't fully conform to federal QSBS treatment.
GeekWire contacted Sen. Noel Frame, the sponsor of SB 6229, for comment. We'll update this story if we hear back. Five lawmakers are sponsoring HB 2292: Reps. April Berg, My-Linh Thai, Janice Zahn, Davina Duerr, and Kristine Reeves.
Larger tax landscape: The QSBS proposal is arriving amid broader debates over Washington's tax structure and revenue needs. Washington, one of a few states without a personal or corporate income tax, is facing a budget shortfall of $2.3 billion in the current operating budget that runs through 2027, according to the Washington State Standard.
Washington's 7% tax on capital gains applies to gains above $278,000 from the sale of stocks and bonds, excluding revenue from real estate and retirement accounts, among other exceptions. Net payments from the tax came in at $560.6 million in 2024, up from $418.6 million in 2023.
Last year the state passed a bill that increased the capital gains tax by creating a progressive rate structure — 7% on gains up to $1 million, and 9.9% on gains above $1 million. That change was effective starting with tax year 2025.
This year, lawmakers are expected to consider a so-called “millionaire's tax” that would create an income tax on Washington state residents earning more than $1 million per year. Revenue from that tax would not be generated until 2029.
An analysis from the Tax Foundation concluded that the proposed millionaire's tax “would make the state increasingly undesirable for high earners, particularly in the state's crucial tech sector.”
Washington state has the second-most regressive state and local tax system in the country, according to the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy.
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Washington state lawmakers propose capital gains tax increase
Washington's capital gains tax collection tops $560M in 2024, up 34% from previous year
Nick Hanauer, critic of income inequality, calls proposed Washington wealth tax ‘impractical'
Seattle councilmember proposes 2% capital gains tax to support low-income initiatives
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The human eye may literally become a window revealing the earliest signals of Alzheimer's disease, thanks to a new federally funded research initiative at Oregon Health & Science University.
The new five-year, $3.3 million award will enable OHSU scientists to develop an eye drop specially designed to detect the fluorescent signal of a protein associated with Alzheimer's. Combined with the use of a noninvasive scanner, the research project could result in a low-cost, widely accessible screening tool to catch the earliest stage of the disease.
"We're looking for early-stage patients who don't have symptoms," said project leader Lei Wang, Ph.D., assistant professor of biomedical engineering in the OHSU School of Medicine. Wang is also part of the OHSU Knight Cancer Institute and leads the Molecular Imaging and Probe Development Laboratory. "The goal is to develop population-level screening involving a simple eye drop and a quick scan."
The project is considered high-risk, high-reward.
If it works, it could greatly improve outcomes in new treatments for Alzheimer's that are most beneficial in the earliest stages of the disease's progression.
The project is funded through a program of the National Institute on Aging of the National Institutes of Health designed for early-stage investigators. Named for the late NIH scientist Stephen I. Katz, the award encourages scientists early in their career to develop new approaches to solving biomedical problems.
Wang's initiative would add to promising results using blood-based biomarkers to detect Alzheimer's.
Wang said the OHSU initiative, if successful, wouldn't necessarily require patients to travel to a specialized center. He envisions the technique would ultimately be available in ophthalmology clinics in rural and urban areas alike, scaling up the ability to quickly and efficiently screen people for early signals of Alzheimer's.
"It would be low-cost and accessible, not limited to major cities like Portland or Seattle," he said.
That's especially important because even though new treatments have demonstrated effectiveness in slowing the progression of Alzheimer's, they are most effective in the earlier stages of the disease.
Trained as an organic chemist, Wang has extensive experience in developing fluorescent contrasting agents useful in helping surgeons to remove tumors while preserving critical structures such as nerve tissue. His lab focuses on designing small-molecule fluorophores - which absorb and emit light - and quantitative imaging technologies that can be translated into real-world clinical tools.
In the case of Alzheimer's disease, Wang's focus is on a type of protein called amyloid.
Typically, scientists associate Alzheimer's with amyloid-beta and tau proteins clumping together in the brain, which is believed to be involved in neurodegeneration leading to symptoms of cognitive decline that characterizes the disease. New antibody treatments attempt to slow cognitive decline by targeting amyloid plaques in the brain.
It's possible to detect amyloid plaques through brain imaging, but those tests are expensive and not typically used in screening in otherwise healthy patients.
Instead, Wang is proposing to glimpse amyloid proteins by developing a fluorescence-based molecule that ultimately could be applied as an eye drop.
He is collaborating with retinal imaging expert Yifan Jian, Ph.D., associate professor ophthalmology and biomedical engineering in the OHSU School of Medicine, to use an ultrawide field fluorescence scanning laser ophthalmoscope to detect amyloid revealed through the retina.
Jian will focus on refining the imaging technology.
Working with Lei, we're planning to tailor wave lengths that are safe for the retina while providing the contrast we need for the amyloid proteins to stand out. This is a collaborative effort, and we think we have a strong foundation to start the work."
Yifan Jian, Ph.D., associate professor ophthalmology and biomedical engineering, OHSU School of Medicine
The retina shares a direct connection to the brain and is the only part of the central nervous system that can be imaged noninvasively at cellular resolution.
"The retina is a neural sensory extension of the brain," Wang said. "If we can detect a buildup of amyloid in the retina, it may be possible to flag early-stage Alzheimer's among patients who aren't yet experiencing any symptoms. That's the foundation of this project."
People flagged through retinal screening could then be referred to a neurologist for diagnosis and more intensive brain imaging.
Wang will work with a multidisciplinary team of co-investigators to advance the project from concept toward the clinic.
Jian will contribute expertise in retinal imaging and ultrawide field fluorescence scanning laser ophthalmoscopy. Nora Gray, Ph.D., associate professor of neurology in the OHSU School of Medicine, will contribute expertise in Alzheimer's disease models and retinal pathology. Summer Gibbs, Ph.D., professor of biomedical engineering, brings extensive experience in the clinical translation of fluorescent contrast agents and first-in-human imaging studies. Randy Woltjer, M.D., Ph.D., professor of pathology and laboratory medicine and director of the Neuropathology Core in OHSU's Layton Aging & Alzheimer's Disease Center, will help guide clinical priorities and future translation to patient care.
The five-year research project will involve developing the fluorescent contrasting agent and then testing it for safety and efficacy in a mouse model. Only then would it advance beyond the lab to a clinical trial.
"We're always thinking about how this can be useful for patients," Wang said. "The long-term vision is something that is accurate, affordable, and available in many communities, not only at large academic centers."
Oregon Health & Science University
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In our latest interview, News-Medical speaks with Rosanna Zhang from ACROBiosystems about utilizing organoids for disease modeling in the field of neuroscience research.
Dr Bryony Henderson
GLP-1 agonists are pivotal in obesity care, promoting weight loss and addressing related health issues, with a focus on personalized, holistic treatment.
Guillaume Bentzinger, Luis Carrillo, Philippe Robin, and Alejandro Bara-Estaún
Discover how AI, flow chemistry, and NMR come together in the PiPAC project to revolutionize scalable and autonomous API production.
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Boston University (BU) today announced it has been awarded a $2 million research grant from The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research (MJFF). The funding will support a clinical study evaluating motor and cognitive factors associated with changes in walking for people with Parkinson's disease who use MedRhythms' MOVIVE (MR-005), a safe, use-at-home medical device that delivers rhythmic auditory stimulation (RAS) to support gait rehabilitation and motor function.
This study was funded through The Michael J. Fox Foundation's Personalized Approaches for Understanding, Assessing and Improving Gait in Parkinson's Disease research program, which supports clinical research focused on addressing the wide variability of gait challenges experienced by people with Parkinson's disease. The program prioritizes studies like this one that seek to better understand the motor and cognitive contributors to gait impairment and to inform more tailored approaches to assessment and intervention.
Walking impairments are among the most common and disabling symptoms of Parkinson's disease. This award reflects The Michael J. Fox Foundation's commitment to accelerating scalable, evidence-based approaches, like rhythmic auditory stimulation (RAS), for people living with PD."
Dr. Terry Ellis, Professor and Director of the Center for Neurorehabilitation at Boston University and study's Lead Investigator
MOVIVE delivers personalized, adaptive, music-based RAS that responds in real time to users' walking patterns using shoe-worn gait sensors and algorithm-driven software. By enabling autonomous use in the home, MOVIVE is designed to expand access to neurorehabilitation and support ongoing motor function.
This study will investigate motor and cognitive responses to a three-month, at-home intervention with MOVIVE utilizing a comprehensive set of gait, mobility, and cognitive assessments. Innovative mobile brain imaging using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) will examine neural substrates that underlie changes in gait performance in a cohort of participants to explore brain-based markers of cognitive load and individual variability in response to RAS-based gait training.
"MedRhythms is honored to support this important study funded by The Michael J. Fox Foundation and led by Dr. Terry Ellis of Boston University, a leader in the field" said Brian Harris, Co-Founder and Chief Scientific Officer at MedRhythms. "We look forward to the impact that this study may have on advancing important care for people living with Parkinson's disease"
Boston University and MedRhythms have a longstanding research collaboration, including prior feasibility studies of MOVIVE and related technologies. These earlier investigations demonstrated promising outcomes in stride length, walking speed, and gait automaticity.
This study plans to enroll 160 participants at three academic medical centers: Boston University, Washington University in St. Louis, and University of Utah. MedRhythms will provide devices and technical support for the study at no cost to the project.
Boston University
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Discover how AI, flow chemistry, and NMR come together in the PiPAC project to revolutionize scalable and autonomous API production.
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The prognostic nutritional index (PNI), calculated from serum albumin and lymphocyte count, reflects a patient's immune-nutritional status and has been proposed as a prognostic marker in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, its role in advanced HCC patients treated with atezolizumab plus bevacizumab (Ate/Bev) remains unclear. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the prognostic value of PNI in patients receiving first-line Ate/Bev therapy.
We retrospectively analyzed 362 patients with unresectable HCC who received Ate/Bev between November 2020 and June 2023 across two centers. Based on prior literature, a cutoff of 45 was used to classify patients into low-PNI (<45) and high-PNI (≥45) groups. Propensity score matching was performed to balance baseline characteristics.
After propensity score matching, 130 patients (65 per group) were included in the analysis. The high-PNI group showed a significantly lower incidence of grade ≥ 3 treatment-related adverse events (10.8% vs. 24.6%, p = 0.039), a higher objective response rate (38.4% vs. 20.0%, p = 0.037), and significantly longer overall survival (16.7 vs. 7.9 months, p = 0.009). Although progression-free survival was longer in the high-PNI group (4.8 vs. 3.0 months), the difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.597). Multivariate analysis confirmed that PNI was an independent predictor of overall survival (hazard ratio: 0.574, 95% confidence interval: 0.353–0.933, p = 0.025), after adjusting for vascular invasion, alpha-fetoprotein levels, concurrent therapy, and post-treatment interventions.
PNI is an independent prognostic factor for overall survival in advanced HCC patients treated with Ate/Bev in real-world clinical practice. Incorporating PNI into routine assessments may enhance risk stratification and guide therapeutic decision-making.
Kuo, Y-H., et al. (2025) Prognostic Nutritional Index Predicts Outcomes in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Treated with Atezolizumab and Bevacizumab: A Propensity Score-matched Analysis. Journal of Clinical and Translational Hepatology. doi: 10.14218/JCTH.2025.00418. https://www.xiahepublishing.com/2310-8819/JCTH-2025-00418
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Guillaume Bentzinger, Luis Carrillo, Philippe Robin, and Alejandro Bara-Estaún
Discover how AI, flow chemistry, and NMR come together in the PiPAC project to revolutionize scalable and autonomous API production.
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Background: Many patients use patient portals to message their primary care clinician, but demand for in-person appointments remains high. Researchers from the University of Michigan examined how patients value trade-offs between quick portal messaging, getting a visit sooner with any available physician, or waiting longer to see their own primary care physician. The study analyzed 2,268 survey responses from adult patients in an academic family medicine clinic. Researchers asked patients to imagine common health situations, such as a new symptom, a medication question, or a mental health concern. Patients then chose between care options that varied by type and timing.
What they found: Across all six scenarios, patients most often preferred a portal message from their own primary care physician within three days over waiting for video or in-person visits. When patients did not choose portal messaging, they generally preferred a faster video visit with another physician rather than waiting longer to see their own physician.
Implications: Patients' strong preference for rapid portal messaging highlights growing pressure on primary care clinics, as responding to messages takes time and adds to clinician workload.
American Academy of Family Physicians
Gold, K. J., et al. (2026) How Patients Value Visit Type, Speed of Care, and Continuity in Primary Care. The Annals of Family Medicine. DOI: 10.1370/afm.250241. https://www.annfammed.org/content/24/1/25
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Rosanna Zhang
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Dr Bryony Henderson
GLP-1 agonists are pivotal in obesity care, promoting weight loss and addressing related health issues, with a focus on personalized, holistic treatment.
Guillaume Bentzinger, Luis Carrillo, Philippe Robin, and Alejandro Bara-Estaún
Discover how AI, flow chemistry, and NMR come together in the PiPAC project to revolutionize scalable and autonomous API production.
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Background: This study examined whether continuity of care (how often patients see their assigned physician and nurse) was associated with urgent care use and hospital admissions among older adults receiving permanent home-based primary care.
What they found: Researchers analyzed electronic health record data from three primary care centers in Barcelona, Spain, including 1,207 patients receiving permanent home-based care. The average patient age was 88.5 years, and most had multiple chronic conditions. Over one year, mean continuity of care was 73.3% with assigned general practitioners and 83.1% with assigned primary care nurses. Patients who saw their assigned clinician more often were less likely to use home ambulance services. Those patients were also less likely to visit the emergency department, or be admitted to the hospital. Seeing the same general practitioner for at least three out of four visits was associated with about a 39% lower likelihood of emergency department visits over one year, fewer ambulance calls, and fewer hospital admissions. Higher continuity with assigned nurses was also associated with fewer ambulance calls and fewer hospital admissions.
Implications: These findings support efforts to keep care relationships stable, particularly aiming for at least 75% of general practitioner visits with the assigned general practitioner.
American Academy of Family Physicians
Herranz, C., et al. (2026) Effect of Continuity of Care on Emergency Care and Hospital Admissions Among Patients Receiving Home-Based Care: A Population-Based Cohort Study. The Annals of Family Medicine. DOI: 10.1370/afm.240637. http://www.annfammed.org/content/24/1/17
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In our latest interview, News-Medical speaks with Rosanna Zhang from ACROBiosystems about utilizing organoids for disease modeling in the field of neuroscience research.
Dr Bryony Henderson
GLP-1 agonists are pivotal in obesity care, promoting weight loss and addressing related health issues, with a focus on personalized, holistic treatment.
Guillaume Bentzinger, Luis Carrillo, Philippe Robin, and Alejandro Bara-Estaún
Discover how AI, flow chemistry, and NMR come together in the PiPAC project to revolutionize scalable and autonomous API production.
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Researchers at the University of Oulu have identified genes that increase susceptibility to pneumonia. Alongside inherited risk factors, smoking and higher body mass were also found to raise the risk of developing the disease.
The study identified a total of 12 genetic regions associated with pneumonia risk, eight of which were identified for the first time. Many of these regions are linked to the regulation of the body's inflammatory response. However, among patients with recurrent pneumonia and among older patients, genes associated with nicotine dependence played a particularly prominent role.
The researchers also used genetic data to assess causal relationships. The findings provide evidence that smoking and obesity may increase the risk of pneumonia through a direct cause-and-effect relationship.
The study was conducted by analysing genetic and health data from more than 600,000 individuals in Finland and Estonia. Genetic risk factors for pneumonia were examined not only in the general population, but also across three age groups, among people with recurrent pneumonia, and among individuals with asthma.
“The strength of the study lies in its large and reliable dataset, which combines genetic information with long-term health data from two countries. This also made it possible to examine genetic risk factors for pneumonia across different age groups and patient populations,” says Doctoral Researcher Anni Heikkilä, who served as the study's lead analyst.
Pneumonia is a major infectious disease and a significant cause of mortality. In Finland, around 50,000 people develop pneumonia each year, and approximately half of them require hospital treatment. The disease can be caused by bacteria, viruses or, more rarely, fungi, and its severity ranges from mild to severe depending on both the patient and the causative agent.
The incidence of pneumonia is markedly higher than average in certain population groups. Those at greatest risk include older people, individuals with chronic heart and respiratory diseases, immunocompromised patients, as well as heavy alcohol users and smokers. In addition, socioeconomic factors and certain long-term conditions increase the risk of illness, making prevention and early treatment particularly important in these groups.
Understanding inherited risk factors helps to clarify why some individuals are more susceptible to pneumonia and how the disease progresses. The association between genes related to nicotine dependence and pneumonia risk in older adults is a finding of considerable public health importance. In the future, our results may be used to support the development of treatments and to improve disease prevention.”
Professor Timo Hautala, infectious diseases specialist, University of Oulu and Oulu University Hospital
The University of Oulu
Heikkilä, A., et al. (2026) Genetic risk factors for pneumonia differ by patient subgroup. eBioMedicine. DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2026.106136. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/ebiom/article/PIIS2352-3964(26)00017-4/fulltext
Posted in: Medical Science News | Medical Research News | Disease/Infection News
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In our latest interview, News-Medical speaks with Rosanna Zhang from ACROBiosystems about utilizing organoids for disease modeling in the field of neuroscience research.
Dr Bryony Henderson
GLP-1 agonists are pivotal in obesity care, promoting weight loss and addressing related health issues, with a focus on personalized, holistic treatment.
Guillaume Bentzinger, Luis Carrillo, Philippe Robin, and Alejandro Bara-Estaún
Discover how AI, flow chemistry, and NMR come together in the PiPAC project to revolutionize scalable and autonomous API production.
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After Susannah Reed-McCullough's husband died in 2018, she and their young daughters continued to receive health insurance through his job as a firefighter in Maryland.
Then, in 2024, she got an unexpected medical bill: $377 for a checkup for one of her children the previous fall. Reed-McCullough said she called the doctor's billing department and learned the insurance company had dropped the children's coverage.
The drop turned out to be a mistake. But Reed-McCullough said she was forced to act as the go-between for her late husband's human resources department and their insurer — all while worried about her daughters' being uninsured.
In this installment of InvestigateTV and KFF Health News' "Costly Care" series, Caresse Jackman, InvestigateTV's national consumer investigative reporter, explores how administrative errors can leave patients on the hook for medical bills they shouldn't owe, sometimes with few options to correct a problem they didn't create.
Jackman interviewed Elisabeth Rosenthal, senior contributing editor at KFF Health News, who said accidental coverage drops are "a common problem" in need of attention from state regulators.
"People make mistakes, systems make mistakes, and they should be held responsible for them, not the patient," Rosenthal said.
KFF Health News
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Dr Bryony Henderson
GLP-1 agonists are pivotal in obesity care, promoting weight loss and addressing related health issues, with a focus on personalized, holistic treatment.
Guillaume Bentzinger, Luis Carrillo, Philippe Robin, and Alejandro Bara-Estaún
Discover how AI, flow chemistry, and NMR come together in the PiPAC project to revolutionize scalable and autonomous API production.
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Conventional treatments of Alzheimer's disease, one of the most common forms of dementia, have been largely focused on targeting individual pathological features. However, Alzheimer's disease is a multifactorial disorder driven by multiple, tightly interconnected processes, rendering single-target therapeutic approaches inherently limited. Addressing this challenge, KAIST researchers propose a new strategy that enables the simultaneous regulation of multiple disease-inducing factors simply by rearranging the structural positions of drug candidate molecules without altering their chemical substituents.
KAIST (President Kwang Hyung Lee) announced on January 22 that a research team led by Professor Mi Hee Lim of the Department of Chemistry, in collaboration with Professor Mingeun Kim of Chonnam National University, Dr. Chul-Ho Lee of the Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), and Dr. Kyoung-Shim Kim of the Laboratory Animal Resource Center, has elucidated at the molecular level how subtle differences in molecular arrangement, specifically positional isomerism, give rise to distinct modes of action against Alzheimer's disease.
Using an Alzheimer's disease mouse model (APP/PS1) harboring human dementia-associated genes, the research team demonstrated that these compounds also exert distinct therapeutic effects in vivo.
Alzheimer's disease does not arise from a single cause. Rather, multiple pathological factors, including amyloid-b, metal ions, and reactive oxygen species, interact synergistically to exacerbate disease progression. In particular, metal ions bind to amyloid-b, modulating its aggregation and toxicity while promoting the generation of reactive oxygen species, which in turn accelerates neuronal damage. Effective control of Alzheimer's disease therefore requires therapeutic strategies capable of simultaneously targeting multiple interrelated pathological processes.
The researchers focused on positional isomers, molecules composed of the same chemical elements but differing only in the positions at which those elements are connected. Remarkably, simple changes in molecular positioning resulted in pronounced differences in reactivity towards reactive oxygen species, as well as in interactions with amyloid-b and metal-bound amyloid-b.
To investigate these effects, the team compared the reactivities of three structurally similar molecules differing only in the positions of their functional groups. Their analyses revealed that even minimal structural rearrangements led to significant differences in antioxidant capacity and produced distinct modes of modulation of amyloid-b and metal-bound amyloid-b through different mechanisms, inducing peptide chemical modifications.
In other words, the study demonstrated that Alzheimer's disease-related pathological factors can be regulated through mechanistically distinct pathways simply by altering molecular arrangement, without changing molecular composition.
Notably, a specific positional isomer capable of simultaneously modulating reactive oxygen species, amyloid-b, and metal-bound amyloid-b complexes also demonstrated therapeutic efficacy in an Alzheimer's disease mouse model. In these experiments, the compound reduced oxidative stress in the hippocampus, the brain region critical for memory, and decreased amyloid plaque accumulation, resulting in significant improvements in memory deficits and cognitive impairment.
This study demonstrates that multiple pathological factors associated with Alzheimer's disease can be targeted simultaneously simply by adjusting molecular positioning, without altering the molecule's core chemical framework. These findings point to a new therapeutic strategy that may enable more precise control of complex, multifactorial diseases such as Alzheimer's disease."
Professor Mi Hee Lim of KAIST
This research was conducted with Chanju Na and Jimin Lee, integrated master's-doctoral students in the Department of Chemistry at KAIST, who served as co-first authors. The results were published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society (Impact Factor: 15.7, top 5.0% in Chemistry) in Issue 1 dated January 14, 2026.
KAIST (Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology)
Na, C., et al. (2025) Positional Isomerism Tunes Molecular Reactivities and Mechanisms toward Pathological Targets in Dementia. Journal of the American Chemical Society. DOI: 10.1021/jacs.5c14323. https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/jacs.5c14323
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Dr Bryony Henderson
GLP-1 agonists are pivotal in obesity care, promoting weight loss and addressing related health issues, with a focus on personalized, holistic treatment.
Guillaume Bentzinger, Luis Carrillo, Philippe Robin, and Alejandro Bara-Estaún
Discover how AI, flow chemistry, and NMR come together in the PiPAC project to revolutionize scalable and autonomous API production.
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A transdisciplinary team led by Southcentral Foundation, a Tribal healthcare organization in Anchorage, Alaska, has been awarded a competitive grant from the National Institutes of Health. Jessica Blanchard, Ph.D., senior research scientist at the University of Oklahoma's Center for Applied Social Research, is a key collaborator on the project, representing the continuation of a longstanding partnership between OU and Southcentral Foundation.
Administered by the National Human Genome Research Institute, the award is funded under the Building Partnerships and Broadening Perspectives to Advance Ethical, Legal, and Social Implications (ELSI) Research (BBAER) Program. The newly funded initiative, Partnerships for Indigenous-led ELSI Research, or PIER, is guided by an all-Indigenous leadership team: Vanessa Hiratsuka, Ph.D. (Diné/Wintu), and Julie Beans, MPH (Yup'ik/Oneida) of Southcentral Foundation. Additional collaboration comes from Blanchard, Susan Trinidad, Ph.D. (University of Washington), and Evan White, Ph.D. (Absentee Shawnee; Laureate Institute for Brain Research). The team has a track record of excellence in American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) community engagement practices that promote research driven by community priorities and values.
To address AI/AN health disparities, genomic research - whether at the community level or via large repositories with data and biological specimens from AI/AN people from a multitude of Tribes - will be conducted from an approach defined by AI/AN communities and led by and in partnership with AI/AN people. PIER will strengthen meaningful collaboration with AI/AN communities and AI/AN-serving health systems in Alaska and Oklahoma with the overall aim of promoting Indigenous-driven approaches to genomic research.
Oftentimes, Tribes are asked to participate in research as partners to universities, and that's great when the partnership meets their needs. But this newly funded work is different in that it is not just tribally-partnered research; it is tribally-led. This grant provides the resources and the time for Southcentral Foundation to determine what kind of research they would like to see happening in service of their communities."
Jessica Blanchard, Ph.D., senior research scientist, University of Oklahoma's Center for Applied Social Research
Among the key initiatives the team excited to announce is a Community Scholars program to support researchers of all career levels interested in pursuing Tribal health research. Those selected as community scholars will join the team and participate in PIER initiatives over the coming years. Calls for applications will be released in February.
The hope for the PIER program is to support research capacity and workforce development at Southcentral Foundation, while promoting Tribally-defined approaches in genomic research that may be useful to Tribal communities across the nation. "This award represents the continuing evolution of work on the ethical, legal and social implications of genomics for American Indian and Alaska Native people and communities we launched as part of the Center for the Ethics of Indigenous Genomic Research in 2016," said OU Paul Spicer, Ph.D., director of the Center for Applied Social Research. "Having our colleagues at Southcentral Foundation take the lead on this project is an overdue but welcome next step. I cannot wait to see where this leads."
University of Oklahoma
Posted in: Genomics | Medical Research News | Healthcare News
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Dr Bryony Henderson
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Natera, Inc., a global leader in cell-free DNA and precision medicine, today announced the publication of a new prospective clinical trial in Transplantation Direct. The study, which was conducted by The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center (OSU-WMC), was initiated to explore whether donor-derived cell-free DNA (dd-cfDNA) surveillance, and specifically Prospera-guided monitoring, could reduce the number of invasive biopsies for patients following lung transplantation.
Lung transplant patients are typically monitored with transbronchial biopsies - at one, three, six, nine, and 12 months after transplantation. These procedures are invasive, costly and associated with significant morbidity.
As transplant volumes increased at OSU-WMC, the center launched a quality assurance and performance improvement (QAPI) initiative to evaluate whether the Prospera test could allow them to safely eliminate the 9-month surveillance biopsy.
In the study, 78 lung-transplant recipients were monitored with the Prospera test for one year post-transplant. Prospera testing was incorporated at approximately 8 months to categorize patients as low risk (< 1.0 % dd-cfDNA) or high risk (≥ 1.0 %) for rejection. Physicians could then choose to forgo the 9-month surveillance biopsy for low-risk, clinically stable patients. All participants were recommended for a protocol biopsy at 12 months post-transplant.
Key findings included:
This study highlights how monitoring with Prospera can improve both the patient experience and the sustainability of transplant programs. These compelling results support our goal of providing more personalized and efficient medical care without compromising patient safety or outcomes."
Justin Rosenheck, D.O., Clinical Assistant Professor and Principal Investigator, Internal Medicine, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center
"The Prospera test provided actionable patient risk assessments within a structured QAPI framework," said David Ross, M.D., senior medical director of lung transplantation and molecular diagnostics at Natera. "These data support fewer routine biopsies during dd-cfDNA surveillance while maintaining lung function and immune response. We believe that future clinical studies could further support the safe omission of protocol biopsies implementing the Prospera Lung test, ultimately reducing invasive procedural risks and burdens with optimized health."
Natera, Inc.
Posted in: Cell Biology | Drug Trial News | Medical Science News
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City of Hope®, one of the largest and most advanced cancer research and treatment organizations in the United States with its National Medical Center ranked among the nation's top cancer centers by U.S. News & World Report, has opened a phase 2 clinical trial comparing three different strategies for protecting heart health in prostate cancer patients who receive androgen deprivation therapy (ADT), a potentially lifesaving hormone therapy.
ADT is a cornerstone of prostate cancer treatment, but it can have significant unintended effects on cardiometabolic health. Addressing these metabolic and cardiovascular consequences is essential to improving overall health, reducing long-term morbidity and optimizing outcomes for patients undergoing cancer therapy."
Yun Rose Li, M.D., Ph.D., principal investigator, assistant professor and physician-scientist in the Department of Radiation Oncology at City of Hope
The purpose of the study is to offset risk so people can continue to benefit from lifesaving ADT cancer treatment. Prostate cancer patients who receive ADT are at increased risk of cardiovascular disease, including heart attack, stroke and other heart and blood vessel problems. This may be due to treatment-related metabolic changes that can lead to weight gain, insulin resistance and an increase in body fat.
A focus of Dr. Li's lab has been on mitigating the side effects of cancer treatments, including radiotherapy and ADT. The new trial builds on her previous work.
The trial will compare three approaches: intermittent fasting with a 16-hour fasting window, an anti-obesity medication targeting the body's natural glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) signaling pathway and the American Heart Association's Life's Essential 8 guidelines. Participants will be assigned to follow one of these approaches for six months while continuing their cancer treatment of radiation and hormone therapy.
