Business Sentiment
Sentiment Legend:
Negative < 44
Mixed 46-54
Positive > 56
Trump suggested he would make a decision in the next 10 days in remarks at the Board of Peace event Thursday.
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The U.S. is rapidly building up its military force in the Middle East, amassing an amount of air power reminiscent of the 2003 invasion of Iraq, as President Donald Trump mulls attacks on Iran without seeking congressional approval.
Top administration officials reported that the White House has been told that the U.S. is ready to strike Iran as soon as this weekend, CBS News reports, with other news outlets confirming.
On Thursday, at opening remarks for his “Board of Peace” event, Trump said that “you're going to be finding out probably over the next 10 days” whether the U.S. will attack Iran. He once again threatened Iran to negotiate a deal with the U.S. on its nuclear program, or else “bad things will happen.”
Reports find that the military is, indeed, prepared for a significant operation. Air and sea trackers have shown an enormous amount of firepower being amassed in the region, with the Wall Street Journal comparing the amount of air power concentrated there to the build-up before the 2003 Iraq invasion.
Trump has not yet made the final decision on whether to strike, outlets have reported. Israel, which has long urged the U.S. to initiate war with Iran, may participate in potential attacks.
Trump does not have the statutory authority to unilaterally launch a war with Iran. Representatives Ro Khanna (D-California) and Thomas Massie (R-Kentucky) have said that they are planning to force a vote on a War Powers Resolution next week in hopes of preventing strikes.
“Like the votes before the Iraq war, this could be one of the most consequential votes in the history of Congress. Are we going to stop another endless dumb foreign war? Or will the neoconservatives mislead us once again?” said Khanna on social media.
Polling has shown that a war or other military action against Iran is unpopular. In January, Quinnipiac found that only 18 percent of U.S. voters support taking military action against Iran if the government continued killing protesters. Shortly after last year's strikes, 85 percent of people said in a YouGov poll that they opposed war with Iran.
Trump is demanding that Iran end all domestic uranium enrichment, seemingly making demands for a new nuclear deal despite having withdrawn from one during his first term in office.
It's unclear what or whom the strikes would target. Though he has emphasized Iran's uranium enrichment in recent remarks, just weeks ago he was threatening Iran over its violent repression of protesters. Further, the administration has maintained that the U.S. already “totally obliterated Iran's nuclear facilities,” as White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Wednesday, during the Israeli and U.S. strikes last June that killed over 1,000 people.
“The president has always been very clear, though, with respect to Iran or any country around the world, diplomacy is always his first option, and Iran would be very wise to make a deal with President Trump and with this administration,” Leavitt said.
It is illegal under international law to use the threat of force for diplomatic ends.
On Tuesday, Vice President JD Vance said in an interview with Fox News after a round of indirect talks in Geneva that “it was very clear that the president has set some red lines that the Iranians are not yet willing to actually acknowledge and work through.”
Iran has threatened to retaliate if the U.S. launched unprovoked strikes by targetingU.S. warships. In a post on X on Tuesday, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said: “The U.S. President keeps saying that they have the strongest military force in the world. The strongest military force in the world may at times be struck so hard that it cannot get up again.”
In the last weeks, we have witnessed an authoritarian assault on communities in Minnesota and across the nation.
The need for truthful, grassroots reporting is urgent at this cataclysmic historical moment. Yet, Trump-aligned billionaires and other allies have taken over many legacy media outlets — the culmination of a decades-long campaign to place control of the narrative into the hands of the political right.
We refuse to let Trump's blatant propaganda machine go unchecked. Untethered to corporate ownership or advertisers, Truthout remains fearless in our reporting and our determination to use journalism as a tool for justice.
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Sharon Zhang is a news writer at Truthout covering politics, climate and labor. Before coming to Truthout, Sharon had written stories for Pacific Standard, The New Republic, and more. She has a master's degree in environmental studies. She can be found on Twitter and Bluesky.
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RFK Jr ally Jay Bhattacharya was named acting director of the CDC and will be fourth leader in a year to head agency
Jay Bhattacharya, the director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), was named the acting director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Wednesday, making him the fourth leader in a year at the embattled agency in an unprecedented move that further consolidates power among a small group of men at the helm of US health agencies.
He's been an ineffectual health leader whose attention will be further fractured, and as a close ally to Robert F Kennedy Jr, secretary of the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and a longtime vaccine critic. Bhattacharya may sign off on further changes to the vaccine schedule, observers said.
Bhattacharya will continue serving in his current role as NIH director, where he has overseen dramatic cuts to research and staff. The CDC has similarly slashed grants to states and enacted massive layoffs even as officials under Kennedy have dramatically reshaped policy on routine vaccinations.
Staff say the controversial health economist has had little to do with the daily operations of the NIH.
“He won't actually run the CDC. Just as he doesn't actually run NIH,” said Jenna Norton, an NIH program officer speaking in her personal capacity.
Jeremy Berg, former director of National Institute of General Medical Sciences, had a similar response. “Now, rather than largely ignoring the actual operations of one agency, he can largely ignore the actual operations of two,” he said.
Bhattacharya, who made a name opposing measures to prevent Covid-19, has strongly criticized officials who fund research and advise on policy simultaneously.
“Bureaucrats who fund the careers of scientists should play no role whatsoever in setting pandemic policy,” Bhattacharya wrote in a post on Twitter/X in December 2021, saying the “dual role” was a conflict of interest that silenced scientists.
“It is a deep conflict of interest to have scientific funders like Fauci also closely involved with health policy,” he said in a May 2022 post criticizing Anthony Fauci, then the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. He has also taken repeated aim at Francis Collins, a former NIH director.
Mallory Harris, an infectious disease researcher at the University of Maryland who has followed Bhattacharya's public statements closely, noted that “ironically, since becoming NIH director he has been unusually involved in setting vaccine recommendations already and is now further consolidating his own power by taking on these roles simultaneously.
“It seems the one qualification for this job is rubber-stamping RFK Jr's agenda. He has already proven himself very capable of doing so.”
The HHS did not respond by press time to the Guardian's questions about how long Bhattacharya would serve as acting director and whether he would be able to lead two large agencies simultaneously.
NIH staff say Bhattacharya delegates most of his responsibilities to his principal deputy, Matthew Memoli, and spends much of his time on media appearances, earning the moniker “Podcast Jay”.
“My first reaction was: ‘I wonder if Jay will now do twice as many podcasts,'” Norton said. But his appointment as acting director could have lasting consequences, she added. Bhattacharya has been hands-off as NIH's leader, which “allows the administration to advance their agenda while having a figurehead that appears legitimate, at least on paper”, Norton said. “Bhattacharya's role for the administration is largely as a propagandist.”
Congress passed a law in 2023 to make the CDC director a Senate-confirmable position. But the only CDC director confirmed by the Senate under Trump, Susan Monarez, was fired from the agency after four weeks last summer after Kennedy put pressure on her to “rubber-stamp” new decisions on vaccines, she said.
Most recently, Jim O'Neill served as acting director of CDC and deputy secretary at HHS before departing the health agencies on Friday; he was named director of the National Science Foundation on Wednesday.
Bhattacharya, too, is acting director, which means the position is temporary. He can serve as “acting director” until 210 days have passed since Monarez left the job.
“After that, he can no longer use the title, but could carry out the nonexclusive duties of the job through delegation,” said Anne Joseph O'Connell, a professor at Stanford Law School.
Bhattacharya was confirmed by the Senate in March 2025 to run the NIH, which means he's qualified to act as acting director of the agency, unlike one previous official tapped by Kennedy.
Experts are concerned that Bhattacharya, who has been closely aligned with Kennedy's agenda, will advance new restrictions on vaccination, for instance.
“They needed someone confirmed by the Senate who won't interfere,” said Dorit Reiss, a professor of law at University of California Law San Francisco.
Berg said: “Under normal circumstances, one would have thought that being NIH director was more than a full-time job, and then being an acting director of CDC would be another full-time job.” But he offered little confidence in Bhattacharya's ability to manage either.
“I think he's safely locked up the position of worst NIH director in history. The agency has lost people and is barely functioning,” Berg said.
Although the White House ended up implementing a plan co-proposed by Bhattacharya, which became known as “herd immunity”, in response to the pandemic, Bhattacharya remains focused on perceived failures of the Covid response from years ago.
“He's absolutely obsessed with Covid and the pandemic response,” Berg said. He expects Bhattacharya to continue “relitigating the CDC's role in the Covid response” during his tenure. He also regularly criticized former CDC director Rochelle Walensky, saying she “epitomized politicized science”.
When Bhattacharya was first appointed, Berg thought he seemed sincere in his desire to lead the massive agency, which is a leading research organization globally. Berg emailed Bhattacharya what he hoped was helpful advice on keeping grants on track. But he was shocked when the economist responded to an email calling previous grants “ideological boondoggles”, according to emails shared by Berg.
“I moved from thinking: ‘I need to help this poor guy because he's got a huge amount on his plate,' to: ‘I don't think he's interested in knowing anything,'” Berg said.
The complaint alleges the donations had a singular goal: to elicit a pardon from Donald Trump.
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A nonprofit watchdog legal group has filed a complaint with the Federal Elections Commission (FEC) alleging that a billionaire whom President Donald Trump pardoned made illegal straw donations to a Trump-aligned super PAC
The complaint filed earlier this week by the Campaign Legal Center (CLC) requests the FEC to open an inquiry into the circumstances surrounding donations to a group called MAGA Inc. It also alleges that the donations were made for the sole purpose of obtaining a pardon from Trump.
Venezuelan billionaire Julio Herrera Velutini was indicted in 2022 for violating federal bribery laws related to illegal donations he made to a candidate in Puerto Rico's gubernatorial elections. After Trump won the 2024 presidential election, Velutini's daughter, Isabela Herrera, began making donations to MAGA Inc.
The complaint notes that “making large donations to Trump's political network, which includes
MAGA Inc. as his primary super PAC, has become a well-documented tactic for those
seeking to obtain benefits, including favorable treatment by others facing civil and
criminal enforcement for illegal activity, from the Trump administration.”
Notably, Velutini, a Venezuelan national, cannot legally make political donations like these himself. And the 25-year-old Herrera, whose donations totaled around $3.5 million from December 2024 to July 2025, is not independently wealthy, the complaint stated.
Herrera “lack[ed] the financial means” to make such donations, and didn't seem to demonstrate any “interest in electoral politics to suddenly contribute millions of dollars to a super PAC,” according to the complaint from CLC. Indeed, her only other donation to a political cause, prior to December 2024, was $20 to Pete Buttigieg in 2020.
According to the complaint:
The timing and circumstances surrounding the contributions, and the fact that Herrera appears to lack the financial means or any demonstrated interest in electoral politics to suddenly contribute millions of dollars to a super PAC, provide reason to believe that Herrera was not the true contributor, and that the money instead was provided by her billionaire father, whose freedom appeared to hinge on the contributions—but who, as a foreign national, could not legally make the contributions himself.
The complaint claims that the donations sought to curry favor with Trump in order to elicit a pardon for Velutini, as other “ultrawealthy” contributors to Trump or his allied groups have done before.
And that's exactly what happened. Herrera's last donation was made in July 2025. In August, the Department of Justice (DOJ) presented Velutini with a plea bargain deal, and in January, Trump issued him “a full and unconditional pardon.”
In a Bluesky thread sharing a link to the complaint, CLC reiterated the need for an inquiry.
“The sequence of events before and after the daughter's contributions strongly suggest that she was an illegal ‘straw donor' used by her father to secure political favor and, consequently, clemency from the Trump administration,” CLC wrote in the social media post. “If so, billionaire Julio Herrera Velutini broke more than the laws meant to keep election spending transparent and voters informed: He also illegally sought to influence American politics as a foreign national.”
The complaint doesn't allege Trump engaged in any illegal action. As president, the U.S. Constitution gives Trump unrestricted power to pardon anyone, save for individuals facing impeachment, without any oversight whatsoever.
However, an inquiry into Velutini's and Herrera's donation scheme could uncover potential problems for Trump still if evidence shows that he issued the pardon because of the money that was given to MAGA Inc. While not technically illegal, it could still be deemed an impeachable offense by Congress.
In the last weeks, we have witnessed an authoritarian assault on communities in Minnesota and across the nation.
The need for truthful, grassroots reporting is urgent at this cataclysmic historical moment. Yet, Trump-aligned billionaires and other allies have taken over many legacy media outlets — the culmination of a decades-long campaign to place control of the narrative into the hands of the political right.
We refuse to let Trump's blatant propaganda machine go unchecked. Untethered to corporate ownership or advertisers, Truthout remains fearless in our reporting and our determination to use journalism as a tool for justice.
But we need your help just to fund our basic expenses. Over 80 percent of Truthout's funding comes from small individual donations from our community of readers, and over a third of our total budget is supported by recurring monthly donors.
Truthout has launched a fundraiser to add 432 new monthly donors in the next 7 days. Whether you can make a small monthly donation or a larger one-time gift, Truthout only works with your support.
This article is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0), and you are free to share and republish under the following terms:
Chris Walker is a news writer at Truthout, based in Madison, Wisconsin. Focusing on both national and local topics since the early 2000s, he has produced thousands of articles analyzing the issues of the day and their impact on people. He can be found on most social media platforms under the handle @thatchriswalker.
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A new DHS memo details plan to allow federal immigration officers to detain legal refugees in the US indefinitely
The Trump administration is moving to arrest thousands of people already legally admitted to the US as refugees and detain them indefinitely for aggressive “rescreening”, a report published on Thursday said.
Under the new policy, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said that federal immigration officers can and should arrest anyone who has not yet obtained the right to permanent residence, a so-called green card, and subject them to interviews to assess their refugee claims while they are in custody, as first reported by the Washington Post.
The memo reverses a 2010 Obama administration policy that said failure to apply for a green card within a year of admission to the US was insufficient basis for such an arrest or detention, the newspaper reported.
The DHS move is pertinent to an ongoing case in Minneapolis in which a federal judge last month blocked the Trump administration from further arrests of settled refugees in Minnesota, and ordered the release of at least 100 more arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Officials said “Operation Parris” (post-admission refugee reverification and integrity strengthening), which targeted about 5,600 refugees in Minnesota who had not yet become permanent residents, was “a sweeping initiative re-examining thousands of refugee cases through new background checks and intensive verification of refugee claims”.
In his order, district court judge John Tunheim, who is scheduled to hear further arguments on Thursday in the class-action lawsuit brought by refugee groups, lambasted the detentions. “Refugees have a legal right to be in the United States, a right to work, a right to live peacefully,” he wrote.
Wednesday's DHS memo, also obtained by CNN, appears to directly contradict Tunheim's order, and claims existing “incomplete” guidance compels it to make arrests and detentions.
“When a refugee is admitted to the United States, the admission is conditional and subject to a mandatory review after one year,” the memo said.
Detained refugees can remain in custody “for the duration of the inspection and examination process”.
The move comes amid an escalating immigration crackdown by the Trump administration. US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) plans to spend an estimated $38.3bn to buy and retrofit warehouses across the country as detention centers for tens of thousands of people, it was reported last week.
Meanwhile, Donald Trump's approval rating over his handling of immigration issues dropped to a new low in February of 38%, down from 44% in December, a Quinnipiac poll found. It followed the January killings of US citizens Renee Good and Alex Pretti by federal agents during protests against immigration enforcement in Minneapolis.
The DHS did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
World Relief, a Christian humanitarian organization that provides legal and other support for detained Minnesota refugees and their families, called the government's move an “unprecedented reversal of decades-long interpretation of refugee law”.
Myal Greene, the group's president and chief executive, said in a statement: “The character of a nation is revealed in how it honors its commitments and how it treats the most vulnerable. Today, we have failed on both counts.
“Forcing refugees, who have already been stringently interrogated, to undergo further questioning was already an affront, but irrevocably breaking their trust by withdrawing the safety promised to them and placing them in physical custody displays a very low value of human life.”
The Commission of Fine Arts fast-tracked approval for President Donald Trump's East Wing renovation plans Thursday, bringing the president's quest for a new ballroom one step closer to reality.
In a unusual move, the committee, an independent federal agency that advises the president and Congress on design plans for monuments, memorials, coins and federal buildings, voted unanimously not only to approve the concept as presented but to approve the final design, an unexpected acceleration of the approval process through this committee.
The approval came despite the committee's chair noting the panel received over 2,000 public comments about the project, with over 99% negative.
The meeting, held virtually on Zoom, was not open to public, in-person comment, so the chairman summarized that much of the concern was about what commenters felt was “illegal demolition,” “inappropriate scale” and lack of transparency around the project.
The vote came just an hour after the committee swore in two new members: Trump's executive assistant, Chamberlain Harris — a 26-year-old without any extensive arts experience — and Pamela Hughes Patenaude, former deputy secretary of Housing and Urban Development during the first Trump administration.
The addition of the new members meant the meeting was the first held with a panel made up completely of Trump appointees.
Since last year, the president has been installing loyalists on the committee, after gutting the board completely in October as the East Wing demolition got underway.
Newly installed commissioner Harris spoke in support of the project, saying the White House is the “greatest house in world. We want this to be the greatest ballroom in the world.”
The architect of the project, Shalom Baranes, presented animated and 3-D models of the new East Wing, marking the first time the public has seen and been able to review a more complete mock-up of the project.
The East Wing renovation project also requires approval from the National Capital Planning Commission that is set to meet next on March 5. The commission is also comprised of Trump loyalists.
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Tehran may claim it will not negotiate under duress, but that is precisely what it is being required to do
Although much attention will be given to the inaugural meeting of the Board of Peace in Washington, it is the “arsenal of war” that Donald Trump has assembled in the Middle East, and what it implies for the stately pace of Washington's negotiations with Iran, that deserves more.
The well-connected Axios reporter Barak Ravid is hated in Iran – one news site on Thursday described him as a one-man psychological war operation against Tehran. But he is widely read, as was his report that the US viewed the talks in Geneva on Tuesday as a “nothing burger”, and that a full-scale attack on Iran was far closer than most Americans realised. The story led to a spike in oil prices and front-page pieces in US newspapers saying Trump's military preparations would be complete by the weekend, with the president hinting a decision would be made “probably over the next 10 days”.
Inevitably this, along with the armada, could be seen as another part of coercive diplomacy. The Trump team's modus operandi often seems to be to “speak softly [to Axios] and carry a big stick”.
Either way, Iran may claim it will not negotiate under duress – but that is precisely what it is being required to do.
It has prompted the Iranian diplomatic class to push back against the claim that it is playing for time by insisting on indirect talks and drafting “guiding principles” to be discussed at another meeting in a fortnight – or that the talks have not moved beyond generalities.
The Iranian foreign ministry said that, on the contrary, Tehran's team had been willing to stay in Geneva for days to continue the discussions but it had been Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, and the president's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, who had foreshortened the talks because they needed to go to another venue to negotiate with Ukraine and Russia.
For good measure Tehran pointed out that the foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, had been on the phone to the UN nuclear weapons inspector, Raphael Grossi, to discuss details of how the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) would be able to visit Iran's nuclear sites to verify what remained and to oversee the dilution of its 400kg stockpile of uranium, now enriched to more than 60%.
Grossi sounded optimistic. “There has been some progress, but there is still a lot of work to be done, and the problem is that we don't have much time,” he said. “It's possible to have a dialogue that is really strengthening for the first time … We're talking about specific issues and actions that we need to take.”
He said he sensed a desire on both sides to reach an agreement, but that doing so would be “extremely complex”.
The outlines of the agreement are in view, even if Iran, still behaving as if it were involved in a traditional negotiation, is reluctant to spell out in public what concessions it is prepared to make.
Its offer at heart is to suspend domestic uranium enrichment for a fixed period as long as five years, and downgrade its stockpile of uranium enriched to 60% to 3-6%. The 2015 nuclear agreement required a 15-year suspension, and for Iran to keep its uranium stockpile under 300kg enriched to a maximum of 3.67%.
The suspension offer is in part an acknowledgment of the reality that Tehran currently has working centrifuges to enrich uranium, and it would insist on retaining its right to enrich for civilian purposes as a signatory to the nuclear non-proliferation treaty.
Iran is prepared to allow the IAEA back, even though it feels Grossi betrayed the agency's neutrality by never condemning the US attacks on its nuclear facilities, despite their being under IAEA safeguards at the time.
In an interview in Saudi Arabia, the Russian foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, said: “I am convinced that if the normal work of IAEA inspectors, as mandated by its founding documents, is restored, the Iranian side will certainly cooperate with them.” He made no mention of Iran's excess stockpile being sent to Russia, an offer Moscow has frequently made.
In return for suspension, Tehran is seeking the return of its frozen assets – estimates vary on the size – and the lifting of sanctions on banking and oil exports. A grand offer of a US economic partnership and wider access to Iranian markets has also been made, which could be the most novel part of the draft agreement and is loosely modelled on what Ukraine has offered the US.
Trump's difficulty in running with Iran's offer is threefold. It bears a striking resemblance to the 2015 nuclear deal that he derided and abandoned in 2018. It allows Tehran in principle to enrich domestically, and it contains nothing about limiting the range of its ballistic missile programme, a key Israeli demand. It would look as if he was repairing the wreckage he caused in his first term.
Second, he would be giving succour to an Iranian regime that is at its weakest and most unpopular since the 1979 revolution, after assembling the largest US naval buildup in the Middle East since the start of the Iraq war in 2003.
Third, he would make the Grand Old Duke of York look decisive, and after the Greenland fiasco his credibility is low.
Omid Memarian, a senior Iran analyst at Dawn, a Washington thinktank focused on the Middle East, said Tehran was overplaying its cards and was not in as strong a position as last June.
“The calculus of the military establishment is very different to ordinary Iranians,” he said. “They have a legitimacy crisis and lost a massive amount of their ability to deter outside attacks, but they think a US attack will rally their loyalists around the flag as it did last June, and that will give them an excuse to deal harshly with internal dissent. That is why they are giving so little in the negotiations.
“They know this is going to be an existential threat and a much bigger US attack, but they do not think it can bring the regime to its knees, and that they can survive it.
“Ali Khamenei's tactics are to keep the base intact and energised, but we are starting to see cracks in the regime, and an external attack may provide more space for those criticising the regime in which to move. There is a lot of frustration with him amongst his inner circle.”
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Oil prices jumped Thursday to their highest level in nearly seven months and investors snapped up safe havens like gold, as tensions between the United States and Iran continue to flare.
Brent crude, the global benchmark, rose 1.6%, to $71.49 per barrel. US crude rose 1.74%, to $66.18 per barrel. Oil prices extended gains after rising more than 4% Wednesday and posting their biggest single-day jump since October.
Gold, usually considered a haven amid uncertainty, rose 2% Wednesday and reclaimed $5,000 a troy ounce. Gold prices edged higher Thursday morning.
US and Iranian envoys met in Geneva in recent days for negotiations on Iran's nuclear program. US Vice President JD Vance on Tuesday said Iranian negotiators did not acknowledge some of President Donald Trump's “red lines” in negotiations.
The negotiations come as the United States has moved military assets closer to the Middle East. The prospect of conflict in Iran has stoked nerves about potential disruptions to the global oil supply and a corresponding surge in oil prices.
“The renewed geopolitical tension between the US and Iran is now clearly feeding into prices,” Daniela Hathorn, senior market analyst at Capital.com, said in a note.
Gold in recent weeks has traded more like a meme stock than a safe haven, with enormous volatility and swings in prices. But the rising tensions in the Middle East sparked a fresh bid for haven assets, lifting the metal's price above the $5,000 threshold.
US military prepared to strike Iran as early as this weekend, but Trump has yet to make a final call, sources say
When tensions are brewing between the United States and Iran, the spotlight turns to the Strait of Hormuz. The narrow waterway off the coast of Iran is a critical chokepoint for the flow of the global oil supply.
About 20 million barrels of oil flow through the strait every day, according to the US Energy Information Administration, which is equivalent to 20% of global oil consumption.
“The latest move [in oil prices] signals a market strengthening an already notable geopolitical risk premium as the world's most important oil artery once again sits within striking distance of a conflict,” Ole Hansen, head of commodity strategy at Saxo Bank, said in a note.
Iran in recent days said it partially closed the Strait of Hormuz for planned naval exercises, according to Iranian media.
What is the Strait of Hormuz and why is it so significant?
Markets tend to shrug off geopolitical tensions. However, that dynamic begins to shift when geopolitical conflict can directly impact the global oil market, which influences consumer prices and business decisions across the globe.
Venezuela, for example, is not a significant enough player in the global oil market for the US' capture of Nicolás Maduro to cause market jitters. But investors begin to grow wary with Iran, due to its proximity to the key chokepoint for the global market.
“In energy markets, probabilities matter, especially when the potential disruption involves a major oil producer and a critical global transit route,” Hathorn at Capital.com said.
“Oil markets are starting to price in higher risk as Iran remains a major producer, and more importantly, sits at the heart of the Strait of Hormuz,” she said. “Even limited disruption or credible threats to shipping lanes could cause an immediate supply shock.”
The Strait of Hormuz is key to Iran's oil exports, and disruption to the flow of oil would hamper Iran's exporting business in addition to countries like China that source much of their oil from Iran.
The prospect of conflict in Iran raises fears about shocks to oil supply, which could send prices soaring. Higher oil prices can raise consumer prices and contribute to inflation.
“More immediately, strikes on Iran would risk causing oil prices to jump and threaten to boost inflation in much of the world, reducing the pace or number of interest rate cuts by major central banks,” analysts at Capital Economics wrote in a note.
US stocks opened lower Thursday morning. The Dow fell 164 points, or 0.33%. The S&P 500 fell 0.2%. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite was down 0.1%.
“Given that inflation and affordability are front and center for the White House right now, we'd have to think that protecting the flow of oil through the Strait of Hormuz is a priority, meaning that the priority is a diplomatic solution, and if that is not possible, then a military plan that protects the flow of oil as much as possible,” Dennis Follmer, chief investment officer at Montis Financial, said in a note.
When conflict between Israel and Iran flared in June and the United States carried out strikes on Iran nuclear sites, oil prices jumped higher. Similarly, there were fears about Iran moving to close the Strait of Hormuz – but they never materialized. After the US' strikes and as conflict settled, oil prices turned lower.
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Eight skiers were found dead, six were rescued and one is still missing after avalanche in Sierra Nevada mountains
The many weeks of a worrying snow drought in the western US is driven by the climate crisis and helped set the stage for the deadly avalanche this week in the Sierra Nevada mountains of northern California, according to experts.
Perilous avalanches are not uncommon in the region, according to the National Avalanche Center, which maintains a map of locations where avalanche danger is highest, and the risk is now particularly high in the Lake Tahoe area.
The death toll of eight backcountry skiers so far in Tuesday's avalanche makes it among the deadliest in US history. One skier is still unaccounted for while six others were rescued after being stranded for some time. The avalanche now ranks as the deadliest single such event in the US in 45 years.
The avalanche risk had become severe after several feet of new snow fell since Sunday, when the ski group started its trip, settling on top of an earlier layer that had hardened, making it unstable and easily triggered.
The new snow did not have time to bond to the earlier layer before the avalanche came down, according to Craig Clements, a meteorology professor at San Jose State University in northern California.
When weather is dry and clear, as it had been in the Sierra Nevada since January, snow crystals change and can become angular or round over time, Clements said. Heavy new snow is different and doesn't bond to the snowpack, forming something known as a “storm slab” over the weaker layer of snow.
“Because it's on a mountain, it will slide” when it's triggered by any change in the tension above or below, sometimes naturally, but also because of people traversing through the area, Clements said.
Authorities have not said what triggered Tuesday's avalanche.
If there had been more consistent snowfall throughout the winter, different layers could have bonded more easily, Clements said. But even when a snow slab forms, the danger often only lasts a couple of days until the new snow stabilizes, he said.
The climate crisis can lead to weather extremes that include both drought and heavier precipitation. Clements said he did not believe this individual avalanche can be directly linked to the climate crisis, and it was “a meteorological phenomenon, not a climate phenomenon”.
However, the record-low snowpack out west this season is mostly due to how warm the region has been, which is connected to the climate crisis from the burning of coal, oil and natural gas, several scientists said.
Since 1 December, there have been more than 8,500 daily high temperature records broken or tied in the US west, according to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Noaa) data.
Much of the precipitation that would normally fall as snow and stay in the mountains for months is instead falling as rain, which runs off more quickly, Daniel Swain, a climate scientist at the University of California's Water Resources Institute, said.
It's a problem scientists have warned about with the climate crisis.
“It was so warm, especially in December, that the snow was only falling at the highest parts of the mountains. And then we moved into January and it got really dry almost everywhere for the last three to four weeks and stayed warm,” Daniel McEvoy, a researcher with the Western Regional Climate Center, said.
The Associated Press contributed reporting
José María Balcázar, who argued for marriage at 14 and above, replaces José Jerí who was voted out after a scandal
Peru's congress has elected José María Balcázar, an octogenarian leftist lawmaker who has defended child marriage, as the country's interim president ahead of general elections in April.
Balcázar is Peru's ninth president since 2016. The surprise election, in which Balcázar beat the favourite, María del Carmen Alva, a conservative, came after lawmakers voted to remove José Jerí as president on Tuesday after just four months in office, due to a scandal over secretive meetings with Chinese businessmen.
Balcázar, from the leftist Peru Libre party, was sworn in as Peru's head of congress on Wednesday after a four-hour session in which none of the four candidates managed to get a simple majority and lawmakers voted to elect Balcázar over Alva in a second round of voting.
Balcázar's election prompted finger pointing and recriminations among rightwing parties, as well as praise from sectors of the Peruvian political left.
Balcázar's previous remarks expressing approval of sexual relations between girls aged 14 and male teachers have dominated Peruvian news coverage after his unexpected election.
In 2023, the former regional high court judge sparked controversy as the only lawmaker to criticise and vote against a measure to ban child marriage. He said the ban should be limited to those under 14 only.
“From the age of 14 onwards, there should be no impediment; everyone has sexual relations, [male] teachers with pupils, female teachers with pupils, and between pupils too. That's fine,” he told journalists after the vote in congress. He later said his remarks had been taken out of context.
As the chair of the congressional education committee, he said it was common for teachers to have sex with their students, even saying the relations could be “beneficial” for the minor.
In a statement at the time, Peru's women's ministry strongly criticised his remarks as justifying “sexual violence against school-age children and adolescents, a painful and despicable situation that profoundly affects their overall wellbeing and fundamental rights”.
When questioned about those remarks in an interview for a national radio broadcaster on Thursday, Balcázar replied: “I will not change my mind, I am firm in my convictions.”
In addition, Balcázar has been investigated for allegedly embezzling funds when he was head of the bar association in his native region of Lambayeque. He was expelled from the association in 2022 after a disciplinary hearing.
Balcázar has gone on the record as saying he would release the jailed former leftist leader Pedro Castillo, who was sentenced by Peru's supreme court in November to 11 years, five months and 15 days in prison for trying to disband congress and rule by decree in December 2022.
Balcázar is expected to preside over the country until 28 July, when a new president takes office. Peruvians will head to the polls on 12 April and a run-off vote is expected in June.
Amid fears that Balcázar could exceed his role in leading the country to the elections, pro-democracy, business and rights organisations called for restraint.
Álvaro Henzler, of the pro-democracy nonprofit group Transparencia Perú, said: “Out of respect for the stability of the country and in view of an exhausted citizenry, the new president's mandate must be strictly limited to ensuring a transparent and orderly democratic transition and preventing a worsening of the institutional crisis we are currently experiencing.”
MOSCOW, February 19. /TASS/. Special presidential envoy and CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund Kirill Dmitriev denied that Russia is offering the US projects worth $12 trillion "in exchange" for the lifting of sanctions.
"The Economist released a fake news story: Russia allegedly offers $12 trillion worth projects to the US 'in exchange' for sanctions lifting. This is not true. The lifting of sanctions will be eventually dictated by interests of the US proper: the US companies already lost over $300 bln when leaving the Russian market," he wrote on his channel in Max.
The Economist reported earlier also that many US lawyers are proactively studying possible scenarios of lifting sanctions on Russia, and the bulk of the preparatory work has already been completed.
If Washington lifts sanctions on Russia, the United States could gain access to joint projects with Moscow worth more than $14 trillion, Kremlin economic negotiator Kirill Dmitriev said on Feb. 18.
His remarks come amid growing scrutiny of a reported U.S.-Russia economic proposal tied to negotiations over ending the war in Ukraine, raising concerns in Kyiv about potential trade-offs.
"The U.S. will eventually lift sanctions because sanctions on Russia cost U.S. businesses $300+ billion," Dmitriev said. "The portfolio of potential U.S.-Russia projects is over $14 trillion."
Dmitriev's comments responded to a reporting by the Economist, which said Moscow had floated projects worth roughly $12 trillion to Washington in exchange for lifting restrictions.
According to the publication, proposals discussed during negotiations include granting individuals close to U.S. President Donald Trump stakes in Russian energy projects.
There has been no confirmation of the claims, but the reported proposal has drawn concern in Washington.
Senator Sheldon Whitehouse said there was "a lot of chatter" that Russia may have floated private business deals to U.S. officials, including envoy Steve Witkoff or members of Trump's family.
"If that proves to be true, obviously that is horrifying misconduct on their part," Whitehouse told the Kyiv Independent on Feb. 18, adding that such claims would warrant investigation.
President Volodymyr Zelensky first revealed the existence of what Kyiv calls the "Dmitriev package" on Feb. 6. The White House twice declined to confirm the proposal to the Kyiv Independent.
Russia has signaled the proposal exists. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov did not deny it on Feb. 13, describing potential cooperation as a "natural extension" of shared economic interests.
That Bloomberg reporting offered a detailed look at what Russia may be seeking.
The outlet reported on Feb. 12 that Russia seeks to secure a wide-ranging economic partnership with the U.S. as part of an arrangement tied to Ukraine.
Citing an internal Russian memo prepared earlier this year, the outlet said Moscow wants relief from restrictions that have cut it off from the dollar payment system.
A return to dollar transactions would mark a reversal of Russia's recent "de-dollarization" policy, pursued in response to Western sanctions imposed after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Reporter
Tim Zadorozhnyy is the reporter for the Kyiv Independent, specializing in foreign policy, U.S.-Ukraine relations, and political developments across Europe and Russia. Based in Warsaw, he pursued studies in International Relations and European Studies at Lazarski University, through a program offered in partnership with Coventry University. Tim began his journalism career in Odesa in 2022, working as a reporter at a local television channel. After relocating to Warsaw, he spent a year and a half with the Belarusian independent media outlet NEXTA, initially as a news anchor and later as managing editor. Tim is fluent in English, Ukrainian, and Russian.
The package also includes procurement of ammunition and "expansion of cooperation... on long-range drones."
"The portfolio of potential U.S.-Russia projects is over $14 trillion," Kremlin economic negotiator Kirill Dmitriev said.
The reported move would limit Kyiv's role at a key gathering of NATO leaders.
Russian forces are using LTE mobile networks and Ukrainian SIM cards to remotely control FPV drones, Serhii Beskrestnov, adviser to Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, said.
Iranian Rear Admiral Hassan Maqsoudlou said the drills reflect both countries' focus on the regional situation.
Russia launched 37 drones at Ukraine overnight, the Air Force said, of which Ukrainian air defenses intercepted or jammed 29.
Moldovan authorities said investigative measures began at 6 a.m. local time.
Ukraine reportedly struck an oil depot in Russia's Pskov Oblast and launched missiles at the Russian city of Belgorod, causing power outages in parts of the city, Telegram news channels and local authorities reported overnight Feb. 18-19.
The reported number includes 830 casualties that Russian forces suffered over the past day.
The decision escalates tensions between Kyiv and two of the EU's most Russia-friendly governments.
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MOSCOW, February 19. /TASS/. Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has commented on the ongoing Ukrainian conflict, highlighting continued US support through arms supplies to the Ukrainian armed forces.
"The US stance is truly complex," Zakharova stated. "On one hand, Donald Trump's administration inherited the Ukrainian conflict from the Biden administration. Kiev continues to receive US military aid. On the other hand, the current US leadership appears to be making efforts to seek solutions to the crisis - efforts that, notably, stem from the very situation Washington helped to instigate over a decade ago."
Teck Resources' Highland Valley Copper Mine near Logan Lake, B.C. The miner topped expectations, helped by rising copper prices and production.DARRYL DYCK/The Canadian Press
Teck Resources TECK-B-T beat fourth-quarter profit expectations on Thursday, helped by a surge in copper prices and production, as the Canadian miner advanced its proposed merger with Anglo American NGLOY.
The beat underscores Teck's growing leverage to copper, a metal central to electrification and energy transition demand, while the company works to complete a merger that would create one of the world's largest copper producers.
Teck and Anglo shareholders voted in favor of the merger in December, paving the way for the creation of a copper heavyweight and leaving regulatory approvals as the final hurdle.
Ottawa approves Anglo-Teck merger
Teck and Anglo first announced plans in September in a US$53-billion all-stock, nil-premium merger that would create the world's fifth-largest copper producer.
Both companies have undergone significant restructuring in recent years, driven in part by previous takeover attempts.
Teck said realized copper prices rose 22.5 per cent in the fourth-quarter to US$5.11 per pound, while production rose nearly 10 per cent to 134,000 tons.
“Copper production increased compared to the same period last year supported by higher throughput and grades at Highland Valley Copper, higher grades at Antamina, and higher throughput at Carmen de Andacollo,” the company said in a statement.
Production at the Quebrada Blanca (QB) mine in Chile improved as the company advanced development of its tailings management facility.
Copper output at QB was 55,400 tons in the fourth quarter, lower than the previous year, but the strongest quarterly performance of 2025.
The miner reported adjusted earnings of $1.37 per share for the quarter ended Dec. 31, above analysts' average estimate of 91 cents, according to data compiled by LSEG.
Teck maintained its 2026 copper output outlook at 455,000 to 530,000 tons.
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In this episode of Sanchez Effect, we dive into the potential conflict map between Iran and the US, as Washington is basically camping out right at Iran's front door with a huge fleet, and threats are flying around like confetti. They're attempting to hash things out, but what if those talks go sideways? Trump keeps saying it'll be a bad day for Tehran if things escalate, but will it really? According to our guest military expert, the answer is yes – but not just for Tehran.
Former US Army officer Stanislav Krapivnik points out that Russia and China are already sending signals by planning joint drills in Iran. For Russia, Iran is the gateway to the Caucasus and Central Asia; while for China, it opens the doors to Central Asia and beyond. They're not about to let Iran crumble.
And remember last year's 12-day war? Iran didn't go all out then – it was hitting military bases, avoiding populated areas. But if this now escalates into full-blown war, it's a very different story. Israel is tiny, and most people live in a few big cities, so missing a target would be nearly impossible. No matter where the bombs land, they're ound to hit someone. What else could happen? We're covering everything – weapons, ships, missiles and more – in this latest episode, only on RT.
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A federal judge in California on Feb. 18 threw out an administrative board's decision backing the Trump administration's use of mandatory detention for illegal immigrants arrested in nationwide enforcement operations.
U.S. District Judge Sunshine Sykes in Riverside, California, vacated the Board of Immigration Appeals' decision after finding that the federal government failed to comply with her earlier order declaring unlawful the underlying policy denying detainees the chance to seek release on bond.
Police officers patrol near the Royal Lodge, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's former residence in Windsor, U.K., on Thursday.Leon Neal/Getty Images
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly prince Andrew, has been arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office related to his long-standing friendship with U.S. sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
In a statement Thursday, Assistant Chief Constable Oliver Wright of the Thames Valley Police said: “Following a thorough assessment, we have now opened an investigation into this allegation of misconduct in public office. It is important that we protect the integrity and objectivity of our investigation as we work with our partners to investigate this alleged offence.”
The statement added that police officers “are carrying out searches at addresses in Berkshire and Norfolk” and that Mr. Mountbatten-Windsor “remains in police custody at this time.” It's not clear where he is being held.
How the former prince Andrew fell from the Queen's favourite son to a royal headache
Mr. Mountbatten-Windsor, who is the brother of King Charles III, has already been caught up in allegations that he had several liaisons with young girls arranged by Mr. Epstein, who died in 2019 in a New York prison, and his partner, Ghislaine Maxwell, who has been convicted of child sex trafficking.
Thames Valley Police have been examining Mr. Mountbatten-Windsor's conduct as a British trade envoy between 2001 and 2011 and whether he gave Mr. Epstein access to government files. The former prince has denied the allegations.
The Thames Valley Police said it was “assessing” reports that the former Prince Andrew sent trade reports to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein in 2010.
The Associated Press
Mr. Mountbatten-Windsor, who turned 66 on Thursday, recently moved to the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk from Windsor on the orders of the King. The one-time Duke of York is currently living in a five-bedroom farmhouse on the estate. The King has said that he would co-operate with any police probe.
In a statement Thursday, the King said he “learned with the deepest concern the news about Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and suspicion of misconduct in public office.”
Former Prince Andrew should testify before U.S. Congress over Epstein ties, Starmer says
“What now follows is the full, fair and proper process by which this issue is investigated in the appropriate manner and by the appropriate authorities. In this, as I have said before, they have our full and wholehearted support and co-operation. Let me state clearly: The law must take its course.”
Earlier on Thursday, U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer expressed confidence that police would conduct a thorough investigation of the allegations. “They will conduct their own investigations, but one of the core principles in our system is that everybody is equal under the law and nobody is above the law,” he told the BBC.
A vehicle outside Royal Lodge, a property on the estate surrounding Windsor Castle and a former residence of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor on Thursday.Jaimi Joy/Reuters
London's Metropolitan Police have also started a preliminary review into allegations surrounding Mr. Mountbatten-Windsor's protection officers and whether they turned a blind eye during visits to Mr. Epstein's private island where prosecutors say young girls had been trafficked for sex.
In a recent statement the Met said it had yet to identify any illegal activity but added “initial enquiries into these specific allegations have begun so we can establish the facts.”
The fall of a royal: from dashing prince to plain old Andrew
While Mr. Mountbatten-Windsor's connections to Mr. Epstein have been well-known for years, the extent of their relationship only came to light from the recent release of more than three million e-mails, photographs, text messages and other documents by the U.S. Department of Justice.
Those files suggest that during his time as a trade envoy, Mr. Mr. Mountbatten-Windsor passed on government information to the financier.
Images from an undated and redacted document released by the U.S. Department of Justice in January, show Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor leaning over an unidentified person.Jon Elswick/The Associated Press
In one e-mail dated Dec. 24, 2010, Mr. Mountbatten-Windsor forwarded Mr. Epstein a copy of a brief on business opportunities in Afghanistan.
“Attached is a confidential brief produced by the Provincial Reconstruction Team in Helmand Province for International Investment Opportunities,” Mr. Mountbatten-Windsor wrote. He added; “I am going to offer this elsewhere in my network (including Abu Dhabi) but would be very interested in your comments, views or ideas as to whom I could also usefully show this to attract some interest.”
In another e-mail sent Nov. 30, 2010, Mr. Mountbatten-Windsor forwarded government “visit reports” on trips he'd made to Singapore, Hong Kong and Vietnam. The reports also contained confidential details of investment opportunities.
British government guidance says trade envoys have a duty of confidentiality regarding sensitive commercial information about their trips.
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Editor's note: Feb. 19, 11:35 a.m. Kyiv time: This story has been updated with information obtained from the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU)
Ukraine reportedly struck an oil depot in Russia's Pskov Oblast and launched missiles at the Russian city of Belgorod, causing power outages in parts of the city, Telegram news channels and local authorities reported overnight Feb. 18-19.
"Unfortunately, there's been another massive missile attack on energy facilities in the city of Belgorod. There are major damages. We can see that there's a partial loss of electricity and heat, so we're currently investigating," Belgorod Oblast Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov claimed late on Feb. 18.
The city is located just 34 kilometers (21 miles) from Ukraine's northeastern border with Russia.
Explosions and fires were reported overnight on Feb. 19 at an oil depot in the town of Velikiye Luki in northwestern Russia's Pskov Oblast, according to Telegram news channel Exilenova+.
A source from the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) told the Kyiv Independent that the attack on the oil depot in Velikiye Luki was the work of their "Alpha" UAV unit, which managed to make their way through the anti-drone nets spread over the facility.
"Such operations are an element of systematic weakening of the military potential of the Russian Federation," the SBU source wrote in a statement.
Ukraine regularly strikes military infrastructure deep within Russia in an effort to diminish Moscow's fighting power as the Kremlin continues to wage its war against Ukraine.
Kyiv considers energy infrastructure to be a military target as they directly fund Russia's war.
Belgorod has repeatedly come under fire throughout the duration of Russia's full-scale war and in recent weeks.
Strikes were reported overnight Feb. 2 in Russia's Belgorod Oblast, where officials claimed a Ukrainian drone attack sparked a fire in the city of Stary Oskol.
On Feb. 6, blackouts and heating outages were reported in Russia's Belgorod Oblast overnight following a reported missile attack that damaged key energy infrastructure.
Additional blackouts and heating outages were reported in Belgorod on Feb. 7 after alleged attacks on a local thermal power plant and electrical substation.
Drone attacks targeted several regions across Russia overnight on Feb. 17, including the Ilsky oil refinery in southern Russia's Krasnodar Krai, where a large fire broke out following reported strikes, according to Ukraine's General Staff, local authorities, and social media.
Ukraine carried out strikes on an oil terminal in southern Russia and a Russian air defense system in occupied Crimea overnight on Feb. 14–15, according to Ukraine's military intelligence.
News Editor
Volodymyr Ivanyshyn is a news editor for The Kyiv Independent. He is pursuing an Honors Bachelor of Arts at the University of Toronto, majoring in political science with a minor in anthropology and human geography. Volodymyr holds a Certificate in Business Fundamentals from Rotman Commerce at the University of Toronto. He previously completed an internship with The Kyiv Independent.
The package also includes procurement of ammunition and "expansion of cooperation... on long-range drones."
"The portfolio of potential U.S.-Russia projects is over $14 trillion," Kremlin economic negotiator Kirill Dmitriev said.
The reported move would limit Kyiv's role at a key gathering of NATO leaders.
Russian forces are using LTE mobile networks and Ukrainian SIM cards to remotely control FPV drones, Serhii Beskrestnov, adviser to Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, said.
Iranian Rear Admiral Hassan Maqsoudlou said the drills reflect both countries' focus on the regional situation.
Russia launched 37 drones at Ukraine overnight, the Air Force said, of which Ukrainian air defenses intercepted or jammed 29.
Moldovan authorities said investigative measures began at 6 a.m. local time.
Ukraine reportedly struck an oil depot in Russia's Pskov Oblast and launched missiles at the Russian city of Belgorod, causing power outages in parts of the city, Telegram news channels and local authorities reported overnight Feb. 18-19.
The reported number includes 830 casualties that Russian forces suffered over the past day.
The decision escalates tensions between Kyiv and two of the EU's most Russia-friendly governments.
Millions read the Kyiv Independent, but only one in 1,000 supports us financially. One membership might not seem like much, but to us, it makes a real difference.
If you value our reporting, consider becoming a member — your support makes us stronger.
President says US has ‘some work' to do with Iran as representatives from more than 45 countries attend Trump-run initiative
Authoritarians, strongmen and dictators: who is on Trump's Board of Peace?
On Iran, Donald Trump praised Steve Witkoff's diplomatic efforts with the Republic. “Iran is a hot spot right now,” Trump said, noting that both Witkoff and Jared Kushner – another envoy and the president's son-in-law – have a good relationship with the representatives Iran. “Good talks are being had. It's proven to be, over the years, not easy to make a meaningful deal with Iran. We have to make a meaningful deal, otherwise, bad things happen, but we have to make a meaningful deal,” Trump said.
He added:
double quotation markWe do have some work to do with Iran. They can't have a nuclear weapons. Very simple. You can't have peace in the Middle East if they have a nuclear weapon.
Trump continued to keep the cards of any possible military action close to his chest. “We may have to take it a step further, or we may not, maybe we're going to make a deal,” he said. “You're going to be finding out over the next probably 10 days.”
In response to Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's arrest today, the top Democrat on the House oversight committee, Robert Garcia, said that it is “an enormous step forward in our fight to secure justice” for the Jeffrey Epstein's survivors.
In November, oversight Democrats called for the former prince to sit for questioning as part of their ongoing investigation into the handling of the Epstein case. “Britain is now holding him accountable with this arrest. Now it's time for the United States to end this White House cover-up,” Garcia added in a statement.
Other Democratic members of Congress welcomed the news of Mountbatten-Windsor's arrest, and how it might impact accountability stateside.
“Even princes are not above the law,” said congressman Ro Khanna, who led the effort to pass the Epstein Files Transparency Act. “But why isn't more being done here? We should start with Howard Lutnick resigning,” he added, referring to Donald Trump's commerce secretary – who admitted that he visited Epstein on his private island in 2012, four years after the disgraced financier was convicted on state charges of soliciting prostitution. This, despite Lutnick's claims that he was no longer in touch with Epstein after 2005.
Jay Bhattacharya, the director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), was named the acting director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Wednesday, making him the fourth leader in a year at the embattled agency in an unprecedented move that further consolidates power among a small group of men at the helm of US health agencies.
He's been an ineffectual health leader whose attention will be further fractured, and as a close ally to Robert F Kennedy Jr, secretary of the US Department of Health and Human Services and a longtime vaccine critic. Bhattacharya may sign off on further changes to the vaccine schedule, observers said.
Bhattacharya will continue serving in his current role as NIH director, where he has overseen dramatic cuts to research and staff. The CDC has similarly slashed grants to states and enacted massive layoffs even as officials under Kennedy have dramatically reshaped policy on routine vaccinations.
Staff say the controversial health economist has had little to do with the daily operations of the NIH.
“He won't actually run the CDC. Just as he doesn't actually run NIH,” said Jenna Norton, an NIH program officer speaking in her personal capacity.
Jeremy Berg, former director of National Institute of General Medical Sciences, had a similar response. “Now, rather than largely ignoring the actual operations of one agency, he can largely ignore the actual operations of two,” he said.
Bhattacharya, who made a name opposing measures to prevent Covid-19, has strongly criticized officials who fund research and advise on policy simultaneously.
“Bureaucrats who fund the careers of scientists should play no role whatsoever in setting pandemic policy,” Bhattacharya wrote in a post on Twitter/X in December 2021, saying the “dual role” was a conflict of interest that silenced scientists.
Read Melody's full report:
Edi Rama, the prime minister of Albania, refuted claims from Nato allies that the Board of Peace would undermine the authority of the United Nations.
“It does not look to me like an attempt to replace the UN,” Rama said. “But if it helps shake that agonizing giant then inshallah, wake it up.”
Attending today's event is former British prime minister Tony Blair, who extolled Donald Trump's so-called 20-point peace plan for Gaza.
“This is a vision of Gaza as part of the Middle East at peace, not a phoney piece of declarations no one means, and agreements no one intends to keep,” Blair said.
“Whether you're a Muslim, Jew, Christian, of any faith or none – you can rise by your own efforts and feel your government by your side, not on your back. That is the vision behind President Trump's 20-point plan for Gaza, and it remains the best, indeed the only hope for Gaza, the region and the wider world.”
Donald Trump noted today that his Board of Peace plans to work with the United Nations (UN) “very closely” moving forward. This comes as several ally countries – including the Vatican – have eschewed joining the board because it could usurp the UN's power.
“I think the United Nations has great potential, really great potential,” Trump said. “The Board of Peace is going to almost be looking over the United Nations and making sure it runs properly.”
The president noted that if the UN needs help “money wise”, the Board of Peace is prepared to step in.
Donald Trump said the United States will contribute $10bn to his Board of Peace. A reminder, that the president said over the weekend that member states have pledged $5bn to be a part of the board.
“When you look at that compared to the cost of war, that's two weeks of fighting, it's a very small number. It sounds like a lot, but it's a very small number,” Trump said, a nod to the emerging chorus of frustration at the administration's substantial involvement in foreign policy.
The president offered no details about how the US would send this money to the board, or if he's requested approval from Congress for the funds.
On Iran, Donald Trump praised Steve Witkoff's diplomatic efforts with the Republic. “Iran is a hot spot right now,” Trump said, noting that both Witkoff and Jared Kushner – another envoy and the president's son-in-law – have a good relationship with the representatives Iran. “Good talks are being had. It's proven to be, over the years, not easy to make a meaningful deal with Iran. We have to make a meaningful deal, otherwise, bad things happen, but we have to make a meaningful deal,” Trump said.
He added:
double quotation markWe do have some work to do with Iran. They can't have a nuclear weapons. Very simple. You can't have peace in the Middle East if they have a nuclear weapon.
Trump continued to keep the cards of any possible military action close to his chest. “We may have to take it a step further, or we may not, maybe we're going to make a deal,” he said. “You're going to be finding out over the next probably 10 days.”
Trump has spent most of his remarks, so far, touting his self-perceived achievements, with little explanation on how the Board of Peace actually plans to function.
On the war in Gaza, Trump declares it “over” barring “little flames” in the region. “The cease fire was held, and every last remaining hostage, both living and dead, has been returned back home. Think of that,” Trump added.
Reporting from Washington
Donald Trump has endorsed Hungary's Viktor Orbán ahead of parliamentary elections in which the illiberal European leader could be pushed out of office after 16 years in power.
Nodding to criticisms that endorsing foreign leaders would amount to elections interference, Trump said: “I'm not supposed to be endorsing people, but I endorse when I like people. You know, I've had a very good record of endorsing candidates within the United States, but now I endorse foreign leaders, including Viktor Orbán.”
Trump said that his support for Argentina's Javier Milei, another attendee of the inaugural meeting of the Board of Peace, had also helped his party in recent elections.
“He was a little behind in the polls,” Trump added. “He ended up winning in a landslide.”
Turning back to Orban, he said: “Prime Minister Orban of Hungary … has my complete and total endorsement for election. Not everybody in Europe loves that endorsement. That's OK. He does an unbelievable job. He's done an incredible job on immigration. Unlike some countries that have hurt themselves, they're working on it,” Trump said.
Secretary of state Marco Rubio had previously suggested that the US would provide Hungary with financial support and an extension of sanctions relief on purchasing Russian gas and oil for as long as the conservative leader is in power.
Few details so far on how Trump plans to solve the conflict in Gaza or begin the reconstruction of the wartorn region.
Trump kicked off his remarks with his misleading claim that he's ended eight wars. He notes that the conflict in Ukraine continues to evade him.
As he welcomes member states today, he says “there's never been anything close” to this level of prestige when it comes to the Board of Peace. He notes that some countries – namely Nato allies – are “playing a little cute”, by deciding to not join the Trump-led board.
Reporting from Washington
Donald Trump's inaugural meeting of the Board of Peace is off to a late start. World leaders and delegates mainly from the Middle East and Asia are gathered for a family photo before the speeches begin at the recently renamed Donald J. Trump Institute of Peace. Trump enters the room and exchanges a few words with Viktor Orbán, a rightwing ally and a rare European leader who has chosen to attend the event. US Nato allies have chosen not to join the organisation and send observers instead, with some saying the Board of Peace undermines other international organisations like the United Nations. Trump then exchanges handshakes with a number of autocrats including Azerbaijan's Ilham Aliyev, as well as rightwing allies like Argentina's Javier Milei.
US speakers include Trump, secretary of state Marco Rubio, envoy Steve Witkoff, Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, and ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz. JD Vance is there for the photo but is not scheduled to speak.
The speaking list is dominated by Gulf countries, with representatives for Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar all set to speak, as well as the leaders of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, the foreign minister of Turkey and the president of Romania.
Also somewhat surprisingly delegates will see a video presentation by Fifa. Though that may not be surprising given Fifa president Gianni Infantino's close relationship with Trump.
“I think we have to smile,” Trump says. “A lot of good people.”
“Does everybody like the music? It's good music.”
We're just moments away.
As we wait for the Board of Peace event to begin, my colleague Jakub Krupa notes that Italy, Poland, Czech Republic and Romania are among more than a dozen of countries sending senior officials to the meeting, but only Hungary is actually expected to be part of the board as a member. This comes as several key European allies, as well as the Vatican, snubbed the US' invitation to join the board.
Congressmen Ro Khanna and Thomas Massie plan to introduce a war powers resolution next week, and try to force a vote on the House floor, to curb the Trump administration's possible military action against Iran.
“Trump officials say there's a 90% chance of strikes on Iran. He can't without Congress,” said Khanna, a California Democrat, amid the reports that the US is positioning aircraft carriers and amassing a large arsenal of fighter jets for a potential strikes.
He's teamed up with Republican Massie – whom he worked with to push the Epstein Files Transparency Act on to the House floor – on the legislation.
“I first got into politics to end the Iraq War. I won't let Trump launch a disastrous war without Congress voting to stop it,” Khanna added.
The global artificial intelligence summit in New Delhi has been marred by an Indian university's claim that it developed a commercially-available Chinese robot.
On Tuesday, a Galgotias University professor told state-backed broadcaster DD News that someone at the private institution had developed a mechanized dog, and displayed it at its stand at the AI Impact Summit.
The university faced a backlash after internet users identified the robot as the Unitree Go2, sold by China's Unitree Robotics. It walked back the academic's claim and apologized for the confusion.
“One of our representatives, manning the pavilion, was ill-informed,” the university said in a statement. “She was not aware of the technical origins of the product and in her enthusiasm of being on camera, gave factually incorrect information even though she was not authorized to speak to the press.”
The institution's pavilion has reportedly been removed from the summit venue.
Twenty world leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, as well as an array of technology company heads, are attending the summit.
Google CEO Sundar Pichai, Qualcomm's CEO Cristiano Amon, OpenAI's CEO Sam Altman, Microsoft President Brad Smith, and AMI Labs Executive Chairman Yann LeCun are all slated to attend the summit.
The India AI Impact Summit is being envisaged by New Delhi as a platform to position the country as a global hub for artificial intelligence.
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Hungary and Slovakia announced on Feb. 18 that they are halting diesel exports to Ukraine, citing the suspension of Russian oil transit via the Druzhba pipeline as the trigger for the move.
The decision escalates tensions between Kyiv and two of the EU's most Russia-friendly governments, as Ukraine pushes European partners to curb purchases of Russian energy that help finance Moscow's war.
Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto directly accused Kyiv of deliberately endangering the country's energy security.
"President Volodymyr Zelensky has decided not to restart oil transit for political reasons, deliberately putting Hungary's energy supply at risk," he said, adding that shipments will not resume until transit through Druzhba is restored.
Szijjarto also warned that Hungary plays a key role in supplying Ukraine with energy resources.
"A large part of Ukraine's gas, electricity and diesel imports arrives through or from Hungary," he said.
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said the Slovnaft oil refining company would stop all fuel exports to Ukraine, redirecting production to the domestic market.
He added that Bratislava has requested clarification from Kyiv, with Slovakia's ambassador, Pavel Vizdal, sending a formal note to Ukrainian authorities.
Transit through the Druzhba pipeline has been halted since late January following Russian strikes on Ukraine's energy infrastructure, according to Ukrainian officials.
Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha posted a photo last week showing the burning Druzhba after a rare Russian strike on the pipeline on Ukrainian territory. Kyiv has also targeted the pipeline on Russian territory as part of its broader campaign against Russia's energy sector.
The Druzhba system, one of the world's largest oil pipelines with a capacity of around 2 million barrels per day, remains a key supply route for Hungary and Slovakia — the only EU countries still importing Russian crude via the network.
Reporter
Tim Zadorozhnyy is the reporter for the Kyiv Independent, specializing in foreign policy, U.S.-Ukraine relations, and political developments across Europe and Russia. Based in Warsaw, he pursued studies in International Relations and European Studies at Lazarski University, through a program offered in partnership with Coventry University. Tim began his journalism career in Odesa in 2022, working as a reporter at a local television channel. After relocating to Warsaw, he spent a year and a half with the Belarusian independent media outlet NEXTA, initially as a news anchor and later as managing editor. Tim is fluent in English, Ukrainian, and Russian.
The package also includes procurement of ammunition and "expansion of cooperation... on long-range drones."
"The portfolio of potential U.S.-Russia projects is over $14 trillion," Kremlin economic negotiator Kirill Dmitriev said.
The reported move would limit Kyiv's role at a key gathering of NATO leaders.
Russian forces are using LTE mobile networks and Ukrainian SIM cards to remotely control FPV drones, Serhii Beskrestnov, adviser to Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, said.
Iranian Rear Admiral Hassan Maqsoudlou said the drills reflect both countries' focus on the regional situation.
Russia launched 37 drones at Ukraine overnight, the Air Force said, of which Ukrainian air defenses intercepted or jammed 29.
Moldovan authorities said investigative measures began at 6 a.m. local time.
Ukraine reportedly struck an oil depot in Russia's Pskov Oblast and launched missiles at the Russian city of Belgorod, causing power outages in parts of the city, Telegram news channels and local authorities reported overnight Feb. 18-19.
The reported number includes 830 casualties that Russian forces suffered over the past day.
The decision escalates tensions between Kyiv and two of the EU's most Russia-friendly governments.
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President Volodymyr Zelensky reiterated on Feb. 18 that Ukraine will not cede territory to Russia or withdraw from land it currently controls, as U.S.-brokered talks aimed at ending Russia's full-scale invasion remain deadlocked over territory ahead of the war's fourth anniversary.
"Thousands, dozens of thousands of Ukrainians have been killed on this direction, defending this part of Ukraine," Zelensky said in an interview with British broadcaster Piers Morgan. "We have to understand that Donbas is a part of our independence. It's a part of our values. It's not about the land. It's not only about territories. It's about people."
Zelensky said negotiators have made more progress on technical discussions about how a potential ceasefire could be monitored than on political issues, while emphasizing that any durable settlement would require strong security guarantees and European involvement.
"When we speak about security guarantees, we mean strong guarantees that the rest of the world — or some countries — will be ready to respond if or when Putin returns with his aggression," Zelensky said.
Zelensky described Ukrainians as exhausted after nearly four years of all-out war but said the country remains united, pointing to nationwide mobilization during winter energy attacks and rapid repair work in Kyiv and other cities.
"The most difficult situation was in Kyiv after all these energy attacks," Zelensky said, adding that "240 brigades… came to (restore critical infrastructure) in Kyiv from all their regions."
On the diplomatic track, Zelensky said the military and technical group discussions were closer to producing a detailed framework for a ceasefire monitoring mission, but he acknowledged that the political track remains contentious — especially on territory.
Talks in Geneva ended after two days of meetings that Russian negotiators described as "difficult but practical," while Zelensky said progress was insufficient and that the sides remain far apart on the political dimension. The next meeting will also take place in Switzerland, according to the president.
Zelensky stressed that Ukraine cannot accept Russia's reported demand that Kyiv pull its forces from the remaining parts of Donetsk Oblast under Ukrainian control, calling any such proposal “unbelievable” and stressing that Ukraine does not recognize Russia's occupation as legitimate. Reuters reported earlier this week that Zelensky warned Ukraine is too often asked — rather than Russia — to make concessions, as negotiations focus on freezing the current front line and other proposals.
Asked about dealing with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Zelensky dismissed the idea of personal trust and said Ukraine needs "institutional" security guarantees.
Zelensky also addressed domestic and political pressure around elections, saying Ukraine's laws do not allow national elections during wartime, but adding that he would consider pushing parliament to change the law if a two-month ceasefire were secured — while cautioning that a short pause would not necessarily end the war.
"I will do my best, I will speak with Parliament. They will change the law... I hope so," Zelensky added.
In the same interview, Zelensky condemned what he called "double standards" in international sport, referencing Ukrainian skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych's disqualification at the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics for a "helmet of memory" honoring Ukrainian athletes killed in the war. Zelensky later awarded him Ukraine's Order of Freedom.
He also criticized the International Paralympic Committee decision allowing Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete under their own flags at next month's Paralympics, calling the move "dirty" and "awful."
Special Correspondent
Olena Goncharova is the Special Correspondent for the Kyiv Independent, where she has previously worked as a development manager and Canadian correspondent. She first joined the Kyiv Post, Ukraine's oldest English-language newspaper, as a staff writer in January 2012 and became the newspaper's Canadian correspondent in June 2018. She is based in Edmonton, Alberta. Olena has a master's degree in publishing and editing from the Institute of Journalism in Taras Shevchenko National University in Kyiv. Olena was a 2016 Alfred Friendly Press Partners fellow who worked for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette for six months. The program is administered by the University of Missouri School of Journalism in Columbia.
The package also includes procurement of ammunition and "expansion of cooperation... on long-range drones."
"The portfolio of potential U.S.-Russia projects is over $14 trillion," Kremlin economic negotiator Kirill Dmitriev said.
The reported move would limit Kyiv's role at a key gathering of NATO leaders.
Russian forces are using LTE mobile networks and Ukrainian SIM cards to remotely control FPV drones, Serhii Beskrestnov, adviser to Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, said.
Iranian Rear Admiral Hassan Maqsoudlou said the drills reflect both countries' focus on the regional situation.
Russia launched 37 drones at Ukraine overnight, the Air Force said, of which Ukrainian air defenses intercepted or jammed 29.
Moldovan authorities said investigative measures began at 6 a.m. local time.
Ukraine reportedly struck an oil depot in Russia's Pskov Oblast and launched missiles at the Russian city of Belgorod, causing power outages in parts of the city, Telegram news channels and local authorities reported overnight Feb. 18-19.
The reported number includes 830 casualties that Russian forces suffered over the past day.
Millions read the Kyiv Independent, but only one in 1,000 supports us financially. One membership might not seem like much, but to us, it makes a real difference.
If you value our reporting, consider becoming a member — your support makes us stronger.
MOSCOW, February 19. /TASS/. Vladimir Zelensky will be forced to resign if Ukraine's National Anti-Corruption Bureau, or NABU, gathers sufficient evidence of his direct involvement in corruption schemes, former Ukrainian Prime Minister Nikolay Azarov, who served from 2010 to 2014, said in an interview with TASS.
He noted that Zelensky's current position prevents investigators from involving him in the probe at this stage.
"If NABU detectives obtain enough evidence to prove Zelensky's direct involvement, which they likely already have or will soon have, then the Americans will probably give the green light, and he will have no choice but to resign," Azarov said.
He expressed confidence that NABU would continue efforts to expose Zelensky and his entourage. "The process will go on. We see that it is not stopping," he added.
On November 10, 2025, NABU and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office announced an investigation into a major corruption scheme in the energy sector, dubbed Operation Midas. According to investigators, participants in the scheme laundered around $100 million. Zelensky's close friend, businessman Timur Mindich, was identified as the coordinator of the schemes. He left the country several hours before searches began.
Publication of the case materials led to the resignation of several ministers, including German Galushchenko, who previously headed the Ministry of Energy and the Ministry of Justice, as well as the dismissal of the head of Zelensky's office and his associate Andrey Yermak. The developments temporarily paralyzed the work of parliament. Reports also indicated that not all case materials had been made public, that new senior officials could be implicated, and that the investigation was not limited to the energy sector, with detectives also examining defense procurement.
On February 17, Ukraine's High Anti-Corruption Court remanded Galushchenko, charged with laundering funds from Energoatom, into custody, with the possibility of release on bail set at 200 million hryvnia, or $4.6 million.
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
Speaking at the inaugural meeting of his Board of Peace, President Donald Trump warned anew that “bad things will happen” if Iran refuses to make a deal on its nuclear program. Trump said the world will find out “over the next, probably, ten days.”
President Donald Trump announced Thursday at the inaugural Board of Peace meeting that nine members have agreed to pledge a combined $7 billion toward a Gaza relief package, while five countries have agreed to deploy troops to take part in an international stabilization force to the war-battered Palestinian territory.
But $7 billion is only a fraction of the estimated $70 billion needed to rebuild Gaza, where a shaky ceasefire deal looms over Trump's ambitions for his board to rival the United Nations in solving world conflicts.
Trump also announced the U.S. was pledging $10 billion for the Board of Peace but didn't specify what the money will be used for.
Instead, the president is turning his focus to domestic issues: he's in Georgia for a trip designed to help boost Republicans' political standing heading into the midterms.
What to know:
President Donald Trump on Thursday refused to say whether he's seen evidence that aliens had visited earth.
The president was asked directly about “non-human visitors” while talking to reporters aboard Air Force One.
Trump said that former President Barack Obama shared classified information by recently suggesting that aliens are real.
“I don't know if they're real or not. I can tell you he gave classified information,” Trump said of Obama. “He's not supposed to be doing that. He made a big mistake. He took it out of classified information.”
Trump continued: “I don't have an opinion on it. I never talk about it. A lot of people do. A lot of people believe it.”
The president said to reporters as he prepared to head to Georgia for an event that the arrest of the former prince is “very sad. I think it's so bad for the royal family.”
Trump praised his brother, King Charles, and said he “would be coming to our country very soon.”
Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger delivers her State of the Commonwealth address before a joint session of the Virignia General Assembly at the Capitol Monday Jan. 19, 2026, in Richmond, Va. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)
Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger will deliver the Democratic response to President Donald Trump's State of the Union address next week, just months after resoundingly winning an office previously held by a Republican.
The Democratic rebuttal will immediately follow Trump's address to Congress next Tuesday, offering the party's most high-profile opportunity to deliver a countermessage.
Spanberger, who served three terms in Congress, became Virginia's first female governor earlier this year. She won the race by a double-digit margin, campaigning on affordability and lowering costs for families.
The second lady thanked people for “the outpouring of love and excitement” that followed the January announcement by her and her husband, Vice President JD Vance, that she is pregnant with their fourth child.
“Your support means more to us than we can say,” she said Wednesday in a social media post.
But she asked supporters to refrain from sending gifts and to consider helping others instead.
“We would be honored if you would consider making a donation to your local diaper bank to help families in need,” she said.
The newest member of the Vance family, the couple's third son, is due in July. They also have a young daughter.
The Trump administration last week made a $160 million partial payment of its past dues to the United Nations regular budget, U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told the Associated Press.
The payment comes as Trump adjourned his first meeting Thursday of the Board of Peace, a new initiative many see as his attempt to replace the U.N. Security Council's role in preventing and ending conflict around the world.
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres had warned earlier this month that the world body faces “imminent financial collapse” unless its financial rules are overhauled or all 193 member nations pay their dues, a message clearly directed at the United States.
The U.S. owes $2.196 billion to the U.N.'s regular operating budget, including $767 million for this year, according to a U.N. official. The U.S. also owes $1.8 billion for the separate budget for the U.N.'s far-flung peacekeeping operations, and that also will rise.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino speaks during a Board of Peace meeting at the U.S. Institute of Peace, Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
It wasn't only heads of state who offered major contributions to Trump's Board of Peace.
FIFA president Giovanni Infantino outlined a new plan by the world's governing body of football — “soccer” for those who live in the U.S. — to bring new sports opportunities to war-torn Gaza.
“We don't have to rebuild houses or schools or hospitals or roads,” Infantino said. “We also have to rebuild and build people, emotion, hope and trust. And this is what football, my sport, is about.”
Specifically, FIFA pledged to spend $50 million for a national football stadium in Gaza to hold between 20,000 and 25,000 spectators in addition to a FIFA academy at a cost of $15 million. The organization also vowed to build 50 “FIFA arena mini pitches” and five full-sized pitches at a total cost of $7.5 million.
Workers are restoring an exhibit depicting the history of the nine people once enslaved in Philadelphia amid a legal fight between the city and the Trump Administration.
Mayor Cherelle Parker visited the site Thursday morning and saw the work being done, spokesperson Joe Grace said.
A federal judge had set a Friday deadline for the Interior Department to restore the exhibit on the people enslaved by George Washington at the former President's House on Independence Mall.
Senior U.S. District Judge Cynthia Rufe issued the deadline Wednesday even as the Justice Department appeals her order to reinstate the exhibit.
In the last of several statements made about the United Nations, Trump ended his inaugural meeting Thursday by hinting that the U.S. -- the world body's largest donor -- will be making more changes to the institution, including to the appearance of its headquarters in New York.
Many world leaders and diplomats have been worried that Trump's new initiative was an attempt to eclipse the U.N. Security Council. But Trump attempted to assuage those concerns, saying that the U.S. will “work again with the United Nations and, bring it back to health.”
He added that his administration plans to “fix up even the building.”
“I like to see beautiful buildings. I like to see buildings fixed up physically, not look like they are in disrepair,” Trump said. “We don't like that. So we're going to do a job with the United Nations.”
Billionaire investor Marc Rowan, a member of the Board of Peace's executive committee, said reconstruction would begin in Gaza's southern city of Rafah.
He said 100,000 homes for 500,000 people, about a quarter of Gaza's population, were initially planned, along with $5 billion of infrastructure. He said “over time,” 400,000 new homes for Gaza's entire population were planned, with $30 billion in infrastructure projects.
He gave no timeline for when construction would begin.
“This is not a problem of money or collateral,” he said. “This is a problem of peace.”
In an hourslong meeting, leaders from various countries, including Peru, Bahrain and Pakistan, spent most of their speaking time praising Trump and what they called his “unprecedented” ability to end conflicts around the world.
Pakistan called him the “savior of South Asia,” while others said that years of U.S. foreign policy efforts by his predecessor failed to do what Trump has done in the last year.
The glowing remarks that went around from each corner of the globe resembled the same format and tone of Trump's Cabinet meetings, which involve less policy substance and more adulation for the Republican president.
President Donald Trump holds up a signed resolution during a Board of Peace meeting at the U.S. Institute of Peace, Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated his pledge that Gaza will not be rebuilt until Hamas disarms.
“We agreed with our friends in the United States: There will be no reconstruction of the Gaza Strip before the demilitarization of the Gaza Strip,” he said in a speech to graduating officers at an army base in southern Israel.
“Soon, Hamas will face a dilemma: disarm the easy way — or disarm the hard way. But it will be disarmed, and Gaza will no longer threaten Israel.”
Iran held annual military drills with Russia on Thursday as a second American aircraft carrier drew closer to the Middle East, with both the United States and Iran signaling they are prepared for war if talks on Tehran's nuclear program fizzle out.
Trump said he hopes to reach a deal with Iran, but the talks have been deadlocked for years, and Iran has refused to discuss wider U.S. and Israeli demands that it scale back its missile program and sever ties to armed groups. Indirect talks held in recent weeks made little visible progress, and one or both sides could be buying time for final war preparations.
Iran's theocracy is more vulnerable than ever, following 12 days of Israeli and U.S. strikes on its nuclear sites and military last year, as well as mass protests in January that were violently suppressed. But it is still capable of striking Israel and U.S. bases, and has warned that any attack would trigger a regional war.
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Despite repeatedly underscoring the importance of preventing and ending conflict, Trump made several pointed remarks during his Board of Peace meeting directed at Iran as the U.S. has amassed a significant military in the region.
The Republican president stood in front of many of the same regional allies who have pressured the U.S. in the last few weeks to not take military action against Iran and once again warned its longtime adversary to come to the table with an acceptable deal or face the consequences.
“We have to make a meaningful deal. Otherwise bad things happen,” Trump said.
The inaugural meeting of Trump's Board of Peace comes perhaps ironically at a time of high tension between the United States and Iran and one of the largest U.S. military buildups in the Middle East in decades, with one aircraft carrier group in the region already and another on the way.
The military moves have coincided with the series of threats Trump has made to Iran if it does not accede to his demands to denuclearize, give up ballistic missiles and halt funding extremist proxy groups.
Maj. Gen. Jasper Jeffers, the leader of the newly-created International Stabilization Force, announced that Indonesia, Morocco, Kazakhstan, Kosovo and Albania have all pledged troops to the effort. In addition, Egypt and Jordan, which border the Gaza strip, have agreed to train the police and security forces.
“With these first steps, we help bring the security that Gaza needs for a future of prosperity and enduring peace,” Jeffers said.
— This item has been corrected to show that Jeffers is a major general, not a general, and is not retired.
The U.S. Commission of Fine Arts approved Trump's proposal, despite raising concerns at the panel's January meeting. Some commissioners had questioned the lead architect about its “immense” design and scale, roughly twice the size of the White House itself.
Trump's demolition of the East Wing prompted a public outcry when it began without the independent reviews, congressional approval and public comment typical for even relatively minor modifications to historic buildings in Washington.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation has sued in federal court to halt construction. And the project is scheduled for additional discussion at a March 5 meeting of the National Capital Planning Commission, now led by one of Trump's top aides.
— CORRECTS: A previous APNewsAlert erroneously reported that the vote was unanimous; one commissioner abstained.
President Donald Trump speaks with Vice President JD Vance during a Board of Peace meeting at the U.S. Institute of Peace, Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
The vice president nodded to domestic politics heading into the midterm elections in his brief statement to the board.
“The reason that we're here today is yes to save lives and yes to promote peace, but this creates incredible prosperity for the American people,” Vance said.
He said the countries represented on the board represent “trillions of dollars of investment” in the U.S., and support millions of American jobs by buying goods made in America.
The direct line between the Board of Peace and the U.S. economy is not completely clear. Trump's trade war has strained economic relations with several major U.S. allies.
President Donald Trumpl listens during a Board of Peace meeting at the U.S. Institute of Peace, Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
The Republican president repeated his concerns and criticism of the United Nations during his Board of Peace meeting, saying the UN should have been more involved in conflict-solving than it has been.
But, Trump also said that the U.S. is going “to be working with the United Nations very close.”
“Someday I won't be here. The United Nations will be, I think, is going to be much stronger,” he said. “The Board of Peace is gonna almost be looking over the United Nations, and making sure it runs properly.”
Trump also announced the U.S. is pledging $10 billion for the Board of Peace, but didn't specify what the money will be used for.
“The Board of Peace is showing how a better future can be built, starting right here in this room,” Trump said.
CORRECTS: A previous APNewsAlert erroneously reported that the vote was unanimous; one commissioner abstained.
World leaders listen as President Donald Trump speaks during a Board of Peace meeting at the U.S. Institute of Peace, Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, UAE, Morocco, Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan and Kuwait are the countries that are making pledges, Trump said.
“But every dollar spent is an investment in stability and the hope of new and harmonious (region),” said Trump in thanking the donors.
The amount, while significant, represents a fraction of the estimated $70 billion needed to rebuild the Palestinian territory decimated after two years of war.
President Donald Trump speaks during a Board of Peace meeting at the U.S. Institute of Peace, Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
Shouting out all of the various conflicts he says he solved, Trump mentioned that Iran is “a hotspot right now.” He said his envoys have had “very interesting” meetings with Iranian officials.
His positive comments come as the two adversaries have leaned into gunboat diplomacy in recent weeks, with nuclear talks between the nations hanging in the balance, Tehran holding drills with Russia and the Americans bringing another aircraft carrier closer to the Mideast.
“It's proven to be, over the years, not easy to make a meaningful deal with Iran, and we have to make a meaningful deal. Otherwise bad things happen,” Trump said.
Trump is fueling the rivalry between the two members of his administration considered the frontrunners to replace him as the GOP's next presidential nominee: Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President JD Vance.
Trump described Vance as “a fantastic man” and a “fantastic talent” before running through the highlights of the vice president's education and marriage and noting that Vance “gets a little bit tough on occasion.”
The president then pivoted to Rubio, calling his leadership style “the opposite extreme. ... Marco does it with a velvet glove, but it's a kill.”
Trump then praised Rubio's performance at the Munich Security Conference this week, joking that if he did his job any better he'd be fired for outshining him.
Much can change in the two years before voters pick the GOP's 2028 presidential nominee. The Constitution bars Trump from seeking a third term.
A week after Trump blasted him as a RINO, short for Republican In Name Only, Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt struck a conciliatory tone toward the White House.
“Politics is tough,” Stitt said Thursday at an event sponsored by Politico at the outset of the National Governors Association's annual meeting. “Politics has a way of just beating you down over time so I can't imagine being president of the United States. He's got a tough job to do.”
Stitt is the president of the NGA this year. The group, made up of governors from both parties, is typically one of the few bipartisan organizations to convene in Washington each year.
But this year's meeting has been defined by tensions as Trump has refused to invite two Democratic governors to a business meeting at the White House. Trump said Stitt mischaracterized his position.
Trump says Secretary of State Marco Rubio was the driving force behind renaming the U.S. Institute of Peace the “Donald J. Trump U.S. Institute of Peace,” in a move still being contested in courts.
“Marco named it after me,” Trump said Thursday at the inaugural meeting of his Board of Peace at the former USIP building. Trump said it was a surprise. Rubio is not known to have played a significant role in the renaming, although the State Department is the current custodian.
The USIP was created as an independent entity by Congress in 1984, a status Trump sought to revoke last year when the building was seized from its leadership and nearly all of its employees fired. The changes remain subject to litigation.
In one of many tangents, Trump used his speech at the Board of Peace meeting to reinforce his support for various foreign leaders who are facing or were recently facing a contested election in their country. Many of the endorsements are part of Trump's pattern of embracing autocratic leaders who are part of a global pushback against democratic traditions.
“I'm not supposed to be endorsing people, but I endorse, when I like people. You know, I've had a very good record of endorsing candidates within the United States, but now I endorse foreign leaders, including Viktor Orbán, who's here,” Trump said, mentioning also Milei and the prime minister of Japan.
While Trump convenes his Board of Peace, the nation's governors also are gathering in Washington. Their annual gathering has traditionally been a show of bipartisanship. Trump disrupted norms by not inviting all governors to meetings at the White House.
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, a Democrat, joined Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt and Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, both Republicans, in opening this year's National Governors Association on a panel where they emphasized bipartisanship, regardless of Trump's actions.
The break with tradition reflects Trump's broader approach in his second term. He has taken a confrontational stance toward some state leaders, withholding federal funds from states that draw his ire and deploying federal troops to cities over the objections of local officials.
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Argentina's President Javier Milei is seen during a Board of Peace meeting at the U.S. Institute of Peace, Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
President Donald Trump speaks with World leaders as he arrives for a Board of Peace meeting at the U.S. Institute of Peace, Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
Vietnam's Communist Party General Secretary To Lam, left and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, during a Board of Peace meeting at the U.S. Institute of Peace, Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet and Armenia's Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, speak during a Board of Peace meeting at the U.S. Institute of Peace, Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
President Donald Trump speaks during a Board of Peace meeting at the U.S. Institute of Peace, Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
Despite the presence Thursday of dozens of world leaders, Trump noted that many countries — including the U.K., France and Canada — have chosen to not yet accept the invitation to the Board of Peace.
“Almost everybody's accepted, and the ones that haven't, will be. And some are playing a little cute — it doesn't work. You can't play cute with me,” Trump said. “But, this is the most prestigious board ever put together.”
In his opening remarks, Trump welcomes the dozens of world leaders in attendance and says many of them have become “incredible friends of mine.”
“Board of Peace is one of the most important and consequential things, I think, that I'll be involved in,” the second-term president said.
President Donald Trump stands with other World leaders before a Board of Peace meeting at the U.S. Institute of Peace, Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
Trump and other world leaders have arrived at the first meeting of the Board of Peace.
Flanked by Vice President J.D. Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Trump stood in front of leaders from Saudi Arabia, Indonesia and Qatar, among others, to take a group photo before discussing the various parts of the president's peace plan for Gaza.
A number of world leaders, including Argentina's Javier Milei, Hungary's Viktor Orbán and others carried red hats with the emblem “USA” and an American flag on the side, and put them on the tables next to their country signs.
The new research tied to one of America's leading banks provides more evidence that Trump‘s push to charge higher taxes on imports is causing economic disruption.
The additional taxes have meant that companies that employ a combined 48 million people in the U.S. — the kinds of businesses Trump had promised to revive — have had to absorb the new expense by passing it along to customers in the form of higher prices, employing fewer workers or accepting lower profits.
“That's a big change in their cost of doing business,” said Chi Mac, business research director of the JPMorganChase Institute, which published the analysis on Thursday.
The research adds to a growing body of economic analyses that counter the administration's claims that foreigners pay the tariffs.
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FILE - Pope Leo XIV and Vatican Secretary of State Pietro Parolin, left, leave the Quirinale Presidential Palace in Rome, Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2025, after a visit to Italian President Sergio Mattarella. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin told reporters earlier this week that “at the international level it should above all be the U.N. that manages these crisis situations.”
The Trump administration on Wednesday pushed back: “This president has a very bold and ambitious plan and vision to rebuild and reconstruct Gaza, which is well underway because of the Board of Peace,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said. “This is a legitimate organization where there are tens of member countries from around the world.”
And Mike Waltz, the U.S. ambassador to the U.N., said the board is “not talking, it is doing.”
“We are hearing the chattering class criticizing the structure of the board, that it's unconventional, that it's unprecedented,” Waltz said. “Again, the old ways were not working.”
Trump said this week he hopes the board would push the U.N. to “get on the ball.”
“The United Nations has great potential,” he said. “They haven't lived up to the potential.”
Artist renderings and diagrams of the new White House East Wing and Ballroom, briefly posted on the National Capital Planning Commission's website ahead of a March 5, hearing, are photographed Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Jon Elswick)
The U.S. Commission of Fine Arts is one of two federal panels reviewing the president's plans to build a ballroom twice the size of the White House itself on the site of the former East Wing.
The commission, now led by Trump's appointees, is scheduled to further discuss the project at its monthly meeting on Thursday, held over Zoom.
At last month's meeting, some of those commissioners questioned the architect about the “immense” design and scale of the project even as they broadly endorsed the president's vision for the massive expansion.
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The U.S. trade deficit slipped modestly in 2025 as Trump upended global commerce by slapping double digit tariffs on imports from most countries.
The gap the between the goods and services the U.S. sells other countries and what it buys from them narrowed to just over $901 billion from $904 billion in 2024, the Commerce Department reported Thursday.
Exports rose 6% last year, and imports rose nearly 5%. The trade gap surged from January-March as U.S. companies tried to import foreign goods ahead of Trump's taxes, then narrowed most of the rest of the year.
Trump's tariffs are a tax paid by U.S. importers and often passed along to their customers as higher prices. But they haven't had as much impact on inflation as economists originally expected. Trump argues that the tariffs will protect U.S. industries, bringing manufacturing back to America and raising money for the U.S. Treasury.
Members of the United Nations Security Council are calling for Gaza ceasefire deal to become permanent, and blasting Israeli efforts to expand control in the West Bank as a threat to prospects of a two-state solution. They met Wednesday on the eve of Trump's first Board of Peace gathering to discuss the future of the Palestinian territories.
The high-level U.N. session in New York was originally scheduled for Thursday but was moved up after Trump announced the board's meeting for the same day, complicating travel plans for diplomats. It is a sign of the potential for overlapping and conflicting agendas between the United Nations' most powerful body and Trump's broader ambitions to broker global conflicts, which have raised concerns in some countries that it may attempt to rival the U.N. Security Council.
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Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
Artist renderings and diagrams of the new White House East Wing and Ballroom, briefly posted on the National Capital Planning Commission's website ahead of a March 5, hearing, are photographed Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Jon Elswick)
Construction continues on the ballroom where the East Wing used to stand at the White House, Friday, Feb. 13, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Tom Brenner)
Work continues on the construction of the ballroom at the White House, Wednesday, Feb., 4, 2026, in Washington, where the East Wing once stood. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.)
A crane for the construction of the new ballroom stand over the White House, Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, a panel made up of President Donald Trump's appointees, on Thursday approved his proposal to build a ballroom larger than the White House itself where the East Wing once stood.
The seven-member panel is one of two federal agencies that must approve Trump's plans for the ballroom. The National Capital Planning Commission, which has jurisdiction over construction and major renovation to government buildings in the region, is also reviewing the project.
Members of the fine arts commission originally had been scheduled to discuss and vote on the design after a follow-up presentation by the architect, and had planned to vote on final approval at next month's meeting. But after the 6-0 vote on the design, the panel's chairman, Rodney Mims Cook Jr., unexpectedly made another motion to vote on final approval.
Six of the seven commissioners — all appointed by the Republican president in January — voted once more in favor. Commissioner James McCrery did not participate in the discussion or the votes because he was the initial architect on the project before Trump replaced him.
The ballroom will be built on the site of the former East Wing, which Trump had demolished in October with little public notice. That drew an outcry from lawmakers, historians and preservationists who argued that the president should not have taken that step until the two federal agencies and Congress had reviewed and approved the project, and the public had a chance to provide comment.
The 90,000-square-foot ballroom would be nearly twice the size of the White House, which is 55,000-square-feet, and would accommodate about 1,000 people, Trump has said. The East Room, currently the largest room in the White House, can fit just over 200 people at most.
Commissioners offered mostly complimentary comments before the votes.
Cook echoed one of Trump's main arguments for adding a larger entertaining space to the White House: It would end the long-standing practice of erecting temporary structures on the South Lawn that Trump describes as tents to host visiting dignitaries for state dinners and other functions.
“Our sitting president has actually designed a very beautiful structure,” Cook said. “The United States just should not be entertaining the world in tents.”
Members of the public were asked to submit written comment by a Wednesday afternoon deadline. Thomas Leubke, the panel's secretary, said “over 99%” of the more than 2,000 messages it received in the past week from around the country were in opposition to the project.
Leubke tried to summarize the comments for the commissioners.
Some comments cited concerns about Trump's decision to unilaterally tear down the East Wing, as well as the lack of transparency about who is paying for the ballroom or how contracts were awarded, Leubke said. Comments in support referenced concerns for the image of the United States on the world stage and the need for a larger entertaining space at the White House.
Trump has defended the ballroom in a recent series of social media posts that included drawings of the building. He said in one January post that most of the material needed to build it had been ordered “and there is no practical or reasonable way to go back. IT IS TOO LATE!”
The commission met Thursday over Zoom and heard from Shalom Baranes, the lead architect, and Rick Parisi, the landscape architect. Both described a series of images and sketches of the ballroom and the grounds as they would appear after the project is completed.
Trump has said the ballroom would cost about $400 million and be paid for with private donations. To date, the White House has only released an incomplete list of donors.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation has sued in federal court to halt construction. A ruling in the case is pending.
In comments it submitted to the commission, the privately funded group recommended that the size of the ballroom be reduced to “accommodate and respect the primary historic importance of the original Executive Residence.”
At the commission's January meeting, some commissioners had questioned Baranes, Trump's architect, about the “immense” design and scale of the project even as they broadly endorsed Trump's vision. On Thursday, Baranes described changes he has since made to the design, and the commissioners said they welcomed the adjustments.
The ballroom project is scheduled for additional discussion at a March 5 meeting of the National Capital Planning Commission, which is led by a top White House aide. This panel heard an initial presentation about the project in January.
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This story has been corrected to reflect that the ballroom was approved by six of the seven commissioners and that one commission did not vote because he was the initial architect on the project.
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
President Donald Trump opens Board of Peace meeting in Washington, calling it “one of the most important” things he's done. At the same time, he called out major US allies who have not yet joined the Board of Peace, saying “they're playing cute.”
President Donald Trump announced Thursday at the inaugural Board of Peace meeting that nine members have agreed to pledge a combined $7 billion toward a Gaza relief package, while five countries have agreed to deploy troops to take part in an international stabilization force to the war-battered Palestinian territory.
But $7 billion is only a fraction of the estimated $70 billion needed to rebuild Gaza, where a shaky ceasefire deal looms over Trump's ambitions for his board to rival the United Nations in solving world conflicts.
Trump also announced the U.S. was pledging $10 billion for the Board of Peace but didn't specify what the money will be used for.
Instead, the president is turning his focus to domestic issues: In an hour, he'll arrive in Georgia for a trip designed to help boost Republicans' political standing heading into the midterms.
What to know:
FIFA President Gianni Infantino speaks during a Board of Peace meeting at the U.S. Institute of Peace, Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
It wasn't only heads of state who offered major contributions to Trump's Board of Peace.
FIFA president Giovanni Infantino outlined a new plan by the world's governing body of football — “soccer” for those who live in the U.S. — to bring new sports opportunities to war-torn Gaza.
“We don't have to rebuild houses or schools or hospitals or roads,” Infantino said. “We also have to rebuild and build people, emotion, hope and trust. And this is what football, my sport, is about.”
Specifically, FIFA pledged to spend $50 million for a national football stadium in Gaza to hold between 20,000 and 25,000 spectators in addition to a FIFA academy at a cost of $15 million. The organization also vowed to build 50 “FIFA arena mini pitches” and five full-sized pitches at a total cost of $7.5 million.
Workers are restoring an exhibit depicting the history of the nine people once enslaved in Philadelphia amid a legal fight between the city and the Trump Administration.
Mayor Cherelle Parker visited the site Thursday morning and saw the work being done, spokesperson Joe Grace said.
A federal judge had set a Friday deadline for the Interior Department to restore the exhibit on the people enslaved by George Washington at the former President's House on Independence Mall.
Senior U.S. District Judge Cynthia Rufe issued the deadline Wednesday even as the Justice Department appeals her order to reinstate the exhibit.
In the last of several statements made about the United Nations, Trump ended his inaugural meeting Thursday by hinting that the U.S. -- the world body's largest donor -- will be making more changes to the institution, including to the appearance of its headquarters in New York.
Many world leaders and diplomats have been worried that Trump's new initiative was an attempt to eclipse the U.N. Security Council. But Trump attempted to assuage those concerns, saying that the U.S. will “work again with the United Nations and, bring it back to health.”
He added that his administration plans to “fix up even the building.”
“I like to see beautiful buildings. I like to see buildings fixed up physically, not look like they are in disrepair,” Trump said. “We don't like that. So we're going to do a job with the United Nations.”
Billionaire investor Marc Rowan, a member of the Board of Peace's executive committee, said reconstruction would begin in Gaza's southern city of Rafah.
He said 100,000 homes for 500,000 people, about a quarter of Gaza's population, were initially planned, along with $5 billion of infrastructure. He said “over time,” 400,000 new homes for Gaza's entire population were planned, with $30 billion in infrastructure projects.
He gave no timeline for when construction would begin.
“This is not a problem of money or collateral,” he said. “This is a problem of peace.”
In an hourslong meeting, leaders from various countries, including Peru, Bahrain and Pakistan, spent most of their speaking time praising Trump and what they called his “unprecedented” ability to end conflicts around the world.
Pakistan called him the “savior of South Asia,” while others said that years of U.S. foreign policy efforts by his predecessor failed to do what Trump has done in the last year.
The glowing remarks that went around from each corner of the globe resembled the same format and tone of Trump's Cabinet meetings, which involve less policy substance and more adulation for the Republican president.
President Donald Trump holds up a signed resolution during a Board of Peace meeting at the U.S. Institute of Peace, Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated his pledge that Gaza will not be rebuilt until Hamas disarms.
“We agreed with our friends in the United States: There will be no reconstruction of the Gaza Strip before the demilitarization of the Gaza Strip,” he said in a speech to graduating officers at an army base in southern Israel.
“Soon, Hamas will face a dilemma: disarm the easy way — or disarm the hard way. But it will be disarmed, and Gaza will no longer threaten Israel.”
Iran held annual military drills with Russia on Thursday as a second American aircraft carrier drew closer to the Middle East, with both the United States and Iran signaling they are prepared for war if talks on Tehran's nuclear program fizzle out.
Trump said he hopes to reach a deal with Iran, but the talks have been deadlocked for years, and Iran has refused to discuss wider U.S. and Israeli demands that it scale back its missile program and sever ties to armed groups. Indirect talks held in recent weeks made little visible progress, and one or both sides could be buying time for final war preparations.
Iran's theocracy is more vulnerable than ever, following 12 days of Israeli and U.S. strikes on its nuclear sites and military last year, as well as mass protests in January that were violently suppressed. But it is still capable of striking Israel and U.S. bases, and has warned that any attack would trigger a regional war.
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Despite repeatedly underscoring the importance of preventing and ending conflict, Trump made several pointed remarks during his Board of Peace meeting directed at Iran as the U.S. has amassed a significant military in the region.
The Republican president stood in front of many of the same regional allies who have pressured the U.S. in the last few weeks to not take military action against Iran and once again warned its longtime adversary to come to the table with an acceptable deal or face the consequences.
“We have to make a meaningful deal. Otherwise bad things happen,” Trump said.
The inaugural meeting of Trump's Board of Peace comes perhaps ironically at a time of high tension between the United States and Iran and one of the largest U.S. military buildups in the Middle East in decades, with one aircraft carrier group in the region already and another on the way.
The military moves have coincided with the series of threats Trump has made to Iran if it does not accede to his demands to denuclearize, give up ballistic missiles and halt funding extremist proxy groups.
Maj. Gen. Jasper Jeffers, the leader of the newly-created International Stabilization Force, announced that Indonesia, Morocco, Kazakhstan, Kosovo and Albania have all pledged troops to the effort. In addition, Egypt and Jordan, which border the Gaza strip, have agreed to train the police and security forces.
“With these first steps, we help bring the security that Gaza needs for a future of prosperity and enduring peace,” Jeffers said.
— This item has been corrected to show that Jeffers is a major general, not a general, and is not retired.
The U.S. Commission of Fine Arts approved Trump's proposal, despite raising concerns at the panel's January meeting. Some commissioners had questioned the lead architect about its “immense” design and scale, roughly twice the size of the White House itself.
Trump's demolition of the East Wing prompted a public outcry when it began without the independent reviews, congressional approval and public comment typical for even relatively minor modifications to historic buildings in Washington.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation has sued in federal court to halt construction. And the project is scheduled for additional discussion at a March 5 meeting of the National Capital Planning Commission, now led by one of Trump's top aides.
— CORRECTS: A previous APNewsAlert erroneously reported that the vote was unanimous; one commissioner abstained.
President Donald Trump speaks with Vice President JD Vance during a Board of Peace meeting at the U.S. Institute of Peace, Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
The vice president nodded to domestic politics heading into the midterm elections in his brief statement to the board.
“The reason that we're here today is yes to save lives and yes to promote peace, but this creates incredible prosperity for the American people,” Vance said.
He said the countries represented on the board represent “trillions of dollars of investment” in the U.S., and support millions of American jobs by buying goods made in America.
The direct line between the Board of Peace and the U.S. economy is not completely clear. Trump's trade war has strained economic relations with several major U.S. allies.
President Donald Trumpl listens during a Board of Peace meeting at the U.S. Institute of Peace, Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
The Republican president repeated his concerns and criticism of the United Nations during his Board of Peace meeting, saying the UN should have been more involved in conflict-solving than it has been.
But, Trump also said that the U.S. is going “to be working with the United Nations very close.”
“Someday I won't be here. The United Nations will be, I think, is going to be much stronger,” he said. “The Board of Peace is gonna almost be looking over the United Nations, and making sure it runs properly.”
Trump also announced the U.S. is pledging $10 billion for the Board of Peace, but didn't specify what the money will be used for.
“The Board of Peace is showing how a better future can be built, starting right here in this room,” Trump said.
CORRECTS: A previous APNewsAlert erroneously reported that the vote was unanimous; one commissioner abstained.
World leaders listen as President Donald Trump speaks during a Board of Peace meeting at the U.S. Institute of Peace, Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, UAE, Morocco, Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan and Kuwait are the countries that are making pledges, Trump said.
“But every dollar spent is an investment in stability and the hope of new and harmonious (region),” said Trump in thanking the donors.
The amount, while significant, represents a fraction of the estimated $70 billion needed to rebuild the Palestinian territory decimated after two years of war.
President Donald Trump speaks during a Board of Peace meeting at the U.S. Institute of Peace, Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
Shouting out all of the various conflicts he says he solved, Trump mentioned that Iran is “a hotspot right now.” He said his envoys have had “very interesting” meetings with Iranian officials.
His positive comments come as the two adversaries have leaned into gunboat diplomacy in recent weeks, with nuclear talks between the nations hanging in the balance, Tehran holding drills with Russia and the Americans bringing another aircraft carrier closer to the Mideast.
“It's proven to be, over the years, not easy to make a meaningful deal with Iran, and we have to make a meaningful deal. Otherwise bad things happen,” Trump said.
Trump is fueling the rivalry between the two members of his administration considered the frontrunners to replace him as the GOP's next presidential nominee: Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President JD Vance.
Trump described Vance as “a fantastic man” and a “fantastic talent” before running through the highlights of the vice president's education and marriage and noting that Vance “gets a little bit tough on occasion.”
The president then pivoted to Rubio, calling his leadership style “the opposite extreme. ... Marco does it with a velvet glove, but it's a kill.”
Trump then praised Rubio's performance at the Munich Security Conference this week, joking that if he did his job any better he'd be fired for outshining him.
Much can change in the two years before voters pick the GOP's 2028 presidential nominee. The Constitution bars Trump from seeking a third term.
A week after Trump blasted him as a RINO, short for Republican In Name Only, Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt struck a conciliatory tone toward the White House.
“Politics is tough,” Stitt said Thursday at an event sponsored by Politico at the outset of the National Governors Association's annual meeting. “Politics has a way of just beating you down over time so I can't imagine being president of the United States. He's got a tough job to do.”
Stitt is the president of the NGA this year. The group, made up of governors from both parties, is typically one of the few bipartisan organizations to convene in Washington each year.
But this year's meeting has been defined by tensions as Trump has refused to invite two Democratic governors to a business meeting at the White House. Trump said Stitt mischaracterized his position.
Trump says Secretary of State Marco Rubio was the driving force behind renaming the U.S. Institute of Peace the “Donald J. Trump U.S. Institute of Peace,” in a move still being contested in courts.
“Marco named it after me,” Trump said Thursday at the inaugural meeting of his Board of Peace at the former USIP building. Trump said it was a surprise. Rubio is not known to have played a significant role in the renaming, although the State Department is the current custodian.
The USIP was created as an independent entity by Congress in 1984, a status Trump sought to revoke last year when the building was seized from its leadership and nearly all of its employees fired. The changes remain subject to litigation.
In one of many tangents, Trump used his speech at the Board of Peace meeting to reinforce his support for various foreign leaders who are facing or were recently facing a contested election in their country. Many of the endorsements are part of Trump's pattern of embracing autocratic leaders who are part of a global pushback against democratic traditions.
“I'm not supposed to be endorsing people, but I endorse, when I like people. You know, I've had a very good record of endorsing candidates within the United States, but now I endorse foreign leaders, including Viktor Orbán, who's here,” Trump said, mentioning also Milei and the prime minister of Japan.
While Trump convenes his Board of Peace, the nation's governors also are gathering in Washington. Their annual gathering has traditionally been a show of bipartisanship. Trump disrupted norms by not inviting all governors to meetings at the White House.
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, a Democrat, joined Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt and Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, both Republicans, in opening this year's National Governors Association on a panel where they emphasized bipartisanship, regardless of Trump's actions.
The break with tradition reflects Trump's broader approach in his second term. He has taken a confrontational stance toward some state leaders, withholding federal funds from states that draw his ire and deploying federal troops to cities over the objections of local officials.
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Argentina's President Javier Milei is seen during a Board of Peace meeting at the U.S. Institute of Peace, Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
President Donald Trump speaks with World leaders as he arrives for a Board of Peace meeting at the U.S. Institute of Peace, Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
Vietnam's Communist Party General Secretary To Lam, left and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, during a Board of Peace meeting at the U.S. Institute of Peace, Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet and Armenia's Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, speak during a Board of Peace meeting at the U.S. Institute of Peace, Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
President Donald Trump speaks during a Board of Peace meeting at the U.S. Institute of Peace, Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
Despite the presence Thursday of dozens of world leaders, Trump noted that many countries — including the U.K., France and Canada — have chosen to not yet accept the invitation to the Board of Peace.
“Almost everybody's accepted, and the ones that haven't, will be. And some are playing a little cute — it doesn't work. You can't play cute with me,” Trump said. “But, this is the most prestigious board ever put together.”
In his opening remarks, Trump welcomes the dozens of world leaders in attendance and says many of them have become “incredible friends of mine.”
“Board of Peace is one of the most important and consequential things, I think, that I'll be involved in,” the second-term president said.
President Donald Trump stands with other World leaders before a Board of Peace meeting at the U.S. Institute of Peace, Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
Trump and other world leaders have arrived at the first meeting of the Board of Peace.
Flanked by Vice President J.D. Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Trump stood in front of leaders from Saudi Arabia, Indonesia and Qatar, among others, to take a group photo before discussing the various parts of the president's peace plan for Gaza.
A number of world leaders, including Argentina's Javier Milei, Hungary's Viktor Orbán and others carried red hats with the emblem “USA” and an American flag on the side, and put them on the tables next to their country signs.
The new research tied to one of America's leading banks provides more evidence that Trump‘s push to charge higher taxes on imports is causing economic disruption.
The additional taxes have meant that companies that employ a combined 48 million people in the U.S. — the kinds of businesses Trump had promised to revive — have had to absorb the new expense by passing it along to customers in the form of higher prices, employing fewer workers or accepting lower profits.
“That's a big change in their cost of doing business,” said Chi Mac, business research director of the JPMorganChase Institute, which published the analysis on Thursday.
The research adds to a growing body of economic analyses that counter the administration's claims that foreigners pay the tariffs.
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FILE - Pope Leo XIV and Vatican Secretary of State Pietro Parolin, left, leave the Quirinale Presidential Palace in Rome, Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2025, after a visit to Italian President Sergio Mattarella. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin told reporters earlier this week that “at the international level it should above all be the U.N. that manages these crisis situations.”
The Trump administration on Wednesday pushed back: “This president has a very bold and ambitious plan and vision to rebuild and reconstruct Gaza, which is well underway because of the Board of Peace,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said. “This is a legitimate organization where there are tens of member countries from around the world.”
And Mike Waltz, the U.S. ambassador to the U.N., said the board is “not talking, it is doing.”
“We are hearing the chattering class criticizing the structure of the board, that it's unconventional, that it's unprecedented,” Waltz said. “Again, the old ways were not working.”
Trump said this week he hopes the board would push the U.N. to “get on the ball.”
“The United Nations has great potential,” he said. “They haven't lived up to the potential.”
Artist renderings and diagrams of the new White House East Wing and Ballroom, briefly posted on the National Capital Planning Commission's website ahead of a March 5, hearing, are photographed Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Jon Elswick)
The U.S. Commission of Fine Arts is one of two federal panels reviewing the president's plans to build a ballroom twice the size of the White House itself on the site of the former East Wing.
The commission, now led by Trump's appointees, is scheduled to further discuss the project at its monthly meeting on Thursday, held over Zoom.
At last month's meeting, some of those commissioners questioned the architect about the “immense” design and scale of the project even as they broadly endorsed the president's vision for the massive expansion.
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The U.S. trade deficit slipped modestly in 2025 as Trump upended global commerce by slapping double digit tariffs on imports from most countries.
The gap the between the goods and services the U.S. sells other countries and what it buys from them narrowed to just over $901 billion from $904 billion in 2024, the Commerce Department reported Thursday.
Exports rose 6% last year, and imports rose nearly 5%. The trade gap surged from January-March as U.S. companies tried to import foreign goods ahead of Trump's taxes, then narrowed most of the rest of the year.
Trump's tariffs are a tax paid by U.S. importers and often passed along to their customers as higher prices. But they haven't had as much impact on inflation as economists originally expected. Trump argues that the tariffs will protect U.S. industries, bringing manufacturing back to America and raising money for the U.S. Treasury.
Members of the United Nations Security Council are calling for Gaza ceasefire deal to become permanent, and blasting Israeli efforts to expand control in the West Bank as a threat to prospects of a two-state solution. They met Wednesday on the eve of Trump's first Board of Peace gathering to discuss the future of the Palestinian territories.
The high-level U.N. session in New York was originally scheduled for Thursday but was moved up after Trump announced the board's meeting for the same day, complicating travel plans for diplomats. It is a sign of the potential for overlapping and conflicting agendas between the United Nations' most powerful body and Trump's broader ambitions to broker global conflicts, which have raised concerns in some countries that it may attempt to rival the U.N. Security Council.
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Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
He faces criminal penalties for allegedly leaking government secrets to Jeffrey Epstein.
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On Tuesday, November 30, 2010, at 2:57 p.m., Prince Andrew—as he then was—received details of his upcoming trips as Britain's official trade envoy: Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Vietnam, Singapore. At 3:02 p.m., he forwarded the entire email to Jeffrey Epstein.
At dawn today, that stupid and unethical decision—and many others like it—finally caught up with him. Police arrested Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor on the morning of his 66th birthday, on suspicion of misconduct in public office, and are now searching his homes. Prosecutors have not yet released specific charges, which are thought to relate to Andrew passing on sensitive government information to Epstein. The offense carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. His brother, King Charles III, was not officially informed in advance, but had signaled that the royal family would cooperate with any police inquiry.
Charles had already stripped Andrew of his title after the latest batch of Epstein files dropped, because the newly released emails proved beyond doubt that Andrew had lied about breaking off contact with Epstein, a convicted sex offender, in 2010. The disgraced former prince had also been evicted from his lavish residence in Windsor, just outside London, where he had lived effectively rent-free for many years. “Let me state clearly: the law must take its course,” Charles wrote in his statement on the arrest, adding: “Meanwhile, my family and I will continue in our duty and service to you all.”
Elizabeth Bruenig: Circles of Epstein hell
In the United States, the Epstein affair is still seen primarily as a sex scandal. The financier was well known as a man who could easily find women—“no one over 25 and all very cute,” he told Elon Musk—to go on dates with his rich friends. (“Pro or civilian?” Steve Tisch, a co-owner of the New York Giants, asked about one such woman.) But here in Britain, this is a corruption scandal—and not just because Andrew sent Epstein confidential information about investment opportunities in Afghanistan. The police recently searched two addresses linked to Peter Mandelson, a former government minister and an ambassador to Washington who also lied about the extent of his friendship with Epstein.
During his time in government in the late 2000s, the files show, Mandelson forwarded market-sensitive emails to Epstein, on subjects such as the eurozone bailout of Greece, mixed in with laddish banter and discussions about how Mandelson might make money after leaving office. Mandelson has already been stripped of his seat in the House of Lords and his affiliation with the Labour Party; for a few hours, many in the press corps thought the scandal might bring down Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who had bafflingly appointed Mandelson as U.S. ambassador, despite his long record of other scandals. In the end, Starmer's chief of staff, who had recommended Mandelson for the job, stepped down instead.
The allegations against Andrew date from a similar period, when he was a trade envoy for the British Foreign Office. That job turned out to involve flying around the world in high style—often to places run by oligarchs, dictators, and fellow royals, on the basis that they would be flattered to deal with a prince. Once there, he might also take the opportunity to watch, say, a Formula One race or have a few rounds of golf. Attractive young women seem to have been present at many of these events. Foreign intelligence services must have regarded Andrew's appointment in 2001 as a gift from the heavens.
Everyone knew that this stank. At the time, I worked for The Daily Mail, a right-wing tabloid, which ran near-weekly stories on the latest questionable Andrew news. In 2007, for example, he sold his white elephant of a mansion, Sunninghill, which his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, had given him as a wedding present. A Kazakh oligarch paid millions over the asking price, and then never moved in.
The problem for the royal family was that Andrew and his then-wife, Sarah—known in Britain as “Fergie,” after her unmarried name—had no discernible talents but extremely expensive tastes. The journalist Andrew Lownie's book on the couple, Entitled, recounts how Sarah used to run up room-service bills in hotels and then simply walk out. “She would just breeze out of the Four Seasons and The Palace in New York as if she was too important to pay,” one source told him. The couple separated in 1992, but Sarah continued to use her title, the Duchess of York, to boost her commercial ventures. In 1995, Buckingham Palace refused to pay off any more of her debts, and issued a statement saying that “the Duchess's financial affairs are no longer Her Majesty's concern.”
After this, despite making millions of dollars from her series of children's books, Fergie went crawling to Epstein for loans. She wrote in 2010: “Is there any chance I could borrow 50 or 100,000 US dollars to help get through the small bills that are pushing me over. . Had to ask.” The files also contain a particularly grim exchange after Fergie denounced Epstein following his conviction, only to email him in a panic afterward, assuring him she never used the “P word”—pedophile. Both she and Andrew were tethered to Epstein by their greed and entitlement. They wanted millionaire lifestyles. More than that, they felt that they deserved them. Why? Because of an accident of birth in one case, and a fortuitous marriage in the other. The couple have been divorced for three decades but have never really moved on, possibly because they are mirror images of each other.
Entitled also makes a compelling case that Andrew is—to put it delicately—boorish and dim. It's entirely possible that he never questioned why Epstein would work so assiduously to maintain their friendship. One was a good chap, wasn't one? As trade envoy, Andrew became known for practical jokes and off-color remarks, which British diplomats had to tolerate because of his titles.
Until 2022, he also benefited from the protection of his mother. Andrew was widely perceived to be the late Queen's favorite child: Charles was sensitive, unlike his parents, who had been raised as emotionally stunted aristocrats; Anne, a tougher, horse-mad child, was Prince Philip's pet; Edward, like many youngest children, benefited from his parents softening with middle age. But no one really knew what to do with Andrew, who was nicknamed “Baby Grumpling” because of his temper. Like his nephew Prince Harry, he seems to have been most secure when in the tight-knit and hierarchical world of the military. Unlike Harry, though, he frequently reminded his peers of his royal status and was unable to make real friendships with people he considered below him.
Read: What Jeffrey Epstein offered Prince Andrew
Over the years, the late Queen had repeatedly smoothed Andrew's way in life. But even she could not save him after his disastrous decision to give an interview to the BBC in 2019 about his connection with Epstein. He presented a portrait of blithe privilege, denying a deep connection with the financier by saying he had hosted him only for a “straightforward shooting weekend.” He claimed to have spent three days with Epstein in New York in 2010 for the sole purpose of breaking off their friendship. This was unbelievable at the time, and has now been debunked by the latest files. “Keep in close touch and we'll play some more soon!!!!” a 2011 email from Andrew declares. The revulsion at his appearance on the BBC prompted his mother to strip him of his ceremonial titles and retire him as a “working royal.”
Charles has gone even further—supported by his son Prince William. Both the king and his successor believe that Andrew's actions could destroy the royal family, and they are keen to amputate him from the Windsors and cauterize the wound. None of the statements from Buckingham Palace has carried the slightest hint that they believe Andrew has been wronged by a witch hunt. The king's last statement before today included a telling line: “Their Majesties wish to make clear that their thoughts and sympathies have been, and remain with, the victims of any and all forms of abuse.” Private companies are said to throw employees under the bus when the reputational damage gets too great. Andrew has been thrown under the state carriage.
All this presents quite a contrast with the U.S., where the fallout from contact with Epstein has largely been restricted to second-tier names—some of whom are provably guilty only of being chummy with a sex offender, which is not itself a crime. Like Andrew, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick also claimed to have broken off contact with Epstein—in his case, in 2005, after seeing Epstein's massage room in New York—but the files revealed that the association continued for many years afterward. However, Lutnick has the fortune to work for Donald Trump. The president is unlikely to request that anyone resign for being friendly with Epstein, since that would apply to him, too.
The former Prince Andrew acted as he did because he lived in a world in which someone like him never faced consequences. That isn't true anymore. “Nobody is above the law,” Starmer said in response to the news. In Britain, at least, that might actually be true.
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Artist renderings and diagrams of the new White House East Wing and Ballroom, briefly posted on the National Capital Planning Commission's website ahead of a March 5, hearing, are photographed Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Jon Elswick)
Construction continues on the ballroom where the East Wing used to stand at the White House, Friday, Feb. 13, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Tom Brenner)
Work continues on the construction of the ballroom at the White House, Wednesday, Feb., 4, 2026, in Washington, where the East Wing once stood. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.)
A crane for the construction of the new ballroom stand over the White House, Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, a panel made up of President Donald Trump's appointees, on Thursday approved his proposal to build a ballroom larger than the White House itself where the East Wing once stood.
The meeting was supposed to be on the design, with a final vote expected at next month's session. But the chairman, Rodney Mims Cook Jr., made a motion to also vote on final approval, and six of the seven commissioners who were all installed by the Republican president since the start of the year voted in favor twice. One commissioner, James McCrery, did not vote because he was the initial architect on the project.
“Our sitting president has actually designed a very beautiful structure,” Cook said before the voting. “The United States just should not be entertaining the world in tents.”
Cook echoed one of Trump's arguments for adding a ballroom to the White House: It would end the long-standing practice of erecting temporary structures that Trump calls tents on the South Lawn to host visiting dignitaries for state dinners and other functions.
Cook said no other president had taken steps to correct that “until President Trump.”
The project will be the subject of additional discussion by the National Capital Planning Commission in March.
At the fine art's commission's January meeting, some commissioners questioned the lead architect about the “immense” design and scale of the project even as they broadly endorsed Trump's vision for a ballroom roughly twice the size of the White House itself.
Some changes suggested at that meeting were made and were welcomed by the commissioners on Thursday.
Trump's decision in October to demolish the East Wing prompted a public outcry when it began without the independent reviews, congressional approval and public comment that are typical even for relatively minor modifications to historic buildings in Washington.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation has sued in federal court to halt construction of the ballroom. A court decision in the case is pending.
The project is scheduled for additional discussion at a March 5 meeting of the National Capital Planning Commission, which is led by one of Trump's top White House aides. The commission has jurisdiction over construction and major renovations to government buildings in the region.
___
This story has been corrected to reflect that the ballroom was approved by six of the seven commissioners and that one commission did not vote because he was the initial architect on the project.
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
Then-Prince Andrew arrives for the funeral of the Duchess of Kent at Westminster Cathedral in London, Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2025. (Jordan Pettitt/Pool Photo via AP, file)
LONDON (AP) — U.K. police arrested Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor on Thursday on suspicion of misconduct in public office.
The police force did not name Mountbatten-Windsor, as is normal under U.K. law. But when asked if he had been arrested, the force pointed to a statement saying that they had arrested a man in his 60s. Mountbatten-Windsor is 66. The former British prince was stripped of his royal titles because of his links to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Here's the statement by the Thames Valley Police:
___
As part of the investigation, we have today (19/2) arrested a man in his sixties from Norfolk on suspicion of misconduct in public office and are carrying out searches at addresses in Berkshire and Norfolk.
The man remains in police custody at this time.
We will not be naming the arrested man, as per national guidance. Please also remember that this case is now active so care should be taken with any publication to avoid being in contempt of court.
Assistant Chief Constable Oliver Wright said: “Following a thorough assessment, we have now opened an investigation into this allegation of misconduct in public office.
“It is important that we protect the integrity and objectivity of our investigation as we work with our partners to investigate this alleged offence.
“We understand the significant public interest in this case, and we will provide updates at the appropriate time.”
___
And here is the statement from King Charles III:
“I have learned with the deepest concern the news about Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and suspicion of misconduct in public office. What now follows is the full, fair and proper process by which this issue is investigated in the appropriate manner and by the appropriate authorities. In this, as I have said before, they have our full and wholehearted support and co-operation.
“Let me state clearly: the law must take its course.
“As this process continues, it would not be right for me to comment further on this matter. Meanwhile, my family and I will continue in our duty and service to you all.
Charles R.”
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
Prince Andrew, who joins 702 Naval Air Squadron at Portland, Dorset on Sept. 19, 1983. (AP Photo, File)
The Duke of York holds week-old Princess Eugenie Victoria Helena outside Portland Hospital in London, March 30, 1990. (AP Photo/Peter Kemp, File)
Britain's Prince Andrew, center, and his daughters Princess Eugenie, left, and Princess Beatrice leave Westminster Abbey after the wedding of Prince William to Catherine Middleton, in London, April 29, 2011. (AP Photo/Gero Breloer, File)
LONDON (AP) — He was reportedly his mother Queen Elizabeth II's favorite, but the former Prince Andrew has long been a headache for Britain's royal family.
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested Thursday, his 66th birthday, on suspicion of misconduct in public office in an inquiry stemming from his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. He is the first senior British royal to be arrested since King Charles I, almost 400 years ago.
Born a prince in 1960, Andrew is the third child and second son of the queen and her husband Prince Philip. His elder brother Charles was destined for the throne. Andrew took a tried-and-tested route for younger royal sons: military service.
After 22 years in the Royal Navy, including combat operations as a helicopter pilot during the 1982 Falklands War, Andrew was named Britain's special representative for international trade and investment in 2001. His frequent taxpayer-funded travel saw him dubbed “Air Miles Andy” by the press.
The current police investigation stems from that period. It follows documents in recently released Epstein files that suggest Andrew passed on official government documents to the late financier when he was a trade envoy. The former prince has not been charged with a crime. He has long denied any wrongdoing over his Epstein links.
Once a subject of media fascination for his love life, the man the tabloids dubbed “Randy Andy” became a regular source of headlines because of his money woes and links to questionable characters, including Epstein, the American financier and convicted sex offender.
The then-prince's business associations were the subject of tabloid stories stretching back to at least 2007, when he sold his house near Windsor Castle for 20% over the 15 million pound asking price. The buyer was reported to be Timur Kulibayev, son-in-law of then-Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev, raising concerns that the deal was an attempt to buy influence in Britain.
Mountbatten-Windsor was forced to step down from the trade role in 2011 amid growing concern about his friendship with Epstein, who had been sentenced to 18 months in prison in 2008 after pleading guilty to soliciting a minor for prostitution.
In 2015, U.S. court documents contained allegations that Andrew had sex with a woman three times between 1999 and 2002 in London, New York and on Epstein's private Caribbean island, including when she was a minor under U.S. law. He denied having ever met the woman, later identified as Virginia Roberts Giuffre.
After Epstein was arrested again in 2019, Andrew gave a disastrous interview to the BBC's Newsnight program, in which he tried to explain away his contacts with Epstein. It backfired — he was widely criticized for giving unbelievable explanations and failing to show empathy for Epstein's victims.
Amid the backlash, Andrew announced on Nov. 20, 2019, that he was giving up public duties and charity roles “for the foreseeable future.”
In August 2021, Giuffre sued Andrew in a New York court, alleging that the prince had sex with her when she was 17. Andrew continued to deny the allegations, but he was stripped of all military affiliations and royal charity work.
Andrew ultimately settled the case for an undisclosed sum. While he didn't admit wrongdoing, Andrew did acknowledge Giuffre's suffering as a victim of sex trafficking. Giuffre died by suicide in April 2025, aged 41.
In 2024, a court case revealed Andrew's relationship with a businessman and suspected Chinese spy who was barred from the United Kingdom as a threat to national security. Authorities were concerned that the man could have misused his influence over Andrew, according to court documents.
After emails emerged showing Andrew remained in contact with Epstein longer than he previously claimed and Giuffre's posthumous memoir brought new allegations, King Charles III in October stripped his brother of his titles of prince and Duke of York and evicted him from his Royal Lodge mansion in Windsor.
The release of millions of pages of Epstein files by the U.S. Department of Justice last month sparked new scrutiny.
Now Andrew is in police custody. Despite being stripped of his title, he remains eighth in line to the British throne. A law would have to be passed to remove him from the line of succession.
He married Sarah Ferguson in 1986 and they had two daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, before divorcing a decade later. Ferguson also is facing questions about her friendship with Epstein.
___
This story has been corrected to show that Andrew is the third child of Queen Elizabeth II, not the second.
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
The Republican leader of the National Governors Association and his Democratic Vice Chair responded to attacks from President Donald Trump as tensions mounted between the White House and the bipartisan group of state leaders ahead of its annual meeting next week. (AP Video: Nathan Ellgren)
Gov. Wes Moore, D-Md., vice chair of the National Governors Association, responds to a question by Economic Club of Washington Chairman David Rubenstein at the Economic Club of WashingtonWednesday, Feb. 18, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Tom Brenner)
Gov. Wes Moore, D-Md., vice chair of the National Governors Association, responds to a question by Economic Club of Washington Chairman David Rubenstein during a conference at the Economic Club of Washington Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Tom Brenner)
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump can't seem to stop talking about Maryland Gov. Wes Moore.
He refused to invite him to a White House dinner later this week with state leaders from both parties, saying he was “not worthy” of the event. And he has castigated Moore for a sewage spill that has spoiled the Potomac River, even though the faulty pipe is part of a federally regulated utility.
There could soon be more reasons for Trump to complain about Moore, the nation's only Black governor currently in office. Moore is trying to redraw Maryland's congressional map to boost Democrats, part of a nationwide redistricting battle that Trump started to help Republicans in the midterm elections.
If Moore can overcome resistance from a key member of his own party in the state legislature, the tide could continue to shift in Democrats' favor.
Moore, who is frequently floated as a potential Democratic presidential candidate, is the vice chair of the National Governors Association, which is meeting in Washington this week for its annual conference. He sat down with The Associated Press on Wednesday at the start of his visit. Here is a transcript of the interview, edited for length and clarity.
Q: You met with Democratic House leader Hakeem Jeffries to talk about redistricting. Can you tell me what your understanding was leaving that meeting and whether there will be an up and down vote in the Maryland legislature?
A: All we're asking for is a vote. And however the vote goes, however the vote goes. But that's democracy.
Q: What do you see as your role in the party?
A: I don't look at it as I'm doing it because I'm trying to help a party per se. I'm doing it because I think we have an unchecked executive and right now Congress does not seem interested in actually doing its job and establishing real checks and balances.
And I'm watching what Donald Trump is doing. This would not be an issue had it not been for Donald Trump saying, you know what, let me come up with every creative way I can think of to make this pain permanent. And one of the ways he did was he said, let's just start calling states — the states I choose — to say let's have a redistricting conversation mid-decade.
This would not even be an issue had Donald Trump not brought this up and introduced this into the ecosystem.
Q: Speaking of the president, do you have thoughts on why he's been stepping up his criticism of you on everything from not inviting you to the dinner to his criticism of the Potomac River sewage spill?
A: This one would actually be comical if it weren't so serious. This is a Washington, D.C., pipe that exists on federal land. How this has anything to do with Maryland, I have no idea. I think he just woke up and just said, I hate Maryland so I'm just going to introduce them into a conversation. This literally has nothing to do with us, with the exception of the fact that when we first heard about what happened, that I ordered our team to assist Washington, D.C.
The short answer is I don't know. I cannot get into the president's psyche.
Q: Do you think it's personal?
A: I know it's not for me. I have no desire to have beef with the president of the United States. I didn't run for governor like, man, I can't wait so me and the president can go toe to toe. I have no desire on that. But the fact that he is waking up in the middle of the night and tweeting about me, I just, I pray for him and I just feel bad for him because that has just got to be a really, really hard existence.
Q: The White House is holding an event right now commemorating Black History Month. Could you share your thoughts on the president's relationship with the Black community?
A: Listen, I think the president has long had a very complicated history with the Black community. We're talking about a person who has been sued from his earliest days from his treatment of Black tenants. We're talking about a person who is one of the originators of birtherism. We're talking about a person who has now spent his time trying to ban books about Black history, a person who has spent his time now doing the greatest assault on unemployment of Black women in our nation's history. You know, so, I'm not sure what anyone is going to gain from an event by Donald Trump about Black history.
Q: Do you think the next presidential nominee on both sides might come from this group of governors?
A: I see the governors as in many ways the final line of defense because I think it's never mattered more who your governor is.
Q: The country is so polarized. How do we break the fever?
A: You stay consistent with who you are. I think if you're a polarizing person or polarizing personality, then that's just who you are. That's just never been me.
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
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Fox News contributor Raymond Arroyo discusses the response to the sewage spill in the Potomac River, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and more on 'The Ingraham Angle.'
Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser declared a disaster emergency over the Potomac sewage spill on Wednesday and requested federal assistance with the cleanup.
The sewage spill has now become the largest in U.S. history, dumping over 240 million gallons of raw sewage into the Potomac River. President Donald Trump has already lashed out at Maryland Gov. Wes Moore for his handling of the spill, saying he is concerned the river winding around the nation's capital will still stink when America250 celebrations kick off this summer.
Bowser wrote a letter to Trump on Wednesday formally requesting that he issue an emergency disaster declaration, freeing up federal resources to help deal with the spill.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt emphasized Trump's concerns in a press conference on Wednesday. Fox News' Peter Doocy asked Leavitt if Trump is concerned the nation's capital will "smell like poop."
TRUMP EPA SLASHES 12 YEARS OFF SEWAGE CLEANUP CRISIS THAT HAS ROCKED CALIFORNIA FOR DECADES
District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser called for a federal emergency disaster declaration on Wednesday. (Oliver Contreras/AFP via Getty Images)
"Yeah, he is worried about that," Leavitt said. "Which is why the federal government wants to fix it. And we hope that the local authorities will cooperate with us in doing so."
Leavitt called on leaders in Maryland, Virginia and D.C. to "step forward and to ask the federal government for help and to ask for the Stafford Act to be implemented here so that the federal government can go and take control of this local infrastructure that has been abandoned and neglected by Gov. Moore in Maryland for far too long."
"It's no secret that Maryland's water and infrastructure have been in dire need of repair," Leavitt said. "Their infrastructure has received a nearly failing grade in the 2025 report card from the American Society of Civil Engineers. This is the same grade they've received, five years earlier. There has been no improvement under the leadership of Gov. Moore. He's clearly shown he's incapable of fixing this problem, which is why President Trump and the federal government are standing by to step in."