Researchers will conduct comprehensive assessments of participants' metabolic and cardiovascular health, including clinical endpoints, biomarkers, imaging and other tools. Patients will be followed for 12 months after they complete the intervention portion of the study.
The trial's primary goal is to determine if these interventions, which are already widely used in other clinical settings, are also feasible and safe for prostate cancer patients receiving hormone therapy.
"We hope to identify which strategy provides the greatest benefit for cardiometabolic health and which patients will benefit the most from prophylactic intervention," said June-Wha Rhee, M.D., associate professor in City of Hope's Division of Cardiology and a fellow study investigator. "These insights will inform future cancer care practices and help refine subsequent research aimed at mitigating treatment-related metabolic and cardiovascular risks."
City of Hope
Posted in: Men's Health News | Drug Trial News
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Discover how AI, flow chemistry, and NMR come together in the PiPAC project to revolutionize scalable and autonomous API production.
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Northwestern University researchers have developed the first device that can continuously track a fetus's vital signs while still in the uterus - a feat that previously has not been possible.
The soft, flexible, robotic probe could dramatically improve safety during fetal surgeries, procedures in which physicians operate on a fetus before birth. Currently, doctors primarily rely on intermittent measurements of fetal heart rate using ultrasound imaging from outside the pregnant person's body. The new device, on the other hand, can be gently inserted through the same narrow port already used in fetal surgeries.
Once inside the uterus, the device maintains stable, gentle contact with the fetus to reliably track heart rate, heart rate variability, blood oxygen levels and temperature. In studies on a large animal model, the probe provided accurate, precise, clinical-grade measurements even as the uterus and fetus moved during surgery. By tracking multiple vital signs simultaneously, surgeons gain a more complete and earlier picture of fetal distress, enabling faster interventions in case complications arise.
The study will be published on Monday (Jan. 26) in the journal Nature Biomedical Engineering. It marks the smallest platform developed to date that is capable of accurately measuring vital signs.
Northwestern bioelectronics pioneer John A. Rogers led the device development in collaboration with Dr. Aimen Shaaban, a fetal surgeon at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago. The work builds on Rogers' growing suite of soft, flexible devices designed to monitor the health of tiny, vulnerable patients, including premature infants in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).
"Initially, Dr. Shaaban reached out to our lab to ask if we could adapt our vital signs monitoring systems for premature babies and apply them to fetuses during surgery," Rogers said. "Right now, clinicians only have a partial picture of how a fetus is doing throughout surgery. We were presented with the challenge of designing a technology to monitor vital signs throughout the surgical process without creating an invasive access point or disturbing delicate tissues. Our flexible hair-like probe enters a port already used in minimally invasive fetal procedures and provides continuous, comprehensive monitoring without adding risk."
"Performing fetal surgery with this sensor really shines a light on an area that's been in the dark for so long," Shaaban said. "When we operate on a baby after birth, we monitor a variety of parameters, including blood pressure, oxygen and carbon dioxide levels, heart rate and breathing. But for a fetus, who is more sensitive than a baby, we're very limited. We don't know what their vital signs are. Sometimes, the fetal heart rate drops during this procedure signaling low oxygen levels or a low blood pH. A slow fetal heart rate can develop abruptly and can even present with a full cardiac arrest for the fetus. Our ability to monitor the fetus hasn't changed in 40 years. The tools just haven't been there. We hope this probe provides multiparameter continuous monitoring of the fetus, enabling corrective adjustments at a very early stage to ensure fetal well-being throughout the procedure and avoiding any instability."
Rogers is the Louis Simpson and Kimberly Querrey Professor of Materials Science and Engineering, Biomedical Engineering and Neurological Surgery at Northwestern, where he has appointments in the McCormick School of Engineering and Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. He also directs the Querrey Simpson Institute for Bioelectronics and the Querrey Simpson Institute for Translational Engineering for Advanced Medical Systems. Shaaban is a pediatric and fetal surgeon at Lurie Children's, professor of surgery and pediatrics at Feinberg and director of The Chicago Institute for Fetal Health. Rogers and Shaaban co-led the study with Yonggang Huang, the Jan and Marcia Achenbach Professor of Mechanical Engineering at McCormick and Hedan Bai, a former postdoctoral fellow from the Rogers' lab and current assistant professor of materials at ETH Zurich.
In rare, complex cases, surgeons perform fetal surgery to correct life-altering or sometimes life-threatening congenital conditions before birth. One such condition is spina bifida, which affects thousands of babies each year in the U.S. Physicians also might perform fetal surgery to treat severe diaphragmatic hernias, urinary tract obstructions, fetal tumors or twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome, a serious complication in which blood flows unequally from one twin to the other. Surgeons perform these procedures as early as 15 weeks into a pregnancy.
Spina bifida is an opening in the spine that leaves the spinal cord and nerves exposed. This birth defect results in a lot of neurologic complications, including leg paralysis and hydrocephalus. Fetal surgery can reduce or even prevent these complications and can improve quality of life."
Dr. Aimen Shaaban, fetal surgeon, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago
Over the past decade, surgeons increasingly have shifted from open fetal surgery - requiring a large incision into the uterus - to minimally invasive fetoscopic procedures, which use tiny instruments inserted through narrow surgical ports. While these less invasive approaches reduce risks for the pregnant patient, they also make it more difficult to monitor the fetus.
To address this challenge, the Northwestern team designed a slender, filament-like probe made from soft, flexible materials that can operate safely and gently inside the uterus. With a width just three times the diameter of a single hair, the probe is slim enough to pass through a standard tube already used during fetoscopic surgery, requiring no additional incisions.
Once inside the uterus, soft robotic actuators enable the surgeon to guide and position the probe with precision. To ensure the probe stays in place, Rogers' team designed a tiny, inflatable balloon-like cushion. The built-in cushion gently expands to hold the probe in stable contact with the fetus.
To optimize the probe's shape, motion and contact forces, Huang and his former visiting Ph.D. student Xiuyuan Li used computational modeling to guide the devices mechanical design.
"The device needs to gently press onto the tissue to form the kind of coupling needed to measure vital signs," Rogers said. "Miniaturized balloons integrated onto the probe enable this coupling in a soft, minimally invasive manner. Our designs also use a similar mechanism to allow the filament to bend or twist, so that surgeons can robotically position it to a desired location."
The team integrated multiple miniature sensors into the probe to simultaneously measure fetal heart rate, blood oxygen saturation and temperature. The device wirelessly transmits data to a monitor outside the body, providing surgeons with real-time feedback throughout the procedure.
By enabling continuous, multimodal monitoring, the new device could help surgeons intervene earlier or pause a procedure if a fetus shows signs of distress. It also could help give parents and caregivers more reassurance and peace of mind during anxiety-inducing surgeries.
"When a pregnant mom needs a fetal operation, she places a lot of trust in her doctors to make sure that it is safe," Shaaban said. "If we could give her more confidence that her baby will do well, that's better for everybody. Anything we can do to make operations safer for mom and safer for the baby is a huge win.
The study, "A filamentary soft robotic probe for multimodal in utero monitoring of fetal health," was supported by the Querrey-Simpson Institute for Bioelectronics and the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital Foundation. The paper's co-first authors are Jianlin Zhou, Mingzheng Wu and Haohui Zhang, all postdoctoral fellows in the Rogers lab; Dr. Steven Papastefan, a postdoctoral fellow in the Shaaban lab and a surgical resident at Northwestern Medicine; and Xiuyuan Li, a former graduate student in Huang's lab.
Northwestern University
Bai, H., et al. (2026). A filamentary soft robotic probe for multimodal in utero monitoring of fetal health. Nature Biomedical Engineering. DOI: 10.1038/s41551-025-01605-3. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41551-025-01605-3
Posted in: Child Health News | Device / Technology News | Medical Science News
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Studies have demonstrated a link between alcohol consumption and an elevated risk of colorectal cancer. New research now reveals that higher lifetime alcohol consumption is also associated with a higher risk, especially for rectal cancer, and that quitting drinking can lower a person's risk. The findings are published by Wiley online in CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society.
When investigators analyzed data on US adults enrolled in the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Prostate, Long, Colorectal, and Ovarian (PLCO) Cancer Screening Trial who did not have cancer at baseline, they observed that 1,679 colorectal cancer cases occurred among 88,092 participants over 20 years of follow-up.
Current drinkers with an average lifetime alcohol intake of ≥14 drinks per week (heavy drinkers) had a 25% higher risk of developing colorectal cancer and a 95% higher risk of developing rectal cancer compared with those with an average lifetime alcohol intake of <1 drink per week (light drinkers).
When further considering drinking consistency, heavy drinking throughout adulthood was linked to a 91% higher risk of colorectal cancer compared with consistent light drinking. In contrast, no evidence of increased colorectal cancer risk was observed among former drinkers, and former drinkers had lower odds of developing noncancerous colorectal tumors, or adenomas (which may go on to become cancerous) than current drinkers averaging <1 drink per week, suggesting that alcohol cessation may lower individuals' risks. These data were limited, however.
The association between alcohol consumption and increased risks observed in this and other studies might be explained by carcinogens produced from alcohol metabolism or alcohol's effects on gut microbes. Additional studies are needed to test whether these mechanisms are involved.
Our study is one of the first to explore how drinking alcohol over the life course relates to both colorectal adenoma and colorectal cancer risk. While the data on former drinkers were sparse, we were encouraged to see that their risk may return to that of the light drinkers."
Erikka Loftfield, PhD, MPH, co–senior author, NCI, part of the National Institutes of Health
Wiley
O'Connell, C. P., et al. (2026). Association of alcohol intake over the lifetime with colorectal adenoma and colorectal cancer risk in the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial. Cancer. doi: 10.1002/cncr.70201. https://acsjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/cncr.70201
Posted in: Medical Research News | Medical Condition News
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New trial evidence shows that without structured exercise, weight loss medications may leave physical fitness unchanged, highlighting movement as the key to real functional recovery.
Study: Physical Fitness with Exercise and GLP-1 Receptor Agonist Treatment Alone or Combined After Diet-Induced Weight Loss: A Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Controlled Trial in Adults with Obesity. Image Credit: Towfiqu ahamed barbhuiya / Shutterstock
In a recent study published in the journal Sports Medicine, a group of researchers evaluated how structured exercise and glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1 RA) therapy, alone or combined, influence physical fitness during long-term weight maintenance following diet-induced weight loss.
More than 650 million adults worldwide live with obesity, a condition strongly linked to reduced mobility, lower cardiorespiratory fitness, and poorer quality of life. Even after losing excess weight with medication or diets, people may still struggle with daily activities such as walking briskly or climbing stairs. This raises an important question, does weight loss alone lead to meaningful improvements in physical fitness.
Currently, multiple medications are used to treat obesity, including GLP-1 RAs. Previous research suggests that a substantial proportion of weight loss during pharmacotherapy may consist of fat-free mass, which has raised concerns about long-term physical function and independence. It is therefore important to understand how structured exercise interacts with weight-loss medications to improve functional health, not merely reduce body weight.
This exploratory secondary analysis was conducted within a randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial involving adults aged 18 to 65 years with obesity, defined as a body mass index between 32 and 43 kg per square meter, and without diabetes mellitus. All participants first completed an eight-week, approximately 800-kilocalorie-per-day low-calorie diet. Only those achieving at least a 5% reduction in body weight were eligible for randomization.
The 52-week randomized intervention allocated participants to four groups. One group received placebo with usual physical activity; the second received placebo plus structured exercise; the third received liraglutide, a GLP-1 RA, with usual physical activity; and the fourth received liraglutide combined with structured exercise. Liraglutide was administered at 3.0 mg per day with stepwise dose escalation based on tolerability.
The structured exercise program aimed to meet World Health Organization physical activity recommendations and included supervised group-based interval cycling and circuit training, alongside individually performed moderate-to-vigorous activity. Exercise intensity was objectively monitored using heart rate devices.
Physical fitness was assessed at baseline, after the low-calorie diet, and after 52 weeks. Outcomes included stair-climb performance, cardiorespiratory fitness measured as peak oxygen consumption (VO₂peak), and muscle strength assessed as maximal isometric knee extensor torque. Linear mixed-effects models were used to compare changes between groups.
A total of 193 participants were randomized, and approximately 85% completed the 52-week intervention. Participants assigned to exercise completed a median of 2.65 sessions per week, corresponding to approximately 108 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity weekly. Exercise levels were similar between participants receiving liraglutide and those receiving placebo, indicating that GLP-1 RA treatment did not reduce exercise participation.
Physical functional performance improved most clearly in groups that included exercise. Participants in the combined exercise and liraglutide group completed the stair-climb test significantly faster than those receiving liraglutide alone or placebo, reflecting meaningful improvements in mobility and lower-limb function.
Exercise alone produced comparable improvements, whereas liraglutide alone did not improve stair-climb performance despite sustained weight loss.
Cardiorespiratory fitness, assessed as VO₂peak relative to fat-free mass, increased by approximately 10% in the exercise and combined treatment groups. In contrast, liraglutide alone did not produce a statistically significant improvement in this fitness measure compared with placebo.
Exercise also improved absolute VO₂peak and maximal cycling power, reinforcing its role in enhancing cardiovascular capacity.
Muscle strength, measured as maximal knee extensor torque, remained stable across all groups, indicating that neither exercise nor liraglutide caused a decline in absolute strength.
Strength relative to body weight improved in all active treatment groups, reflecting weight reduction with preserved muscle function. Muscle quality declined in the placebo group, while it was maintained in participants who exercised or received liraglutide.
Further analyses showed that greater volumes of moderate-to-vigorous exercise were associated with superior functional outcomes. Each additional 10 minutes of weekly exercise was linked to faster stair-climb performance and higher VO₂peak relative to fat-free mass, demonstrating that even modest increases in physical activity yield measurable benefits beyond those achieved during the initial low-calorie diet phase.
This study demonstrates that structured moderate-to-vigorous exercise is the primary driver of improvements in physical fitness during long-term weight maintenance, even when weight loss is supported by GLP-1 RA therapy.
While GLP-1 RAs are effective for sustaining weight loss, they do not appear to significantly improve physical fitness outcomes in the absence of exercise. In contrast, structured exercise, alone or combined with pharmacotherapy, leads to clinically meaningful gains in mobility, cardiorespiratory fitness, and functional independence.
These findings highlight the importance of combining weight-loss medications with structured exercise programs to optimize functional health outcomes in adults with obesity, rather than focusing on weight reduction alone.
Posted in: Men's Health News | Medical Science News | Medical Research News | Medical Condition News | Women's Health News | Pharmaceutical News
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Vijay holds a Ph.D. in Biotechnology and possesses a deep passion for microbiology. His academic journey has allowed him to delve deeper into understanding the intricate world of microorganisms. Through his research and studies, he has gained expertise in various aspects of microbiology, which includes microbial genetics, microbial physiology, and microbial ecology. Vijay has six years of scientific research experience at renowned research institutes such as the Indian Council for Agricultural Research and KIIT University. He has worked on diverse projects in microbiology, biopolymers, and drug delivery. His contributions to these areas have provided him with a comprehensive understanding of the subject matter and the ability to tackle complex research challenges.
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U.S. men's national team defender Alex Freeman has reportedly completed a move from Orlando City to Spanish outfit Villarreal just five months ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The 21-year-old, who came through the ranks of Orlando City's academy, entered the final 12 months of his contract with the MLS club once the calendar flipped to 2026. Instead of exploring a new option with the Lions, Freeman is set to take his career to Europe.
The Athletic report the American standout is headed to La Liga in a deal worth an initial fee around $4 million, with a further $3 million in add-ons. Orlando City retains a sell-on clause, which could see the club earn more than just the transfer's potential $7 million in the future.
Freeman is set to join Villarreal immediately. The Yellow Submarine sit fourth in the La Liga standings and are just four points —with a game in hand—off Atlético Madrid in third. Although the defender will gain valuable experience playing in Spain, he will not compete in the Champions League; Villarreal arecrashing out of the competition after managing just one point in seven league phase matches.
Freeman gained the attention of USMNT boss Mauricio Pochettino and European suitors throughout his impressive 2025. The emerging talent had a breakout season with Orlando, tallying six goals and three assists in 30 league and playoff appearances.
Along the way, Freeman was an MLS All-Star selection and named the 2025 MLS Young Player of the Year. Despite Orlando's postseason disappointment in the Eastern Conference Wild Card match against Chicago Fire, the Lions took away the small victory of finding what they hoped would be a homegrown player intent to play in a purple shirt for a long time.
The club even offered Freeman a max U-22 deal with an annual salary of around $800,000, per ESPN, but the defender opted to make the move to Europe, where many of his fellow USMNT teammates play, including Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie, Chris Richards and Antonee Robinson.
Freeman, who started 2025 without a USMNT cap, soon shared the pitch with those four American stars as his rising stock trickled down to the national team. The young talent made his debut in the Stars and Stripes' 2–1 loss to Türkiye on June 7 and then ultimately went on to feature in the final 12 games of the calendar year, quickly becoming a staple of Pochettino's new 3-4-2-1 formation.
What soon turned into a dream second half of 2025 ended with Freeman bagging a brace against Uruguay, helping Pochettino's side secure a thumping 5–1 victory to close out the November international window.
Despite becoming one of Pochettino's favorites, Freeman's spot in the Argentine's XI come June is anything but certain. After all, he was logging heavy minutes during the Gold Cup when many of the USMNT's strongest players were unavailable.
Veteran Tim Ream and Crystal Palace standout Richards will take up two of the three spots in Pochettino's back three, with Freeman, Miles Robinson and Mark McKenzie all battling to get the nod at right center back.
Former USMNT star Alexi Lalas has Robinson leading the race, leaving Freeman potentially reduced to a substitute role at the 2026 World Cup. A move to Villarreal could either boost his chances or send him further down Pochettino's pecking order.
The pressure is on Freeman to make a splash in La Liga, where his new club still must face Barcelona, Atlético Madrid and Athletic Club in the coming months, a new kind of test for a player whose only club experience comes in MLS.
A failure to break into the team and impress in Europe could have the defender regretting his decision to leave behind an environment where he was flourishing and earning the admiration of Pochettino. The flip side, though, is that Freeman could rise to the level of one of Europe's top five leagues and prove why he deserves to start on the grandest stage in soccer this summer.
Amanda Langell is a Sports Illustrated FC freelance writer and editor. Born and raised in New York City, her first loves were the Yankees, the Rangers and Broadway before Real Madrid took over her life. Had it not been for her brother's obsession with Cristiano Ronaldo, she would have never lived through so many magical Champions League nights 3,600 miles away from the Bernabéu. When she's not consumed by Spanish and European soccer, she's traveling, reading or losing her voice at a concert.
© 2026 ABG-SI LLC - SPORTS ILLUSTRATED IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF ABG-SI LLC. - All Rights Reserved. The content on this site is for entertainment and educational purposes only. Betting and gambling content is intended for individuals 21+ and is based on individual commentators' opinions and not that of Sports Illustrated or its affiliates, licensees and related brands. All picks and predictions are suggestions only and not a guarantee of success or profit. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER.
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Pubs in England and Wales will be allowed to stay open until 2am for home nation matches in the later stages of this summer's World Cup.
The extension means pubs can stay open until 2am for quarter-finals starting at 10pm, and until 1am for quarter-finals, semi-finals, or the final starting at or before 9pm, the government announced today.
Many pubs in the UK typically close at 11pm, in line with the 2003 Licensing Act.
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If England win their group, they could face Brazil in a humdinger of a quarter-final match in Miami on Saturday July 11, scheduled for a 10pm kick off time.
Both semi finals, on Tuesday July 14 and Wednesday July 15, are scheduled to start at 8pm (UK time). The final is on Sunday July 19 and kicks off at 8pm (UK time).
If England top group L – where they will play Croatia, Panama and Ghana – their round of 32 match will take place on Wednesday July 1 at 5pm. If they win that, their round of 16 match would then take place in Mexico City on Sunday July 5 at 1am.
Matches kicking off after 10pm are not included. For all other games where pubs want to open late, a temporary event notice is required, though the government is looking into ways to extend hours for more home nation fixtures.
Pubs were also permitted to stay open late for the finals of the women's and men's European Championship in 2022, 2024 and 2025.
“The pub has and always will be the home of live sport and there's no better place to gather under one roof during moments of huge national significance and make memories,” Emma McClarkin, CEO of the British Beer and Pub Association, said last month.
“Our sector plays a huge part in boosting community spirit and extending licensing hours will mean that people can gather for longer at their local to cheer on our brilliant teams.”
With this summer's tournament staged across the United States, Mexico and Canada, many fixtures start late for a UK audience, with some matches kicking off in the early hours.
That includes Scotland's opening fixture at the tournament – their first showing at a World Cup since 1998 – where they play Haiti on Sunday June 14 in Foxborough at 2am (UK time).
Wales are still hoping to book their place at the World Cup, but must first overcome Bosnia & Herzegovina in a playoff semi final against Bosnia & Herzegovina on March 26, before facing the winner of Italy vs Northern Ireland.
Elsewhere today, the government announced that, from April, pubs and music venues will see a 15 per cent reduction in business rates, with no rises for two years. That comes amid fears of widespread pub closures and job losses in the industry.
Tom Burrows is a football news writer for The Athletic UK. He was previously a staff editor for three years. Prior to that, he worked on news and investigations for national newspapers. Follow Tom on Twitter @TBurrows16
Three Eintracht Frankfurt vs Tottenham predictions for their Champions League clash on Wednesday night, including value bets on the number of goals.
Our betting expert expects Frankfurt to continue their poor run of form. Tottenham should secure their passage to the last 16 via a top-eight finish.
Eintracht Frankfurt's Champions League campaign is coming to an end. Ahead of Matchday 8, the Eagles sit 33rd in the standings. They have no chance of making it to the top 24, regardless of the result on Wednesday.
The Bundesliga outfit have struggled this season, which led them to part ways with head coach Dino Toppmoller recently. As a result, Dennis Schmidt has taken over in an interim capacity, but his two games in charge both ended in defeat.
Tottenham, meanwhile, are enjoying a European campaign similar to last season under Ange Postecoglou. They are strong in Europe but inconsistent domestically. It looks like Thomas Frank is going in the same direction, as Spurs find themselves inside the top eight of the league phase.
The Lilywhites are on course to secure an automatic spot in the last 16 of the Champions League. However, they still need a win to guarantee that place. Domestically, however, Spurs have faced challenges. Over the weekend, the Lilywhites snatched a point at Burnley thanks to captain Cristian Romero. It wasn't the first time this season he had come to their rescue.
Frank hopes his team can carry their European momentum forward and steer clear of a playoff. Recent performances from both teams indicate they should do so with relative ease.
Eintracht Frankfurt expected lineup: Santos, Collins, Koch, Theate, Kristensen, Chaibi, Skhiri, Brown, Doan, Uzun, Knauff
Tottenham expected lineup: Vicario, Porro, Romero, Van De Ven, Udogie, Gray, Simons, Odobert, Kolo Muani, Spence, Solanke
The home side's primary weakness in this season's UCL has been their defensive line. Frankfurt have conceded 19 goals in their seven games, the joint-worst record in the competition alongside Kairat Almaty and Ajax. The German side have only kept one clean sheet across their seven fixtures, but they have yet to do so at home.
Tottenham's front-foot tactics have paid dividends, as they registered 15 goals in their seven matches. However, Spurs have shipped seven goals in that run. This indicates they're susceptible to allowing at least one goal per game.
Schmidt's side have seen both teams score in each of their last six outings in all competitions. While encouraging going forward, he will be concerned about his defence. Spurs have seen both teams find the back of the net in five of their last six matches.
The Eagles have been woeful in recent times. They haven't won any of their last six matches in this competition and lost five in that run. Overall, they've won just one of their last 11 competitive fixtures, which is a worrying trend for the home support.
Frankfurt have lost their last two matches despite being in positions to win.
Those stats will be music to the ears of the North London outfit. Spurs themselves haven't been great of late. They've won just once across their last five games. That run also saw them go on a three-game losing streak in all competitions.
However, their 2-0 win against Dortmund last week showed their potential on the continental stage. The Lilywhites also enjoy a positive record against the hosts. Spurs won this corresponding fixture 1-0 in the Europa League last season on their way to the title.
That victory is one of two for the away side, who remain unbeaten across four head-to-heads.
The hosts have played three home games in the UCL this season, and they conceded nine goals in that run. That's an average of three goals conceded per home match. Meanwhile, Tottenham average 2.14 goals scored per game in this competition.
However, with Dominic Solanke returning to action, Spurs have a focal point in attack once again. They could seriously put Frankfurt to the sword here, considering that goal difference could come into play by the end of the night.
They're primed to strike more than twice on Wednesday night, just as they did in the Champions League head-to-head back in 2022. Additionally, the home side have conceded exactly three goals in each of their most recent five matches. As a result, the visitors could pierce the home defence more than two times.
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Haji Wright and Patrick Ageymang – eight now for Derby County – heat up their goal scoring boots.
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Josh Sargent and Jonathan Klinsmann drop from the United States Men's National Team depth chart in the buildup to the FIFA World Cup this summer. Jumping in are striker Patrick Ageymang, attacking midfielder Malik Tillman, and goalkeeper Matt Turner. Sargent's continued transfer drama and subsequent lack of time with Norwich City could be the death knoll for the St. Louis native. And Klinsmann probably didn't belong in the goalkeeper discussion anyway.
Afraid the USMNT may not have enough firepower come June? Keep eyes on Haji Wright and Ageymang – eight now for Derby County – as they heat up their goal scoring boots.
U.S. Men's National Team striker Haji Wright scored for the second week in a row and backs Auston Trusty and Chris Richards also scored in matches involving the top candidates for the U.S. Men's National Team roster for the 2026 FIFA World Cup this summer. Along the way, 17 players started and 18 players saw time for their European clubs.
The first match of the FIFA World Cup on June 12 is approaching somewhat rapidly for the U.S. Men's National Team. A strong showing as one of the three host countries with Mexico and Canada is a must. Anything else is unacceptable. Coach Mauricio Pochettino will be faced with whittling the roster down to 23-26 players for the three group stage matches… and beyond. Maybe, just maybe, the USMNT will end up in Kansas City for a quarterfinal.
Thus, we will be following the top players (at the moment) who are the strongest candidates for the final roster per the latest callups and history. Who fits the 3-4-2-1 formation Pochettino seems to now favor? How much playing time is each seeing? Are they being productive? Will a strong show of form mean a surprise addition, and subsequent subtraction, from the roster?
Consider this weekly column your reference, understanding that Major League Soccer clubs are in preseason and those players are not detailed for now.
as of Monday, January 26, 2026
Strikers –
Ricardo Pepi, F, 23, PSV Eindhoven: broke his arm when he tumbled after scoring during the first half of a 5-1 win over Excelsior on Saturday, January 10, 2026. It was the fifth league game in a row in which Pepi had scored. Pepi left the match in the 26th minute and is expected to be out two months.
Folarin Balogun, F, 24, AS Monaco: Went 90 in scoreless draw v Le Havre on January 24, 2026. Started and went 73 minutes in 6-1 loss to Real Madrid January 20. Next match v Juventus Wednesday, January 28 in Champions League.
Haji Wright, F, 27, Coventry City: Started and went 70 minutes in 2-1 loss to Norwich City. Started, scored, and went 80 minutes in 2-1 win over Millwall January 20, 2026. Next match Saturday, January 31 v Queens Park Rangers.
Patrick Agyemang, 25, Derby County: Started, scored, and went 85 minutes in Derby's 1-1 draw with West Bromwich Albion. Next match Friday, January 30 v Bristol City.
Attacking Midfielders
Christian Pulisic, F, 27, AC Milan: came off the bench in the 67th minute in a 1-1 draw with AC Roma on Sunday, January 25. Next match Tuesday, February 3rd at Bologna.
Gio Reyna, MF, 23, Borussia Monchengladbach: Ruled out due to muscle injury in late scratch before Sunday, January 25, 3-0 loss to VfB Stuttgart. Next match Saturday, January 31 v Werder Bremen.
Weston McKennie, MF, 27, Juventus: started and went 90 minutes in 3-0 win over Napoli on Sunday, January 25. Next match v Monaco, Wednesday, January 28.
Brenden Aaronson, MF, 25, Leeds United: Started and went 85 minutes in 1-1 draw with Everton on January 26, 2026. Next match Saturday, January 31 v Arsenal.
Malik Tillman, 23, Bayer Leverkusen, Started and went 57 minutes in 1-0 win over SV Werder Bremen on Saturday, January 24, 2026. Next match Wednesday, January 28 v Villarreal in Champions League.
Wing backs
Tim Weah, MF, 25, Marseille (on loan from Juventus): Started and went 90 in 3-1 win over Lens January 24. Started and went 90 in 3-0 loss to Liverpool in Champions League play January 21, 2026. Next match Wednesday, January 28 in Champions League v Club Brugge.
Sergino Dest, D/MF, 25, PSV Eindhoven: Went first 45 in 2-2 draw with NAC Breda on Saturday, January 24. Did not dress for a 3-0 loss to Newcastle United in Champions League play on Wednesday, January 21. Next match Wednesday, January 28 v Bayern Munich in Champions League.
Antonee Robinson, D, 28, Fulham: started and went 59 minutes on Saturday, January 24, in 2-1 win over Brighton & Hove Albion. Next match v Manchester United, Sunday, February 1, 2026.
John Tolkin, D, 23, Holstein Kiel: Went 90 in 2-2 draw with DSC Arminia Bielefeld. Next match Saturday, January 31, 2026, v SPVGG Greuther Furth.
Breaking news on 21-year-old Alex Freeman of Orlando City. The wing back is set to transfer to Villarreal.
Holding midfielders (one a 6 one an 8)
Tyler Adams, MF, 26, AFC Bournemouth: out with MCL tear. Expected back mid-February.
James Sands, MF, 25, FC St. Pauli: Went all 90 minutes in 0-0 draw v Hamburger SV on Saturday, January 23, 2026. Next match Tuesday, January 27 v RB Leipzig.
Tanner Tessmann, MF, 24, Olympique Lyonnais: played 90 minutes in Lyon's 5-2 win over FC Metz Sunday, January 25. Went 90 minutes in 1-0 win Thursday, January 22, 2026, over BSC Young Boys in Europa League. Next match Thursday, January 29, 2024, v in Europa League.
Aidan Morris, MF, 24, Middlesbrough: Started and went 60 minutes in 4-0 win over Preston North End Saturday, January 24, 2026. Started and went 90 in 2-1 win over Stoke City January 21, 2026. Next match Saturday, January 31 v Norwich City.
Center Backs
Auston Trusty, D, 27, Celtic FC: Started, but sent off controversially in a 2-2 draw v Hearts on Sunday, January 25, 2026. Started and scored in Thursday, January 22, 2-2 draw with Bologna in Europa League. Next match: Europa League v Utrecht, Thursday, January 29.
Joe Scally, D, 23, Borussia Monchengladbach: went 90 minutes in 3-0 home loss to VfB Stuttgart. Next match Saturday, January 31 v Werder Bremen.
Mark Mckenzie, D, 26, Toulouse FC: Went 90 and gained an assist in 2-0 win over Brest on Sunday, January 25. Next match Sunday, February 1 v AJ Auxerre.
Chris Richards, D, 25, Crystal Palace: Started, scored, and went all 90 in a 3-1 loss to Chelsea on January 25. The match marked his 100th with Crystal Palace. Next match v Nottingham Forest Sunday, February 1, 2026.
Goalkeeper
See below…
Major League Soccer clubs have all reported to preseason in various locations. League matches begin Saturday, February 21, 2026.
Sebastian Berhalter, MF, 24, Vancouver Whitecaps
Cristian Roldan, MF, 30, Seattle Sounders
Timmy Tillman, MF, 27, LAFC
Diego Luna, MF/F, 22, RSL
Tim Ream, D, 38, Charlotte FC
Max Arfsten, D. 24, Columbus Crew
Miles Robinson, D, 28, FC Cincinnati
Roman Celentano, GK, 25, FC Cincinnati
Patrick Schulte, GK, 24, Columbus Crew
Matt Turner, GK, 31. New England Revolution (from Lyon)
Matt Freese, GK, 27, NYCFC
Roster Tracker USMNT World Cup 2026: Weah, Sands, Wright tally
Roster Tracker: USMNT World Cup 2026
2026 FIFA World Cup draw: Who is in the USA's group? Who is coming to Kansas City?
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21-year-old will move to Spain for a reported $4m
Defender is the son of former NFL WR Antonio Freeman
US national team defender Alex Freeman is set to move from Orlando City to Villarreal in Spain's La Liga, The Athletic and ESPN reported on Monday.
The transfer fee reportedly starts at more than $4m but could top $7m with add-ons included. Per ESPN, Orlando City would get 15% of the proceeds if Villarreal sells Freeman in the future.
Freeman could have moved on a free transfer later this year, but Orlando City ensured it would receive financial compensation for his departure by making the move during European soccer's January transfer window.
Freeman, 21, is the son of former Green Bay Packers All-Pro wide receiver Antonio Freeman.
The younger Freeman compiled six goals and three assists in 29 MLS games (26 starts) for Orlando City last year. He had no goals and one assist in three total league games, all off the bench, for the Lions over the prior two seasons. He is seen as one of the brightest young prospects in US men's soccer; an athletic fullback comfortable pushing forward with the ball at his feet but a capable defender as well.
He broke until the US men's national team last May and started every game for the squad at the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup. Freeman netted his first two goals in international play during a friendly against Uruguay in Tampa on 18 November. By year's end, he had earned 13 caps.
Villarreal sit in fourth place in the La Liga standings, trailing only heavyweights Barcelona, Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid. They are next-to-last in the Uefa Champions League table.
Orlando City finished ninth in MLS' Eastern Conference last season before losing a wild-card playoff match.
Pep Guardiola has insisted he has "never, ever" criticised referees in his 10 years in charge at Manchester City following his outburst at Premier League official Farai Hallam. The Spaniard has come under fire for comments made about Hallam after his refusal to award a penalty to City in their 2-0 win over Wolves, although Guardiola has gone on the defensive and, albeit issuing an apology, has doubled down on his assessment of the debutant ref's performance.
For more on this story, check out GOAL's full write-up and read Richard Martin's analysis of Guardiola's referee rants here.
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Spain, Portugal and Morocco are cohosting the tournament, but FIFA, which has the final say, has not said who will host the last game.
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The president of the Royal Spanish Football Federation, Rafael Louzan, says Spain will stage the final of the 2030 World Cup, which it is cohosting with Portugal and Morocco.
Morocco wants the game to be in Casablanca at the Grand Stade Hassan II, a large stadium currently under construction north of the city. But Louzan has other plans.
“Spain has proven its organisational capacity over many years. It will be the leader of the 2030 World Cup, and the final of that World Cup will be held here,” Louzan said late on Monday at an event organised by the Madrid Sports Press Association.
Louzan did not give a site for the match, for example at Madrid's Bernabeu or Barcelona's Camp Nou, the two leading candidates.
Once completed in late 2028, Casablanca's new stadium is expected to hold 115,000 spectators. Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) President Faouzi Lekjaa last year expressed his wish to see a final against Spain in Casablanca.
Louzan also alluded to the challenges Morocco faced during its hosting of the Africa Cup of Nations, including chaotic scenes during the final between Senegal and Morocco this month.
That match, which Senegal won 1-0, was overshadowed by fan disruptions and player protests that temporarily halted play.
“Morocco is really undergoing a transformation in every sense with magnificent stadiums,” Louzan said. “We must recognise what has been done well. But in the Africa Cup of Nations, we have seen scenes that damage the image of world football.”
FIFA, the FRMF and the Portuguese Football Federation have not responded to requests for comment on the final's location.
FIFA told the Reuters news agency last year that it was premature to decide the venue for the 2030 final, saying the host city for the 2026 World Cup final was revealed only two years before the tournament. World football's ruling body has the final say on where the match will be played.
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Angel Di Maria admits that Cristiano Ronaldo's professionalism is “by far” greater than that of Lionel Messi, but the former Real Madrid star still considers his fellow Argentine to be the GOAT having been given “a gift from God to be the best”. World Cup winner Di Maria has also been discussing who he considers to be the finest player on the planet in 2026.
Veteran forward Di Maria spent four years working alongside Portuguese superstar Ronaldo at Santiago Bernabeu between 2010 and 2014. He savoured La Liga and Champions League glory during that spell, with the many qualities of CR7 being witnessed at close quarters.
The South American told AS when asked if playing with Ronaldo left a lasting impression: “Yes. In terms of professionalism, Cris is number one by far. His work ethic, his ability to maintain his level, his constant effort to be the best while competing with Leo was truly commendable, but he coincided with Messi's era, which significantly complicated his goal.”
Ronaldo has still been able to win five Ballons d'Or, but has seen those efforts overshadowed by Messi's haul of eight Golden Balls. Both men are still going strong, at Al-Nassr and Inter Miami respectively, and are assured of standings among the mortals.
Di Maria has always placed Messi at the top of any all-time chart and reiterated that stance when being pushed on why his compatriot edges above eternal rival Ronaldo: “Cris was all about hard work and effort to be number one, but Messi, drinking mate in the locker room, later showed that he had a gift from God to be the best.”
Former Argentina player and coach Cesar Luis Menotti once said that Di Maria deserved to stand alongside Messi and Diego Maradona in any debate regarding Argentina's greatest players.
Di Maria said of that lofty billing: “At the time, I was very grateful to Cesar for those words, but I wasn't even close to them because they both belonged to a different world. It was a very kind compliment, and I didn't know Menotti when he said it. When I saw him, I thanked him in person, but I know that's not how it really was and that I'm very far removed from both of them.”
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Di Maria, like Messi and Ronaldo, is yet to hang up his boots. He has, at 37 years of age, returned to his roots at Rosario Central. He still keeps a close eye on how all of his former clubs are faring.
Real Madrid will forever attract plenty of attention, and they are considered to have the world's best player on their books at present - with France international forward Kylian Mbappe expected to land a Ballon d'Or of his own at some stage.
Asked for his assessment of Mbappe, Blancos legend Di Maria said: “Kylian has been among the best in the world for years. Team titles certainly influence individual accolades, but he proves every day that he's among the greats, and today he's the best. When he found his playing style, he became a game-changer.”
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Mbappe will be gracing another World Cup finals this summer, with Messi and Ronaldo also being tipped to feature at that event. Di Maria will not be there, having announced his international retirement in 2024, and has no regrets.
He said, with Luka Modric another veteran performer that is preparing to turn out at the very highest level beyond his 40th birthday: “It's not that I don't want to, it's that I think I've completed a cycle. I've achieved everything I wanted, a young generation is coming up behind me, and I think it was time to call it quits.
“After the Qatar World Cup, I had already made the decision, and the guys convinced me to play in the last Copa America. It ended like a dream, with us becoming champions , and it was my time. Now it's someone else's turn.”
The 2026 World Cup - which is heading to the United States, Canada and Mexico - will get underway on June 11. Di Maria will be an interested observer as the global crown that he helped Argentina to secure in 2022 comes up for grabs once more.
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Former U.S. men's national team goalkeeper Tim Howard, an analyst for on NBC Sports' Premier League coverage, has agreed to write the foreword to FrontRowSoccer.com editor Michael Lewis' upcoming book, Around the World Cup in 40 Years, An American sportswriter's perspective.
Tim Howard enjoyed a 23-year career in the U.S. and England. (Joy Rubenstein Photo)
Former U.S. men's national team goalkeeper Tim Howard, an analyst for on NBC Sports' Premier League coverage, has agreed to write the foreword to FrontRowSoccer.com editor Michael Lewis' upcoming book, Around the World Cup in 40 Years, An American sportswriter's perspective.
Howard, who starred for the USMNT in the 2014 World Cup and for Everton and Manchester United in England, enjoyed a 23-year career. He also played for the New York/New Jersey MetroStars and Colorado Rapids in Major League Soccer and Memphis 901 in the USL Championship before retiring in 2020. He was inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame in 2024.
The North Brunswick, N.J. native made a record 121 appearances for the U.S. (goalkeeper) and enjoyed some memorable matches, including a World Cup-record 16 saves in the Americans' 2-1 extra-time loss to Belgium in the Round of 16 in the 2014 competition in Brazil. He also had another impressive performance, making seven saves in a 0-0 draw with Argentina in East Rutherford, N.J. in 2008, standing on his head while denying Lionel Messi and company.
Howard made 45 Premier League appearances with Manchester United (2003-06) before signing with Everton (2006-16), playing 414 matches in 10 seasons with the club.
Lewis, who covered Howard's first MLS game in 1998 and many of his best matches in the U.S., has attended eight men's World Cups, and written about 10, since 1986.
The book will include many stories and anecdotes about his coverage of what many consider to be the greatest show on earth. That will include stories about the U.S. men's national team in World Cups, through several noted publications and websites, features on a several current players and U.S. Soccer legends, and some off-the-beaten path stories that many fans might not be aware of.
Lewis also has covered some of the most memorable World Cup matches of the past four decades, including the trilogy of confrontations between Argentina and England (1986, 1998 and 2002) and has written several unique articles on the 1950 U.S. World Cup team, which included a memorable Belo Horizonte reunion with Walter Bahr and Harry Keough.
The book's media sources includes the New York Daily News, Soccer America, Soccer Week, Soccer Magazine, Soccer New York, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, Soccerly, BigAppleSoccer.com, FrontRowSoccer.com, and View From the Front Row, among others.
Lewis, the 2025 winner of the United Soccer Coaches' Clay Berling Media Career Excellence award, has been covering the beautiful game since 1975.
He has covered 13 World Cups – eight men and five women. He also has attended and written about three youth World Cups (Under-17 tournaments in Canada in 1987 and 2007 and the U-20 competition in Chile in 1987). Lewis also has covered seven Olympic soccer tournaments and 10 gold-medal matches.
Around the World Cup will be Lewis' 10th book. His list includes four on the World Cup, three in the Soccer For Dummies series, and two books on the Rochester Lancers.
Front Row Soccer editor Michael Lewis has covered 13 World Cups (eight men, five women), seven Olympics and 28 MLS Cups. He has written about New York City FC, New York Cosmos, the New York Red Bulls and both U.S. national teams and has penned a soccer history column for the Guardian.com. Lewis, who has been honored by the Press Club of Long Island and National Soccer Coaches Association of America, is the former editor of BigAppleSoccer.com. He has written seven books about the beautiful game and has published ALIVE AND KICKING The incredible but true story of the Rochester Lancers. It is available at Amazon.com.
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U.S. Soccer Federation president Cindy Parlow Cone is running unopposed for re-election, a USSF spokesperson confirmed to The Athletic.
After two straight contested elections, Parlow Cone's name will be the only one on the ballot at U.S. Soccer's upcoming annual general meeting, where the federation's members vote to elect a president every four years.
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In 2018, there were eight registered candidates after longtime president Sunil Gulati chose not to run again. Carlos Cordeiro, formerly Gulati's vice president, won that election on a third ballot, after the first two rounds yielded no majority.
Cordeiro then resigned in 2020 amid U.S. Soccer's legal battle with its women's national team, specifically in response to a legal filing that was widely condemned as misogynistic. Parlow Cone, a former USWNT player who'd been elected vice president in 2019, assumed the presidency when Cordeiro vacated it.
Ahead of her first presidential election in 2022, Cordeiro returned to challenge her; but Parlow Cone prevailed, with 52.3% of the weighted vote to Cordeiro's 46.6%, the tightest final margin in U.S. Soccer history.
In 2026, the race will be much different. Parlow Clone declared her intent to run last winter, and received support from many influential constituents.
Over the months that followed, no challengers presented themselves, and the Dec. 23 deadline for candidates to enter passed without a second submission, several people familiar with the matter told The Athletic.
That means Parlow Cone will be re-elected for her second full four-year term on Feb. 21, when members gather at the Westin Peachtree Plaza in Atlanta for U.S. Soccer's National Council Meeting.
She will serve until 2030, and would be eligible to run for re-election once more. A third full term would take her through 2031, when the U.S. is set to co-host the Women's World Cup. (Parlow Cone and her counterparts in Mexico, Costa Rica and Jamaica announced a joint bid in October.)
Parlow Cone has accumulated significant power throughout her first full term, and especially over the past year. In addition to consolidating support domestically, she now sits on both the FIFA Council and Concacaf Council — the boards of the governing bodies for soccer globally; and in North and Central America and the Caribbean, respectively.
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Those two positions, which each pay six figures annually, plus the stipend that U.S. Soccer now pays its president, have allowed Parlow Cone to quit her coaching job at a youth club in North Carolina and dedicate herself full-time to the USSF presidency.
She now oversees an organization that has more than doubled in size — and moved its headquarters from Chicago to Atlanta — since she first took the helm. It is being run, in many ways, like a proper business. But its outreach to members has also multiplied. Parlow Cone spent the recent United Soccer Coaches Convention in Philadelphia taking back-to-back-to-back meetings with a wide variety of stakeholders alongside U.S. Soccer CEO J.T. Batson.
Through a spokesperson, she declined an interview request for this story, but said in a written statement: “It's been an honor to serve as President of the U.S. Soccer Federation. I'm grateful for the opportunity to continue serving alongside our members as we bring people together, run a financially strong and sustainable Federation, and serve the entire soccer community.”
She is also expected to send a note to members soon outlining her vision for the next four years.
Last March, when she declared her intent to run for re-election, she told The Athletic that the upcoming 2026 World Cup, the 2028 Olympics and the 2031 Women's World Cup were central to her ambitions.
“These tournaments just present a massive opportunity to grow the game at every single level and increase investment in the game at every level,” Parlow Cone said. “So my dream is that the legacy of 2026 is that every kid can walk, ride their bike or take public transportation to a safe place to play soccer, which is not true today. How do we transform our landscape to make sure that every kid has the same opportunity that I did as a child? And then, from the youth level to the professional levels, this moment will bring millions more Americans into the fold, but we can't just sit by and watch it happen. We have to be proactive and strategic and leverage these moments, which our team is working really hard on.
“I do believe that we are a soccer country already, but I also believe that we have a lot of work to do in terms of making sure everyone feels that the sport is for them and there's a place for them to play.”
Paul Tenorio contributed reporting to this story.
Henry Bushnell is a senior writer for The Athletic covering soccer. He previously covered a variety of sports and events, including World Cups and Olympics, for Yahoo Sports. He is based in Washington, D.C. Follow Henry on Twitter @HenryBushnell
International Football
Howard Smith / ISI Photos / Getty Images
U.S. Soccer Federation president Cindy Parlow Cone is running unopposed for re-election, a USSF spokesperson confirmed to The Athletic.
After two straight contested elections, Parlow Cone's name will be the only one on the ballot at U.S. Soccer's upcoming annual general meeting, where the federation's members vote to elect a president every four years.
Advertisement
In 2018, there were eight registered candidates after longtime president Sunil Gulati chose not to run again. Carlos Cordeiro, formerly Gulati's vice president, won that election on a third ballot, after the first two rounds yielded no majority.
Cordeiro then resigned in 2020 amid U.S. Soccer's legal battle with its women's national team, specifically in response to a legal filing that was widely condemned as misogynistic. Parlow Cone, a former USWNT player who'd been elected vice president in 2019, assumed the presidency when Cordeiro vacated it.
Ahead of her first presidential election in 2022, Cordeiro returned to challenge her; but Parlow Cone prevailed, with 52.3% of the weighted vote to Cordeiro's 46.6%, the tightest final margin in U.S. Soccer history.
In 2026, the race will be much different. Parlow Clone declared her intent to run last winter, and received support from many influential constituents.
Over the months that followed, no challengers presented themselves, and the Dec. 23 deadline for candidates to enter passed without a second submission, several people familiar with the matter told The Athletic.
That means Parlow Cone will be re-elected for her second full four-year term on Feb. 21, when members gather at the Westin Peachtree Plaza in Atlanta for U.S. Soccer's National Council Meeting.
She will serve until 2030, and would be eligible to run for re-election once more. A third full term would take her through 2031, when the U.S. is set to co-host the Women's World Cup. (Parlow Cone and her counterparts in Mexico, Costa Rica and Jamaica announced a joint bid in October.)
Parlow Cone has accumulated significant power throughout her first full term, and especially over the past year. In addition to consolidating support domestically, she now sits on both the FIFA Council and Concacaf Council — the boards of the governing bodies for soccer globally; and in North and Central America and the Caribbean, respectively.
Advertisement
Those two positions, which each pay six figures annually, plus the stipend that U.S. Soccer now pays its president, have allowed Parlow Cone to quit her coaching job at a youth club in North Carolina and dedicate herself full-time to the USSF presidency.
She now oversees an organization that has more than doubled in size — and moved its headquarters from Chicago to Atlanta — since she first took the helm. It is being run, in many ways, like a proper business. But its outreach to members has also multiplied. Parlow Cone spent the recent United Soccer Coaches Convention in Philadelphia taking back-to-back-to-back meetings with a wide variety of stakeholders alongside U.S. Soccer CEO J.T. Batson.
Through a spokesperson, she declined an interview request for this story, but said in a written statement: “It's been an honor to serve as President of the U.S. Soccer Federation. I'm grateful for the opportunity to continue serving alongside our members as we bring people together, run a financially strong and sustainable Federation, and serve the entire soccer community.”
She is also expected to send a note to members soon outlining her vision for the next four years.
Last March, when she declared her intent to run for re-election, she told The Athletic that the upcoming 2026 World Cup, the 2028 Olympics and the 2031 Women's World Cup were central to her ambitions.
“These tournaments just present a massive opportunity to grow the game at every single level and increase investment in the game at every level,” Parlow Cone said. “So my dream is that the legacy of 2026 is that every kid can walk, ride their bike or take public transportation to a safe place to play soccer, which is not true today. How do we transform our landscape to make sure that every kid has the same opportunity that I did as a child? And then, from the youth level to the professional levels, this moment will bring millions more Americans into the fold, but we can't just sit by and watch it happen. We have to be proactive and strategic and leverage these moments, which our team is working really hard on.
“I do believe that we are a soccer country already, but I also believe that we have a lot of work to do in terms of making sure everyone feels that the sport is for them and there's a place for them to play.”
Paul Tenorio contributed reporting to this story.
Henry Bushnell is a senior writer for The Athletic covering soccer. He previously covered a variety of sports and events, including World Cups and Olympics, for Yahoo Sports. He is based in Washington, D.C. Follow Henry on Twitter @HenryBushnell
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Oke Goettlich is one of 11 German FA vice-presidents. Selim Sudheimer / Getty Images
Oke Goettlich has started a conversation.
Last week, in an interview with the Hamburger Morgenpost, the St.Pauli president, who is a member of the German Football Association's (DFB) executive committee and one of its eleven vice presidents, encouraged a discussion about a boycott of this year's men's World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
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“What were the justifications for the boycotts of the Olympic Games in the 1980s?” Goettlich said. “By my reckoning, the potential threat is greater now than it was then. We need to have this discussion.”
The reaction in Germany since has been critical. Speaking at an event staged by the Deutsche Fussball Liga (DFL), the organisation that operates the Bundesliga, Bernd Neuendorf, the president of the DFB, accused Goettlich of “jumping the gun”, saying that the debate is “ill-timed and not relevant to us.”
Neuendorf, also a member of the FIFA Council — the decision-making arm of world football's governing body — accused Goettlich, who was elected to the DFB's executive committee in November 2025, of speaking out of turn.
“I don't think this is a major debate at all, because I believe we at the DFB are very much in agreement that we consider it completely misguided at this point,” Neuendorf said.
“It's a statement from a single representative from the (DFB) executive committee. This colleague hasn't been with us that long, but as a rule, we discuss these issues within our committees first and then form an opinion.”
Hans-Joachim Watzke, chief executive of the DFL, has also rejected calls for a boycott.
But Goettlich is one of German football's most forthright characters. He has been St. Pauli's president since 2014, which has made him the figurehead for the country's most political, left-wing club; he is used to being outspoken.
“It is clearly time to at least discuss a boycott,” he tells The Athletic.
“We do not know yet how the coming months will unfold. Right now, Germany's Foreign Office has issued travel advisories for parts of the United States. We are seeing people die on the streets as a result of actions by immigration enforcement — ICE. We do not know yet what will happen with Greenland.
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“Against that backdrop, it is responsible and necessary to openly discuss which scenarios are on the table.”
That discussion is happening. On Monday, former FIFA president Sepp Blatter endorsed comments made by Mark Pieth, a Swiss anti-corruption lawyer who worked with FIFA during Blatter's presidency, who has advised supporters to “avoid the United States”, telling them that “they'll get a better view on television anyway”.
“Upon arrival,” Pieth said in an interview with Tages-Anzeiger, the Swiss newspaper, “fans should expect that if they don't behave properly with the authorities, they will be immediately sent home. If they're lucky …”
Blatter, writing on X, said that Pieth “was right to question the tournament”.
"For the fans, there's only one piece of advice: stay away from the USA!” I think Mark Pieth is right to question this World Cup. #MarkPieth #GianniInfantino #DonaldTrump #FIFAWorldCup2026 #USA
— Joseph S Blatter (@SeppBlatter) January 26, 2026
Goettlich has advised fans not to travel to the tournament, too.
He also rejects the notion that football exists in a non-political vacuum, or that the sport and surrounding politics can simply be kept apart.
“The claim that football should not be politicised is simply no longer credible,” he said.
“That line was crossed long ago and most recently by the propaganda-style performance staged by (FIFA president) Gianni Infantino and Donald Trump around a so-called peace prize. We did not politicise football; they did.
“And yes, the argument that the 2018 World Cup in Russia should have been boycotted after the annexation of Crimea is valid. It shows precisely what happens when imperial and authoritarian leaders are not confronted clearly and early, and when firm limits are not set.”
His position on this issue should not be misinterpreted.
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“A boycott would not be directed against the people of the United States,” he said, “but against the government. It would be a form of protest toward those in power and an action in defence of human rights and the rule of law. This is not about demonising the United States, and certainly not its population. It is about standing with those who are threatened by the Trump administration.”
And hearing from them. Goettlich wants the people in the United States to be part of this discussion and to involve those directly affected.
“We would also welcome the opportunity to engage directly with civil society initiatives in the United States to hear their perspectives on this debate,” he added. What really matters is listening to those on the ground and understanding how people there view the situation.”
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Ayo Oke was moving into her new apartment late one Friday night in Denver, Colorado. It had already been a long evening of unpacking boxes alongside her mother, Ronke.
With her mother already asleep in the other room, Oke was almost ready to turn in for the night when she decided to check her notifications.
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“I was doing my skincare late at night and for some reason I was like, ‘Let me check my iPad and see what time it is. I feel like it's past my bedtime',” Oke told The Athletic.
On the screen, an email stared back at Oke. The message was from the operations manager of the Denver Summit, the 2026 National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) expansion team that Oke transferred to in early January.
The email informed Oke she had received her first call-up to the U.S. women's national team. She was a late addition to the camp for the friendlies against Paraguay and Chile after Avery Patterson, who was announced in the squad on Jan. 8, had pulled out due to illness.
“I thought I was dreaming. I went to my mom,” Oke said. “She wasn't awake, so I had to shake her and wake her up and I showed her. She literally screamed at midnight in my apartment complex. And I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, it's real.'”
A post shared by Denver Summit FC (@denversummit_fc)
In less than 24 hours, Oke was whisked out of Denver and off to the USWNT's team hotel in Long Beach, California, receiving her team tracksuits and preparing for her first session the following Monday.
Arriving the night before an off day, Oke didn't see many of her new teammates but connected with two members of the squad she was already close with: Reilyn Turner, who she played alongside at UCLA, and Olivia Moultrie, who she had frequently played with for different U.S. women's youth national teams over the years.
It wasn't until she suited up that Monday, however, that the reality of one of the most elite environments in world soccer sunk in. She said it was “intense” but motivating.
“I'm in preseason mode and just being in this environment, it's just such another level of elite athletes,” she said, “It was a lot for me.”
With a couple more training sessions under her belt, Oke says she began to feel “much more settled” and the nerves were out of her system.
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Her first camp is in a place quite familiar to the 22-year-old. Her four-year collegiate soccer career was split between the University of California and UCLA. She amassed 33 games, two goals and 10 assists for the Golden Bears between 2021 and 2022 before heading south and notching 32 games, three goals and four assists for the Bruins from 2023 to 2024.
She graduated in December 2024 and opted to start her professional career with Club Pachuca in LigaMX Femenil. Oke signed with Pachuca in January 2025 for a chance to get first-team experience and plenty of minutes. She knew it would be important to USWNT scouts and head coach Emma Hayes.
“They seemed really excited to have me and I was really excited to go there. I love to travel,” she said of the Mexican club. “Why not spend some time in Mexico, learn Spanish, and experience a new culture?”
Oke helped Pachuca to a second-place finish in the regular season standings for the 2025 Clausura. In the playoffs, Pachuca won its first LigaMX Femenil title in May 2025. Las Tuzas also won the Campeon de Campeonas trophy that July and qualified for the 2025-26 Concacaf W Champions Cup semifinals in October.
Across 2025, Oke recorded 44 appearances, two goals and six assists in all competitions for Pachuca before leaving for the Summit for an undisclosed transfer fee in January 2026.
“I'm so grateful for Pachuca because I had an amazing 10 months there, met some amazing people and had some great experiences. And ultimately they got me to Denver and to the national team now.'
Oke is one of few American players who have played in LigaMX Femenil and also received call-ups to the USWNT. Mia Fishel, also out of UCLA, played for UANL Tigres from 2022 to 2023, but didn't make her USWNT debut until September 2023 when she had transferred to Chelsea that August. Fishel was never called in while she was a Tigres player.
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Oke is in a similar position. She has earned her spot from performances in Mexico, but she is now representing the Summit on the international stage before she has kicked a ball for her club.
However, Oke praised Hayes, player scout Lisa Cole, and the pathways created within the USWNT youth national team, for their communication while she was at Pachuca. Oke was called up to the UWNT U-23s multiple times and most recently started in a 4-2 win over England in December 2025.