TRUMP SAYS HE COULD SEND THE NATIONAL GUARD TO MARYLAND TO ADDRESS CRIME
Repair work continues on the broken section of the Potomac Interceptor, a six-foot-wide sewage pipe that collapsed on Jan. 19, in between the Clara Barton Parkway and the C&O Canal on Feb. 16, 2026, in Cabin John, Maryland. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Moore's office has pushed back on the administration's rhetoric surrounding the leak, claiming the federal government has oversight over DC Water, the District's water and sewer utility.
"Since the last century, the federal government has been responsible for the Potomac Interceptor, which is the origin of the sewage leak. For the last four weeks, the Trump Administration has failed to act, shirking its responsibility and putting people's health at risk," a representative from Moore's office said on Monday. "Notably, the president's own EPA explicitly refused to participate in the major legislative hearing about the cleanup last Friday."
Leavitt continued Wednesday that environmentalists should "pray" that local jurisdictions call on Trump to step in and shore up infrastructure and carry out cleanup.
President Donald Trump is worried the Potomac River will still stink when America250 celebrations kick off this summer following a sewage leak that dumped millions of gallons of raw filth into the river, according to the White House. (Saul Loeb/Getty Images; Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/Getty Images)
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"For all of the environmentalists in the room and across the District of Columbia, let's all hope and pray that this governor does the right thing and ask President Trump to get involved, because it will be an ecological and environmental disaster if the federal government does not step in to help," she said. "But of course, we need the state and local jurisdictions to make that formal request."
Anders Hagstrom is a reporter with Fox News Digital covering national politics and major breaking news events. Send tips to Anders.Hagstrom@Fox.com, or on X: @Hagstrom_Anders.
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CNN host Audie Cornish and New York Magazine's Will Leitch suggested during a recent podcast that the U.S. could become the "global villain" of the 2026 Winter Olympics.
Czechia Olympic men's hockey coach Radim Rulik condemned referees for their officiating of Wednesday's Olympic men's quarterfinals between his team and Canada.
Rulik spoke out after his team's 4-3 overtime loss, saying the refs were "afraid to call" any penalties against Canada.
"I feel like everyone is afraid to call anything against Canada," Rulik told reporters, according to a translation of his postgame interview.
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The men's quarterfinal match between Canada and Chechia at the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena on Feb. 18, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Andrzej Iwanczuk/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
"The referees really worry me. What they're allowing against us is unacceptable," Rulik added. "After every game, we send them two or three clips where they confirm that the opponent should have been penalized. I don't understand it. I just don't get it."
During the third period when Czechia's Martin Nečas was about to go on a breakaway, Canada's Devon Toews appeared to hook him in the neutral zone, but no penalty was called.
"I watch two NHL games on replay every single day," Rulik continued. "The play Necas made today — when his stick was touched on the breakaway — is always a penalty in the NHL. But suddenly, not here. I'm really sorry about it. The guys deserved a top-level performance from the referees.
"They always admit afterward that we were right, but nothing ever changes. We should have had power plays against Canada. But they were afraid [David Pastrnak] or Necas would score another power-play goal. And if [Radko] Gudas was penalized, then Doughty should have been too for the hit on Pasta."
CANADA FACES NEW CHEATING ALLEGATIONS AT MILAN CORTINA AS OLYMPIC CURLING CONTROVERSY GROWS
Coach Radim Rulik follows the action between Canada and the Czech Republic during the Olympic Winter Games. (Peter Kneffel/picture alliance via Getty Images)
Rulik previously criticized referees for their officiating of his team's win over Denmark earlier this week.
"We were basically playing against six players," he said. "I don't want to make excuses, and no one has to agree with me, but the video backs me up. In this respect, it's not a fair tournament. It was happening to us even against Denmark. The mix of NHL and European referees hasn't worked — everyone calls the game differently."
Canada was embroiled in an Olympic scandal in the Milan Cortina Olympics when its men's and women's curling teams were accused of cheating in events last week.
When Canada beat Sweden 8-6 on Feb. 13, Canadian third Marc Kennedy and Sweden's Oskar Eriksson got into it after Eriksson accused Kennedy of an illegal procedure called double-touching stones after releasing them at the hog line.
Kennedy shouted, "I haven't done it once. You can f--- off," at Eriksson.
Kennedy and a team executive later leveled allegations against the Swedes of improperly filming his delivery.
"This was planned, right from the word go yesterday. From the words that were being said by their coaches and the way they were running to the officials, it was kind of evident that something was going on, and they were trying to catch us in an act," Kennedy said.
Curling Canada CEO Nolan Thiessen told reporters he thinks video was shot outside of the strict rules for Olympic filming.
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Canada's Ben Hebert, Brad Jacobs and Brett Gallant compete in the curling men's round robin against Sweden during the Winter Olympics on Feb. 13, 2026. (Tiziana Fabi/AFP via Getty Images)
"I was surprised that there was a live video on the hog line outside of OBS rules," Thiessen said. "That seems odd to me."
Meanwhile on the women's side, Canadian curler Rachel Homan had her stone removed after an official ruled that she had touched it again after releasing the handle. Homan protested, but, according to World Curling's rules, there are no official replays, and the official's final call stands.
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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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A questionable lawsuit seeking to redraw a Republican district risks turbocharging Trump's gerrymandering campaign.
Every now and then, a judge hands down a decision that is so ill-advised that it is impossible to read without burying your face in your palm. New York State Judge Jeffrey Pearlman's opinion in Williams v. Board of Elections of the State of New York is such a case.
Pearlman's opinion is so out of step with the current US Supreme Court's approach to racial gerrymandering cases — the Court's Republican majority opposes nearly all laws that are race-conscious in any way — that it is hard to imagine it surviving on appeal.
Get the latest developments on the US Supreme Court from senior correspondent Ian Millhiser.
But the case also gives the Supreme Court's Republican majority a vehicle that they could potentially use to accelerate one of their major policy initiatives — eliminating the federal Voting Rights Act's safeguards against gerrymandering, and permitting Southern red states to draw GOP-friendly maps that are currently still illegal.
For four decades, the Supreme Court has read the Voting Rights Act to sometimes require states where racial minority groups have little representation in Congress or the state legislature to draw new legislative maps that will elect more candidates of color.
The rules governing when states must redraw their maps, which were first laid out in the Supreme Court's decision in Thornburg v. Gingles (1986), are sufficiently complicated that they cannot be summarized concisely. But, as a general rule, Gingles kicks in when a state is residentially segregated by race, and when voters in that state are racially polarized — typically meaning that white voters strongly prefer candidates from one party, while nonwhite voters prefer candidates from the other party.
In those circumstances, Gingles can require a state to draw additional districts where a racial minority group is in the majority, to ensure that group has adequate representation.
The practical effect of Gingles is that red states with a white majority sometimes have to draw additional Black or Latino districts that elect Democrats. Unsurprisingly, Gingles is not beloved by the Supreme Court's Republican majority. The Court is widely expected to toss out Gingles in a case known as Louisiana v. Callais, which the justices heard last October.
Yet, because the Court typically does not release its most contentious decisions until late June, Callais will most likely not come down until well after the 2026 midterm election cycle has already begun. So red states that want to draw new, more Republican maps — but that have been prevented from doing so by Gingles — may not be able to draw those maps until the 2028 election cycle.
However, the Williams case presents a very similar legal question to Callais. And, unlike Callais, Williams reached the Supreme Court on its “shadow docket,” a mix of emergency motions and other matters that the justices often decide on a very tight timeframe.
By ordering a Republican congressional district redrawn, in other words, Pearlman gave the Supreme Court's Republican majority a case they can potentially use to get rid of Gingles several months ahead of schedule — potentially giving several red states the time they need to redraw their maps before the 2026 midterms get fully underway.
In her brief to the justices, Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY), whose district is at the center of Williams, also urges the Supreme Court to embrace a dubious legal theory that would give the Republican justices sweeping authority over federal election-related legal disputes that arise under state law. Currently, questions of state law are decided by state courts, not the US Supreme Court.
Malliotakis's district includes Staten Island and some parts of southern Brooklyn. The district leans significantly to the right — Malliotakis won her 2024 race with 64 percent of the vote — but Democrats can win it in an unusually strong election year. Former Rep. Max Rose (D-NY) won the district in 2018, but lost his reelection bid in 2020 to Malliotakis.
Pearlman's opinion concludes that this district must be redrawn by the state's redistricting commission because, as it is currently configured, the district violates a provision of the New York Constitution that closely tracks the federal Voting Rights Act.
But Pearlman interpreted this provision of the state constitution more aggressively than the Supreme Court had interpreted the Voting Rights Act, even back when the Court had a pro-Gingles majority. In Bartlett v. Strickland (2009), the Supreme Court held that Gingles does not require states to draw new “crossover districts,” where minority voters are able to combine their votes with similarly minded white voters to elect their candidate of choice.
Nevertheless, Pearlman held that New York's constitution goes further than the Voting Rights Act, and that Malliotakis's district must be redrawn as a crossover district. The practical effect of this decision would be to convert this fairly red district into one that leans toward Democrats, because voters of color in New York tend to prefer Democratic candidates to Republicans.
But even if Pearlman is correct that New York law requires crossover districts, even when federal law does not, his decision has little chance of surviving contact with the Supreme Court. The Court's Republican majority is broadly skeptical of any legal theory that requires legislative districts to be redrawn in order to change their racial makeup — that's why they are expected to toss out Gingles in the Callais case. The premise of Pearlman's decision is that New York law requires state courts to redraw at least some legislative districts for racial reasons, even when federal law does not require that outcome. It is difficult to imagine a legal argument better calibrated to provoke the Supreme Court's Republican majority.
There is a chance that New York's own courts will make the Williams case go away before the Supreme Court decides it. Malliotakis has also asked a state appeals court to intervene, and if that court blocks Pearlman's order, there will be no need for the federal justices to get involved.
But if the state courts do not act quickly — Malliotakis asked the Supreme Court to weigh in by February 23 to prevent Pearlman's order from disrupting the upcoming primary and general elections — then it is very likely that this Supreme Court will reject Pearlman's approach. In the worst-case scenario for Democrats, that Supreme Court decision could also repudiate Gingles, which would free up many red states to draw gerrymandered maps for the 2026 election that are illegal under current law.
A New York judge's decision that would increase Democratic representation in Congress, in other words, could have the ironic effect of increasing Republican representation in the US House.
Malliotakis's brief to the justices also proposes a different way to resolve Williams that would significantly expand the Republican Party's control over federal elections. The Supreme Court has rejected this theory, which is known as the “Independent State Legislature” theory, many times over more than a century.
It most recently did so in Moore v. Harper (2023), after retired military leaders warned the justices not to embrace the Independent State Legislature theory because it “undermines election integrity and exacerbates both domestic and foreign threats to national security.”
Yet, while Moore largely put the Independent State Legislature theory to bed, the Moore opinion also included an ominous line suggesting that the Supreme Court could assert greater authority over federal elections at some future date. That line claims that “state courts may not so exceed the bounds of ordinary judicial review as to unconstitutionally intrude upon the role specifically reserved to state legislatures.” Malliotakis claims that Pearlman's decision misinterpreted New York's constitution so badly that the Supreme Court should invoke Moore and reject Pearlman's reading of New York law.
If the Court did that, it would be a constitutional earthquake. Normally, each state's highest court has the final word on questions of state law. Overruling a state court on such a question would eliminate that check on federal power and transform the justices into the final arbiter of virtually any dispute involving federal elections.
The Supreme Court's Republican majority — the same Republicans who ruled that President Donald Trump enjoys broad immunity from criminal prosecution — could potentially override state election procedures or even second-guess the outcomes of federal elections decided under state law.
Democrats should hope that New York's appellate courts make Williams disappear. By handing down a questionable decision benefiting Democrats, Pearlman gave a Republican Supreme Court a powerful weapon it could use to elect more Republicans.
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Drew Brees joins Colin Cowherd to discuss being voted into the Hall of Fame first ballot, Caleb Williams' future as the Chicago Bears' QB, and how much credit Sam Darnold deserves for the Seahawks winning Super Bowl LX.
Caleb Williams' signature look continues to stand out.
The Chicago Bears quarterback has embraced bold nail polish in recent years.
Williams, the first overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, fired back at critics of his manicure choice. He also explained the origin of the nail polish and said it raises awareness for causes close to his heart.
While Williams remembered first painting his fingernails during a visit to the nail salon with his now ex-girlfriend, he also pointed to his mother's career as a nail technician.
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Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams' nails were painted to raise awareness for suicide prevention. (David Banks/Imagn Images)
"One day I was with one of my exes and we were going to the nail salon," he said during a recent appearance on "The Rush Podcast," hosted by NFL defensive end Maxx Crosby.
Williams brushed off the criticism. "I know who I am," he said, noting the manicure has a dual purpose, including trolling opponents.
BEARS' CALEB WILLIAMS SHARES POWERFUL MESSAGE ON PAINTED FINGER NAILS BEFORE SEASON OPENER VS VIKINGS
"And so I did it and it ended up becoming three nails, four nails, five, six... and at a certain point, I was actually doing it because you can't write stuff on your tape. You can't do all that stuff," he said. "So I was doing 'F--- Texas,' with the horns down symbol... I was, like, trolling."
"I enjoy trolling. I do," he said with a laugh, though he said he has to "be careful with it now."
Bears quarterback Caleb Williams throws a pass against the Dallas Cowboys on Sept. 21, 2025 in Chicago. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
While the 24-year-old does not have a problem confronting critics, he prefers to respond in a "smart" way.
"Somebody needs to check 'em, some of these guys. You know, all the analysts and stuff. I'll check 'em. I have no issue."
Pushing aside the trolling aspect, Williams now picks designs that support meaningful causes.
Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams practices before the game at Soldier Field on Sept. 8, 2025. (David Banks/Imagn Images)
"I've done mental health number on them and suicide prevention number on it," he rattled off of the nail art he's chosen in the past. "I've done breast cancer awareness, it's just like wearing pink cleats and a pink headband."
"It's just gel on my nails," he continued. "People feel a certain way about it in a masculine sport. I give no f---s to be honest with you, I could care less."
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The NFL imposes uniform restrictions on game day. Williams stays within the guidelines while continuing to wear nail polish in support of his causes.
"I'm going to keep doing it. It's unique to me," he said.
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The Horizon League suspended Green Bay Phoenix men's basketball head coach Doug Gottlieb on Wednesday for one game after his epic tirade against officiating following a loss.
Gottlieb criticized officials over what he believed was inconsistency in calls during the team's 75-72 loss to the Milwaukee Panthers on Sunday. He will miss Friday's game against Oakland.
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Green Bay men's basketball head coach Doug Gottlieb leaves the court after a game against Wright State on Feb. 1, 2026, at the Resch Center in Ashwaubenon, Wisconsin. (Sarah Kloepping/USA Today Network-Wisconsin/USA Today Network via Imagn Images)
"Gottlieb's postgame comments do not reflect the League's values or sportsmanship expectations. The Horizon League considers this matter closed and will have no further comment," the league said in a statement.
Gottlieb apologized for his outburst.
"I'd like to apologize to the Horizon League and the officials for my disparaging comments following Sunday's game," he said in a statement. "I understand and appreciate how difficult their job is, and respect what they do for the sport of basketball. I will be better moving forward."
Green Bay was down 73-72 late in the game when Milwaukee's Stevie Elam stole the ball from Phoenix player Preston Ruedinger, who was driving to the basket. Elam was fouled and made two free throws to extend the lead with one second left in the game.
On the Panthers' previous possession, Amar Augillard drove to the basket and got a foul call. He hit two free throws to put the Panthers ahead. Gottlieb believed there should have been a foul call.
"It's the exact same play as the other end — could not be more similar," he said. "And yet, every time they drove, it was a foul. And every time we did, it was mixed."
Green Bay men's basketball head coach Doug Gottlieb during the game against Wright State on Feb. 1, 2026, in Ashwaubenon, Wisconsin. (Sarah Kloepping/USA Today Network-Wisconsin/USA Today Network via Imagn Images)
UCLA COACH EJECTS OWN PLAYER MID-GAME AFTER HARD FOUL AGAINST MICHIGAN STATE
The Panthers were 30-of-37 on free throws and Green Bay was 14-of-18.
Gottlieb was also upset with a technical foul call he was given. He slammed his hands on the press conference table as he argued he wasn't being "demonstrative" toward officials.
"I need the (Horizon) league to explain to me why I got a technical foul when I did not curse, I was not demonstrative, I did not leave my box," he said. "All I said was, ‘That's the same play as the other end.' All we ask is that there's a fair game.
"That's what we ask. C.J. O'Hara goes and gets an offensive rebound, their player dives at his legs, C.J. gets called for a foul. I need (Horizon League Coordinator of Men's Basketball Officials Donnie Eppley) and the new commissioner (Jill Bodensteiner) to explain to me the disparity in the officiating. That's what I need explained to me."
Green Bay athletic director Josh Moon said their department talked to Gottlieb about his actions.
Green Bay head coach Doug Gottlieb motions to his players during the game against Kansas, Nov. 3, 2025, in Lawrence, Kan. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel, File)
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"We appreciate his apology and respect the commissioner's decision, however, we do not believe his actions warrant a suspension. We feel a reprimand or public censure would have been appropriate," he said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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How did Costa Rica beat back deforestation and buck the global trend?
For several decades now, the story of the world's rainforests has been the same tragic one: These iconic, animal-filled ecosystems are getting cut down to make way for farms and ranches, roads and mines. And it doesn't appear to be changing. In 2024, the most recent year of global forest data, the tropics lost a record 16.6 million acres of primary fores , largely to fires and agriculture. More than half of that recent loss was in Brazil and Bolivia.
But one country has a very different narrative: Costa Rica.
In the late 20th century, Costa Rica — a Central American nation a little smaller than West Virginia — had one of the highest deforestation rates in the world. The country was losing more than 100,000 acres a year. And by 1985, forests covered less than 25 percent of its area, down from closer to three-quarters just a few decades earlier.
But then, near the start of the millennium, the trend abruptly flipped. Deforestation plummeted, and trees started growing back. Now, natural forests blanket well over half of Costa Rica, making it one of the few places on Earth that has revived its lost ecosystems.
How did Costa Rica do it?
One reason that gets a lot of attention is that Costa Rica put a price tag on nature — on the natural “services” that forests provide, from sucking up planet-warming carbon dioxide to sustaining the local water supply. Nearly three decades ago, the country began paying private landowners for those services, if they conserve or restore forests on their property. That created a concrete, financial incentive to keep forests standing. Costa Rica was the first country in the world to implement a national “payment for ecosystem services” scheme.
In the decades since, as Costa Rica's forests came back, other countries followed in its footsteps, like Mexico and Vietnam, developing programs of their own that subsidized forest conservation. Together they fueled the idea, still popular in the conservation community, that you can save nature by valuing it in economic terms — terms that everyone, including capitalists, can understand.
But there's still an open question: Do these payment programs actually work?
There has now been more than 20 years of research from Costa Rica on the program's impact on forests. And a new study, published this month, looks more specifically at how the payment system affects biodiversity — the collecting of animals that live within them. These studies complicate the story of how Costa Rica became lush again.
Part of what made Costa Rica's ecosystem payment program so groundbreaking is that it recognized — at the highest level of government — that living forests are not only a source of timber, but are economically valuable for lots of other reasons: they reduce greenhouse gases, produce clean water, draw tourists, and are home to plants and animals that scientists use for biology research and drug development.
In simple terms, the government pays landowners who enroll in the program for every hectare (roughly 2.5 acres) of forest that they protect or replenish by planting new trees. They receive more or less money, depending on how they manage their land. By planting native trees in a degraded landscape, for example, landowners can earn more than $170 per hectare per year, on average, for the duration of the contract (16 years for planting native trees). If a property owner protects existing natural forest on their land, meanwhile, they earn between roughly $44 and $110 per hectare per year. If they let forests regrow naturally on pastureland, they earn less.
At first, the government funded the program through a tax on fuel, such as gasoline. Now it also raises funds to pay landowners from other sources, such as a fee on water usage. The idea is that people who use services that forests provide should help pay for them. Forests help maintain rainfall by pumping water into the air through transpiration. They also help prevent pollution and sediment from entering the water supply.
The program provides what is essentially a subsidy for the lost opportunity that could come from farming or ranching on the land, said Giacomo Delgado, a doctoral researcher at ETH Zurich, a university in Switzerland, who is studying the impacts of the program. “If that payment wasn't there, you can imagine that a lot of people would continually clear the forest,” he told Vox.
To date, the government has more than 20,000 contracts for payments with landowners, a spokesperson told Vox, and the program currently covers 540,000 hectares of forest — an area a little smaller than the state of Delaware.
For years now scientists have debated about whether or not these sorts of payment schemes actually work. Yet despite more than two decades of research, the answer is still elusive.
I reviewed more than a dozen studies from Costa Rica, and on the whole, they suggest that the program has had a modest positive impact on forests overall — but not a big one. A comprehensive 2008 study by the World Bank, in the northeastern region of Sarapiquí, determined that the program led to “a small but statistically significant increase in the area of forest conserved.” Other studies that analyzed the early years of the program indicate that it didn't reduce deforestation or only worked in some regions.
A more current analysis, led by the Inter-American Development Bank, detected a drop in deforestation on land that was part of the program. Yet the results were only significant (statistically speaking) for the first year after enrollment. There also wasn't much deforestation to begin with. A 2024 paper, meanwhile, found that forest cover increased on farmland after it was enrolled in the program, but the study couldn't definitively attribute those increases to the payment system.
Then there's this new study — an analysis, led by Delgado of ETH Zurich, that looks beyond forests to the wildlife within them. The research compares the biodiversity present on land inside and outside the payment program to healthy baseline forests in northwest Costa Rica. And it does so using sound. A healthy tropical forest produces a distinct, complex noise, comprising the calls of frogs, birds, and insects. Damaged ecosystems sound quieter and simpler.
Delgado and his collaborators put microphones in different landscapes and analyzed the sounds they picked up. As they discovered, land in the payment program — on which forests were naturally regenerating on old farmland — were far more similar to healthy, old forests than to pastures that were not enrolled in the program. You can actually listen to some of the recordings here. “It's a strong signal that [the payment program] is working for biodiversity,” said Laura Villalobos, a Costa Rican economist at Salisbury University, who was not involved in the study.
The major drawback of many studies on Costa Rica's pioneering payment program — including this new one — is that they don't show that the forests or biodiversity have recovered because of the program. “What's really challenging is the issue of causality,” said Hilary Brumberg, a doctoral researcher at Stanford University, who was not involved in the acoustics study. “There are just so many confounding factors,” said Brumberg, who studies Costa Rica's forests.
There are many other reasons why forests in Costa Rica may have grown back. In 1996, for example, the government effectively banned deforestation in the country, making it illegal to convert natural forests to other kinds of land (though some logging is still permitted). Around the same time, the price of beef collapsed. That made clearing land for cattle less profitable and caused some landowners to abandon their pastures. Meanwhile, the country's ecotourism industry ballooned, providing incentives to keep the country's iconic forest ecosystems intact.
Importantly, Costa Rica also has a more pervasive environmental ethic compared to other forested nations. In fact, research suggests that some people join the payment program not for the money but because they want to contribute to forest conservation as a public good.
Obviously, something is working. Costa Rica is green again. But the payment program has likely played only a small part in the country's success.
That's consistent with research beyond Costa Rica, which finds that compensating landowners for ecosystem services has a positive but small impact. Ultimately, these sorts of programs haven't been the solution to deforestation that environmental advocates were hoping for, said David Simpson, a now-retired environmental economist. “Trying to make nature valuable, it turns out, has had a disappointing track record,” Simpson wrote in 2018.
In response to a request for comment, Karla Alfaro Rojas, director of the Department of Institutional Communications for the Costa Rican government, said, in an email: “Costa Rica doesn't have to prove anything to anyone. We are an international leader in financial mechanisms and forest cover restoration.”
In a world with so many environmental problems, perhaps it seems unproductive to critique a program that is, if anything, helping conserve tropical forests. But there is an important lesson here: No one solution, no one model, will solve a problem as difficult as deforestation. Costa Rica was successful because it had all of the right pieces in place — strong policies, favorable economics, growing non-extractive industries, and, perhaps most importantly, political will.
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The Department of Homeland Security is broadening federal immigration authorities' ability to detain legal refugees who have not yet obtained green cards, citing national security concerns and the need to ensure refugees undergo additional screening, according to a DHS memo obtained by CNN.
Immigration officers may “arrest and detain” refugees “who have failed to adjust” to lawful permanent resident status one year after being admitted to the US, according to the Wednesday memo, which was submitted by Justice Department attorneys as part of a federal court filing.
“When a refugee is admitted to the United States, the admission is conditional and subject to a mandatory review after one year,” the memo reads, noting refugees who are detained may remain in custody “for the duration of the inspection and examination process.”
The memo, issued by US Citizenship and Immigration Services Director Joseph Edlow and Acting US Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director Todd Lyons, rescinds previous government policy regarding refugees who have been in the country for one year.
Failure to obtain a green card after one year was not grounds for detention or removal from the US under previous policy, and refugees who were arrested had to either be released within 48 hours or the DHS was required to initiate removal proceedings.
“Refugees may be considered to have voluntarily returned to custody” by submitting application paperwork and appearing at scheduled appointments with immigration services, according to the new memo.
Cancelled citizenship ceremonies and interviews are another part of Trump's immigration crackdown
Previous department policy “created a population of conditional refugees who had not been fully re-screened, with associated public safety and national security risks,” the memo says, and the new “detain-and-inspect requirement ensures that refugees are re-vetted after one year.”
Refugee resettlement groups promptly decried the new policy.
“This memo was done in secret, with zero coordination with the organizations that serve refugees,” said Beth Oppenheim, CEO of refugee agency HIAS. “This policy is a transparent effort to detain and potentially deport thousands of people who are legally present in this country, people the US government itself welcomed after years of extreme vetting,” she added.
The government court filing that included the DHS memo is part of a federal case in Minnesota in which a judge has temporarily blocked the Trump administration from targeting an estimated 5,600 lawful refugees in the state who are awaiting green cards. A hearing in that case is scheduled for Thursday afternoon.
The International Refugee Assistance Project, one of the plaintiffs in the federal Minnesota case, says it is challenging the new refugee policy.
“This memo is part of a broad and concerted effort to strip refugees of their legal status and render them deportable,” said Laurie Ball Cooper, vice president of US Legal Programs at IRAP. “This government will clearly stop at nothing to terrorize refugee communities, and really all immigrants, while trampling over our constitutional rights.”
CNN has reached out to DHS, USCIS and ICE for comment.
President Donald Trump has largely halted refugee admissions during his second term – with the narrow exception of White South Africans – amid his administration's broader crackdown on illegal immigration. Last fall, the Trump administration set the number of annual refugee admissions at 7,500 – a fraction of what the US has historically allowed. In 2024, more than 100,000 refugees were admitted.
In November, the administration moved to reinterview some refugees admitted under President Joe Biden, and the killing of two National Guard members in Washington, DC, by an Afghan national that month prompted the administration to re-examine green cards issued to people from Afghanistan and 18 other countries “of concern.”
This story was updated with additional information.
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Fox News Digital spoke to shoppers outside of The Polymarket in the West Village, which was billed as New York City's "first free grocery store."
On Sunday in a busy stretch of restaurants and boutiques in the West Village, hundreds of New Yorkers queued up outside a pop-up shop offering free groceries.
"New Yorkers are in pain," said Nick from Queens, New York, one of several people Fox News Digital interviewed outside the pop-up, as he waited to grab pasta sauce, bath soap and a bag of Tide Pods.
The scene was underscored by the city's cost of living woes and anxiety over who would get a yellow ticket granting entry to the small shop before it "sold out" of goods.
CITY-RUN GROCERY STORES, DEFUNDING POLICE, SAFE INJECTION SITES: WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT NYC'S NEXT POTENTIAL MAYOR
The pop-up was opened Feb. 12 as a five-day store by cryptocurrency-based prediction market Polymarket. It comes as Democratic New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani advances a proposal for city-run grocery stores aimed at easing rising food costs and broader affordability pressures.
It was billed as New York City's first free grocery store, with critics casting it as a stunt riffing on Mamdani's proposal as the prediction-market company faces heightened scrutiny from regulators in various states, including New York.
Nick from Queens speaks to Fox News Digital outside The Polymarket. (Fox News Digital )
Shoppers characterized The Polymarket — which was separate from Mamdani-led efforts to unveil city-owned, subsidized grocery stores in each of the five New York City boroughs — as a learning moment for the mayor as residents cited concerns with security, running out of food and people cutting lines.
The giveaway drew residents from across the five boroughs — some arriving before sunrise, others showing up mid-morning in the hopes of getting a yellow ticket and a spot in the line wrapped around the block.
As the crowd grew, however, so did the tension.
People in line told Fox News Digital Sunday that they were worried they'd made the trip for nothing.
"I literally got here at 9:00 … and basically what they said is that they ran out of tickets," a woman named Fatima told Fox News Digital.
Another man, Sherrod from Jamaica, Queens, said the same happened to him.
"They told me that they ran out of tickets," he said. "I couldn't get no more food.… I couldn't get access to the store."
Sherrod, a New York City resident, speaks to Fox News Digital outside The Polymarket on Feb. 15, 2026. (Fox News Digital )
Fatima and Sherrod spoke after security guards began pushing people off the block shortly after 9 a.m., when the first batch of tickets was gone. Several shoppers said they were told to leave the area and come back around 1:30 p.m. for another chance — and not to linger on the sidewalk as ticket-holders moved through the store.
"Let's go people, let's go. Go home," one security guard positioned outside The Polymarket was heard shouting to the crowd just after 9 a.m. Sunday. "Do not linger, do not look, do not watch. Please go home."
MAMDANI VOWS TO BE DONALD TRUMP'S ‘WORST NIGHTMARE' AS PRESIDENT WEIGHS WORKING WITH RIVAL IN NYC MAYOR RACE
Shoppers were told the pop-up would open at noon and close at 3 p.m., or until supplies ran out. Ticket-holders were let inside a couple at a time and paired with a staffer to fill a blue tote bag at no cost.
New Yorkers lined up around the block in the West Village as Polymarket opened its first-ever free grocery store pop-up in New York City, offering complimentary food items to visitors. (Selcuk Acar/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Polymarket funded and operated the pop-up, a company representative told Fox News Digital, and the prediction market also donated $1 million to Food Bank for New York City as part of the effort.
The representative said Polymarket also gave $50 gift cards to some shoppers who ended up in the back of the line and were turned away, in an effort to "be as accommodating as possible."
Some shoppers slammed the setup — and the mad dash for tickets — while early arrivals said security kept the line safe.
"Security's been phenomenal," said Nick, who was fourth in line and received a ticket without problems. "This morning, there was a drunk guy over here harassing a lady. And I was telling him to go. And the head security guy, he saw that we were in trouble, and he did his job and got him out of here. Protecting us."
Michael, a New York City resident, spoke to Fox News Digital outside The Polymarket, which offered free groceries to those in need. (Fox News Digital )
Another local, Michael, told Fox News Digital: "I've seen a mix of things, like security needs to work on their presentation, dealing with the customers who are of florid backgrounds… because they don't have the customer service expertise."
Michael set up a chair outside the grocery store, and watched shoppers file in and out of the shop all morning, but was not positioned in line. He told Fox News Digital that he only had three cups of soup left in his cupboard but was doubtful there would be enough groceries left at The Polymarket at the end of the day for him to stock up his pantry.
The prediction market company Polymarket prepares to open a free grocery store in Manhattan on Feb. 12, 2026. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
The line drew all walks of life — people on disability, working New Yorkers looking for a financial boost, residents shopping for the homeless, New Yorkers living in shelters and others who did not speak English.
Brooklynite Sumayah said she visited the pop-up earlier in the week and managed to grab "two dozen eggs and some butter" before items started running out. Out of work for more than two months and currently on disability, she said a free grocery trip could spare her from spending roughly $600 a month on food and household essentials.
Sumayah said the process inside could feel uncomfortable to some, as shoppers are paired with someone who moves them through the aisles.
"Someone shops with me and I'm kind of uncomfortable with that," she said. "I also understand because sometimes you might have some people that want to overdo it and grab like 10 of something… but the person that I was with, they kind of rushed me through things and I couldn't get all the stuff that I wanted."
ECONOMIST TORCHES MAMDANI'S CITY-RUN GROCERY PLAN AS DOOMED EXPERIMENT THAT WILL COST TAXPAYERS
Even so, Sumayah said her overall experience was "pretty calm and quiet," and called the pop-up "very much needed in New York." She said the turnout alone showed how wide the need spreads — and how quickly word of free groceries travels.
Dubbed "The Polymarket," New York City got its first free grocery store for five days in February. (Selcuk Acar/Anadolu via Getty Images)
"I even met a woman that came from India yesterday and she was like, ‘Oh my God, I'm in line. I'm coming to get free food,'" Sumayah said. "I'm thinking like, how should I get back on the plane with that?"
Sumayah called on local leaders contemplating installing city-run stores to ensure such shoppers are safe as they wait in line for the goods — including from neighbors unhappy with the lines — while Sherrod called for a potential city-run effort to be better "organized" and "learn from this."
Nick added that such stores should be directly located in impoverished areas and food deserts far from the wealthy streets of Manhattan.
Almost everyone in line — no matter if they got a ticket or not — sounded off that food costs in the city were sky-high, and they needed an assist.
"Shoot, I used to spend on average $300 to $500 on groceries," said Jaquan, who caught the A train to get to the market Sunday morning. "I used to live with my mom, so that made it even worse. Right now I'm homeless, I live in a drop-in center."
Mary, a New York City resident, speaks to Fox News Digital outside The Polymarket. (Fox News Digital )
Another Big Apple resident, Monique, said she spent $200 on groceries "the other day" and "didn't even get much." Sherrod, who said he has a family of four, put his monthly grocery spending at around $400 to $500 and described the free groceries as a real help.
MAMDANI APPEALS TO NON-DEMOCRATS WITH GENERAL ELECTION PUSH, VOWS GOVERNMENT CAN MEET VOTERS' 'MATERIAL NEEDS'
Nick said choosing to wait for hours to get a ticket was worth it, noting it would save him as other expenses build up.
"I've switched to fast food, and it's taking a hit on my health," he said, adding he was already a month behind on his phone bill because grocery costs came first.
The Polymarket offered fresh vegetables and fruit, as well as name brand goods found at typical grocery stores. (Selcuk Acar/Anadolu via Getty Images)
For the more than 300 individuals who did get tickets and moved through the door, they were thrilled with the haul.
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"I got the spaghetti. I got orange juice. I like orange juice," Nick from Queens said after making it through the store. "I also got some ground beef. They had grass-fed ground beef, they had lean ground beef and the regular ground beef, so I'm glad I got that. I'm really glad I got the grass-fed."
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Only a few years ago, Tuesday's announcement that a glove believed to be connected to the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie in Tucson, Arizona, had no match in a DNA database would have been a dead end. Now for investigators, it is just the beginning.
“Investigators are currently looking into additional investigative genetic genealogy options for DNA evidence to check for matches,” the Pima County Sheriff's Department said Tuesday.
That brings a whole new dimension to unlocking the secret of gloves found 2 miles from Guthrie's home, said by investigators to be similar to those worn by a suspect in a disturbing video caught on a camera at Guthrie's front door.
Separate DNA found at Guthrie's property that does not match her or anyone “in close contact with her” also has not produced a match in the national law enforcement DNA database known as CODIS, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos told Fox News Tuesday.
Comparing DNA collected in criminal investigations to publicly accessible databases of millions of people who have contributed genetic profiles – and thereby finding often distant relatives to piece together a family tree that can point to a suspect – has been a component of a number of recent cases, including the conviction of Bryan Kohberger, who ultimately confessed to murdering four college students in Idaho and was sentenced in life in prison.
Here are the key developments in the weekslong search for Nancy Guthrie
“From that, we get a list of people who share DNA with that unknown person. It can be as little as 1%, or even less,” genetic genealogy expert CeCe Moore told CNN's Kaitlan Collins.
While there have been seemingly miraculous results from sifting through millions of DNA records based on a single sample, the process is still hit-or-miss and may not bring the Guthrie family the answers they want right away.
“It can go as quickly as 20 minutes … and I have some cases I've been working on for seven-and-a-half years,” Moore said.
Successfully using the DNA of distant family members to profile and narrow down suspects had an extraordinarily high-profile debut in 2018, when it was used to solve the cold case of the Golden State Killer.
After authorities spent five decades fruitlessly searching for a suspect in dozens of murders and rapes across California, an investigator decided to put crime scene DNA – believed to be the perpetrator's – into GEDmatch, a public database where people voluntarily upload their DNA data for genealogy research.
It took only four months to identify possible relatives and narrow the search for possible suspects to just three people. One of them, former police officer Joseph DeAngelo, had been part of a task force investigating the Golden State Killer.
“We collected his trash and found a piece of tissue that we tested for DNA that matched the killer from all these other locations,” lead prosecutor Thien Ho told CNN last year.
He was 72 years old when he was caught and had never previously been a suspect.
DeAngelo – now 80 years old – was convicted in 2020 and is serving a sentence of life without parole.
Since then, the technology has been used to identify more than just suspects in ongoing criminal cases. The identity of a victim of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, for example, was discovered through DNA genealogy, determining he was a veteran of World War I.
In the Kohberger case, investigators acknowledged the FBI used DNA from a a knife sheath found at the crime scene in a genetic investigation. Genetic genealogy “pointed law enforcement toward” Kohberger as a suspect, prosecutors said, though investigators ultimately did not use that evidence to obtain the arrest warrant, saying they had enough other evidence including surveillance video and cell phone data to link him to the killings.
Even in genetic genealogy's biggest success stories, scouring DNA records narrowed down the suspects, but did not directly solve the crime. In the Golden State Killer case, once police had their eyes on DeAngelo, the definitive link was established only by following the suspect to a Hobby Lobby store, where they swabbed his car door handle when he wasn't looking. Later, when rifling through his trash, a single piece of tissue proved DeAngelo's DNA and the long-sought killer's were one and the same.
The method of using DNA records that were primarily intended for family research and genetic curiosity as part of a criminal investigation is barely a decade old, and privacy concerns about how that incredibly personal information can be used are the biggest hurdles to its use.
Privacy concerns about using massive DNA databases in law enforcement investigations continue – especially for services that exist mostly to satisfy people's personal curiosity about their heritage. The three largest commercial providers of DNA products – 23andMe, AncestryDNA and MyHeritage – generally prohibit law enforcement access to their genetic data and would release it only if compelled by a warrant or court order.
23andMe adds it has only received 11 requests from law enforcement over a decade-long period and has so far never given up a person's DNA data to investigators without the person's consent.
“We can sometimes get lucky and get a closer relative, but because we are limited to the two smallest genetic genealogy databases, we only are able to compare against less than 2 million profiles,” Moore said.
Those databases – GEDmatch and FamilyTreeDNA – are open-source services where people are informed that the information could be used by law enforcement.
Moore is CEO of a third database, DNA Justice, that exists specifically to make DNA information available to law enforcement investigations. It has fewer than 7,000 DNA records.
Besides the reluctance of many people to share their own DNA profile for investigations, the success rate also depends on people's willingness to have their DNA catalogued at all. Those records exist more for Americans with western European ancestry than other backgrounds, according to Moore.
“You're mostly seeing White people with deep roots in the United States,” she said.
With the many complications involved in collecting DNA evidence – and time seeming to be a major enemy of finding Guthrie safe and sound – Moore said the Guthrie family could plead for more access to records from the top genealogy websites that have been very reluctant to take part.
“I don't believe they will allow it unless they are served with a warrant, and then I think there's going to be a knock-down, drag-out fight,” she said.
CNN's Josh Campbell, Faith Karimi, Chelsea Bailey, Nicole Chavez, Eric Levenson and Sarah Dewberry contributed to this report.
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Gov. Kevin Stitt, R-Okla., chair of the National Governors Association (NGA), from left, Economic Club of Washington Chairman David Rubenstein, and Gov. Wes Moore, D-Md., vice chair of the NGA participate in a panel discussion during a conference at the Economic Club of Washington Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Tom Brenner)
Gov. Kevin Stitt, R-Okla., chair of the National Governors Association (NGA) speaks during a conference at the Economic Club of Washington Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026, in Washington.(AP Photo/Tom Brenner)
Gov. Wes Moore, D-Md., vice chair of the National Governors Association, responds to a question by Economic Club of Washington Chairman David Rubenstein during a conference at the Economic Club of Washington Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Tom Brenner)
WASHINGTON (AP) — In another era, the scene would have been unremarkable. But in President Donald Trump's Washington, it's become increasingly rare.
Sitting side by side on stage were Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt, a Republican, and Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, a Democrat. They traded jokes and compliments instead of insults and accusations, a brief interlude of cordiality in a cacophony of conflict.
Stitt and Moore are the leaders of the National Governors Association, one of a vanishing few bipartisan institutions left in American politics. But it may be hard for the organization, which is holding its annual conference this week, to maintain its reputation as a refuge from polarization.
Trump has broken with custom by declining to invite all governors to the traditional White House meeting and dinner. He has called Stitt, the NGA's chair, a “RINO,” short for Republican in name only, and continued to feud with Moore, the group's vice chair, by blaming him for a sewage spill involving a federally regulated pipeline.
The break with tradition reflects Trump's broader approach to his second term. He has taken a confrontational stance toward some states, withholding federal funds or deploying troops over the objections of local officials.
With the Republican-controlled Congress unwilling to limit Trump's ambitions, several governors have increasingly cast themselves as a counterweight to the White House.
“Presidents aren't supposed to do this stuff,” Utah Gov. Spencer Cox said about the expansion of executive power in recent administrations. “Congress needs to get their act together. And stop performing for TikTok and actually start doing stuff. That's the flaw we're dealing with right now.”
Cox, a Republican, said “it is up to the states to hold the line.”
Moore echoed that sentiment in an interview with The Associated Press.
“People are paying attention to how governors are moving, because I think governors have a unique way to move in this moment that other people just don't,” he said.
Still, governors struck an optimistic tone in panels and interviews Wednesday. Stitt said the conference is “bigger than one dinner at the White House.” Moore predicted “this is going to be a very productive three days for the governors.”
“Here's a Republican and Democrat governor from different states that literally agree on probably 80% of the things. And the things we disagree on we can have honest conversations on,” Stitt said while sitting beside Moore.
Tensions over the guest list for White House events underscored the uncertainty surrounding the week. During the back-and-forth, Trump feuded with Stitt and said Moore and Colorado Gov. Jared Polis were not invited because they “are not worthy of being there.”
Whether the bipartisan tone struck Wednesday evening can endure through the week — and beyond — remains an open question.
“We can have disagreements. In business, I always want people around me arguing with me and pushing me because that's where the best ideas come from,” said Stitt. “We need to all have these exchange of ideas.”
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
Hawaii lawmakers are weighing tougher ways to deal with feral chickens. (AP Video by Jennifer Kelleher and Audrey McAvoy)
Feral chickens wander around near downtown Honolulu on April 19, 2023. (AP Photo/Jennifer Sinco Kelleher)
Feral chickens wander around near downtown Honolulu on Feb. 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Jennifer Sinco Kelleher)
Mason Aiona, left, and Leona Aiona point out feral chickens near their home in Honolulu on Feb, 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Jennifer Sinco Kelleher)
HONOLULU (AP) — The crowing starts well before the sun rises over Mason Aiona's home in Hawaii.
But the 3 a.m. rooster alarm isn't what bothers the retiree the most. It's spending most of the day shooing away wild chickens that dig holes in his yard, listening to constant squawking and feather-flapping, and scolding people who feed the feral birds at a park steps from his house.
“It's a big problem,” he said of the roosters, hens and chicks waddling around on the narrow road between his Honolulu house and the city park. “And they're multiplying.”
Communities across the state have been dealing with pervasive fowl for years. Honolulu has spent thousands of dollars trapping them, to little avail. Now state lawmakers are considering possible solutions — including measures that would let residents kill feral chickens, deem them a “controllable pest” on public land in Honolulu, and fine people for feeding them or releasing them in parks.
But one person's nuisance is another's cultural symbol, a dynamic that has also played out in Miami and some other cities with populations of wild chickens.
Kealoha Pisciotta, a Hawaiian cultural practitioner and animal advocate, disagrees with killing feral chickens simply because they're a nuisance. Some chickens today descended from those brought to the islands by early Polynesian voyagers, she said.
“The moa is very significant,” she said, using the Hawaiian word for chicken. “They were on our voyaging, came with us.”
The Hawaiian Humane Society opposes letting residents kill the chickens “as a means of population control unless all other strategies have been exhausted.”
Rep. Scot Matayoshi, a Democrat representing the Honolulu suburb of Kaneohe, said he started crafting chicken control legislation after he heard from an elementary school teacher in his district that the birds were harassing the pupils.
“The children were afraid of them, and they would kind of more aggressively go after the children for food,” Matayoshi said.
Rep. Jackson Sayama said he introduced the chicken-killing bill because there are currently limited ways to get rid of them. The lethal method would be at the resident's discretion.
“If you want to go old-school, just break the chicken's neck, that's perfectly fine,” said the Democrat who represents part of Honolulu. “There's many different ways you can do it.”
Chicken eradication bills have failed over the years, Matayoshi said. Chicken birth control was an idea discussed when he was on a neighborhood board.
“I think there are people who are taking it more seriously now,” he said.
For more than 30 years, Aiona, 74, has lived in a valley near downtown Honolulu in a house his wife Leona grew up in. Wild chickens didn't show up in their neighborhood until about a decade ago, they said. The birds proliferated during the COVID-19 pandemic.
He once saw a man take a chicken out of his car, leave it in the park and drive away, he said.
When the chickens first appeared outside his home, he caught one with his bare hands and put it in a plastic trash can, then drove it to a park near the airport. “I took off the cover, tipped it over and the chicken ran right out,” he said. “I said ... ‘Don't come back again.'”
But he quickly realized the time-consuming effort was futile.
He's personally not interested in killing chickens, preferring for someone to scoop them up and take them to a rural farm. A city trapping program is too expensive, he said.
The city contracts with a pest-control company that traps chickens. A weeklong service costs a private property owner $375, plus a $50 cage rental fee and disposal fee of $10 per chicken.
More than 1,300 chickens were caught through the program last year, said Honolulu Department of Customer Services spokesperson Harold Nedd, who added the department also saw a 51% increase in complaints about feral chickens in 2025.
Wild chickens aren't likely to make a cheap dinner. The meat is tougher than poultry raised for harvesting, and the feral birds can be a vector of disease.
One of Aiona's neighbors shoos them with a leaf blower. “I have a blower, too, but mine is electric,” Aiona said. “It can only go so far with the cord.”
Aiona has grown tired of spending his retirement telling park-goers to stop feeding the chickens. And while he doesn't recommend that anyone eat them, he welcomes anyone who wants one to come get it.
“No charge,” he said.
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
The United States may be on the cusp of launching military action that would mark the most decisive moment in its near half-century showdown with Iran.
Yet there's little public debate about what could be a weekslong assault with consequences that are impossible to predict.
There's no full-court press from top national security officials. President Donald Trump is making hardly any effort to share the rationale for the potential or why military personnel might be asked to risk their lives. And the White House is giving no public sign that it knows what may unfold in Iran if its clerical regime is toppled, an eventuality that could cause enormous reverberations in the Middle East.
The president has made no final decision either way, sources told CNN.
But every day, and following the failure of his tepid diplomacy to make breakthroughs so far, Trump is being dragged inexorably closer to a fateful decision point. The military has told the White House that it could be ready to launch an attack by the weekend, following a buildup of aerial and naval assets, CNN reported. But one source said that the president has privately argued for and against action and has polled advisers and allies on what he should do.
Given the stakes, and the potential risk to American personnel, the lack of a specific public rationale for any war with Iran seems surprising.
This narrative deficit was reflected in the White House briefing Wednesday, ironically on the eve of the first meeting of the president's Board of Peace. Press secretary Karoline Leavitt was asked the pertinent question of why Trump might need to launch a strike on Iran's nuclear program, which he has insisted he already totally obliterated in a round-the-world bombing raid last year.
“Well, there's many reasons and arguments that one could make for a strike against Iran,” Leavitt said, offering no specifics.
Trump's explanations extend only to repeated warnings that Iran will face the consequences if it doesn't make a “deal” with the United States. Last week, he said regime change in Tehran might be the “best thing” that could happen.
Ordering the military into battle is the most somber duty of presidents. Their assumption of the highest office comes with an obligation to explain why force might be necessary. And fuzzy thinking could imperil the mission.
Leavitt implied that Americans should just trust the president. “He's always thinking about what's in the best interests of the United States of America, of our military, of the American people,” she said.
This would be a thin foundation on which to launch a major war that might end up costing billions of dollars and unknown numbers of American and Iranian lives, and that could trigger huge military and economic repercussions in the Middle East.
It could also worsen Trump's already stark domestic unpopularity in a midterm election year.
Trump wouldn't like any comparison with the Iraq war that began in 2003, given its disastrous aftermath. But before that conflict, the Bush administration spent months in a PR offensive designed to convince the country of its later-debunked rationale for the war. It also managed to win congressional authorization for the invasion — at least securing a domestic legal basis for its actions.
If Trump persists in failing to level with citizens and Congress and then takes military action, he will be prolonging a trend of his second term. And he will be leaving himself politically exposed in the event that strikes go wrong.
But it also appears that Trump is emboldened by his successful ouster of Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro in a spectacular operation last month that killed no US troops. His tolerance for risk may also be heightened because the US assassination of Iranian military and intelligence chief Qasem Soleimani in his first term failed to trigger the kind of regional conflagration and Iranian attacks on US allies that some experts predicted.
In recent weeks, Trump's strategy on Iran has seemed to mirror his playbook in Venezuela, where he amassed a huge naval armada and demanded concessions. This is 21st-century diplomacy backed by aircraft carrier groups and cruise missiles.
But he risks creating a box for himself that it will be difficult to exit with credibility intact if it turns out that his repeated claims that Iran wants a “deal” are wrong.
The kind of deal that Trump can offer Iran may be unacceptable to its clerical regime, whose top priority is perpetuating itself. And a deal Tehran could offer Trump may be one he'd never accept, since it doesn't want to talk about its ballistic missiles or regional proxy network, which he sees as red lines.
Iranian concessions on a nuclear program that is already severely disrupted in return for sanctions relief would be unacceptable to Trump. He can't afford politically to emulate the nuclear deal agreed by the Obama administration that he trashed. And lifting sanctions could help the regime survive.
The New York Times quoted Iranian sources as saying that Iran has indicated willingness to suspend enrichment for three to five years in return for sanctions relief. But Dennis Ross, a former US Middle East peace envoy, told CNN's Wolf Blitzer on Wednesday that this was a symbolic concession. “It's pretty hard to see them enriching while Trump is still in office. And what they're seeking is the lifting of economic sanctions, which is a way of … giving them a kind of lease on life.”
The White House may not be telling Americans why it might be time to go to war with Iran. But that doesn't mean there are not strategic rationales for doing so. In that sense, Leavitt is right.
Trump's obsession with naming buildings after himself and erecting new ones — such as the planned White House ballroom — suggest he's increasingly preoccupied with his legacy.
Ending the often-hot cold war with Iran that has bedeviled every American president since Jimmy Carter would secure him a true place in history. And it could put a historic capstone on an estrangement with revolutionary Iran that began with the humiliation of Americans held hostage in 1979-81, which scarred US global confidence and prestige.
Trump might never get a better opening. The regime has arguably never been weaker. Its regional proxies, like Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon — which were once an insurance policy against an outside attack — have been shredded by Israel.
Iran's government is facing its worst-ever domestic crisis. It's clouded by doubt over the revolutionary succession after 86-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei dies. The economy is wrecked. Desperation recently drove protesters onto the streets amid food and water shortages and grinding economic conditions. The resulting crackdown may have killed thousands. Trump could make good on his pledge to protesters that the US was “locked and loaded” to defend them by toppling the clerical regime.
While Iran may not pose an immediate deadly threat to the US, it has killed scores of Americans in terror attacks and through militias during the Iraq war. Its leaders have long threatened to wipe Israel off the map — a threat that would become even more grave with nuclear weapons. And a stable, democratic and unthreatening Iran would boost the emergence of a new Middle East, powered by the growing global influence of US allies in the Gulf.
Trump would, of course, be a hero of Iranians if he delivered them from repression.
But there are many reasons why he might be smart to blink.
A serious attempt either to decapitate the Iranian regime or to devastate the military capacity of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the Basij paramilitary militia would likely require a multi-day air campaign. This could lead to significant civilian casualties. It would raise the possibility of US combat deaths or the capture of US pilots, which could turn into a propaganda disaster.
While some critics have pointed to Trump's vows to wage no new wars in the Middle East, an Iran conflict would likely not lead to the kind of massive land invasion that turned Iraq into a morass. But as in that war, the best day for the US might be the one when it fires its first shock-and-awe volleys.
It's also unlikely that any strike against Iran's clerical leaders would be as clean as the special forces mission that spirited Maduro out of Venezuela.
There is also the problem of what might come next if the revolutionary government were to fall. Failing to anticipate the day after haunted US regime change efforts in Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya this century.
“My question is, after all is said and done, if this lasts for weeks, what happens next?” Colin Clarke, executive director of the Soufan Center told Isa Soares on CNN International. “Then you're dealing with a power vacuum, then you're dealing with the potential for insurgency. And, you know there's a range of states and non-state actors that would look to exploit that.”
Iran, the seat of the ancient Persian civilization, is less plagued by sectarian divides than Iraq, which splintered after the US invasion. But the loss of central authority might be devastating. And the lack of a coherent umbrella leadership for protesters or organized internal opposition raises further questions about a smooth transition. Any US and Israeli joint military action would be certain to include wide-ranging attacks on IRGC facilities and forces. But sources told CNN this week that US intelligence community still believes that the most likely candidate to fill a leadership void would be the hardline guard corps. So ousting theocrats in Tehran might just lead to an equally radical anti-US replacement.
And longer and more complex military action in Iran than in Venezuela with uncertain consequences would increase political pressure on Trump at home amid multiple polls showing majorities of Americans oppose a new Middle East war. It could also test Trump's bond with the MAGA movement, since he's spent the last 10 years telling his base there will be no more foreign quagmires.
While officials said that forces would be positioned to strike Iran at the weekend, US action is not guaranteed. The start of the Muslim holy month Ramadan could augur a delay. So could Trump's annual State of the Union address Tuesday. Trump prizes the unpredictable, so Iran will be on full alert.
But unless Iran capitulates to terms that Trump is still yet to fully explain to the public, more time will not ease the most fateful dilemma yet of his second term.
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American speedskater Brittany Bowe will not leave the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics with a medal, but she will return home with a new ring.
Team USA women's hockey captain Hilary Knight proposed to Bowe at the 2026 Winter Games. The two first met while competing at the 2022 Beijing Olympics. Knight proposed on the eve of the women's hockey gold medal clash between the U.S. and Canada.
Knight shared the moment on social media, captioning a video of the two athletes in matching Team USA gear, "Olympics brought us together. This one made us forever."
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Hilary Knight poses for a photo during the U.S. Olympic Team Media Summit in preparation for the 2026 Milan Olympic Winter Games at the Javits Center Oct. 29, 2025. (Robert Deutsch/Imagn Images)
Bowe entered with two bronze medals, and Knight, a four-time Olympic medalist, will leave with a fifth — gold or silver — after Thursday's rematch with Canada.
OLYMPIC RIVALS TURNED LOVERS AS US ICE DANCER PROPOSES TO SPANISH SKATER ON VALENTINE'S DAY IN MILAN
Knight reflected on connecting with Bowe during the 2022 Beijing Games under COVID-19 protocols.
"To have that human connection, even walking outside at a distance, it was really cool," Knight told Olympics.com last week.
Brittany Bowe of the United States reacts after skating in the women's team pursuit Final B during the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at Milano Speed Skating Stadium Feb. 17, 2026, in Milan, Italy. (Katie Stratman/Imagn Images)
Bowe said she has come to know a different side of Knight beyond her superstar persona.
"Knowing her as a hockey player, it's like this big, strong, powerful female," Bowe said. "But then, when we got to know each other, she was soft, genuine, kind, almost shy. That really sparked my interest."
Brittany Bowe of the United States competes in the women's 1500-meter race during the ISU World Cup Speed Skating at Calgary Olympic Oval Nov. 22, 2025, in Calgary, Alberta. (Leah Hennel-International Skating Union/International Skating Union via Getty Images)
Romance has been part of the story at this year's Games, particularly for Valentine's Day. Last week, American skier Breezy Johnson's boyfriend proposed at the finish of her super-G run in Cortina d'Ampezzo.
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Johnson captured her first career Olympic gold medal in the women's Alpine skiing downhill event.
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Vani Hari, better known as the "Food Babe," tells Fox News Digital that she believes more restaurants will be moving away from seed oils in the future.
Thomas Keller, famed chef and owner of the upscale restaurant The French Laundry, has some questions about an affordable housing project for the area.
The town of Yountville, California, is planning to build up to 150 multifamily workforce housing units, with additional retail and food commercial space, according to the project's notice of determination.
Chef Keller, in a statement to Fox News Digital, said he does support workforce housing — but added that "housing only works if it actually works for the people who live and work here."
FAST-FOOD CHAIN TO BAN ALL MICROWAVES FROM RESTAURANTS TO 'IMPROVE FOOD QUALITY'
"Before Yountville commits to a project of this size and cost, it's reasonable — and responsible — to slow down and make sure the fundamentals are right," Keller added.
"Taking a pause is not opposition. It's responsible planning given all the unanswered questions — and the best way to give this project a real chance to succeed."
Celebrity chef Thomas Keller of The French Laundry in California is raising concerns about plans for the town of Yountville's new 150-unit affordable housing project. (Russell Yip/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)
Brad Raulston, town manager, told the Press Democrat the municipality does not want to slow down the housing project — and that many workers commute to the wealthy community.
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"The reality is that local jurisdictions, if we don't plan and lose housing — we will eventually lose local control, and we're seeing this now throughout the state," Raulston told the outlet.
The project would involve the demolition of a former school administration building, which was purchased by the town for $11 million in 2024.
Keller owns The French Laundry, near where the town plans to build affordable housing. The restaurant made headlines when Gov. Newsom was seen there breaking his own COVID-19 protocols in 2020. (Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images)
Funds for the purchase came from a 2018 ballot measure that added a 1% increase to the town's hotel and lodging tax, while using the revenue to fund affordable and workforce housing programs and services.
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Corrin Rankin, California Republican Party chairwoman, told Fox News Digital that California needs to support small businesses, their employees and realistic, affordable housing solutions.
The French Laundry serves a tasting menu that is reportedly more than $400 per person. (Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images)
"When The French Laundry is telling [California Gov.] Gavin Newsom and the Democrats that they are out of touch with reality, you know their policies are cooked," Rankin said of the opposing party.
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The three-star Michelin restaurant serves a standard nine-course tasting menu that reportedly costs about $424 per person.
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The French Laundry made national headlines when Gov. Newsom was seen there breaking his own COVID-19 protocols in 2020.
Ashley J. DiMella is a lifestyle reporter with Fox News Digital.
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Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. defended President Donald Trump's executive order spurring the domestic production of the weedkiller glyphosate, as his Make America Healthy Again movement reels from the president's embrace of the chemical they despise.
Trump on Wednesday night signed an executive order invoking the Defense Production Act to compel the domestic production of elemental phosphorus and glyphosate-based herbicides. Glyphosate is the chemical in Bayer-Monsanto's Roundup and is the most commonly used weedkiller for a slew of U.S. crops. Trump, in the order, said shortages of both phosphorus and glyphosate would pose a risk to national security.
Kennedy backed the president in a statement to CNBC Thursday morning.
"Donald Trump's Executive Order puts America first where it matters most — our defense readiness and our food supply," he said. "We must safeguard America's national security first, because all of our priorities depend on it. When hostile actors control critical inputs, they weaken our security. By expanding domestic production, we close that gap and protect American families."
But Kennedy's MAHA coalition that supported Trump in the 2024 presidential election hates glyphosate, which has been alleged to cause cancer in myriad lawsuits. Now, the executive order threatens to unravel that coalition ahead of the 2026 midterm elections that could loosen the president's grip on Washington.
"Just as the large MAHA base begins to consider what to do at midterms, the President issues an EO to expand domestic glyphosate production," Kelly Ryerson, a prominent MAHA activist known as Glyphosate Girl, said in a post on X. "The very same carcinogenic pesticide that MAHA cares about most."
Ken Cook, president of the Environmental Working Group, a watchdog that has pushed back against chemicals in food for years, said in a statement that he "can't envision a bigger middle finger to every MAHA mom than this."
"Elevating glyphosate to a national security priority is the exact opposite of what MAHA voters were promised," Cook said. "If Secretary Kennedy remains at HHS after this, it will be impossible to argue that his past warnings about glyphosate were anything more than campaign rhetoric designed to win trust — and votes."
Kennedy, a former environmental attorney, notably once won a nearly $290 million case against Monsanto for a man who claimed his cancer was caused by Roundup. The executive order came down one day after Bayer proposed paying $7.25 billion to settle a series of lawsuits claiming Roundup causes cancer.
Former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., knocked Trump for signing "an EO protecting cancer causing Glyphosate in our foods."
Glyphosate is a critical chemical to American agriculture. It's applied to many key cash crops, such as corn and soybeans, and has been defended by agricultural trade organizations. Phosphorus is a key input to the creation of glyphosate, which the White House argues is necessary to maintain food security. Elemental phosphorus is also used in the manufacture of some military materials.
"Thank you, President Trump, for acknowledging the importance of glyphosate-based herbicides in American agriculture," the House Agriculture Committee said Wednesday night in an X post. "This is a vital step forward in ensuring a domestic supply of this critical crop input remains available for our producers."
House Agriculture Chair Rep. G.T. Thompson, R-Pa., is trying to push a farm bill through Congress this year — a legislative package that covers federal farm support and nutrition subsidies. He's also come under fire from MAHA recently for a provision in that bill that would block state and local pesticide regulations from differing from federal guidance.
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Shares of Figma traded higher on Thursday, but were well short of the initial surge following earnings.
The stock was up by as much as 15% after the bell on Wednesday, when the design software maker reported fourth-quarter results that beat analysts' expectations and offered rosy guidance.
Figma's revenue grew 40% year over year to $303.8 million during the period. It reported a net loss of $226.6 million, or 44 cents per share, compared with net income of $33.1 million, or 15 cents per share, in the fourth quarter of 2024.
The company expects to report $315 million to $317 million in first-quarter revenue, which implies 38% year-over-year growth. Analysts polled by LSEG were expecting $292 million.
Analysts at Bank of America said Figma's fourth-quarter results were solid, and its guidance took center stage. They said all key growth drivers are "very much in place" at the company, but it could still face some headwinds because of broader market uncertainty.
"Figma's AI monetization timetable is certainly on track, though Figma shares could remain under pressure until a tangible revenue disclosure, given the bearish sentiment on apps generally," the analysts wrote in a Wednesday note.
In recent months, investors have grown worried about artificial intelligence's potential to disrupt software companies, sparking a massive sell-off in the sector. Shares of the iShares Expanded Tech-Software Sector ETF are down more than 20% year to date.
Figma, which was caught up in the sell-off, has been working to build AI into its products. The company announced a partnership with the AI startup Anthropic on Tuesday.
"If you look at software, not only is it not going away, there's going to be way more of it than ever before," Figma CEO Dylan Field said in a Wednesday interview.
He did note, however, that the market is "potentially increasingly competitive."
Analysts at Morgan Stanley said even Figma's "best in class growth rates" couldn't insulate shares from the "rising tide of investor concerns around the disruptive impacts of GenAI."
They said the company's fourth-quarter results suggest it is a strong participant in the AI innovation cycle, and not a company at risk of disruption.
The analysts pointed to rising usage of Figma's AI-based tooling, broadening partnerships with AI companies and competitive monetization avenues.
"Bottom line, we come out of the Q4 print feeling better about Figma's expanding solution portfolio and positioning in an AI world, and with shares having pulled back considerably we see a much moreattractive risk/reward in the shares," the analysts wrote in a note Thursday.
— CNBC's Jordan Novet contributed to this report
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Hollywood is in trouble.
The streaming boom that fueled a ton of production in the last decade-plus is gone, and lots of the remaining work is going overseas. No one really knows how AI will affect the movie and TV business, but there's lots of fear it won't be good. And barring something truly surprising, Warner Bros., one of Hollywood's most important movie and TV studios, is going to get swallowed up in the next year or so, which will mean even more consolidation.
But don't take it from me: Ask Janice Min, who has spent a couple decades enmeshed in Hollywood. First as the editor of the Hollywood Reporter, and now as CEO of The Ankler, an industry trade built for the Substack Age.
That means she's not a disinterested observer at all: If the center of the movie and TV industry is shrinking, that's bad news for the advertising, subscriptions, and events businesses she's trying to build.
I talked to Min about all of that on my Channels podcast, and you can listen to the whole thing here. The following is an edited excerpt of our conversation.
Peter Kafka: If you had to bet right now, who wins the newly reopened bidding war for Warner Bros. Discovery?
Janice Min: Doesn't it really depend if Netflix decides they're going to step it up? So far, it seems like they will. But Netflix is a pretty ruthless company: Season two isn't working out, it's not driving as many subscribers as season one, your show is canceled. Or cofounder Reed Hastings' famous "keeper test": You aren't performing well. You're out.
And shareholders are not loving this pursuit of Warner Bros. At some point, they will cut it off. They're a very pragmatic company.
The conventional wisdom is that Netflix would really like this deal, and that Paramount has to have this deal. Do you agree?
I do. If you're David Ellison and you've assembled probably the most expensive leadership team in history, you are prepping to have Warner Bros. David Ellison was not prepping to have the seventh-biggest studio or the seventh-biggest streamer.
In the end, if he doesn't have that, you're kind of left holding the bag that nobody wanted. How do you win?
You are holding the thing that Shari Redstone was desperately trying to get rid of.
That's important context. This battle is so interesting to me because Warner Bros. is such a stinker, with so much debt, that they are being forced to sell. They had no other outcome. Paramount was such a stinker that Shari Redstone couldn't get the stink off of her fast enough. And there was basically, in the end, one bidder [for Paramount].
That one bidder is now one of two bidders for the other thing. We get caught up in the excitement that these are huge prizes, but they're just these debt-stuffed, slow-moving beasts that need to have someone who has an emotional attachment to them for them to make sense as a buyer.
After Netflix won the first bidding round in December, there was an immediate negative reaction from Hollywood. What's the current vibe when it comes to Netflix vs. Paramount as WBD's future owner?
I think for most people it's Sophie's Choice. There are two potential bad outcomes here.
On the plus side for David Ellison: People love that he loves movies.
"I love movies. You guys make movies. I'm gonna make more movies. You should work with me."
It's not a sophisticated business argument, but everyone here has dollar signs spinning in their eyes, everyone's looking for the next deal for themselves. So they like that. Perhaps David Ellison will pay and maybe even overpay for what you are making. And it's exciting that it'll create a big buyer in the market.
The flip side of that is, Hollywood is not a particularly pro-Trump industry. I don't think they like a lot of the things they are seeing happening at Paramount right now, like the situation that happened with Stephen Colbert and James Talarico. They certainly don't like what's happening with CBS News.
Fundamentally, though, it does come down to your bottom line. The industry is struggling. People are having a hard time having the careers they had 10 years ago. So people like the idea of a buyer with deep pockets, even if it's daddy's money.
There is a steady stream of stories and social media posts about how AI is going to disrupt Hollywood. How much of that concern do you see reflected in day-to-day conversations?
The thing with AI right now in Hollywood: Everyone's lying just a little bit. Studios are lying about how much they're using it.
They're using it more or less?
Using it more.
Companies are lying about the capability of their products. And for creative people, they're lying about the fact that they're not using it. I dare you to find a screenwriter who is staring at a blank page and not talking to Claude or ChatGPT at the same time.
It seems clear that it's going to be a big deal for people working in visual effects, and that was already a challenged industry.
I have a friend who's been sending me LinkedIn posts that are showing up in his feed, and it is so grim. It's people largely who have worked in VFX, and they are posting this full-on bleed out, like "I will be homeless by next Thursday if I don't have work."
It doesn't appear they're being hyperbolic.
I guarantee that every single studio, every single streamer, they are all completely doing this. During last year's Oscar race, [there was a controversy about] "The Brutalist," and how Adrian Brody's voice was made more Hungarian-accented through technology.
This year, it is crickets. Even the Academy, the most precious, legacy-protecting institution in Hollywood, has not come out in a really firm way about AI. They basically have a don't ask, don't tell policy. I would say with some certainty that every single best picture nominee this year has used AI in its production process.
What's the story people outside Hollywood are missing about your industry right now?
You look at LA and you think it's sunny and amazing and people are happy. People are having a hard time here. The unemployment rate of Los Angeles is much higher than the national average.
You're seeing a city that is so big and sprawling, with a kind of rudderless feeling: Who's going to stop this? There is definitely a Detroit vibe underway if things don't course correct.
And you're seeing a paralysis: Hollywood used to be a place that had a lot of protests, spoke out, was always fighting the so-called man. And it is pretty much crickets now, because everyone is scared.
I was struck by the fact when you saw the Grammys, you have these musicians getting up on stage, — Billie Eilish, Bad Bunny — and really sticking it to the president and ICE. And you compare that with the Golden Globes, where it was sponsored by Polymarket, and no one's saying anything.
When you think about how to capture young people, who are the pipeline for everything — they love this culture of rebellion and revolt and speaking out. I worry about Hollywood containing itself so much to the point that it stops speaking to the audience.
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Accenture has told senior staff they must regularly use its AI tools to be considered for promotions for leadership roles.
Associate directors and senior managers at the consultancy giant were informed that "regular adoption" of AI would be required to progress to leadership positions, according to an FT report.
An Accenture spokesperson told CNBC the report was correct. They added: "Our strategy is to be the reinvention partner of choice for our clients and to be the most client-focused, AI-enabled, great place to work.
"That requires the adoption of the latest tools and technologies to serve our clients most effectively."
The spokesperson also confirmed that, as the FT reported, the policy had been set out in an internal email.
"Use of our key tools will be a visible input to talent discussions," the email said, according to the FT.
The FT reported that Accenture staff in 12 European countries were unaffected by the policy, as well as staff working in the division that handles U.S. government contracts.
In September, Accenture outlined a restructuring strategy in which it said staff who are unable to reskill on AI would eventually be laid off.
On an earnings call, CEO Julie Sweet said all employees would be expected to "retrain and retool" at scale, adding that 550,000 workers had already been reskilled on the fundamentals of generative AI. Accenture employs a total of 780,000 people globally.
"Our No. 1 strategy is upskilling, given the skills we need, and we've had a lot of experience in upskilling, we're trying to, in a very compressed timeline, where we don't have a viable path for skilling, sort of exiting people so we can get more of the skills in we need," Sweet added.
Sweet told CNBC at the time: "Our early investment in AI is really paying off."
"Every CEO, board and the C-suite recognize that advanced AI is critical to the future. The challenge right now they're facing is that they're really excited about the technology and they're not yet AI ready for most companies," she told CNBC's "Squawk on the Street."
Accenture announced a string of partnerships and tools in recent months. Accenture partnered with OpenAI in December to give tens of thousands of its employees access to ChatGPT Enterprise and continue to upskill on AI.
Accenture also partnered with Anthropic to train 30,000 employees on Claude AI tools, with tens of thousands of Accenture developers to use Claude Code for coding and AI-assisted work.
Other ventures include partnering with Palantir so that over 2,000 Accenture staff can get AI training using the software company's platforms.
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West Virginia's attorney general has filed a consumer protection lawsuit against Apple, alleging that it has failed to prevent child sexual abuse materials from being stored and shared via iOS devices and iCloud services.
John "JB" McCuskey, a Republican, accused Apple of prioritizing privacy branding and its own business interests over child safety, while other big tech companies, including Google, Microsoft, and Dropbox, have been more proactive, using systems like PhotoDNA to combat such material.
PhotoDNA, developed by Microsoft and Dartmouth College in 2009, uses "hashing and matching" to automatically identify and block child sexual abuse material (CSAM) images when they have already been identified as such and reported to authorities.
In 2021, Apple had tested its own CSAM-detection features that could automatically find and remove images of child exploitation, and report those that had been uploaded to iCloud in the U.S. to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.
But the company withdrew its plans for the features after privacy advocates who worried that this technology could create a back door for government surveillance, and be tweaked and exploited to censor other kinds of content on iOS devices.
The company's efforts since then have not satisfied a broad array of critics.
In 2024, UK-based watchdog the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children said Apple failed to adequately monitor, tabulate and report CSAM in its products to authorities.
And in a 2024 lawsuit filed in California's Northern District, thousands of child sexual abuse survivors sued Apple, alleging the company never should have abandoned its earlier plans for CSAM detection features, and by allowing such material to proliferate online, it had caused survivors to relive their trauma.
Apple has positioned itself as the most privacy-sensitive of the Big Tech companies, since its CEO Tim Cook wrote an open letter on the topic in 2014.
If West Virginia's suit is successful, it could force the company to make design or data security changes. The state is seeking statutory and punitive damages, and injunctive relief requiring Apple to implement effective CSAM detection.
In an e-mailed statement, a spokesperson for Apple told CNBC that "protecting the safety and privacy of our users, especially children, is central to what we do."
The company pointed to parental controls and features like Communication Safety which, "automatically intervenes on kids' devices when nudity is detected in Messages, shared Photos, AirDrop and even live FaceTime calls," as an indication of its commitment to provide "safety, security, and privacy" to users.
"We are innovating every day to combat ever-evolving threats and maintain the safest, most trusted platform for kids," the spokesperson added.
-- CNBC's Kif Leswing contributed reporting
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Doordash's stock rallied on Thursday as Wall Street shook off disappointing fourth-quarter results and commended early progress in the food delivery platform's investment cycle.
Shares initially fell about 10% in extended trading after earnings fell short of Wall Street's expectations on the top and bottom lines and the company issued disappointing profit guidance.
In the first quarter, the company expects continued investments in Deliveroo, the British delivery platform it bought last year, to weigh on adjusted EBITDA. Doordash also anticipates a $20 million impact from recent U.S. winter storms and higher order costs driven by investments in longer-distance deliveries and cost increases in regulated markets.
But Wall Street managed to overlook Doordash's subpar results as the company's investments start to show signs of an early payoff.
"DASH's businesses are strong and accelerating, and unit economics are improving, giving it an ability to deliver more durable growth and invest," Morgan Stanley analyst Brian Nowak wrote in a note to clients.
Nowak reiterated his confidence in the company's core U.S. restaurant business and highlighted improving unit economics and growth in newer verticals like retail, grocery and international.
Bank of America analyst Justin Post said the company is "executing well," and its Deliveroo purchase sets it up to double its U.S. total addressable market globally.
Investors had previously sounded the alarm on the company's supercharged investment cycle.
Last quarter, shares slumped to their worst day ever after Doordash said it planned to spend more on its new tech platform and innovations like autonomous delivery.
Doordash finance chief Ravi Inukonda said during an earnings call on Wednesday that the company is making good progress on its tech stack overhaul, and management expects the majority of spending to occur in 2026.
"We're being very disciplined," Inukonda told analysts. "We're investing in areas where we're improving the products to ultimately drive both scale as well as profitability."
Some of those investments include creating warehouses to bring inventory closer to customers and fulfillment services.
Doordash also said it had a record number of subscribers in the fourth quarter and 2025.
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This is CNBC's Morning Squawk newsletter. Subscribe here to receive future editions in your inbox.
Happy Thursday. My spin class soundtrack of mainly Kesha's music last night was more evidence that the 2016 aesthetic is back.
Stock futures are lower this morning. The three major indexes are coming off a winning session.
Here are five key things investors need to know to start the trading day:
Shares of Walmart slid more than 2% in premarket trading this morning after the company's guidance for the current fiscal year came in softer than anticipated.
Here's what to know:
Minutes from the Federal Reserve's January meeting released yesterday showed officials largely approved of holding interest rates steady. However, there was notable division within the central bank on where monetary policy should go next.
As CNBC's Jeff Cox reports, some Fed members said interest rates could come down further if inflation slides as they expect it to. Others said such easing may not be necessary for some time while they await clear signs that disinflation is taking place.
Speaking of the central bank: White House economic advisor Kevin Hassett told CNBC yesterday that the authors of a recent New York Fed paper should be "disciplined." Hassett said the study, which found that U.S. companies and consumers are absorbing most of the impacts from President Donald Trump's tariffs, was "the worst paper I've ever seen in the history of the Federal Reserve system."
Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Marty Makary warned yesterday that U.S. is falling behind China on early-stage drug development, saying the U.S. should streamline the process for beginning trials on new treatments.
In an interview with CNBC's Annika Kim Constantino, Makary also said that all drugs "should be over the counter" — with the exception of those that are unsafe, addictive or require monitoring. Some in the pharmaceutical industry have raised doubts about the effectiveness of such a move, warning that it could increase costs and decrease access for patients.
Meanwhile, Moderna said yesterday that the FDA agreed to review its experimental mRNA flu shot — a reversal from the regulator's prior refusal of the application. Moderna's shares jumped around 6% in yesterday's session following the announcement.
CNBC's Morning Squawk recaps the biggest stories investors should know before the stock market opens, every weekday morning.
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Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg took the stand yesterday in a landmark trial on social media and safety. As CNBC's Jonathan Vanian and Samantha Subin note, the Los Angeles trial is just one of several major court cases that are together being described as the social media industry's "Big Tobacco" moment.
In his testimony, Zuckerberg said that increasing users' time spent on Instagram was never a company goal, despite an email he sent in 2015 that seemed to make improving engagement a critical issue for the company. The Facebook founder also said he approached Apple CEO Tim Cook to talk about the "wellbeing of teens and kids."
Members of Zuckerberg's team were seen entering the courthouse wearing Meta's Ray-Ban artificial intelligence glasses, but Judge Carolyn B. Kuhl later threatened to hold anyone using smart glasses during the CEO's testimony in contempt of court. "If you have done that, you must delete that, or you will be held in contempt of the court," Kuhl said.
If you're flying United Airlines, you may soon earn fewer miles — unless you have one of the air carrier's credit cards.
United said Thursday that it will no longer reward customers flying basic economy who don't have the airline's credit card, following in the footsteps of American Airlines and Delta Air Lines. Card-holding travelers, meanwhile, will earn more points and receive frequent flyer discounts.
As CNBC's Leslie Josephs reports, the airline's changes mark some of the biggest adjustments to its frequent flyer program in more than a decade.
The Supreme Court could rule as soon as this week on Trump's tariffs. But as CNBC's Gabrielle Fonrouge and Natalie Rice report, the furniture industry likely won't be sitting pretty, regardless of the court's decision.
— CNBC's Melissa Repko, Annie Palmer, Jeff Cox, Annika Kim Constantino, Samantha Subin, Jonathan Vanian, Leslie Josephs, Gabrielle Fonrouge and Natalie Rice contributed to this report. Josephine Rozzelle edited this edition.
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Shares in Blue Owl Capital tumbled 8.7% on Thursday after the private market and alternative assets manager sold $1.4 billion of loan assets held across three of its private debt funds.
Blue Owl said Wednesday it had agreed the sale with four North American pension and insurance investors, with the loans changing hands at 99.7% of par value.
The largest sale comes out of the Blue Owl Capital Corporation II fund, also known as OBDC II, a semi-liquid private credit strategy aimed at U.S. retail investors.
OBDC II offloaded $600 million in loans, amounting to about 34% of its $1.7 billion portfolio.
In a major switch, Blue Owl said that following the deal, OBDC II would end regular quarterly liquidity payments to the fund's investors.
Instead, the business development company — which specializes in private credit lending to U.S. middle-market companies — will pivot to periodic payouts that will be funded by asset sales, earnings, repayments and other strategic deals.
That shift more tightly restricts investor liquidity and their ability to withdraw their money. The move underlines the challenges surrounding liquidity and transparency in private markets, amid the ongoing push by private asset managers and alternative investment funds into the more liquid retail wealth space.
It follows a recent rise in redemption requests in some of Blue Owl's business development companies, according to a Bloomberg report.
Last November, Blue Owl Capital attempted to merge OBDC II with the larger, publicly-traded Blue Owl Capital Corporation (OBDC) fund. Before abandoning its plans, Blue Owl halted redemptions in OBDC II until the deal — which could have brought losses of some 20% to investors — was completed.
The episode rattled investors, sending Blue Owl Capital's shares lower.
Now, Blue Owl will use the proceeds from this sale to pay down debt and return capital to OBDC II shareholders, at up to $2.35 per share or approximately 30% of OBDC II's net asset value.
Elsewhere, the other funds — the OBDC and Blue Owl Technology Income Corp (OTIC) — each sold $400 million in assets, representing 2% and 6% of their respective portfolios.
"These sales consist of 97% senior secured debt investments with an average size of $5 million and include investments in 128 distinct portfolio companies across 27 industries," Blue Owl said in a statement.
"The largest industry represented is internet software and services at 13%, generally consistent with the industry composition of Blue Owl's overall direct lending strategy and reflecting continued confidence in the quality and valuations of these software investments."
Logan Nicholson, president of OBDC II and OBDC, said the deal "opportunistically" delivers value to shareholders and, in OBDC II, provides a "significant liquidity event" while maintaining a diversified portfolio with strong earnings potential.
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Ukrainian soldiers are out cutting and snapping any fiber-optic drone cables they come across, regardless of which side they belong to. They use scissors, knives, even their bare hands.
Troops say it doesn't matter if a drone is Ukrainian or Russian. If they're not sure, they just assume it's hostile.
These unjammable drones controlled by long, thin cables have flooded the battlefield as a countermeasure to the electronic warfare that often renders radio-frequency drones inoperable.
As these drones have become increasingly prolific, the result has been forests and trenches snarled with discarded and active cables.
Dimko Zhluktenko, an analyst with Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces, said that he always carries scissors so that he can "cut each and every optic fiber that we see."
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He said that his unit "actually stopped considering them friendly or foe. We think that all of them are kind of the enemy drones."
In a YouTube video about the gear he carries, Zhluktenko said scissors became so essential that when his unit started operating in areas littered with fiber-optic cables, every team member was required to carry a pair. He said that he bought retractors for his team so no one would lose them.
A Ukrainian soldier who spoke with Business Insider on the condition of anonymity said troops can often break the thin strands with their hands; that isn't often necessary, though. Soldiers in his unit already carry scissors for medical purposes. Many also have knives.
He said that there can be so many cables about on the battlefield that "you don't know if it's a new thread or if it's an old one that's been lying around for a long time." So his unit severs any they find as often as possible.
Other similar behaviors have been observed on the battlefield.
There are sometimes so many drones in the sky that soldiers looking up from the ground can't even begin to tell which is friendly and which is hostile. In such cases, soldiers can be ordered to shoot down any drone they see.
Soldiers in charge of electronic warfare systems sometimes panic and jam everything in the air when they can't tell drones apart, Zhluktenko previously told Business Insider.
Zhluktenko told Business Insider that cutting the fiber-optic cables is not something that he had to do often, as his unit was typically working in areas further from the front-line fighting that had fewer of the fiber-optic drones. He described it as something that they "sometimes" encountered.
Soldiers in Ukraine's 15th Mobile Border Detachment "Steel Border" previously said in a video for Ukraine's state border service that using scissors is a reliable way to disable the Russian drones. Russian soldiers have reportedly done the same.
If the cable is intact on an active and operational drone, the only other way to stop it is to physically shoot it (troops say a shotgun works best); that requires a mix of skill and luck, though.
Fiber-optic drones are a relatively new feature in this war that have not previously been fielded at this scale. That these drones can be disabled with simple tools — scissors, knives, bare hands — underscores a broader pattern in Ukraine: sophisticated systems are often countered with low-tech fixes.
In many cases, some of the most effective counters to advanced technology have been older or improvised combat tools — from shotguns used against small drones to nets draped over vehicles and positions to blunt aerial attacks. Even the drones themselves are cheap innovations designed to overcome more expensive equipment and wartime demands.
Jump to
Bill Gates has become a source of controversy at this week's high-profile India AI Impact Summit, as speculation around his planned keynote address ultimately ended with his withdrawal at the last minute.
The drama comes as the Microsoft co-founder receives public backlash for his past relationship with deceased financier and sex predator Jeffrey Epstein — with more details on the two men's years of communications revealed in the Department of Justice's file drop last month.
The Gates Foundation India on Thursday said the billionaire would skip the address "[a]fter careful consideration, and to ensure the focus remains on the AI Summit's key priorities," adding that he would be replaced by another foundation representative.
The official announcement capped a back-and-forth saga that began earlier this week when local Indian media pointed out that Gates' name had been removed from some of the summit's public-facing materials.
Government sources later briefed the media that Gates was not expected to attend the event. However, the Gates Foundation issued a conflicting message on Wednesday, insisting that he was participating "as planned" before the recent reversal.
Asked about the controversy on Tuesday, India's IT minister Ashwini Vaishnaw told reporters that Gates' attendance would come down to "personal choices," adding he "need not comment." The summit organizers and the foundation did not immediately respond to a request for comments on Gates' absence.
The American tech leader turned philanthropist has been under intense scrutiny in recent weeks following the release of millions of documents related to financier Jeffrey Epstein under the Epstein Files Transparency Act.
The files included a draft email written to himself in which Epstein suggests that he had helped facilitate extramarital affairs and sexual encounters for Gates, amongst other references of the Microsoft co-founder.
In an interview with Australia's 9News last month, Gates denied any wrongdoing, commenting in relation to new files, calling Epstein's allegations "absolutely absurd and completely false."
He emphasized that his interactions with Epstein were limited to dinners aimed at potential philanthropy discussions, adding that he "never went to the island" and "never met any women."
The New Delhi AI Impact Summit, where Gates had been scheduled to speak, has seen participation from leading tech names such as Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai, OpenAI's Sam Altman, and Anthropic's Dario Amodei, besides a host of global leaders including French President Emmanuel Macron and UN Secretary-General António Guterres.
The Gates Foundation has invested in India across health and development, and has also backed projects related to AI.
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No United Airlines credit card? Soon you'll earn fewer miles than other travelers.
United is overhauling its MileagePlus frequent flyer program to reward travelers with more miles and lower redemption rates, including for some of its long-haul business-class seats — if they have one of the airline's credit cards. It's the latest move by an airline to reward its highest-spending customers.
The changes mark the biggest shake-up to the lucrative program in more than a decade, when United began rewarding customers for how much they spent — not just how far they flew.
United Chief Commercial Officer Andrew Nocella told CNBC in an interview that the airline has been working on the changes for about 18 months and that the carrier is aiming to reward its most loyal customers.
The shift also comes as United tries to stand out in an ever more competitive landscape for travel and rewards credit cards. That space also includes American Express' Platinum, Capital One's Venture X and Chase's Sapphire Reserve cards.
"In the credit card space in general, a lot's changed over the last five to 10 years in terms of the number of travel credit cards that are out there," Nocella said. "What I'm thinking about as we make these changes for United is to make sure that if you hold the credit card, you put it top of wallet, and then if you don't hold the credit card, there's a reason to get the credit card that seems incredibly compelling if you'd like to fly United Airlines and if you'd like to have that ... trip to Tahiti or to Rome or wherever we may be able to take you."
The changes take effect April 2. United is planning to show the discounted award flights on its website "so customers can see exactly how much having a United card could save them on their travel," the airline said.
United's loyalty program update is part of a trend among airlines to reward frequent flyer program members depending on how much they spend. About a decade ago, the major carriers tweaked their loyalty programs to reward customers for dollars spent over miles traveled.
Airlines also encourage customers to sign up for their credit cards by offering perks like no fees for checked bags and earlier boarding.
United MileagePlus primary cardholders will get more miles per dollar spent on United flights compared with customers without a card, and higher rates than they do currently. Their earning goes up, too, when they actually use that card to purchase the ticket.
Meanwhile, customers without the card will earn less than they do today.
For example, a traveler without a co-branded United Airlines credit card will get three miles per dollar spent on a ticket, down from the current five miles. Under the new structure, a cardholder could earn six miles, and more if they use the card to buy it. Those with elite MileagePlus status earn miles at a higher rate, too.
United debit cardholders will also receive more miles, once they spend $10,000, United said.
United will also now allow customers with one of its credit cards to redeem their miles for flights at a discount of at least 10% compared with those without the card.
The carrier said that, as an example, an economy-class award ticket that was 15,000 miles will go for 13,500 without elite Premier status. United said it's setting aside special discounted inventory of award tickets for cardholders, including for top-tier Polaris seats.
Those with elite MileagePlus Premier status will get deeper discounts and better miles redemption. Elites with a card get at least 15% off mileage tickets.
United said its a seat in a long-haul business class Polaris cabin that is going for 200,000 miles would be 170,000 miles if the cardmember has elite Premier status. United added the lowest priced "Saver Award" seats for Polaris would be accesible to MileagePlus members with a United card, seats that were previously just available to high-tier elites.
Their earning rates also increase if they have both the credit card and status. MileagePlus 1K, the highest tier before Global Services, will get 17 miles for each dollar spent when they use their United Club credit card.
United Airlines travelers who don't have the credit card won't receive miles for basic economy tickets. American Airlines last year similarly said it would no longer allow travelers in that class to earn miles, following an earlier move by Delta Air Lines. There's an exemption, however, for holders of United's elite Premier status, who can still earn miles in basic economy.
Business travelers often have to book with company credit cards under corporate travel policies. But United said that individuals who personally hold a United credit or debit card will still get more miles than an employee who doesn't.
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Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, the former prince, was arrested on Thursday morning, his 66th birthday.
In a statement, the UK's Thames Valley Police said it had arrested "a man in his 60s from Norfolk on suspicion of misconduct in public office."
"We are unable to name the arrested man as part of national guidance," it added.
Around two hours after news of the arrest broke, King Charles released a statement saying: "The law must take its course."
"I have learned with the deepest concern the news about Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and suspicion of misconduct in public office," he added.
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"What now follows is the full, fair and proper process by which this issue is investigated in the appropriate manner and by the appropriate authorities. In this, as I have said before, they have our full and wholehearted support and co-operation," he said.
The Prince and Princess of Wales are understood to be aligned with the King's statement.
Photos showed police at the Sandringham estate in Norfolk on Thursday, where Mountbatten-Windsor is said to have been living. He previously lived in Windsor, Berkshire.
The police said it was carrying out searches at addresses in Berkshire and Norfolk.
Mountbatten-Windsor, the brother of King Charles, was stripped of his royal titles last year amid scrutiny of his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein.
The family of Virginia Roberts Giuffre, who said she was trafficked by Epstein to have sex with the former Prince three times, also issued a statement on Thursday.
"Today, our broken hearts have been lifted by the news that no one is above the law, not even royalty," they wrote.
The latest release of the Epstein files showed more of Mountbatten-Windsor's communications with the convicted sex offender.
In 2010 and 2011, when the former prince was a UK trade envoy, he appeared to forward official reports on his work visits to Epstein.
"Following a thorough assessment, we have now opened an investigation into this allegation of misconduct in public office," said Oliver Wright, assistant chief constable with the Thames Valley Police.
"It is important that we protect the integrity and objectivity of our investigation as we work with our partners to investigate this alleged offence," he added.
Before the arrest, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer told the BBC, "Nobody is above the law."
"[The police] will conduct their own investigations, but one of the core principles in our system is that everybody is equal under the law and nobody is above the law," he said.
The last time a senior member of the royal family faced arrest or police action appears to be in 2002. Princess Anne — Mountbatten-Windsor's sister — pleaded guilty under the Dangerous Dogs Act when her English bull terrier bit two children while walking in Windsor Great Park.
Jump to
Russian President Vladimir Putin has sharply criticized the Trump administration's fuel blockade on Cuba, saying Moscow considers the latest restrictions unacceptable.
His comments come as the island nation grapples with a worsening economic crisis, one that has been compared to its biggest test since the collapse of the Soviet Union.
"This is a special period, with new sanctions. You know how we feel about this. We do not accept anything like this," Putin said on Wednesday during a meeting with Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla, according to Russian news agency Tass.
Russia, which has been allied to Cuba for decades, has recently described Havana's fuel situation as "truly critical" and said it is actively discussing what help it can provide to the country.
"We have always been on Cuba's side in its struggle for independence, for the right to follow its own path of development, and we have always supported the Cuban people," Putin said.
"We know how difficult these past decades have been for the Cuban people as they have fought for the right to live by their own rules and defend their national interests," he added.
The U.S. has effectively cut Cuba off from Venezuelan oil since launching an extraordinary military operation to depose Venezuela President Nicolás Maduro on Jan. 3. Cuba said 32 of its citizens were killed in the attack.
U.S. President Donald Trump has since pledged to impose tariffs on any country that supplies Havana with oil and labeled its government as "an unusual and extraordinary threat."
Cuba's dwindling oil supplies prompted the United Nations to warn of a possible humanitarian "collapse" earlier in the month.
Cuba's government, which has condemned the U.S. pressure, has recently adopted measures to protect essential services and ration fuel supplies for key sectors.
It also suspended an annual cigar festival which had been due to take place in Havana later this month, without providing details of a new date.
Photos of daily life in Cuba have shown piles of waste building on Havana's street corners in recent days as many collection trucks have been left with empty fuel tanks.
The White House has said it was in Cuba's interest to make big changes soon, although stopped short of calling for a change of government.
"They are a regime that is falling. Their country is collapsing and that's why we believe it's in their best interest to make very dramatic changes very soon," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Wednesday.
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AI is shaking up the job market — but in some cases, companies are blaming the technology for layoffs they were already planning, says OpenAI CEO Sam Altman.
"I don't know what the exact percentage is, but there's some AI washing where people are blaming AI for layoffs that they would otherwise do, and then there's some real displacement by AI of different kinds of jobs," Altman told CNBC-TV18 on the sidelines of the India AI Impact Summit on Thursday.
"I expect we'll see more of the latter over time," he said.
Altman added that although new types of jobs would be created in the AI era, the "real impact of AI doing jobs" would begin to be palpable in the next few years.
Companies that have cited AI when reducing employee head count include Amazon, IBM, Salesforce, and HP. There is no evidence of AI washing at these companies, a term used to describe companies overstating the role of artificial intelligence in a product or business decision.
Altman, whose company provides AI tools that reshape and displace jobs, has previously said the technology will cause job disruption, but that people will find new forms of work and adapt.
Others have been more explicit. Dario Amodei, the CEO of Anthropic, warned last year that AI could wipe out half of all entry-level white-collar jobs in the next five years. Demis Hassabis, the CEO of Google DeepMind, said last month that he was already seeing some evidence that AI was causing a hiring slowdown at the company for junior roles.
Jump to
OpenAI's Sam Altman and Anthropic's Dario Amodei had an awkward moment on Thursday as they chose not to hold hands during a group photo of political and tech leaders.
They were on stage at the India AI Impact Summit, alongside Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Google and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai, among others. Both had been keynote speakers.
Modi had lifted Altman and Pichai's hands before an applauding crowd, with others following suit. However, Altman and Amodei, who were next to each other, raised their fists instead of holding hands with one another.
It comes as competition intensifies between ChatGPT maker OpenAI and Claude maker Anthropic, with both vying for their models to become the default choice for consumers globally.
The companies have also recently traded shots over the potential use of adverts in AI models.
The image of Altman and Amodei opting out of holding hands quickly made the rounds on social media.
Siddharth Bhatia, cofounder of AI startup Puch AI, posted on X: "When AGI? The day Dario and Sam hold hands."
Justine Moore, an investing partner at Andreesen Horowitz, shared a picture with the words: "When you're forced to do a group project with your opp."
Last month, Anthropic released Super Bowl commercials that poked fun at OpenAI's plan to start testing ads for free users and ChatGPT Go subscribers in the U.S.
Altman called the ads "clearly dishonest," saying: "I guess it's on brand for Anthropic doublespeak to use a deceptive ad to critique theoretical deceptive ads that aren't real, but a Super Bowl ad is not where I would expect it."
Anthropic's chief customer officer, Paul Smith, later told CNBC that it was focused on growing its business rather than making "flashy headlines," in a veiled swipe at OpenAI.
Speaking at the summit after the photo, Altman told CNBC: "We still have some work to do to figure out the exact ad format that's going to work best."
Anthropic was founded in 2021 by a group of former OpenAI staff and researchers, including Amodei, who left the company after disagreements over its direction. The company has marketed itself as a "safety-first" alternative.
OpenAI and Anthropic have since raised billions of dollars of capital as they've competed for users, enterprise customers and market share.
During his speech at the summit on Thursday, Amodei discussed the "serious risks" associated with AI, including the autonomous behavior of AI systems, their potential misuse by individuals and governments, and the potential for economic displacement.
During his speech, Altman argued that the industry's understanding of AI safety should include "societal resilience," adding: "We believe no AI lab can deliver a good future on their own."
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Lorenzo Miro San Diego first learned about Polymarket after seeing the prediction market on an episode of "South Park" last fall.
His first wager: $498 on the University of Houston beating Oregon State in a college football game. He netted more than $100 after the odds shifted further in Houston's favor.
For the next two months, things didn't work out as well. He lost money, on net, on a series of bets related to professional football and basketball. He also began dabbling in cryptocurrency price movement wagers — and lost money on those, too.
In total, he lost more than $1,700.
"I wasn't able to set any virtual limits," San Diego told Business Insider. "Unlike sportsbooks that I can visit when I'm in an area where they are legal, there was a lack of control and tools to be transparent for how much I could lose."
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In February, San Diego filed a lawsuit against Polymarket in hopes of recovering his losses. He said he managed to stop on his own accord, partly by switching his sports bets to an app where he doesn't use real money.
He's not the only person to have lost a significant amount of money on a prediction market. And as courts, lawmakers, and regulators debate what limits to put on sites like Polymarket and its chief competitor, Kalshi, problem gambling experts say their lack of guardrails increases the potential harm to millions of Americans.
"It's a huge distraction, and I don't think it's a healthy distraction," said Susan Sheridan Tucker, a former stockbroker who leads the Minnesota Alliance on Problem Gambling, of prediction markets. "Particularly if you don't understand how these markets work, you can get yourself into a lot of trouble."
K.A., a 24-year-old engineer from Virginia, sank more than $10,000 into Kalshi during an eight-day stretch in late December, according to screenshots he shared with Business Insider.
After initially limiting himself to small bets on Counter-Strike, a shooting game he played that's popular among e-sports fans, he began staking more than $1,000 at a time on the outcome of NBA games and tennis matches. He also took out thousands of dollars in loans, he said, so that he could wager more, chasing his losses until he cut himself off.
"There'll be a big winning streak at the beginning, which happened to me — then bam, everything's gone," he said.
Daniel Umfleet, the CEO of the telehealth company Kindbridge Behavioral Health, said problem-gambling treatment providers have only just begun to try to tease out their patients' use of prediction markets from financial activities like day-trading cryptocurrencies or stocks.
"We are seeing more of it, but it's not like we're seeing it coming through like it's a tidal wave, or a dam has burst," he said.
The National Council on Problem Gambling has estimated that about 2.5 million adults in the US could be diagnosed with severe gambling addiction, and 5 to 8 million more meet some criteria. Most never seek treatment.
Problem gambling poses a special threat to young men, many of whom initially seek help because of pressure from a spouse or parent, Umfleet said. Some compulsive gamblers have other mental health issues, like anxiety or depression, Umfleet and others said.
K.A. said he thinks more young people should know the warning signs for when their use of prediction markets becomes a problem. Placing larger and larger bets, "chasing losses" with the belief that they will make their money back, and selling other financial assets to take positions on prediction markets — all of which he said he did — are red flags, he said.
The amount Americans spend on "event contracts" on platforms like Kalshi, Polymarket, Robinhood, and Crypto.com is still only a fraction of what they spend at brick-and-mortar casinos and on state-regulated gaming and sportsbooks apps. As with sportsbooks, researchers have found that most users of Kalshi and Polymarket lose money.
Kalshi has disputed a report that its median user loses 7% of their balance within 90 days of signing up. Elisabeth Diana, a Kalshi spokesperson, declined to provide alternative figures, saying they vary and are between 1% and 7%. Kalshi and Polymarket have said they're fairer than traditional gambling, with Polymarket founder Shayne Coplan calling sportsbooks a "scam."
According to the American Gaming Association, gambling businesses netted more than $71 billion in the first 11 months of last year.
Kalshi, the largest prediction market in the US, made $263.5 million in fees last year, according to an estimate by the news website InGame. The CEO of Robinhood, a finance app that lets users buy event contracts from Kalshi and ForecastEx, has said prediction markets could eventually generate $300 million for the company each year.
It's a fast-growing niche. Kalshi said the total volume of trades on Super Bowl-related markets on its platform was $1 billion, 27 times higher than the year before. That's more than half of the $1.76 billion that the American Gaming Association estimated would be wagered on the game through sportsbooks.
The American gambling industry has grown rapidly since 2018, when the Supreme Court struck down a federal ban on sports betting.
The popularity of speculating on cryptocurrencies, meme stocks, and prediction markets by young people has been a particular cause for concern among policy experts and financial-wellness advocates.
Robinhood and other brokerages geared toward young people were accused of "gamifying" markets to drive growth during the meme-stock mania of 2020 and 2021. Critics have accused them of blurring the line between gambling and investing.
College-aged Americans in particular see gambling as something that's "so easy," said Pamela Brenner-Davis, who works on gambling addiction issues in New York.
K.A. said his first introduction to Kalshi was through TikTok. He saw one ad after another — every third or fourth video in his feed, he said, was about "how easy or accessible" it was to use the platform.
Sportsbooks have also advertised and spent heavily on promotions in recent years, surpassing $800 million in 2021 and falling somewhat since then, according to industry-sponsored research based on Nielsen data. State regulators generally require sportsbook and casino ads to target people over 21 and mention the risks of problem gambling and resources available to help with addiction. Prediction markets aren't required to do the same.
Earlier this month, the National Council for Problem Gambling called on all prediction markets to publicize the national gambling helpline, 1-800-MY-RESET. So far, it doesn't appear that any have done so.
Kalshi has ways for users to limit their use and cut themselves off. The company also announced a partnership with a telehealth company that helps people with problem gambling and other mental-health challenges, which often co-exist.
Other event-contracts platforms do not have any such features, however.
Polymarket, whose US product is still in limited release, has no information on its website about gambling safeguards. OG, a prediction market created by Crypto.com, recently announced plans to offer "margin trading" on events contracts and leans heavily into sports imagery in its marketing. It doesn't have any information about problem gambling resources on its website, though it warns that the contracts it offers are risky and not appropriate for everyone.
Polymarket and OG didn't respond to requests for comment.
Some prediction markets take issue with the use of the term "wagering" or "betting" to describe what users do on their platforms. They have resisted efforts by state governments to regulate their activities and have described their products as swaps or futures, which are financial instruments subject to regulation by the federal Commodity Futures Trading Commission.
The National Council for Problem Gambling told the CFTC last year that "betting on futures is functionally gambling" and expressed concern that anti-addiction safeguards weren't available on prediction markets.
The CFTC's new chair, Michael Selig, has said the agency will start writing rules for event contracts. The process of writing and rewriting the rules could take anywhere from months to more than a year.
Commodities regulators "are used to regulating things like prediction market liquidity, manipulation, fair access," said Glenn Yamagata, an economist, consultant, and part-time executive director of the Oregon Council on Problem Gambling.
"They're not sort of used to dealing with mental-health issues or having things like voluntary self-exclusion," he said.
The "South Park" episode that introduced San Diego to Polymarket lampooned the regulatory uncertainty that exists in prediction markets. When a character tried to complain about a market, he was routed to the CFTC, then to another federal agency, and ultimately to the White House.
K.A. said he decided to stop after realizing he hit "rock bottom" and told his partner about the problems he was having, which he said derailed their plans to move into a nicer apartment this spring. Now he's in recovery, has uninstalled the Kalshi app, and is meeting with a therapist.
San Diego said he would tell other users: "Bet with your head, set limits, and know when to quit."
Problem-gambling professionals say more needs to be done to get the message out.
"Where there is gambling activity, there is a potential for gambling harm," said Brenner-Davis.
Have a tip? Know more? Reach Jack Newsham via email (jnewsham@businessinsider.com) or via Signal (+1-314-971-1627). Use a personal email address, a nonwork device, and nonwork WiFi; here's our guide to sharing information securely.
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Three Vietnamese airlines announced deals Thursday to buy nearly 100 Boeing aircraft during a visit by the head of the country's communist party, To Lam, to Washington, D.C.
The deals include commitments from Vietnam Airlines, Sun PhuQuoc Airways and VietJet, marking one of the largest civil aviation contracts announced by Vietnamese carriers.
Vietnam Airlines finalized an agreement to purchase 50 Boeing 737 MAX jets for $8 billion, a deal first announced in 2023.
Sun PhuQuoc Airways, a newly formed airline by the conglomerate Sun Group, also signed an agreement to purchase 40 Boeing 787 Dreamliners. The airline, which began operations in November 2025, said the $22.5 billion deal represents Vietnam's largest wide-body aircraft order to date and its first direct purchase from Boeing.
Sun Group's Chairman Dang Minh Truong said in a statement that the aircraft would support long-haul expansion and help promote the resort island of Phu Quoc — where the company operates major tourism projects — as an international destination.
Budget carrier VietJet agreed to acquire six Boeing 737 jets through Griffin Global Asset Management in a financing agreement worth $965 million.
In a statement, the airline said the agreement "marks a significant step in VietJet's strategy of diversifying international funding sources, while strengthening its financial capacity and capital structure according to global standards."
The announcements were made ahead of Lam's attendance at the inaugural meeting of U.S. President Donald Trump's "Board of Peace" on Thursday, an initiative aimed at addressing global conflicts.
Trump said in a Truth Social post Sunday that at least 20 member states had pledged more than $5 billion to support humanitarian and reconstruction efforts in Gaza, along with thousands of personnel for an International Stabilization Force to help police the war-torn territory.
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Salesforce says it's at the vanguard of the AI revolution and has even toyed with renaming itself Agentforce in honor of its bet on AI agents. The company is rapidly adopting AI internally as well, and a survey obtained by Business Insider reveals how that's actually playing out behind the scenes.
The results — which were broadly positive — show that most employees feel AI is increasing their productivity, although fewer say it's lightening their workloads.
Salesforce's annual "Great Insights" survey, which is not public, was conducted in November 2025 and released inside the software company the following month. It surveyed about 80% of the 76,000-person workforce.
Most questions about AI received high favorability ratings: In addition to the 81% of employees who said AI tools boost productivity, 83% said they feel equipped to handle AI risks such as bias, and 81% said they felt encouraged to experiment with AI.
More than half of employees — 57% — said AI tools helped their team identify opportunities that would have been impossible otherwise. And 62% said their workload is more manageable because they use AI tools. Both of these were among the lowest results in the survey.
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Salesforce told Business Insider in a statement that the survey showed significant gains in AI use and strong enthusiasm. A composite it creates called the AI Readiness score was at 85% enterprise-wide, an 18% gain year-over-year.
"We're thrilled that our employees have moved on from adoption and are seeing AI tools make a meaningful impact in their daily work," a Salesforce spokesperson said.
The results suggest that Salesforce is ahead of the pack on encouraging AI adoption, said Jason Schloetzer, an associate professor at Georgetown University's business school who has interviewed dozens of executives about AI adoption. The results also show that, for some employees, AI intensifies their workload rather than reducing it.
"The gaps suggest people believe AI is enabling them to do more work, but it's not making their work easier," he said.
Salesforce, which sells customer relationship management software, has garnered attention for an intense AI push led by CEO Marc Benioff. Last August, he said half of the work at Salesforce was being done by AI and that the company had eliminated 4,000 support roles because of AI agents.
Salesforce's website says the company uses a mix of internal AI tools, including an AI from Salesforce-owned Slack that can quickly find old project templates, and Career Connect, which analyzes employees' strengths and weaknesses to help them move within the company.
Salesforce is facing challenges despite its embrace of the AI revolution. Its stock is down over 40% in the past year as concerns mount about the fate of legacy software companies amid the arrival of AI tools from OpenAI and Anthropic.
The company has also struggled to deliver on promises made in demos of its AI product Agentforce, Business Insider previously reported.
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AI demand has surged in recent weeks, according to new data that could support tech giants' decisions to dramatically ramp up investment in this area.
OpenRouter, which helps developers access different AI models, has seen activity roughly double in the first weeks of 2026.
This is measured by the number of AI tokens OpenRouter processes. AI models break down words and other inputs into numerical tokens to make them easier to process and understand. One token is about ¾ of a word.
OpenRouter handled 13 trillion AI tokens in the week that ended February 9. That's up from 6.4 trillion during the first week of January.
Seen over a year, this recent surge is even more striking. AI models that OpenRouter taps into include Google's Gemini, Anthropic's Claude, xAI's Grok, OpenAI's GPT range, and a host of open-source offerings from DeepSeek, Moonshot AI, and others.
This data excludes AI tokens processed directly by the major AI companies, so it represents a small fraction of total activity. For instance, Google was processing 1.3 quadrillion tokens a month this past summer. However, the recent rate of change in OpenRouter's data is a valuable signal.
Anand Iyer, a partner at VC firm Lightspeed, said the recent surge has been driven by an explosion in AI agent activity and especially the rapid emergence of OpenClaw, an open-source agentic system.
That's sparked an exponential increase in inference, which is how models, agents, and other AI services are run in the cloud.
"The demand for AI inference right now is coming from agentic platforms, especially OpenClaw," Iyer told Business Insider this week. "We moved from simple chatbot experiences to agentic automation and execution, which has driven exponential growth of OpenClaw installations and OpenRouter usage."
There are other signs of rising AI use. Data compiled by Bloomberg suggests demand for Nvidia AI chips has increased lately. The chart below shows the cost to rent Nvidia H100 GPUs. As you can see, prices have rebounded strongly since early December, which implies robust AI demand.
OpenClaw launched in November 2025. That coincides with the H100 rebound here.
A third data point comes from Barclays analysts, who recently looked at online traffic to vibe coding services, including Lovable, Replit, and Wix's Base44.
The consumer website-based vibe coding services Barclays tracks saw traffic jump 17% month over month in January.
"This was the strongest growth since April 2025," the analysts wrote in a note to investors this week. "The uptick in interest here was driven largely by frontier model improvements in late 2025 that made these platforms more effective."
The debate still rages over whether AI will be used enough to justify all the heavy investments being made. Big Tech companies recently increased capital expenditure plans to eye-watering levels, raising new concerns about a potential AI bubble.
This new AI usage data may suggest that demand could be strong enough to support such heavy spending.
"AI capex today, as we know it today, is largely driven by training requirements from large frontier labs," Iyer said.
Training is a data- and energy-intensive process in which AI models are created in massive data centers. Inference comes after models are run.
"The sustainability is warranted as long as the revenue produced by inference (which is growing exponentially) will justify the output from the training," Iyer said. "Which seems to be working so far."
OpenClaw is part of a broader evolution of generative AI. The era kicked off with a bang when OpenAI launched ChatGPT in late 2022, and the chatbot became the fastest-growing tech product in history.
More recently, AI models have begun to support autonomous digital agents and similar tools that can use computers independently to accomplish complex tasks.
OpenClaw's open-source technology supports agents that help users automate coding and other workflows by accessing computer files, email, calendars, and messaging services.
In January, Anthropic unveiled Claude Cowork, an AI agent that handles tasks such as document generation and file management.
The startup rolled out Claude Sonnet 4.6, its latest AI model, this week. It's gotten better at what Anthropic calls "computer use," where AI models and agents use computers in similar ways to humans to get tasks done.
"The model sees the computer and interacts with it in much the same way a person would: clicking a (virtual) mouse and typing on a (virtual) keyboard," Anthropic wrote in a blog on Tuesday.
This type of machine-to-machine activity is behind a lot of the surge in AI token use lately. It makes sense: most people can use a computer for seven or eight hours a day. Then, they need a break or a nap. AI models never sleep and can hack away at a task uninterrupted until it's done.
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The old saying "Everything is bigger in Texas" now applies to data centers.
The Lone Star State is on track to unseat Virginia as the world's largest data center market by 2030, new research from Jones Lang LaSalle shows.
The shift indicates how drastically the data center development boom has reshaped the US's digital infrastructure map and the landscape as a whole. Amazon, Microsoft, Google, and Meta plan to spend more than $600 billion on AI infrastructure expansion in 2026 — a number so dizzyingly high that Wall Street is on high alert for signs of an AI bubble.
More than half of all data center construction in the US now happens outside the industry's traditional hubs, according to JLL's North America Data Center Report — Year-End 2025. Tennessee, Ohio, Wisconsin, and Texas are now considered the top emerging markets for data centers.
Texas alone has 6.5 gigawatts of data center capacity under construction.
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That amount of power is roughly equivalent to more than three Hoover Dams or over 17,000 Tesla Model 3s when using the US Department of Energy's standard, and it accounts for about one-fifth of the 35 gigawatts of data center capacity the US added to its pipeline.
That 35 gigawatts is roughly equivalent to the annual electricity consumption of the UK or Italy, and adding it would nearly double the existing data center capacity in the US, according to JLL.
Part of Texas's appeal is its sprawl.
The state houses some of the most ambitious data center projects in the country. Oracle and OpenAI's flagship Stargate data center is in Abilene, Google is planning a $40 billion expansion in West Texas, and Meta is building a massive new site in El Paso, just to name a few.
Texas also has abundant energy resources, which is good news for data center developers. The AI boom has driven electricity demand to new heights and strained the nation's power grid. In Texas, several data centers — including Stargate — are being built alongside on-site power plants.
Northern Virginia has been the data center industry's central hub for more than 15 years, going back to the early days of cloud computing. That has changed rapidly as Big Tech spreads out across the country in search of available power, cheap land, and the best tax incentive packages for the coming wave of AI data centers.
Have a tip? Contact this reporter via email at ethomas@businessinsider.com or on Signal at 929-524-6964.
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To some extent, Americans are talking about alcohol more than ever. We're having open conversations about the negative health impacts of drinking. People are consuming less booze overall and examining strategies to moderate, even as each drink packs more punch. There is one aspect of alcohol we're still not talking about: addiction, and, more precisely, the medical treatments available to combat it. What's even odder — your doctor may not know much about them, either.
Even as researchers examine the potential for GLP-1s such as Ozempic and Zepbound to reduce alcohol consumption, the most underappreciated story in alcohol use disorder isn't the promise of new drugs. It's why the ones we already have are so rarely used. There are three FDA-approved medications to treat AUD in the US: naltrexone, acamprosate, and disulfiram. They've existed for decades, are effective for some people in reducing or stopping drinking, and, addiction physicians say, have few drawbacks.
Despite all of this, they are broadly unknown to patients and widely underprescribed. Just 2% of Americans with an alcohol disorder diagnosis receive approved medications for treatment, says Dr. Lorenzo Leggio, a senior investigator at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. By comparison, 85% of people diagnosed with diabetes get approved treatments for it.
These drugs aren't a panacea — like all medications, some things work for some people and not others. But they're an important tool in a toolbox to treat a condition that affects millions of Americans and takes thousands of lives each year.
"The challenge here is to really treat addiction the same way we treat diabetes, hypertension, cancer, Parkinson's, depression, and the list goes on and on," Leggio says.
At a basic level, the medications used to treat alcohol use disorder do something quite simple: they make drinking less appealing.
The first is naltrexone, which was first developed to treat opioid use disorder. It blocks the warm, buzzy feelings of alcohol — people may still drink, but it doesn't do much for them. (They'll still get the impaired effects of alcohol, just not the euphoria.) Some people use naltrexone to undertake what's called the "Sinclair Method," where they take the drug an hour before starting drinking so that when the session begins, the pleasurable effects from the alcohol are blunted. The idea is that if the person takes naltrexone every time they drink, the associated reward with alcohol will lessen, reducing cravings over time and thus leading to a significant drop in drinking or even abstinence. Some people may choose to take naltrexone only when they have what could be a potentially heavy drinking event, like a wedding, so they end the night with two drinks instead of 10. Naltrexone is also available through an extended-release one-month injection.
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Another option is acamprosate, which restores brain balance after it's been thrown off by heavy alcohol use and can help reduce cravings, though it doesn't reduce alcohol's effects in the moment. It's prescribed more commonly in Europe. The final of the trio is disulfiram, which inhibits the body's ability to break down alcohol — essentially, it makes people sick if they drink. It's the least commonly prescribed of the three because of high rates of patient noncompliance.
Research shows that naltrexone can help reduce heavy drinking and cravings, and acamprosate can help promote abstinence and prevent a return to drinking.
"I really view medications as being tremendously helpful in turning the volume down on craving, on withdrawal symptoms, on some of the other reasons that people struggle," says Katie Witkiewitz, a psychologist at the University of New Mexico who specializes in substance use disorders.
Effectiveness can vary among patients and can be modest, as with many medications. The same goes for side effects, which can include headache or nausea (sometimes caused by naltrexone), and lack of appetite or irritability (sometimes caused by acamprosate). Addiction specialists say the medications are generally well-tolerated by most patients.
"There's lots of benefits and very few drawbacks," says Sarah Wakeman, the senior medical director for substance use disorder at Mass General Brigham in Boston. "These medications are incredibly safe, and you need very little, if any, lab monitoring."
The drugs are also hyper affordable — naltrexone, acamprosate, and disulfiram are all generics, and they're generally covered by insurance. The exception is Vivitrol, the naltrexone injection, which is still under patent.
Given how straightforward these medications are, it's natural to ask why they aren't used more often. The answer is complicated, having to do with the stigma around addiction, lack of patient knowledge, and the ways in which our society and the medical establishment treat alcohol.
Alcoholism is a disease of denial — individuals often minimize, rationalize, or lie about their drinking. Even people who drink moderately tend to fudge the numbers when asked about their alcohol habits, either by their doctor or people they know. Our culture writ large is in denial about alcoholism, too. We tend to treat it as a lack of willpower, as a moral failing, and a bad habit people need to knock off. We generally don't see it as the chronic condition it is.
Many people may not realize they are engaging in problem drinking, and if they do, they may not go to their doctors about it. Treatment for alcohol use disorder has "largely evolved outside of the mainstream of healthcare," says Dr. Caleb Alexander, a practicing internist and drug safety expert at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Historically, it's been siloed into specialty treatment programs — behavioral therapies, rehabilitation centers, or groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous or SMART Recovery. These work for some people, but not everyone. Alexander adds that many of these settings don't have prescribers, formularies, or medication management that would provide access to AUD drugs. Some groups may also be opposed to medication intervention.
Those who do seek help through the healthcare system often run into discouraging obstacles, and doctors themselves may be ill-equipped to help. Physicians are often poorly trained in addiction medicine in medical school or residency. They may not be versed in the medications available or have a misperception that they need specialization to prescribe them. Doctors are also people, and they may hold the same biases as anyone else about alcohol.
"A lot of doctors don't even want to have these conversations at all," says Keith Humphreys, a professor of psychiatry at Stanford University who specializes in addiction and a former senior policy advisor in the Obama administration.
The result: the medications that are at doctors' fingertips go woefully under-discussed and under-prescribed. People lie to their doctors about their drinking instead of having open, honest talks. Because these drugs are generics and don't lead to a huge payday for manufacturers, there's no marketing money behind them, and they have no champions. This creates a self-fulfilling prophecy: Since there is such a small market now, potential innovations for alcohol addiction are stunted.
"If doctors don't want to prescribe it and patients have never heard of it, then a company is not going to develop the next drug for drinking because they're like, 'It's a waste of money,'" Humphreys says.
There are some online providers to fill the void, such as telehealth company Oar Health and Ria Health, which focus on medication-assisted alcohol treatment. They can be options for people who may be too embarrassed to go to their doctors or whose doctors are resistant to trying medications, but they're also costlier and may not come with the same level of supervision.
There are some signs that this neglect may not be a permanent state of affairs.
Researchers are studying whether GLP-1s such as semaglutide and tirzepatide might help reduce alcohol consumption. While some early evidence is promising, experts say it's too early to tell just how effective they might ultimately be. If GLP-1s do prove useful in helping to treat alcohol use disorder, they have some advantages other medications do not: there's a lot of money and momentum behind them.
"They're already part of the cultural milieu," Witkiewitz says. "People are using them, people are wanting them, and that's not something we typically see with medications."
GLP-1 makers were initially hesitant to investigate the effectiveness of their drugs on alcohol use because they were concerned it might damage their brands, Humphreys says, in another example of just how pervasive the addiction stigma is. Now, "the companies have decided they're going to go for it."
At the moment, GLP-1s are merely a hope in helping people manage problem alcohol use. The reality is that there are options out there, they're just often ignored. The overarching barrier has more to do with lack of will than lack of way. Ideally, there would be multiple other drugs under development for the treatment of AUD, and more patients and doctors would know about what's already out there.
"All these tools that we have, from 12 steps to AAs to behavior treatment to medications, they're not mutually exclusive," Leggio says.
The way we talk about and approach drinking can and should evolve. The FDA recently formally recognized a reduction in drinking as a valid endpoint in alcohol-related clinical trials, meaning the goal of medications under development doesn't need to be total abstinence — it can also be helping people to slow down. It's a "paradigm shift," Witkiewitz says, and may lead to more drugs to help curb drinking and more doctors aware of the health benefits of cutting back.
The real test is whether we finally treat alcohol addiction like a disease rather than a character flaw. We've done it with other conditions before. While there's still a stigma around obesity, that is changing, thanks in part to GLP-1s, as more people accept the idea that weight loss is about more than willpower.
"There's this idea that medications are a crutch or making it an easy way out," Wakeman says.
Perhaps a better parallel is depression. For years, it, too, was swept under the rug. People were told to shake it off. Today, it's widely understood as a treatable condition. There are a variety of medications available, and many patients try different formulations and dosages until they find the right fit. For some people, medication isn't the answer, and they use other strategies to combat and mitigate it. People aren't expected to be free of depressive episodes forever, even with treatment, and in many circles, it's quite commonplace to discuss, whether at the doctor's office or over lunch.
"Prior to Prozac becoming now a completely banal thing that you can talk about at a dinner party, depression was, 'You need a kick in the butt, pick yourself up, what's the matter with you?'" Humphreys says.
Alcohol use disorder could now be reaching a similar inflection point. The science behind treatments has existed for years, but the culture has lagged behind. GLP-1 drugs may help to accelerate a shift in how we think about medication to curb drinking. And if we're talking so much about the dangers of drinking, shouldn't we be giving people as much help as possible to slow down and stop?
Emily Stewart is a senior correspondent at Business Insider, writing about business and the economy.
Business Insider's Discourse stories provide perspectives on the day's most pressing issues, informed by analysis, reporting, and expertise.
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The world's biggest AI leaders gathered in New Delhi this week, prepared to talk about the latest models and their impact on societies. They seemed less prepared for a 14-person hand-hold that tech circles will remember for a long time.
On Thursday, top executives, including Demis Hassabis, Sundar Pichai, Brad Smith, Sam Altman, and Dario Amodei, lined up on stage with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the India AI Impact Summit.
In his signature style, Modi held hands with Pichai on his right and Altman on his left and began raising their linked arms for a celebratory photo. Modi has previously taken photos this way with world leaders, including former US President Joe Biden and EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
The other tech execs were quick to catch on to Modi's directive, looking right and left before grabbing their neighbour's hand.
The photo op's most meme-worthy scene was the OpenAI and Anthropic CEOs not managing — or refusing— to hold each other's hands. After a pause, they raised their arms without making contact.
The moment was widely screenshotted and shared on social media.
LOL at Sam and Dario not holding hands pic.twitter.com/dmmUYHGWkj
The awkward moment followed a Super Bowl advertising jab between the two AI giants earlier this month. Anthropic's 30-second commercial roasted OpenAI over its decision to bring ads to ChatGPT.
After Anthropic released a series of Super Bowl ad teasers, Altman responded with a lengthy post on X, calling the Anthropic ad "dishonest."
Amodei cofounded Anthropic in 2021 after leaving OpenAI, citing disagreements over AI safety priorities and the lab's leadership style.
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The progress of Chinese tech companies across the entire stack is "remarkable," OpenAI's Sam Altman told CNBC.
Altman's comments come as China races against the U.S. to develop artificial general intelligence (AGI) — where AI matches human capabilities — and roll out the technology across society.
The pace of technological advance in "many fields," including AI, is "amazingly fast," Altman said. In some areas Chinese tech companies are near the frontier, while in others they lag behind, he added.
The country is moving to scale homegrown chipmakers that it hopes could eventually rival the likes of Nvidia, and AI companies are seeing big rallies on stock exchanges as investors double down on their potential.
Altman's not the only tech leader paying attention to China.
American tech companies should "worry a little bit" about the subsidies their Chinese competitors receive from their government in the AI race, Microsoft President Brad Smith told CNBC on Wednesday.
OpenAI has been moving to develop revenue streams as its looks to provide a path to profitability for investors that have ploughed around $70 billion into the company, according to deal-counting platform Dealroom. The company is looking to wrap up a $100 billion fundraising round, sources told CNBC.
Adverts within ChatGPT is one avenue the company is exploring.
"I think we still have some work to do to figure out the exact ad format that's going to work best," Altman said, adding that plans are in their early stages.
"The ads that I have personally liked the most in recent years from tech [companies] have been sort of Instagram style ads where you discover something new that you might really like and otherwise wouldn't have known about," he said. "I think we've got a real opportunity to push in that direction with ads in ChatGPT."
OpenAI is initially planning to test adverts in the U.S., but will eventually roll out to other markets, Altman said.
While conversations around OpenAI's timelines on a path to profitability are swirling among market watchers, the company is still focused on growth right now, Altman told CNBC.
"We are growing at an extremely fast rate right now," he said. "I think as long as we can have reasonable unit economics, we should focus on continuing to grow faster and faster, and we'll get profitable when we think we when we think it makes sense."
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The Trump administration has warned it would be "very wise" for Iran to make a deal, amid reports the White House is considering fresh military action against Tehran as soon as this weekend.
It comes shortly after Vice President JD Vance accused Iran of failing to address core U.S. demands during nuclear talks in Switzerland this week. Iran's foreign minister previously reported progress in the talks, saying the two countries had reached an understanding over the "guiding principles" for the negotiations.
Speaking at a news briefing Wednesday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said that there were "many reasons and arguments that one could make for a strike against Iran," noting that the two countries remain "very far apart" on some issues.
U.S. President Donald Trump had a "very successful" operation last June, Leavitt said, when U.S. stealth bombers struck three Iranian nuclear facilities as part of "Operation Midnight Hammer."
"The president has always been very clear though with respect to Iran or any country around the world, diplomacy is always his first option. And Iran would be very wise to make a deal with President Trump and this administration," Leavitt said.
The White House has said it still hopes to reach a diplomatic resolution over Tehran's nuclear program, although U.S. media has reported that the military could be prepared to strike Iran as early as the weekend.
Both the U.S. and Iran have increased military activity in the oil-producing Middle East region in recent weeks.
The U.S., for its part, has built up a significant presence of air and naval assets, while Iran has conducted military drills in the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz and announced joint naval drills with Russia in the Gulf of Oman, also known as the Sea of Oman.
Laura James, Middle East senior analyst at Oxford Analytica, described the current situation as "extremely dangerous," with the U.S. and Iran "certainly closer" to an outright conflict than last week.
"The thing that is now a particular concern over the past 24 hours is the very rapid pace at which the United States is reinforcing its air power in the region. That, of course, can still be signaling and pressure for a particular diplomatic outcome," James told CNBC's "Access Middle East" on Thursday.
"But as more and more planes come in and more and more equipment comes in, that signaling gets more and more expensive. And therefore, the payoff you want for it in diplomatic terms has to be larger — and there is simply no sign Tehran can offer the absolute minimum that Washington is likely to demand," she added.
Energy market participants have been closely watching the outcome of the U.S.-Iran talks in Geneva, particularly as it relates to the Strait of Hormuz, a major international waterway that Iran partially closed on Tuesday citing "security precautions."
Located in the gulf between Oman and Iran, the Strait of Hormuz is recognized as one of the world's most important oil choke points.
About 13 million barrels per day of crude oil transited the Strait of Hormuz in 2025, accounting for roughly 31% of global seaborne crude flows, data provided by market intelligence firm Kpler showed.
Oil prices were higher on Thursday, extending gains after settling up more than 4% in the previous session.
International benchmark Brent crude futures with April delivery rose 1.5% to $71.41 per barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate futures with March delivery stood 1.7% higher at $66.27.
— CNBC's Lee Ying Shan contributed to this report.
Correction: White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Wednesday that there were "many reasons and arguments that one could make for a strike against Iran." An earlier version misquoted her. Laura James, Middle East senior analyst at Oxford Analytica told CNBC on Thursday, "But as more and more planes come in and more and more equipment comes in, that signaling gets more and more expensive." An earlier version misquoted her.