“Emma (Hayes) has done a great job with creating a bridge between the 23s and the senior team. Basically, getting called into the 23s was just a side-by-side with the women's team and you could talk to her (Hayes),” said Oke.
“It was pretty easy to keep in contact, I would say. Our (Pachuca) games were usually on YouTube, so I'm sure when they got a chance they could watch and I would just hear about what at camp I needed to improve on when I went.”
Something Oke has also liked about these conversations with Hayes is how honest she is.
“I noticed how blunt she (Hayes) is. Very direct and honest, which I really appreciate. I feel like it doesn't leave any blurred lines or confusion, Oke said. “She also leaves a space open to have conversations with her and ask questions, which I really appreciate as well, because it makes it more inviting to talk to her about things.”
Oke did not feature in the USWNT's 6-0 win over Paraguay last Saturday. She will have one more opportunity to make her debut during this camp, when the USWNT meets Chile on Tuesday night in Santa Barbara, California.
What will be going through Oke's head should she make her debut?
“First I'm like, ‘My goodness, this is real life. It's happening.' Second, I just want to be grateful and thankful for the opportunity,” Oke said. “Thank God for putting me in this position. And thirdly, just to have fun, just enjoy it, because it'll be over so quick. So just really just take in every moment, the mistakes and all.”
Theo Lloyd-Hughes is a Contributor for The Athletic based in London, UK. Prior to The
Athletic, he served as a freelance writer for The Associated Press, Sports Illustrated and Equalizer.
Theo attended the University of Sussex and the University of Texas. He also produces The Athletic's Women's Soccer podcast, Full Time.
Fermin Lopez would love to see Lionel Messi welcomed back to Barcelona, even if that means dropping down to the bench. The 22-year-old has become one of the Blaugrana's most consistent performers this season, but he would happily give up a playmaking post at Camp Nou if an eight-time Ballon d'Or winner could be returned to Catalunya for an emotional farewell tour.
All-time great Messi severed career-long ties with Barca in 2021 when leaving for Paris Saint-Germain as a free agent. Tears were shed ahead of his departure, with the iconic Argentine being forced through the exits by much-publicised financial struggles.
He is now in the United States with Inter Miami and has committed to a new contract through 2028 with the MLS Cup winners. At 38 years of age, there appears to be little chance of him returning to Europe in a playing capacity.
Fermin is, however, prepared to cling to that dream. Another product of Barcelona's fabled La Masia academy system has told reporters when asked who his dream team-mate would be: “If it were up to me to sign someone for Barca, I would sign Leo Messi. If they bench me for Messi, so be it!”
Fermin has been rotated out of Barcelona's starting XI at times this season, but he is a regular pick for head coach Hansi Flick. That is because 10 goals and as many assists have been recorded in the 2025-26 campaign - with that haul including a Champions League hat-trick against Olympiacos.
He is now being lined up for a new contract, with talks underway regarding terms that would keep the five-cap Spain international in his current surroundings through to 2031. Fermin's offer is said to include a 50 per cent pay rise and a significant increase to his release clause - having previously attracted interest from Premier League giants Chelsea.
He has said of those discussions: “Yes, things are going pretty well, there are still a few things to sort out, but I intend to stay at Barca, which is the most important thing for me. And the truth is that I hope it happens soon and I'm very happy.”
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Fermin added on his impressive form: “I hope to help the team a lot. It's not a goal I set for myself, but in the position I play, I know I have to score goals and provide assists to help the team, and hopefully I can do a lot more.
“Right now, I think this is my best year yet. I feel very confident in all aspects of the game and I try to show my qualities on the pitch. Hopefully, I can continue to do well with shots from outside the box.
“I hope to help the team a lot. It's not a goal I set for myself, but in the position I play, I know I have to score goals and provide assists to help the team, and hopefully I can do a lot more.”
Fermin is in competition with Dani Olmo for minutes at Barca, but says they enjoy a friendly rivalry. He added: “I have a very good relationship with Dani. He's a great player and, at the end of the day, we're at Barca and there's always a lot of competition. I also think we can play together, we complement each other very well and I hope we can play together more often on the pitch, to be honest.”
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Finally, with Barcelona chasing down La Liga and Champions League titles, Fermin said of collective targets in 2026: “We are Barca and I think we have a very good squad. I believe we can compete for everything and hopefully this year we can compete for big things. We want to win everything.”
Flick's side, who hold a one-point lead over Clasico rivals Real Madrid in the Liga standings, will be back in European action on Wednesday when playing host to FC Copenhagen - with automatic qualification for the last 16 of Champions League competition up for grabs.
This is Legacy, GOAL's podcast following the road to the 2026 World Cup. Every week, we dive into the stories and legacies that shaped football's greatest nations. Today we look at how one of the game's most iconic players lost the love of his people, became the most hated man in the land and then won back their hearts in a way only he could. This is the story of David Beckham's rise and fall after England's dramatic elimination from the 1998 FIFA World Cup...
The David Beckham the world knows of today is very different from the one who came to prominence before the turn of the 21st century.
One constant, however, is he has and always will be a superstar, for better or worse. He was and is the embodiment of an old Manchester United phrase: ‘Hated, adored, never ignored'. Beckham was one of the first celebrity footballers, a pioneer in having interests outside the game itself and leaning into his ‘image'.
Come the end of the summer of 1998, that ‘image' was one of infamy. He was the most hated man in England. One rush of blood to the head, one moment of petulance turned a nation against him. It all seems rather silly in hindsight.
Nevertheless, this was a seminal moment in Beckham's career and life. In modern-day speak, it was a canon event and a core memory. England's World Cup last-16 tie with Argentina ought to have been a spectacle remembered mainly for the football, but it is best known for a red card that shifted the universe ever so slightly.
Here is the tale of Beckham's darkest hour, and how he bounced back to go down as one of the most popular football players of all time.
By the time the 1998 World Cup rolled around, Beckham had been a regular at Manchester United for three years. He formed part of the famous ‘Class of ‘92' alongside fellow academy graduates Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs, Nicky Butt, Gary Neville and his brother Phil. This was a new dawn for the Red Devils, who won the inaugural Premier League following the breakaway from the Football League to set themselves up for a lucrative future.
Managed by the legendary Sir Alex Ferguson, United became the dominant force in England. The Scottish coach preached a culture of discipline and work ethic, which Beckham followed to a tee. He would spend countless hours on the training pitch perfecting his craft, working on his game and adding layers to it. This commitment, plus a sprinkling of stardust and raw talent, made the right winger one of the best free-kick takers the game has ever seen.
Beckham broke into the United first team during their title-winning 1995-96 season, though it was the following campaign in which he truly made a splash, being named the PFA Young Player of the Year for 1996-97 and making his England debut a few weeks after their Euro 1996 campaign on home soil ended in a semi-final defeat to Germany.
Despite having not been capped by England prior to September 1996, Beckham became undroppable once a member of the Three Lions. He featured in every qualifying game leading up to the World Cup 1998 finals, though went into the tournament in a state of relative acrimony.
Beckham topped the Premier League assist charts for the first of three times in his career, but United were beaten to the title by Arsenal and England boss Glenn Hoddle was unhappy with the winger's mentality ahead of the tournament in France, with it suggested his mind was wandering and focused on his upcoming marriage to Spice Girls singer Victoria Adams.
“He really didn't have his mind concentrated on the World Cup,” Hoddle said as explanation for not starting Beckham in their first two group-stage games. “He has to learn to calm down. The quicker he learns, the better player he will be.”
This was, however, disputed by the player himself as the spat became public. “I've always been focused on my football,” Beckahm retorted. “That's always come first, before everything else. Nothing gets in the way. I just needed the chance to get in there and show what I can do. I was given that chance, in the role I want, and I gave my best performance for England.”
Beckham's retaliation came on the eve of their last-16 matchup with rivals Argentina. For many Three Lions followers, their elimination to Diego Maradona's ‘Hand of God' 12 years prior was still fresh in the memory. This was a fixture that England couldn't afford to lose. The population wouldn't allow this squad of 23 to return home as anything but winners of this match, regardless of what happened for the rest of the tournament.
What followed was one of the most memorable World Cup encounters of all time.
FIFA brought in the big dogs to oversee what was expected to be a tempestuous game. The experienced and reliable Kim Milton Nielsen was appointed referee, while Argentina sought to invoke some pre-match mind games by asking to play in their changed navy blue strip despite being the nominal ‘home' team, believing it would bring good luck against the English.
Within five minutes of kick-off, La Albiceleste went in front. Goalkeeper David Seaman hauled down Diego Simeone inside the box and Argentina were awarded a penalty, which master bagsman Gabriel Batistuta smashed home. Yet with their next attack, England had a spot kick of their own after Michael Owen was felled by Roberto Ayala, and Alan Shearer converted from 12 yards.
Owen was on the scoresheet himself on 16 minutes, taking on all comers to grab one of the most iconic goals in Three Lions history. However, England couldn't quite get into the half-time break in the lead, as Javier Zanetti equalised from a clever free-kick routine in stoppage time.
A breathless first 45 minutes that felt like forever did eventually come to an end, yet Beckham's night was over sixty seconds after the restart. While challenging for a high ball, he fell to the floor after receiving an elbow to the back from the cunning Simeone, who then pinned the United winger down for an extra second or two for good measure. Beckham, at this point still only 23, reacted by flicking his heel up at the future Atletico Madrid manager.
Unfortunately, that last incident occurred right in front of the watchful eyes of referee Milton Nielsen. Simeone was shown a yellow card and you'd have forgiven Beckham for thinking he would suffer the same fate, only for the Danish official to reach around to his back pocket and brandish a red instead.
He was sent off. England were down to ten men. Even if VAR had been in use back in the day, they probably wouldn't have recommended a review to overturn the decision. Beckham entered a game of dark arts with Simeone and lost, just as the Three Lions would do in the tie to Argentina. As was the case with many shootouts before and after, England were defeated on penalties.
And the man the country blamed was Beckham.
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‘10 heroic lions, one stupid boy' read the most damning of headlines the day after England's elimination. That title was courtesy of The Mirror, who weren't alone in singling out Beckham as the main reason the Three Lions lost. ‘Beck-home' was The Sun's version, ‘Moment of lunacy that cost cup hopes' with a picture of the incident was the Daily Mail's take.
Beckham had hardly punched Simeone in the face. He didn't lose his temper or let rage come over him. The offence was one of violent conduct, but with the ‘violent' doing some extremely heavy lifting. England even made it all the way to penalties, where spot kicks saw them eliminated for a third tournament running, yet it was one player's action after 46 minutes which was the focus.
The public followed the press' warpath. Accompanying The Mirror's headline was a dartboard, and that set the tone for how violent the sentiment turned against Beckham. Effigies were burnt and hung, death threats were sent to him, and a radio poll in Manchester claimed 61% of fans didn't want him to represent the Three Lions ever again.
Beckham didn't go into hiding, instead opting to face the music. “This is without doubt the worst moment of my career,” he said in the aftermath. "I will always regret my actions. I have apologised to the England players and management and I want every England supporter to know how deeply sorry I am.
“I stood in the tunnel and watched the last few minutes and the terrible tension of the penalty shoot-out. That was worse than anything else. It was then I fully realised what I had done. I kept thinking to myself that, if I had been out there, I would have been one of the penalty takers. The rest of them had done so much without me and I had let them down desperately.”
Upon returning to club football with United, Beckham regularly found himself booed and jeered by opposing fans. Even when representing England again, supporters turned on him.
During a 3-2 loss to Portugal at Euro 2000, in which Beckham set up both of England's goals, he was harassed by his own fans. Following two years of abuse, the winger let emotion come over him once again and he raised his middle finger to those who wouldn't leave him be. Where the media previously dug him out for his actions, they opted to stand with him on this occasion, perhaps wary of the damage they had previously done.
During the 2023 Netflix documentary focusing on Beckham and Victoria, who claimed her fiance at the time was ‘clinically depressed', the now-former winger admitted these were still days he wished he could forget.
“I wish there was a pill you could take which could erase certain memories,” he said. “I made a stupid mistake. It changed my life. ‘How do you feel about letting your country down?', ‘you are a disgrace'.
“We were in America, just about to have our first baby, and I thought 'we will be fine, in a day or two people will have forgotten'.
“I don't think I have ever talked about it, just because I can't. I find it hard to talk through what I went through because it was so extreme.
“Wherever I went, I got abused every single day. To walk down the street and to see people look at you in a certain way, spit at you, abuse you, come up to your face and say some of the things they said, that is difficult.
"I wasn't eating, I wasn't sleeping. I was a mess. I didn't know what to do. The boss (Ferguson) called me. He said 'David, how are you doing?' I think I got quite emotional. He said 'how are you doing, son?'. I said 'not great, boss'. He said 'OK, don't worry about it, son'.
“That was the only thing I could control, once I was on the pitch, then I felt safe.”
Amid the noise and personal criticism, Beckham still managed to go about his business and became one of the best players in the world during this period. He finished second in Ballon d'Or voting for 1999, the year United won the first treble in English football history. He was world renowned for his free kicks and crossing ability, with a film - Bend It Like Beckham - first going into production in 2001. There was more to life than what happened one evening in 1998.
Yet Beckham still craved the plaudits of the England faithful. He still wanted to right his previous wrongs. The decision to appoint him Three Lions captain in November 2000 was far from universally popular, but it was accepted all the same. With the appointment of Sven-Goran Eriksson as the team's first foreign manager, there was hope this crop would end decades of hurt and deliver a trophy.
Despite beating rivals Germany 5-1 away in World Cup qualifying, England still needed to claim a point against Greece on the final matchday to book their spot at the 2002 finals in Japan and South Korea. Bizarrely, the Three Lions trailed 2-1 going into stoppage time of the game at Old Trafford.
With seconds to go, the hosts were awarded a free kick just under 30 yards out. There was only one man for the occasion. This was it. Three years of pain and vitriol could be wiped away with one swing of his right boot, this time onto a ball rather than another player.
Up stepped Beckham, and the rest was history.
“I don't believe it,” commentator Gary Bloom said in utter disbelief. “David Beckham scores the goal to take England all the way to the World Cup Finals! Give that man a Knighthood!”
England were going to the World Cup, and would you believe it, they were drawn to face Argentina again, this time in the group stage. This time, Beckham was the winner.
Once more, Owen won a penalty, brought down by Mauricio Pochettino, nowadays better known as the former manager of Tottenham and Chelsea. There was no doubt who was taking the spot kick, though.
“Hold the cups and the glasses back home,” the immortal John Motson said on the gantry as Beckham took one last breath to himself. “You can smash them now, Beckham has scored for England!” was the next line spoken.
England went out to eventual winners Brazil in the quarter-finals, even despite the Selecao playing over 40 minutes with ten men after Ronaldinho was sent off. In fact, the Three Lions' trophy drought is still ongoing to this day, with the ‘Golden Generation' failing to deliver silverware. But Beckham had his moment of vindication. He was no longer an England enemy, rather a hero and a legend. To this day, only two men - Peter Shilton and Wayne Rooney - have played more games for the national team.
Beckham is one of the most recognisable faces in sport anywhere in the world, seen as a trailblazer and a leader by example rather than a mere player. Moreover, he is viewed as an unofficial ambassador of his country during his many excursions abroad.
He ended his career with a grand total of 146 goals in 724 matches, winning 17 trophies and playing club football in five different countries, still loved to this day by every team he ever represented - United, Preston North End, Real Madrid, LA Galaxy, AC Milan and Paris Saint-Germain. The furore over 1998 is now more remembered than the actual hatred towards Beckham, proving once and for all he exorcised those demons.
Oh, and he received his knighthood from King Charles III at long last in 2025. Arise, Sir David Beckham.
A key member of the U.S. men's national soccer team is on the move months before the 2026 World Cup kicks off this summer.
La Liga club Villarreal and Orlando City of MLS are in agreement on a transfer for defender Alex Freeman, according to multiple reports.
ESPN was the first to report this development.
Orlando City will receive a transfer fee worth at least $4 million, according to ESPN and The Athletic. Freeman's contract with Orlando City was set to expire following the 2026 MLS season, but now the team receives compensation for a player it helped develop into a national team regular.
Freeman, the son of former NFL wide receiver Antonio Freeman, became a full-time starter for Orlando City in 2025, appearing in 29 matches and starting 26. Freeman parlayed the playing time into his first appearances for coach Mauricio Pochettino's USMNT, making his national team debut on June 7 in a 2-1 loss to Turkey. Freeman went on to make 13 appearances for the USMNT in 2025, including scoring two goals in the team's 5-1 win over Uruguay on Nov. 19.
As a result of his impressive play for both club and country, Freeman appears to be a lock to make Pochettino's 26-player roster for the 2026 World Cup.
At Villarreal, Freeman will join a Spanish club that currently resides in fourth place behind table-toppers Barcelona, Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid. Villarreal also is competing in the UEFA Champions League, but has been eliminated with one more match to play during the league phase.
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The "Futbol Americas" crew react to USMNT's 2026 FIFA World Cup group draw. (3:17)
Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter on Monday backed calls for fans to "stay away" from FIFA World Cup matches in the United States because of the conduct of President Donald Trump and his administration at home and abroad.
Blatter was the latest international soccer figure to call into question the suitability of the United States as a host country in a post on X that supported Mark Pieth's comments from an interview last week with the Swiss newspaper Der Bund.
Pieth, a Swiss attorney specializing in white-collar crime and an anti-corruption expert, chaired the Independent Governance Committee's oversight of FIFA reform a decade ago. Blatter was president of the world's governing body for soccer from 1998 to 2015. He resigned amid an investigation into corruption.
In his interview with Der Bund, Pieth said, "If we consider everything we've discussed, there's only one piece of advice for fans: Stay away from the USA! You'll see it better on TV anyway. And upon arrival, fans should expect that if they don't please the officials, they'll be put straight on the next flight home. If they're lucky."
In his X post, Blatter quoted Pieth and added: "I think Mark Pieth is right to question this World Cup."
The United States is co-hosting the World Cup with Canada and Mexico from June 11-July 19.
The international soccer community's concerns about the United States stem from Trump's expansionist posture on Greenland, travel bans and aggressive tactics in dealing with migrants and immigration enforcement protestors in American cities, particularly Minneapolis.
Oke Göttlich, one of the vice presidents of the German soccer federation, told the Hamburger Morgenpost newspaper in an interview Friday that the time had come to seriously consider boycotting the World Cup.
Travel plans for fans from two of the top soccer countries in Africa were thrown into disarray in December when the Trump administration announced a ban that would effectively bar people from Senegal and Ivory Coast from following their teams unless they already have visas. Trump cited "screening and vetting deficiencies" as the main reason for the suspensions.
Fans from Iran and Haiti, two other countries that have qualified for the World Cup, will be barred from entering the United States as well; they were included in the first iteration of the travel ban announced by the Trump administration.
This summer's World Cup has already faced heavy criticism from fan groups over ticket prices, as unprecedented demand and the use of dynamic pricing has seen the list price for a Category 1 ticket for the final at MetLife Stadium on July 19 set at $8,680.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino added Friday that those high prices could also be further affected by fans with tickets in hand looking to sell them for profit on resale sites, thus driving up the cost.
"People want to go, and they will go and celebrate together. We always, always celebrate football together," Infantino said Monday, when asked about the message posted on social media by Blatter.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
Dejected and deflated, where can Alex de Minaur turn after another sobering defeat to Carlos Alcaraz?
The sixth seed walked onto court to face the World No. 1 in the Australian Open quarter-finals having dropped just one set all fortnight. De Minaur had looked assured in straight-sets victories against Frances Tiafoe and Alexander Bublik, and from some corners of the tennis world there was quiet belief that the Australian might finally be able to trouble Alcaraz and improve on his 0-5 Lexus ATP Head2Head record against the Spaniard.
For a brief spell, that belief felt justified. De Minaur matched Alcaraz's intensity early and stayed competitive through a high-quality first set, energising the crowd inside Rod Laver Arena. But once the top seed moved ahead, the contest quickly tilted in familiar fashion. Alcaraz surged clear to seal a 7-5, 6-2, 6-1 victory in two hours and 15 minutes, once again exposing the gap De Minaur is still striving to close against the very best.
The result left the Australian No. 1 with more questions than answers, not about effort or intent, but about execution at the highest level.
“In terms of mentality or the way I committed to hitting the ball today, it's what I set out to do. I just can't really execute it. I didn't really execute it for the whole match,” De Minaur said on his performance. “There was some good parts out there, but overall, I'm playing out of my comfort zone and at times out of my skin.
“Of course, for me to take that next step, I've got to be comfortable in playing that sort of way for the whole match, and that's what it takes, to take it to the next level, especially against these types of guys.”
You May Also Like: Alcaraz raises the bar vs. De Minaur, cracks SF code at Australian Open
De Minaur has now exited at the quarter-final stage of a major on seven occasions, losing six times and withdrawing once through injury. While the 26-year-old believes he is moving closer to his peak level, sustaining it across an entire match against the very best remains the challenge.
“You just keep practising, keep working at it, keep getting to the stage of committing and playing at that level more frequently,” De Minaur said on how he makes the next breakthrough. “Then some tweaks here and there that's going to allow me to increase ball speed, because at the moment the way my natural groundstrokes are, they're quite flat, and it's quite difficult for me.
“There is a whole lot of risk for me to play at a very high ball speed, and I feel like Jannik or Carlos, they have so many revolutions on the ball that they're able to not only play at a higher speed but also have their consistency, because they're able to get that spin that helps the ball come down and create different angles as well.”
Australia is proud, @alexdeminaur 🇦🇺 pic.twitter.com/8i3B4pHoWp— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 27, 2026
De Minaur has made significant progress in recent years. The 10-time tour-level titlist is competing at a career-high No. 6 in the PIF ATP Rankings and has qualified for the Nitto ATP Finals in each of the past two seasons. Yet he has been unable to make a notable impression against Alcaraz or Jannik Sinner, losing all 19 matches contested between the two, a source of mounting frustration.
“You try to do the right things, you try to keep on improving, but when the results don't come or the scoreline doesn't reflect those improvements, then of course you feel quite deflated,” De Minaur said.
Alcaraz, who is aiming to complete the Career Grand Slam this fortnight, has yet to drop a set in Melbourne and has reached the semi-finals for the first time. De Minaur further acknowledged the challenge posed by the six-time major champion.
“I'm probably hitting the ball bigger than I've hit previously in these types of matches, but I'm still not able to kind of hit through him,” De Minaur said. “Then he's obviously got the ability to generate on command. If you leave one ball short, then the point's over. So he's definitely playing at a very high level. I'll be very intrigued to see how the rest of the tournament plays out.
“I do think he's playing at a very high level. Ultimately, No. 1 in the world for a reason.”
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De Minaur has now exited at the quarter-final stage of a major on seven occasions, losing six times and withdrawing once through injury. While the 26-year-old believes he is moving closer to his peak level, sustaining it across an entire match against the very best remains the challenge.
“You just keep practising, keep working at it, keep getting to the stage of committing and playing at that level more frequently,” De Minaur said on how he makes the next breakthrough. “Then some tweaks here and there that's going to allow me to increase ball speed, because at the moment the way my natural groundstrokes are, they're quite flat, and it's quite difficult for me.
“There is a whole lot of risk for me to play at a very high ball speed, and I feel like Jannik or Carlos, they have so many revolutions on the ball that they're able to not only play at a higher speed but also have their consistency, because they're able to get that spin that helps the ball come down and create different angles as well.”
Australia is proud, @alexdeminaur 🇦🇺 pic.twitter.com/8i3B4pHoWp— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 27, 2026
De Minaur has made significant progress in recent years. The 10-time tour-level titlist is competing at a career-high No. 6 in the PIF ATP Rankings and has qualified for the Nitto ATP Finals in each of the past two seasons. Yet he has been unable to make a notable impression against Alcaraz or Jannik Sinner, losing all 19 matches contested between the two, a source of mounting frustration.
“You try to do the right things, you try to keep on improving, but when the results don't come or the scoreline doesn't reflect those improvements, then of course you feel quite deflated,” De Minaur said.
Alcaraz, who is aiming to complete the Career Grand Slam this fortnight, has yet to drop a set in Melbourne and has reached the semi-finals for the first time. De Minaur further acknowledged the challenge posed by the six-time major champion.
“I'm probably hitting the ball bigger than I've hit previously in these types of matches, but I'm still not able to kind of hit through him,” De Minaur said. “Then he's obviously got the ability to generate on command. If you leave one ball short, then the point's over. So he's definitely playing at a very high level. I'll be very intrigued to see how the rest of the tournament plays out.
“I do think he's playing at a very high level. Ultimately, No. 1 in the world for a reason.”
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Australia is proud, @alexdeminaur 🇦🇺 pic.twitter.com/8i3B4pHoWp
De Minaur has made significant progress in recent years. The 10-time tour-level titlist is competing at a career-high No. 6 in the PIF ATP Rankings and has qualified for the Nitto ATP Finals in each of the past two seasons. Yet he has been unable to make a notable impression against Alcaraz or Jannik Sinner, losing all 19 matches contested between the two, a source of mounting frustration.
“You try to do the right things, you try to keep on improving, but when the results don't come or the scoreline doesn't reflect those improvements, then of course you feel quite deflated,” De Minaur said.
Alcaraz, who is aiming to complete the Career Grand Slam this fortnight, has yet to drop a set in Melbourne and has reached the semi-finals for the first time. De Minaur further acknowledged the challenge posed by the six-time major champion.
“I'm probably hitting the ball bigger than I've hit previously in these types of matches, but I'm still not able to kind of hit through him,” De Minaur said. “Then he's obviously got the ability to generate on command. If you leave one ball short, then the point's over. So he's definitely playing at a very high level. I'll be very intrigued to see how the rest of the tournament plays out.
“I do think he's playing at a very high level. Ultimately, No. 1 in the world for a reason.”
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Carlos Alcaraz moved to within two wins of completing the Career Grand Slam on Tuesday at the Australian Open, where he powered into his first semi-final at Melbourne Park.
The World No. 1 absorbed and eventually neutralised the full force of Alex de Minaur's newly sharpened attacking approach, sealing a statement 7-5, 6-2, 6-1 victory in front of a vibrant Rod Laver Arena crowd. Chasing his seventh major title — and his first in Melbourne — Alcaraz set up a semi-final clash with last year's runner-up Alexander Zverev.
“I'm just really happy with the level that I'm playing every match, since the first round,” Alcaraz said. “I've been increasing my level each match. I was talking with my team about being patient, because I want all the things right now. But they told me to be patient, that the level will come. Today I felt really comfortable, playing great tennis, which I'm really proud about.”
FIRST AO SEMI-FINAL ✅@carlosalcaraz becomes the 8th Spanish man in history to reach the Australian Open semi-finals.7-5, 6-2, 6-1 vs de Minaur.@AustralianOpen | #AO26 pic.twitter.com/9H5MRIiLmB
De Minaur offered a glimpse of the blueprint required to trouble the game's elite, notably Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, but the contest ultimately underlined the gap that still exists at the highest level. Alcaraz struck with authority from the baseline, dictating play with conviction as he surged into the semi-finals without dropping a set.
This fortnight, the 22-year-old Spaniard is aiming to become just the sixth man in the Open Era to complete the Career Grand Slam, joining Andre Agassi, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Rod Laver.
You May Also Like: Alcaraz chases No. 1 Club history as Career Grand Slam looms at Australian Open
Following his fourth-round win over Alexander Bublik, De Minaur spoke candidly about his determination to avoid becoming a “punching bag” for the top players and to improve his ability to move opponents out of position. His speed and relentless defence have driven his rise to a career-high No. 6 in the PIF ATP Rankings, but his comments reflect the evolution required to challenge a new generation that has claimed the past eight major titles.
For a set, De Minaur delivered on that ambition. The opening set of the quarter-final featured five breaks of serve, with the Australian clawing back from deficits of 0-3 and 3-5 by stepping inside the court and playing on his own terms. That resistance, however, proved temporary.
“It's really difficult," Alcaraz said when asked about playing De Minaur. “I started the match really well, hitting the ball really well. But Alex puts you in a rush all the time, so you want to hit the ball as hard as you can, which is impossible against him. So from 3-0 until 4-3, 4-4, I wanted everything in a rush, so I took a moment, took a break mentally. I was more patient until the end of the match.”
Alcaraz shifted gears decisively, suffocating the contest with relentless ball striking as he raced towards a two-hour, 15-minute victory. The win extended his Lexus ATP Head2Head advantage over De Minaur to 6-0, with the Australian having claimed just two sets across their rivalry, which began in 2022.
After quarter-final exits at Melbourne Park in 2024 and 2025, Alcaraz has now improved to a 16-4 record at the tournament, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index. Awaiting him in the last four is a rematch of his 2024 quarter-final against Zverev, which the German won in four sets.
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Elina Svitolina dropped just three games against Coco Gauff in a 59-minute blitz to reach her fourth career Grand Slam semifinal, and first at the Australian Open. She will return to the Top 10 in the PIF WTA Rankings for the first time since October 2021 as a result.
Elina Svitolina is still perfect in 2026.
The No. 12 seed needed just 59 minutes to extend her winning streak to 10 straight matches with a 6-1, 6-2 defeat of No. 3 seed Coco Gauff in the Australian Open quarterfinals. She advances to her fourth career Grand Slam semifinal, and first at the Australian Open.