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U.S. President Donald Trump has once again criticized the U.K.'s plan to hand the Chagos Islands back to Mauritius, telling the country not to "give away" the territory where a strategic U.S.-U.K. military base is located.
"DO NOT GIVE AWAY DIEGO GARCIA!" Trump posted on his Truth Social media platform on Wednesday, saying he'd been telling British Prime Minister Keir Starmer that he should "not lose control, for any reason, of Diego Garcia."
The U.K. agreed in May 2025 to hand sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, which has long-disputed the U.K.'s acquisition and ownership of the archipelago in the Indian Ocean.
The deal would see the U.K. lease back the military base it shares with the U.S. on the largest island on the archipelago, Diego Garcia, for £101 million ($135.7 million) a year, for an initial 99-year period.
The U.S. previously voiced support for the deal and, on Tuesday, the Department of State said it "supports the decision of the United Kingdom to proceed with its agreement with Mauritius concerning the Chagos archipelago."
Trump is not the biggest fan of the Chagos deal, however, and he has seesawed on the issue of ceding the territory to Mauritius.
In January, he called the deal "an act of great stupidity," but he was more conciliatory in early February, stating: "I understand that the deal Prime Minister Starmer has made, according to many, the best he could make," he commented on Truth Social.
"However, if the lease deal, sometime in the future, ever falls apart, or anyone threatens or endangers US operations and forces at our base, I retain the right to militarily secure and reinforce the American presence in Diego Garcia," he added.
On Wednesday, he returned to his negative position on the agreement, saying that he'd told Starmer "that Leases are no good when it comes to Countries."
"He is making a big mistake by entering a 100 Year Lease with whoever it is that is 'claiming' Right, Title, and Interest to Diego Garcia, strategically located in the Indian Ocean," Trump said.
The president suggested that giving the islands away was an act of "Wokeism," as it had come after the U.K. faced sustained international and legal pressure to relinquish the islands, and to redress its thorny colonial history on the islands.
"We will always be ready, willing, and able to fight for the U.K., but they have to remain strong in the face of Wokeism, and other problems put before them," Trump said.
The U.K. has repeatedly said that it "will never compromise on our national security" when it comes to the Chagos deal.
Trump also suggested Wednesday that the joint military base on the island could be vital if military action was taken against Iran — if the Islamic Republic did not agree a new nuclear deal during current talks with the U.S.
"Should Iran decide not to make a Deal, it may be necessary for the United States to use Diego Garcia, and the Airfield located in Fairford, in order to eradicate a potential attack by a highly unstable and dangerous Regime — An attack that would potentially be made on the United Kingdom, as well as other friendly Countries," Trump said.
The U.S. and Mauritius are due to hold talks on the Chagos deal next week, from Feb. 23-25, with the U.S. Department of State noting that the discussions" underscore the continued importance of the Chagos archipelago and the joint U.S.-U.K. base on Diego Garcia to our national security."
"The discussions will focus on bilateral security cooperation and effective implementation of security arrangements for the base to ensure its long-term, secure operation," the department said.
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Former South Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol was sentenced to life imprisonment Thursday after being found guilty of leading an insurrection during his declaration of martial law in December 2024.
The ruling, delivered by Seoul Central District Court Judge Jee Kui-youn, was lighter than the death penalty prosecutors sought at the trial's final hearing in January. The ruling was aired live on South Korea's major broadcasters.
Jee said in the verdict that Yoon led an insurrection and committed acts to subvert the country's constitutional order.
The court added that Yoon "took the lead in planning the crime and involved a large number of people," and that it was "difficult to see any sign of remorse from the defendant, who also refused to appear in court."
Yoon had previously reportedly refused to appear in court for questioning last year.
The court also found Yoon had ordered South Korea's military to capture individuals during the martial law declaration, including the current president Lee Jae Myung.
Yoon also had the intention to "paralyze" the country's parliament by deploying troops to blockade the National Assembly and arrest key politicians, Jee said.
Five others were also sentenced, including former defense minister Kim Yong-hyun, who was sentenced to 30 years in prison.
The defendants may appeal the ruling within a week.
The sentence follows a separate ruling on Jan. 16, when Yoon was given a five-year prison term for attempting to obstruct his arrest after he was impeached and suspended from office.
Other senior officials have been sentenced over the failed martial law bid. Former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo was sentenced to 23 years in prison, while former Interior Minister Lee Sang-min received a seven-year sentence.
Yoon was the first sitting South Korean president to be arrested in an operation involving over 3,000 police personnel that involved a standoff with presidential security agents.
During the final hearing, special counsel Cho Eun-suk's team said Yoon declared martial law "with the purpose of remaining in power for a long time by seizing the judiciary and legislature," according to South Korean media reports.
Yoon reportedly maintained his innocence, arguing the declaration was within his constitutional authority and was intended to "safeguard freedom and sovereignty."
He imposed South Korea's first instance of martial law in 44 years during a late-night address on Dec. 3, claiming that the then-opposition Democratic Party of Korea was engaging in "anti-state activities" and colluding with "North Korean communists."
Troops were deployed to the country's National Assembly, while soldiers and police clashed with protesters outside the compound.
Television footage showed special forces breaking windows to gain access to the chamber, while parliamentary staffers used furniture to barricade doors.
Then-defense minister Kim Yong-hyun also reportedly ordered troops to "pull people inside the National Assembly building outside."
But the martial law order was overturned within three hours, after 190 of the 300 National Assembly lawmakers gathered in the chamber and unanimously voted to do so. Yoon eventually lifted martial law about six hours after announcing it.
He was impeached 11 days later and removed from office on April 4, 2025.
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Oil prices have climbed in recent weeks, even as a global surplus has left hundreds of millions of barrels floating offshore.
On Wednesday, oil prices ended over 4% higher as traders priced in the risk of supply disruptions amid tensions between the US and Iran and uncertainty over the war in Ukraine, after talks in Geneva ended without a breakthrough.
Oil futures edged up early Thursday, with US West Texas Intermediate crude oil futures trading around $65.30 per barrel at 1:04 a.m., while international benchmark Brent crude was around $70.50 per barrel.
Prices of both grades are around 15% higher this year after three straight years of decline, reflecting a return of the geopolitical risk premium despite a global oil supply surplus.
The key reason for the disconnect is that much of the surplus has materialized as sanctioned crude "stuck at sea," while inventories in key pricing hubs have remained stable, analysts at Goldman Sachs wrote in a Wednesday note.
Goldman estimates the oil market ran a surplus of about 1.5 million barrels per day in 2025. Normally, that kind of oversupply would weigh heavily on prices.
Instead, many tankers carrying sanctioned crude from Russia, Iran, and Venezuela are sitting at sea, using "dark fleet" and shadow shipping tactics to evade sanctions and keep oil moving.
While that allows sanctioned oil to keep flowing, it also leaves more barrels lingering at sea, far from storage centers such as the US Gulf Coast and Northwest Europe — regions that anchor global crude pricing.
Sanctioned crude inventories on water have risen by around 130 million barrels from a year ago and now stand at roughly 375 million barrels, Goldman estimates. That accounts for about one-third of the increase in global crude inventories.
"Inventory builds matter less for prices when occurring on water," Goldman wrote, because traders discount barrels that may never reach key pricing hubs.
The buildup stemmed from weaker demand for sanctioned crude late last year, as India and China bought less Russian oil.
That softer demand reflected shifting geopolitical incentives, including changes in US trade policy, as well as expectations of steeper discounts or possible sanctions relief, the bank added.
But the dynamic may not last.
"We assume that the pace of stockpiling moderates at sea but picks up on land," Goldman wrote.
The bank expects the share of oil inventory tied up offshore to fall from about 47% in 2025 to roughly 21% in 2026.
Holding its global surplus estimate constant, Goldman's framework suggests that every 1 million barrels per day of sanctioned crude that piles up at sea for 12 months can lift Brent by as much as $8 per barrel.
Meanwhile, every 100 million barrel reduction in oil stored offshore — as cargoes move into land-based inventories — could lower prices by $3 to $4.
Goldman expects Brent to average $56 per barrel and WTI $52 in 2026, the bank's analysts wrote in a separate note on January 11.
Jump to
Lori Schott, a mother from rural Colorado, said she stared down Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg as he walked into court in Los Angeles on Wednesday to testify in a landmark trial regarding social media addiction.
Schott lost her 18-year-old daughter, Annalee, to suicide in 2020. She believes the content Annalee saw on social media platforms "destroyed" her mental health.
"I made eye contact with him for quite a long time," Schott said of Zuckerberg. "I was not backing down."
Schott is not a plaintiff in the case where Zuckerberg testified on Wednesday, but is among more than 2,000 individuals who have similar personal injury lawsuits pending regarding social media addiction and harm.
The case underway in Los Angeles centers on a 20-year-old woman, identified by the initials KGM, who says her use of social media throughout her childhood negatively affected her mental health, contributing to depression and suicidal thoughts. It is considered a bellwether trial that could indicate how other similar lawsuits related to social media harm, like Schott's, could play out.
Meta, which owns Instagram and Facebook, was named as a defendant alongside Google-owned YouTube, TikTok, and Snapchat. TikTok and Snapchat both settled the lawsuit out of court.
Last month, Meta warned investors that its mounting legal battles over youth safety could "significantly impact" its 2026 financial results. Attorneys for more than 100,000 individual arbitration claimants have "sent mass arbitration demands relating to 'social media addiction'" since late 2024, the company said in a 2026 10-K, which warned that potential damages in certain cases could reach into the "high tens of billions of dollars."
In a statement, Stephanie Otway, a Meta spokesperson, said: "We strongly disagree with these allegations and are confident the evidence will show our longstanding commitment to supporting young people." Otway highlighted changes the company has made over the past decade, including Teen Accounts, which give parents tools to manage their teens' accounts.
Google declined to comment. TikTok did not respond to a request for comment. A Snapchat spokesperson said in a statement: "The Parties are pleased to have been able to resolve this matter in an amicable manner."
On Wednesday, parents showed up hours before the courthouse opened in hopes of getting a seat inside. Many of them had personal stories about how they believed social media use harmed their children.
"We face a lot of stigma from people telling us we're bad parents," said Amy Neville, another parent who attended to show her support. She said that once the evidence comes out in the trial, she believes "the tide will turn, and the general public will be on board with us."
"It is by design that social media is tearing their family apart," Neville said.
On the stand, Zuckerberg said that teens represent less than 1% of Meta's ad revenue and that most teens don't have disposable income, so it's not especially valuable to advertisers to reach them.
Zuckerberg said it's in Meta's best interest to create a platform that inspires people and makes them want to stick around for the long term.
"If people aren't happy with a service, eventually over time they'll stop using it and use something better," he said.
Sarah Gardner said that regardless of the outcome of the trial, she hopes it raises awareness about how the social media companies, and specifically Zuckerberg, have been operating. Gardner is the CEO of the Heat Initiative, an advocacy group that pressures Big Tech companies to make their platforms safer for kids. She was at the courthouse with the parents who believe they have been affected.
Gardner said she's hopeful the trial will empower more people to say, "I don't want to be on Instagram anymore."
Jump to
For luxury travel agencies, collecting money is surprisingly expensive.
Transaction costs — once foreign exchange fees, intermediary charges, and reconciliation time are combined — routinely run between eight and ten percent. Stablecoin transactions, by contrast, typically cost under one percent.
That gap is the reason behind a move that didn't exactly make a splash when 360 Private Travel announced it would begin accepting cryptocurrency for client payments in early February.
Released on LinkedIn and Instagram over the weekend, the reaction was a couple dozen likes and barely any comment — just a short statement outlining the use of stablecoins, a brief description, and a few slides about faster, more efficient transactions. The muted response, however, may say more about the industry's lacking familiarity with crypto announcements than about the significance of this one.
Crypto and digital currency have, after all, been hovering around the edges of luxury travel for a few years. News about its development has been sporadic at best: a hotel announcement here, a boutique agency there, and perhaps a handful of exceptional cases that have never quite caught on to inspire broader adoption across the industry.
What makes 360 Private Travel's announcement different isn't novelty, but a sign of a more significant shift in the thinking — as well as the appetite — of an agency to take control of its financial future.
360 Private Travel is now perhaps the largest luxury travel agency to formally integrate digital currency into its payments structure. Until now, only a small number of agencies have publicly acknowledged doing so, including Globe7, as profiled by Luxury Travel Advisor last year as part of that agency's London debut.
In that context, 360 Private Travel's move stands out not because it's a first, but because it is materially larger, more global, and more deliberate about why it's adopting crypto at all.
“We've seen more and more of our HNW clients asking for this over the last six to nine months,” said James Turner, CEO of 360 Private Travel, in a video interview with LTA shortly following the announcement. “We reached the conclusion that we should be doing this. It's the right time to do it, but it has to be done correctly.”
The framing is notable since this is about client response, not branding. But one other critical distinction also sits at the center of 360's approach.
The immediate association when anything about digital currency comes up is volatility. This, however, is not about Bitcoin or speculation. Instead, the agency is accepting stablecoins: digital currencies designed to maintain a fixed value, pegged to fiat currency — typically major ones such as the U.S. dollar or the euro.
“This is not a wildly fluctuating asset,” Turner said. “Ours is pegged to the U.S. dollar, which is the currency we deal with mostly internationally.”
“If we speak about stablecoin…the risk is near to zero,” confirmed Simone Urracci via email.
Urracci is a private travel designer at DreamsTeam, a high-end agency based in Milan who has been researching the potential of digital currencies for at least a couple of years.
“With 'proper' crypto the risk is quite high…but as we go forward, risks should decrease as well as potential upsides,” he added.
Despite resistance that still surrounds crypto in the travel industry, however justified, stablecoins are not designed to be held in the hope they appreciate. They are designed to move money quickly, predictably, and across borders, all powered by blockchain technology.
To minimize exposure even further, Turner explained that, for now, 360 converts incoming stablecoin payments into fiat currency on a daily basis. No assets are being held overnight, and the agency isn't betting on currency fluctuations to pad its coffers. Rather, crypto is being treated as an alternative rail for cheaper and faster cross-border transfers.
Longer term, Turner does see more widespread adoption. As more suppliers begin to accept digital currency themselves, agencies could transact end-to-end in stablecoins — converting only residual balances back into fiat when needed. But that phase depends on supplier readiness and additional infrastructure. The emphasis for 360 today is on getting the foundations right for its clients.
Generally, conversations about crypto stall around its complexity. The space has its own intricate language, and it's easy to get lost as the discussion inevitably touches on wallets, blockchains, or some other esoteric term. At its core, though, the technology is less about new money than about new financial plumbing.
Luca De Giglio, a researcher who has spent years studying digital currency adoption in the travel sector, offers a metaphor that helps distill the concept.
“Stablecoins are to payments what email was to letters,” he explained in a video interview. “Legacy payments are not internet-native. Stablecoins are. The jump in speed, efficiency, and cost reduction is significant.”
The existing payment infrastructure that underpins global travel was never designed for real-time, cross-border commerce. It relies on layers of intermediaries, cut-off times, confirmations, opaque FX rates, and reconciliation processes that remain stubbornly manual.
Those layers are not abstract — they are expensive. As LTA reported earlier this year in an investigation into commission delays and foreign exchange fees, the costs borne by the travel industry — particularly travel agencies — are significant. Once fees, charges, FX rates, time-value of delay, and time spent chasing and reconciling with intermediaries are combined, transaction costs routinely fall between eight and ten percent for agencies just to collect. In some cases, foreign exchange alone pushes that figure even higher.
By contrast, the cost of stablecoin transactions typically falls in the range of 0.5 to one percent.
“That difference is enormous,” Turner said.
For an agency doing hundreds of millions in sales annually, reducing the cost of processing by even a few percentage points has a direct impact on the bottom line. Speed matters as much as cost: Crypto also offers fewer reconciliation steps, faster settlement, transparent FX, 24/7 operation, and less time spent tracing payments or resolving discrepancies.
“In our market it would mean less cost of transaction, less time to receive commission, and a very efficient way of payment,” said Urracci. “Unfortunately, we are very far from that due to continuous change in European regulation on crypto.”
There are risks, however, especially if controls and security protocols are not in place. While the basic tools required to accept stablecoins are widely available, the guardrails are not. Fraud prevention, internal authorizations, cybersecurity, and auditability all become more critical when transactions are high value.
“We're a luxury business and there's a lot of attention on us. Fraud is inevitable when you're dealing with millions of dollars,” said Turner.
360 has relied on its own technology stack to manage those challenges — building in multiple authorization layers and tightly controlled workflows. The investment required for that approach is not as easily replicated by a small, standalone agency; though, Globe7's example suggests the boutique model isn't without precedent.
Geography and jurisdiction also play a role. While Dubai has emerged as a crypto hub, Turner is clear that 360's new UAE office was not the driver of this move.
“Dubai certainly has higher demand and a lower risk threshold, but this is a broader international shift,” he said.
That broader shift is visible in other ways. Some new developments are being designed to attract digital entrepreneurs and globally mobile capital — Zanzibar's proposed "Cyber City" being one example of how destinations themselves are beginning to position around digital finance, not just as a tourism story but as an economic infrastructure play. Money and people are moving differently, and the travel industry sits directly in the path of that change.
In contrast to Dubai, the UK remains more conservative from a regulatory and cultural standpoint, which makes implementation more complex, according to Turner. Yet the demand — particularly among globally mobile, HNW clients — is now strong enough to justify the effort.
For now, 360's crypto capability is available for both client payments and advisor payouts. Supplier settlements are the next logical phase, and Turner estimates that meaningful supplier engagement could begin within six months once systems are ready to operate at scale.
“If it returns more value to advisors and squeezes out unnecessary costs, that's good for the industry, for the ecosystem,” he said.
Crypto will not solve the luxury travel industry's payment problems overnight. But 360's move represents something more substantial than a pilot. An agency with more than 200 advisors across 60 countries claiming they made six figures in crypto payments within weeks of adoption would, if true, be a notable step forward in whether the industry can modernize how its money moves.
The travel industry's payment infrastructure has lagged other sectors for years. For agencies willing to engage seriously with the mechanics, stablecoins may offer a way to leapfrog some of that history — not by speculating on a new asset class, but by replacing an expensive and slow one with something faster, cheaper, and already working.
The question now is whether suppliers and host agencies move quickly enough to meet them there.
Jacques Ledbetter is a Luxury Travel Advisor contributor and founder of The Luxe Ledger newsletter.
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Neel Kashkari, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, offered a blunt take on digital assets, arguing that cryptocurrencies, including bitcoin BTC$66,510.36 and stablecoins, have yet to prove real utility.
Speaking at the 2026 Midwest Economic Outlook Summit in Fargo, North Dakota on Thursday, he contrasted the everyday utility of artificial intelligence (AI) tools with cryptocurrencies.
"Crypto has been around for more than a decade, and it's utterly useless," he said, while AI "has real long term potential for the U.S. economy."
After asking the audience who had used AI tools like ChatGPT or Gemini in the past week, Kashkari posed a second question: "raise your hand if you've bought or sold something with bitcoin."
When the discussion turned to payments and stablecoins, Kashkari said he's unconvinced the technology improves on existing financial rails. "I hear these words and I like, it's just, it's like a buzzword salad," he said. "What can I do with the stablecoin that I can't do with Venmo today?"
Pressed on stablecoins being used for cheaper and faster cross-border payments, Kashkari argued that proponents quickly concede that those benefits aren't aimed at U.S. consumers. While he admitted that adoption in emerging countries is rising, the said the tech still faces technical problems.
While stablecoin advocates promise instant transfers, he said, recipients still need to convert into local currency for everyday payments like buying groceries, which can be expensive.
Kashkari's skepticism stands in stark contrast to the Trump administration, which has increasingly championed bitcoin and U.S. dollar-backed stablecoins as key strategic tools.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent argued that regulated stablecoins can extend the greenback's dominance in global payments and reinforce its status as the world's reserve currency, strengthening U.S. financial influence. President Trump also signed an executive order in March to create a strategic bitcoin reserve, which Bessent was an advocate for.
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U.S. Federal Reserve researchers sing praises of prediction markets
A deep look at predictions on Kalshi called such platforms valuable to policymakers and researchers, according to a new Fed paper.
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.
A former investment fund chief who embezzled almost $40 million in Bitcoin from Georgia's former prime minister Bidzina Ivanishvili has been released from prison.
The man, the Georgian-Russian national Giorgi Bachiashvili, was jailed for 11 years in absentia after fleeing the country in March.
He was later arrested on the border with Azerbaijan and transferred to prison to serve his sentence, with courts ordering him to serve a further four years for illegal flight, the Russian-language media outlet Vzglad reported.
But after striking a plea deal, Bachiashvili's sentence was reduced, and he was allowed to walk free.
“Bachiashvili has fully admitted his guilt to all the criminal charges,” prosecutors told Georgian broadcaster Channel 1. “He also fully cooperated with the investigation and has paid compensation for the damages incurred.”
The development comes as the popularity of Bitcoin mining continues to grow in Georgia.
Regulatory data published late last year shows the Bitcoin mining sector's power consumption tripled in the first 10 months of 2025, reaching 617 million kilowatt-hours. This represents 5% of the nation's total electricity consumption.
Ivanishvili is one of the richest people in Georgia and wields enormous political influence. He serves as the honorary chairman of the ruling Georgian Dream party.
In the early 2010s, Ivanishvili hired Bachiashvili to manage his own and his businesses' assets.
In 2015, Ivanishvili's banking firm Cartu loaned Bachiashvili the Bitcoin after the latter said he would use the cryptocurrency to launch a crypto mining firm. Instead of doing so, prosecutors said, Bachiashvili embezzled the coins.
Prosecutors also indicted Bachiashvili's parents, accusing them of aiding their son's efforts to launder $3.5 million worth of Cartu's Bitcoin.
Prosecution officials have also dropped these charges.
Prosecutors said that, under the terms of the plea deal, Bachiashvili's sentence was reduced to a suspended one-year jail term. Bachiashvili has also agreed to pay a $19,000 fine.
Most of Georgia's data centres focus their efforts on crypto mining, with the majority of miners based in Tbilisi and Kutaisi's free industrial zones.
Tim Alper is a News Correspondent at DL News. Got a tip? Email him at tdalper@dlnews.com.
Bloomberg Intelligence's Mike McGlone appeared to walk back his $10,000 forecast for bitcoin, instead highlighting $28,000 after being challenged on social media and accused of being an alarmist whose “nonsensical” forecasts put real capital at risk.
Earlier this week, McGlone warned that collapsing crypto prices could signal broader financial stress and that bitcoin could revert toward $10,000 if U.S. equities peak and recession follows. He framed the token as a high-beta risk asset vulnerable to a breakdown in the post-2008 “buy the dip” regime.
But in a subsequent post on X, McGlone pointed to $28,000 as a more probable level based on historical price distribution, a notable shift from his earlier base case. He also said his analysis “suggests why not to buy bitcoin or most risk assets.”
His correction upward also followed being challenged to a debate by market analyst and AdLunam co-founder, Jason Fernandes on X and LinkedIn posts.
Fernandes, whose LinkedIn challenge was liked but not accepted by McGlone, told CoinDesk his broader critique still stands, even after the Bloomberg analyst revised his target. “$28K is obviously more realistic than $10K,” Fernandes said. “Proportionately fewer things need to go wrong for $28K than $10K.”
Mati Greenspan, a market analyst and the Quantum Economics founder, said $28,000 was still unlikely, “but in markets we never want to rule anything out.”
Greenspan had also called McGlone out in a post on X following his lower forecast, saying, “Mr. @mikemcglone11 would have you believe that an asset with trillions of dollars in monthly volumes could crash to a market cap of 200 billion.” He said the forecast was “literally nonsense."
Fernandes previously estimated a more likely reset in the $40,000 to $50,000 range absent a systemic liquidity shock. He noted that $28,000 now sits closer to his lower bound than to McGlone's original call. “It bears mentioning that he has adjusted his near-term outlook closer to my low end than his previous prediction,” Fernandes said.
At stake in the debate is more than price targets. Fernandes said that deterministic, alarmist framing can materially influence positioning and put “real capital at risk,” particularly in reflexive markets like crypto.
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Eric Trump reitrates claim bitcoin is just getting started on its road to $1 million
U.S. President Donald Trump's son Eric Trump acknowledged bitcoin's volatility but said its upside potential outweighs the risks as prices hover below $70,000.
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.
Bloomberg Intelligence's Mike McGlone appeared to walk back his $10,000 forecast for bitcoin, instead highlighting $28,000 after being challenged on social media and accused of being an alarmist whose “nonsensical” forecasts put real capital at risk.
Earlier this week, McGlone warned that collapsing crypto prices could signal broader financial stress and that bitcoin could revert toward $10,000 if U.S. equities peak and recession follows. He framed the token as a high-beta risk asset vulnerable to a breakdown in the post-2008 “buy the dip” regime.
But in a subsequent post on X, McGlone pointed to $28,000 as a more probable level based on historical price distribution, a notable shift from his earlier base case. He also said his analysis “suggests why not to buy bitcoin or most risk assets.”
His correction upward also followed being challenged to a debate by market analyst and AdLunam co-founder, Jason Fernandes on X and LinkedIn posts.
Fernandes, whose LinkedIn challenge was liked but not accepted by McGlone, told CoinDesk his broader critique still stands, even after the Bloomberg analyst revised his target. “$28K is obviously more realistic than $10K,” Fernandes said. “Proportionately fewer things need to go wrong for $28K than $10K.”
Mati Greenspan, a market analyst and the Quantum Economics founder, said $28,000 was still unlikely, “but in markets we never want to rule anything out.”
Greenspan had also called McGlone out in a post on X following his lower forecast, saying, “Mr. @mikemcglone11 would have you believe that an asset with trillions of dollars in monthly volumes could crash to a market cap of 200 billion.” He said the forecast was “literally nonsense."
Fernandes previously estimated a more likely reset in the $40,000 to $50,000 range absent a systemic liquidity shock. He noted that $28,000 now sits closer to his lower bound than to McGlone's original call. “It bears mentioning that he has adjusted his near-term outlook closer to my low end than his previous prediction,” Fernandes said.
At stake in the debate is more than price targets. Fernandes said that deterministic, alarmist framing can materially influence positioning and put “real capital at risk,” particularly in reflexive markets like crypto.
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Eric Trump reitrates claim bitcoin is just getting started on its road to $1 million
U.S. President Donald Trump's son Eric Trump acknowledged bitcoin's volatility but said its upside potential outweighs the risks as prices hover below $70,000.
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.
Doc.com Expands U.S. Rollout with Florida Launch, Advancing AI-Powered Blockchain Secured Healthcare Access
The AI and blockchain-powered telemedicine platform continues its national expansion, bringing secure, affordable care to patients across the state
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Doc.com, the pioneering healthcare technology company redefining access to care through artificial intelligence and blockchain integration, today announced the launch of its telemedicine platform in Florida as part of its ongoing United States expansion. The Florida rollout marks a significant milestone in the company's multi-phase national growth strategy.
Through a seamless mobile experience, Florida residents can now connect with licensed healthcare professionals within the state for secure, convenient telehealth consultations. The platform leverages AI-assisted tools designed to support clinical workflows and enhance provider decision-making, personalize care pathways, and optimize provider efficiency, while blockchain-based infrastructure designed to enhance transparency and data integrity, transparency, and patient control over medical records.
As part of its introductory experience, new users may access complimentary teleconsultation, available in eligible jurisdictions and subject to applicable regulations. These minutes may be used across one or multiple sessions as part of an initial trial. Subsequent consultations are available at standard rates.
Complimentary consultation time does not apply to emergency services and does not create a patient-provider relationship until formally established in accordance with applicable state laws.
“Florida represents a critical step in our U.S. expansion strategy,” said Charles Nader, CEO and Founder of Doc.com. “We are building a healthcare ecosystem where technology enhances human care, making it more accessible, more transparent, and more intelligent. Our AI-driven infrastructure supports providers while empowering patients with secure, affordable access to healthcare services.”
Doc.com's broader U.S. rollout began with Phase 1 launches in West Virginia and continues through additional phases across 2026, subject to regulatory approvals and operational readiness, with nationwide availability targeted for early 2027. Florida's activation strengthens the company's footprint in high-demand markets and reinforces its commitment to scaling accessible care across diverse communities.
Beyond telemedicine, Doc.com is building a vertically integrated healthcare ecosystem that connects physical health, mental health, pharmacy services, veterinary care, and education within one unified platform. Its blockchain layer is designed to support secure medical record management, AI-enhanced diagnostics, and efficient healthcare transactions, creating a transparent and interoperable system.
For more information about Doc.com's platform and expansion, visit www.doc.com.
About Doc.com
Doc.com is a healthcare technology company building the future of AI-driven healthcare solutions. The company accelerates the evolution of healthcare through a vertically integrated ecosystem that connects telemedicine, mental health support, veterinary care, pharmacy, and education in one seamless platform. Doc.com's AI-powered technology enhances diagnostics, personalizes treatment, and enables medication delivery, while blockchain technology ensures transparency, security, and trust. With a mission to make access to care more equitable and sustainable, Doc.com is committed to advancing health as a human right by providing affordable, privacy-compliant, and technology-enabled healthcare solutions to communities worldwide.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements contained in this press release that do not relate to matters of historical fact should be considered forward-looking statements, including without limitation statements regarding our potential listing on a national securities exchange, our business strategy, plans and objectives, market opportunity, competitive position, future financial performance, and the assumptions underlying such statements.
These forward-looking statements are based on management's current expectations and beliefs and are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties, and assumptions that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are generally identified by the use of words such as "anticipate," "believe," "continue," "could," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "might," "plan," "possible," "potential," "predict," "project," "should," "will," "would," and similar expressions, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words.
Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to: risks related to our ability to complete our trading on Nasdaq, general economic conditions and market volatility; our ability to execute our business strategy; competitive pressures; regulatory developments; and other risks and uncertainties described in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our most recent registration statement and periodic reports.
We undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as may be required under applicable securities laws.
For more corporate information please visit: doc.com
For further information, please contact: Tiffany Cummins
Email: tiffany.cummins@talentresources.com
Business Tel: 925-212-4200
For more corporate information please visit: doc.com
For further information, please contact: Tiffany Cummins
Email: tiffany.cummins@talentresources.com
Business Tel: 925-212-4200
For more corporate information please visit: doc.com
For further information, please contact: Tiffany Cummins
Email: tiffany.cummins@talentresources.com
Business Tel: 925-212-4200
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The best argument for the digital euro is to discourage ghosts of the euro crisis from returning to haunt Europe
Why does Europe need a digital euro? Supporters of the plan offer various rationales. These include independence from American payment providers, security in case those American providers cut off access, the convenience of digital cash, now that notes and coins are used less, and offline sales. But there is a bigger and better reason: monetary sovereignty and the credibility of the euro itself.
The European Central Bank needs to be the anchor for all euros, digital included. The European Union should not take the risk that a public void triggers the private sector to develop something that catches on and becomes widespread, then collapses and threatens financial stability. In other words, the EU cannot afford to not have a digital euro.
It all boils down to credibility. If there is a digital euro, it will be easier for the ECB to differentiate between its own integrity and market ventures, and thus to defend the currency while letting market discipline run its course.
The euro is still young. It is not rooted in a common fiscal policy, a full-fledged bank deposit insurance system or a permanent deep and liquid safe asset. Mostly, investors appreciate the euro area's many accomplishments. But there have been times – the 2010-2015 crisis period, for example – when the currency's inherent fragmentation has become a significant vulnerability. Rather than weighing whether, say, an Italian bond is as good as one from Cyprus, or what the spread between Estonia and Germany should be, investors just run.
The United States has more room for manoeuvre because the dollar is the world's dominant currency and there is more integration at home. If a startup or an emerging-market country ruins itself using dollars, that company or country's poor management gets the blame. Fingers are not pointed at the dollar or the Federal Reserve.
But if the same happens to a euro-using company or country, the repercussions could be felt by the euro itself. For example, a private-sector stablecoin becoming the market default and then stumbling could trigger renewed fear of a euro-area breakup. This could be because of imbalances in the sovereign bonds held as backing assets, alarming investors about diverging credit risk among euro countries. Or a more general run could be prompted by breaking a peg, in the same way that failing money-market funds have set off crises before. Other factors not yet on the radar could also arise.
The ECB will surely monitor these risks. But it will be better able to prevent and contain them if it already occupies all senior digital currency positions. This means a wholesale digital euro for cross-border payment and settlement and a retail version for everyday use – with the main reason for this distinction being process, not a difference in need. The ECB can do a wholesale version by itself, while retail money requires EU legislation alongside central bank planning.
Digital-euro supporters often argue that the EU should not depend on Visa and Mastercard and needs a homegrown alternative to assure payment sovereignty. This argument has not convinced the sceptics. Opponents say the private sector is capable of generating more options to meet demand, and they note that the EU already has a strong bank-transfer protocol and widely available instant payments.
Furthermore, in the unlikely event of Washington moving to cut off access to the card networks, many other things would likely have already gone wrong, including the fracturing of NATO and an end to decades of security cooperation. In that context, having to pay with cash or direct bank debit would be a manageable problem.
In progressing to the digital euro, the EU should therefore make monetary sovereignty the top priority. With sufficient investor confidence, the euro can maintain its status as a reliable store of value, unit of account and means of payment. This, in turn, will position the euro to increase its international role.
Even a weak dollar is still the global reference point, because financial plumbing is more important than comparative value when it comes to managing foreign reserves. To the extent that global central banks seek to protect themselves from US political risk, they buy gold or consult with the Fed, rather than making big moves into other currencies.
After the euro crisis, it took time and huge amounts of rescue money for the world to once again see the euro area as a thriving monetary union. The EU should build out its financial infrastructure to hold on to those gains. The retail and wholesale digital euro are vital to that process.
Bruegel Senior Fellow
The EU is updating its regulations on securitisation, but it still has a long way to go if it wants to emulate the strengths of the US market
At this event, Sharon Donnery discussed the ECB's recommendations within banking-sector policy
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Bitcoin BTC$66,328.29 and ether (ETH) both rose around 0.9% overnight while the broader altcoin market lagged on Thursday.
BTC was recently trading at $67,000 following a brief touch of $66,000 on Wednesday. Ether, at $1,970 after bouncing off $1,924, is struggling to break through the psychological $2,000 price level.
Volatility has waned since the selloff on Feb. 5. Two subsequent weeks of consolidation have left investors wondering whether this is the calm before another stormy move to the downside, or whether the market is establishing a macro low before rising back toward 2025 levels.
World Liberty Financial's Mar-a-Lago forum on Wednesday failed to provide a bullish catalyst despite being attended by CFTC Chairman Michael Selig and executives from companies including Goldman Sachs.
From a macro perspective, bitcoin remains in a downtrend since hitting a record high of $126,600 in early October. It has notched a series of lower highs and lower lows with periods of choppy consolidation in between each major move.
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Eric Trump reitrates claim bitcoin is just getting started on its road to $1 million
U.S. President Donald Trump's son Eric Trump acknowledged bitcoin's volatility but said its upside potential outweighs the risks as prices hover below $70,000.
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From Paul O'Donoghue at AMLi
GOOD morning and welcome to the Thursday AML Intelligence Technology Newsletter, where we look at all the advances in the AFC tech space. Here's your quick hit of the week's biggest stories.
AML RULES still vary wildly across the EU - something which certain crypto companies are looking to take advantage of.
Claudia Buch, Chair of the ECB (European Central Bank) Supervisory Board, warned that some crypto firms are choosing to operate in EU countries with ‘lighter' compliance controls.
She said that the ECB must work with AMLA, the EU's new AML Authority, to tackle these issues.
“The evolving crypto-asset sector is particularly vulnerable to money laundering and terrorist financing,” she said.
“AMLA will focus on the AML aspects of the supervision of higher-risk sectors, including CASPs (Crypto-Asset Service Providers).
“Divergent national approaches to registration and authorisation can lead to supervisory fragmentation. And increase the risk of high-risk firms strategically choosing countries with lighter AML controls.”
NEW BOARD: AML RightSource has formed an International Advisory Board as it looks to accelerate its global rollout.
Chaired by
Vesna M.
, the board sits within the firm's advisory structure and works alongside the North America Advisory Board.
Senior experts from the UK, Europe, APAC, and Australia make up the new board. A full list of the new board members and their backgrounds is available [HERE].
FUNDRAISE: Sphinx, a company that develops browser-native AI compliance agents for financial institutions, has raised $7.1 million in a seed funding round.
The firm said it will use the money to scale its “agentic compliance workforce.”
Alexandre Berkovic
, Co-Founder and CEO, said: “Compliance today is mostly human glue between systems that were never designed to work together.
“Sphinx takes on that work directly. So analysts can focus on the judgment calls. And institutions finally get a complete, defensible record of how every decision was made.”
The Summit takes place as Europe's AFC, AML, FCC and Fraud agenda is entering a defining phase.
Across the industry, leaders are grappling with the same hard questions – Crypto Regulations, AMLA expectations, MiCA execution, FATF scrutiny, fintech and BaaS risk, sanctions evasion and fraud escalations. SECURE YOUR PLACE TODAY!
BRETTON: Finally, US firm Bretton AI has raised $75 million in a Series B round led by Sapphire Ventures, as it looks to further develop its AI-powered anti-financial crime platform.
Additionally, the company has also rebranded, changing its name from Greenlite AI. The funding follows a $15 million Series A completed less than a year ago.
The new funding will support product development, regulatory engagement and expansion into additional financial crime domains, the company said.
☝️ We have special offers for Individual and Corporate Members. Your Chief Compliance Officer, Department Head, or Chief Librarian can contact us about our Enterprise Membership for your organisation. Please reach out to James Treacy at jtreacy@amlintelligence.com for further information.
Join the world's fastest-growing FinCrime community and become an AML Intelligence member.
Have a great Thursday 👋
Stephen and the team at AMlintelligence.
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The first cohort of graduates in the new 'Certificate in Financial Crime Compliance, CFCC' receive the certification…
The first cohort of graduates in the new 'Certificate in Financial Crime Compliance, CFCC' receive the certification…
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Epstein's 2010s emails show Gensler talks, XRP/XLM bets, CBDC and stablecoin funding links.
Newly released documents from the Jeffrey Epstein case contain references to communications involving cryptocurrency policy discussions and Gary Gensler, according to reports published this week.
The documents include emails dated 2018 that reportedly mention conversations between Epstein and individuals connected to policy and academic circles in the cryptocurrency sector. Gensler, who later served as Chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission, appears among the names referenced in the materials.
According to the reports, the files contain correspondence suggesting Epstein discussed arranging a meeting with Gensler regarding cryptocurrency topics. Emails from 2018 indicate Epstein told former U.S. Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers that Gensler had arrived early for crypto-related discussions, according to the documents. Summers reportedly responded that he knew Gensler and considered him intelligent.
No documents released to date have established a direct connection between Epstein and any specific cryptocurrency decision or project, according to available reports. However, records suggest Epstein invested millions in early cryptocurrency ventures, including approximately $3 million in Coinbase in 2014, reports stated.
Some emails reportedly referenced XRP and Stellar, leading to speculation about possible investments in those projects, though the documents do not provide clear confirmation, according to observers.
Additional claims in the reports suggest Epstein provided funding for U.S. central bank digital currency pilot programs through MIT and certain Federal Reserve Banks. Gensler taught at MIT during that period and worked in academic policy circles before entering government service and participating in the development of U.S. cryptocurrency regulation.
Reports also indicate Epstein explored early stablecoin-related investments, including Circle, through connections associated with Brock Pierce. Pierce reportedly requested Epstein's assistance in connecting with Lawrence Summers, according to accounts of the correspondence.
The documents suggest Epstein maintained investments in private cryptocurrency ventures while maintaining relationships with academic and policy circles involved in digital currency regulation, according to analysts reviewing the materials. The timing of these connections has drawn attention as they occurred before cryptocurrency markets achieved mainstream adoption.
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From 19 June 2026, the Data Use and Access Act 2025 (DUAA) will introduce a new, statutory "right to complain" for individuals in the UK regarding their data protection rights. This right, set out in the new section 164A of the Data Protection Act 2018 and as inserted by DUAA, requires individuals to lodge a complaint directly with an organisation first before they can escalate it to the ICO.
The ICO has published guidance setting out how organisations should handle data protection complaints which we have summarised below.
What is a data protection complaint?
A data protection complaint arises when someone believes an organisation has infringed data protection legislation because of the way it has handled their personal data. For example, a complaint may relate to the way a data subject access requests was handled, what data security measures were applied to store someone's data in the event of a data breach, or how an organisation has collected or used someone's personal data. If an organisation is unsure whether someone is making a data protection complaint then they should ask for clarification.
As with other data subject rights requests, complaints can be made via any channel and individuals do not need to use legal terms or quote applicable legislation to make them.
What do organisations need to do?
Organisations need to inform individuals about their right to complain:
Individuals need to be given a mechanism through which to make their complaint, for example, via email, phone or a complaints portal. Existing data subject rights or complaints processes can be adapted for organisations to meet their obligations. Although not required, providing a written complaints procedure can make it easier for individuals to understand how to raise a complaint, which in turn helps make an organisation in meeting these obligations.
Organisations should ensure that staff can recognise a data protection complaint and know how to handle it appropriately. This includes understanding where complaints should be directed and ensuring that handling of data protection complaints forms part of internal data protection training.
How should organisations handle complaints?
Organisations must have a process for handling data protection complaints which includes:
The 30-day time limit to acknowledge the complaint begins from the day after the complaint is received even if the following day is a weekend or public holiday. If the 30th day falls on a weekend or public holiday, the acknowledgement can be sent the following working day.
Investigation into the complaint should begin from the day the complaint is received and enquiries into the complaint must be conducted without unjustifiable or excessive delay. The scope and depth of those enquiries must be appropriate based on the circumstances of each complaint, and organisations must be able to justify the approach they take. The overall time period to respond is likely to be affected by the complexity and scale of the issue and the level of harm the individual has suffered.
Organisations must keep individuals updated on the progress of their investigation without undue delay. For example, if an investigation is likely to take a long time, the organisation needs to follow up on the initial acknowledgment to make the individual aware of this.
How should organisations respond?
Once the investigation is complete, the outcome should be communicated to the individual and the organization should clearly explain what they did to resolve the complaint and any actions it took as a result of its investigation. If complainants are unhappy with the outcome, organisations could consider clarifying their decision and, as best practice, provide details about how to complain to the ICO.
What should organisations do after the response has been shared?
After the response is shared, organisations should ensure their internal records are updated with details about how they dealt with the complaint, including the date it was received, when the acknowledgment was sent, details of the investigation, the outcome of the complaint and actions taken as a result.
Finally, organisations should consider reviewing lessons learned to prevent future, similar data protection issues.
Practical takeaways
If you have any questions or would like assistance with updating privacy notices, drafting complaints procedures and/or internal complaints policies, please reach out to a member of our team who will be happy to assist.
The altcoin market has faced persistent difficulties since 2024, with many assets still struggling to recover from the euphoric highs reached during the 2021 bull cycle. Despite intermittent rallies, broader momentum has remained weak, reflecting reduced speculative appetite, tighter liquidity conditions, and a gradual shift in investor preference toward more established crypto assets. This prolonged underperformance has left a large portion of the altcoin sector trading well below historical peaks, reinforcing cautious sentiment across the market.
A recent CryptoQuant analysis provides additional context by examining capital rotation patterns during Bitcoin's latest corrective phase. After a sharp pullback, Bitcoin has entered a consolidation range roughly between $65,000 and $72,000, an area where significant activity from whales, long-term holders, and institutional participants appears to be concentrated. Such consolidation zones often attract strategic accumulation rather than speculative altcoin exposure.
Historically, deep corrections or late-stage bear phases tend to trigger capital migration toward Bitcoin, while altcoins experience reduced inflows. Binance trading volume data — segmented into BTC, ETH, and other altcoins — highlights this dynamic clearly. As Bitcoin reclaimed levels above $60,000, a noticeable shift in volume distribution emerged, suggesting investors increasingly prioritized Bitcoin over higher-risk altcoin exposure.
Bitcoin Dominance Rises As Altcoin Trading Activity Weakens
Altcoin trading activity has weakened noticeably during the current corrective phase, reinforcing the broader shift toward defensive positioning within the crypto market. According to a recent analyst assessment, Bitcoin trading volumes on Binance regained dominance on February 7, accounting for roughly 36.8% of total exchange activity. This leadership has persisted since then, suggesting sustained investor preference for the relative stability and liquidity associated with Bitcoin during uncertain conditions.
In comparison, altcoins represented about 35.3% of total trading volume, while Ethereum accounted for approximately 27.8%. Although these figures still reflect meaningful participation, altcoins have experienced the sharpest contraction in activity. Back in November, altcoins represented around 59.2% of Binance trading volumes, but by February 13 their share had dropped to roughly 33.6%, marking close to a 50% decline in market participation.
Similar patterns have appeared during prior corrective phases, including April 2025, August 2024, and late 2022 near the end of the previous bear cycle. Periods of heightened uncertainty typically drive capital toward Bitcoin, which continues to function as the sector's primary liquidity anchor. This recurring rotation highlights Bitcoin's role as a perceived safer crypto asset when volatility rises and speculative appetite diminishes.
Altcoin Market Cap Weakens As Risk Appetite Remains Limited
The total crypto market capitalization excluding the top 10 assets continues to reflect persistent weakness, highlighting the fragile state of the broader altcoin segment. After peaking near the 2025 highs, this metric entered a sustained corrective phase, with recent price action hovering around the $170–180 billion range. This zone has acted as a tentative support area, but the lack of a strong rebound suggests that risk appetite remains subdued across smaller-cap assets.
Technically, the structure shows the altcoin market trading below key moving averages, indicating that momentum still favors sellers. Previous recovery attempts have repeatedly stalled near dynamic resistance, reinforcing the idea that capital rotation toward major assets — particularly Bitcoin — continues to dominate market behavior. Elevated volatility during the most recent declines also points to fragile liquidity conditions.
Volume dynamics further support this cautious interpretation. Spikes in selling activity accompanied the latest pullback, suggesting distribution rather than accumulation. While stabilization appears to be developing in the short term, there is limited evidence of sustained inflows returning to altcoins.
Historically, similar configurations have often preceded prolonged consolidation phases rather than immediate recoveries. Unless broader market liquidity improves or Bitcoin dominance weakens, the altcoin market may remain structurally constrained despite occasional short-term rebounds.
Featured image from ChatGPT, chart from TradingView.com
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.
On February 6, 2026, Chinese financial authorities, led by the People's Bank of China (PBOC) and the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC), officially launched a transformative regulatory framework known as the “RAW” package. This designation refers to the three pillars of the new policy: Real-world assets (RWA), All virtual currencies, and Wallet-based digital yuan. While the framework reiterates the country's longstanding “ironclad” ban on domestic retail cryptocurrency speculation and mining, it introduces a highly structured “compliant narrow gate” for the tokenization of real-world assets serving the real economy. By explicitly including RWA tokenization within the core of national regulation, China has signaled a transition from a reactive “campaign-style” clearing of crypto activities toward a proactive era of institutional construction. This move aims to harness the efficiency of blockchain technology for asset securitization and cross-border trade while maintaining an absolute monopoly on monetary sovereignty through the upgraded digital yuan (e-CNY) ecosystem.
A major component of the RAW framework is the 2026 update to the digital yuan's development model, which officially transitioned the e-CNY from a “digital cash” pilot into a “digital deposit money” system. Under this new structure, digital yuan balances held in commercial bank wallets are now classified as bank deposit liabilities, protected by the national deposit insurance system and included in the required reserve framework. This shift ensures that the digital currency is fully embedded within the traditional banking architecture, allowing commercial banks to handle wallet issuance, security, and anti-money laundering compliance while the PBOC maintains control over the core technical standards. By late 2025, the digital yuan had already processed over 16.7 trillion yuan in transaction volume, and the new framework is designed to scale this infrastructure further into public services, education, and healthcare. This “resilience-first” approach allows China to provide the benefits of programmable, smart-contract-based transactions without the financial disintermediation risks associated with decentralized stablecoins or private cryptocurrencies.
The RAW framework also clarifies China's strategy for the tokenization of real-world assets, such as infrastructure concessions, commodities, and real estate income rights. Domestic RWA activities remain strictly prohibited unless conducted through specific, authority-approved financial market infrastructure, effectively making Hong Kong the primary “operational interface” for this sector. The framework permits mainland enterprises to use cross-border structures, including Hong Kong-based special purpose vehicles, to issue tokenized asset-backed securities (ABS) to global investors. These activities are subject to rigorous filings, data governance, and foreign-exchange controls to prevent “technological black channels” from circumventing capital restrictions. By positioning Hong Kong as the bridge between Chinese assets and global liquidity, the RAW framework seeks to reduce reliance on traditional correspondent banking chains and improve the speed of international settlement. As the first batch of licensed stablecoin issuers prepares to launch in Hong Kong in March 2026, the RAW initiative serves as a definitive blueprint for a hybrid digital economy where centralized oversight and blockchain-based efficiency coexist within a tightly controlled, state-led ecosystem.
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International House, 10 Admirals Way, London, England, E14 9XL.
Researchers at University College London have identified a biological process that helps the body shut down inflammation once it is no longer needed. The discovery could pave the way for new treatments for chronic diseases that affect millions of people around the world.
Inflammation is an essential defense mechanism that protects us from infection and injury. However, if it continues unchecked, it can contribute to serious conditions including arthritis, heart disease, and diabetes. Until now, scientists did not clearly understand how the body transitions from an active immune attack to a healing phase.
Fat Derived Molecules That Calm the Immune System
The study, published in Nature Communications, found that small fat-based molecules known as epoxy-oxylipins act as natural regulators of the immune response. These molecules help prevent the buildup of specific immune cells called intermediate monocytes*, which are associated with chronic inflammation -- linked to tissue damage, illness and disease progression.
To explore this process, researchers conducted a carefully controlled experiment in healthy volunteers. Participants received a small injection of UV-killed E. coli bacteria in the forearm. This triggered a temporary inflammatory response -- pain, redness, heat and swelling -- similar to what occurs after infection or injury.
Volunteers were divided into two groups: prophylactic arm and therapeutic arm.
At different stages, participants were given a drug called GSK2256294. This medication blocks an enzyme known as soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH), which normally breaks down epoxy-oxylipins.
In the prophylactic arm, 24 volunteers participated -- 12 received the drug and 12 received placebo (placebo). They were treated two hours before inflammation began to test whether boosting epoxy-oxylipins early could prevent harmful immune changes.
In the therapeutic arm, another 24 volunteers -- 12 treated and 12 untreated (placebo) -- received the drug four hours after inflammation had started. This approach reflected how treatment would occur in real world settings once symptoms appear.
Boosting Protective Lipids Reduced Harmful Immune Cells
In both groups, blocking sEH increased levels of epoxy-oxylipins. Participants who received the drug experienced faster pain resolution and had significantly lower levels of intermediate monocytes in both blood and tissue -- the immune cells linked to chronic inflammation and disease. Notably, the medication did not meaningfully change visible symptoms such as redness or swelling.
Further investigation showed that one specific epoxy-oxylipin, 12,13-EpOME, works by suppressing a protein signaling pathway known as p38 MAPK, which drives monocyte transformation. Laboratory experiments and additional testing in volunteers who received a p38 blocking drug confirmed this mechanism.
First author Dr. Olivia Bracken (UCL Department of Ageing, Rheumatology and Regenerative Medicine) said: "Our findings reveal a natural pathway that limits harmful immune cell expansion and helps calm inflammation more quickly.
"Targeting this mechanism could lead to safer treatments that restore immune balance without suppressing overall immunity.
"With chronic inflammation ranked as a major global health threat, this discovery opens a promising avenue for new therapies."
Corresponding author Professor Derek Gilroy (UCL Division of Medicine) said: "This is the first study to map epoxy-oxylipin activity in humans during inflammation.
"By boosting these protective fat molecules, we could design safer treatments for diseases driven by chronic inflammation."
He added: "This was an entirely human-based study with direct relevance to autoimmune diseases, as we used a drug already suitable for human use -- one that could be repurposed to treat flares in chronic inflammatory conditions, an area currently bereft of effective therapies."
Scientists chose to investigate epoxy-oxylipins because previous animal research suggested they can reduce inflammation and pain. However, their role in human biology had not been clearly defined. Unlike well known inflammatory signals such as histamine and cytokines, epoxy-oxylipins belong to a lesser studied pathway that researchers believed might help naturally quiet the immune system.
Next Steps for Arthritis and Heart Disease Research
The findings open the possibility of clinical trials to test sEH inhibitors as treatments for diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and cardiovascular disease.
Dr. Bracken said: "For instance, rheumatoid arthritis is a condition in which the immune system attacks the cells that line your joints. sEH inhibitors could be trialled alongside existing medications to investigate if they can help prevent or slow down joint damage incurred by the condition."
Dr. Caroline Aylott, Head of Research Delivery at Arthritis UK, said: "The pain of arthritis can affect how we move, think, sleep and feel, along with our ability to spend time with loved ones. Pain is incredibly complex and is affected by many different factors. We also know that everybody's pain is different.
"That is why it is important that we invest in research like this, that helps us understand what causes and influences people's experience of pain.
"We are excited to see the results of this study which has found a natural process that could stop inflammation and pain. We hope in the future that this will lead to new pain management options for people with arthritis."
The study was funded by Arthritis UK and included researchers from UCL, King's College London, University of Oxford, Queen Mary University of London, and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, USA.
Notes
*Intermediate monocytes are white blood cells that help fight infection and repair tissue. In short bursts, they help coordinate the immune response and support recovery, but if they persist or grow in excess, they keep the immune system switched on, leading to chronic inflammation.
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Nature Communications
volume 17, Article number: 1495 (2026)
Cite this article
While we have previously shown that a first pregnancy changes women's brain structure and resting-state brain activity, it is currently unknown how a woman's brain is transformed when she undergoes another pregnancy. Therefore, we performed a prospective pre-conception cohort study involving 110 women, including women who became pregnant of their second (PRG2) or first child (PRG1) and nulliparous women. Multimodal MRI data were acquired and differential changes between PRG2 and PRG1 were observed in grey matter volume, white matter tracts and functional neural network organization. Together, these results show similar but less pronounced structural and functional changes in the default mode and frontoparietal network in PRG2, suggesting a primary adaptation of these networks in first-time mothers that is further fine-tuned across a second pregnancy. Furthermore, stronger alterations were found in PRG2 in the dorsal attention and somatomotor network including the corticospinal tract, pointing to an enhanced plasticity within these externally-oriented networks. Neurostructural changes in both groups related to mother-infant attachment and peripartum depression. These findings show that a second pregnancy uniquely changes a woman's brain, entailing both convergent and distinct neural transformations.
Pregnancy represents a monumental phase in many women's lives, orchestrated by unparallelled physiological and neuroendocrine changes that influence all major bodily systems. We have previously shown that reproduction is associated with widespread changes in women's brain structure1,2, which has since been replicated in various other studies across the world3,4,5. Additionally, we have shown that pregnancy also affects functional neural network organization in the default mode network2. While research is beginning to uncover pregnancy-induced brain plasticity, all studies so far have focused solely on first-time mothers, leaving it unclear whether similar brain changes occur as a result of subsequent pregnancies.
Animal studies point to an association between subsequent reproductive experiences and neuroanatomical variations in the brain. Hippocampal dendritic morphology, neurogenesis and protein levels have been shown to differ between primiparous and multiparous female rodents6,7,8. Additionally, parity has lasting effects on synaptic plasticity and inflammation in the hippocampus and the response to ovarian hormones in middle-aged rodents9,10,11,12. While these findings provide evidence for structural variations in the rodent brain on the basis of parity, research on this topic in human mothers is still in its infancy.
Recent studies have suggested that parity may involve long-lasting neural changes in human mothers measured beyond the postpartum period. In middle-aged women, parity has been linked to brain age, with multiparous women having younger-looking brains compared to primiparous and nulliparous women13,14. Additionally, parity has been associated with cortical thickness, functional connectivity and gray matter volume in women during late life15,16,17. Parity may also modulate the risk for and effects of various brain disorders that may occur later in life, such as Alzheimer's Disease, stroke and traumatic brain injury18,19,20,21. Furthermore, links between parity and cognition have been shown22, characterized by a U-shaped effect of parity on cognition, with the highest scores on the Mini Mental State Examination in women with one to four pregnancies, compared to nulliparous women and women with grand parity23. Although these findings provide evidence for long-lasting differences in neural anatomy in relation to multiple childbirths in human mothers, it remains unclear whether a first and second pregnancy differentially affect the human brain.
Therefore, we performed a prospective pre-conception cohort study involving second-time mothers, first-time mothers and nulliparous control women to investigate whether a second pregnancy is associated with structural and functional changes in the brain. We acquired multimodal 3 T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data, involving high-resolution anatomical MRI, resting-state functional MRI, diffusion-weighted MRI and magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS), before pregnancy and in the early and late postpartum period in 30 women undergoing a second pregnancy (PRG2; becoming multiparous between the scans) and in 40 women undergoing a first pregnancy (PRG1; becoming primiparous between the scans). We also included a control group of 40 nulliparous control women (CTR), who underwent MRI scanning at a similar time interval. We assessed the differential effects of a second pregnancy on brain structure, functional neural networks, white matter organization and neural metabolite concentrations. This study demonstrates that a second pregnancy changes a woman's brain and uniquely impacts its gray matter structure, neural network organization and white matter tracts.
To investigate anatomical brain changes across a first and second pregnancy compared to control women, we performed vertex-wise longitudinal analyses of cortical volume, thickness and surface area in Freesurfer. Generalized linear models (GLMs) comparing the volume change from pre-pregnancy (PRE) to the early postpartum period (POST) between multiparous and control women demonstrated widespread volumetric decreases across a second pregnancy (Fig. 1a, b). The median percentage volume decrease across these significant vertices in the left and right hemisphere was 2.8%. Similarly, women who were pregnant for the first time showed significant volumetric decreases from PRE to POST compared to control women (Fig. 1c, d). The areas of significant change covered a 79% larger part of the brain than in second-time mothers, and the median percentage of change was 3.1% within these significant vertices. Effect sizes for these volumetric decreases across a first and second pregnancy were large (Cohen's D > 1.0; Supplementary Table 1). In both groups, there were no significant increases in cortical volume across pregnancy compared to control women. Similar results were found when investigating cortical thickness (Supplementary Fig. 1a) and surface area (Supplementary Fig. 1b), showing decreases in cortical thickness and surface area across a first and second pregnancy when compared to control women.
Vertex-wise analyses showing brain areas in which the cortical volume decreased from pre-pregnancy (PRE) to early postpartum (POST) in second-time mothers (PRG2; n = 30; a) and in first-time mothers (PRG1; n = 40; c) versus control women (CTR; n = 40). Values represent −log(FDR-corrected p value), thresholded at 3 (being p = 0.001). Extracted total volumes of all the significant vertices are shown in b (PRG2-CTR) and d (PRG1-CTR), with *p < 0.001 for two-sided paired t-tests (PRG2-CTR) or two-sided Wilcoxon signed rank tests (PRG1-CTR) within groups. Source data are provided as a Source Data file.
When directly comparing cortical volume changes across a first and second pregnancy using a permutation-based correction for multiple comparisons, we found several areas of significantly different volumetric change between PRG1 and PRG2 (Supplementary Fig. 2), although it should be noted that these effects do not surface when applying an FDR correction as in the comparisons with CTR women. Areas with a larger decrease in volume in PRG1 were mainly localized in the default mode network, whereas areas with a larger decrease in volume in PRG2 were localized in the dorsal and ventral attention network and the sensorimotor network. Effect sizes for these differences between a first and second pregnancy were smaller than the very large effect size of a pregnancy itself, but the contrast for PRG1 vs. PRG2 still showed a moderate to high effect size (Cohen's D > 0.5; Supplementary Table 1). A visual inspection of the results also shows a divergence in both the extent and localization of brain changes between these groups (Fig. 1a, c).
This divergence between brain changes across a first and second pregnancy was supported by a multivariate classification approach. We performed a multivariate pattern classification analysis in PRonTo24,25 (v3.0) on the gray matter volume difference maps resulting from the longitudinal symmetric diffeomorphic modeling pipeline implemented in SPM1226. This analysis demonstrated that, based on the gray matter volumetric changes in the brain, 80% of women could be correctly classified as becoming primiparous or multiparous in between the PRE and POST session (PRG1 vs. PRG2; p = 0.0001 after 10,000 permutations; Fig. 2a). When classifying women getting pregnant and women not getting pregnant in between these sessions, the accuracy is even higher (PRG2 vs. CTR: 87%, p = 0.0001, Fig. 2b; PRG1 vs. CTR: 94%; p = 0.0001, Fig. 2c). Using k-folds cross-validation with ten folds to reduce the risk of overfitting, classification accuracy dropped slightly, but was still significant for all three combinations of groups (PRG1 vs. PRG2: accuracy = 70%, p = 0.009; PRG2 vs. CTR: accuracy = 87%, p = 0.0001; PRG1 vs. CTR: accuracy = 91%, p = 0.0001). Adding age as a regressor to the models involving groups with age differences rendered highly similar results, both with leave-one-out cross-validation (PRG1 vs. PRG2: accuracy = 81.43%, p < 0.0001; PRG2 vs. CTR: accuracy = 84.29%, p < 0.0001) and with ten-folds cross-validation (PRG1 vs. PRG2: accuracy = 74.29%, p = 0.0008; PRG2 vs. CTR: accuracy = 82.86%, p < 0.0001.)
Multivariate pattern classification analysis of women becoming pregnant for the first (n = 40) or second time (n = 30) based on brain volume difference maps (a). On the left side the scatterplot of the classification results (balanced accuracy 80%), showing function values; dashed line is the function value cut-off between groups, using a leave-one-out cross validation with permutation testing (10,000 permutations; p = 0.0001) to correct for multiple comparisons. On the right side is the weight map for the classifier, showing the relative contribution of each voxel. Similarly, the multivariate classification between control women (n = 40) and women getting pregnant for the second time (b; balanced accuracy 87%; 10,000 permutations; p = 0.0001) and for the first time (c; balanced accuracy 94%; 10,000 permutations; p = 0.0001). Source data are provided as a Source Data file.
In the affected regions, brain volumes slightly increased in the late postpartum period (POST1) but had not returned to pre-pregnancy levels in both multiparous and primiparous women (Supplementary Fig. 3 and Supplementary Table 2). Correlation analyses between the volumetric change across pregnancy and age of the first child at the PRE session in the PRG2 group suggested that time since birth of the first child does not influence the amount of volumetric brain changes across a second pregnancy (Supplementary Fig. 4). We also tested whether there were baseline differences in cortical volumes between groups, showing no significant differences between PRG1, PRG2 and CTR women in cortical volumes at the pre-pregnancy baseline. Extracting gray matter volumes inside the area of change across a first pregnancy, suggests a partial volume reversal across the postpartum period that seems to continue after the first postpartum year (Supplementary Fig. 5).
We then assessed the relationship between the volumetric brain changes across a second or first pregnancy and maternal behavior and mental health status. When comparing PRG1 and PRG2, we did not detect any significant differences in maternal behavior and mental health status (Supplementary Table 3), although we found a trend towards more depressive feelings during pregnancy in the PRG2 group. Correlation analyses showed that maternal behavior during pregnancy and in the early postpartum period was negatively correlated with the amount of volumetric change across pregnancy, except for the postpartum bonding questionnaire (PBQ) which showed a positive correlation due to its reversed scoring where higher values represent lower maternal behavior (Supplementary Fig. 6), with stronger changes in brain structure thus being associated with higher levels of maternal behavior on the employed measures. These correlations between brain volumetric changes and maternal behavior seem to be more widespread across a first compared to a second pregnancy (Supplementary Fig. 6 and Supplementary Table 4). While the volumetric changes across a first pregnancy were associated with maternal-fetal attachment as measured with the maternal antenatal attachment score (MAAS) and prenatal attachment inventory (PAI), this was not evident in second-time mothers. Associations between volumetric changes and measures of postpartum mother-infant attachment and impairments in the mother-infant relationship as measured with the maternal postnatal attachment score (MPAS) and PBQ were observed in both PRG1 and PRG2, but these were more widespread in PRG1. Nesting behavior was similarly associated with mothers' brain changes across a first or a second pregnancy.
Regarding maternal mental health, we found associations between the observed brain changes with peripartum depression, measured with the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Score (EPDS) and psychological distress measured with the K10 in both PRG groups, with less pronounced brain changes linked to more depressive complaints for most significant vertices. However, more widespread correlations were observed between volumetric change and depression and psychological distress in the PRG2 group during pregnancy, but in the PRG1 group in the early postpartum period (Supplementary Fig. 7 and Supplementary Table 5).