Australian Open: Scores | Draws | Order of play
Last September, Svitolina ended her 2025 season early, citing a need "to heal and recharge." The 31-year-old has raced out of the blocks on her return. She collected her 19th career title in Auckland at the start of the year, and is now on the third-longest tour-level winning streak of her career. (In 2017, she won 15 matches in a row, and in 2025 she won 11 straight.)
Indeed, Svitolina has only dropped one set in 2026 so far -- to Sonay Kartal in the Auckland quarterfinals. Svitolina trailed Kartal 5-3 in the third set before escaping 6-4, 6-7(2), 7-6(5). She's now guaranteed to return to the Top 10 in the PIF WTA Rankings for the first time since October 2021 in next Monday's rankings.
"Not bad, not bad at all," Svitolina said in her on-court inyterview. "Always been my dream to come back in Top 10 after maternity leave, that's always been my goal."
Svitolina's win over Gauff is her 24th career Top 5 win. Four of those have come at Grand Slams, all since her return from maternity leave. She levels her head-to-head with Gauff at 2-2, including 2-0 at the Australian Open having defeated the American 6-4, 6-3 in the 2021 second round. Gauff's pair of wins in the series both came in 2024, in the Auckland final and US Open third round -- both from a set down.
The Ukrainian will bid to reach her first Grand Slam final against No. 1 seed Aryna Sabalenka, who is also on a 10-match winning streak and who leads their head-to-head 5-1 (and 2-0 on outdoor hard courts). Svitolina's only victory in the series came in the 2020 Strasbourg semifinals; since then, she has won just one set in four meetings with Sabalenka. Svitolina's previous Grand Slam semifinal losses came against Simona Halep at Wimbledon 2019, Serena Williams at the US Open 2019 and Marketa Vondrousova at Wimbledon 2023.
Svitolina is the second Ukrainian to reach the Australian Open semifinals, following Dayana Yastremska in 2024. Should she defeat Sabalenka, she will become the first Ukrainian woman to reach a Grand Slam final in the Open Era.
What were Svitolina's keys to victory?
Since returning from maternity leave, Svitolina has worked hard to transform her counterpunching style into an aggressive, dynamic one. That was fully on show against Gauff: she struck 12 winners to Gauff's three, and in any given extended baseline rally was invariably the player who opened the court with changes of direction first. Her serve was also firing -- not just in its consistent high level (Svitolina won 71% of her first serve points) but in the moments she found her best deliveries. Svitolina's tally of four aces included one to seal a 3-0 second-set lead, and another at 3-1, 30-30 -- the only juncture of the match which felt like it could be a turning point.
"For me it's all about trying to find new ways to win now," Svitolina said in her press conference. "There are so many young players. There's so many aggressive players who, if you're not at your best, they are just taking the match from you. So you have to evolve your game. You have to be better. You have to try to find the ways to find something that works for you. For me, it's all about trying to be better every week, because you know, tennis evolvement is not stopping. So you have to always keep searching."
Crucial for Svitolina was maintaining her focus and preventing any change in momentum. As quickly as the match was going, she was aware of Gauff's ability to pull off the comeback -- particularly having lost to her twice from a set up.
"Of course, it's a good feeling and a bad feeling at the same time," Svitolina said. "Because you feel like you have a chance to play well, you have a chance to win this match. You have to keep going. You have to keep trying to perform well. I think I played well. I think I dealt with it well. As Coco is such a great champion, you know, she came back couple of times in our matches being one set down. For me, I tried to keep building, keep trying to play well and tried to really stay focused from the start until the end."
Elina Svitolina DOMINATING the first set with winners that got us going 🤩 @wwos • @espn • @tntsports • @wowowtennis • #AO26 pic.twitter.com/QchzwoVTFd
What went wrong with Gauff's game?
Gauff's woes with her second serve and forehand are a familiar story by now, and both came to the fore on Tuesday. She served five double faults, all in the first set -- and in contrast to Svitolina's aces, the timing was as unhelpful as it could be. She served her first double fault to go down break point in the opening game; another pair (including on break point) to go down 2-1; and another pair in the final game, including on set point.
The 21-year-old committed 26 unforced errors in total, including 12 off the forehand wing. Even her usually-solid backhand couldn't be relied upon -- Gauff struck nine unforced errors from that side, including a wide shot facing her first match point.
"She played really well," Gauff said in her press conference. "And unfortunately, usually when people raise their level, I'm able to raise mine, and today I just -- I didn't do that ... I just felt like all the things I do well, I just wasn't doing well today. The backhand wasn't firing. Forehand wasn't really firing. Returns. There was just a lot that didn't go well today.
"I credit it to her because she forced me to play like that. It's not like I just woke up and, yeah, today was a bad day, but bad days are often caused by your opponent. So she did well. Usually I'm able to kind of scrap out at least to make the scoreline tighter, and then you never know, nerves can come up on her, something like that. Today I just wasn't able to do that."
Elina Svitolina dropped just three games against Coco Gauff in a 59-minute blitz to reach her fourth career Grand Slam semifinal, and first at the Australian Open. She will return to the Top 10 in the PIF WTA Rankings for the first time since October 2021 as a result.
The Ukrainian, who's now 10-0 on the year, will next face Aryna Sabalenka, who's also 10-0 on the year.ByTENNIS.comPublished Jan 27, 2026 copy_link
Published Jan 27, 2026
© 2026 Getty Images
Elina Svitolina is through to the semifinals of the Australian Open for the first time in her career after a ruthless 6-1, 6-2 quarterfinal victory over world No. 3 Coco Gauff on Tuesday night.She had been to the quarterfinals in Melbourne three times previously, in 2018, 2019 and 2025, but never further—until now.She's also through to the fourth semifinal of her career at any Grand Slam, having reached two in 2019 at Wimbledon and the US Open and one more, again at Wimbledon, in 2023.The Ukrainian, who's now 10-0 on the year after having captured one of the warm-up titles in Auckland two weeks ago, will next face the world No. 1, Aryna Sabalenka, who's also 10-0 on the year, having won another warm-up title that week in Brisbane.
She had been to the quarterfinals in Melbourne three times previously, in 2018, 2019 and 2025, but never further—until now.She's also through to the fourth semifinal of her career at any Grand Slam, having reached two in 2019 at Wimbledon and the US Open and one more, again at Wimbledon, in 2023.The Ukrainian, who's now 10-0 on the year after having captured one of the warm-up titles in Auckland two weeks ago, will next face the world No. 1, Aryna Sabalenka, who's also 10-0 on the year, having won another warm-up title that week in Brisbane.
She's also through to the fourth semifinal of her career at any Grand Slam, having reached two in 2019 at Wimbledon and the US Open and one more, again at Wimbledon, in 2023.The Ukrainian, who's now 10-0 on the year after having captured one of the warm-up titles in Auckland two weeks ago, will next face the world No. 1, Aryna Sabalenka, who's also 10-0 on the year, having won another warm-up title that week in Brisbane.
The Ukrainian, who's now 10-0 on the year after having captured one of the warm-up titles in Auckland two weeks ago, will next face the world No. 1, Aryna Sabalenka, who's also 10-0 on the year, having won another warm-up title that week in Brisbane.
Their last two meetings had gone Gauff's way, at Auckland and the US Open in 2024, but Svitolina came out swinging this time, breaking serve in the opening game of the match.Gauff got the break back right away to make it 1-1, but that's when Svitolina shifted to another gear, winning eight games in a row—and 12 points in a row at one point—to build a 6-1, 3-0 lead.Gauff snapped the skid with a hold of serve in the next game to make it 3-1, and she held her next service game, too, but Svitolina was just too strong on serve, and she snuck out one last break in the final game of the match to close it out after just 59 minutes."It means the world to me," Svitolina told Jelena Dokic in her on-court interview about her career-best result in Melbourne."Of course I try to push myself, try to give myself the motivation to continue, and I'm very pleased with the performance at this tournament, and in Australia. Overall it's been a good trip for me."I'm happy to go through for my semifinal."
Gauff got the break back right away to make it 1-1, but that's when Svitolina shifted to another gear, winning eight games in a row—and 12 points in a row at one point—to build a 6-1, 3-0 lead.Gauff snapped the skid with a hold of serve in the next game to make it 3-1, and she held her next service game, too, but Svitolina was just too strong on serve, and she snuck out one last break in the final game of the match to close it out after just 59 minutes."It means the world to me," Svitolina told Jelena Dokic in her on-court interview about her career-best result in Melbourne."Of course I try to push myself, try to give myself the motivation to continue, and I'm very pleased with the performance at this tournament, and in Australia. Overall it's been a good trip for me."I'm happy to go through for my semifinal."
Gauff snapped the skid with a hold of serve in the next game to make it 3-1, and she held her next service game, too, but Svitolina was just too strong on serve, and she snuck out one last break in the final game of the match to close it out after just 59 minutes."It means the world to me," Svitolina told Jelena Dokic in her on-court interview about her career-best result in Melbourne."Of course I try to push myself, try to give myself the motivation to continue, and I'm very pleased with the performance at this tournament, and in Australia. Overall it's been a good trip for me."I'm happy to go through for my semifinal."
"It means the world to me," Svitolina told Jelena Dokic in her on-court interview about her career-best result in Melbourne."Of course I try to push myself, try to give myself the motivation to continue, and I'm very pleased with the performance at this tournament, and in Australia. Overall it's been a good trip for me."I'm happy to go through for my semifinal."
"Of course I try to push myself, try to give myself the motivation to continue, and I'm very pleased with the performance at this tournament, and in Australia. Overall it's been a good trip for me."I'm happy to go through for my semifinal."
"I'm happy to go through for my semifinal."
First AO semifinal for @ElinaSvitolina 💪🩵#AO26 pic.twitter.com/wlUEBbyqgu
Awaiting the No. 12-seeded Svitolina in the semifinals will be No. 1-seeded Sabalenka, who advanced to the final four earlier in the day with a 6-3, 6-0 victory over No. 29-seeded American teenager Iva Jovic, who was playing her first major quarterfinal.Sabalenka leads Svitolina in their head-to-head, 5-1, winning their last four encounters, though one of those went to three sets (and the other three featured at least one competitive set).Svitolina, one of five mothers who started in the Australian Open draw this year—and the only one to make it through to the second week—will also be playing for history on Thursday, as no Ukrainian woman has ever reached the final of a Grand Slam.
Sabalenka leads Svitolina in their head-to-head, 5-1, winning their last four encounters, though one of those went to three sets (and the other three featured at least one competitive set).Svitolina, one of five mothers who started in the Australian Open draw this year—and the only one to make it through to the second week—will also be playing for history on Thursday, as no Ukrainian woman has ever reached the final of a Grand Slam.
Svitolina, one of five mothers who started in the Australian Open draw this year—and the only one to make it through to the second week—will also be playing for history on Thursday, as no Ukrainian woman has ever reached the final of a Grand Slam.
Aryna Sabalenka withstood a late push from 18-year-old Iva Jovic in the first set before dishing out a second-set bagel to send her to a fourth straight Australian Open semifinal. She'll face the winner of Coco Gauff and Elina Svitolina.
Aryna Sabalenka took everything Iva Jovic could throw at her in a tense opening set, but the two-time Australian Open champion did what champions do: She found a way through, pulling away for a straight-sets victory Tuesday afternoon.
Australian Open: Scores | Draws | Order of play
With temperatures nearing 100 degrees Fahrenheit in Melbourne on Tuesday, the World No. 1 ended the 18-year-old American's dream run, earning a 6-3, 6-0 win in just under 90 minutes on Rod Laver Arena to reach her fourth consecutive Australian Open semifinal and the 14th Grand Slam semifinal of her career.
She'll next face No. 12 seed Elina Svitolina, who like Sabalenka, dropped only three games to take down Coco Gauff.
Jovic entered the match against Sabalenka after earning her first Top 10 win at WTA Tour Driven by Mercedes-Benz level over Jasmine Paolini in the third round, then backing it up with a dominant Round of 16 victory over Yulia Putintseva.
"She's a young, great player," Sabalenka said to start her post-match press conference. "Super happy to get this win in straight sets, happy with the level I played today and yeah, (she's an) amazing player."
The three-time reigning finalist started fast, breaking Jovic early en route to a 3-0 lead before the American finally got on the board with an eight-minute hold for 3-1. Another extended game, this one nearly nine minutes and featuring four deuces, kept Jovic within reach at 4-2.
Sabalenka, meanwhile, raced through her service games and secured another routine hold for 5-2.
After Jovic finally produced a more straightforward hold, the ninth and final game of the set gave fans something to cheer about despite the oppressive heat. The game featured:
And it resulted in a Sabalenka hold to capture the opening set in exactly one hour, punctuated by a backhand winner -- her 21st winner of the set.
From there, the World No. 1 ran away with it, delivering a second-set bagel to eliminate one of the four American women left in the draw. In her first Grand Slam quarterfinal, Jovic mustered enough energy to earn a pair of break points in the final game, but Sabalenka saved the second with an ace before closing out the match with her seventh and final ace.
"The second set, I felt like I had to step in and put even more pressure on her," Sabalenka said. "Because I can see that she's young, she's hungry, and I could tell during the match that no matter the score, she's still going to be there trying."
The future is bright. Congrats on a career-best Grand Slam run, Iva! pic.twitter.com/1WrstsiAb9
Here are more numbers from Sabalenka's quarterfinal victory:
0: Sets lost this tournament. Sabalenka is the third top seed in the past decade to reach the Australian Open women's singles semifinals without dropping a set, joining Serena Williams (2016) and Ashleigh Barty (2022).
8: Consecutive Grand Slam semifinals reached on hard courts. Since 1988, only Sabalenka, Lindsay Davenport and Martina Hingis have reached eight or more in a row.
31: Winners against Jovic. Twenty-one came in the first set, capped by the backhand winner that ended the 11-minute game. She struck No. 31 on match point, while finishing with just 17 unforced errors. Her 143 total winners are the most of any woman at this year's Australian Open.
Sealed with an ace 😎@SabalenkaA | #AO26pic.twitter.com/5pt3i42O2z
83: Percentage of first-serve points won (30 of 36). Despite a brief struggle with her second serve late in the opening set, the performance was more than enough to ensure she was never broken.
88: Percentage of net points won. Sabalenka's improved variety was on display as she won five of six points at the net and mixed in a handful of slices and the occasional drop shot to disrupt Jovic's rhythm.
Bonus…5: Sabalenka has at least five career wins against both potential semifinal opponents. She is 6-6 against Gauff in one of tour's tightest rivalries and is 5-1 against Svitolina, winning their past four meetings.
Aryna Sabalenka withstood a late push from 18-year-old Iva Jovic in the first set before dishing out a second-set bagel to send her to a fourth straight Australian Open semifinal. She'll face the winner of Coco Gauff and Elina Svitolina.
The world No. 1 pulled away from American teen Iva Jovic 6-3, 6-0, knowing she had to "step in and show the level and the class."ByTENNIS.comPublished Jan 27, 2026 copy_link
Published Jan 27, 2026
© AFP or licensors
Aryna Sabalenka said that her Australian Open quarterfinal victory over American teenager Iva Jovic was a match to remember. Not because it was an all-time classic, but because the world No. 1 said she couldn't recall too many career performances better than her 6-3, 6-0 waxing of the American teenager,While paying respect to the talented Jovic, the youngest player in the WTA's Top 100, Sabalenka said the smothering second-set performance came from "knowing she had to "step in and show the level and the class."It was a welcome change, as far as Sabalenka was concerned, from the three rounds immediately preceding the quarterfinals, where she suffered from lapses in concentration after building big leads."The second set, I felt like I have to step in and put even more pressure on her, because I can see that she's young, she's hungry, and I could tell during the match that no matter what's the score, she's still going to be there trying and trying to figure her way," she said."I think it really helped me kind of, like, just go for my shots and help me to trust my game. Yeah, that was definitely amazing performance in the second set."
While paying respect to the talented Jovic, the youngest player in the WTA's Top 100, Sabalenka said the smothering second-set performance came from "knowing she had to "step in and show the level and the class."It was a welcome change, as far as Sabalenka was concerned, from the three rounds immediately preceding the quarterfinals, where she suffered from lapses in concentration after building big leads."The second set, I felt like I have to step in and put even more pressure on her, because I can see that she's young, she's hungry, and I could tell during the match that no matter what's the score, she's still going to be there trying and trying to figure her way," she said."I think it really helped me kind of, like, just go for my shots and help me to trust my game. Yeah, that was definitely amazing performance in the second set."
It was a welcome change, as far as Sabalenka was concerned, from the three rounds immediately preceding the quarterfinals, where she suffered from lapses in concentration after building big leads."The second set, I felt like I have to step in and put even more pressure on her, because I can see that she's young, she's hungry, and I could tell during the match that no matter what's the score, she's still going to be there trying and trying to figure her way," she said."I think it really helped me kind of, like, just go for my shots and help me to trust my game. Yeah, that was definitely amazing performance in the second set."
"The second set, I felt like I have to step in and put even more pressure on her, because I can see that she's young, she's hungry, and I could tell during the match that no matter what's the score, she's still going to be there trying and trying to figure her way," she said."I think it really helped me kind of, like, just go for my shots and help me to trust my game. Yeah, that was definitely amazing performance in the second set."
"I think it really helped me kind of, like, just go for my shots and help me to trust my game. Yeah, that was definitely amazing performance in the second set."
Read more: The First Gen Z No. 1: Aryna Sabalenka is taking over the world, one TikTok at a timeThe numbers backed up Sabalenka's claim. She hammered 31 winners, nearly triple that of Jovic, to just 17 unforced errors, served seven aces, and saved all five break points she faced. She dropped just 11 points in the second set to advance to the semifinals in Melbourne for the fourth year in a row.While impressive, the streak pales in comparison to the 27-year-old's ultimate goal."I think every player when they get to the tournament is trophy or nothing," she said. "The mentality is the same, and it's always in the back of your mind that obviously you want to win it."But I'm trying to shift my focus on the right things and taking it step by step and just trying my best in each match, each point, each game, each set. That's my mentality."If she keeps playing like she did over the last half hour inside Rod Laver Arena on Tuesday, it might be tough to bet against her achieving it.
The numbers backed up Sabalenka's claim. She hammered 31 winners, nearly triple that of Jovic, to just 17 unforced errors, served seven aces, and saved all five break points she faced. She dropped just 11 points in the second set to advance to the semifinals in Melbourne for the fourth year in a row.While impressive, the streak pales in comparison to the 27-year-old's ultimate goal."I think every player when they get to the tournament is trophy or nothing," she said. "The mentality is the same, and it's always in the back of your mind that obviously you want to win it."But I'm trying to shift my focus on the right things and taking it step by step and just trying my best in each match, each point, each game, each set. That's my mentality."If she keeps playing like she did over the last half hour inside Rod Laver Arena on Tuesday, it might be tough to bet against her achieving it.
While impressive, the streak pales in comparison to the 27-year-old's ultimate goal."I think every player when they get to the tournament is trophy or nothing," she said. "The mentality is the same, and it's always in the back of your mind that obviously you want to win it."But I'm trying to shift my focus on the right things and taking it step by step and just trying my best in each match, each point, each game, each set. That's my mentality."If she keeps playing like she did over the last half hour inside Rod Laver Arena on Tuesday, it might be tough to bet against her achieving it.
"I think every player when they get to the tournament is trophy or nothing," she said. "The mentality is the same, and it's always in the back of your mind that obviously you want to win it."But I'm trying to shift my focus on the right things and taking it step by step and just trying my best in each match, each point, each game, each set. That's my mentality."If she keeps playing like she did over the last half hour inside Rod Laver Arena on Tuesday, it might be tough to bet against her achieving it.
"But I'm trying to shift my focus on the right things and taking it step by step and just trying my best in each match, each point, each game, each set. That's my mentality."If she keeps playing like she did over the last half hour inside Rod Laver Arena on Tuesday, it might be tough to bet against her achieving it.
If she keeps playing like she did over the last half hour inside Rod Laver Arena on Tuesday, it might be tough to bet against her achieving it.
Love and basketball … and the “Kardashian curse.”
Kendall Jenner is trolling her athlete exes and poking fun at her family's alleged dating curse in a new Super Bowl 2026 commercial.
In the ad for Fanatics Sportsbook, the supermodel, who previously dated several NBA stars, jokes that any basketball player who dates her “hits a rough patch.”
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“Haven't you heard? The internet says I'm cursed,” Jenner, 30, says as she throws a lit match into a bin of basketball jerseys and walks through a mansion full of photos with her exes heads scratched out.
“While the world has been talking about it, I've been betting on it,” she explains, adding, “How else do you think I could afford all of this? Modeling?”
She jokes that her first basketball boyfriend missed the playoffs, quipping, “I guess nobody was getting a ring in this house.”
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She jokes her vintage convertible was funded by “boyfriend two [flopping] right out of the league.”
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The 818 Tequila founder thanks “boyfriend three” for her “cute jet.”
“But today, it's time to bet on something new … football players,” the “Keeping Up With the Kardashians” alum says as she choses between the Super Bowl 2026 teams, the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks.
“Kardashian curse? It's not even my last name,” she jokes.
Kendall has famously dated several athletes over the years.
The runway model had a short-lived romance with New York Knicks star Jordan Clarkson, 33, in 2016. From 2017 to 2018, she dated now-retired NBA star Blake Griffin.
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In May 2018, multiple sources told Page Six that Kendall was dating Ben Simmons, 29. The pair were on and off for one year before ending their relationship.
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The athlete the Hulu star was most recently linked with was Devin Booker.
Kendall and the Phoenix Suns star, also 29, dated on and off from early 2020 to October 2022. In September 2024, the pair was spotted out together at dinner in Miami.
By Peter White
Executive Editor, Television
The Late Show is coming to an end, and the goodbye party now has a date.
The Stephen Colbert-hosted late-night show will end on Thursday, May 21, Deadline has confirmed.
CBS always said that the series, which has been running since 1993, was going to end in May after it emerged the franchise was being axed.
Colbert revealed the news during an appearance on rival talker Late Night with Seth Meyers, which is set to air tonight (January 27) on NBC, per LateNighter.
Watch on Deadline
CBS surprisingly canceled the show in July, days after the comedian had called his parent company Paramount Global's settlement of a lawsuit from Donald Trump a “bigfatbribe.” The news came a month before David Ellison's Skydance closed its merger with Paramount.
RELATED: Trump Celebrity Supporters: Famous Folks In Favor Of The 47th President
Execs at the broadcast network stressed that the move was “purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late-night” and “is not related in any way to the show's performance, content or other matters happening at Paramount.”
Colbert hasn't toned down his rhetoric against Trump or Paramount since being told he was being fired. On Monday night, he said, “I think we can all agree: F*ck ICE,” in response to the killing of Alex Pretti by a Border Patrol agent in Minneapolis.
Last week, he mocked the idea of Trump's “Board of Peace,” which has seen the president charging people $1B to join. “Now, admittedly, the idea of paying a billion dollars to obey Donald Trump seems a little steep,” Colbert said. “After all, CBS got to do it for just $16M.”
RELATED: Stephen Colbert To Be Honored With WGA East's Walter Bernstein Award
Colbert also has been on an awards tear since the news emerged; in September, the show won the Emmy for Outstanding Talk Series.
“I want to thank CBS for giving us the privilege to be part of the late-night tradition, which I hope continues long after we're no longer doing this show,” he said onstage.
Next month, he will receive the Walter Bernstein Award from the Writers Guild of America East and The Late Show will also be vying for another Emmy in September, although this year will face tough competition from Jimmy Kimmel Live!, whose host has faced his own late-night drama this year.
RELATED: Donald Trump Says Stephen Colbert Should Be “Put To Sleep” In Late-Night Tirade & Another Call For Broadcast License Terminations
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CBS/Paramount are going to regret this decision. Colbert as a free agent means he will have more power and influence, and to that I say, “Hallelujah.”
I stopped watching those shows long, long, long ago.
A few presidencies back.
Same with “network” news shows.
He has only 285k in the key demo.
He and Kimmel will both disappear without anyone even noticing.
I will notice because I love watching both of them. I also thonk others will notice sunce when the FCC tried to get rid of Kimmel a few months ago lots of people responded and he was back on the air after only a few days off. Then lots of people watched the first show back. The second show back took a big hit in the ratings co.pared to the first but the point was made that people will watch if there is a reason. Not everyone has time. I record all the shows I watch on my DVR.
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By Nellie Andreeva
Editor-In-Chief
EXCLUSIVE: Halle Berry and Holly Jeter's HalleHolly has assembled a film and TV slate that includes a number of projects with high-profile auspices and IP involved. The Oscar winner is attached to star in most of them.
They include The President is Missing, based on Bill Clinton and James Patterson's best-selling political thriller novel, which is in development at Apple Original Films with Berry starring as President Duncan in a gender swap and RK Films also producing; and Bad Cop, Bad Cop, a Kay Cannon-directed action comedy from HalleHolly and Beau Bauman, in which Berry is set to star alongside Fortune Feimster and Jillian Bell.
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In TV, Berry is attached to star in Zero F***s, a menopause-themed comedy in development at Peacock from writers Liz Kruger and Carolyn Townsend (Salvation, Charmed) and A+E Studios; and The Patient, a horror drama in the works at HBO with writer Laeta Kalogridis (Another Simple Favor), Maximum Effort and Vertigo. She could also potentially star in revenge drama Mother Doom, from writer Matthew Sand (Deepwater Horizon), which is finalizing a development deal at FX, sources tell Deadline.
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The film development slate includes three other projects that have Berry on board to star: Sunburn for director Liz Garbus (One Night In Idaho: The College Murders), Family Swap for director Jason Moore (Pitch Perfect) and Parole Officer, which HalleHolly and Imagine landed in a bidding war. The company also has partnered with Cathy Byrd to adapt her memoir The Boy Who Knew Too Much.
Sunburn, Family Swap and Bad Cop, Bad Cop are expected to be taken out to the marketplace shortly.
Former WME partner Jeter and Berry launched HalleHolly in 2022 with the goal of producing film and television anchored by complex characters that provokes honest conversations while highlighting representation in front and behind the camera.
Peacock's Zero F***s, which A+E Studios and Range Studios are co-producing with Universal Television, is described as “a comedy about embracing your second act when you finally stop giving a f**k.” It revolves around three menopausal best friends — one of them played by Berry — dealing with midlife BS who are forced to solve a murder of a friend they couldn't stand. But how do you solve a murder when you can't remember why you came into the room?
The subject matter is personal to Berry, a big advocate for menopause awareness who launched the Respin Health platform as part of her efforts. Berry and Jeter executive produce with Kruger and Townsend as well as Heather Kadin, Craig Shapiro, Barry Jossen and Tana Jamieson.
HBO's The Patient, based on the novella of the same name by Jasper DeWitt that originated as The Patient That Nearly Drove Me Out of Medicine on Reddit's r/nosleep, is executive produced by Berry and Jeter via HalleHolly, Kalogridis, who will serve as showrunner, Ryan Reynolds' Maximum Effort and Vertigo Entertainment.
In the psychological horror story, ambitious young psychiatrist Parker attempts to make a name for himself by treating Josephine Todd (Berry), the famously incurable patient at his hospital. But as he unwinds the mystery of her history, and delves deeper into her troubled mind, terrible things start happening – is she a victim or a predator, cursed or the curse itself? As he gets closer to the truth, he realizes that treating her might cost him his own sanity, or much worse.
Jeter originally sold the short story in 2018 while she was an agent at WME in a bidding war with 36 companies pursuing. It was won by Maximum Effort and Vertigo to develop as a feature at pre-Disney merger 20th Century Fox. Years later, after Jeter left WME to team up with Berry, the duo joined Maximum Effort and Vertigo as producers, turned the adaptation into a series and gender-swapped the lead character for Berry to star.
Based on a short story by Sean Lewis, FX's Mother Doom centers on Riley who has been retired from the Special Forces for twenty years, but when her son is killed in the line of duty, she goes back into her past to find his murderer and get revenge.
Berry, who I hear could potentially play Riley, Jeter and Sand executive produce with Nicole Tossou and Project X.
HalleHolly's first produced project was the 2024 survival horror movie Never Let Go starring Berry for Lionsgate.
It will be followed by the feature Fleur, written/directed by Ellie Foumbi, starring Berry and produced by HalleHolly, Plot Twist and Killer Films, which starts production in Paris on March 16 with AGC Studios financing and handling international sales.
The President Is Missing, which was set up at Apple last year, is being written by Nicole Perlman (Guardians of the Galaxy) and David Chasteen (CIA). In it, when a terrorist threatens an attack so lethal it will return the United States to the dark ages, the only person who can stop him is President Joanna Duncan (Berry) — but first she has to elude her own secret service and escape the confines of the White House in a gambit to save the world single-handedly.
Producing are HalleHolly, RK Films' Joe Roth and Jeff Kirschenbaum, President Clinton, and Patterson via James Patterson Entertainment (Cross) whose Bill Robinson is executive producing alongside RK Films' Zack Roth.