To further investigate the regional distribution of changes in gray matter structure occurring across a first and second pregnancy, we assessed the differences and similarities between the changes in these groups in relation to the brain's functional networks using a cluster-wise approach (for cluster-wise results, see Supplementary Tables 6–9). Therefore, a combination of clusters resulting from the two significant contrasts (PRG2 vs. CTR and PRG1 vs. CTR) were applied on the volumetric GLM results described above. This resulted in three different areas of interest: Areas that are affected in both first and second pregnancies (overlap), areas that are only affected during a first pregnancy (only CTR-PRG1) and areas that are only affected during a second pregnancy (only CTR-PRG2) (Fig. 3a).
Combining the cluster-corrected vertex-wise analyses of the multiparous (PRG2; n = 30) vs. control women (CTR; n = 40) and primiparous (PRG1; n = 40) vs. CTR resulted in three areas of interest: areas affected in both first and second pregnancies (Overlap; yellow), areas only affected in a first pregnancy (Only CTR-PRG1, magenta) and areas only affected in a second pregnancy (Only CTRL-PRG2; green) (a). We localized these areas according to the seven resting-state networks of Yeo27 (b). After calculating the expected overlap based on a random distribution across the gray matter in the brain, we calculated the observed/expected ratio for each area for each functional network (c). The horizontal line represents an observed/expected overlap of 1, meaning that the observed intersection of the area is similar as when there would be a random distribution across the brain. Spider plots representing the distribution across the seven Yeo networks for the three areas of interest (overlap: yellow; Only CTR-PRG1: magenta; Only CTR-PRG2: green) (d). Source data are provided as a Source Data file.
To acquire more information on the localization of these areas across the brain, we then determined their intersection with the seven resting-state networks of Yeo27 (Fig. 3b). These analyses showed that the overlapping areas in first and second pregnancies were mostly located in the default mode network (DMN), followed by the frontoparietal and ventral attention network. For these networks, the intersection between the overlapping areas and the networks was larger than expected based on a random distribution across the gray matter in the brain (Supplementary Table 10 and Fig. 3c). Interestingly, the additional areas that were specifically affected only across a first pregnancy were localized in those same networks (Fig. 3c and Supplementary Table 11). In comparison, the areas affected in a second pregnancy only were not localized in the default mode network but instead were mainly located in the somatomotor and dorsal attention network (Supplementary Table 12 and Fig. 3c, d).
To study functional network organization, we also analyzed resting-state functional MRI data, but we did not find significant changes in within-network coherence between a first or second pregnancy in any of the identified resting-state networks. Subsequent analyses using a default mode network (DMN) region that represents the area of significant change in functional coherence across a first pregnancy2, showed a significant group*session interaction effect between PRG1 and PRG2 in the DMN (MNI coordinates (x y z) = 12 −84 15, T = 2.85, p = 0.006 FWE-corrected; Supplementary Fig. 8), characterized by an increase in DMN network coherence only across a first pregnancy. Results for between-network connectivity are presented in the supplement (Supplementary Tables 13–15).
We also investigated the effects of a first and second pregnancy on the organization of white matter tracts in the brain, measured with diffusion-weighted MRI. Based on these diffusion-weighted images, we extracted mean fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD in 10−5 mm2/s) in 11 large white matter tracts across the brain (Fig. 4a) and compared PRE- and POST-pregnancy measurements between PRG2 and CTR subjects, PRG1 and CTR subjects, and between PRG2 and PRG1 subjects.
We investigated the white matter organization of eleven large white matter tracts in the brain (a). Extracted fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD; in 10−5 mm2/s) in white matter tracts that showed significant changes from pre-pregnancy (PRE) to the early postpartum period (POST) across first (PRG1; n = 40) and/or second (PRG2; n = 30) pregnancies and control women (CTR; n = 40) (b). *p < 0.05 for two-sided paired t-tests after FDR correction for multiple testing, #p < 0.1 for two-sided paired t-tests after FDR correction for multiple testing. The CTR-PRG1 comparison in the left SLFT revealed p = 0.03, the CTR-PRG2 comparison in the right CST p = 0.03 and the PRG1-PRG2 comparison in the right CST p = 0.03, all after FDR correction. Thal thalamic radiation, CST Corticospinal Tract, IFOF Inferior Fronto-Occipital Fasciculus, Cing Cingulum bundle, Cing Hipp Cingulum bundle (Hippocampal part), SLF Superior Longitudinal Fasciculus, SLFT Superior Longitudinal Fasciculus (Temporal part), ILF Inferior longitudinal fasciculus, Unc Uncinate Fasciculus. Boxplots show the median and interquartile range (IQR); whiskers extend to 1.5x IQR. Individual points (jittered) are overlaid for visualization and include all values. Source data are provided as a Source Data file.
General linear models showed significant group*session interaction effects in the MD of the right corticospinal tract (CST) between PRG2 and CTR (F(68) = 6.28, p = 0.03, η2 = 0.15, 95% CI [0.02, 0.29]) and in the FA of the left superior longitudinal fasciculus (temporal part; SLFT) between PRG1 and CTR (F(78) = 7.86, p = 0.02, η2 = 0.16, 95% CI [0.03, 0.30]) (Fig. 4b and Supplementary Tables 16 and 17). These effects were also visible when directly comparing subjects undergoing a first or second pregnancy, although the FA effect in the left SLFT did not survive the FDR correction for multiple testing (MD CST: F(68) = 7.44, p = 0.02, η2 = 0.18, 95% CI [0.03, 0.32]; FA SLFT: F(68) = 4.09, p = 0.09, η2 = 0.10, 95% CI [0.001, 0.23]; Supplementary Tables 16 and 17). Subsequent paired t-tests/Wilcoxon signed rank tests revealed that these effects were driven by decreases in the MD of the right CST in the PRG2 group (V = 386.5, p = 0.02, r = 0.58, 95% CI [0.28, 0.78]) and decreases in the FA of the left SLFT in the PRG1 group (t(39) = 3.74, p = 0.01, d = 0.59, 95% CI [0.26, 0.93]). We did not observe any differences in the organization of white matter tracts at the PRE session between all three groups.
To examine if these changes were maintained across the postpartum period, we also analyzed the MD in the subset of PRG2 participants of which we had complete PRE, POST and POST1 measurements (n = 14). These analyses showed that the MD in the right CST was still decreased 1 year postpartum compared to the pre-pregnancy baseline (t(13) = 4.39; p = 0.02, d = 1.17, 95% CI [0.49, 1.85]), although in this subgroup of women there was no significant difference between the pre-pregnancy baseline and the early postpartum period after correction for multiple testing (t(13) = 2.45, p = 0.18, d = 0.65, 95% CI [0.08, 1.23]).
To assess the influence of a second pregnancy on neural metabolite concentrations, we measured the concentration of five major metabolites, in the precuneus/posterior cingulate cortex VOI, an area showing strong volume reductions across a first pregnancy1: total NAA (tNAA: N-acetylaspartate including contributions from N-acetylaspartylglutamate), total creatine (tCr: creatine and phosphocreatine), total choline (tCho: phosphorylcholine and glycerophosphorylcholine), Glu (Glutamate), and Ins (myo-Inositol) (Fig. 5a). At the baseline measurement, there were no significant differences in metabolite concentration between the three groups.
Neural metabolites were measured in a voxel placed in the precuneus/posterior cingulate (a). Extracted changes in tCr, tNAA, tCho, myo-Inositol and Glutamate concentration (mM) from pre-pregnancy (PRE) to the early postpartum period (POST) across a first (PRG1; n = 39) and second (PRG2; n = 27) pregnancy and in control women (CTR; n = 37) (b). tCr total creatine (creatine and phosphocreatine), tNAA total N-acetylaspartate including contributions from N-acetylaspartylglutamate, tCho total choline (phosphorylcholine and glycerophosphorylcholine). Boxplots show the median and interquartile range (IQR); whiskers extend to 1.5x IQR. Individual points (jittered) are overlaid for visualization and include all values. Source data are provided as a Source Data file.
We compared the PRE and POST measurement between multiparous and control women, and between multiparous and primiparous women (Fig. 5b). When examining the changes in metabolite concentration between PRG2 and CTR with general linear models, we observed a group*session interaction effect for tCr only, although this effect did not survive the correction for multiple testing (F(62) = 4.24, p = 0.08, βstd = 0.31, 95% CI [0.01, 0.61]) (Fig. 5b). Subsequent one sample-tests showed that this effect was driven by significant increases in tCr across a second pregnancy (t(26) = −5.07, p < 0.0001, d = −0.98, 95% CI [−0.85, −0.36]). Results for the other metabolites can be found in Supplementary Table 18. Additionally, directly comparing PRG2 and PRG1 did not show any significant differences in metabolite concentration changes across a first and second pregnancy (Supplementary Table 19).
Although we are starting to unravel the drastic neuroplasticity associated with a first pregnancy, it is currently unknown how a woman's brain is transformed by undergoing another pregnancy. Therefore, we performed a prospective pre-conception cohort study involving 110 women and acquired multimodal imaging data, including high-resolution anatomical MRI, resting-state functional MRI, diffusion-weighted MRI and magnetic resonance spectroscopy. This allowed us to investigate the effects of a second pregnancy on gray matter volume, resting-state brain activity, white matter tract organization and neural metabolite concentrations in comparison to women undergoing a first pregnancy and nulliparous control women.
These results revealed that widespread reductions take place in cortical brain volume across a second pregnancy compared to control women, which are similar to the structural changes seen across a first pregnancy. Nevertheless, classification and cluster-wise analyses demonstrated that a second pregnancy differentially affects women's gray matter brain structure compared to a first pregnancy, identifying differences in the patterns of neural change and the degree to which different networks are affected. The observed divergence in the affected networks across a first and second pregnancy was also supported by our functional MRI data showing that functional coherence in the default mode network only increases across a first pregnancy. Furthermore, changes in white matter tract organization in different neural networks were observed across a first and second pregnancy. Together, these results demonstrate that a first and second pregnancy induce similar but also distinctive effects on a woman's brain.
The widespread cortical volume reductions we demonstrated across a second pregnancy resemble what we and other independent research groups have shown as brain plasticity across a first pregnancy1,2,3,4,5. However, a multivariate pattern recognition approach showed that women could significantly be classified as having undergone a first or a second pregnancy based solely on their brain changes between sessions. Whereas a previous cross-sectional study in mothers did not show differences in brain volume between primiparous and multiparous women in the early postpartum period28, our longitudinal approach reveals that the brain is differently affected across a first and second pregnancy. Deviations between reproduction-related neuroplasticity in primiparous and multiparous mothers have also been demonstrated in animal studies showing different cellular and molecular signatures in the early postpartum period6,7,8. Whereas multiparity has been associated with lower levels of hippocampal amyloid precursor protein (a marker of neurodegeneration)8 and enhanced spine density in the CA1 region of the hippocampus6, primiparity has been associated with dendritic remodeling in the CA1 and CA3 subregions of the hippocampus6 and a decrease in cell survival in the dentate gyrus7. Although our MRI-based measures of neuroplasticity cannot provide information about the underlying cellular processes across a first and second pregnancy, our data show that, similar to rodents, reproductive experience also differently influences the brain of human mothers.
Subsequent analyses examining differences in brain plasticity across a first and second pregnancy reveal both distinct and overlapping neural networks involved. The overlapping areas affected across a first and second pregnancy were mostly located in the default mode network (DMN), followed by the frontoparietal and ventral attention network. We know from previous research that these introspective and higher-order cognitive networks are strongly affected during a first pregnancy, both structurally1,2,3,5 and functionally2. Our findings suggest that these networks represent the main networks associated with pregnancy-induced brain plasticity, being it the first or a subsequent pregnancy. Interestingly, the additional areas that were specifically affected across a first pregnancy were localized in those same networks. This suggests a primary adaptation of these networks in women who become a mother for the first time, which is then further fine-tuned in a similar but more subtle way during a second pregnancy. Our resting-state functional connectivity analyses show a similar pattern. While an increase in DMN network coherence was found in the cuneus of the DMN network in a first pregnancy2, this functional change did not occur to the same degree across a second pregnancy, pointing to a primary structural and functional adaptation of this network when becoming a mother for the first time. The increase in DMN coherence opposes the effect of healthy aging on DMN connectivity, which is characterized by a decrease in within-network DMN connectivity with increasing age29 and associated with changes in cognitive functioning30. On the other hand, psychiatric disorders have shared and disorder-specific patterns of within-network DMN connectivity, characterized by increases and decreases across various diagnosis31. Therefore, more research is needed to fully understand the functional implications of increased DMN connectivity across a first pregnancy.
It has been well-established that the default mode network plays an important role in introspection, self-perception and social cognition32,33,34, and the cuneus—the main area where we found the differential effect of a first and second pregnancy on functional network coherence—represents a core structure subserving the neural representation of the self32. Changes in the DMN across a first pregnancy have been interpreted as shifts in a mother's self-perception and her ability to understand her children's needs and feelings. Indeed, we have previously shown that pregnancy-related brain changes in the default mode network relate to a mother's neural, physiological and emotional reactions to her infant1,2,35,36 and the degree to which she differentiates her fetus from herself during pregnancy2. Similarly, our current results show that the volumetric changes across pregnancy are related to maternal behavior. These correlations are more widespread in a first compared to a second pregnancy, suggesting that brain changes in a first pregnancy more strongly contribute to the induction of maternal behavior, whereas in a second pregnancy these changes play a smaller role as maternal behavior was already developed across the first pregnancy. Furthermore, the volumetric brain changes were also associated with peripartum depression and psychological distress in both first-time and second-time mothers, suggesting that pregnancy-induced brain changes play a role in the development of disorders of maternal mental health. Interestingly, the volumetric brain changes were more prominently associated with mental health status during a second pregnancy, but with mental health status in the postpartum period after a first pregnancy. We can speculate that his may be due to higher stress levels during a second pregnancy since the mother needs to care for another child during her pregnancy, although we did not find significant differences in stress and depression across a first and second pregnancy. More research investigating the neural substrates of maternal mental health disorders is needed to further elucidate these findings.
Similar to the DMN changes across a first pregnancy, we found a primary modulation of the frontoparietal network in first-time mothers, namely a decreasing FA in the temporal part of the superior longitudinal fasciculus, also known as part of the arcuate fasciculus, compared to control participants but not compared to women undergoing a second pregnancy. Although a matter of debate, lower FA values might indicate reduced integrity of the superior longitudinal fasciculus, as water diffusion is less directional, suggesting a less organized tract. This tract plays an important role in language processing, and enables communication of the frontoparietal regions and the temporal lobe37. Disruptions in white matter integrity have been associated with cognitive dysfunction in different disorders, such as an association between lower FA values in the superior longitudinal fasciculus and working memory deficits and speed of processing in Schizophrenia38. In accordance with the relatively pronounced cortical volume changes in first-time mothers in the frontoparietal network2,3, these results suggest that a first pregnancy more strongly transforms this higher-order cognitive neural network compared to a second pregnancy.
In comparison, the areas affected specifically across a second pregnancy were not localized in the introspection-related default mode network and the cognitive frontoparietal network but instead were mainly located in networks involved with the responsiveness to external stimuli, goal-oriented attention and task demands, such as the somatomotor and dorsal attention networks. These changes can be speculated to prepare a woman for the increased demands associated with caring for multiple children at the same time. Indeed, a previous study showed different neural responses as an index of attention to both social and non-social visual stimuli during pregnancy in primiparous compared to multiparous women39. The changes in the sensorimotor network across a second pregnancy were also supported by our diffusion-weighted MRI findings. In women undergoing a second pregnancy, mean diffusivity (MD) in the right corticospinal tract reduced across a second pregnancy, compared to control participants and women pregnant of their first child. A reduction in MD in white matter indicates that water molecules are diffusing less freely in all directions within the tissue, potentially reflecting an increase in the structural integrity. The corticospinal tract is the main white matter tract conveying motor and sensory signals from and to the sensorimotor network40. It has been suggested that a change in MD may reflect synaptic plasticity, and may be a biomarker for microstructural changes associated with learning41,42. In comparison, aging is associated with increases in MD across the white matter43, suggesting that pregnancy may oppose this aging effect. However, further research is needed to elucidate the functional implications of these changes in brain structure in second-time mothers.
When analyzing the magnetic resonance spectroscopy data measuring neural metabolite concentrations in the precuneus/posterior cingulate voxel, we did not find robust changes that survived a correction for multiple testing across a second pregnancy. This is in line with our previous study that found indications for changes in myo-inositol, total creatine and total choline concentrations across a first pregnancy, but these also did not survive the multiple testing correction2. These results suggest that there is no clear effect across a first or second pregnancy on metabolite concentrations in the precuneus/posterior cingulate cortex.
Comparisons of the baseline MRI data revealed no significant group differences in any of our presented neural measures of vertex-wise brain volumes, resting-state functional connectivity, white matter tract organization and neural metabolites. This is in line with our findings of changed temporal coherence in the DMN, which reverts to baseline across the first year postpartum2. Previous findings showing changes in white matter organization also indicate that these effects are transient4. However, the changes in gray matter structure seem to be long-lasting. Although a partial reversal to pre-pregnancy baseline has been shown across the postpartum period1,2,3,4, structural alterations were still evident 21 and even 6 years44 after delivery. While the volumetric means at the PRE sess are lower in PRG2 women in brain areas that undergo reductions across a first pregnancy, these are not statistically significantly different. This lack of observed differences in gray matter structure in the pre-pregnancy session between the PRG2 and other groups in our study could be due to the reduced power and sensitivity of cross-sectional analyses, especially because the variation in gray matter volumes at the PRE timepoint is very large. Additionally, the postpartum recovery process is highly dynamic45, with volumetric increases shown across different time points postpartum46,47,48,49, but also volumetric decreases from 1 to 2 years postpartum50. The large range of postpartum time since the first pregnancy in our second-pregnancy group may have masked baseline differences between the PRG2 and other groups in our current study. Future studies examining brain changes across a first and second pregnancy within the same women may provide a deeper insight into the recovery of brain changes in between subsequent pregnancies and the shared and distinct neural effects of successive pregnancies.
Although our manuscript focusses on relatively short-term effects of parity on the brain, studies in late life showing associations between parity and brain structure in middle-aged women suggest that traces of pregnancy-related neural changes may be present throughout the lifespan. Middle-aged women who had undergone multiple pregnancies showed younger-looking brains compared to primiparous and nulliparous women14. Additionally, cortical thickness and functional connectivity was related to parity in elderly women15,16, and reproductive experience may influence the risk for and effects of different diseases in later life, like Alzheimer's Disease and stroke18,23. Similarly, in middle-aged rodents, long-term effects of parity on the immune system and reduced brain aging associated with reproductive experience have been shown, characterized by more neurogenesis, higher levels of brain derived neurotrophic factor and more synaptic proteins in the hippocampus9,10,51. Additionally, the response to ovarian hormones at middle age seems to be related to parity in rodents11,12. The differential neural effects of a first and second pregnancy we showed may contribute to these neural effects of parity in late life.
Various limitations of our study need to be considered. First, due to local ethical constraints, we were not allowed by the ethical committee to acquire MRI scans during pregnancy. Therefore, the exact timing of the pregnancy-induced changes cannot be concluded from our analyses. Nevertheless, previous studies examining changes during pregnancy have consistently replicated the changes demonstrated in a pre-post pregnancy design3,4,5. This strong consistency of pregnancy-induced volumetric decreases measured at different time points across pregnancy, characterized by an inverted U-shape from pre to post-pregnancy with the lowest volumes during the third trimester of pregnancy3,4,5, supports the notion that the changes we observed are induced by pregnancy.
Although we demonstrate clear effects on MRI-based measures of cortical volume and white matter tracts across pregnancy, our study cannot reveal any information about the cellular processes that are underlying these changes. Gray matter volume reductions may reflect neurodegeneration, although our previous research has demonstrated a high similarity between morphometric change in pregnancy and adolescence, suggesting that pregnancy-induced brain plasticity may rather reflect a fine-tuning process52,53. Additionally, the cellular processes underlying changes in diffusion-based metrics in white matter tracts are a matter of debate54, and changes in FA or MD could reflect different processes underlying neuroplasticity and learning, such as astrocyte swelling, dendritic spine changes, angiogenesis or synaptic changes41,55,56. Nevertheless, decreases in MD have also been shown during adolescence57,58, further supporting the notion that pregnancy-induced neuroplasticity resembles brain plasticity across adolescence. Results regarding white matter fractional anisotropy or quantitative anisotropy changes in white matter across pregnancy have not been conclusive, with our previous study showing no changes from pre-pregnancy to the early postpartum period2 and another study showing increasing quantitative anisotropy during pregnancy, returning to baseline postpartum in a single women undergoing her first pregnancy4. Different timings of research sessions and different analysis strategies may explain these discrepancies, and more research is needed to fully elucidate the effect of pregnancy on white matter tracts.
Although our study includes a relatively large group of women, especially given the complicated nature and logistics of our longitudinal study design, the group sizes are still limited for classification analyses. To control for the risk of overfitting in small sample sizes, we performed a leave one subject out cross-validation scheme, keeping the training dataset as large as possible to train our classifier. Since it has been shown that the leave-one-out cross-validation can potentially lead to over-optimistic model performance estimations, we repeated our analyses with a k-fold cross-validation scheme with 10 folds, which resulted in a slightly lower accuracy but still significant classification between PRG1 and PRG2. Nevertheless, future research with larger group sizes would be beneficial to confirm our findings.
Because of time constraints during data acquisition, we were able to collect only 5 min of resting-state fMRI data. These data are valuable to compare to our previously published results about resting-state functional connectivity changes in the DMN across a first pregnancy2 that was acquired with the same MRI protocol, but we acknowledge that according to newer standards these data may be limited and should be interpreted with caution, and are therefore presented in the supplement. Future studies acquiring more resting-state fMRI volumes are needed to confirm changes in resting-state functional connectivity across pregnancy.
Lastly, although we tried to match our groups based on demographic variables, there was a significant difference in age between second-time mothers and first-time mothers and control women. Since age is also known to influence cortical volumes59, resting-state functional connectivity60,61 and diffusion-based structural connectivity61, we corrected for age in all analyses. Since these aging effects on functional and structural connectivity are in the opposite direction compared to the pregnancy-induced effects we have found, we do not expect age differences to solely underlie our results. Additionally, there may be other potential confounding factors related to pregnancy that influence the observed changes across a second pregnancy, such as age of first pregnancy, breastfeeding, type of delivery and other contributing factors, such as sleep disturbances, stress or social support. Although our previous findings suggest that several of these factors including sleep, stress, type of delivery and breastfeeding do not strongly contribute to pregnancy-induced brain changes2, it is likely that such factors are associated with relatively subtle effects that only surface in large samples. Studies involving a larger group of women becoming mothers may be able to acquire more insights into the influence of such factors on pregnancy-induced brain changes.
In conclusion, we have demonstrated widespread volumetric decreases across a second pregnancy, which are highly similar to the effects we and others have shown across a first pregnancy1,2,3,4,5. Despite these similarities, women could be classified as having undergone a first or second pregnancy solely based on the changes in their brain structure, indicating that subsequent pregnancies are associated with distinct neural transformations. Both a first and second pregnancy particularly strongly impacted the introspective default mode network and the frontoparietal network and one of its major white matter trats, the superior longitudinal fasciculus. However, these changes were more prominent in a first pregnancy, suggesting a primary adaptation of this network in women who become mothers for the first time that is further fine-tuned during a second pregnancy. Accordingly, the changes in the temporal coherence in the default mode network observed in a first pregnancy were not found in second-time mothers. On the other hand, second-time mothers exhibited stronger structural alterations in the dorsal attention and somatomotor networks including the corticospinal tract, suggesting that a second pregnancy entails an enhanced plasticity within these externally-oriented networks. Correlation results revealed associations of volumetric brain changes across both a first and a second pregnancy with mother-infant attachment, but these were more widespread in first-time mothers. Furthermore, the structural brain changes across both a first and a second pregnancy were associated with maternal mental health, but these were more prominently associated with postpartum depression and psychological distress in the postpartum period in first-time mothers and with depression and psychological distress during pregnancy in second-time mothers. These findings demonstrate that the human brain is altered across a second pregnancy, involving changes in gray matter structure, white matter tracts and resting-state brain activity, and show that both a first and second pregnancy confer a unique mark on a woman's brain.
This research was evaluated and approved by the Ethics Review Board of the Leiden University Medical Center and complies with all relevant ethical regulations. All participants signed the informed consent forms before any study-related measurement and received monetary compensation. We used a prospective pre-conception cohort study, in which we followed women with the intention to become pregnant of their second child in the following year (PRG2: n = 30). Only women (self-reported) were included in this study. We started with a pre-conception research session (PRE session), followed by a session during the third trimester of pregnancy, a session in the early postpartum period (80.32 ± 27.72 days from parturition; POST session) and a session in the late postpartum period (408.67 ± 38.75 days from parturition; POST1 session). Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, only a subset of women could participate in the POST1 session (n = 14). Due to this low sample size, we just included the POST1 timepoint in analyses where we found a significant pregnancy effect from PRE to POST in the PRG2 group, to study the long-term effects of pregnancy. The pregnancy session only included questionnaires, hormone sampling and cognitive testing, since MRI scanning was not allowed during pregnancy by the ethical committee. Additionally, this study included a primiparous group, including women who became pregnant of their first child during the course of the study (PRG1: n = 40, for the POST1 session n = 28) and nulliparous control women (CTR: n = 40), who underwent a similar study set-up (see Fig. 6)2. All groups were scanned in the same time period, and individuals of different groups were scanned intertwined. For more information about the sample included, see Supplementary Table 20.
We included second time mothers (multiparous; PRG2), first-time mothers (primiparous; PRG1) and control women (CTR) not getting pregnant in between the scans (CTR). We acquired structural T1-weighted, resting-state functional, diffusion-weighted MRI scans and a magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) scan before pregnancy (Session 1: PRE), in the early postpartum period (Session 3; POST) and the late postpartum period (Session 4; POST1). The pregnancy session only included questionnaires, hormone sampling and cognitive testing, since MRI scanning was not allowed during pregnancy by the ethical committee. Icons in this figure were obtained from Font Awesome (https://fontawesome.com) and are used under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0; https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). The icons were not adapted. Source data are provided as a Source Data file1. Hoekzema et al. (2022).
The PRG2 group was significantly older (32.03 ± 2.33 years) than the PRG1 (29.35 ± 3.51 years; p = 0.0027) and the CTR group (29.33 ± 3.57 years; p = 0.0025), so age has been used as a covariate in all analyses. There were no significant differences in level of education, time between PRE and POST sessions, time between birth and POST session and time between birth and POST1 session (Supplementary Table 20).
All MRI scans were acquired on a Philips 3 T MRI system.
High-resolution 3D anatomical T1-weighted images were acquired in transverse orientation, with the following acquisition parameters: repetition time (TR) = 9.8 ms, echo time (TE) = 4.6 ms, Flip Angle = 8°, Field of View (FOV) = 178 × 224 × 168 mm, voxel size = 0.875 × 0.875 × 1 mm. All MRI scans were visually checked for quality control, and no scans had to be excluded. Additionally, we determined Freesurfer's Euler number as a measure of data quality for each T1w image at each time point (Supplementary Table 21), and did not find a significant group (PRG2, PRG1, CTR) * session (PRE, POST, POST1) interaction effect (F(3,254) = 0.42, p = 0.74). After processing in Freesurfer, all individual T1w images had Euler numbers of 2, which reflect an accurate surface reconstruction.
Functional MRI scans were acquired in all participants during rest, while fixating at a crosshair at the screen to prevent them from falling asleep. A total of 137 T2*-weighted whole-brain echo-planar images (EPIs) and two dummy scans were acquired with the following parameters: TR = 2.2 s; TE = 30 ms, Flip Angle = 80°, FOV = 220 × 220 × 111.65 mm, voxel size = 2.75 × 2.75 mm, 37 descending slices.
Two sets of transverse diffusion-weighted images (DWI) were acquired with reversed k-space encoding direction, to allow for distortion correction. For both DWI scans, the acquisition parameters were: TR = 7315 ms, TE = 69 ms, Flip Angle = 90°, FOV = 240 × 240 mm, acquisition matrix = 128 × 98, reconstruction matrix 128 × 128, 30 different diffusion directs with b-factor 1000 s/mm2, 5 B0 acquisitions, SENSE factor = 3, 75 slices of 2 mm, no slice gap, no cardiac gating.
Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) was performed with single-voxel point-resolved spectroscopy (PRESS) localization (TR = 2000 ms; TE = 37 ms; 128 averages, 2 dummy scans, and 16 reference scans without water suppression). Shimming was performed with an automated second order projection-based algorithm. The volumes of interest (VOIs) were positioned in two regions that were found to undergo strong changes in brain structure in our previous study1. One was the precuneus/posterior cingulate cortex (PCC), centered between both hemispheres (Fig. 6a), which had a volume of 8 mL (20 × 20 × 20 mm3). The other VOI was positioned in the right superior temporal gyrus and had a volume of 12 mL (20 × 30 × 20 mm3), but due to low quality spectra, this VOI was excluded from all analyses.
The anatomical MR images were processed with Freesurfer 7.2.0, using the longitudinal recon-all stream62. We performed vertex-wise analyses using cortical volume, thickness and surface area, for which the subject's cortical maps were registered to the fsaverage space and smoothed with a 10 mm full-width-at-half-maximum (FWHM) kernel. Cortical change maps were created for each measure, and generalized linear models (GLMs), including age as a covariate, were performed to determine differences in the vertex-wise change between each combination of groups (PRG2 vs. CTR, PRG1 vs. CTR and PRG2 vs. PRG1). These linear models were false discovery rate (FDR) corrected for multiple testing. We also determined Cohen's D effect sizes for the significant vertices (Supplementary Table 1). In order to allow for slightly less prominent effects to surface, we also used a more lenient approach to correct this contrast for multiple testing than the FDR-correction, using 1000 permutations and a vertex-wise threshold of p < 0.01, corrected for performing analyses in the left and right hemisphere. Cortical volumes were extracted from the total area as output of each GLM, and paired t-tests, or in case of non-normality Wilcoxon signed rank tests, were used to determine the direction of effect in the three groups. These paired t-tests/Wilcoxon signed rank tests were repeated in multiparous (n = 14) and primiparous (n = 28) women with complete datasets, including the late postpartum timepoint (POST1). Differences between groups at the pre pregnancy baseline were determined using linear models corrected for age.
To further investigate differences in brain changes across subsequent pregnancies, we determined whether women undergoing a first or second pregnancy could be separated based on their anatomical MRI scans. To do so, we performed linear support vector machine classification in Pronto (PRoNTo v3.0)24,25 on the smoothed gray matter volume difference maps as output from longitudinal symmetric diffeomorphic modeling pipeline26 in SPM12 (http://www.fil.ion.uncl.ac.uk/spm/) implemented in Matlab 7.8 (Mathworks), using a leave-one-out cross-validation. Because of our relatively small sample size for classification analyses, the leave-one-out cross validation provides the largest training dataset as possible, but at the risk of overfitting and overestimating classifier accuracy. Therefore, we repeated the analyses using a k-fold cross-validation using 10 folds, which reduces the risk of overfitting although it's better suited for large sample sizes. Details about the longitudinal pipeline in SPM12 can be found in Hoekzema et al.2. Permutation testing using 10,000 permutations was used to determine the significance of the classification accuracy for all three combinations of groups (PRG2 vs. PRG1, PRG2 vs. CTR and PRG1 vs. CTR).
Lastly, we performed a cluster-wise correction on the results from the above described GLMs with a vertex-wise cluster threshold of 0.001 and a cluster-wise p-threshold of 0.05 to determine clusters of significant volumetric differences. We combined these cluster maps of the results from PRG1-CTR and PRG2-CTR, to determine the similarity and difference in areas affected with a first or second pregnancy compared to control women. This resulted in three areas of interest: areas affected in both a first and second pregnancy (Overlap), areas affected only in a first pregnancy (Only CTR-PRG1) and areas affected only in a second pregnancy (Only CTR-PRG2). To localize these areas in the brain, we determined the intersection of those regions with the 7 resting-state networks of Yeo27, relative to the expected volume of the intersection based on a random distribution across the gray matter in the brain.
The resting state fMRI images were pre-processed using DPARSF (version 4.5)63, involving slice timing correction, realignment, and co-registration of the anatomical images to the mean functional images. The transformed anatomical images were then segmented64, and DARTEL65 was used to transform the images to MNI space, followed by the application of a 10 mm3 FWHM Gaussian kernel. To account for head motion, we applied the Friston 24-parameter model66 and subjects with any frame-wise displacements (FD) exceeding 2 mm (for translations) or 2° (for rotations) or with a mean FD exceeding 0.2 in any of the sessions were excluded67. Therefore, 3 participants of the PRG2 group and 4 participants of the CTR group had to be excluded. After these exclusions, there were no significant group (PRG1, PRG2 and CTRL) * session (PRE and POST) interaction effects in the mean FD or any of the other motion parameters (maximum translations and rotations in the x, y and z-directions) (Supplementary Table 22).
We performed Group spatial independent component analyses (ICA) using the Group ICA for fMRI Toolbox in Matlab (GIFT v4.0b, http://mialab.mrn.org/software/gift), using default options, 20 components and the InfoMax algorithm. Components were selected through automated selection by spatial sorting with the components of Smith et al.68 who defined the major networks in the resting brain using a similar ICA-based approach, using a cutoff value of R > 0.25. We compared within-network coherence across the obtained functional networks, by determining the functional connectivity of each voxel with all the other voxels in the network. After determination of the neural networks, we extracted the correlation between the functional networks using the Functional Network Connectivity toolbox (FNC Toolbox version 2.3, https://trendscenter.org/software/fnc/) for Matlab with a lag-shift algorithm using default options. FNC calculates a constrained maximal lag correlation between each pair of networks by calculating Pearson's correlations and constraining the lag between the time courses69.
To examine whether there were differences between groups in the within-network coherence change across the PRE and POST sessions, we performed generalized linear models in SPM12 and investigated the group * session interaction effect using the PRG2 and PRG1 group, and the PRG2 and CTR group. As a follow-up analysis, for the model investigating the default mode network, a region of interest representing the significant within-network coherence change across a first pregnancy2 was applied as mask. In these analyses, we used the average functional connectivity of the voxels inside this mask only with the rest of the DMN. Results were considered significant at an FWE-corrected statistical threshold of p < 0.05. When significant interaction results were obtained, these were followed by paired sample t-tests, or in case of non-normality the non-parametric Wilcoxon signed rank test, using the PRE and POST measurement within each group. Baseline differences between groups were determined using linear models corrected for age. For the between-network correlation changes, we performed repeated-measures general linear models in Rstudio (version 23.06.1). In case of significant group * session interaction effects, we performed paired t-tests, or in case of non-normality the non-parametric Wilcoxon signed rank test, using the PRE and POST measurement within each group. Results were considered to be significant at a statistical threshold of p < 0.05, corrected for multiple testing using an FDR correction. To create images, the statistical maps were projected onto the PALS surface provided in Caret software (http://brainvis.wustl.edu/wiki/index.php/Caret). Slice overlays were created using MRIcron (http://www.mccauslandcenter.sc.edu/mricro/mricron/).
Diffusion-weighted images were processed using MRtriX370, unless otherwise stated. We denoised the data, preprocessed the data including eddy current-induced distortion correction, motion correction and susceptibility-induced distortion correction using FSL tools eddy & top-up, and corrected the data for B1 inhomogeneity using dwidenoise, dwifslpreproc and dwibiascorrect, respectively. Subsequently, we fitted the diffusion-tensor and calculated the fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD) maps. Diffusion tensors were fitted in two steps using dwi2tensor with default settings: first, using weighted least-squares with weights based on empirical signal intensities, and second, by further iterated WLS with weights determined by the signal predictions from the previous iteration. Mean B0 maps were linearly registered using FSL (version 6.0.3) to one individual B0 map, followed by taking the mean to create a study-specific template. Afterwards, individual mean B0 maps were non-linearly registered to the study-specific template, and subsequently to the JHU-ICBM atlas template71. Registrations were inverted, and masks of 11 large white matter tracts of interest were registered to individual subject space. These included the Forceps Major, Forceps Minor, left and right Thalamic Radiation, left and right Corticospinal Tract, left and right Cingulum bundle (Cingulate part and Hippocampal part), Left and right Inferior Longitudinal Fasciculus, left and right inferior Fronto-Occipital Fasciculus, left and right Superior Longitudinal Fasciculus (Body and temporal part) and the left and right Uncinate Fasciculus. ROI masks in individual space were masked with a fractional anisotropy (FA) mask >0.25, to ensure inclusion of white matter, and mean FA and MD were calculated for each subject at each time point.
General linear models in Rstudio (version 23.06.1) were performed to compare changes in white matter tracts (FA and mean diffusivity (MD)) between the PRE and POST measurements across PRG2 and CTR women, PRG1 and CTR women and PRG2 and PRG1 women. In case of significant group * session interaction effects, we performed paired t-tests, or in case of non-normality the non-parametric Wilcoxon signed rank test, using the PRE and POST measurement within each group. Baseline differences between groups were determined using linear models corrected for age. To correct for multiple testing across all white matter tracts per measure (FA or MD), we performed FDR corrections. Lastly, for individuals with a complete PRE-POST-POST1 dataset (PRG2: N = 14, PRG1: n = 28), we performed paired t-tests/Wilcoxon signed rank tests between the PRE and POST1 measurements to investigate the long-term effects of pregnancy.
MRS data of the PRE and POST session were available of 27 women in the PRG2 group, since the spectroscopy had to be omitted in three participants due to a lack of time. The POST1 data was excluded from the MRS analyses because data was only available of four participants in this group. Additionally, MRS data was acquired from 39 PRG1 women and 37 CTR women at the same timepoints (PRE and POST). Metabolite concentrations were estimated with LCModel, (version 6.3-1 M), using a dataset containing seventeen metabolites. For this study, we considered the major metabolites tNAA (N-acetylaspartate including contributions from N-acetylaspartylglutamate), tCr (creatine and phosphocreatine), tCho (phosphorylcholine and glycerophosphorylcholine), Glu (Glutamate), Ins (myo-Inositol). These metabolites (or combinations thereof) can typically be measured with high precision (see next section about spectral quality). Concentrations were expressed using water scaling. Next, we corrected for partial volume contributions of GM, white matter and cerebrospinal fluid in the corresponding VOI, based on Sienax segmentation (FSL 5.0.10) of each subject's 3DT1 images.
Spectral quality was examined based on the full-width half maximum (FWHM), signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), and the estimated CramerRao lower bounds of each metabolite. Spectra with FHWM > 0.1 ppm (12 Hz) and/or SNR < 5 were considered poor quality. All PCC spectra in the PRG2 group had high quality, with SNR mean ± sd of 24.83 ± 1.51, FWHM 4.32 ± 0.51 Hz, and Cramer Rao lower bounds of metabolites well below 10%: tCr 2.06 ± 0.23%, tNAA 2.17 ± 0.38%, Cho 4.50 ± 0.50%, Ins 6.63 ± 0.62%, and Glu 8.00 ± 0.34%. Information about spectra quality in the PRG1 and CTR group can be found in our previous paper2. There were no differences in FWHM and SNR ratio across groups and time points.
The metabolite concentrations resulting from LCModel were analyzed in Rstudio (version 23.06.1), using repeated measures general linear models to assess whether the change in metabolite concentration from PRE to POST was different in PRG2 women, compared to PRG1 and CTR women. In case of significant group * session interaction effects, we performed paired t-tests, or in case of non-normality the non-parametric Wilcoxon signed rank test, using the PRE and POST measurement within each group. Baseline differences were determined using linear models corrected for age. These analyses were FDR corrected across the five metabolites as correction for multiple testing.
To measure maternal behavior, we used several questionnaires during pregnancy (at the PREG session) and in the early postpartum period (at the POST session). To assess maternal-fetal attachment during pregnancy, women filled in the Prenatal Attachment Inventory (PAI72) and the Maternal Antenatal Attachment Scale (MAAS73). Additionally, to examine nesting behavior, the preparational activities during pregnancy, women filled in the Nesting Behavior Questionnaire74. To assess maternal-child bonding and impairments in the mother-infant relationship in the postpartum period, we asked women to fill in the Maternal Postnatal Attachment Scale (MPAS75) and the Postpartum Bonding Questionnaire (PBQ76) respectively. Questionnaires were filled in by both the PRG1 and PRG2 group, although some subjects had missing data at a specific time point (PREG: PRG1: n = 36, PRG2: n = 28; POST: PRG1: n = 39, PRG2: n = 28).
We assessed mental health status during pregnancy and in the early postpartum period. To assess psychological distress, women in the PRG1 and PRG2 group filled in the K10 questionnaire77. Additionally, to measure signs of postpartum depression, we acquired data from the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS78). For both questionnaires, data were missing from several of subjects (PREG: PRG1: n = 36, PRG2: n = 28; POST: PRG1: n = 39, PRG2: n = 28).
We determined whether there was a difference in maternal behavior or maternal mental health between the PRG1 and PRG2 group using ANOVA analyses. Additionally, we performed correlation analyses in Freesurfer, to assess whether the maternal behavior or mental health status was associated with the volumetric changes across a first or second pregnancy. We applied the significant areas of change across a first or second pregnancy (PRG1 vs. CTR or PRG2 vs. CTR) as mask for these analyses, to only use the area of significant volume decrease across a first or second pregnancy. Results were corrected for multiple testing using 1000 permutations, with a vertex-wise p value of 0.01, and corrected for performing the analyses across the left and right hemisphere.
Further information on research design is available in the Nature Portfolio Reporting Summary linked to this article.
Source data for each figure are provided with this paper and in Figshare (https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.31144273). The raw MRI data and group/demographic information generated in this study for the participants who have provided permission to share their data have been deposited in the Open Science Framework depository under the following https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/G8DNR. The deposited data are available open access. Source data are provided with this paper.
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We acknowledge the participants for their contribution to this study. We thank research assistants A. van der Geest, A. Glasbergen, S. Altikulac, A. van Steenbergen, R. van Dort, P. Berns en I. Langereis for coordinating the data collection for this project. This project was supported by an Innovational Research Incentives Scheme grant (Veni, 451-14-036, E.H.) by the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO), a NARSAD grant from the Brain and Behaviour Research Foundation, U.S.A. (grant number 25312, E.H.) and a grant of the Leiden University Fund / Elise Mathilde Fund (CWB 740s / 2t-03-2017 /EM) awarded to E.H. E.H. is currently supported by an ERC Starting Grant (948031, E.H.) provided by the European Research Council.
Pregnancy Brain Lab, Amsterdam University Medical Center (UMC), Location University of Amsterdam, Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam Reproduction and Development, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
M. Straathof, S. Halmans & E. Hoekzema
Amsterdam University Medical Center (UMC), Location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
P. J. W. Pouwels
Brain and Development Research Centre, Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
E. A. Crone
Erasmus School of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
E. A. Crone
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M.S. analyzed data and wrote the paper, S.H. contributed to the processing and analysis of the structural data, P.J.W.P. supervised processing and analyses of the MRS data, E.C. contributed to the design and interpretation, E.H. designed the study, analyzed data, and contributed to the manuscript and interpretation. All authors evaluated the manuscript.
Correspondence to
M. Straathof or E. Hoekzema.
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Straathof, M., Halmans, S., Pouwels, P.J.W. et al. The effects of a second pregnancy on women's brain structure and function.
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Predicting not just if, but also when, cognitively unimpaired individuals are likely to develop onset of Alzheimerʼs disease (AD) symptoms would be useful to clinical trials and, eventually, clinical practice. Although clock models based on amyloid and tau positron emission tomography have shown promise in predicting the onset of AD symptoms, a model based on plasma biomarkers would be more accessible. Using longitudinal plasma %p-tau217 (the ratio of phosphorylated to non-phosphorylated tau at position 217) from two independent cohorts (n = 258 and n = 345), clock models were used to estimate the age at plasma %p-tau217 positivity. The estimated age at plasma %p-tau217 positivity was associated with the age at onset of AD symptoms (adjusted R2 of 0.337−0.612) with a median absolute error of 3.0−3.7 years. Notably, the time from %p-tau217 positivity to onset of AD symptoms was markedly shorter in older individuals. Similar models were constructed with data from one p-tau217/Aβ42 immunoassay and four plasma p-tau217 immunoassays. These findings suggest that the time until onset of AD symptoms can be estimated using a single blood test within a margin of error that is acceptable for use in clinical trials.
AD is the most common cause of dementia and is characterized by amyloid plaques primarily comprised of amyloid-β 42 (Aβ42) and neurofibrillary tangles comprising tau1. The burden of amyloid plaques as quantified by amyloid positron emission tomography (PET) increases for about 10−20 years during the preclinical phase of AD when patients are cognitively unimpaired and then plateaus around the time of symptom onset2,3. By contrast, neurofibrillary tangles as measured by tau PET develop later and increase with symptom severity4,5. Although treatments for early symptomatic AD are now clinically available in some countries6,7, treating patients earlier during the preclinical phase of disease before major neurodegeneration has occurred may be more efficacious8,9. Although biomarkers can accurately identify individuals with AD brain pathology, predicting which individuals are likely to develop symptoms is more challenging, and novel predictive modeling approaches are needed.
Interestingly, once amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles start to accumulate, the burden of pathology follows a remarkably consistent trajectory across individuals2,10,11,12,13. These consistent trajectories enable the creation of clock models that relate levels of amyloid or tau PET signal to time and allow for estimation of when individuals developed amyloid or tau PET abnormality2,11,12,13,14,15. Unlike general biological aging clocks or categorical staging based on multiple biomarkers, clock models track disease progression with a specific biomarker, thereby providing granular and intuitive time-based staging1,10,13,16. Clock models allow alignment of trajectories to a reference point (for example, amyloid or tau PET positivity) that reduces heterogeneity compared to models using chronological age alone13,16. Furthermore, the age at amyloid or tau abnormality or positivity estimated by clock models can be used to estimate the age at AD symptom onset10,12,13,15,17. Knowing not just if, but also when, AD symptoms are likely to manifest would be very useful to clinical trials that aim to prevent or slow progression to symptomatic AD18.
Amyloid and tau PET are extremely useful tools in research and clinical trials but are expensive and burdensome methods with limited availability19. Recently developed blood-based biomarkers are much more accessible and less expensive20. The plasma ratio of amyloid-β peptide 42 to 40 (Aβ42/40) decreases very early during the preclinical phase of AD and then plateaus at moderate levels of amyloid plaque burden, resulting in poor correlations with AD symptoms13,16,21,22,23. However, plasma levels of tau phosphorylated at position 217 (p-tau217) and the ratio of phosphorylated to non-phosphorylated tau at position 217 (referred to as %p-tau217) increase throughout the preclinical and early symptomatic phases of AD13,16,22. Importantly, plasma measures of p-tau217 and %p-tau217 have high associations not only with amyloid PET22,24,25,26,27,28 but also with tau PET24,25,29, brain volumes23 and cognition23,28. Although the concentration of plasma p-tau217 was previously demonstrated to predict risk for cognitive decline and progression to AD dementia30,31, no published studies have used plasma p-tau217 or %p-tau217 to estimate when individuals will develop onset of AD symptoms.
In the present study, we aimed to use measurements from a single plasma sample to estimate not only the probability of a cognitively unimpaired individual with positive AD biomarkers developing AD symptoms but also when they would be likely to develop symptoms. Primary analyses were performed with the C2N Diagnostics plasma %p-tau217 measure because large longitudinal datasets were available from two cohorts: the Knight Alzheimer's Disease Research Center (Knight ADRC) and the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI). Plasma %p-tau217 has high accuracy in classifying amyloid PET, tau PET and cognitive status; this assay is a component of C2N Diagnostics' clinically available PrecivityAD2 test and is used by some clinical trials23,25,26,27,32. Using longitudinal plasma %p-tau217 data, we created clock models that related %p-tau217 values to time and enabled estimation of the age at %p-tau217 positivity for each individual. Two approaches were used to create %p-tau217 clock models: Temporal Integration of Rate Accumulation (TIRA)10,13, which integrates the inverse of the modeled rate of change, and Sampled Iterative Local Approximation (SILA)12,17, which uses discrete rate sampling and Euler's method for numerical integration. Multiple statistical models were used to examine the relationships between the estimated age at %p-tau217 positivity and the onset of AD symptoms. Secondary analyses to assess the generalizability of this approach across plasma biomarkers were performed in the ADNI cohort with the Fujirebio Lumipulse p-tau217/Aβ42 measure that was recently cleared by the US Food and Drug Administration and with four commercially available p-tau217 assays: C2N Diagnostics, Janssen LucentAD Quanterix, ALZpath Quanterix and Fujirebio Lumipulse23.
Data from participants with longitudinal plasma %p-tau217 measurements collected at least 1 year apart were considered for potential inclusion in developing the clock models (Supplementary Table 1). When the baseline plasma %p-tau217 sample was collected, 506 individuals from the Knight ADRC cohort had a median age of 67.7 years (interquartile range (IQR) 61.7–72.4 years); 54.2% were female, 35.8% were APOE ε4 carriers and 8.5% were cognitively impaired (defined by Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) > 0). Knight ADRC participants had a median age of 7.1 years (IQR 5.0−11.0 years) from the first to last plasma collection. Of these participants, 310 of 506 (61.3%) provided three or more plasma samples. The ADNI cohort consisted of 406 individuals with a median age of 72.7 years (IQR 67.9–78.0 years); 49.3% were female, 34.2% were APOE ε4 carriers and 48.3% were cognitively impaired. ADNI participants had a median age of 5.0 years (IQR 4.0-6.5 years) from the first to last plasma collection. Of these participants, 404 of 406 (99.5%) provided three or more plasma samples.
The rate of change in plasma %p-tau217 as a function of the estimated %p-tau217 value at the midpoint of collected samples for each participant was modeled with generalized additive models (GAMs) separately in the two cohorts (Fig. 1a,b). As was described for similar models using amyloid and tau PET13, intervals with relatively low variance in the rate of change (that is, below the 90th percentile) were identified. These intervals were between plasma %p-tau217 values of 0.29% and 10.45% for the Knight ADRC cohort and between 1.06% and 10.59% for the ADNI cohort (Extended Data Fig. 1a). The intersection yielded an interval of consistent change for plasma %p-tau217 of 1.06% to 10.45%.
For the Knight ADRC (a) and ADNI (b) cohorts, each gray point represents the rate of change in plasma %p-tau217 for an individual as a function of the estimated %p-tau217 value at the midpoint of follow-up. Black solid lines represent GAMs fitting the individual data points, showing the predicted mean rate of change. Gray shading indicates 95% confidence intervals around the fitted GAM curves. Red dashed vertical lines represent the estimated %p-tau217 value at which variance in the rate of change was greater than the 90th percentile of variance in rates of change for the cohort, which identified a range of 1.06−10.45% over which %p-tau217 had relatively consistent change. Clock models relating time to %p-tau217 are shown for the Knight ADRC (c) and ADNI (d) cohorts and were created using two approaches: TIRA (green) and SILA (orange). The vertical black dashed line represents the plasma %p-tau217 threshold of 4.06%, which aligns with an amyloid PET Centiloid value of 20. The horizontal black dashed line represents the estimated time that an individual has a %p-tau217 value of 4.06%.
For the development of clock models, the cohort was restricted to individuals with longitudinal data within the interval of consistent change (Extended Data Table 1). The Knight ADRC clock cohort included 258 individuals with a median interval between first and last plasma %p-tau217 values of 6.5 years (IQR 3.9−9.8 years). The ADNI clock cohort included 345 individuals with a median interval between first and last plasma %p-tau217 values of 4.5 years (IQR 4.0−6.3 years). Plasma %p-tau217 positivity was defined as more than 4.06% to align with an amyloid PET Centiloid value of 20 (ref. 23). Two methods that have previously been used to create clock models with longitudinal amyloid and tau PET data were used to estimate the years from plasma %p-tau217 positivity: TIRA10,13 and SILA12,17. The clock models relating time to plasma %p-tau217 levels are shown for the Knight ADRC (Fig. 1c) and ADNI (Fig. 1d) cohorts; numerical values are provided in Extended Data Table 2 and can also be accessed via a web-based application: https://amyloid.shinyapps.io/plasma_ptau217_time/#.
Similar clock models were constructed using all longitudinal data (Supplementary Fig. 1). At very low %p-tau217 values (<1.06%), there were highly unstable TIRA time estimates in the ADNI cohort. Longitudinal data from individuals with high %p-tau217 values were sparse (Fig. 1a,b), providing less certain clock estimates for higher values. Furthermore, there were rapid increases in %p-tau217 at high values (>10.45%) that could make time estimates unstable. These features provided further rationale to use clocks constructed with the restricted range of %p-tau217 values (1.06−10.45%).
Plasma %p-tau217 trajectories as a function of age are shown for individuals included in the clock models (Fig. 2a,d) and demonstrate considerable heterogeneity, reflecting that AD pathology begins at widely varying ages. The plasma %p-tau217 trajectories were then re-plotted by years from estimated %p-tau217 positivity (age at plasma collection minus the individual's estimated age at %p-tau217 positivity) for each cohort and clock model (Fig. 2b,c,e,f). The trajectories then demonstrated increased alignment, suggesting relatively consistent patterns of change in plasma %p-tau217 across individuals (Supplementary Video 1).
Longitudinal plasma %p-tau217 data from the Knight ADRC (a−c) and ADNI (d−f) cohorts are shown as a function of age (a,d) or estimated years from %p-tau217 positivity by TIRA (b,e) or SILA (c,f) clock models. Thick black lines represent the clock models shown in Fig. 1c,d; red lines represent individuals with at least one plasma %p-tau217 > 4.06%; and gray lines represent individuals with no plasma %p-tau217 > 4.06%. Horizontal black dashed lines represent the plasma %p-tau217 threshold of 4.06%. Vertical black dashed lines represent the estimated time that an individual had a %p-tau217 value of 4.06%.
To assess model performance, the estimated age at plasma %p-tau217 positivity based on the clock models was compared to the age at observed %p-tau217 conversion, which was the average of the age at last negative and first positive %p-tau217 values. For TIRA models, the adjusted R2 was 0.733 in the Knight ADRC cohort and 0.815 in the ADNI cohort; for SILA models, the adjusted R2 was 0.506 in the Knight ADRC cohort and 0.801 in the ADNI cohort (Extended Data Fig. 2). Additionally, we performed cross-cohort comparison of the models and found that the estimated ages at plasma %p-tau217 positivity based on TIRA models implemented on either the Knight ADRC or ADNI cohorts were highly correlated (adjusted R2 of 0.978), and ages based on SILA models from the two cohorts were almost perfectly aligned (adjusted R2 of 0.999) (Supplementary Fig. 2). The estimated ages at plasma %p-tau217 positivity based on the TIRA or SILA models were also highly correlated in the Knight ADRC cohort (adjusted R2 of 0.942) but were less correlated in the ADNI cohort (adjusted R2 of 0.863) (Supplementary Fig. 3). Overall, the clock models estimated similar ages at plasma %p-tau217 positivity regardless of the method or cohort and were consistent with observed conversion ages from %p-tau217 negative to positive.
Cox proportional hazards models were used in the longitudinally assessed Knight ADRC cohort to estimate the probability of initially cognitively unimpaired individuals developing symptomatic AD as a function of age (Fig. 3a). Symptomatic AD was defined to align with the clinical diagnosis of symptomatic AD: cognitive impairment (CDR > 0) with an AD syndrome (clinical features consistent with cognitive impairment caused by AD, including amnestic, logopenic aphasia, posterior cortical dysfunction or dysexecutive presentations1,33,34,35) in the context of biomarkers, indicating the presence of AD pathology1,35. The onset of AD symptoms was defined as the first clinical assessment when initially cognitively unimpaired (CDR = 0) individuals with positive AD biomarkers (based on estimated %p-tau217) were found to be cognitively impaired (CDR > 0) with an AD syndrome. Furthermore, AD symptom onset was applied only to individuals who were cognitively impaired (CDR > 0) with an AD syndrome at their last assessment—that is, if an individual had transient cognitive impairment but returned to cognitively unimpaired or had a non-AD diagnosis at their last assessment, the earlier impairment was not considered to be the onset of AD symptoms. To account for variable time between clinical assessments, the time of AD symptom onset was interval-censored between the last cognitively unimpaired assessment and the first symptomatic AD assessment.
For individuals in the Knight ADRC cohort who were cognitively unimpaired at baseline, a Cox model evaluated the probability of remaining cognitively unimpaired from AD as a function of age, stratified by the age at %p-tau217 positivity based on TIRA (a). The estimated time from %p-tau217 positivity until 50% of individuals would be expected to have symptomatic AD is shown as a function of estimated age at %p-tau217 positivity (b).
Notably, the age at plasma %p-tau217 positivity dramatically affected the time until AD symptom onset. For example, with TIRA-based estimates, participants who became plasma %p-tau217 positive at age 60 had a median time until symptom onset of 20.5 years, whereas participants who became positive at age 80 had a median time until symptom onset of only 11.4 years (Fig. 3b). Cox models for both the Knight ADRC and ADNI cohorts are shown in Supplementary Fig. 4. The probability of symptomatic AD associated with a specific plasma %p-tau217 value and age can be accessed via a web-based application: https://amyloid.shinyapps.io/plasma_ptau217_time/.
The discriminative ability of Cox models to rank individuals by their risk of developing symptoms was assessed with a concordance index (C-index), where 0.5 is random prediction, >0.7 is very good prediction, >0.8 is excellent prediction and 1.0 is perfect prediction. For the Knight ADRC cohort, the TIRA-based model yielded a bootstrapped C-index of 0.784 (95% confidence interval: 0.720−0.843), and the SILA-based model had a C-index of 0.790 (95% confidence interval: 0.728−0.847). For the ADNI cohort, the TIRA-based model yielded a C-index of 0.730 (95% confidence interval: 0.622−0.834), and the SILA-based model had a C-index of 0.750 (95% confidence interval: 0.636−0.853). Additional analyses incorporating left-censored participants for those with cognitive impairment at study enrollment confirmed these associations with better discrimination and addressed potential survivor bias (Supplementary Fig. 5). Knight ADRC models achieved bootstrapped C-indexes of 0.821 (95% confidence interval: 0.783−0.857) for TIRA-based models and 0.828 (95% confidence interval: 0.791−0.862) for SILA-based models, whereas ADNI models yielded C-indexes of 0.672 (95% confidence interval: 0.614−0.727) for TIRA-based models and 0.707 (95% confidence interval: 0.651−0.759) for SILA-based models.
Next, the estimated age of plasma %p-tau217 positivity was used to model the age at onset of AD symptoms.
For the Knight ADRC cohort, models included 59 individuals using TIRA and 61 individuals using SILA clock models; for the ADNI cohort, models included 20 individuals using TIRA and 22 individuals using SILA (see Supplementary Table 2 for cohort characteristics). The age at onset of AD symptoms was moderately associated with the estimated age at plasma %p-tau217 positivity for both TIRA-based (Knight ADRC adjusted R2 of 0.599; ADNI adjusted R2 of 0.337) and SILA-based (Knight ADRC adjusted R2 of 0.612; ADNI adjusted R2 of 0.470) estimates (Fig. 4 and Supplementary Table 3). Comprehensive model diagnostics confirmed the appropriateness of linear modeling across all cohort−method combinations (Supplementary Table 4). Sensitivity analyses removing outliers demonstrated continued significance of the linear models. The estimated age at AD symptom onset associated with a specific plasma %p-tau217 value and age can be accessed via a web-based application: https://amyloid.shinyapps.io/plasma_ptau217_time/#. Consistent with findings from the Cox models, these models demonstrated that older individuals had a much shorter interval from plasma %p-tau217 positivity to symptom onset (Supplementary Fig. 6).
Individuals were included who were initially cognitively unimpaired but had a typical AD syndrome at their last assessment and developed symptoms after estimated plasma %p-tau217 positivity. Age at %p-tau217 positivity was estimated using TIRA (a) or SILA (b) models in the Knight ADRC (green points) or ADNI (black points) cohorts. Each point represents an individual participant. Linear regression lines represent the predicted mean age at symptom onset for each dataset, with shaded bands indicating 95% confidence intervals around the regression lines (green shading for Knight ADRC data and gray shading for ADNI data). Linear regression equations, adjusted R2 values, Spearmanʼs correlation coefficients (ρ) and sample sizes (N) are shown for each cohort.
The effects of APOE ε4 carrier status, sex and years of education were also examined, but these variables were either not significant or had minimal effects and, thus, were not included in the models (Supplementary Table 5). Associations between estimated age at plasma %p-tau217 positivity and age at symptom onset were lower when individuals who developed cognitive impairment before %p-tau217 positivity were included, likely because these individuals had non-AD causes of cognitive impairment (Supplementary Fig. 7).
The error in models predicting the age at AD symptom onset based on the estimated age at plasma %p-tau217 positivity was examined (Extended Data Table 3). Within the same cohort, models predicting the age at AD symptom onset had a median absolute error (MdAE) that ranged from 3.0 years to 3.5 years and non-parametric concordance correlation coefficients (CCCs) ranging from 0.771 to 0.839 (CCC > 0.6 is considered good and CCC > 0.8 is considered excellent). For models created in the Knight ADRC cohort and applied to plasma %p-tau217 values in the ADNI cohort, there were moderate associations (adjusted R2 of 0.467 for TIRA and 0.463 for SILA) with an MdAE of 3.0−3.2 years and a CCC of 0.801−0.805. Conversely, for models created in the ADNI cohort and applied to plasma %p-tau217 values in the Knight ADRC cohort, there were also moderate associations (adjusted R2 of 0.509 for TIRA and 0.577 for SILA) with an MdAE of 3.6−3.7 years and a CCC of 0.808−0.820.
The relationship between predicted AD symptom onset and longitudinal clinical diagnoses was examined. For initially cognitively unimpaired individuals in the Knight ADRC cohort with an estimated age at plasma %p-tau217 positivity by the TIRA-based model (Supplementary Table 6), individuals who became %p-tau217 positive at age 60 were estimated to develop symptomatic AD after 14.0 years, whereas individuals who became %p-tau217 positive at age 80 were estimated to develop symptomatic AD after only 6.2 years (Figs. 4 and 5 Supplementary Table 7). Similar analyses were performed for individuals with an estimated age at plasma %p-tau217 positivity by TIRA or SILA in both the Knight ADRC and ADNI cohorts, including only those who were initially cognitively unimpaired (Supplementary Fig. 8) and all individuals regardless of initial cognitive status (Supplementary Tables 7–9 and Extended Data Fig. 3). Regardless of the clock model used to estimate the age at plasma %p-tau217 positivity, there was a markedly shorter time until symptom onset for individuals who developed %p-tau217 positivity at older ages in both the Knight ADRC and ADNI cohorts.
For initially cognitively unimpaired individuals in the Knight ADRC cohort, the age at plasma %p-tau217 positivity was estimated using the TIRA clock model. Each row represents the longitudinal clinical diagnoses for one individual by estimated years from %p-tau217 positivity (x axis). Individuals are sorted vertically by estimated age at %p-tau217 positivity (y axis). The point color denotes the clinical diagnosis: blue represents cognitively unimpaired at the assessment; red (AD syndrome/biomarker positive) represents cognitively impaired at the assessment and a diagnosis of symptomatic AD at their last assessment with symptoms starting after %p-tau217 positivity; purple (AD syndrome/biomarker negative) represents cognitively impaired at the assessment and a diagnosis of symptomatic AD at their last assessment with symptoms starting before %p-tau217 positivity; and orange (non-AD syndrome) represents cognitively impaired and a non-AD diagnosis at their last assessment. The vertical dashed line at 0 represents the estimated time of %p-tau217 positivity. The brown line represents the estimated relationship between %p-tau217 positivity age and estimated symptom onset based on the Knight ADRC model in Fig. 4a.