The novel by Clinton and Patterson, who has sold more than 475 million books, was published in 2018 and became a No.1 New York Times bestseller. The duo initially looked to turn it into a movie. The book was eventually set up at Showtime for series development. It went to pilot, starring David Oyelowo, whose production was derailed by the pandemic.
Bad Cop, Bad Cop, on which HalleHolly and Beau Bauman's A Good One (Back In Action) are teaming up with Feimster (Zootopia 2) and Bell (Summer of 69), was written by Feimster & James Lee Freeman & Brian Jarvis (Ricky Stanicky), with current revisions by Bell and Feimster, for Cannon to direct.
In it, two inept beat cops, Molly (Bell) & Devon (Feimster) get taken under the wing of a badass female detective (Halle Berry), who brings them on the ride along of their lives. To survive, they'll have to forget every lesson they never learned, and break every rule they never followed.
The Boy Who Knew Too Much is being written by Molly McAlpine (Cocaine Godmother) who is producing alongside HalleHolly. It is based on Byrd's 2017 memoir about her son, Christian Haupt.
In the vein of The Blind Side meets The Sixth Sense, The Boy Who Knew Too Much tells the true story of a young boy named Christian Haupt, who, from a very young age, displays an uncanny knowledge of baseball and vivid memories of a past life as Lou Gehrig, the famous Yankee. His mother, Cathy Byrd, embarks on a journey to understand these extraordinary memories, exploring the mystery of reincarnation and the connection between past lives and the present.
Sunburn, produced by HalleHolly and Garbus and Dan Cogan's Story Syndicate, is based on Laura Lippman's 2018 book of the same name. Michelle Dean is writing the adaptation, with Garbus set to direct and Berry attached to star.
The neo-noir psychological thriller tells the story of a complicated woman scheming towards freedom — from her past crimes, her present loves, her secrets, and all the masks she's worn along the way. A mother (Berry) inexplicably and abruptly walks out on her family and hitches a ride to a nowhere beach town 100 miles away. It's the start of a twisted plan that involves a murder in her past, a hidden stash of millions, and an urge to be free from all the men who have tried to control her. By the time she's over the state line we realize this isn't the first time she's vanished. She has several secret lives scattered in her wake, and the people she left behind are eager for revenge.
Body-swapping comedy Family Swap, produced by HalleHolly and Gaumont, is based on Gaumont's 2021 French film Le Sens de la famille directed by Jean-Patrick Benes. Ben Wexler (The Comedians) is writing the U.S. film adaptation for Moore to direct and Berry to star.
With a father who has all but given up, a disconnected mother, 2 moody teenagers and a tempestuous little one – there's already plenty of drama for one family to manage. However, when they all wake up to find that they're in each other's bodies – and when it keeps happening, morning after morning – the chaos continues to escalate. Set into motion by an innocuous wish, the James family is forced to explore their generational differences, intra-marital conflicts, raging hormones, and professional anxieties, in a complicated web of body-swapping madness.
Parole Officer, from HalleHolly and Imagine Entertainment, is written by Michael McGrale. In it, a parolee looking to stay on the straight and narrow is seduced by a mysterious woman into a drug-fueled one-night stand, violating the rules of his parole. The woman (Berry) turns out to be his newly appointed parole officer, who unleashes a plan to blackmail him into committing an escalating series of crimes or else he'll be sent back to prison for the rest of his life.
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By Matt Grobar
Senior Film Reporter
EXCLUSIVE: Diane Lane (Feud: Capote vs. The Swans) has closed a deal to star alongside Scarlett Johansson and Jacobi Jupe in the next installment of the iconic horror franchise The Exorcist, from filmmaker Mike Flanagan.
No word on the role Lane will play, and plot details are being kept under wraps. What's known is that the film will tell an all-new story set in The Exorcist universe and is not a sequel to 2023's The Exorcist: Believer.
Flanagan will direct from his own script, with production taking place in New York City. He's also producing via his Red Room Pictures banner, alongside David Robinson for Morgan Creek Entertainment and Jason Blum for Blumhouse-Atomic Monster. Exec producers include Alexandra Magistro for Red Room Pictures and Ryan Turek for Blumhouse-Atomic Monster.
Universal will release the next Exorcist movie in theaters on Friday, March 12, 2027.
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RELATED: The Movies That Have Made More Than $1 Billion At The Global Box Office
An Oscar nominee who has also been nominated for several Emmys and Golden Globes, Lane most recently led Jan Komasa's acclaimed thriller Anniversary, alongside Phoebe Dynevor and Kyle Chandler. Prior to that, she starred in Ryan Murphy's Feud: Capote vs. The Swans, opposite Naomi Watts, Demi Moore and Tom Hollander, for which she received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series. Also recently starring alongside Jeff Daniels in the David E. Kelley-produced Netflix limited series A Man in Full, as well as in Disney's Inside Out 2, she is represented by CAA, Range Media Partners, and Weintraub Tobin Chediak.
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By
Jon Blistein
Philip Glass has pulled the premiere of his new symphony based on Abraham Lincoln from the Kennedy Center saying the institution's “values” are no longer aligned with the message of the piece since President Donald Trump's takeover.
Glass' Symphony No. 15, “Lincoln,” jointly commissioned by the National Symphony Orchestra and Kennedy Center, was scheduled to have its world premiere at the venue in June. In a letter announcing his decision, Glass described the symphony as “a portrait of Abraham Lincoln,” adding that “the values of the Kennedy Center today are in direct conflict with the message of the Symphony.”
The composer continued: “Therefore, I feel an obligation to withdraw this Symphony premiere from the Kennedy Center under its current leadership.”
A rep for the Kennedy Center did not immediately return Rolling Stone‘s request for comment.
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Adding to the pointedness of Glass' decision, the new symphony was specifically inspired by Lincoln's Lyceum address, delivered in 1838, well before he became president. In the speech, Lincoln warned about the dangers of mob violence, citing several recent murders and lynchings carried out by pro-slavery mobs; he also addressed the threat these mobs — and the aspiring politicians who aimed to control them — could pose to the U.S. government and the Constitution.
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Glass included portions from the Lyceum address in the libretto for “Lincoln,” including the following quote: “The lawless in spirit, having regarded Government as their deadliest bane, make a jubilee of the suspension of its operation. There is no grievance that is a fit object of redress by mob law. We hope all dangers may be overcome, but some man possessed of ambition will spring up among us. Distinction will be his paramount object, and nothing left to be done in the way of building up, he would set boldly to the task of pulling down.”
The “Lincoln” cancellation makes Glass one of the most prominent figures to call off a performance or event there in recent months. The backlash began early last year after Trump gutted the Kennedy Center's board, remade it with cronies, and installed himself as chairman. But another wave hit late last year after the board voted on a legally dubious name change to make it, “The Donald J. Trump and the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts.” Other cancellations include performances by Renée Flemming, Béla Fleck, folk singer Kristy Lee, and a 10th anniversary run of Hamilton.
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Kim Rosenstock is penning the script for Lionsgate's feature follow-up to the 1987 classic.
By
Ryan Gajewski
Senior Entertainment Reporter
Baby won't be in the corner for much longer as Lionsgate‘s planned Dirty Dancing sequel moves forward.
The studio announced Tuesday that producers Nina Jacobson and Brad Simpson will oversee the feature project that is aiming to begin production later this year. Additionally, Kim Rosenstock (Dying for Sex) is writing the script.
Jennifer Grey was previously announced to executive produce and reprise her role of Frances “Baby” Houseman that originated in director Emile Ardolino's 1987 original movie that also starred the late Patrick Swayze. A director has not been announced, as Jonathan Levine, who was previously attached to helm the sequel, is still set to serve as executive producer but will not direct.
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Jacobson and Simpson's production company Color Force is currently behind Lionsgate's The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, set to hit theaters Nov. 20, 2026. They are also executive producers on Ryan Murphy's forthcoming FX series Love Story: John F. Kennedy, Jr. and Carolyn Bessette. Jacobson has produced all of the films in the Hunger Games franchise, and her previous feature work with Simpson includes Crazy Rich Asians.
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Rosenstock co-created the Michelle Williams-led Hulu series Dying for Sex and serves as executive producer on Love Story: John F. Kennedy, Jr. and Carolyn Bessette. Rosenstock, whose credits include Only Murders in the Building and GLOW, is represented by WME, Mosaic and Johnson Shapiro.
Released on Aug. 21, 1987, Dirty Dancing centered on Baby (Grey) falling for dance instructor Johnny Castle (Swayze) at the Kellerman's resort in the 1960s. It was a major hit, collecting $214 million at the global box office ($608 million today) and winning the best original song Oscar for signature tune “(I've Had) The Time of My Life.” The film spawned a 2004 prequel, Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights, a stage musical and a 2017 TV remake that aired on ABC.
“Dirty Dancing remains as beloved today as it was upon its initial release, and we knew that a very special group of people would have to come together for fans to embrace a return to Kellerman's,” Lionsgate Motion Picture Group chair Adam Fogelson says in a statement. “We are beyond thrilled to announce we have assembled the perfect team to carry this film forward in partnership with Jennifer Grey. There are no better producers for this movie than our longtime partners and friends Nina and Brad from The Hunger Games, and we could not be more excited to have Kim coming on board to write. With this super team now in place, we are moving full steam ahead so that both existing fans and new audiences can discover the magic, the music and the emotion that is Dirty Dancing in a new theatrical film meant for the big screen.”
Grey adds, “The role of Baby has held a very deep and meaningful place in my heart, as it has in the hearts of so many fans over the years. I've long wondered where we might find Baby years later and what her life might be like, but it's taken time to assemble the kind of people that I felt could be entrusted to build on the legacy of the original film… and I'm excited to say that It looks like the wait will soon be over!”
In her own statement, Jacobson says, “Dirty Dancing is that rare film that is as emotional, exhilarating and rebellious today as it was the year it was released. To be able to work with Jennifer Grey and Lionsgate on the sequel is a genuine joy for Brad and me. We feel so fortunate to have been invited back to Kellerman's for one more dance.”
Meredith Wieck and Maria Ascanio will oversee the Dirty Dancing sequel for Lionsgate. Phil Strina negotiated the deals on behalf of the studio.
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Hollywood loves to put on a show about Hollywood. “Barry,” “Hacks,” and “The Studio” are just a few recent favorites, racking up glowing reviews, 35 Emmy wins, and… some viewers. Sure, meta comedies about moviemaking may not match the ratings of medical dramas or medieval fantasies, but that only makes Marvel‘s decision to focus their latest “superhero” series on a struggling actor who befriends another struggling actor all the more curious.
Do genre fans accustomed to CGI space battles and extended easter-egg hunts want to spend four hours watching a non-blue Dr. Manhattan pal around Los Angeles with Sir Ben Kingsley? Will they tolerate an entire episode dedicated to recording a single self-tape? Do they even know what a self-tape is? (For those who don't, it's an audition you record yourself — very popular, somewhat controversial.)
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Well, whether “Wonder Man” is a savvy business decision isn't my judgment to render, but having seen the full eight-episode season, it's a surprisingly solid show — earnestly invested not only in its characters but in their work, and refreshingly siloed from the typical MCU hullabaloo (which dragged down so many prior Disney+ shows, Marvel has all but abandoned its serialized slate).
Best of all, Andrew Guest and Daniel Destin Cretton's limited series is dependent on and a showcase for its two leads in ways previous Marvel projects only pretended to be. This isn't a case where a couple of affable actors prop up a lousy tentpole, like when Hugh Jackman came back from the dead to legitimize “Deadpool vs. Wolverine,” or when “Captain America: Brave New World” focused on Harrison Ford because it didn't have anything better to do. “Wonder Man” celebrates actors to such an extent it nearly disappears into its own ring light, but thanks to Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Ben Kingsley, the one-off sitcom flies high enough to admire these heroes and their story.
Simon Williams (Abdul-Mateen) is having a tough day. His big new gig on “American Horror Story” doesn't go as planned. (Thanks again, Ryan Murphy.) His girlfriend dumps him and leaves him with an empty apartment that could use some repairs. So, like Don Draper before him, Simon heads to the movies to clear his head. And since he's a serious actor (not a half-drunk marketing executive), he drops in one of Hollywood's old movie-houses for a screening of “Midnight Cowboy.”
There, watching Jon Voight and Dustin Hoffman graciously disappear into their oddball roles, Simon finds peace. He's transported back to his childhood, when his dad would sneak him out of school for a day at the cinema. And then, back in the present, he's introduced to Trevor Slattery (Kingsley), a fellow thespian who's also a deep admirer of John Schlesinger's X-rated classic chronicling an unlikely friendship between two down-on-their luck dudes.
Although Simon would never guess from Trevor's chipper demeanor, the experienced performer isn't having the best time himself. You see, years ago, when Trevor was at his lowest, he took a job playing The Mandarin, a terrorist leader whose ominous messages and malicious threats were used as cover for far worse behavior by a far more serious menace. (See: “Iron Man 3.” But also, you know, don't.) He was a patsy, in short, but he was too drunk and drugged to realize it. After sobering up in prison, Trevor escaped to help Shang Chi (see: “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings,” which is actually OK) and start his personal rehabilitation process.
…except the U.S. government claims he hasn't paid his debt — not in full — so at the start of “Wonder Man,” an agent from the Department of Damage Control (played by “Succession's” Arian Moayed) blackmails Trevor into spying on a new potential danger to society: Simon.
That's right: Simon has superpowers — powers he doesn't fully understand and desperately wants to keep hidden, but the DoDC doesn't care about that. They only care that he can create explosions out of thin air and make the earth quake with his mind. (Good thing he lives in California!). Agent Cleary wants Trevor to keep tabs on Simon, learn as much as he can, and bring him in as soon as possible.
Thus, a buddy comedy is born. Trevor forges a bond with Simon through their shared love of acting, even concocting a scheme to get them into the same audition: a remake of the '80s movie “Wonder Man,” in which Simon would play the titular lead (the studio is looking for a “new face”) and Trevor would play his best friend.
It's no accident that “Wonder Man,” the make-believe movie, and “Wonder Man,” the Disney+ series, share a premise. Co-creators Guest (who serves as head writer) and Cretton (who directs the first two episodes) rely on those meta dynamics to flesh out their story: When Simon and Trevor work on scenes together, their emotions are right at the surface. The audience doesn't have to make a big leap to see the personal experience they're drawing from, or — more importantly — to appreciate how their shared art-form (acting) helps them become better people who lead better lives.
Investing in what they do and how it shapes who they are is critical, and while “Wonder Man” can get a little bogged down in actor-speak, it's still a sincere testimonial to the profession's purest intentions. The series roots itself in the dilemma of chasing fame vs. staying true to yourself, and Guest wisely broadens that Hollywood-centric focus to emphasize more relatable aspects of the journey: Simon isn't a crude glory-hound; he's not obsessed with finding his good side or building up social media followers. He's dedicated to the work. He just… might be too dedicated, and discovering why he's so eager to disappear into someone else's life, while still being seen by millions and millions of people, is the key to unlocking his full potential.
Abdul-Mateen plays Simon's internal struggle perfectly. In lesser hands, this guy could've easily been a dick. He's self-centric and friendless. He's full of himself but far from self-sufficient, and he's easily blinded by the trappings of his industry. Other actors with Abdul-Mateen's wide smile, soft voice, and broad shoulders may have just leaned on their looks to cover up their character's least-likable moments — as if gobs of charm in one scene can erase the ugliness glimpsed in others. (Attention other actors: This never works! Don't do it!)
But Abdul-Mateen, who certainly has the screen presence to get away with a lot, instead recognizes all of Simon's layers at once. He's suave when he's being pushy. He's trapped in his own head even when he's talking to other people. And his selfishness doesn't stem from greed or ego; it's forced on him by the work he does and part of him since he was much, much smaller. Even before you understand Simon, you can see what makes him tick, and that's a huge credit to Abdul-Mateen.
Not everything in “Wonder Man” makes as much sense. For a show that claims to know Hollywood as well as this one, there are a number of all-too-convenient gaffes. The pacing isn't always smooth, and a departure episode doesn't fully justify its running time — not when it means leaving out Abdul-Mateen and Kingsley (the latter of whom is having a ball). Still, considering the MCU slop we've been getting lately, or even taking “Wonder Man” on its own (as the “Marvel Spotlight” designation at the top of each episode suggests), it's a clear step in the right direction. Two great performances and a series, an actual series, that supports them both — what an idea!
“Wonder Man” premieres Tuesday, January 27 on Disney+. All eight episodes will be released at once.
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By Anthony D'Alessandro
Editorial Director/Box Office Editor
Nina Jacobson and Brad Simpson, producers of Lionsgate‘s Hunger Games movies, are set to produce the studio's next installment of Dirty Dancing. The screenplay will be written by Emmy and Golden Globe nominee and 2025 Humanitas Prize winner Kim Rosenstock with an eye to commence production this year.
Dirty Dancing star Jennifer Grey is reprising her Golden Globe-nominated role as Frances “Baby” Houseman, which was the plan all along, and she'll EP the movie. Jonathan Levine, who was previously set to direct, is executive producing.
“Dirty Dancing remains as beloved today as it was upon its initial release, and we knew that a very special group of people would have to come together for fans to embrace a return to Kellerman's,” said Adam Fogelson, chair, Lionsgate Motion Picture Group. “We are beyond thrilled to announce we have assembled the perfect team to carry this film forward in partnership with Jennifer Grey. There are no better producers for this movie than our longtime partners and friends Nina and Brad from The Hunger Games, and we could not be more excited to have Kim coming on board to write. With this super team now in place, we are moving full steam ahead so that both existing fans and new audiences can discover the magic, the music and the emotion that is Dirty Dancing in a new theatrical film meant for the big screen.”
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RELATED: The Movies That Have Made More Than $1 Billion At The Global Box Office
Grey said: “The role of Baby has held a very deep and meaningful place in my heart, as it has in the hearts of so many fans over the years. I've long wondered where we might find Baby years later and what her life might be like, but it's taken time to assemble the kind of people that I felt could be entrusted to build on the legacy of the original film … and I'm excited to say that It looks like the wait will soon be over.”
Jacobson added: “Dirty Dancing is that rare film that is as emotional, exhilarating and rebellious today as it was the year it was released. To be able to work with Jennifer Grey and Lionsgate on the sequel is a genuine joy for Brad and me. We feel so fortunate to have been invited back to Kellerman's for one more dance.”
Meredith Wieck and Maria Ascanio will oversee the project for Lionsgate. The deals were struck by Phil Strina for Lionsgate.
RELATED: Oscars: Every Best Picture Winner Back To The Beginning In 1929
PGA and Emmy winners Jacobson and Simpson of Color Force are producing The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping prequel for Lionsgate, which will hit theaters November 20. They also serve as executive producers of Ryan Murphy's upcoming Netflix limited series Love Story: John F. Kennedy, Jr. and Carolyn Bessette.
Rosenstock is co-creator of the hit Hulu series Dying for Sex, starring Michelle Williams and Jenny Slate. In addition, she is an executive producer on Love Story: John F. Kennedy, Jr. and Carolyn Bessette and previously served as a writer and producer on Only Murders in the Building, GLOW, Single Parents and New Girl.
Lionsgate's 2026 is off to a great start with the carryover success of The Housemaid, which is gunning toward $300 million at the global box office and also is the highest-grossing movie of director Paul Feig's career (when comped against the rest of his canon, with inflation and foreign currency swings taken into consideration).
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As it turns out, headshots do not put down the nightmarish wooden dolls of Crisol: Theater of Idols. It barely slows them down. I discovered this the hard way in the sewers below Tormentosa when I popped one of these astillados (which translate to “splintered” in Spanish) in the skull, only for it to continue stumbling in my direction. A few more shots to the torso seemed to do the trick and I moved on to eliminate another target. After taking them out, I let out a breath of relief and continued on my way until suddenly something struck me from out of nowhere, dealing the last bit of my HP and sending me back to my last checkpoint.
It was the damned legs, of all things. As it turns out, Crisol expects players to be careful and precise with the bullets they expend. They're your own blood, after all. Every shot counts, and every last drop.
Crisol holds a lot of promise. For one, it clearly borrows from heavy-hitters like Bioshock and Resident Evil. Crisol isn't a twitch first-person shooter, and as such Gabriel, the game's protagonist, moves with weight. Though he's trained in how to use firearms, they still sway in his hands and his aim drifts if held in place too long. He feels like a real person waging a one-man war, rather than a perfect war machine. It feels like Jack emerging into Rapture's bathosphere for the first time and being thrust into an unexpected battle of survival against a rabid splicer.
The points of comparison don't stop there, either. Tormentosa is a storm-drenched island run by competing religious cults; based on trailers, it looks to feature locales that seem inspired by Resident Evil 4‘s mountain village and castle segments. Environmental puzzles have you tracking down key items like bolt cutters in order to open up locked gates, and even the way they are conjured from thin air and used in-game is reminiscent of the Resident Evil titles. The occasional poster on the street resembles Bioshock‘s in-game propaganda and the dystopic and run-down ambiance of the city streets feels like a page torn out of Rapture's book. (That and all the booby traps, of course.) Even the art deco adjacent UI of Crisol feels reminiscent of Irrational's massively influential FPS.
But Crisol is also far more of a survival horror game than I expected it to be, and that ties into its most interesting and unique mechanic. In Crisol, the weapons you use to put down opponents are fueled by blood. At one point, I picked up a plain old-fashioned bolt-action sniper rifle that was immediately consumed by blood and made into some blasphemous, gothic armament of war. All of Crisol‘s weapons are like this, and rather than take bullets, they take blood directly from your HP.
That means that every reload animation vividly shows the gun draining the player of their life force, and surviving Crisol‘s horrors eventually grows to entail management of your shared health and ammo pool to meet the situation adequately. Shotguns, for example, hold two very powerful shells that one-shot standard enemies, but each takes a pip of your entire health bar. The pistol, by comparison, can hold 10 weaker shots, but each absorbs drastically less health than one shotgun round. In classic survival horror fashion, like Resident Evil, I was almost immediately counting my shots and weighing what I could get away with against my inventory and healing items.
To aid the player, Crisol‘s dilapidated city streets are rich with blood. A conflict has obviously torn the place apart by the time that the player arrives on Tormentosa's shores, meaning it is rich with dead things for the player to vampirically leech off of. Corpses of fallen men occasionally litter the main pathways, but there are also plenty of mutated animals around too, and both can be consumed by the player to fill their health and tip things back in their favor. I found these to be spaced out pretty well to accommodate a modest challenge. I imagine hardcore players can amp up the difficulty in the settings menu and find even fewer of these for a truly harrowing time.
The player is expected to leverage their gnarly weapons (and I guess torture tools) to do battle against the horrors that seem to have come to life on Tormentosa. According to a producer who was on hand for my demo, many of Crisol‘s enemy variants are born from imagery related to Hispanic culture (the game's developer, Vermila Studios, is based in Madrid) and seem to especially stem from Spanish-Catholic architecture. And while I have no idea how Crisol will execute upon its obvious religious overtones, it is refreshing to see a game move from the abstract realm of religion and the harmfulness of its institutions into the more concrete by rendering material nightmares from its own iconography.
The bulk of the preview saw me engage a bunch of the astillados, which appear to be the game's primary enemy type, and can be dealt with in varied ways. You can blast through them as I did, but that comes with some of the very caveats I already mentioned. Especially if you're low on blood, you may want to do a little risk management instead and take out the legs in order to leave slower crawlers. This frees up ammo to go towards greater targets, and buys you time to scan the environs for healing or sources of blood.
The preview also revealed two other enemy types that owe their whole deal to Crisol‘s overtly religious lineage. The first appeared to be cherubic demons made of wax that zipped around the sky pelting me with fire. The other, and far more prominent, enemy was a large unkillable mech called Dolores.
Dolores, perhaps unsurprisingly, functions a lot like Mr. X, Nemesis, or the Xenomorph, who are all roaming enemies from the Resident Evil franchise and Alien: Isolation that follow the player through the majority (or entirety) of the games they haunt. Though her mechanized body allows her to tower over you, her face appears like that of a cracked porcelain doll, with bloody tears running down it, lending her a tragic visage. When she is deployed, she immediately complicates matters by stalking the room calling for you, which sounds creepy enough in English but manages to be even more menacing in Spanish. At one point, she jump-scared me in a room where I had to solve an environmental puzzle resulting in electrified puddles of water; my progress immediately dragged to a screeching halt as I began having to account for her large presence. There were other enemies in the rooms to take care of, including sentries above me, but every fired shot risked alerting her to my presence, and when she first makes an entrance like she does here, it can be disarming.
It seems like Dolores will follow you through a few parts of the game, and I worry that the bit may run dry. While she's obviously a menace, she's also not terribly intuitive or smart. She's fairly restricted in her movement and what she can do to harm you, and I worry that segments revolving around her run the risk of growing stale as you repeatedly bait her to one side of a room so that you can then unlock a door somewhere else and bypass her. In order to maintain her viability as a threat, Crisol will hopefully find greater ways to utilize her as the game goes on.
When Crisol leans into its unique cultural elements, it's enthralling. When it's more prosaic and familiar, in settings like factories and plain storefronts, I wished that the developer allowed more of themselves to bleed into the game, similar to how the game's protagonist bleeds for their cause. I have hope yet that Crisol will grow into a stronger display of Spanish culture—its voice acting and loaded enemy design is already most of the way there—but this glimpse at its early moments leads me to believe it might be a slow ramp up to the full-fledged Spanish nightmare that Crisol could be. It does an admirable job lifting from obvious inspirations, though, and the way that it turns familiar survival horror elements on their head with its blood mechanic leaves me wondering what extreme lengths it might still go to.
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Of the 90-plus films and episodic series premiering at the Sundance Film Festival in 2026, only about a dozen are arriving at the festival with distribution in hand. Many will be looking for homes, but if this year is anything like last year, it may take some time for those sales to close. We'll be tracking all of them as they come in.
Section: MidnightDistributor: NeonDirector: Adrian ChiarellaDate Acquired: Jan. 27 Buzz: A queer, coming-of-age horror movie? “Leviticus” is about two teenage boys who have to fight off a violent entity capable of taking the form of the other. The film plays on the real-life horrors of conversion therapy and stars Joe Bird, Stacy Clausen, Jeremy Blewitt, Ewen Leslie, Davida McKenzie, Nicholas Hope, Zahra Newman, and Mia Wasikowska. The film's unique genre premise from writer/director Adrian Chiarella, his feature debut, was good enough for Neon to jump on worldwide rights in a seven-figure deal, as well as the first sale of the festival, an otherwise slow affair thus far, though one that has sparked an early bidding war for at least one other title. “Leviticus” will be released later this year and is actually Neon's second deal for a horror movie out of the festival, as the distributor also over the weekend joined the next film from “It Ends” director Alex Ullom.
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Section: PremieresDistributor: Focus FeaturesDirectors: Daniel Roher and Charlie TyrellBuzz: The “Navalny” director teams up with producer Daniel Kwan (“Everything Everywhere All At Once”) on a film that goes deep into the perils and promise of artificial intelligence, all through the lens of Roher debating whether this is a good moment to bring a child into the world.
Section: PremieresDistributor: ESPNDirector: Alexandria StapletonBuzz: The director of “Sean Combs: The Reckoning” sits down with Brittany Griner, the basketball star who was famously detained and became the subject of a media and political frenzy as she hoped to secure her freedom.
Section: PremieresDistributor: ESPNDirectors: Liz Garbus and Elizabeth WolffBuzz: More than a sports doc, this portrait of Billie Jean King looks at the tennis icon's compulsion to hide her sexual orientation and eating disorders.
Section: PremieresDistributor: Searchlight PicturesDirector: Andrew StantonBuzz: Though he's directed plenty on TV, Pixar vet Andrew Stanton is returning to a live-action feature for the first time since “John Carter” dropped way back in 2012. “In the Blink of an Eye” is a triptych set in ancient times, modern day, and in the distant future, exploring how those three eras are connected by hope and the circle of life.
Section: PremieresDistributor: A24Director: Aidan ZamiriBuzz: One of three films starring Charli XCX at the festival, the “brat” pop star plays a version of herself in an exaggerated mockumentary that comments on the idea of modern celebrity.
Section: World DocumentaryDistributor: PBS/FrontlineDirectors: Itab Azzam, Jack MacInnesBuzz: This documentary was filmed over 10 years and follows a Syrian refugee girl who travels to Germany and then back to Syria with her family.
Section: PremieresDistributor: NetflixDirector: Rory KennedyBuzz: Perhaps a documentary for “The Queen's Gambit” fans, this film follows a girl from Hungary who is a chess prodigy trying to break into a male-dominated competition circuit.
Section: MidnightDistributor: ShudderDirector: Natalie Erika JamesBuzz: Shudder picked up this body horror film from the “Relic” director just before the festival. It stars Midori Francis as a woman who takes part in a bizarre weight loss craze that involves eating human ashes, only to become possessed by demonic forces in the process.
Section: PremieresDistributor: Nat GeoDirector: Sara DosaBuzz: Like her Sundance breakout “Fire of Love” before it, “Time and Water” is a more elevated nature documentary and follows an Icelandic writer eulogizing both a glacier and his grandparents.