Progression of initially cognitively unimpaired Knight ADRC participants with a positive plasma %p-tau217 value to cognitive impairment, with either an AD or a non-AD syndrome, demonstrated wide variation in the time until symptom onset (Fig. 6a). Progression of individuals to cognitive impairment as a function of years from estimated plasma %p-tau217 positivity (Fig. 6b) or estimated years from symptom onset (Fig. 6c) is shown for TIRA-based models. Consistent with the other models, binning individuals by estimated age at plasma %p-tau217 positivity demonstrates that older individuals develop symptoms sooner after %p-tau217 positivity (Fig. 6d,e). However, models estimating symptom onset based on age at plasma %p-tau217 adjust for this age effect (Fig. 6f). Similar analyses are shown for SILA-based models in the Knight ADRC dataset (Supplementary Fig. 9) and for TIRA-based and SILA-based models in the ADNI dataset (Supplementary Figs. 10 and 11).
For initially cognitively unimpaired individuals in the Knight ADRC cohort, the age at plasma %p-tau217 positivity was estimated using the TIRA clock model. Three groups were examined: red (AD syndrome/biomarker positive) had a diagnosis of symptomatic AD at their last assessment with symptoms starting after %p-tau217 positivity; purple (AD syndrome/biomarker negative) had a diagnosis of symptomatic AD at their last assessment with symptoms starting before %p-tau217 positivity; and orange (non-AD syndrome) had a non-AD diagnosis at their last assessment. Kaplan−Meier curves show the probability for each group of remaining cognitively unimpaired individuals as a function of time from first positive %p-tau217 collection (a,d), estimated years from %p-tau217 positivity (b,e) or estimated years from symptom onset (c,f). Density plots and points beneath Kaplan−Meier curves (a−c) represent the onset of symptoms for individuals in each group. For the red group (AD syndrome/biomarker positive), Kaplan−Meier curves are shown for individuals binned by estimated age of %p-tau217 positivity (blue, <70 years; cyan, 70−80 years; green, ≥80 years) (d−f).
The alignment of the 2024 Alzheimer's Association biological stages with plasma %p-tau217, years since estimated plasma %p-tau217 positivity and estimated years from symptom onset based on plasma %p-tau217 were examined. Individuals with amyloid PET, tau PET and an estimated age at plasma %p-tau217 were classified according to the biological staging framework: stage A (normal biomarkers), stage B (AD pathologic change), stage C (AD) and stage D (advanced AD). As expected, all three plasma %p-tau217-derived measures increased with advancing biological stage (stage A, stage B, stage C and stage D), demonstrating that %p-tau217 captures the co-evolution of amyloid and tau pathologies across the AD continuum. Estimated years since symptom onset did not as clearly separate the biological stages (Extended Data Fig. 4); it is possible that biological stages may have different relationships with symptoms across age groups.
To assess whether clock models could be generated using other measures of plasma p-tau217, the same approach was implemented in the ADNI cohort with the Fujirebio Lumipulse p-tau217/Aβ42 measure and with four commercially available p-tau217 assays. First, variance analysis was used to find a range of values where the measure had a relatively consistent rate of change: Fujirebio Lumipulse p-tau217/Aβ42, 0.00−0.02; Janssen LucentAD Quanterix p-tau217, 0.01−0.16 pg ml−1; ALZpath Quanterix p-tau217, 0.10−1.11 pg ml−1; C2N Diagnostics PrecivityAD2 p-tau217, 0.72−7.99 pg ml−1; and Fujirebio Lumipulse p-tau217, 0.02−0.51 pg ml−1 (Extended Data Fig. 1b−e). Previously published positivity thresholds that align with amyloid PET Centiloid 20 were used for the p-tau217 measures23; using the same methodology, the threshold for Fujirebio Lumipulse p-tau217/Aβ42 was 0.00631. Next, TIRA and SILA were implemented to create clock models that related time from plasma positivity. Plasma trajectories by age or estimated years from positivity are shown for each plasma measure (Extended Data Figs. 5−7 and Supplementary Figs. 12 and 13). Dynamic visualizations of trajectory alignment for each assay are provided in Supplementary Videos 2−6.
The associations between age at symptom onset and age at plasma positivity were examined: Fujirebio Lumipulse p-tau217/Aβ42, TIRA adjusted R2 of 0.276 and SILA adjusted R2 of 0.584 (Extended Data Fig. 5); Janssen LucentAD Quanterix p-tau217, TIRA adjusted R2 of 0.041 and SILA adjusted R2 of 0.211 (Extended Data Fig. 6); ALZpath Quanterix p-tau217, TIRA adjusted R2 of 0.082 and SILA adjusted R2 of 0.258 (Extended Data Fig. 7); C2N Diagnostics p-tau217, TIRA adjusted R2 of 0.084 and SILA adjusted R2 of 0.301 (Supplementary Fig. 12); and Fujirebio Lumipulse p-tau217, TIRA adjusted R2 of 0.239 and SILA adjusted R2 of 0.450 (Supplementary Fig. 13).
In this study, we demonstrated that clock modeling methods can be used to estimate the age at plasma %p-tau217 positivity and align %p-tau217 trajectories, revealing a relatively consistent change across individuals in %p-tau217 during the preclinical and early symptomatic phase of AD. Furthermore, the estimated age at plasma %p-tau217 positivity was associated with the age at AD symptom onset, enabling prediction of the age at AD symptom onset with a single %p-tau217 value. We found similar results with plasma p-tau217/Aβ42 and p-tau217 measured by immunoassays, demonstrating the generalizability of our approach across different blood biomarker tests.
The estimated years until AD symptom onset based on plasma %p-tau217 had an MdAE of 3−4 years, which would limit its utility for individual decision-making, but it could still be useful for group-level studies. Clock models could improve selection of participants for clinical trials who are more likely to develop symptoms within the trial period, increasing statistical power and reducing the time needed to demonstrate treatment efficacy. The variance in age at AD symptom onset explained by estimated age at %p-tau217 positivity ranges from 0.337 to 0.599, which is similar to that explained by parental age at onset for autosomal dominant Alzheimerʼs disease (ADAD) (R2 = 0.384 (ref. 36)). The relatively predictable age at symptom onset has been a major advantage of performing clinical trials in ADAD cohorts3,37.
It is possible that clock models incorporating plasma %p-tau217 or p-tau217 with other biomarkers, such as eMTBR-tau243 (ref. 38) or biomarkers of cerebrovascular disease39, may enable greater precision in estimating time until AD symptom onset. Future investigations could also explore continuous cognitive measures that identify subtle cognitive changes that occur before the threshold for clinical diagnosis. More precise models may decrease the error in the estimated years until AD symptom onset to a level that it becomes relevant for individual decision-making, which could have considerable clinical and ethical implications40. AD biomarker testing of cognitively unimpaired individuals is currently not recommended outside of research studies or clinical trials due to uncertain benefits and potential risks19,41,42,43, and we discourage individuals from using these models to determine their personal estimated age at AD symptom onset.
Notably, we found that older individuals have a markedly shorter time until AD symptom onset after developing plasma %p-tau217 positivity. This is consistent with our previous work predicting symptom onset with amyloid PET10, where we found that older individuals developed symptoms at a lower amyloid PET burden. Age-related brain changes, including age-related increases in the prevalence of co-pathologies that affect the relationships between clinical symptoms and AD pathology44, may underlie this effect. As age increases, co-pathologies become more common and may further complicate the interpretation of %p-tau217 levels in older individuals. This finding has major implications for clinical trials: individuals with the same plasma %p-tau217 values likely have very different risks of developing cognitive impairment over a 3−5-year period depending on their age. Although statistical models typically include age as a covariate, the relationship between plasma %p-tau217 levels and symptom onset is complex and may not be well captured by linear or nonlinear models, although age-stratified analyses may be helpful. Nonlinear mixed-effects models characterize population-level trajectories with individual random effects, but clock models explicitly convert biomarker levels into individualized estimates that are intuitive (for example, years since biomarker positivity) and may reveal important findings such as the marked effect of age at plasma %p-tau217 positivity on the age at AD symptom onset.
Although our clock models use the single biomarker %p-tau217, its strong associations with amyloid and tau PET effectively integrate the pathological processes of amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles into the models. Notably, %p-tau217 dynamics likely capture the intertwined progression of both amyloid and tau pathology. Furthermore, the shorter interval from %p-tau217 positivity to symptom onset observed in older individuals may, in part, reflect the influence of age-related co-pathologies, such as cerebrovascular disease and other neurodegenerative diseases44. Recognizing the impact of these additional pathologies is crucial, as they may modify clinical trajectories beyond the core AD pathology. Future work incorporating complementary biomarkers of amyloid, tau and other pathologies will be important for improving the accuracy and applicability of these models.
The %p-tau217 clock models were created by implementing two different mathematical approaches in the single-site Knight ADRC cohort and the multicenter ADNI cohort. Knight ADRC participants were younger, had a much lower rate of cognitive impairment at baseline and were more likely to be APOE ε4 carriers. Despite these differences, the TIRA and SILA models generally were aligned, and neither was clearly superior, indicating the robustness of the clock concept for modeling years until AD symptom onset. Still, there were some differences, such as TIRA estimating longer periods compared to SILA, particularly in the ADNI cohort. These findings suggest that it may be helpful to implement multiple approaches when developing clocks and to rigorously evaluate the model fit. We have shared code for the TIRA method (the code for the SILA method is already publicly available from the Betthauser laboratory at the University of Wisconsin), which will facilitate testing of these modeling approaches in additional cohorts and using other measures. We encourage interested investigators to further refine these and other approaches to improve prediction of AD symptom onset. We also recommend that clinical trialists use this code and data to create models tailored to their specific goals—for example, determining p-tau217 values for specific age groups that identify individuals at high risk of developing AD symptom onset within 3 years.
Despite these promising findings, our approach has limitations. The clock models can only be used for values over which there is a consistent change in %p-tau217 (values between 1.06% and 10.45%). Values outside this range, such as a %p-tau217 of 12%, cannot be used to estimate years until AD symptom onset, although individuals with very high %p-tau217 values are likely at very high risk for developing symptomatic AD. Similarly, very low %p-tau217 values suggest a low likelihood of developing symptomatic AD for many years, but precise estimates of years until AD symptom onset cannot be made. Our analysis focused on participants with plasma %p-tau217 values within the interval of consistent change, which increases model reliability but may limit generalizability to individuals with values outside this range. Symptomatic AD was defined as cognitive impairment with an AD syndrome in the context of an estimated positive %p-tau217 value. The threshold for %p-tau217 positivity corresponds to an amyloid PET Centiloid value of 20, below which very few individuals have symptoms due to AD23,45, making it unlikely that individuals with an estimated negative %p-tau217 value have cognitive impairment due to AD pathology. However, occasional individuals may have discrepant %p-tau217 values. Notably, results were also shown for individuals with an AD syndrome with an estimated negative %p-tau217 value and those with non-AD dementia syndromes. Interpretation of estimates for smaller subgroups or those with mixed clinical presentations may be affected by limited sample sizes and co-pathologies.
Additional limitations include that participants in the study had a variety of clinical diagnoses that were grouped together for analyses, and the models do not reflect the full complexity of clinical symptoms. Participants in the study largely identified as non-Hispanic White, which may limit the generalizability of these models to other groups, especially groups with different rates of non-AD co-pathologies. Furthermore, like other longitudinal aging studies, our analysis did not explicitly model participant dropout or death, which could introduce survival bias if individuals who develop more rapid cognitive decline are more likely to discontinue participation. This potential for survival bias is an important consideration when interpreting our results, as it may lead to underestimation of decline among the most vulnerable individuals.
In conclusion, our study demonstrates that a single plasma %p-tau217 value can be used to estimate years from onset of AD symptoms with an MdAE of 3−4 years. Models with this level of precision may assist in selecting participants for clinical trials targeting certain phases of preclinical AD. Further refinement of these models could potentially improve predictions, enabling shorter clinical trials and possible relevance for individual decision-making.
The STROBE requirements for an observational study were followed. Research participants were included who had been enrolled in previously described studies of memory and aging at the Knight ADRC16 or the ADNI13. Both cohorts consisted of community-dwelling older adults, including participants with and without cognitive impairment, who were followed longitudinally with standardized clinical and biomarker assessments. Sex was self-reported by participants in both cohorts. The Knight ADRC cohort is focused on longitudinal characterization of preclinical AD and the transition to symptomatic AD. ADNI was initiated in 2003 and represents a collaborative effort between public and private sectors, with Michael W. Weiner serving as the principal investigator (https://adni.loni.usc.edu/). The primary goal of the ADNI has been to test whether serial imaging scans, other biological markers and clinical and neuropsychological assessment can be combined to measure the progression of early AD.
All protocols were approved by the Washington University in St. Louis institutional review board (Human Research Protection Office) and by the local institutional review boards at each participating ADNI site. Written informed consent was obtained from every participant or, when appropriate, from a legally authorized representative.
Plasma was collected as previously described in the Knight ADRC16 and ADNI46,47 cohorts. Plasma %p-tau217 was measured by C2N Diagnostics with a liquid chromatography−mass spectrometry (LC−MS)-based assay32. The plasma %p-tau217 measure was calculated as p-tau217 concentration divided by non-phosphorylated tau217 concentration times 100 and is also described as the percent phosphorylation occupancy27. The Fujirebio Lumipulse G assay for p-tau217 and Aβ42 was run in singlicate with research-use-only commercially available kits on a Fujirebio Lumipulse G1200 analyzer at the Indiana University National Centralized Repository for Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias Biomarker Assay Laboratory (NCRAD-BAL)23. The Janssen LucentAD Quanterix and ALZpath Quanterix p-tau217 assays were run in duplicate on a Quanterix Simoa-HD-X analyzer at the Quanterix Accelerator Laboratory. Additional details are included in the study methodology report, available in the ADNI database (https://adni.loni.usc.edu/).
Participants underwent clinical assessments that included a detailed interview with a collateral source, a neurological examination of the participant and the CDR48. Individuals with CDR = 0 were categorized as ‘cognitively unimpaired'. Individuals with CDR > 0 were categorized as ‘cognitively impaired'; this group includes individuals with mild cognitive impairment and dementia. Individuals with clinical features consistent with cognitive impairment caused by AD (for example, most commonly, insidious onset, slowly progressive decline and early amnestic impairment but also including logopenic aphasia, posterior cortical dysfunction or dysexecutive presentations) were considered to have an AD syndrome1,33,34,35. Individuals with a primary clinical diagnosis that did not include AD (such as Parkinson disease dementia and vascular dementia) were considered to have a non-AD syndrome. The assessment of clinical syndrome was made by experienced clinicians who were blinded to biomarker results, and determinations were based solely on clinical presentation and established diagnostic criteria and were recorded as the primary clinical diagnosis1,33,34,35.
Symptomatic AD was defined to align with the established guidelines for clinical diagnosis of symptomatic AD: cognitive impairment with an AD syndrome in the context of biomarkers, indicating the presence of AD pathology1,35. The onset of AD symptoms was defined as the first clinical assessment when initially cognitively unimpaired individuals with positive AD biomarkers (based on estimated %p-tau217) were found to be cognitively impaired with an AD syndrome. Furthermore, AD symptom onset was applied only to individuals who were cognitively impaired with an AD syndrome at their last assessment—that is, if an individual had transient cognitive impairment but returned to cognitively unimpaired or had a non-AD diagnosis at their last assessment, the earlier impairment was not considered to be the onset of AD symptoms.
For longitudinal visualization and analysis, participants were categorized based on their cognitive status at each assessment and final diagnostic outcome relative to estimated %p-tau217 positivity timing: (1) cognitively unimpaired at the assessment; (2) AD syndrome/biomarker positive: cognitively impaired at the assessment with a diagnosis of symptomatic AD at their last assessment and symptoms starting after %p-tau217 positivity; (3) AD syndrome/biomarker negative: cognitively impaired at the assessment with a diagnosis of symptomatic AD at their last assessment but symptoms starting before %p-tau217 positivity; and (4) non-AD syndrome: cognitively impaired with a non-AD diagnosis at their last assessment.
Amyloid and tau PET imaging was conducted as previously described23. A mesial-temporal meta-region of interest (ROI) that included the entorhinal, parahippocampal and amygdala regions was used to assess early tau pathology (Tearly) with a corresponding positivity threshold of 1.328 standardized uptake value ratio (SUVR) derived from Gaussian mixture modeling using the mean plus 2 s.d. of the first component23. A temporo-parietal meta-ROI that included the superior temporal, cuneus, inferior-superior parietal, inferior-middle-superior temporal, isthmus cingulate, lateral occipital, lingual, posterior cingulate, precuneus and superior marginal was used to assess late tau pathology (Tlate) with a corresponding positivity threshold of 1.224 SUVR, using a similar approach for identifying the threshold.
For analysis of variance in the rate of change in plasma %p-tau217, participants were included who had two or more %p-tau217 values at least 1 year apart. For development of clock models, the cohort was restricted to individuals who had two or more plasma %p-tau217 values between 1.06% and 10.45% at least 1 year apart. For models of age at AD symptom onset, individuals were included who were (1) initially cognitively unimpaired (CDR = 0), (2) subsequently developed cognitive impairment (CDR > 0) with an AD syndrome after estimated plasma %p-tau217 positivity and (3) were cognitively impaired (CDR > 0) with an AD syndrome at their last assessment. For visualization of predicted AD symptom onset as a function of estimated age at plasma %p-tau217 positivity, all individuals or individuals who were cognitively unimpaired at baseline were included.
Clock models refer to mathematical transformations that convert biomarker levels (for example, plasma %p-tau217) into disease time (estimated years since biomarker positivity), enabling temporal staging of AD pathology progression. This approach first identifies periods of consistent biomarker change and then aligns data relative to time since estimated biomarker positivity rather than chronological age, which complements traditional longitudinal modeling methods. This terminology should be distinguished from general biological aging clocks. Our clock models are developed using the single biomarker %p-tau217, which reflects pathological processes of both amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles23. Although these pathologies typically evolve jointly during the progression of AD, our approach does not explicitly model their joint evolution. Instead, by leveraging the strong associations of %p-tau217 with both amyloid and tau PET, our models may capture an integrated measure of disease progression.
The rate of change in plasma %p-tau217 as a function of the estimated %p-tau217 value at the midpoint was modeled with GAMs as previously described13. To determine the range of plasma %p-tau217 values over which rates of change were consistent, we quantified prediction uncertainty using squared standard errors from GAMs, which represent the variance of model-estimated rates. As was previously described for models using amyloid and tau PET13, intervals with variance in rates of change below the 90th percentile were identified. Plasma %p-tau217 values within the interval of consistent change were used for developing clock models.
The TIRA approach estimates individual plasma %p-tau217 rates of change using linear mixed-effects modeling with random slopes and intercepts10,16. The rates of change are used in GAMs with cubic splines to characterize nonlinear relationships between the rates of change and plasma %p-tau217 levels at the estimated midpoint of follow-up. The inverse of the modeled rate of change is integrated to derive the time between plasma %p-tau217 values.
The SILA algorithm models longitudinal biomarker trajectories through discrete rate sampling and numerical integration17. The method estimates the first-order relationship between biomarker accumulation rate and biomarker levels by sampling rates across evenly distributed values and then applies Euler's method to numerically integrate this relationship into a non-parametric biomarker versus time curve.
Both clocks were centered so that time zero was a plasma %p-tau217 value of 4.06%, which aligns with an amyloid PET Centiloid value of 20 (ref. 23). To obtain an estimated age of plasma %p-tau217 positivity, participants with at least one %p-tau217 value between 1.06% and 10.45% were included. The plasma %p-tau217 clocks were used to calculate an individual's estimated age of %p-tau217 positivity by subtracting the %p-tau217 time from the age at the plasma collection. For example, if an 80-year-old person had a plasma %p-tau217 value of 7.06%, which corresponds to 8.8 years from %p-tau217 positivity (based on the Knight ADRC TIRA clock), their estimated age at %p-tau217 positivity would be 71.2 years (80 years minus 8.8 years). For individuals with more than one plasma %p-tau217 value, their estimated age at %p-tau217 positivity was an average of estimates from all plasma samples.
Scatter plots were generated with data points being color coded by cohort for visualization, to assess the concordance of estimated ages of plasma %p-tau217 positivity between different clock models (TIRA and SILA) and across cohorts (Knight ADRC and ADNI). Associations were evaluated using metrics of adjusted R2, Spearmanʼs r and CCC.
The onset of AD symptoms was defined as the first clinical assessment when initially cognitively unimpaired (CDR = 0) individuals with positive AD biomarkers (based on %p-tau217) were found to be cognitively impaired (CDR > 0) with an AD clinical syndrome. For participants who were cognitively normal at baseline, we used interval-censored and right-censored Cox proportional hazards regression models to examine the association between estimated age at plasma %p-tau217 positivity and time to cognitive impairment, accounting for the uncertainty in exact onset timing inherent in longitudinal studies. For participants who remained cognitively unimpaired throughout follow-up, survival times were right-censored at their last assessment age. To account for variable time between assessments, the time of AD symptom onset was interval-censored between the last cognitively unimpaired assessment and the first symptomatic AD assessment. In a sensitivity analysis, participants with cognitive impairment at baseline were included in the models and were left-censored. The models were fitted using the icenReg package in R with semi-parametric baseline hazard estimation. Bootstrap resampling (n = 5,000 samples) was performed to obtain robust standard errors and confidence intervals. Model discrimination was assessed using C-indexes calculated specifically for interval-censored data. Survival curves were generated to visualize the probability of remaining cognitively unimpaired across different estimated plasma %p-tau217 positivity age groups. Survival models treated estimated age at %p-tau217 positivity as a fixed covariate from the clock model estimation.
For individuals with AD symptom onset after plasma %p-tau217 positivity, linear models estimated AD symptom onset as a function of the estimated age of %p-tau217 positivity. Sensitivity analyses included individuals with AD symptom onset prior to plasma %p-tau217 positivity. Sex, years of education and APOE ε4 carrier status were considered as covariates in the models but not included in the final models due to not being significant predictors. Model diagnostics were conducted to ensure the appropriateness of linear modeling. Normality of residuals was assessed using Shapiro−Wilk tests; homoscedasticity was evaluated using Breusch−Pagan tests; and linearity was confirmed through Akaike information criterion (AIC)-based model comparison and F-tests comparing linear, quadratic and cubic polynomial specifications. Sensitivity analyses were performed by refitting models after excluding observations with Cook's distance > 4/n to assess model robustness to influential points.
Participant data were visualized as raster plots with estimated age at plasma %p-tau217 positivity on the y axis and estimated years from %p-tau217 positivity on the x axis, with participants ordered by their estimated positivity age and color coded by clinical diagnosis category to illustrate the temporal relationship between estimated %p-tau217 positivity and symptom onset. The estimated age at symptom onset from the linear models was overlaid on the plots to aid visualization of how the timing of symptom onset varies as a function of estimated years since plasma %p-tau217 positivity.
To examine cognitive impairment risk across different temporal frameworks, we used Kaplan−Meier curves with different timelines. The primary analysis used time from baseline plasma %p-tau217 collection to onset of cognitive impairment. We also used estimated years from plasma %p-tau217 positivity and estimated years from predicted symptom onset, where predicted symptom onset age was calculated using the linear models described above. Kaplan−Meier curves were combined with density plots showing the distribution of observed events to visualize both survival probabilities and the timing of actual cognitive impairment for each outcome. For each timescale, we binned participants by age at estimated %p-tau217 positivity (<70 years, 70−80 years and ≥80 years) to assess age-dependent risk patterns.
Statistical comparisons were performed to evaluate differences in plasma %p-tau217 levels and estimated years from %p-tau217 positivity across the four 2024 Alzheimer's Association biological stages: stage A (normal biomarkers; equivalent to A−Tearly−Tlate−), stage B (AD pathologic change; equivalent to A+Tearly−Tlate−), stage C (AD; equivalent to A+Tearly+Tlate−) and stage D (advanced AD; equivalent to A+Tearly+Tlate+). Pairwise comparisons between all groups were conducted using non-parametric Conover−Iman tests with Benjamini−Hochberg adjustment for multiple comparisons.
The same methodology for developing clocks was implemented using Fujirebio Lumipulse p-tau217/Aβ42 and p-tau217, C2N Diagnostics p-tau217, Janssen LucentAD Quanterix p-tau217 and ALZpath Quanterix p-tau217. Thresholds for each were obtained from previously work23. Thresholds were 2.34 pg ml−1 for C2N Diagnostics p-tau217, 0.158 pg ml−1 for Fujirebio Lumipulse p-tau217, 0.0615 pg ml−1 for Janssen LucentAD Quanterix p-tau217 and 0.444 pg ml−1 for ALZpath Quanterix p-tau217.
R version 4.4.1 was used for all analyses except SILA models, which used MATLAB 2024b. Data manipulation and visualization were performed using the ‘tidyverse' package for core data handling. Statistical annotations and advanced plot arrangements used the ‘ggpubr' package. Publication-ready plot themes were achieved using the ‘cowplot' package. Multiple plots were combined and arranged using the ‘patchwork' package. Specialized distribution visualization was implemented using the ‘ggdist' package. Project management utilities included the ‘here' package for project-relative file path management and the ‘conflicted' package for function conflict resolution. Parallel computing support was enabled by the ‘doParallel' package to enhance computational efficiency.
Statistical modeling employed several specialized packages. Linear mixed-effects modeling was conducted using the ‘nlme' package. Generalized additive modeling was implemented using the ‘mgcv' package. Interval-censored regression modeling was implemented using the ‘icenReg' package. CCC analysis was conducted using the ‘DescTools' package. Survival analysis used the ‘survival' package with advanced survival plotting provided by the ‘survminer' package. Statistical tests and post hoc comparisons were performed with the ‘rstatix' package.
Further information on research design is available in the Nature Portfolio Reporting Summary linked to this article.
The data that support the findings of this study are not publicly available due to privacy restrictions and participant consent agreements that require controlled access to protect research participant confidentiality. Data from the Knight ADRC can be requested by qualified investigators (https://knightadrc.wustl.edu/professionals-clinicians/request-center-resources/). Data from the ADNI can be requested via the LONI website (https://adni.loni.usc.edu/).
Code developed by the authors for this study is available for download from GitHub: https://github.com/WashUFluidBiomarkers/plasma_ptau217_time. Code for implementing the SILA algorithm is available at https://github.com/Betthauser-Neuro-Lab/SILA-AD-Biomarker.
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This study represents results of the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health (FNIH; https://fnih.org/) Biomarkers Consortium ‘Biomarkers Consortium, Plasma Aβ and Phosphorylated Tau as Predictors of Amyloid and Tau Positivity in Alzheimer's Disease' project, which was made possible through a public−private partnership managed by the FNIH and funded by AbbVie Inc., the Alzheimer's Association, the Diagnostics Accelerator at the Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation, Biogen, Janssen Research & Development LLC and Takeda. We are grateful for the contributions of the following project team members: A. Bannon (AbbVie), M. Baratta (Takeda), J. Coomaraswamy (Takeda), J. Dage (Indiana University), I. Dobler (Takeda), L. Du-Cuny (AbbVie), K. Ferber (Biogen), J. Hsiao (National Institute on Aging (NIA)), H. Kolb (formerly with Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine), E. Meyers (Alzheimer's Association), Y. Mordashova (AbbVie), W. Potter, M. Quinton (AbbVie), D. Raunig (Takeda), E. Rosenbaugh (FNIH), C. Rubel (Biogen), Z. Saad (Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine), M. Sabandal (FNIH), P. Saletti (Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation), S. Schindler (Washington University in St. Louis), L. Shaw (University of Pennsylvania), G. Triana-Baltzer (Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine), C. Weber (Alzheimer's Association) and H. Zetterberg (University of Gothenburg). Funding partners of the project include AbbVie, the Alzheimer's Association, the Diagnostics Accelerator at the Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation, Biogen, Janssen Research & Development and Takeda Pharmaceutical Company. Private sector funding for the study was managed by the FNIH. This study was also supported by NIA grants R01AG070941 (S.E.S.), P30AG066444 (D.M.H.), P01AG003991 (J.C.M.), P01AG026276 (J.C.M.), R01AG067505 (C.X.) and RF1R01AG053550 (C.X.).
Data collection and sharing for this project was funded by the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) (NIH grant U01 AG024904) and DOD ADNI (Department of Defense award number W81XWH-12-2-0012). The ADNI is funded by the NIA and the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering and through generous contributions from the following: AbbVie, the Alzheimer's Association; the Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation; Araclon Biotech; BioClinica Inc.; Biogen; Bristol Myers Squibb Company; CereSpir Inc.; Cogstate; Eisai Inc.; Elan Pharmaceuticals Inc.; Eli Lilly and Company; EuroImmun; F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd. and its affiliated company, Genentech Inc.; Fujirebio; GE Healthcare; IXICO Ltd.; Janssen Alzheimer Immunotherapy Research & Development LLC; Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical Research & Development LLC; Lumosity; Lundbeck; Merck & Co. Inc.; Meso Scale Diagnostics LLC; NeuroRx Research; Neurotrack Technologies; Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation; Pfizer Inc.; Piramal Imaging; Servier; Takeda Pharmaceutical Company; and Transition Therapeutics. The Canadian Institutes of Health Research is providing funds to support ADNI clinical sites in Canada. Private sector contributions are facilitated by the FNIH. The grantee organization is the Northern California Institute for Research and Education, and the study is coordinated by the Alzheimer's Therapeutic Research Institute at the University of Southern California. ADNI data are disseminated by the Laboratory for Neuro Imaging at the University of Southern California. A complete listing of ADNI investigators can be found at https://adni.loni.usc.edu/wp-content/uploads/how_to_apply/ADNI_Acknowledgement_List.pdf.0.
A full list of members and their affiliations appears in the supplementary information.
Department of Neurology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
Kellen K. Petersen, Yan Li, Benjamin Saef, Eric McDade, David M. Holtzman, John C. Morris, Randall J. Bateman & Suzanne E. Schindler
Northern California Institute for Research and Education, San Francisco, CA, USA
Marta Milà-Alomà & Duygu Tosun
Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
Marta Milà-Alomà & Duygu Tosun
Wisconsin Alzheimer's Institute, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, USA
Lianlian Du
Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, USA
Lianlian Du
Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center, Chicago, IL, USA
Lianlian Du
Department of Neurological Sciences, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA
Lianlian Du
Knight Alzheimer Disease Research Center, St. Louis, MO, USA
Chengjie Xiong, Carlos Cruchaga, Eric McDade, David M. Holtzman, John C. Morris, Randall J. Bateman & Suzanne E. Schindler
Division of Biostatistics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
Chengjie Xiong
Precision Measures, Johnson & Johnson, San Diego, CA, USA
Ziad S. Saad & Gallen Triana-Baltzer
AbbVie Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG, Ludwigshafen am Rhein, Germany
Lei Du-Cuny & Yulia Mordashova
Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Ltd., Cambridge, MA, USA
Janaky Coomaraswamy & Michael Baratta
Biogen, Cambridge, MA, USA
Carrie E. Rubel & Kyle Ferber
Alzheimer's Association, Chicago, IL, USA
Emily A. Meyers
Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
Leslie M. Shaw
Department of Neurology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
Jeffrey L. Dage
Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
Jeffrey L. Dage
Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, The Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg, Mölndal, Sweden
Nicholas J. Ashton & Henrik Zetterberg
Banner Alzheimer's Institute, Phoenix, AZ, USA
Nicholas J. Ashton
Banner Sun Health Research Institute, Sun City, AZ, USA
Nicholas J. Ashton
Clinical Neurochemistry Laboratory, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Mölndal, Sweden
Henrik Zetterberg
UK Dementia Research Institute Fluid Biomarkers Laboratory, UK DRI at UCL, London, UK
Henrik Zetterberg
Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
Henrik Zetterberg
Hong Kong Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Hong Kong, China
Henrik Zetterberg
Wisconsin Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
Henrik Zetterberg
Foundation for the National Institutes of Health, North Bethesda, MD, USA
Erin G. Rosenbaugh & J. Martin Sabandal
Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
Carlos Cruchaga
NeuroGenomics and Informatics Center, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, USA
Carlos Cruchaga
Hope Center for Neurologic Diseases, St. Louis, MO, USA
Carlos Cruchaga, David M. Holtzman, Randall J. Bateman & Suzanne E. Schindler
Tracy Family SILQ Center for Neurodegenerative Biology, St. Louis, MO, USA
Randall J. Bateman
AbbVie, North Chicago, IL, USA
Anthony W. Bannon
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W.Z.P. is a highly qualified expert. K.K.P., M.M.-A., Y.L., L.D.-C., C.X., D.T., B.S., Z.S.S., D.C., J.C., C.E.R., E.A.M., C.M., R.J.B., A.W.B., W.Z.P. and S.E.S. contributed to the conceptualization and study design. K.K.P., M.M.-A., Y.L., L.D.-C., C.X., B.S., L.M.S., J.L.A., N.J.A., H.Z., C.C., E.M., D.M.H., J.C.M. and R.J.B. contributed to data acquisition and curation. K.K.P., M.M.-A. and Y.L. contributed to methodology and software development. K.K.P., M.M.-A., Y.L., L.D.-C., C.X., D.T. and B.S. performed formal analysis. K.K.P., M.M.-A., C.X., D.M.H., R.J.B. and S.E.S. provided resources and supervision. K.K.P. wrote the original draft. All authors edited and approved the final version for publication and agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work.
Correspondence to
Suzanne E. Schindler.
K.K.P. has served as a consultant for Eli Lilly and Company. Y.L. is the co-inventor of the technology ‘Novel Tau isoforms to predict onset of symptoms and dementia in Alzheimer's disease', which is in the process of licensing by C2N Diagnostics. Z.S.S. and G.T.-B. are employed by Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine and may receive salary and stock for their employment. L.D.-C. and Y.M. are employed by AbbVie Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG. J.C. and M.B. receive salary and company stock as compensation for their employment with Takeda Pharmaceutical Company. C.E.R. and K.F. are employees of and may own stock in Biogen. E.A.M. is employed by the Alzheimer's Association. L.M.S. receives funding from the NIA for ADNI4 and from the NIA for the University of Pennsylvania ADRC P30 for the Biomarker Core. J.L.D. is an inventor on patents or patent applications of Eli Lilly and Company relating to the assays, methods, reagents and/or compositions of matter for P-tau assays and Aβ-targeting therapeutics. J.L.D. has served or is serving as a consultant or on advisory boards for Eisai, AbbVie, Genotix Biotechnologies Inc., Gates Ventures, Gate Neurosciences, Dolby Family Ventures, Karuna Therapeutics, AlzPath Inc., Cognito Therapeutics, Inc., Prevail Therapeutics, Neurogen Biomarking, Spear Bio, the University of Kentucky, Rush University, Tymora and Quanterix. J.L.D. has received research support from ADx Neurosciences, Fujirebio, Roche Diagnostics and Eli Lilly and Company in the past 2 years. J.L.D. has received speaker fees from Eli Lilly and Company and LabCorp. J.L.D. is a founder of and advisor to Monument Biosciences. J.L.D. has stock or stock options in Eli Lilly and Company, Genotix Biotechnologies, AlzPath Inc., Neurogen Biomarking and Monument Biosciences. N.J.A. has received speaking fees from Eli Lilly, Biogen, Quanterix and Alamar Biosciences. H.Z. has served on scientific advisory boards and/or as a consultant for AbbVie, Acumen, Alector, Alzinova, ALZpath, Amylyx, Annexon, Apellis, Artery Therapeutics, AZTherapies, Cognito Therapeutics, CogRx, Denali, Eisai, LabCorp, Merry Life, Nervgen, Novo Nordisk, Optoceutics, Passage Bio, Pinteon Therapeutics, Prothena, Red Abbey Labs, reMYND, Roche, Samumed, Siemens Healthineers, Triplet Therapeutics and Wave; has given lectures sponsored by Alzecure, BioArctic, Biogen, Cellectricon, Fujirebio, Eli Lilly, Novo Nordisk, Roche and WebMD; and is a co-founder of Brain Biomarker Solutions in Gothenburg AB (BBS), which is a part of the GU Ventures Incubator Program (outside submitted work). C.C. has received research support from GlaxoSmithKline and Eisai. C.C. is a member of the scientific advisory board of Circular Genomics and owns stocks. C.C. is also a member of the scientific advisory board of Admit and has served on the scientific advisory boards of GlaxoSmithKline and Novo Nordisk. E.M.M. has participated in speaker engagements for Eisai, Neurology Live and Projects in Knowledge-Kaplan. E.M.M. has had advisory board roles, consulting and data safety monitoring board (DSMB) relationships with Eli Lilly, Alnylam, Alector, Alzamend, Sanofi, AstraZeneca, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Grifols and Merck. D.M.H. and R.J.B. have equity ownership interest in C2N Diagnostics. D.M.H. and R.J.B. receive income from C2N Diagnostics for serving on the scientific advisory board. D.M.H. is on the scientific advisory board of Genentech, Denali, Cajal Neurosciences, Acta Pharmaceuticals and Switch and consults for Alnylam, Pfizer and Roche. R.J.B. is a co-inventor on the following US patent applications: ‘Methods to detect novel tau species in CSF and use thereof to track tau neuropathology in Alzheimer's disease and other tauopathies' and ‘CSF phosphorylated tau and amyloid beta profiles as biomarkers of Tauopathies'. R.J.B. is a co-inventor on a non-provisional patent application: ‘Methods of diagnosing and treating based on site-specific tau phosphorylation'. R.J.B. is an unpaid scientific advisory board member of Roche and Biogen and receives research funding from Avid Radiopharmaceuticals, Janssen, Roche/Genentech, Eli Lilly, Eisai, Biogen, AbbVie, Bristol Myers Squibb and Novartis. A.W.B. receives salary and company stock as compensation for his employment with AbbVie. W.Z.P. was previously employed by the National Institute of Mental Health and is a stockholder in Merck & Co. W.Z.P. is a Co-Chair Emeritus for the FNIH Biomarkers Consortium Neuroscience Steering Committee. W.Z.P. serves as a consultant for Karuna, Neurocrine, Neumarker and Vaaji and receives grant support from the NIA along with stock options from Praxis Bioresearch. S.E.S. has served on scientific advisory boards on biomarker testing and education for Eisai and Novo Nordisk and has received speaking fees for presentations on biomarker testing from Eisai, Eli Lilly, Novo Nordisk, Medscape and PeerView. She has provided unpaid scientific advising to Eisai, Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine, Eli Lilly, Biogen, Acumen, Cognito Therapeutics and Danaher. M.M.-A., L.D.-C., C.X., D.T., B.S., E.G.R., J.C.M. and J.M.S. have nothing to disclose.
Nature Medicine thanks Junhao Wen and the other, anonymous, reviewer(s) for their contribution to the peer review of this work. Peer reviewer reports are available. Primary Handling Editor: Jerome Staal, 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.
Variance analysis was performed to identify biomarker ranges with relatively consistent rates of change (below the 90th percentile) for five plasma p-tau217 assays: C2N PrecivityAD2 %p-tau217 (A), Fujirebio Lumipulse p-tau217/Aβ42 (B), Fujirebio Lumipulse p-tau217 (C), ALZpath Quanterix p-tau217 (D), and Janssen LucentAD Quanterix p-tau217 (E). The rate of change in each biomarker was modeled using Generalized Additive Models (GAMs), and variance in the rate of change was calculated across biomarker values. Red dashed vertical lines mark the boundaries of intervals where variance in rates of change was below the 90th percentile, defining the biomarker ranges suitable for clock model development. Blue points indicate intervals with variance below the 90th percentile; red points indicate intervals with variance above the 90th percentile.
The estimated age at plasma %p-tau217 positivity based on clock models is shown as a function of the observed conversion age, which is the average of the age at last negative and first positive %p-tau217. Clock models in the Knight ADRC (A, B) and ADNI cohorts (C, D) were created with the TIRA (A, C) and SILA (B, D) approaches. Each point represents an individual participant. Blue lines represent linear regression fits, and gray shaded bands represent 95% confidence intervals for the regression line. Adjusted R² and Spearman correlation coefficients (ρ) are shown for each model.
For individuals in the Knight ADRC (A, B) and ADNI (C, D) cohorts, age at plasma %p-tau217 positivity was estimated using either the TIRA (A, C) or SILA (B, D) models. Each row represents the longitudinal clinical diagnoses for one individual by estimated years from %p-tau217 positivity (x-axis). Individuals are sorted vertically by estimated age at %p-tau217 positivity (y-axis). The point color denotes the clinical diagnosis: blue was cognitively unimpaired at the assessment; red (AD syndrome/biomarker positive) was cognitively impaired at the assessment and had a diagnosis of symptomatic AD at their last assessment with symptoms starting after %p-tau217 positivity; purple (AD syndrome/biomarker negative) was cognitively impaired at the assessment and had a diagnosis of symptomatic AD at their last assessment with symptoms starting before %p-tau217 positivity; orange (non-AD syndrome) was cognitively impaired and had a non-AD diagnosis at their last assessment. Vertical dashed lines at 0 represent the estimated time of %p-tau217 positivity. Brown lines indicate the relationship between %p-tau217 positivity age and estimated symptom onset based on the Knight ADRC models in Fig. 4.
Using data from ADNI, raincloud plots show plasma %p-tau217 levels (A), estimated years since %p-tau217 positivity by TIRA (B) and SILA (C), and years since estimated symptom onset by TIRA (D) and SILA (E) stratified by the 2024 Alzheimer's Association biological staging framework: Stage A (normal biomarkers), Stage B (Alzheimer's disease pathologic change), Stage C (Alzheimer's disease), and Stage D (advanced Alzheimer's disease). The n values provided for each group indicate the number of individual human participants included in that biological stage; each participant contributes one data point to the analysis. Raincloud plots display individual data points, probability distributions (violin plots), and box plots where the box represents the interquartile range (25th to 75th percentile), the center line represents the median, and whiskers extend to the minimum and maximum values within 1.5× the interquartile range; points beyond whiskers represent outliers. Group means with 95% confidence intervals are shown. Statistical comparisons between all biological stages were conducted using two-sided non-parametric Conover-Iman tests with Benjamini-Hochberg adjustment for multiple comparisons. Significant group differences are indicated by asterisks (*p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, ***p < 0.001).
Longitudinal plasma p-tau217/Aβ42 data from ADNI is shown as a function of age (A) or estimated years from p-tau217/Aβ42 positivity by TIRA (B) or SILA clock models (C). Thick black lines represent the clock models, red lines represent individuals with at least one plasma p-tau217/Aβ42 > 0.006312, and grey lines represent individuals with no plasma p-tau217/Aβ42 > 0.006312. The horizontal black dashed lines represent the plasma p-tau217/Aβ42 threshold of 0.006312. Models for age at symptom onset included individuals who were initially cognitively unimpaired but had a typical AD syndrome at their last assessment and developed symptoms after estimated plasma p-tau217/Aβ42 positivity. Age at p-tau217/Aβ42 positivity was estimated using TIRA (D) or SILA (E) models. Each point represents an individual participant. In D and E, black lines represent linear regression fits showing the predicted mean age at symptom onset, and gray shaded bands indicate 95% confidence intervals around the regression lines. Linear regression equations, adjusted R² values, Spearman correlation coefficients (ρ), and sample sizes (N) are shown.
Longitudinal plasma p-tau217 data from ADNI is shown as a function of age (A) or estimated years from p-tau217 positivity by TIRA (B) or SILA clock models (C). Thick black lines represent the clock models; red lines represent individuals with at least one plasma p-tau217 > 0.0615 pg ml−1 and grey lines represent individuals with no plasma p-tau217 > 0.0615 pg ml−1. The horizontal black dashed lines represent the plasma p-tau217 threshold of 0.0615 pg ml−1. Models for age at symptom onset included individuals who were initially cognitively unimpaired but had a typical AD syndrome at their last assessment and developed symptoms after estimated plasma p-tau217 positivity. Age at p-tau217 positivity was estimated using TIRA (D) or SILA (E) models. Each point represents an individual participant. In D and E, black lines represent linear regression fits showing the predicted mean age at symptom onset, and gray shaded bands indicate 95% confidence intervals around the regression lines. Linear regression equations, adjusted R² values, Spearman correlation coefficients (ρ), and sample sizes (N) are shown.
Longitudinal plasma p-tau217 data from ADNI is shown as a function of age (A) or estimated years from p-tau217 positivity by TIRA (B) or SILA clock models (C). Thick black lines represent the clock models; red lines represent individuals with at least one plasma p-tau217 > 0.444 pg ml−1 and grey lines represent individuals with no plasma p-tau217 > 0.444 pg ml−1. The horizontal black dashed lines represent the plasma p-tau217 threshold of 0.444 pg ml−1. Models for age at symptom onset included individuals who were initially cognitively unimpaired but had a typical AD syndrome at their last assessment and developed symptoms after estimated plasma p-tau217 positivity. Age at p-tau217 positivity was estimated using TIRA (D) or SILA (E) models. Each point represents an individual participant. In D and E, black lines represent linear regression fits showing the predicted mean age at symptom onset, and gray shaded bands indicate 95% confidence intervals around the regression lines. Linear regression equations, adjusted R² values, Spearman correlation coefficients (ρ), and sample sizes (N) are shown.
Nine supplementary tables, 13 supplementary figures and captions for six supplementary videos.
Animation of C2N Diagnostics' PrecivityAD2 plasma %p-tau217 trajectories transitioning between plots versus age and years since plasma %p-tau217 positivity. The animation shows longitudinal plasma %p-tau217 data plotted as a function of age and years since plasma positivity. Red lines represent individuals with at least one plasma %p-tau217 > 4.06%; gray lines represent individuals with no plasma %p-tau217 > 4.06%; and thick black lines represent the clock models.
Animation of C2N Diagnostics' PrecivityAD2 plasma p-tau217 trajectories transitioning between plots versus age and years since plasma p-tau217 positivity. The animation shows longitudinal plasma p-tau217 data plotted as a function of age and years since plasma positivity. Red lines represent individuals with at least one plasma p-tau217 > 2.34 pg ml−1; gray lines represent individuals with no plasma p-tau217 > 2.34 pg ml−1; and thick black lines represent the clock models.
Animation of Fujirebio Diagnostics' Lumipulse plasma p-tau217/Aβ42 trajectories transitioning between plots versus age and years since plasma p-tau217/Aβ42 positivity. The animation shows longitudinal plasma p-tau217/Aβ42 data plotted as a function of age and years since plasma positivity. Red lines represent individuals with at least one plasma p-tau217/Aβ42 > 0.006312; gray lines represent individuals with no plasma p-tau217/Aβ42 > 0.006312; and thick black lines represent the clock models.
Animation of Fujirebio Diagnostics' Lumipulse plasma p-tau217 trajectories transitioning between plots versus age and years since plasma p-tau217 positivity. The animation shows longitudinal plasma p-tau217 data plotted as a function of age and years since plasma positivity. Red lines represent individuals with at least one plasma p-tau217 > 0.158 pg ml−1; gray lines represent individuals with no plasma p-tau217 > 0.158 pg ml−1; and thick black lines represent the clock models.
Animation of Janssen's LucentAD Quanterix plasma p-tau217 trajectories transitioning between plots versus age and years since plasma positivity. The animation shows longitudinal plasma p-tau217 data plotted as a function of age and years since plasma positivity. Red lines represent individuals with at least one plasma p-tau217 > 0.0615 pg ml−1; gray lines represent individuals with no plasma p-tau217 > 0.0615 pg ml−1; and thick black lines represent the clock models.
Animation of ALZpath's Quanterix plasma p-tau217 trajectories transitioning between plots versus age and years since plasma p-tau217 positivity. The animation shows longitudinal plasma p-tau217 data plotted as a function of age and years since plasma positivity. Red lines represent individuals with at least one plasma p-tau217 > 0.444 pg ml−1; gray lines represent individuals with no plasma p-tau217 > 0.444 pg ml−1; and thick black lines represent the clock models.
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Petersen, K.K., Milà-Alomà, M., Li, Y. et al. Predicting onset of symptomatic Alzheimerʼs disease with plasma p-tau217 clocks.
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February 19, 2026
4 min read
Alzheimer's blood tests predict what age people will be when the disease may cause symptoms, study finds
Tests that could reveal when Alzheimer's disease will emerge, while promising, are not ready for use in otherwise healthy people, scientists say
By Tanya Lewis edited by Claire Cameron
Simon Dawson/Bloomberg Creative/Getty Images
Blood tests that detect a protein involved in Alzheimer's disease could help predict the age at which the disease may strike people long before they develop symptoms, according to a new study. But questions remain about the accuracy and uncertainty of these tests, and experts caution that the assays aren't ready for prime time.
“While the results here are encouraging, they are not yet at the level of having significant clinical benefit for individual patients,” says Corey Bolton, a clinical neuropsychologist and an assistant professor of medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, who was not involved in the new study. “Alzheimer's disease is a complex condition with numerous intersecting risk and resilience factors that vary from person to person. These factors can have a large influence in the age of symptom onset and the rate of clinical decline.”
The study included more than 600 people aged 62 to 78 who were not cognitively impaired. They had blood tests to detect a protein called p-tau217, which accumulates in the brains of people with Alzheimer's. The researchers then used a model based on the tests to predict the age of onset of the disease in people with no cognitive impairment with three to four years of uncertainty.
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“A key innovation was estimating when they're going to develop symptoms,” says Suzanne Schindler, an associate professor of neurology at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, who co-authored the study. The research was published on Thursday in Nature Medicine. Several of the study authors have consulted for or received funding from companies that make these Alzheimer's blood tests. Schindler says she provides unpaid consulting to diagnostic companies.
More than seven million Americans are living with Alzheimer's disease, and there is no cure. The neurodegenerative condition is associated with the buildup of plaques of amyloid protein and tangles of tau protein in the brain, which can develop for a decade or more before visible symptoms such as memory loss or confusion arise.
Blood tests are increasingly used to detect biological signs of the disease. They are much cheaper and easier to administer than traditional diagnostics such as spinal taps or positron-emission tomography (PET) scans. Two tests are approved for use in the U.S. in people with Alzheimer's symptoms—Lumipulse (made by Fujirebio) and Elecsys (made by Roche Diagnostics).
But these tests may not always accurately predict who will and won't develop Alzheimer's, experts say. And the medical consensus is that they should not be taken by people who do not have symptoms of cognitive decline.
Detecting Alzheimer's before symptoms show up, however, may be crucial to treating it: although there is no cure for the condition, two drugs have been approved that can slow the rate of progression in some people when the disease is caught early. And there are clinical trials of these drugs underway to determine whether treatment could head off the disease in people who have biological signs of the disease but no symptoms. The results are expected in the next few years.
In the new study, Schindler and her colleagues tested how well a blood test for p-tau217 could predict the age at which people who had the protein would develop symptoms of the disease. They found that these blood, or plasma, “clocks” could predict how likely and when people would develop symptoms of the disease. Interestingly, the older a person was, the sooner symptoms would appear.
“So, for example, if you have a positive blood test when you're 60, it may take 20 years before you develop symptoms—versus, if you don't have a positive blood test until you're 80, it may take only 10 years,” Schindler says.
Of course, the tests are not foolproof. It's important to note that the researchers are “not recommending this for people who are asymptomatic,” says Zaldy Tan, a memory and aging specialist at the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. And a three- to four-year error margin on either side of diagnosis is “a big window,” he notes, especially if you're using the knowledge to make decisions about retirement plans or finances.
“Other medical conditions, such as chronic kidney disease and obesity, seem to have a large impact on the circulating levels of these proteins and can greatly influence results, leading to false positives or false negatives,” Bolton says. This study used a type of test that limits the effect of these conditions, he says, but “there are still many unanswered questions about how these blood tests perform in diverse populations.”
Despite their limits, however, the tests are still valuable for diagnosis and planning treatment, Bolton says. People found to be at greater risk of developing the disease could still benefit from interventions such as exercise, a healthy diet and cognitive or social stimulation.
Nathaniel Chin, a geriatrician and medical director at the Wisconsin Alzheimer's Disease Research Center in Madison, who was not involved in the study, is “impressed and excited” by its results. He hopes researchers will replicate the findings in other populations.
The study was funded by a public-private partnership through the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health Biomarkers Consortium. Schindler notes that the study data are publicly available and that anyone can download and analyze them.
Tanya Lewis is senior desk editor for health and medicine at Scientific American. She writes and edits stories for the website and print magazine on topics ranging from COVID to organ transplants. She also appears on Scientific American's podcast Science Quickly and writes Scientific American's weekly Health & Medicine newsletter. She has held a number of positions over her nine years at Scientific American, including health editor, assistant news editor and associate editor at Scientific American Mind. Previously, she has written for outlets that include Insider, Wired, Science News and others. She has a degree in biomedical engineering from Brown University and one in science communication from the University of California, Santa Cruz. Follow her on Bluesky @tanyalewis.bsky.social
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Scientists at the University of New Hampshire are using artificial intelligence to speed up the search for advanced magnetic materials. Their work has produced a searchable resource containing 67,573 magnetic compounds, including 25 materials that had not previously been recognized as magnets capable of staying magnetic at high temperatures.
"By accelerating the discovery of sustainable magnetic materials, we can reduce dependence on rare earth elements, lower the cost of electric vehicles and renewable-energy systems, and strengthen the U.S. manufacturing base," said Suman Itani, lead author and a doctoral student in physics.
A Massive Magnetic Materials Database
The new resource, called the Northeast Materials Database, makes it easier for scientists to explore materials that are essential to modern technology. Magnets are critical components in smartphones, medical devices, power generators, electric vehicles, and many other everyday systems. However, today's most powerful magnets depend on rare earth elements that are costly, largely imported, and increasingly difficult to secure. Despite the large number of known magnetic compounds, no entirely new permanent magnet has been identified from this pool.
The study, published in Nature Communications, describes how the team developed an AI system capable of reading scientific papers and pulling out important experimental data. That information was then used to train computer models to determine whether a material is magnetic and to calculate the temperature at which it loses its magnetism. The results were organized into one comprehensive and searchable database.
Reducing the Need for Rare Earth Elements
Researchers have long understood that many magnetic materials likely remain undiscovered. Yet testing every possible combination of elements, which could number in the millions, would take enormous amounts of time and money in a laboratory setting.
"We are tackling one of the most difficult challenges in materials science -- discovering sustainable alternatives to permanent magnets -- and we are optimistic that our experimental database and growing AI technologies will make this goal achievable," said Jiadong Zang, physics professor and co-author.
Expanding the Role of AI in Science and Education
The research team also includes co-author Yibo Zhang, a postdoctoral researcher in both physics and chemistry. Looking ahead, the scientists believe the large language model used in this project could serve purposes beyond building this database, especially in higher education. For example, the technology could convert images into modern rich text formats, helping update and preserve library collections.
The project received support from the Office of Basic Energy Sciences, Division of Materials Sciences and Engineering, U.S. Department of Energy.
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Sodium-ion batteries are emerging as a promising option for cleaner, more sustainable energy storage. Researchers at the University of Surrey have identified a surprisingly simple way to improve their performance by keeping water inside a critical battery material instead of removing it.
Lithium-ion batteries currently dominate the market, but they depend on costly materials that can harm the environment. Sodium, by contrast, is abundant and widely accessible. Even so, matching the performance of lithium-ion technology has been a major hurdle for sodium-ion systems.
Water Boosts Sodium Vanadium Oxide Performance
In research published in the Journal of Materials Chemistry A, scientists examined sodium vanadium oxide, a well-known sodium-based compound. They discovered that allowing the material to retain its natural water content significantly enhances how it functions inside a battery.
The compound, called nanostructured sodium vanadate hydrate (NVOH), delivered far stronger results when used in its hydrated form. It stored substantially more energy, charged at a faster rate, and maintained stability for more than 400 charge cycles.
During testing, the hydrated version held nearly twice as much charge as standard sodium-ion cathode materials. This performance places it among the top cathodes reported so far for sodium-ion batteries.
Dr. Daniel Commandeur, Research Fellow at the University of Surrey School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, and lead author of the paper, said:
"Our results were completely unexpected. Sodium vanadium oxide has been around for years, and people usually heat-treat it to remove the water because it's thought to cause problems. We decided to challenge that assumption, and the outcome was far better than we anticipated. The material showed much stronger performance and stability than expected and could even create exciting new possibilities for how these batteries are used in the future."
Seawater Operation and Electrochemical Desalination
The team also explored how the material performed in salt water, an especially demanding environment for battery systems. Not only did it continue operating effectively, it also removed sodium ions from the saltwater solution. At the same time, a graphite electrode extracted chloride ions in a process known as electrochemical desalination.
Dr. Commandeur added:
"Being able to use sodium vanadate hydrate in salt water is a really exciting discovery, as it shows sodium-ion batteries could do more than just store energy -- they could also help remove salt from water. In the long term, that means we might be able to design systems that use seawater as a completely safe, free and abundant electrolyte, while also producing fresh water as part of the process."
Toward Safer, Low Cost Alternatives to Lithium
This advance could speed up the adoption of sodium-ion batteries as a practical alternative to lithium-based technology. Because sodium is inexpensive and plentiful, these batteries have the potential to be safer, more affordable, and more environmentally friendly.
Possible uses include large-scale renewable energy storage for power grids as well as applications in electric vehicles. By simplifying the production of high-performance sodium-ion batteries, the Surrey team's findings move commercially viable, sustainable energy storage one step closer to reality.
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Organic batteries using abundant and recyclable organic electrode materials provide a sustainable and environmentally friendly alternative to commercial lithium-ion batteries1,2,3,4,5, which rely on resource-limited mineral-derived inorganic electrode materials6,7,8. However, the practical use of organic batteries has been severely hindered by the intrinsic insulation and dissolution of organic electrode materials9,10. Here we report practical organic batteries using an n-type conducting polymer cathode, poly(benzodifurandione) (PBFDO), which exhibits excellent mixed ionic and electronic transport and low solubility. The PBFDO cathode maintains its n-doped state throughout the electrochemical processes and exhibits stable and reversible redox characteristics, high electrical conductivities and significant lithium-ion diffusion coefficients, without the need for additional conductive additives. Consequently, ultrahigh-mass-loading polymer cathodes, with mass loadings up to 206 mg cm−2, are realized, delivering a high areal capacity of 42 mAh cm−2 and demonstrating robust cycling stability. Furthermore, practical 2.5 Ah lithium–organic pouch cells were fabricated, achieving an impressive energy density of 255 Wh kg−1. Notably, the conducting polymer cathode operates efficiently over a wide temperature range from −70 °C to 80 °C and demonstrates excellent flexibility and safety, marking considerable potential for applications in extreme conditions and wearable electronics.
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The data supporting the findings of this study are available in the paper and its Supplementary Information. The data of this study are available from the corresponding authors upon reasonable request.
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This work was financially supported by the Fundamental and Interdisciplinary Disciplines Breakthrough Plan of the Ministry of Education of China (JYB2025XDXM410), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (22579126, 22179092, 52433012 and 52303227), the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (2024ZYGXZR076) and the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (2024T170286 and 2023M741201). F.H. acknowledges support from the New Cornerstone Science Foundation through the XPLORER PRIZE.
These authors contributed equally: Zhenfei Li, Haoran Tang
School of Materials Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Advanced Materials for Intelligent Sensing, National Industry-Education Platform for Energy Storage, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
Zhenfei Li, Yuansheng Liu, Mengjie Li, Lanhua Ma, Hongpeng Chen, Yanhou Geng & Yunhua Xu
Institute of Polymer Optoelectronic Materials and Devices, Guangdong Basic Research Center of Excellence for Energy & Information Polymer Materials, State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
Haoran Tang, Yuanying Liang, Yining Wang, Shaohua Tong, Qinglin Jiang, Yuguang Ma, Yong Cao & Fei Huang
Guangdong Artificial Intelligence and Digital Economy Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou, China
Yuanying Liang
School of Materials Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
Xiaoyu Zhai & Jiangwei Wang
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech), Shenzhen, China
Xianbin Wei
Eastern Institute for Advanced Study, Eastern Institute of Technology, Ningbo, China
Meng Danny Gu
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Z.L. and H.T. conceived the project under the supervision of Y.C., Y.X. and F.H. Z.L. and H.T. synthesized materials, performed characterizations and assembled batteries. Z.L., H.T., Y. Liang and Y.G. discussed and analysed the data. Y. Liu and H.C. conducted the DFT and molecular dynamics calculations. L.M. assisted with data curation and manuscript revision. Y.W. assisted in materials synthesis and characterizations. S.T., Q.J. and Y.M. performed the Hall effect measurements. X.Z. and J.W. carried out the HRTEM characterization. M.L., X.W. and M.D.G. designed and executed the cryo-TEM experiments. Z.L., H.T., Y.X. and F.H. wrote and revised the paper, and all authors read and approved the paper.
Correspondence to
Yunhua Xu or Fei Huang.
The authors declare no competing interests.
Nature thanks Matthieu Becuwe and Nagaraj Patil for their contribution to the peer review of this work.
Publisher's note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
a, Flexibility test of the self-supporting PBFDO cathode. b, Digital microscopy and SEM images of the flexible PBFDO cathode at different bending states. c-d, Bending test of the flexible PBFDO cathode: photographs of the test process (c) and bending cycle life of 75,000 cycles (d). The cycle life was indicated by the stress variation with test time. e-f, Photographs of the flexible Li ||PBFDO pouch cell at different bending states. g, Cycling stability of the flexible Li ||PBFDO pouch cell under different bending conditions.
a, Schematical illustration of the lithium storage processes. Owing to the complexity of conducting polymer resonance and lithium-ion storage mechanisms, coupled with the uncertainty regarding the positions of counter-ions, only a schematic representation of one possible resonance pathway was provided here. The pristine PBFDO, with an n-doping level of around 90%, was first discharged to 1.5 V by lithium-ion uptake. During the subsequent charge process, lithium ions were extracted, while approximately half of protons were also removed, leaving the remaining protons preserved within PBFDO, which also contributed to PBFDO maintaining its n-doped state. Afterward, PBFDO experienced reversible electrochemical reactions, with some protonated carbonyl groups persisting, leading to a reversible capacity of 230.4 mAh g−1. b, XPS spectra of the PBFDO cathode at different charge/discharge states. c, Voltage profiles of the PBFDO cathode at 50 mA g−1 with marked voltages for the FTIR tests. d, FTIR spectra of the PBFDO cathode at different charge/discharge states as indicated in c. e, In situ Raman spectra of the PBFDO cathodes during charge/discharge processes.
This file contains Supplementary Sections A–X, including Supplementary Figs. 1–53 and Supplementary Tables 1–9.
Live demonstration of the bending endurance test of the PBFDO cathode. The PBFDO cathode can withstand 75,000 stretch cycles. This video shows the remarkable mechanical stability of the PBFDO cathode, highlighting its potential for applications requiring high durability under repeated mechanical deformation.
Live demonstration showcasing the flexibility of the PBFDO cathode in comparison to a commercial inorganic cathode. The flexibility test of commercial inorganic cathode is shown from 36″ to 4′13″, and PBFDO cathode is shown from 4′24″ to 7′16″. The video highlights the superior mechanical flexibility of the PBFDO cathode, highlighting its durability and potential for flexible batteries.
Live footage of the nail penetration test conducted on a 2.5 Ah PBFDO pouch cell. The test demonstrates the safety and robustness of the PBFDO pouch cell. No deformation, gas production or explosion was observed during or after the penetration, highlighting the exceptional stability of the PBFDO pouch cell under extreme mechanical stress.
Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.
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Li, Z., Tang, H., Liang, Y. et al. Practical lithium–organic batteries enabled by an n-type conducting polymer.
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Acanthamoeba polyphaga mimivirus (artist's impression) is a giant among viruses, both in physical size and because of the size of its genome. Credit: Nanoclustering/Science Photo Library
Scientists report that a type of giant virus multiplies furiously by hijacking its host's protein-making machinery1 — long-sought experimental evidence that viruses can co-opt a system typically associated with cellular life.
The researchers found that the virus makes a complex of three proteins that takes over its host's protein-production system, which then churns out viral proteins instead of the host's own.
Virologists had already suspected that viruses could perform such a feat, says Frederik Schulz, a computational biologist at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in California, who was not involved with the work. But the new findings, published in Cell on 17 February, are an important confirmation. Compared with other viruses, he says, this one “has a more powerful toolbox to really replace what the host is doing”.
Giant viruses, which are so named for their massive genomes, might seem exotic, but they are decidedly commonplace. They tend to infect single-celled organisms called protists — a group that includes amoebae and protozoa — that “are all over the place”, says Eugene Koonin, an evolutionary biologist at the US National Center for Biotechnology Information in Bethesda, Maryland.
Scientists glimpse oddball microbe that could help explain rise of complex life
Scientists glimpse oddball microbe that could help explain rise of complex life
The giant DNA virus used in this study, Acanthamoeba polyphaga mimivirus, has a genome that is about five times larger than those of poxviruses, which have the biggest genomes of any virus that infects humans. Mimivirus is giant in another way too: it is large enough to be seen under a light microscope.