Section: MidnightDistributor: A24Director: Ian TuasonBuzz: A micro-budget horror movie in the vein of “Paranormal Activity” that first played at Fantasia Fest, the actual producers of “Paranormal Activity” helped give the film a new cut and are hoping for another horror hit.
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By
Cheyenne Roundtree
Melissa Gilbert has broken her silence after her husband, actor Timothy Busfield, was accused of inappropriately touching two boys on the set of a TV show, acknowledging the “extraordinarily difficult time” that her family is facing.
“This season has reminded me, very clearly, how important it is to slow down, prioritize what truly matters, and allow ourselves moments of rest,” the Little House on the Prairie star shared on her company's Instagram account, Modern Prairie, on Monday. “Stepping back from the noise, the news, and even our daily responsibilities from time to time gives us space to recharge, reflect, and find our center again.
“Thank you, truly, for the love, patience, and support you continue to show Tim and me,” Gilbert added. “Thank you for helping me to feel safer, more grounded, and deeply held by this extraordinary community of women here at Modern Prairie. I'll be easing back into things thoughtfully and with care — moving forward one step at a time.”
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Gilbert broke down in tears last Tuesday when an Albuquerque judge ordered Busfield's release from custody. The couple has been married since 2013, and Gilbert deactivated her personal Instagram account in the wake of the accusations. Busfield, who starred in West Wing and Thirtysomething, was arrested earlier this month on charges of sexual contact with a minor and child abuse. Busfield has adamantly denied the charges, describing the claims as “horrible lies.”
The accusations stem from Busfield's work on the Fox television series The Cleaning Lady, where the Hollywood veteran served as an executive producer and frequent director. While on set, the 68-year-old allegedly had inappropriate contact with twin child actors, which reportedly began occurring when the boys were around seven years old, according to an arrest warrant. Later, one of the children claimed that Busfield began touching his private areas over his clothes between takes.
Albuquerque officials launched an investigation into Busfield in November 2024 over concerns that the child actors were possibly “groomed” by Busfield. The investigation resumed late last year when one of the children made claims of sexual contact to his therapist.
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After a warrant was issued for Busfield's arrest, he traveled from New York to New Mexico, where the show was filmed, to turn himself in. As Busfield's lawyers argued for his release, they submitted more than 80 letters of support from his family and friends, and a copy of an adult psychosexual evaluation that deemed Busfield “very low risk.” The report also noted he “does not appear to have a sexual attraction to prepubescent or adolescent males or females.”
Judge David Murphy considered the submission when granting Busfield's release, acknowledging that “given the lack of a pattern involving children” and the state failing to prove Busfield was an imminent danger to the community, he should be freed pending trial.
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By Justin Kroll, Melanie Goodfellow, Andreas Wiseman
EXCLUSIVE: Oscar and Palme d'Or winner Justine Triet (Anatomy of a Fall) has found her next feature, Fonda, which will mark her full English-language debut.
Frankenstein star Mia Goth, BAFTA winner Andrew Scott (All of Us Strangers), Cannes Best Actor winner Frank Dillane (Urchin) and Candyman star Nathan Stewart-Jarrett are signed up for the much-anticipated project, while Oscar winner Allison Janney (I, Tonya) is in talks for a key role.
The production, which will be one of the hottest presale titles at the upcoming European Film Market in Berlin, reunites writer-director Triet with Anatomy of a Fall producers Marie-Ange Luciani (Les Films de Pierre) and David Thion (Les Films Pelléas), as well as mk2 Films, which is handling sales.
Deadline hears its an ensemble piece led by Goth, who originally was earmarked for a supporting role but impressed Triet so much she was offered the lead, with Janney and Scott also in bigger parts. Additional casting is still in progress with the shoot being lined up for the spring.
Watch on Deadline
The first official synopsis reads: A psychological thriller set in a seemingly idyllic huis clos, Fonda takes us on a vertiginous dive into the shifting limits of a sound mind, as grief and obsession take hold.
The Fonda of the title shouldn't mislead anyone. It doesn't refer to the American acting dynasty but instead to an institution central to the story. Triet takes a solo writing credit on the screenplay.
RELATED: Cannes Film Festival Palme d'Or Winners Through The Years: A Photo Gallery
Paris-based mk2 is joining forces on the project with Studiocanal, which is a financing and co-producing partner and has picked up several key territories including France, Germany, Italy, Benelux, Poland, Australia and New Zealand, where the film will be released theatrically.
The picture is Triet's first feature since her 2023 Cannes Palme d'Or-winning psychological thriller Anatomy of a Fall, which went on to enjoy a major awards-season run, garnering its star Sandra Hüller a Best Actress Academy Award nomination and clinching an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay. The movie took $55M worldwide (per figures provided by mk2), a big number for a multi-lingual European drama.
There has been great interest in Triet's next project, with Hollywood luminaries reportedly queuing up for potential collaboration. Triet confirmed that Steven Spielberg was among interested parties. One potential project for the filmmaker was an adaptation of Daniel Clowes' graphic novel, Monica, with Cate Blanchett reportedly interested to star. Ultimately, Triet has landed on Fonda, which according to the partners is similarly fertile, intelligent thriller territory to Anatomy.
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“Fonda promises to bring audiences another major cinematic moment by delving into the depths of the human mind and resurfacing as a thriller of rare intelligence and emotional force destined to be a top awards contender and box office hit,” said Fionnuala Jamison, Managing Director of mk2 Films.
“We're thrilled to be embarking on this new journey with the Anatomy of a Fall team and to have Studiocanal on board,” she added.
Studiocanal CEO and Canal+ CCO Anna Marsh commented: “Justine Triet's cinematic work is incomparable, and in Fonda our cast is exceptional. We cannot wait to bring this film to audiences across our territories announced today. The moment we read the script we just knew we had to be part of what will be Justine Triet's unforgettable and formidable return to cinema.”
RELATED: All The Best Picture Oscar Winners – Photo Gallery
Paris-based mk2 Films is in the middle of a buzzy awards season with three Golden Globe wins and 15 Oscar nominations across its slate on titles It Was Just an Accident, Sentimental Value and The Secret Agent. French filmmaker Triet's previous films include Cannes duo Sibyl and Victoria.
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Mia Goth playing Jane Fonda might be interesting though. There's a movie to be made in that whole “Hanoi Jane” situation back during the Vietnam War.
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By
Jon Blistein
Jimmy Kimmel reacted to the ICE killing of Alex Pretti on his show Monday, fighting back tears and incredulity as he said, “Is that the law and order that you voted for, if you voted for this? Every day is a nightmare now.”
Kimmel spent a good chunk of his opening monologue speaking out against all the violence emanating from ICE's brutal immigration crackdown in Minneapolis. He mentioned the copious videos of children being separated from their parents and taken into custody, as well as “people being torn from their families” or “pulled out of their cars for the crime of having an accent or whatever.” And he spoke about the killings of Pretti and Renée Good, and the Trump admin's efforts to cast doubt on what was also clearly visible on numerous videos.
“Just one atrocity after another being committed by this gang of poorly-trained, shamefully-led, mask-wearing goons,” Kimmel said. “They're goons committing vile, heartless, and even criminal acts.”
Noting the “sickening” videos being widely circulated online and on television, Kimmel compared the situation to being “forced to play a game that has no rules.” He added, “We see these videos in which we clearly see one of our fellow Americans executed by ICE. And they won't even admit it that it was a mistake.”
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Kimmel expressed particular disbelief at the Trump admin's attempts to paint the killing of Pretti — an ICU nurse shot 10 times after being pinned to the ground — as justified. “How does this end? What's the plan here?” Kimmel said. “Is the plan to just keep doing this in every city that didn't vote for Donald Trump? Does anyone on any side believe that this is good leadership?”
A few moments later, Kimmel fought back tears as he expressed his condolences to the families of Pretti and Good, as well as the people of Minneapolis and those “looking out for their neighbors,” to whom he said: “We want you to know that we are with you and you are not alone.”
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While the Rams were knocked out of Super Bowl contention on Sunday, the real winner this year will be… Joe Montana.
Sources say that the four-time Super Bowl winning QB usually racks up hundreds of thousands in appearances during a normal Super Bowl. But with the big game at Levi's Stadium, home of the 49ers, he's bound to rack up even more.
This year, Montana will appear at events at the Orpheum Theatre with fellow football legends and he'll also host a celeb golf tournament with his longtime 49ers teammate Jerry Rice. Said an insider, “Oh, he's definitely gonna be paid” this year, adding that Montana could rake in $100,000 per day at events from Tuesday through Super Bowl Sunday.
We hear he's also bringing his four Super Bowl trophies to a pop-up dinner hosted by legendary NYC, LA and Miami red sauce joint Rao's. (We hear Montana is attending this one gratis as a friend of owners Frank Pelligrino Jr and Ron Straci, as well as the “Joe Montana Of Meatballs” exec chef Dino Gatto. But we guess he'll get some free lemon chicken at least.)
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Rao's will run for five nights for expected guests like Rice, Eli and Peyton Manning, Rob Gronkowski, Troy Aikman and more. Serial entrepreneur and Real SLX founder Kenny Dichter is stirring the sauce, we'll say.
A rep for Montana did not get back to us.
By Anthony D'Alessandro
Editorial Director/Box Office Editor
UPDATE: NEON has made it known that it has acquired the worldwide rights to writer/director Adrian Chiarella's' feature-length directorial debut Leviticus. NEON will release the film theatrically later this year.
EXCLUSIVE: Word will be happening soon from NEON that they've secured global on Adrian Chiarella's Sundance Midnight premiere Leviticus for seven figures. In addition, A24 and Focus Features are the last two standing for Olivia Wilde's sexual romcom The Invite. We foreshadowed all of this yesterday.
NEON is taking global on Leviticus, and will represent foreign rights on the pic which has Mia Wasikowska's comeback after three years, and also stars Talk to Me‘s Joe Bird, as well as Stacy Clausen (Crazy Fun Park), Jeremy Blewitt (The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart), Ewen Leslie (Nightingale), David McKenzie (Silent Night), Nicholas Hope (Bad Boy Bubby) and Zhara Newman (Thirteen Lives).
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WME Independent handled sales on this title bout two teenage boys who must escape a violent entity that takes the form of a person they desire the most — each other. Pic is produced by Talk to Me producers Samanta Jennings and Kristina Ceyton at Causeway Films and Hannah Ngo. Causeway Films also bankrolled the picture with Salmira Productions. Leviticus is currently 100% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes.
Meanwhile The Invite, after playing to great laughs at the Eccles Theatre on Saturday night is 94% fresh with critics on Rotten Tomatoes. Word is Wilde wanted a theatrical release for the movie, hence the melting away of Netflix. Megan Ellison's Annapurna is a producer on the movie starring Wilde, Seth Rogen, Edward Norton and Penelope Cruz which is based on the Spanish movie The People Upstairs. The other bidders on The Invite, which is being sold by UTA, included Black Bear, Searchlight and NEON.
Here's our interview with Leviticus‘ Chiarella, Wasikowska, Bird and Clausen out of the Deadline studio:
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Some real wins for diversity as the BAFTA Film Awards nominations were unveiled, as well as good news for Stellan Skarsgard, who became a debut nominee at the age of 73.
By
Lily Ford
Another record-breaking feat for Chloé Zhao this awards season: Hamnet is officially BAFTA‘s most-nominated film by a female director ever.
The news arrived on Tuesday alongside the full list of 2026 BAFTA Film Awards nominations, which has Paul Thomas Anderson's One Battle After Another just inching ahead of the competition, having accrued a total of 14 nominations. Ryan Coogler's deep South vampire horror Sinners follows with 13 nods, shortly after becoming the Academy's most-nominated movie of all time.
But it was Nomadland director Zhao who stole the spotlight as the British Academy named their contenders ahead of the Feb. 22 ceremony in London. Her Sam Mendes- and Steven Spielberg-produced Shakespearean drama Hamnet landed 11 BAFTA Film Awards noms, the most for a female filmmaker in BAFTA history.
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Adapted from Maggie O'Farrell's 2020 novel of the same name, Focus Features' Hamnet scored nominations for best film, outstanding British film, as well as best director for Zhao and best adapted screenplay for both Zhao and O'Farrell, who penned the script together. Liza Marshall and Pippa Harris also land noms for their roles as producers.
Irish duo Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal also landed lead actress and supporting actor nods, respectively, for their performances as Agnes and William Shakespeare, two characters torn apart by contrasting experiences of grief after the loss of their son. Emily Watson is recognized in the supporting actress category for her role as Shakespeare's mother, and Max Richter is nominated for best original score. Hamnet also received costume design, makeup & hair, and production design nominations.
It's not the only win for industry equality at the 2026 BAFTA Film Awards. Across all categories, 25 percent of the nominated films are directed by women. Among some of the others recognized are Lynne Ramsay's Die My Love (outstanding British film), Kathryn Bigelow's A House of Dynamite (editing) and Mary Bronstein's If I Had Legs I'd Kick You (best actress for Rose Byrne).
Some of the other stats from Tuesday's BAFTA nominations are also neat. For example, there's 50 years between the youngest and oldest nominated performers — between Chase Infiniti and Odessa A'zion (25) and debut BAFTA nominee Stellan Skarsgard (73). Skarsgard is undoubtedly the frontrunner in the supporting actor category for his role in Joachim Trier's Sentimental Value, though both Infiniti and A'zion missed out on Academy Awards nominations last week.
“That boldness of filmmaking and the importance of human connectivity — that feels like it's a thread running through almost all of the nominations,” BAFTA's chair of the film committee Emily Stillman told The Hollywood Reporter as nominations were announced.
Read the full list of 2026 BAFTA Film Awards nominations here.
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The emotionally charged Squarespace commercial, titled 'Unavailable,' marks Stone's first Super Bowl appearance.
By
Erin Lassner
E-Commerce Writer
If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, The Hollywood Reporter may receive an affiliate commission.
On top of The Favourite, Poor Things, Kinds of Kindness and Bugonia, Emma Stone and Yorgos Lanthimos are adding yet another project to their award-winning lineup of collaborations: the duo's first-ever Super Bowl ad. And while website building platform Squarespace replaces the oft-twisted tropes of the pair's past projects, fans can still count on the bold, provocative and darkly funny nature they've come to expect from the partnership.
Titled Unavailable, Squarespace's forthcoming commercial marks the platform's 12th Super Bowl appearance, and will air between the first and second quarter of Super Bowl LX. While the game-day spot is 30 seconds long, Squarespace exclusively shared a 15-second teaser with The Hollywood Reporter, seen below.
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Unavailable‘s set was built by production designer James Price (Poor Things, Bugonia, The Iron Claw), and the music is the work of Lanthimos' team and composer Jerskin Fendrix, with sound design by Wave Studios founder Johnnie Burn (The Zone of Interest). The campaign was shot in London on black and white film.
In addition to Unavailable, Lanthimos directed the 2026 Super Bowl ad for food delivery app Grubhub (THR received the exclusive first look here). These projects mark the Greek director's first two Super Bowl ads, while Unavailable marks Stone's first and only.
As part of the campaign rollout, Squarespace is releasing a series of movie posters, creating a visual narrative that mirrors the suspense and intensity of the teaser. While the rest of the spot — namely the reason for Stone's tears — is being kept under wraps at the moment, the story will continue to unfold in the lead-up to the Big Game on Feb. 8. Get a first look at the Unavailable movie posters below, and watch the 15-second teaser here.
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The Oscar-winning ‘Frankenstein' filmmaker sang nearly a full concert with a mariachi band inside a Park Avenue home filled with guests like The Daniels, Elijah Wood, producers Jonathan Wang and Janet Yang.
By
Chris Gardner
Guillermo del Toro delivered a surprise performance at Sundance Monday night, wowing an intimate crowd hosted by Netflix in honor of the festival's retrospective screening of his feature directorial debut Cronos.
And what a show it was. The Oscar-winning filmmaker has a brief history of breaking out into song at film festivals. In 2022, he joined Gael Garcia Bernal on on a Cannes Film Festival stage but this was much more intimate and extended. Del Toro was backed by a four man mariachi band and didn't just belt out a few tunes — he delivered nearly a full concert with at least seven songs, even coming back for an encore as the crowd enthusiastically chanted, “Uno mas!”
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Attendees included the Oscar winning filmmaker team behind Everything Everywhere All At Once The Daniels and producer Jonathan Wang (in Park City for the world premiere of The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist), producers Janet Yang and Jamie Patricof, Netflix's Oscar nominated The Perfect Neighbor filmmaker Geeta Gandbhir, actor Elijah Wood, Hollywood and festival insiders and select media. Aside from the music and festival gossip, the main course and hot commodity at the dinner gathering was a menu provided by Michelin-starred Holbox out of L.A.
At Netflix's celebration for Guillermo del Toro in honor of the Cronos screening at #Sundance, the Oscar winner burst into song with a four-man band. The crowd – treated to a Holbox menu – includes Elijah Wood, The Daniels, A Perfect Neighbor filmmaker Greta Gandbhir, producers… pic.twitter.com/eBM9KFK2Dt
And the encore! pic.twitter.com/LeQ3Dk0Bqb
Currently on the awards season rounds for his epic Frankenstein for the streamer, the filmmaker is on a break from the flurry of black-tie events to make a special Sundance appearance in honor of a special screening of his debut, Cronos, which premiered at the 1994 Sundance Film Festival. Frankenstein snagged nine Oscar nominations including best picture, best adapted screenplay for del Toro, best supporting actor for Jacob Elordi, makeup and hairstyling, original music, sound, production design and costume design.
Tuesday's showing at the Ray Theater — one of the Park City Legacy Program events designed to highlight special moments from years past to mark the final Sundance in Utah before it moves to Boulder, Colorado — will also feature an extended Q&A with del Toro. The film will be presented in newly restored 4K from Janus Films.
Written and directed by del Toro, Cronos stars Ron Perlman, Federico Luppi, Tamara Shanath, Margarita Isabel and Claudio Brook. It tells the story of an alchemist who creates a device that can give its user eternal life. Four centuries later, the alchemist, now a ghostly white, is killed by debris from a falling building. Enter an unsuspecting antique dealer who comes across the device, only to discover it can restore his youth, even if immortality comes with gruesome consequences.
The Park City Legacy program, scheduled for the fest's second half on Jan. 27-30, encompasses screenings of past festival favorites and standout titles spanning a variety of genres. It is poised to be a nostalgia bonanza with talent (directors and select cast) from each title making the trek to Park City for the showings.
The program spotlights special anniversaries and will feature brand-new digital restorations of Little Miss Sunshine from Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris, House Party from Reginald Hudlin, Half Nelson from Ryan Fleck, American Dream from Barbara Kopple and Mysterious Skin from Gregg Araki, as well as a recent restoration of Saw from James Wan. The series will also feature an archival screening of the late Lynn Shelton's Humpday.
The Park City Legacy program includes special talks as part of the Beyond Film series, which offers artist and filmmaker conversations on cinema, legacy, culture and more. A number of those events will be held at Main Street's iconic Egyptian Theatre, one of the first Sundance venues. Next year, it will celebrate a milestone 100 years as “the jewel of Main Street.”
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Country singer Tim McGraw has put his fans' minds at rest, informing them that he and his family are safe after the severe weather in Nashville. The star gave the update on Instagram on January 26, and he also shared a photo of the devastation and his sadness that people are struggling during this time.
McGraw posted a black-and-white photo on Instagram of a road with fallen trees. In the distance, there is a lone vehicle in the middle of the road. The singer shared his thoughts in the caption, writing, “Woke up to the damage across Nashville this morning and my heart sank. So grateful our family is safe, but I know a lot of folks are hurting—homes damaged, power out, trees down. If you need help, ask. If you can help, go. That's how Nashville works. We take care of our own.”
The comment section has been flooded with fan reactions. “Those of us who've live in this their whole lives in the North are,” a comment reads. “But seriously, prayers for anyone who needs them.”
“Stay warm and safe!,” a second fan shared. Other reactions include, “We absolutely do take care of our own,” “Praying for Nashville!,” and “Praying for you Tim McGraw and Nashville Tennessee.” Among the reactions is one from McGraw's daughter, Audrey McGraw, who reacted with a red heart emoji.
The media, including Fox News, reported that trees had fallen onto electrical lines, leaving thousands without power in Nashville. “More than 245 million Americans across the weekend left a lasting impact on Nashville as thousands remain without power from crippling ice that has overtaken the typically bustling Tennessee town,” Fox News reports.
Without power, many homes are also without heat. Nashville Electric Service shared an update on X on January 26. “With temperatures dropping into the single digits tonight, we're especially reminded of the grit and sacrifice it takes after so much destruction across our system,” they wrote. “We are endlessly grateful for the lineworkers' dedication today and every day. Let's show ‘em some love!”
There is a sense of community in the post's comment section. “Thank you, thank you so much! You have a nasty job and it's bitterly cold. We are so appreciative of you restoring our power!” a message reads. “God bless our lineman… ” another person shared.
McGraw is right that Nashville is coming together to care for and support its own.
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The Hubert Bals Fund has taken “a long-lasting interest in Brazilian cinema … from the success of ‘I'm Still Here' to the outstanding path currently trailed by ‘The Secret Agent'.”
By
Georg Szalai
Global Business Editor
UFOs and extraterrestrials, a mother with supernatural power, a colonial emperor, and rap battles with a third eye – those are just some of the ingredients of Brazilian film projects getting funding from the International Film Festival Rotterdam's Hubert Bals Fund (HBF). The fund has unveiled the 10 projects selected for the pilot edition of HBF+Brazil: Co-development Support, a new collaboration with organizations for the promotion of cinema in Brazil. The partners are Spcine, RioFilme, Projeto Paradiso and Embratur, the Brazilian Tourism Board, which HBF has newly welcomed to the initiative.
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The 10 fiction film projects in development will each receive a grant of €10,000 ($11,880). Each will be directed by a second- or third-time Brazilian filmmaker, with a Brazilian production company attached.
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“Reflecting the geographical scope and mission of the HBF+Brazil partners, the 10 grants support filmmakers and producers across Brazil, with four grants each for projects connected to São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, including collaborations where producers from São Paulo or Rio de Janeiro work with filmmakers from other cities,” the partners highlighted.“It's extremely important for us that this partnership has resulted in the selection of projects with strong potential to reach both domestic and international audiences,” highlighted Josephine Bourgois, executive director of Projeto Paradiso. “The HBF has proved to take a long-lasting interest in Brazilian cinema, but this specific initiative is a reflection of the country's momentum within the global market at a moment of growing international visibility. From the success of I'm Still Here to the outstanding path currently trailed by The Secret Agent, the involvement of this world-renowned fund reinforces our confidence in the sustainability of this moment.”
Tamara Tatishvili, head of the Hubert Bals Fund, said: “The launch of HBF+Brazil Co-Development Support marked an exciting new chapter for the Hubert Bals Fund, with this initiative offering a truly unique collaboration as multiple sectors come together to create such a joint effort.”Check out the 10 selected projects and details on them below.Bicho, director Madiano Marcheti, producer Terceira Margem, rest of Brazil (director and producer)”Born and raised in Mato Grosso, Brazil's Amazon region, Madiano Marcheti's feature debut Madalena premiered in the Tiger Competition at IFFR 2021. With his second and upcoming feature Mother of Gold supported by the HBF and presented at CineMart in 2022, he receives support for his third feature Bicho. The film follows a calf's escape into the unsparing wilderness of the Brazilian Cerrado, and the war this triggers between an obsessive farmer and his neighbor.”Brasa, dir. Marcelo Caetano, prod. CUP Filmes, São Paulo (director and producer)”Following the eclectic urbanism of São Paulo's gay scene in his 2024 hit Baby (Cannes Semaine de la critique 2024, HBF Development 2017, NFF+HBF 2020), Marcelo Caetano turns his attention to colonial-era Brazil with the period drama Brasa.”Enquanto não voltam, dir. Anita Rocha da Silveira, prod. Kromaki, Rio de Janeiro (director and producer)”Anita Rocha da Silveira is a two-time recipient of the Rio Film Festival's Best Director award for her first two features Kill Me Please (Venice Orizzonti 2015) and Medusa (IFFR 2022). Set in Rio de Janeiro in 1986 around ‘Night of the UFOs', her third feature Enquanto não voltam follows the extraterrestrial encounters of three young music-lovers who seek to heal wounds and scars left by the military dictatorship.”Irmã mais velha, dir. Rafaela Camelo, prod. Lupa Filmes, Rio de Janeiro (producer), director from rest of Brazil”Rafaela Camelo's debut A natureza das coisas invisíveis had its world premiere at the Berlinale in 2025 in Generation Kplus. Her second, Irmã mais velha, continues a focus on children, as the unstable mother Verônica uses supernatural powers to try to comfort her daughter Isabel following the tragic death of her sister.”Laguna, dir. Maurílio Martins, prod. Filmes de Plástico, rest of Brazil (director and producer)”Minas Gerais filmmaker and co-founder of the production company Filmes de Plástico, Maurílio Martins is awarded for his second solo feature Laguna, following Leo, a free man after two years in prison, looking for a new beginning from ghosts of the past. He co-directed the IFFR 2019 Tiger Competition selection No coração do mundo.”Um longo despir-se, dir. Pedro Geraldo, prod. Alento, São Paulo (producer), director from rest of Brazil”Pedro Geraldo's first feature, Sofia Foi won the First Film Prize at FIDMarseille 2023. Also turning to the past, they are supported for their second, Um longo despir-se. The film follows a textile worker in 1930s São Paulo countryside who steals fabric to make a dress for her brother Mateus – and the trans woman Jun's search for the same dress many years later.”Múmia tropical, dir. Lucas Parente, prod. Besta Fera Filmes, Rio de Janeiro (producer), director from rest of Brazil“Lucas Parente's most recent feature The Many Deaths of Antônio Parreiras – freely inspired by the life of the Brazilian painter of the same name – was selected for the International Competition at FIDMarseille in 2025. Once again, Parente investigates a historical figure with his supported project Múmia tropical, this time the colonial Emperor, Dom Pedro II, tracing an 1876 journey to Egypt and his encounter with ancient deities.”Olhos de Yara, dir. Lincoln Péricles Pinto, prod. Quarta-feira Filmes, São Paulo (director and producer)”From the Capão Redondo neighborhood, a housing project in São Paulo, filmmaker, screenwriter and beatmaker Lincoln Péricles (LK) is known for his ‘cine-sample' style incorporating elements of Hip Hop culture into his work. He is supported for Olhos de Yara where, after a third eye appears on her forehead, 16-year-old hip hop lover Yara must navigate rap battles, friendships and the suffocating noise of institutional politics to claim her own voice.”Papiloscopista, dir. Carlos Segundo, prod. A Manduri, São Paulo (producer), director from rest of Brazil”Carlos Segundo's award-winning films include shorts Big Bang (Pardino d'oro, Locarno 2022) and Sideral (Cannes 2021), and debut feature Leite em pó, supported by HBF Development in 2022. In his second feature Papiloscopista, a mysterious woman leads a double life as a fingerprint analyst by day and an elusive chameleon by night, seamlessly adopting new identities and immersing herself in a web of danger, intrigue and vengeance.”Sobre noix, dir. Luciano Vidigal, prod. Dualto, Rio de Janeiro (director and producer)”A member since 1990 of the renowned Brazilian theater and art organization Nós do Morro based in the Vidigal favela of Rio de Janeiro, filmmaker and actor Luciano Vidigal is supported for his second feature Sobre noix, telling the story of Joana and Drica, two Black women from the favela, who set out to adopt a child in hopes of building a family.”
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By
Emily Zemler
On the latest episode of The Daily Show, Jon Stewart reflected on the “awful news out of Minnesota” and attacked Republicans for deflecting blame from federal agents for the shooting and killing of U.S. citizen Alex Pretti on Saturday.
Stewart opened the show by comparing the United States to Iran, “an authoritarian state currently being rocked by protests that threaten to tear the whole nation apart.” He explained how “for the second time in two weeks, another American has been tragically killed on the streets of Minneapolis.”
“Now, obviously, all the facts are not in yet,” Stewart noted before playing clips of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and U.S. Border Patrol's Gregory Bovino claiming that Pretti was armed and violent. Bovino said a Border Patrol agent fired defensive shots at Pretti. Noem added that he “committed an act of domestic terrorism,” noting, “That's the facts.”
“Those are the facts,” Stewart responded. “That's the facts. There's really no reason to doubt them, no evidence exists to contradict their — hold on. I'm getting a … oh really? I'm hearing there may be some grainy Zapruder-like footage from, I don't know, every angle imaginable that contradicts the government's version of events.”
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Stewart played some of those videos, which completely contradict the government spin on the incident. “Well, looks like we've got a real case of: ‘He-said, video-totally-disproves-what-he-said,'” Stewart said.
He continued, “I think the lowest bar a government ever has to clear in terms of earned credibility to its population is obvious reality. You just gotta clear obvious reality. I believe it's what the philosopher Seneca called the ‘Don't piss on my leg and tell me it's raining' doctrine.”
Stewart recounted how the Department of Homeland Security has continued to misrepresent Pretti's death and questioned why they would be allowed to investigate the murder themselves. “Oh, good luck finding the real killer, O.J.,” Stewart replied.
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Stewart then played a clip from Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche's appearance on Meet the Press, during which Blanche said that Pretti “was not protesting peacefully.” He added, “You shouldn't gaslight the administration about what happened.”
“We're gaslighting you?” Stewart said. “Speaking of gaslighting, here is Todd Blanche, a day after accusing all of us of gaslighting the administration about what happened.”
The host then cut to Fox News, on which Blanche claimed, “I don't think anybody thinks that they were comparing what happened on Saturday to the legal definition of domestic terrorism.”
“Oh, you don't think anybody was doing that?” Stewart said. “Well, they were certainly fucking insinuating it. I mean, it might be hard to find someone explicitly using those exact words, but — we found it.”
Stewart cut back to Noem's press conference, where she said, “Violence against a government because of ideological reasons and for reasons to resist and perpetuate violence, that is the definition of domestic terrorism.”
“I mean, we're gaslighting?” Stewart responded. “I think that actually might be the definition of gaslighting. Look, the administration realized pretty quickly that the public is not buying their description. So they had to make a choice: Come clean and commit yourself to finding the truth, no matter where it may lead, or just redefine who the victims of this tragedy really were.”
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The government took the latter route, suggesting that the Border Patrol and ICE agents were the real victims. After taking aim at Bovino's specifically, Stewart acknowledged that no one in the U.S. is buying the government's spin. He noted that while the Republican narrative about the killing “fell apart,” they did seem to agree that it's problematic to bring a loaded firearm into a situation with law enforcement.
Stewart played a series of clips of Republicans claiming that no one would bring a loaded gun to a protest. “Are you fucking kidding me right now?” the host said. “Is that what you're saying on the right? Are you saying that the problem was the guy had a gun? Are you saying that the guns are the problem? Is everyone on the right coming together to say carrying a legal firearm was the problem?”
Stewart ended his monologue by explaining how the right has “jettisoned the entire integrity and belief of their political worldview” for Donald Trump, “a guy who really doesn't give a fuck.”
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“Blood runs through the streets of Minnesota,” Stewart said. “A political party has jettisoned their entire knowledge of the founding documents. And Trump's out there like, ‘Hey everybody, we're all going to get laid!' This is what makes this entire Minnesota adventure so maddening. Because ultimately, we as a country are not asking for too much from our government. We're just not. We have the soft bigotry of low expectations. All we want is sane policies, actually competently executed, without you all being huge dicks.”
He concluded, “They're lying. We saw it. And that's how brazen they lie when they know we've seen the truth. That's how they lie when they know we know. Imagine how they lie when there's no evidence to contradict them.”
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The famous matriarchs smiled for the cameras as they walked arm-in-arm in Park City, Utah.
By
Gil Kaufman
While Swifties are awaiting any word on the closely-held details about Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce‘s wedding, the pair's moms spent some quality time together over the weekend in Park City, Utah.
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According to People magazine, Andrea Swift and Donna Kelce hung out together at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival on Sunday (Jan. 25), where the future in-laws were appropriately bundled up for their visit to the frigid city. This year will mark the last time Park City hosts Sundance before it moves to Boulder, Colo. in 2027.
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Andrea, 68, wore a black-and-white patterned jacket over a black shirt and matching leggings along with furry boots, while Donna, 73, sported a long gray puffer jacket and black gloves.
It didn't appear as if Taylor or Travis joined their moms for the outing, and it wasn't clear at press time which screenings the pair may have attended on Sunday.
Andrea took some credit for helping to bring the superstar couple together in the pop star's recent The Eras Tour: End of an Era documentary. In part five of the series, Taylor's mom told her famous daughter that one day, she was just “perusing around what's on the internet, [and] I see that this guy came to your show, and he brought a friendship bracelet and wants to meet you.”
Not sure what to think, Andrea said in the doc that she did her due diligence on the three-time Super Bowl tight end, calling up her resident Kansas City Chiefs expert, her cousin Robin. “‘Tell me about this guy Travis Kelce,'” she recalled asking in the doc series. “She goes, ‘Oh my gosh! He's the nicest guy, and you know what? He really loves his mom.' I went, ‘Ding, ding, ding.'”
Taylor and Travis started dating in 2023 and announced their engagement last year.
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By
Charisma Madarang
Sydney Sweeney posted a video Monday on Instagram capturing herself climbing the Hollywood sign at night and draping it with a garland of bras before looking back at her work and smiling into the camera.
The stunt, which was first covered by TMZ, was reportedly in promotion of her lingerie line. A source previously quoted in Us Weekly said Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez had “invested” in the new project, while Puck reported that the label was backed by Ben Schwerin, a partner at private equity firm Coatue. Notably, Bezos and Michael Dell have invested $1 into the Coatue Innovation Fund, per Puck.
Following news of the promo video for Syrn, the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce — which owns the intellectual property rights to the iconic sign — told the Los Angeles Times that Sweeney was not authorized to use the cultural landmark.
“Anyone intending to use and/or access the Hollywood Sign for commercial purposes must obtain a license or permission from the Hollywood Chamber to do so,” the chamber's chief, Steve Nissen, told the Times in a statement. “The production involving Sydney Sweeney and the Hollywood Sign, as reported by TMZ, was not authorized by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce nor did we have prior knowledge of it.”
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The chamber chief added that the organization “did not grant a license or permission of any kind to the production … nor did anyone seek a license or permission from the Chamber for that production.”
The Times said that while Sydney's team did have a general permit to film in the area from FilmLA, filming at the sign requires additional clearance and payment of a licensing fee, as outlined on the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce website. A portion of proceeds from the licensing program is used to support the chamber's efforts to maintain the Hollywood sign and preserve the city's history.
A police report has not yet been filed, but the chamber told TMZ that it was “still investigating how and under what authority (if any) the Sweeney production accessed the site of the Sign.”
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This past summer, Sweeney was entangled in another brand controversy. The Christy star featured in American Eagle's “Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans” ad, with the tagline reading to critics as a dog whistle for white supremacy, eugenics, and fascism in Trump‘s America, while some on the right — and even President Donald Trump — applauded the ad. After months of avoiding the subject, Sweeney addressed the denim drama in an interview with People, telling the outlet she “was honestly surprised by the reaction.” Sweeney added, “I don't support the views some people chose to connect to the campaign…. Anyone who knows me knows that I'm always trying to bring people together. I'm against hate and divisiveness.”
A rep for Sweeney did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the recent promotional video.
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Rolling Stone is a part of Penske Media Corporation. © 2026 Rolling Stone, LLC. All rights reserved.
Bethenny Frankel stepped out in a cleavage-baring bustier alongside a mystery man in Miami.
The “Real Housewives of New York” alum wore an eye-catching blue lace-up bustier and loose white drawstring pants while walking alongside a male companion on Monday.
The two appeared to be headed to the beach as she covered up from the sun with a wide-brim hat and sunglasses.
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The mystery man also dressed casually in a polo shirt, blue printed shorts, brown flip-flops and sunglasses. At one point, he carried her bag.
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Last week, Frankel revealed she was diagnosed with stage 2 chronic kidney disease after her kidney function was coming up low in blood tests.
Frankel, 55, shared that her condition could be the result of a “traumatic experience [she] had years ago when [she] almost died from an allergy attack,” or it could be an autoimmune disease.
She noted she learned that other infections could have led to the disease, saying that she used to get a lot of UTIs but “not as much anymore.”
She said she was told by the doctor to drink 1.5 gallons of water a day and to lay off pain medications like ibuprofen and Advil, as well as supplements, such as turmeric.
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As for Frankel's love life, she was last linked to businessman Tom Villante, and they were last seen together kissing on the beach in Miami in December 2024.
Last month, the outspoken reality star cried while discussing her contentious divorce from her second husband, Jason Hoppy.
Appearing on “Call Your Daddy,” Frankel said that because she was the “more successful” of the two, the “optics” made her look like “the powerhouse tyrant” while Hoppy, 56, was branded “the victim.”
“It was so traumatic. It was 10 years of my life. I lost hair. I thought I would never survive it. I didn't want to,” she shared. “I had to because of my daughter. I literally thought, ‘I'll never be happy again.'”
Frankel and the pharmaceutical executive, who share their 15-year-old daughter, Bryn, got married in March 2010. They announced their separation in December 2012, but their divorce wasn't finalized until January 2021.
Frankel's first husband is producer Peter Sussman, whom she was married to from 1996-1997.
“Heated Rivalry” co-stars Connor Storrie and Francois Arnaud were photographed together in Paris after Arnaud shut down questions about his love life.
Arnaud, 40, and Storrie, 25, were spotted in Paris on Monday looking stylish as they exited a Paris Fashion Week party.
Storrie was all smiles in dark jeans, a white t-shirt, and a brown leather jacket featuring a shearling collar, which he paired with black boots.
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Arnaud opted for a more formal look, wearing a burgundy coat over a blue sweater with tailored pants and brown boots.
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The sighting comes after Arnaud appeared on “Watch What Happens Live” and harshly shut down host Andy Cohen's question about his love life.
When Cohen asked whether Arnaud is “single these days,” the “Schitt's Creek” alum boldly replied, “None of your f–king business.”
Cohen then quipped, “It's not [my business], but I try. I've got to try.”
Rumors that Storrie and Arnaud were dating swirled after they were spotted at JFK Airport together earlier this month. The two also attended the “Is This Thing On?” premiere in Los Angeles together last month.
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Arnaud later addressed online harassment he had received from some fans who want Storrie to be involved with Hudson Williams, 24 — who plays Storrie's love interest in “Heated Rivalry” — in real-life.
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“Heated Rivalry“ follows two closeted pro hockey players — Shane Hollander (Williams) and Ilya Rozanov (Storrie) — who are rivals on the ice but hook up in secret for more than a decade and develop feelings for one another. Arnaud plays Scott Hunter, a fellow closeted pro hockey player, whose own love story plays a pivotal role in Hollander and Rozanov's relationship progressing.
Arnaud told the Toronto Star, “In general, fans have been incredibly positive and respectful.”
“For the ones that aren't, I think it's a lot of younger fans who don't really understand the difference between reality and fiction,” he said of the harassment, which is said to have included death threats.
“I honestly wish they would just rewatch the show, because it doesn't seem like they got its message,” he added. “Pay attention more closely. Did we watch the same show?”
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Fans also noticed that Arnaud unfollowed his “Heated Rivalry” co-stars — including Storrie, Williams and his love interest in the show, Robbie G.K. — in a social media purge, but then added them back.
In what appeared to be a pointed message, Arnaud posted a composite photo of him and Williams giving the middle finger and turned off comments.
“Learning from the very best. 👑 @hudsonwilliamsofficial,” he wrote.
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The Josephine Decker you once knew — an auteur behind feverish psychosexual frenzies like “Thou Wast Mild and Lovely” and “Shirley,” and the brashly experimental stage-parenting drama “Madeline's Madeline” — is no longer. While reinvention is never a bad thing, that's to say her style has drastically adjusted dating back to her straight-to-Apple-TV YA romance “The Sky Is Everywhere” from 2022. That extends to her latest feature, the homecoming rom-com “Chasing Summer,” one that also feels like it's destined for streaming. Shot with the bleached visual aesthetic of an Apple TV series, here's a movie that would have us believe that what happens to millennial Jamie's (comedian Iliza Shlesinger) life is supposed to be some level of rock bottom when it's hardly so.
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A self-defeating disaster relief worker who can't get out of her own way, Jamie is between jobs and recently dumped by her boyfriend (David Castañeda) — who's leaving her for a younger, bouncier colleague. Ahead of an opportunity as an aid worker in Jakarta, she uproots her life and returns to her Texas hometown to emotionally dry out and move back in with her parents (Megan Mullally and Jeff Perry). You may think you've seen this before. But when the movie begins, Jamie faces the camera and is asked what she loves about her job, and a montage of natural disasters set to her orgasmic moans on the soundtrack edges us closer to the Decker house style established in the 2010s.
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But otherwise, “Chasing Summer” feels like a blandly reassuring teen comedy that happens to star adults, one you'd pop into on Netflix. Decker's recent push toward what you might call “happier” movies was compelled by personal changes in her life; it feels, though, like a grunge rocker turning into a Top 40 pop star.
Until: Enter up-and-comer Garrett Wareing as Colby, the much-younger boy toy Jamie meets at the requisite Solo-cup-strewn pool party, also torn from the teen comedy playbook. He's disarmingly sexy and charming, so much so that Jamie can hardly believe he's taken an interest in her, and so she shoves him away until finally caving for some much-needed, mind-erasing sex (“I could have birthed you,” Jamie tells Colby with regard to their generational difference in age).
Jamie is someone for whom life is always coming at her like a runaway car that she's put herself in front of. That she's an aid worker feels metaphorically apt given her way of coming and going temporarily from people's lives, potentially making them worse, even with earnestly good intentions. Such is the case with her estranged sister, Marissa (Cassidy Freeman), who runs the local roller rink with a Chekhov's leak in the ceiling.
Jamie is also inexplicably hung up on a former flame, Chase (Tom Welling, unrecognizably far from his “Smallville” days and here looking like a beer-bellied Midwestern dad or even Eric Dane of “Euphoria” days), who is broadly unappealing for a number of reasons. One of which is the fact that at the end of high school, he broke up with her and started a rumor that she tricked him into getting her pregnant. There's also a clique of sparkly former high school girlfriends with whom Jamie rekindles a tentative friendship, but they don't get enough screen time to emerge as either best frenemies or true-blue gal pals from the halcyon days of yore.
What's so wrong with Jamie's life, and why did she drag herself home knowing full well ahead of time the damage it would dig up? It's a contrivance that stand-up comedian Shlesinger's screenplay can't render believable, and it fails to elicit much sympathy for a woman whose problems are pretty petty. They're also sharply in contrast to the do-gooding and relief work for much more unfortunate scenarios that she feels passionate about. Mostly, Jamie is crushed by the weight of her own unfulfilled potential, further pointed out by her tinkering, emotionally unhelpful mother. Cue the cliche mother-daughter heart-to-heart in the third act, which Mullally actually does sell.
Eric Branco's widescreen camera, serving up images that feel curiously small-screen despite the panoramic framing, wheels and whirls around long takes of controlled chaos, bringing to mind off-the-hinges set pieces out of “Punch-Drunk Love.” The inclusion of Shelley Duvall's “He Needs Me” out of “Popeye” on a soundtrack that also includes Blink-182 and other millennial alt-rock bands underscores Decker's admiration for Paul Thomas Anderson's nervous, nutty rom-com. As with any Decker film, though, this one doesn't feel especially reference-driven.
The rush of romance coming at Jamie like a homing missile radiates off the screen thanks to Wareing's immensely charming breakout turn as a cornfed Texas hottie with a sweet heart. The true nature of Colby's identity and place in the community, however, is coughed up late into the film via a predictable twist that generates broad laughs but feels below a filmmaker of Decker's intelligence. Shlesinger's leading performance has the stuff of a star-making turn, though the film isn't distinctive enough from its peers and predecessors to match the actor's obvious onscreen charisma.
I'll admit it's unfair to come at “Chasing Summer” ready to make comparisons and hoping for a psyche-plunged female exploration of the likes of Decker's previous films, in which a woman's unleashed sexuality regularly becomes an extension of her shattering mind, and a rebellion against social convention. If only “Chasing Summer” were as rebelliously subversive as its sex-positive, central age-gap romance asserts to be.
“Chasing Summer” premiered at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival. It is currently seeking U.S. distribution.
Want to stay up to date on IndieWire's film reviews and critical thoughts? Subscribe here to our newly launched newsletter, In Review by David Ehrlich, in which our Chief Film Critic and Head Reviews Editor rounds up the best new reviews and streaming picks along with some exclusive musings — all only available to subscribers.
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Lisa Rinna's youngest daughter, Amelia Gray Hamlin, 24, revealed in an interview with Variety that after a former boyfriend encouraged her to get breast implants, the results were so awful that she had to undergo a 14-hour emergency surgery to reconstruct the damage.
“I was dating somebody who was older than me when I was younger, and I sort of allowed his beauty perception to affect my choices,” she told the outlet. “I decided to get another breast augmentation because I wasn't necessarily happy with the scarring that I was left with from the reduction.”
Hamlin, an established fashion model, explained how after the anesthesia wore off from her surgery, she woke up in shock at the results. “I woke up in a state that I didn't agree to. We can just say that,” she shared.
After the botched plastic surgery, Hamlin's body rejected her implants and caused her immense pain. She then had to undergo a second procedure.
“That also turned into a medical emergency surgery because my breasts literally could not handle what were put in me,” she said. “It got to the point where I couldn't even pump soap because the implants were pushing on the nerves. I ended up having to get a 14-hour reconstruction surgery.”
Hamlin's strikingly beautiful appearance has long been a topic of discussion since she was cast into the spotlight through her soap opera and “RHOBH” star mom. Much like Rinna, her daughter has been questioned about her plump lips.
Telling Variety, Hamlin shared that she's never used lip filler despite speculation. “I've always had these lips,” she said, adding that she uses a lip moisturizer that acts as an injection without the filler.
During a 2020 “Him and Her” podcast, Hamlin opened up about a different breast procedure that was also done in an emergency. At the time of her surgery, Hamlin was suffering from a strep infection and mastitis in her left breast.
The swelling got so intense that she had to undergo a breast reduction. When explaining what caused the infection, Hamlin said she was at Coachella and got her nipple ring stuck on something, causing her skin to tear open. Her immune system then went into shock when she ate a food that she already knew would negatively impact her health. Although she didn't know how bad the reaction would be, Hamlin said it was the “worst thing I've ever been through.”
“When I eat eggs, I either get strep throat, or I get strep in parts of my body,” she said, adding that she overate eggs while at Coachella. Before she underwent the breast reduction surgery to repair the infection, a specialist told her she was only “12 hours away from going [into] sepsis.”
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Nicola Peltz declared her love for Brooklyn Beckham hours after his family put on a united front without him Monday.
Peltz shared a loving video montage on TikTok that showed plenty of PDA with her husband and footage of the two spending time with their dog.
Set to Coldplay's “Yellow,” Peltz, 31, and Beckham, 26, are shown enjoying romantic meals together, toasting with wine, sharing kisses and giving their dog plenty of affection.
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The video ends with the couple sharing an emotional hug.
i love you @Brooklyn Beckham
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“i love you @Brooklyn Beckham,” she captioned the video.
Peltz's post came after Brooklyn's entire family — mom Victoria, dad David, brothers Romeo and Cruz, and sister Harper — made an appearance at the Haute Couture Spring Summer 2026 show on Monday.
Romeo and Cruz also brought their respective girlfriends, Kim Turnball and Jackie Apostel, to the Paris Fashion Week outing.
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According to Hello!, the Beckham family was on their way to support Victoria as she received the Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres honour (Knight of the National Order of Arts and Letters) from the French government.
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The award recognizes a person's dedication to culture, the arts, or literature.
Both Romeo, 23, and Cruz, 20 posted a family pic on their Instagram Stories on Monday, with Romeo writing, “Proud of you mum” with heart emojis.
While the Beckham family hasn't directly responded to Brooklyn's brutal public attack on Victoria, 51, and David, 50, earlier this month — in which he accused his parents of trying ruin his marriage to Peltz and claiming Victoria danced with him “inappropriately” at his 2022 wedding — it appears they're taking it in stride.
Victoria stepped out with her former Spice Girls bandmates for Emma Bunton's 50th birthday Saturday, and Cruz recently poked fun at a social media post making light of his mom allegedly dancing inappropriately at Brooklyn's wedding.
In a since deleted TikTok on Monday, Cruz also shared video of him and Romeo with their girlfriends having fun lip synching in a car that seemed to poke fun at all the family drama.
Cruz's caption read, “Imagine hating and we're just here like.”
A little over two weeks after the child sex abuse charges against her husband, Timothy Busfield, were made public, Emmy-nominated actress Melissa Gilbert is “sending you all my love and gratitude during this extraordinarily difficult time.” In a statement that's both her first since her husband's arrest and aesthetically aligned with the Modern Prairie Instagram she posted it to, Gilbert expressed support for Busfield and thanked her followers for supporting the couple. Along with the statement, Gilbert included a picture of herself holding a mug of tea, looking away from the camera, and wearing a slight smile. Gilbert also shared that “this season” reminds her of the importance of “stepping back from the noise, the news, and even our daily responsibilities” to “recharge, reflect, and find our center again.” Busfield was arrested on child sexual abuse charges after two boys, whom he directed on the Fox drama The Cleaning Lady, alleged that Busfield had touched them inappropriately. He denies the charges.
“I'm sending you all my love and gratitude during this extraordinarily difficult time. Not only for Tim, me and our family, but in the collective heaviness so many of us seem to be carrying right now. Add an unexpected storm to the mix, and it can all feel like a bit too much,” a statement from Gilbert read on the Modern Prairie Instagram page. “This season has reminded me, very clearly, how important it is to slow down, prioritize what truly matters, and allow ourselves moments of rest. Stepping back from the noise, the news, and even our daily responsibilities from time to time gives us space to recharge, reflect, and find our center again.”
A post shared by Modern Prairie (@officialmodernprairie)
“Thank you, truly, for the love, patience, and support you continue to show Tim and me. Thank you for helping me to feel safer, more grounded, and deeply held by this extraordinary community of women here at Modern Prairie. I'll be easing back into things thoughtfully and with care – moving forward one step at a time. More to come, and so much gratitude always.”
Aside from the odd Hallmark movie, Gilbert doesn't act much these days and instead focuses on the lifestyle brand for older women inspired by her childhood role as Laura Ingalls Wilder on Little House On The Prairie. She married Busfield in 2013. Busfield, who has faced multiple sexual misconduct allegations since the '90s, surrendered to authorities about two weeks ago, saying that he plans to fight the allegations. “I'm going to confront these lies,” he said in a video declaring his innocence. “They're horrible. They're all lies, and I did not do anything to those little boys. I'm going to fight it.”
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THE NFL has released a statement over a Super Bowl LX conspiracy theory.
A statement has been released after a graphic went viral ahead of the New England Patriots matchup against the Seattle Seahawks.
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NFL RedZone host Scott Hanson, 54, has fueled conspiracy theories as he shared a graphic posted by the league in early September 2025.
The image depicts players from each NFL franchise facing Levi's Stadium and a giant Lombardi Trophy.
“32 teams with February dreams. We're so back,” the post was captioned.
Hanson called attention to the fact that the Patriots' Drake Maye, 22, and the Seahawks' Sam Darnold, 28, were featured at the front.
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This has led NFL conspiracy theorists to believe that the league was rigged ahead of the 2025 season.
But a spokesperson from the NFL has come out to categorically deny these claims.
NFL vice president of communications Brian McCarthy has responded to this suggestion on social media.
McCarthy quote posted the original image with a short answer for fans on X.
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“Re: the “controversy” over this image – no.” McCarthy said.
It should also be noted that the quarterbacks appear depicted along Malik Nabers, Baker Mayfield and Travis Hunter on the front row.
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THE biggest night in the sports calendar is almost upon us – and here's how to watch it live.
Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California will be the venue for Super Bowl LX on Sunday 8 February.
The kings of the AFC will face the best team in the NFC at 6:30 pm ET, while Bad Bunny is lined up for the halftime show.
NBC is the official broadcaster for this year's showpiece.
Subscribe HERE to Peacock to watch all the action from Levi's Stadium.
This means that similar theories could have spawned if the New York Giants, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, or Jacksonville Jaguars made it.
Yet this has not stopped fans believing that McCarthy's statement is confirmation of the conspiracy.
“well good thing you cleared that up… NOBODY will think its true now,” one fan posted on X.
“Ah, yes. Someone in authority saying “no” and thinking that means something,” another shared.
Super Bowl LX has been surrounded by several controversies including pop punk band Green Day's announcement as the pre-game entertainment.
This follows Bad Bunny‘s divisive unveiling as the halftime headliner as the Puerto Rican rapper is set to wear a dress on stage.
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Both sides will also practice away from Levi's Stadium as fans raise injury fears about the nearby electrical substation.
The Patriots will face the Seahawks at Super Bowl LX on Sunday, February 8.
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Funding cuts, conspiracy theories and ‘powder keg' pine plantations have seen January's forest fires tear through Chubut in southern Argentina
Lucas Chiappe had known for a long time that the fire was coming. For decades, the environmentalist had warned that replacing native trees in the Andes mountain range with highly flammable foreign pine was a recipe for disaster.
In early January, flames raced down the Pirque hill and edged closer to his home in the Patagonian town of Epuyén, Argentina, where he had lived since the 1970s. Thirty people with six motor pumps fought for hours, hoses stretched for kilometres, but “there was no way”.
“We had to throw all our equipment into the stream and get the hell out of there,” he says as he recalls fleeing as the inferno engulfed his house. “The dragon chased us until we crossed the river, and we had to speed between two fire columns along a trail barely a kilometre wide.”
Since 5 January, more than 36,000 hectares (90,000 acres) of native forests, grasslands, villages and tourist resorts in Patagonia have been ravaged by wildfires, mainly in the southern Argentine province of Chubut, according to the Federal Emergency Agency (AFE). Greenpeace says the affected area exceeds 40,000 hectares.
Wildfires are also hitting Chile, with at least 18 people killed this month. Environmental groups and workers blame extreme weather, which scientists link to the climate crisis and cuts to national fire-prevention budgets.
“There was a confluence of many climatic factors,” says Andrés Nápoli, director of the Environment and Natural Resources Foundation (Farn). “This year has not had enough snowfall; there are low humidity levels and a high accumulation of combustible elements in the forest” – a reference to monoculture pine plantations, which act as “powder kegs”.
Recent rainfall and the firefighters' efforts brought momentary relief, but outbreaks reactivated after a prolonged heatwave and strong winds.
President Javier Milei's government has systematically defunded the National Fire Management Service (SNMF), resulting in a reduction of 81% on last year's budget.
Prevention efforts, such as building firebreaks and community engagement, have been hampered, with firefighters forced to work in poor conditions and for low salaries.
Alejo Fardjoume, a representative of the national parks' union, says monthly salaries for firefighters range from 650,000 to 850,000 pesos (£336-£440). According to government statistics, the poverty line for a family of four is 1.3m pesos a month.
The budget cuts, says Nápoli, also affect early-warning systems and aerial support, with firefighting aircraft flight hours being cut from 5,100 to 3,100.
Communities in the area are forming their own firefighting brigades to work alongside the official ones. “We use chainsaws, rakes, hoses, motor pumps – everyday objects,” says Diego Calfuqueo, a raspberry farmer.
Chiappe says solidarity takes precedence over bureaucracy and social classes. “You'll see some bougie guy, all muddy, carrying a motor pump in a spectacular 4x4 truck,” he adds.
Last week, Milei – who did not travel to the affected area – posted an AI-generated image of himself shaking hands with firefighters on Instagram, calling them “heroes”. “It's a little hypocritical and cynical,” says a local firefighter, Hernán Mondino, adding that many of his colleagues have to take on other jobs to make ends meet.
According to Hernán Giardini, forests coordinator at Greenpeace, government policy now aligns with Milei's claims that a human-made climate crisis does not exist.
“He defunded the forestry law, which is part of the funds allocated to the provinces for the care of native forests, used by the Patagonian provinces for many related issues, such as wildfires,” he says. “Argentina ranks among the 15 countries that deforest the most worldwide.”
The crisis has ignited unfounded theories and scapegoating, with the government pushing the narrative that a group of Indigenous people in Chile and Argentina, the Mapuches, are to blame. Last week, the national security minister alleged on X that “preliminary evidence suggests that these crimes are linked to terrorist groups calling themselves Mapuche”.
“If one people is defending their territory and setting limits on this extractivist capitalism, it is the Mapuche people,” says Mauro Millán, a Mapuche leader from the Pillan Mahuiza community, near Los Alerces national park, which was also affected by the wildfires.
Millán says the government was “rehashing the absurd theory of the arsonist Mapuche”, but that “nobody believes them any more”. Last year, he says, police raided his community due to similar allegations, but the case was dropped.
Mapuche communities are not the only ones being blamed. Some politicians and media pundits have blamed Israeli citizens and even the Israeli government, reviving an old antisemitic conspiracy theory, the “Andinia Plan”, which claims that Jews want to establish a state in Patagonia.
Facundo Milman, a specialist in Jewish culture, says the theory was created by Nazi sympathisers, including the sons of Adolf Eichmann, one of the architects of the Holocaust who was captured by Israeli agents in Buenos Aires in 1960. Milman says that discourse had long been confined to far right circles, but is now also used by people who oppose Milei.
Carlos Díaz Mayer, the prosecutor investigating the wildfires, confirms that the working hypothesis is that at least some of the blazes were not “natural”, adding: “We found accelerants in the place where the fire likely started.”
He added, however, that the Chubut prosecutor's office had found no evidence pointing to the allegations agianst Mapuches or Israelis.
“Those are conspiracy theories that have no basis. They do not correlate with anything in reality,” says Giardini.
The consequences of the fires, according to Nápoli, are evident and will be long-lasting. “We are talking about an extremely biodiverse area, with places that have even been designated as protected sites for the preservation of the huemul deer,” he says, highlighting that the local population's housing, jobs and health will be seriously affected.
“The trees will remain standing,” he says, “but the land will be left as ashes.”
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