To understand whether the virus affects its host's protein-assembly line, the researchers isolated viral proteins that interact with host organelles called ribosomes. These structures translate RNA molecules into proteins.
The scientists identified three viral proteins that seemed likely to be involved in hijacking host protein production. They then genetically engineered the viruses to lack these proteins and found that viruses that were missing any one of the three multiplied 1,000–100,000 times more slowly than those that did have these proteins.
Where did viruses come from? AlphaFold and other AIs are finding answers
Where did viruses come from? AlphaFold and other AIs are finding answers
or
doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-026-00532-w
Fels, J. M. et al. Cell https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2026.01.008 (2026).
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by Kurt Schlosser on Feb 19, 2026 at 10:12 amFebruary 19, 2026 at 10:12 am
TerraClear's mission to help farmers map and tackle tough field problems such as rocks and weeds has evolved with the launch of a new machine: an autonomous robot called TerraScout.
The startup, based in Issaquah, Wash., and Grangeville, Idaho, says the device can collect ultra-high-resolution imagery across an entire field and convert the data into plans which can be executed by existing farm equipment, such as its rock picker or existing sprayers.
Founded in 2017 with the goal of simplifying the laborious task of removing large rocks from farmers' fields, TerraClear has expanded into AI-powered identification and management of weeds using the same tech stack.
“TerraScout will scout entire fields in almost any condition and turn that intelligence into precise action for existing crews and equipment,” TerraClear CEO Devin Lammers said in a new release Thursday. “Today we focus that output on rock and weed management, but the future applications for this platform are vast. It is my firm belief that this technology will drive the next era of farm productivity gains.”
TerraClear says the robot can collect more than 4 billion image samples per acre and map over 1,000 acres per day at speeds of up to 15 mph. TerraScout can operate autonomously for up to six hours without refueling. Onboard technology turns massive image datasets into actionable maps in real-time.
TerraClear was founded by Brent Frei, the former CEO of Onyx Software and co-founder of Smartsheet. The initial focus was on its rock picker hardware, which can mount to a variety of machines and pick hundreds of rocks per hour, and its AI-powered mapping of fields where those rocks can cause expensive damage to machinery.
Lammers, a longtime leader in the agriculture technology industry, took over as CEO in August 2024.
The company, which employs about 50 people and has raised about $53 million to date, is not sharing revenue numbers, but is closing in on 1,000 customers.
Field trials for TerraScout began earlier this year and TerraClear said it will expand trials to existing retail partners and select farm customers this spring.
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The U.S. State Department is reportedly working on an online portal that would allow people in Europe and other regions to access content banned by their governments. The move comes at a time when conservative figures like Elon Musk and J.D. Vance have railed against European attempts to clamp down on hate speech, terrorist propaganda, and revenge porn.
Reuters reported Wednesday, citing unnamed sources, that the initiative is intended to fight censorship and could include a virtual private network (VPN) feature.
The portal would reportedly be hosted at Freedom.gov. The site currently displays a landing page featuring a small animation of Paul Revere on horseback above the words “Freedom is Coming.” Smaller text below reads, “Information is power. Reclaim your human right to free expression. Get Ready.”
The news arrives as the Trump administration has accused European governments of censoring conservative voices online.
“Free speech, I fear, is in retreat and in the interests of comedy, my friends, but also in the interest of truth, I will admit that sometimes the loudest voices for censorship have come not from within Europe, but from within my own country, where the prior administration threatened and bullied social media companies to censor so-called misinformation,” Vice President J.D. Vance said in his speech last week at the Munich Security Conference.
Reuters reported that the portal was expected to launch at the conference, but was delayed.
The State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Gizmodo. However, the agency told Reuters it does not have a Europe-specific censorship bypass program and denied that any announcement had been postponed.
“Digital freedom is a priority for the State Department, however, and that includes the proliferation of privacy and censorship-circumvention technologies like VPNs,” a State Department spokesperson told Reuters.
The portal also comes as Elon Musk's social media platform X is facing mounting scrutiny in Europe. Musk has been an on-and-off ally to President Donald Trump.
Paris prosecutors' cybercrime unit, working alongside Europol and French national police, raided X's offices in the country earlier this month.
The investigation began in January 2025 over suspected manipulation of X's recommendation algorithm and illegal data extraction. It has since expanded to include complicity in the spread of pornographic images involving minors, the use of sexual deepfakes that infringe on people's rights, and the circulation of Holocaust denial content.
The European Commission has also slapped X with a $140 million fine for violating transparency obligations under the Digital Services Act, taking issue with the platform's “deceptive design” of its blue checkmark verification badges and a lack of transparency around advertising practices.
Vance responded on X by framing the penalty as an attack on an American company.
“Rumors swirling that the EU commission will fine X hundreds of millions of dollars for not engaging in censorship. The EU should be supporting free speech not attacking American companies over garbage,” Vance wrote on X before the fine was announced.
Reuters also reports that the portal project involves Edward Coristine, a former member of the Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Coristine now works with the National Design Studio, created under Trump to redesign federal services online and in physical spaces. The studio has contributed to several Trump-era initiatives, including Trump Accounts and TrumpRx.
Ironically, The Guardian reported today that DOGE cuts to the State Department and U.S. Agency for Global Media's Internet Freedom program have effectively gutted the program.
The initiative funded grassroots tools to help people bypass government internet controls worldwide. It distributed over $500 million over the past decade but issued no funding in 2025, according to The Guardian.
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by Kurt Schlosser on Feb 19, 2026 at 8:50 amFebruary 19, 2026 at 8:50 am
A large house overlooking Meydenbauer Bay in Bellevue, Wash., could be the home of the Seattle-region's next big AI startup. At the very least, it's a place where ideas are being hatched by tech founders who are inspired by living and working with one another.
Bili House is a hacker house started by a group of young people interested in improving connections and opportunities in the Seattle-area startup community.
The 7,000-square-foot waterfront house, complete with swimming pool and boat dock, features five bedrooms and co-working space. It's already serving as a gathering space for events and workshops for such things as learning to vibe code. And applications are open for a first cohort of four to six teams.
The house was launched by four founders: Sylviane Zhao, who recently graduated from Cornell University, and Shawn Yang and Tehani Cabour, who both worked at French software giant Dassault Systèmes. They're working together on projects including CodeChimp, a project management platform that aims to turn vibe coding into a “multiplayer experience” by using multi-agent orchestration and other AI-powered tools. Last fall they were part of a Plug and Play cohort in Seattle. Jatin Kumar is the fourth founding member and a Z Fellow.
“We're just trying to get the early stage startup scene kick started here in Bellevue,” Yang told GeekWire.
“Every morning you wake up, you just go upstairs from your room and start working with each other,” Zhao added. “Everything is 24/7, and it's very accessible.”
Yang said that before starting the hacker house, they were considering a move to San Francisco. He joked that the money they're paying for the house in Bellevue would get them a two-bedroom apartment in the Bay Area.
“I was living in San Francisco back in 2022-23 and I established rooms in different hacker houses. That really changed my perspective,” Yang said, adding that he feels like there are more startup “doers” than just “talkers” choosing to live and work this way.
The hacker house idea is not a new concept, especially in Silicon Valley where communal living for the tech-inclined has long been a way to incubate the next big thing. And it's been tried in the Seattle area. Tech veteran Andy Rebele (Pure Watercraft) ran a few different spaces more than a decade ago, including on Capitol Hill and in the University District.
Seattle startup Tune also ran a house in 2015 near the University of Washington for women studying computer science. The desire for houses geared specifically toward female entrepreneurs continues today with FoundHer House, a San Francisco-based space spotlighted by The New York Times last year. Seattle is on the radar for potential expansion.
The Bili House website says rent ranges from $500 to $2,000 per month depending on room size. Amenities include utilities, high-speed internet, access to all common spaces, and community events. A minimum stay is three months.
In addition to events such as demo nights, founder dinners, and hackathons, the group is looking into partnerships, perhaps with a venture capital firm that could help defer some costs for startup founders. Bili House is also running a marketplace to connect renters to hacker spaces in other cities.
Other AI startups currently working out of Bili House include legal simulation platform LexSims and construction cost analysis company Bevr.
“I really just enjoy the culture,” Yang said. “I think it's nice to have people building alongside you, and to be able to share experiences, as well as skill sets, especially in today's age. It really helps to stay connected in the community, to encourage each other.”
After mentioning parking can be a bit of a constraint at the location, Yang offered up a hack for commuting to or from Bili House.
“University of Washington is 10 minutes by boat. Driving is like 30 or 40,” he laughed.
Keep scrolling for more images of Bili House:
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SoftBank subsidiary SB Energy is expected to build a massive 9.2 gigawatt natural gas-fired power plant on the Ohio-Kentucky border, according to a report from Bloomberg. If completed, it would be the largest power plant in the U.S., capable of powering around 7.5 million homes.
With a price tag of $33 billion, the project would be more expensive than recent natural gas-fired power plants, which have skyrocketed in cost, Bloomberg notes. It's unclear who will ultimately foot the bill, though traditionally rate-payers have shouldered the burden for new generating capacity.
The Japanese investor is a partner in the Stargate project with OpenAI. SB Energy did not say whether the new power plant would feed directly into the grid or if it would power data centers. OpenAI and SoftBank are in the process of building a “proof of concept” data center at GM's former Lordstown automotive assembly plant.
A power plant of this size is likely to take years, perhaps a decade, to complete even before taking into account the shortage of natural gas turbines. If completed, the project could emit around 15 million metric tons of carbon dioxide per year, according to our calculations based on public, energy-use metrics. When including methane leaks from the natural gas supply chain, the climate impact could even be even bigger.
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On February 19, 2025, a Falcon 9 rocket fell back toward Earth in an uncontrolled reentry, producing a massive fireball in the skies over Europe. On its way down, the rocket came near a lidar station in Saxony, Germany, where a team of researchers was able to use the remote-sensing instrument to measure the effect of the rocket reentry on Earth's atmosphere.
“We planned to make the measurement on the chance that we might see something from the re-entry,” Robin Wing, a researcher at the Leibniz Institute of Atmospheric Physics at the University of Rostock in Germany, told Gizmodo.
Wing and his colleagues measured a 10-fold concentration of lithium atoms in the upper atmosphere around 20 hours after the uncontrolled re-entry of the Falcon 9 rocket. Increasing amounts of metal, such as lithium, as a byproduct of the modern-day space race, are beginning to alter the chemical composition of Earth's atmosphere. The findings are detailed in a new study published Thursday in Nature.
As spacecraft reenter through the atmosphere, they slowly disintegrate into smaller fragments that burn up and release metals into the upper atmosphere. Lithium, as well as aluminum and other metals used to construct spacecraft, vaporizes during atmospheric re-entry.
The researchers behind the new study chose to measure lithium because it's an effective tracer of space debris pollution and is commonly used in spacecraft. “We discussed several materials, and lithium gave a good compromise of expected signal and challenges in the lidar setup,” Wing said. “We know that lithium is present in the aerospace-grade lithium-aluminum alloys used in spacecraft construction.”
Although the risks of space debris falling onto the ground are well-studied, there is very little known about the effects of falling spacecraft on Earth's upper atmosphere.
Using lidar—a laser-based remote sensing instrument used to measure atmospheric conditions—the team of scientists behind the new study detected a sudden increase in the concentration of lithium atoms, around 10 times the baseline value found in the atmosphere, on February 20, 2025. This lithium plume stretched from around 58 to 60 miles (94 to 97 kilometers) above sea level.
The researchers observed the plume for 27 minutes until data recording stopped. They then traced the plume of pollution to the Falcon 9 reentry, linking its area of origin to the uncontrolled path taken by the rocket on its way down.
The recent study focuses on the amount of lithium left behind from a single rocket reentry. Previous studies have already shown that lithium, aluminum, copper, and lead left behind from the reentry of spacecraft already exceeds the cosmic dust influx of those metals to the atmosphere.
It's not clear yet how exactly this change in the atmospheric chemistry would affect life on Earth, but the researchers behind the new study believe that there is enough reason for concern. Still, more research is needed to narrow down the impact on our planet.
“There are many elements present inside spacecraft which are not very present in our atmosphere due to natural causes,” Wing said. “We know very little about what metals actually exist in the atmosphere and how that relates to re-entry pollution.”
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OpenAI is nearing a deal to raise more than $100 billion at a valuation that could exceed $850 billion, Bloomberg reports, citing sources familiar with the matter.
The deal comes as the ChatGPT-maker burns through cash as it inches toward profitability. To that end, OpenAI has said it has started testing ads in ChatGPT for free users, a gamble that could lead to more revenue or could send users running from the platform.
Apparently investors think it's worth the risk if they're valuing the company $20 billion higher than the $830 billion valuation initially expected. The company's pre-money value will remain at $730 billion, per Bloomberg's source.
The first tranches of funding are reportedly coming from the usual suspects: Amazon (already in talks to invest up to $50 billion), SoftBank (gearing up for $30 billion), Nvidia (close to investing $20 billion), and Microsoft. VC firms and sovereign wealth funds are expected to close later, potentially bringing the total amount raised higher.
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The global rise in nearsightedness has largely been attributed to our phone addiction, but researchers now suggest that incessant scrolling is not solely to blame.
A team of scientists from the SUNY College of Optometry found that dim indoor lighting, combined with prolonged, up-close focus, may be straining the eyes. The study, published in Cell Reports, suggests that myopia, or nearsightedness, is not aggravated solely by the use of personal devices.
Nearsightedness has been rapidly increasing across the world, with current estimates suggesting that it will affect nearly 50% of the global population by 2050. Shortsighted people have slightly stretched eyeballs, making it difficult to focus on distant objects.
Although the increasing number of shortsighted people has largely been linked to excessive use of our phones, the new study suggests it's not that simple. Instead, focusing on objects up close in low-light environments strains the retina.
“In bright outdoor light, the pupil constricts to protect the eye while still allowing ample light to reach the retina,” Urusha Maharjan, SUNY Optometry doctoral student and lead author of the study, said in a statement. “When people focus on close objects indoors, such as phones, tablets, or books, the pupil can also constrict, not because of brightness, but to sharpen the image. In dim lighting, this combination may significantly reduce retinal illumination.”
Prolonged focus on objects in dim lighting further enhances this pupil constriction, especially for people who are already nearsighted.
Myopia may develop when insufficient light reaches the retina during prolonged close focus in dim indoor environments, according to the new study. When the light is too dim, it causes the pupils to narrow excessively at short viewing distances, making it difficult to develop normal vision.
On the other hand, in brightly lit environments, the pupil constricts in response to light rather than focusing distance, maintaining healthy stimulation of the retina.
The theory is speculative and requires further testing to confirm. If it holds up, however, it could have significant implications for preventing nearsightedness. “This is not a final answer,” Jose-Manuel Alonso, a professor at SUNY and co-author of the study, said in a statement. “But the study offers a testable hypothesis that reframes how visual habits, lighting, and eye focusing interact.”
Correction: An earlier version of this article incorrectly made note of reading glasses. The condition described here is myopia, which requires glasses for distance.
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In a respite from the ever-increasing cost of PC hardware and accessories, Dell has released a brand new gaming monitor for less than $130. At this price point, outside of a sale, you can typically expect low refresh rates and aging hardware. This Dell SE2726HG monitor bucks the trend – it's a 27-inch monitor with an ultra-fast 240Hz refresh rate, and all for an introductory sale price of just $129.99 right now.
This is a 1080p monitor, so you're capped at a resolution of just 1,920 x 1,080 using the SE2726HG. As we've consistently seen from the data collected by the Steam hardware survey, that resolution continues to be used by the majority of gamers today – there's a market for cheaper 1080p displays, even in the era of big 4K OLEDs.
Which leads us to this Dell 27-inch SE2726HG monitor. The stand-out feature on this display is the 240Hz refresh rate, which is rarely seen at this price, and leaves plenty of room to keep up with your GPU's output in any fast-paced games you might play. It ships with a 27-inch IPS panel, a good all-round choice on LCD monitors these days, as it typically offers the best viewing angles.
Other features on this display include two HDMI 2.1 ports, along with a single DisplayPort 1.4 connection. That leaves flexibility to connect this monitor up to your PC, laptop, and handheld at the same time. The display uses a tilt-capable mount, so you do have flexibility to adjust its position, but if you want a height-adjustable stand included, you can with the otherwise-identical Dell SE2726HGS, albeit at the higher price of $169.99.
The budget-friendly SE2726HG, meanwhile, has a max brightness of 300 nits. It also has a standard response time of 5 ms, but this can (reportedly) be reduced to just 0.5ms by switching to the display's ‘extreme' mode in the settings. AMD FreeSync Premium support is included, too, to eliminate screen tearing completely, which is a nice feature on a budget-focused monitor. Nvidia G-Sync support isn't mentioned, but you'll often find the two work interchangeably when one or the other is supported on a display, although we can't confirm that here.
Priced at just $129.99, this 27-inch Dell SE2726HGS gaming monitor is a strong entry into the market, with a very affordable price that puts it in a strong position against its competitors. This monitor would be a good option for a budget gaming PC build, especially if you're not looking to reach 1440p or 4K visuals, or as a second (or third) monitor to complement your main display.
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The primary purpose of CPF is not a pension scheme. It is structured as a massive forced bond purchase scheme by citizens. Financially what happens is the 37% of citizen income buys a long term bond (till retirement age, on average decades) at rock bottom interest rates (it's pegged to the overnight rate or a minimum of 2.6%). The returns are specifically decoupled from the real long term returns. This has historical roots in the government needing vast capital financing. They make enormous amounts of the delta between the short term interest rate and long term capital gains. Singapore has no oil or natural resources, but it's sovereign wealth fund has AUM in the regions of countries like Norway which do for this reason. It is not a shock absorber like the article suggests. The withdrawal terms are strict - housing, a significant medical expense and retirement are the only real ways to get money out of it."Trying to keep people employed" is a goal, not a policy. In fact the Singapore government maintains a large worker supply through immigration. The foreign worker population, ~30%. The main goal of the government is to maximize the absolute number of people working.The reason it raising the retirement age is effective in workforce participation is because most people have no choice. Retirement only pays out after the age. The working life of an average Singaporean has seen 37% gone to CPF, maybe another 10% to income taxes, another 5% to GST, road tax, property tax, etc. After all this there's the astronomical cost of living. This is also intentional, to raise the number of employees.
"Trying to keep people employed" is a goal, not a policy. In fact the Singapore government maintains a large worker supply through immigration. The foreign worker population, ~30%. The main goal of the government is to maximize the absolute number of people working.The reason it raising the retirement age is effective in workforce participation is because most people have no choice. Retirement only pays out after the age. The working life of an average Singaporean has seen 37% gone to CPF, maybe another 10% to income taxes, another 5% to GST, road tax, property tax, etc. After all this there's the astronomical cost of living. This is also intentional, to raise the number of employees.
The reason it raising the retirement age is effective in workforce participation is because most people have no choice. Retirement only pays out after the age. The working life of an average Singaporean has seen 37% gone to CPF, maybe another 10% to income taxes, another 5% to GST, road tax, property tax, etc. After all this there's the astronomical cost of living. This is also intentional, to raise the number of employees.
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It's essentially a forced loan to the government at subpar rates. The "tax" is the delta between what the government pays out for the bonds vs what a bond of equivalent risk in the free market would have paid.The magnitude of the investment also probably makes it impractical for anyone but the very wealthy to retire before that starts paying out. Most other countries have lower rates on their retirement schemes, which makes it feasible for more people to live on their savings for a few years before the government retirement scheme kicks in. E.g. in the US it's pretty feasible for the upper middle/lower upper classes to retire a few years before Social Security kicks in, especially if they're willing to live frugally.
The magnitude of the investment also probably makes it impractical for anyone but the very wealthy to retire before that starts paying out. Most other countries have lower rates on their retirement schemes, which makes it feasible for more people to live on their savings for a few years before the government retirement scheme kicks in. E.g. in the US it's pretty feasible for the upper middle/lower upper classes to retire a few years before Social Security kicks in, especially if they're willing to live frugally.
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It's about $25K a year for a decent plan which is doable. But you have to hope that Republicans - and yes this is a political issue - don't successfully kill the ACA and make it impossible to get insurance at any cost if you have a pre-existing condition. If you are old - you will develop a pre-existing condition.My parents are 83 and 81 and retired at 57/55. But my mom was a teacher who still gets benefits through the government and my dad gets benefits from the one factory that didn't shut down in our hometown.I'm 51 and even if I could retire early financially, I wouldn't do it and stay in the US. Play the smallest fiddle for us. I “retired my wife” at 44 in 2020 8 years into our marriage when I did a slight transition to an industry where remote work with travel is the norm (cloud consulting + app dev) and we have traveled a lot including doing stints as “digital nomads”.We are staying in one of the countries that we might retire to as a Plan B for six weeks starting next week.Even now that we moved to state tax free Florida and my wife hasn't had to work in six years, she keeps a current CDL because she can get a job as a school bus driver easily for the benefits and someone will pay me for independent consulting if I lose my job.
My parents are 83 and 81 and retired at 57/55. But my mom was a teacher who still gets benefits through the government and my dad gets benefits from the one factory that didn't shut down in our hometown.I'm 51 and even if I could retire early financially, I wouldn't do it and stay in the US. Play the smallest fiddle for us. I “retired my wife” at 44 in 2020 8 years into our marriage when I did a slight transition to an industry where remote work with travel is the norm (cloud consulting + app dev) and we have traveled a lot including doing stints as “digital nomads”.We are staying in one of the countries that we might retire to as a Plan B for six weeks starting next week.Even now that we moved to state tax free Florida and my wife hasn't had to work in six years, she keeps a current CDL because she can get a job as a school bus driver easily for the benefits and someone will pay me for independent consulting if I lose my job.
I'm 51 and even if I could retire early financially, I wouldn't do it and stay in the US. Play the smallest fiddle for us. I “retired my wife” at 44 in 2020 8 years into our marriage when I did a slight transition to an industry where remote work with travel is the norm (cloud consulting + app dev) and we have traveled a lot including doing stints as “digital nomads”.We are staying in one of the countries that we might retire to as a Plan B for six weeks starting next week.Even now that we moved to state tax free Florida and my wife hasn't had to work in six years, she keeps a current CDL because she can get a job as a school bus driver easily for the benefits and someone will pay me for independent consulting if I lose my job.
We are staying in one of the countries that we might retire to as a Plan B for six weeks starting next week.Even now that we moved to state tax free Florida and my wife hasn't had to work in six years, she keeps a current CDL because she can get a job as a school bus driver easily for the benefits and someone will pay me for independent consulting if I lose my job.
Even now that we moved to state tax free Florida and my wife hasn't had to work in six years, she keeps a current CDL because she can get a job as a school bus driver easily for the benefits and someone will pay me for independent consulting if I lose my job.
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All incompatible with 99% of the upper class, neither do they want to eat ramen to retire early.You're also one medical disaster away from being "very very wrong"
You're also one medical disaster away from being "very very wrong"
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I bet you also your idea of upper middle class is not statistically valid.https://dqydj.com/household-income-percentile-calculator/
https://dqydj.com/household-income-percentile-calculator/
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So the top 10% is a household income of $250K and most of those couples didn't reach that until their 40s. They aren't making $225K as an L5 at 25 years old like a former intern/new grad I mentored when I was at BigTechMost software developers won't even see above $160K inflation adjusted during their career. Most work in second tier cities in the “enterprise”z.
Most software developers won't even see above $160K inflation adjusted during their career. Most work in second tier cities in the “enterprise”z.
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You can shop around quite a bit for non urgent care, and get good cash discount.
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Yeah there's even a term for it: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Financial_repression
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It also robs the individual's freedom to gamble with their retirement funds while expecting/demanding a bailout when shit hits the fan.In the USA we have thoughtful policies that allow people over a certain amount of wealth invested in key industries to do that.
In the USA we have thoughtful policies that allow people over a certain amount of wealth invested in key industries to do that.
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Edit: in fact interest delta is how banks make their huge profits except the government here does it by force.
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Also, the average person in the United States does have meaningful investments toward retirement age.
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It is a tax, but with extra steps.The reason it makes the government money is because they're collecting the extra interest that citizens would have earned if they were free to invest it on their own.
The reason it makes the government money is because they're collecting the extra interest that citizens would have earned if they were free to invest it on their own.
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As for why - the same reason why they get to decide what side of the road you drive on and what laws you follow. They rule the patch of land you were born on, and if you don't like it you can either participate in the system (assuming it's a democracy) or leave.
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"There is no moral justification for the government setting a retirement age, but they are able to. So it doesn't matter."
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There is a minimum age to collect old age benefits from the government. The justification for that should be obvious.
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The justification is to force people to work until they are too old to do so. Then steal whatever they have left with medical bills and price hikes on necessities.
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Actually, the justification is to prevent old people from having to work. Retirement didn't really exist until the creation of pension systems in the late 19th century, and the modern social security system was a poverty alleviation measure introduced in the 1930s. Hell, social security was initially resented by older workers because of the cover it gave employers for firing them for being too old.
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Social Security constitutionality was ruled on just months after the 'switch in time that saved 9' associated with a threatening to pack the courts and evade the checks and balances built into our "democracy." They ruled it was covered under 'general welfare' in a way that was totally historically inaccurate.Furthermore, FDR and congress purposefully had it packaged in an omnibus style bill to evade democratic scrutiny over the individual portions, by purposefully torpedoing other aid to needy individuals if SS didn't pass, so that lawmakers wouldn't be able to vote on democratic view of SS but rather being damned in a catch-22 where they'd be accused of not helping out the needy in other ways.Basically the whole thing was designed to not only evade democracy but also the constitution.
Furthermore, FDR and congress purposefully had it packaged in an omnibus style bill to evade democratic scrutiny over the individual portions, by purposefully torpedoing other aid to needy individuals if SS didn't pass, so that lawmakers wouldn't be able to vote on democratic view of SS but rather being damned in a catch-22 where they'd be accused of not helping out the needy in other ways.Basically the whole thing was designed to not only evade democracy but also the constitution.
Basically the whole thing was designed to not only evade democracy but also the constitution.
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To make an overly dramatic analogy, if you were kidnapped and asked why the kidnapper was able to hold you against your will, the answer is because they've chained you up and they have the gun, and so on. That's literally the answer to why. The fact that what they're doing is morally wrong is completely irrelevant.
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The government makes a moral justification of a savings plan but then when we dig down to it it's all ether and really just a scheme for bond rate arbitrage for the government.The point isn't that might makes right is false, it's that the moral justification is a facade.
The point isn't that might makes right is false, it's that the moral justification is a facade.
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You might as well ask similar questions about most basic laws and concepts behind how western societies work.
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There's maybe a few hundred people worldwide who could casually drop a proper answer to your question while casually browsing hn.I believe it'd be more fair to start answering your own question to show how far you are in your intellectual journey on that topic.
I believe it'd be more fair to start answering your own question to show how far you are in your intellectual journey on that topic.
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And the reason it decides that, apart from "because it can", is because many societies have seen what happens when it's left to individuals to take care of this, and they fuck it up in massive numbers, and the outcome of that then fucks up society.
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It sounds to me like we have built a system to exploit people as much as possible. Treating them like farm animals.
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> Your duty as a citizen is to work and build your nationWhat about the duty of the trust fund babies and idle wealthy? What about the duty of the capital owners? Why is the retirement age going up instead of down as productivity increases?
What about the duty of the trust fund babies and idle wealthy? What about the duty of the capital owners? Why is the retirement age going up instead of down as productivity increases?
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In the case of 401(k)s/DC plans and private pensions/DB plans, the government allowed savings without "confiscation," i.e. immediate taxation. They gave us the benefit of deferred taxation if you wait until retirement age.
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The current trajectory makes my question a lot of things, including this whole "government pays back that service with benefits" as it will be some time before I ever see a penny of SSI.A lot of our taxes in this country seem like a giant waste or are grossly inefficient at best.
A lot of our taxes in this country seem like a giant waste or are grossly inefficient at best.
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It's our duty to elect people who use tax dollars wisely and to vote out officials who neglect their responsibility to the people and use tax money to enrich themselves and anyone else willing to bribe them. Our government is filled with grifters because we've failed to hold them meaningfully accountable for robbing us and failing to provide the benefits we're funding.Many of the grifters in government have been working hard to make it difficult to hold them accountable. They disenfranchise voters, they keep us afraid and our futures uncertain, they collude against efforts to reform the system they've established for their own benefit.Government was never going to just let us have "liberty and justice for all" the job was always on "we the people" to insist on it. We can't just pay taxes and expect everything to work out. We have to use the democracy we have to force the government to work for us and not just for themselves. If we've reached a point where that's no longer possible then it's our duty to "refresh the tree of liberty" until we have a government that works for us.
Many of the grifters in government have been working hard to make it difficult to hold them accountable. They disenfranchise voters, they keep us afraid and our futures uncertain, they collude against efforts to reform the system they've established for their own benefit.Government was never going to just let us have "liberty and justice for all" the job was always on "we the people" to insist on it. We can't just pay taxes and expect everything to work out. We have to use the democracy we have to force the government to work for us and not just for themselves. If we've reached a point where that's no longer possible then it's our duty to "refresh the tree of liberty" until we have a government that works for us.
Government was never going to just let us have "liberty and justice for all" the job was always on "we the people" to insist on it. We can't just pay taxes and expect everything to work out. We have to use the democracy we have to force the government to work for us and not just for themselves. If we've reached a point where that's no longer possible then it's our duty to "refresh the tree of liberty" until we have a government that works for us.
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Forced saving makes it a tax. It's essentially no different than payroll taxes in the U.S. that fund Social Security. Buying government bonds is still marginally better accounting than a complete Ponzi scam like Social Security in the U.S., but even that ultimately amounts to the same thing - the government is paying itself, so it's a wash.
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The only question is whether the fund is running at a surplus or not.The US has raided its fund to finance other government programs, and then will have to pay it back via tax revenues.
The US has raided its fund to finance other government programs, and then will have to pay it back via tax revenues.
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How is being a serf win win?
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The parent contributor has conveniently left out the fact that the 37% of CPF contributions is split 20-17 in terms of employee-employer contributions[1], and has a ceiling of S$8000[2], so if one earns more than that, every additional dollar goes entirely to them, which is also taxed at globally low income tax rates[3]. One can put all one's post-tax money into any stocks/bonds/funds, and there is also no capital gains tax[4].[1]: https://www.cpf.gov.sg/employer/employer-obligations/how-muc...[2]: https://www.cpf.gov.sg/employer/infohub/news/cpf-related-ann...[3]: https://www.iras.gov.sg/taxes/individual-income-tax/basics-o...[4]: https://www.iras.gov.sg/taxes/individual-income-tax/basics-o...
[1]: https://www.cpf.gov.sg/employer/employer-obligations/how-muc...[2]: https://www.cpf.gov.sg/employer/infohub/news/cpf-related-ann...[3]: https://www.iras.gov.sg/taxes/individual-income-tax/basics-o...[4]: https://www.iras.gov.sg/taxes/individual-income-tax/basics-o...
[2]: https://www.cpf.gov.sg/employer/infohub/news/cpf-related-ann...[3]: https://www.iras.gov.sg/taxes/individual-income-tax/basics-o...[4]: https://www.iras.gov.sg/taxes/individual-income-tax/basics-o...
[3]: https://www.iras.gov.sg/taxes/individual-income-tax/basics-o...[4]: https://www.iras.gov.sg/taxes/individual-income-tax/basics-o...
[4]: https://www.iras.gov.sg/taxes/individual-income-tax/basics-o...
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This point is a shell game, because the employer's share is still effectively being taken from the employee. It's equivalent of "tariffs are paid by foreigners!" that's trotted out for supporting tariffs.
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I know this may sound like a shock because you are privileged but 7% yoy return on capital is NOT the norm for the rest of the world. Just look at any other index not called the S&P or the Dow. Look up US exceptionalism.The US policy for retirement savings shackles the younger generation with a ticking time bomb. Forcing your own citizens to save money for themselves is a lot better than forcing your own citizens to pay for others. Which one is more morally cruel?HK has a similar forced savings, but that ROI is like 1 or 2% and the options to invest are paltry.Some perspective is necessary. Yes it's not great but compared to the rest of the world it's stellar.
The US policy for retirement savings shackles the younger generation with a ticking time bomb. Forcing your own citizens to save money for themselves is a lot better than forcing your own citizens to pay for others. Which one is more morally cruel?HK has a similar forced savings, but that ROI is like 1 or 2% and the options to invest are paltry.Some perspective is necessary. Yes it's not great but compared to the rest of the world it's stellar.
HK has a similar forced savings, but that ROI is like 1 or 2% and the options to invest are paltry.Some perspective is necessary. Yes it's not great but compared to the rest of the world it's stellar.
Some perspective is necessary. Yes it's not great but compared to the rest of the world it's stellar.
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Forced investment in low ROI vehicles is just a tax by another name.
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Even if that $1000 used to be worth $10000, that $0 is still worth $0.
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How do 99 year leases fix the problem? Do people actually get kicked out at 99 years, or does the government renew it for a nominal fee?
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It's not as if the US fairs any better. Here you never own your home, you have to pay property taxes your whole life (basically rent) or it will be taken from you. Eminent domain means that they can take your property from you at any time even if you've kept paying them.Singapore has a home ownership rate of ~90% vs 65% in the US and prices are so unaffordable that on average people buying their first starter homes in the US are in their 40s! Most Americans, if they're lucky will get maybe get 30 years of their life in a home they own while they are still young and healthy enough to enjoy it.Last I heard Singapore only had about 1,000 homeless. Whatever they're doing with housing could probably be improved on, but they seem to be doing a lot better than we are.
Singapore has a home ownership rate of ~90% vs 65% in the US and prices are so unaffordable that on average people buying their first starter homes in the US are in their 40s! Most Americans, if they're lucky will get maybe get 30 years of their life in a home they own while they are still young and healthy enough to enjoy it.Last I heard Singapore only had about 1,000 homeless. Whatever they're doing with housing could probably be improved on, but they seem to be doing a lot better than we are.
Last I heard Singapore only had about 1,000 homeless. Whatever they're doing with housing could probably be improved on, but they seem to be doing a lot better than we are.
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> Despite the iron mathematical law that these houses must depreciate their lease valueSERS means that houses slated to be torn down are resold back to the government at near-market rates excluding the effect of the 99-year leasehold.In Singapore, the government owns everything, even ostensibly 'freehold' land. If they want to run an MRT line under your house, and they need to tear your house down to get to it, they will force you to sell your house and your land to them. Has happened before, will absolutely happen again. It's an island city-state smaller than London. There is literally no space anywhere else.
SERS means that houses slated to be torn down are resold back to the government at near-market rates excluding the effect of the 99-year leasehold.In Singapore, the government owns everything, even ostensibly 'freehold' land. If they want to run an MRT line under your house, and they need to tear your house down to get to it, they will force you to sell your house and your land to them. Has happened before, will absolutely happen again. It's an island city-state smaller than London. There is literally no space anywhere else.
In Singapore, the government owns everything, even ostensibly 'freehold' land. If they want to run an MRT line under your house, and they need to tear your house down to get to it, they will force you to sell your house and your land to them. Has happened before, will absolutely happen again. It's an island city-state smaller than London. There is literally no space anywhere else.
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Eminent domain exists in the U.S. and other developed countries too. The point of it is largely to prevent any single owner from "holding up" a non-trivial project like an MRT line.
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I grew up in East Germany, and while it was a total failure, they got at least one idea correct in the workers paradise: We need to work. (Never mind the implementation, I already said it was a total failure, okay? It's about problem recognition, not about the quality of the solution.)And you know what? I'm actually like my grandfather, who without any need whatsoever continued to work well past retirement, privately, painting a house here, doing some paint shop there, designing and installing a sun dial somewhere. He only got off the scaffolding on a house's paint job a week before he died.I too would hate to just laze around. I LOVE doing useful stuff. I worked and made money many times as a child already, and it was always fun!What stopped the fun was the coming of The West (which I too went to the streets for and wanted, still, "side effects may apply"). While I studied CS I took a job in a chocolate factory, not because I needed the money, but because that's what I always did and was used to. Being in the production of stuff is actually FUN! Except then came some western management idiot to make it clear fun is over. I had just setup a machine to work as efficiently and as well as possible (because that's fun!), so now I had to wait a few minutes for it to finish. Just a few minutes, no time to start something else. So I briefly sat next to it and waited for it to finish. In comes the management idiot, immediately jumping on me, why am I lazing around??? That's not what they pay me for!Just an anecdote, and of course it is much better in knowledge jobs, but that, and the fact that the money accumulates towards the top is what I think is a HUGE problem in today's capitalism. No wonder they have to make live as miserable as possible for the working majority, because there is no fun. The managers and owners think we don't want to work, and treat us accordingly. But it is THEM who are responsible for much of that.
And you know what? I'm actually like my grandfather, who without any need whatsoever continued to work well past retirement, privately, painting a house here, doing some paint shop there, designing and installing a sun dial somewhere. He only got off the scaffolding on a house's paint job a week before he died.I too would hate to just laze around. I LOVE doing useful stuff. I worked and made money many times as a child already, and it was always fun!What stopped the fun was the coming of The West (which I too went to the streets for and wanted, still, "side effects may apply"). While I studied CS I took a job in a chocolate factory, not because I needed the money, but because that's what I always did and was used to. Being in the production of stuff is actually FUN! Except then came some western management idiot to make it clear fun is over. I had just setup a machine to work as efficiently and as well as possible (because that's fun!), so now I had to wait a few minutes for it to finish. Just a few minutes, no time to start something else. So I briefly sat next to it and waited for it to finish. In comes the management idiot, immediately jumping on me, why am I lazing around??? That's not what they pay me for!Just an anecdote, and of course it is much better in knowledge jobs, but that, and the fact that the money accumulates towards the top is what I think is a HUGE problem in today's capitalism. No wonder they have to make live as miserable as possible for the working majority, because there is no fun. The managers and owners think we don't want to work, and treat us accordingly. But it is THEM who are responsible for much of that.
I too would hate to just laze around. I LOVE doing useful stuff. I worked and made money many times as a child already, and it was always fun!What stopped the fun was the coming of The West (which I too went to the streets for and wanted, still, "side effects may apply"). While I studied CS I took a job in a chocolate factory, not because I needed the money, but because that's what I always did and was used to. Being in the production of stuff is actually FUN! Except then came some western management idiot to make it clear fun is over. I had just setup a machine to work as efficiently and as well as possible (because that's fun!), so now I had to wait a few minutes for it to finish. Just a few minutes, no time to start something else. So I briefly sat next to it and waited for it to finish. In comes the management idiot, immediately jumping on me, why am I lazing around??? That's not what they pay me for!Just an anecdote, and of course it is much better in knowledge jobs, but that, and the fact that the money accumulates towards the top is what I think is a HUGE problem in today's capitalism. No wonder they have to make live as miserable as possible for the working majority, because there is no fun. The managers and owners think we don't want to work, and treat us accordingly. But it is THEM who are responsible for much of that.
What stopped the fun was the coming of The West (which I too went to the streets for and wanted, still, "side effects may apply"). While I studied CS I took a job in a chocolate factory, not because I needed the money, but because that's what I always did and was used to. Being in the production of stuff is actually FUN! Except then came some western management idiot to make it clear fun is over. I had just setup a machine to work as efficiently and as well as possible (because that's fun!), so now I had to wait a few minutes for it to finish. Just a few minutes, no time to start something else. So I briefly sat next to it and waited for it to finish. In comes the management idiot, immediately jumping on me, why am I lazing around??? That's not what they pay me for!Just an anecdote, and of course it is much better in knowledge jobs, but that, and the fact that the money accumulates towards the top is what I think is a HUGE problem in today's capitalism. No wonder they have to make live as miserable as possible for the working majority, because there is no fun. The managers and owners think we don't want to work, and treat us accordingly. But it is THEM who are responsible for much of that.
Just an anecdote, and of course it is much better in knowledge jobs, but that, and the fact that the money accumulates towards the top is what I think is a HUGE problem in today's capitalism. No wonder they have to make live as miserable as possible for the working majority, because there is no fun. The managers and owners think we don't want to work, and treat us accordingly. But it is THEM who are responsible for much of that.
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the UK effectively does the same thing with DB schemes forced to buy Gilts
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Social Security is effectively the same thing. Payroll taxes are collected and placed in the social security trust fund, which invests them in federal bonds.
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Currently there are more payouts than taxes so the trust fund is being used to make up the difference.When the trust fund is depleted (barring any changes, this happens at some point in the next decade if I'm not mistaken) then there will be a reckoning. If no action is taken by Congress the result is that payouts will be cut by the necessary percentage to match the taxes.
When the trust fund is depleted (barring any changes, this happens at some point in the next decade if I'm not mistaken) then there will be a reckoning. If no action is taken by Congress the result is that payouts will be cut by the necessary percentage to match the taxes.
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Yes, it does. The Obama administration explicitly appropriated general government funds to try and make up a developing shortfall in the 'fund'. There is no money being accumulated because there are more payouts than taxes - but even if that wasn't the case, these are not actual "bonds" that have been bought on any market, they're just non-market government obligations.
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Amazing what the people and government have achieved since the end of WW2. 100% respect for them.A side comment: I enjoy listening to English language news from many countries around the world to get different viewpoints. News media from Singapore is very interesting, indeed!
A side comment: I enjoy listening to English language news from many countries around the world to get different viewpoints. News media from Singapore is very interesting, indeed!
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We are talking about material impacts, not culture
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People who score well on probability numeracy are likely better educated and better paid and have more in automatic savings plans. So if someone is maxing out their 401k they don't feel they need to save more.The article shows that in the US there is a 25 point gap between high and low income on savings regret, and a 14 point gap between high and low numeracy scores.In Singapore where savings are more automatic numeracy is a more powerful predictor.
The article shows that in the US there is a 25 point gap between high and low income on savings regret, and a 14 point gap between high and low numeracy scores.In Singapore where savings are more automatic numeracy is a more powerful predictor.
In Singapore where savings are more automatic numeracy is a more powerful predictor.
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Considering that they also have to consider economic development in their investment decisions, the RRQ funds are well managed by the CDPQ.
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You need to have some emergency savings. You should save for retirement somehow. If you can structure the above as insurance - and you can trust the insurance - (I know a few cases where the insurance type system went bankrupt and those with a "policy got nothing") that is best.Once the above is taken care of though, you can't take it with you (at least in most religions) so spend it. Save enough, but not too much.
Once the above is taken care of though, you can't take it with you (at least in most religions) so spend it. Save enough, but not too much.
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You're looking for people who didn't want to save but begrudgingly saved at the expense of their pre-retirement life and then died before they could enjoy retirement. That's a much smaller group.
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But in general you have three things to spend in your life: time, money, and effort.You don't want to spend all your time saving money because you'll run out of time eventually, but you also don't want to spend all your money saving time because you'll run out of money.It's all about balance and thoughtfully understanding what you actually want and how to get it.
You don't want to spend all your time saving money because you'll run out of time eventually, but you also don't want to spend all your money saving time because you'll run out of money.It's all about balance and thoughtfully understanding what you actually want and how to get it.
It's all about balance and thoughtfully understanding what you actually want and how to get it.
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This becomes more true by the year, as those costs keep rising faster than broader inflation.
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I get it to a certain extent, don't live in poverty if you don't have too, but I am a major saver. I rarely buy new things if an old thing is working fine. If I die early at least my family will will be set.Really the social safety nets in the US are basically non-existent so having a big savings buffer makes me feel a bit safer. Honestly dying early doesn't worry me too much, I'll be dead so doesn't bother me. What does worry me is the economy tanks and all my saving become worthless. Then I would have some regrets...
Really the social safety nets in the US are basically non-existent so having a big savings buffer makes me feel a bit safer. Honestly dying early doesn't worry me too much, I'll be dead so doesn't bother me. What does worry me is the economy tanks and all my saving become worthless. Then I would have some regrets...
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Yes the jobloss impact caused the people to be unable to save and in turn they wished they have saved more.. but ignored is whether they could to begin with.Of course external impact had little to do with internal procrastination.
Of course external impact had little to do with internal procrastination.
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It says that understanding risk (as operationalized by understanding probability) has a larger effect.But it is also saying that the more external impact someone has, the more they regret saving more -- in the United States but not Singapore.The study is explicitly saying that internal motivation does not seem to matter. And the article is arguing the reason why.
But it is also saying that the more external impact someone has, the more they regret saving more -- in the United States but not Singapore.The study is explicitly saying that internal motivation does not seem to matter. And the article is arguing the reason why.
The study is explicitly saying that internal motivation does not seem to matter. And the article is arguing the reason why.
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It's basically just saying that the uninsured catastrophic event risk in America magnifies shock events.E.g., if you have a major hospital visit in America you're way more likely to regret not saving enough, but in Singapore there's basically no effect since hospital stays don't drain your savings account.
E.g., if you have a major hospital visit in America you're way more likely to regret not saving enough, but in Singapore there's basically no effect since hospital stays don't drain your savings account.
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Not just healthcare stuff, but also apparently Singaporeans tend to have a lower unemployment rate, so they be able to recover from stuff faster
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------ re: below due to throttling -------------Vs say US, where immigrants and those funding public housing are generally better off than the people getting subsidized housing. Public housing is more a progressive than regressive tax in the US, so quite dissimilar. Immigrants in US are on average far better off than those on public housing. Asking "but how is this any different" (after I already answered it, lol) over and over doesn't negate this, nor the fact that immigrants are like half of workers in Singapore vs only 10% in the US so the funding dynamic and dependency is far different.
Vs say US, where immigrants and those funding public housing are generally better off than the people getting subsidized housing. Public housing is more a progressive than regressive tax in the US, so quite dissimilar. Immigrants in US are on average far better off than those on public housing. Asking "but how is this any different" (after I already answered it, lol) over and over doesn't negate this, nor the fact that immigrants are like half of workers in Singapore vs only 10% in the US so the funding dynamic and dependency is far different.
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It's similar in Vienna where only native Viennese are immediately eligible for social housing, but outsiders will end up paying into the system without being eligible.
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By definition, outsiders don't have to pay into the system since they already have a gov't somewhere else that is dedicated to them, just like the Viennese do.
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They absolutely do pay into the system when they move to and work in Vienna. By outsiders in this context I meant foreign workers. I assumed that was clear from the context of the discussion.
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Countries like Singapore and all of the Middle East meanwhile rely on a revolving door of cheap immigrant labor. In the extreme cases like Qatar 95% of the working population are on short term visas. Most of these countries don't have a pathway to citizenship at all for this worker class. You could live there, work and pay taxes for 10 or 20 or 50 years, but the day you "retire" you need to pack up and leave.
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This is a particularly funny one tbh. A nation's kids _are_ the retirement plan. It doesn't matter how many numbers you put in spreadsheets dated for 20-40 years into the future, if in said future, there isn't actually anyone to accept those numbers in exchange for labor.
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That seems like what they should have been looking at re procrastination--conscientiousness.I am not at all surprised that people who Take Care of Business lament not doing a better job (saving) and people who YOLO don't as much.
I am not at all surprised that people who Take Care of Business lament not doing a better job (saving) and people who YOLO don't as much.
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Well, America is rough. It turned on hardcore capitalism mode for itself because a significant portion of its population wants to try and solo socioeconomic hardships and hates any one who doesn't want the same challenge.But not to just blame the voter, lots of money is spent for setting up systems to be amenable to acquiring more money. The very richest have correctly made a bet that uprisings to displace the wealthy and politicians just don't occur here these days, and therefore there is no real threat or need to change the way things have been going for the last 25 years or so.
But not to just blame the voter, lots of money is spent for setting up systems to be amenable to acquiring more money. The very richest have correctly made a bet that uprisings to displace the wealthy and politicians just don't occur here these days, and therefore there is no real threat or need to change the way things have been going for the last 25 years or so.
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Yes, the systems are amenable to acquiring more money, but I would claim that all that the richest need to do is to push the idea that "anyone can make it" - which was probably (more) true 50 years ago, but is probably an illusion today (some comments at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socioeconomic_mobility_in_the_...).Edit: I do not claim one model is better than the other; just that the culture influences the outcome more than other aspects.
Edit: I do not claim one model is better than the other; just that the culture influences the outcome more than other aspects.
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No. Culture is downstream of institutions.
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America is designed for rich people
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What happens here matters everywhere
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by Taylor Soper on Feb 19, 2026 at 6:31 amFebruary 19, 2026 at 6:51 am
Seattle startup Adronite raised $5 million in a Series A round led by Gatemore Capital Management, as it looks to expand its AI-powered platform designed to give large organizations visibility into sprawling and complex codebases.
The funding comes amid intense competition in the AI developer tools market. Unlike many AI coding tools that operate at the level of individual files or snippets, Adronite ingests complete codebases, including both modern and legacy systems.
The idea is to help organizations understand how their software works as a system, with applications in security analysis, modernization, and active remediation at scale.
Adronite can also build apps from natural language prompts and offers an AI chat feature that provides details on system-wide insights.
The system supports more than 20 programming languages and has been proven on a codebase with 2.5 million lines of code.
The 15-person company expects initial commercial deployments to begin in the first quarter of 2026.
There are various companies that offer code review tools, including CAST and Sonar. Adronite says its software differentiates in part due to its private network settings, as it can run entirely inside a secured internal environment.
Adronite co-founder and CEO Edward Rothschild is a former software engineer at Facebook and director of engineering at Nayya. He helped launch Adronite in 2023.
As part of the funding round, Liad Meidar, managing partner of Gatemore, was named chair of Adronite's board. Gatemore has offices in New York and London.
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Sam Basu quit his job as a senior software engineer at Google in early 2023, not long after OpenAI released ChatGPT. He took a few stabs at starting new AI businesses, but nothing really stuck until he got a call from a friend who wanted help filling out customs paperwork.
Basu got “very curious” and started cold-calling customs brokers in the Los Angeles area. He learned that many are mom-and-pop affairs still deeply reliant on fax machines and paper. When his first customer showed him stacks of manila folders during a FaceTime tour of her office, everything clicked, Basu told TechCrunch. He flew to that customer's office the next day.
“That was the eye-opening moment. There's just papers and papers,” Basu said in a recent interview. “I was both shocked and impressed. Shocked that this is how the industry runs, and impressed that everything around us, from the watch that you're wearing to the glasses, literally everything that's imported, and this is what's happening behind the scenes.”
This seed of an idea is now called Amari AI, a startup co-founded by Basu and Arushi Vashist, a former senior software engineer at LinkedIn. The pair, and their small team, have already collected more than 30 customers, and helped those firms move more than $15 billion of goods.
Amari has also raised $4.5 million of funding co-led by preeminent early-stage firms First Round Capital and Pear VC, all before coming out of stealth mode on Thursday.
Basu has two goals with Amari. One is to help customs brokers modernize. To date, he said, many of them have done little work to integrate new technologies. Some leverage optical character recognition software to help speed up data entry, but that tech is limited and brittle, he said. Amari is meant to help automate data entry and paperwork, and let employees — who legally must be in the United States, meaning companies can't use off-shore workers — focus on helping customers move their goods across the border.
That's where the second goal comes in. President Donald Trump's chaotic trade policy has made customs brokers all the more important, according to Chris Bachinski, CEO of 125-year-old firm GHY International. Bachinski — who is one of Amari's early adopters — told TechCrunch that many of his own customers don't even have their own compliance staff. Instead, they look to the brokers like GHY to help figure out how sudden changes in trade policy apply to their goods, especially if they are already in transit.
This chaos has led to burnout across the industry, according to Basu. With the employee base tightly regulated, and a licensing exam pass rate that hovers around 10% to 20%, “it's a perfect fit for AI,” he said.
“Experienced people are leaving the industry or taking early retirement,” Basu said. “So we're pitching ourselves as these extra set of hands that logistics companies can hire or keep alongside the human expertise.”
Basu said Amari's AI agents constantly monitor trade rules and update their reasoning any time there's a change, making it easier for brokers to help their customers quickly understand any impact. Previously, these kinds of sudden changes required manual research that would slow down brokers' ability to clear cargo into the country.
Amari does this by building its own AI models trained on more than one million documents related to the shipments it's already helped clear through customs, though Basu said the company has been leveraging off-the-shelf models to date. He noted some customers do opt out of this training, and that Amari anonymizes the data before feeding it to the models.
“We do not sell their data, and we make sure that their data is theirs,” he said. “They're very serious about these documents.”
Todd Jackson, a partner at First Round Capital, attributed Amari's early success to Basu's willingness to pound the pavement in order to learn what these brokers need.
“He's going to conferences, he's going to trade shows, [and] the word of mouth starts to get very strong,” Jackson said in an interview. “It's an old-school industry.”
It was at one of these trade shows — the National Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association of America, to be precise — that one of Basu's presentations caught Bachinski's eye. GHY International is not a mom-and-pop, but it's also not a Fortune 500 like FedEx; Bachinski has been looking for ways to both stay competitive and grow his company.
Bachinski said the biggest concern amongst GHY employees so far has been job loss. But he's told them not to worry. He said he expects tech like Amari's to help GHY grow, and to focus more on the customer relationships and compliance work.
“It's an old industry, and technology is going to shift our industry faster than I think most customs brokers understand,” he said. And with trade now constantly in the spotlight, he said brokers need to be agile. “I make this joke that last year, the first time in history, our families know what we do for a living. Because all of a sudden, custom brokers became very, very important.”
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Major milestone in quantum internet demoed in Berlin, and separately by Cisco in New York.
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“Teleporting quantum information is now a practical reality,” asserts Deutsche Telekom. The firm's T‑Labs used commercially available Qunnect hardware to demo quantum teleportation over 30km of live, commercial Berlin fiber, running alongside classical internet traffic. In an email to Tom's Hardware, Deutsche Telekom's PR folks said that Cisco also ran the same hardware and demo process to connect data centers in NYC.
Many believed that readying quantum networks for a future quantum internet would require the deployment of new infrastructure. However, in both the Berlin and NYC demos, the qubits didn't travel through the existing fibers; they teleported from one end to another.
Last month, T-Labs completed the first practical test of the core components required for a future quantum internet, which would work by teleporting data. Central to the demo was Qunnect's Carina platform, which integrates an entanglement generator, producing pairs of quantum-entangled photons for distribution over telecom fiber.
The experiment saw the recreation of an identical quantum particle at the destination “using pre-shared quantum entanglement rather than transmitting a physical particle,” explains Deutsche Telecom.
“Our fiber optic network is quantum ready,” said Abdu Mudesir, Telekom Board Member for Product and Technology. “In Berlin we have now proven that quantum information can be transmitted over 30 kilometers of commercial Telekom fiberoptics outside of a laboratory. “
There are a few wrinkles still to iron out, though. The official PR notes that the average accuracy of the teleported data is 90%. Deutsche Telecom and Qunnect also want to network quantum computers over longer distances, more locations, and multi-node teleportation configurations.
Still, it is pleasing that this milestone has been reached, with the building blocks of teleportation already operating across a real network. The teleportation wavelength used was 795nm, which is said to be a sweet spot for integration with platforms such as neutral-atom quantum computers, atomic clocks, and various quantum sensors.
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This milestone achievement shifts quantum communications from an experimental lab technology towards something telecoms providers can deploy. Key implications are expected in distributed quantum computing, quantum-secure communication, quantum sensor networks, and cloud-based quantum services.
As per the intro, Cisco used the same hardware from Qunnect to run a similar demo in NYC. We last reported on Cisco's quantum internet efforts back in November last year, when it announced plans to jointly build a distributed quantum computing network capable of linking fault-tolerant systems over long distances, with the help of IBM.
Experts from Deutsche Telekom, Qunnect, and Technical University Dresden will be available for discussion at MWC Barcelona, on March 03 from 15:30 – 16:00 (CET). Deutsche Telekom will also have a ‘Quantum Teleportation' showcase at its booth.
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OpenAI looks for more funding as it aims to fulfill spending goals
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OpenAI may be on the cusp of securing a new stockpile of cash to burn through, with the business looking to secure $100 billion in funding from a range of tech and investment firms, Bloomberg reports. The company is reportedly seeking a valuation of around $850 billion, according to the outlet's sources. With $1.4 trillion in pledged expenditure over the next eight years, OpenAI has enormous commitments to meet. While OpenAI is also preparing for an IPO later this year, its plans have not gone without criticism, with some reportedly coming from Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang himself.
The circular nature of AI investment and infrastructure deals has been apparent since the earliest months of 2025, and it played out throughout most of last year. Nvidia invested in companies that often bought Nvidia chips, while tech firms investing in AI developers often sold those same companies cloud computing capacity.
This latest tranche of funding for OpenAI appears to be much of the same. The key players in the deal are Amazon, Nvidia, Microsoft, and SoftBank, all of which have a mix of deals with one another and OpenAI already.
Amazon's investment is rumored to be up to $50 billion, with the condition of that investment being that OpenAI uses more of its chips and cloud computing services. SoftBank is reportedly considering a $30 billion investment, while Nvidia's is said to be $20 billion, a fifth of the total $100 billion alliance made in September 2025.
Although Microsoft's name was also thrown around by Bloomberg's sources, there was no speculation on what kind of financial contribution it would make to this round of funding. All companies involved are expected to finalize their investments by the end of February.
As with other major investment deals, even the rumored news of this one sent stock prices rising. AI industry sceptics would suggest this is one more example of why the AI industry is in a bubble: Investments that haven't happened yet generate financial returns for these companies, even without any clear path to profitability.
It's been a while since any of the big AI companies have made any enormous, headline-grabbing announcements. Indeed, a lot of the meta-story surrounding AI in recent weeks has been a crisis of confidence. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella was seeming wobbled by the "slop" moniker, and bubble name-calling; Nvidia's Jensen Huang specifying the details of its $100 billion partnership with OpenAI, and an increasing number of studies suggesting AI isn't helping improve productivity much, if at all.
OpenAI is even projected to run out of cash entirely by 2027. But this week, the AI Impact Summit in India is being held, where all the major players in the industry are speaking. OpenAI's Sam Altman is there, as is Anthropic's Dario Amodei. OpenAI also released GPT 5.3 Codex, which is the first of OpenAI's deployments that marks a move away from being reliant solely upon Nvidia chips.
According to Bloomberg, sources close to the matter suggested that this is just the first phase of funding supplied by major names in the industry, with more to come. Once the major tech firms have signed on, OpenAI is reportedly looking to generate further investment from venture capital firms, sovereign wealth funds, and other financial investors, leading to its eventual IPO.
Although it's not explicitly stated, the fact that OpenAI is targeting these other sources after its industry contemporaries have taken the first step feels rather deliberate.
With significant spending commitments already booked in, OpenAI is clearly looking toward how it might fulfill the titanic amount of spending. At the AI India summit, it's still making more commitments for new data center deals, expending more money it doesn't yet have, on the back of confidence generated by deals that have yet to be finalized, or in some cases even officially announced. So, despite the latest funding round, reportedly backed by some of the biggest companies in the world, OpenAI still has a long road to having enough cash to deliver on its promises.
Jon Martindale is a contributing writer for Tom's Hardware. For the past 20 years, he's been writing about PC components, emerging technologies, and the latest software advances. His deep and broad journalistic experience gives him unique insights into the most exciting technology trends of today and tomorrow.
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‘Exaflop-scale' clusters pressure domestic suppliers to localize a supply chain for liquid cooling.
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Walk into any modern AI data center, and you'll immediately be hit in the face by heat. Even before you've set your eyes on the racks, you feel the output of rows upon rows of servers pushing air through increasingly dense racks that were never designed for processors drawing the sheer power needed to run huge AI models. Multiply that across dense training clusters, and the thermal envelope becomes one of today's greatest engineering constraints.
Now, according to reporting by the South China Morning Post, China is accelerating investments in liquid cooling technology. Dozens of Chinese companies — including Envicool, whose shares have more than tripled over the past year — have announced plans to expand into liquid-cooling systems to prevent AI racks from overheating. With thermal envelopes riding, this isn't a problem unique to Chinese data centers, either.
Since 2022, Beijing has pushed its “Eastern Data, Western Computing” strategy, which shifts data processing toward western provinces with access to renewable energy. According to China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the country has already built 42 “10,000-card” intelligent computing clusters, with total capacity exceeding 1,590 exaflops. Those clusters aren't populated with low-power CPUs but built around high-end AI accelerators that concentrate enormous heat loads into increasingly compact footprints.
As an example, Nvidia's B200 operates at more than 1,000 watts per processor, and its GB200 NVL72 rack-scale platform, which integrates 72 Blackwell GPUs and 36 Grace CPUs, ships in a liquid-cooled configuration as standard and out of necessity.
As chip thermal design power continues to climb, air cooling faces two limits. First, the volumetric heat capacity of air constrains how much thermal energy can be removed per unit time without driving airflow and energy use to impractical levels. Secondly, high airflow requirements complicate rack density and overall facility design. At multi-kilowatt per rack densities, these air-cooled systems become increasingly inefficient.
Liquid, by contrast, offers orders of magnitude higher heat capacity and thermal conductivity. Direct-to-chip cold plates circulate coolant through sealed loops attached to processors, removing heat at the source. More aggressive approaches, including immersion and spray cooling, place components in direct contact with dielectric fluids. This has created an all-new bill of materials consisting of cold plates, manifolds, leak-detection systems, and cooling distribution units, among other components.
Global suppliers like Vertiv are prominent in this stack, but Chinese firms are racing to localize capabilities. Envicool, whose customers include Nvidia, Alibaba, and Tencent, has become one of the most obvious domestic players, with Goldman Sachs and UBS both raising price targets on its stock, citing demand tied to AI and energy efficiency.
China's tilt towards liquid cooling isn't driven solely by chip thermals, though. Its national energy and carbon reduction policies impose explicit power usage effectiveness targets on data centers. Power Usage Effeciveness (PUE) is the ratio of total facility energy to IT equipment energy, and becomes harder to optimize as cooling overhead rises. Liquid systems, by reducing fan loads and enabling higher coolant temperatures, can materially improve overall efficiency.
Despite offering renewable energy resources, the country's western provinces lack the legacy data center infrastructure found in the coastal regions. Building greenfield AI campuses allows operators to design around liquid cooling from the get-go, rather than retrofitting air-cooled facilities. That design freedom will reduce friction in adopting direct-to-chip or immersion cooling architectures at the scale China needs.
Meanwhile, Chinese hyperscalers downstream are piling on the demand pressure. Their model sizes are growing, and their training runs stretch across thousands of accelerators, thereby making thermal reliability a serious performance variable because any temperature gradients across racks can affect clock speeds and error rates.
The narrative around AI hardware has centered on GPUs and memory for years, and now cooling is joining that list. Vendors that can deliver integrated rack-scale solutions that combine accelerators, networking, and liquid thermal management will gain an edge in both deployment speed and operational efficiency.
Vertiv, an Ohio-based data center infrastructure provider, recently reported net sales of about $13.5 billion. It's also a partner of Nvidia, placing it directly in the path of Blackwell deployments. Chinese counterparts are understood to be pursuing similar alignments within domestic supply chains, particularly as export controls will continue to complicate access to certain U.S. components.
Ultimately, the question is not whether liquid cooling will become the default for AI infrastructure, but how quickly. With Blackwell-class GPUs exceeding 1,000 watts and rack platforms consolidating dozens of these components, air cooling appears increasingly confined to lower-density inference workloads. Even there, analysts expect liquid adoption to rise, albeit at a slower pace than in training clusters.
Returning to China — “10,000-card” clusters pushing 1,590 exaflops will mean that even marginal gains in cooling efficiency via liquid cooling could translate into significant energy savings and better overall stability. China just needs to establish an entire supply chain to achieve it.
Luke James is a freelance writer and journalist. Although his background is in legal, he has a personal interest in all things tech, especially hardware and microelectronics, and anything regulatory.
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Even if you haven't yet watched the most recent episode of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, “In the Name of the Mother,” it's not a spoiler to say the Trial of Seven was excruciating. Dunk (Peter Claffey) and the other characters get put through hell fighting each other on the battlefield, and the viewer is left cringing while watching all the blows, jabs, slashes, and stabs. If the sequences felt especially visceral, even while watching from the comfort and safety of your couch, you have the creative minds behind the series, including showrunner Ira Parker and director Owen Harris, to thank.
Speaking to IndieWire, A Knight of the Seven Kingdom‘s crew explained how focusing on Dunk's inner thoughts and feelings was important for the show, not just because he's the main character and the story unfolds from his perspective, but because George R.R. Martin's novellas are mostly a running monologue of Dunk's reactions to everything around him. The trial is the most stressful situation Dunk has ever faced, so the creators wanted to find a way to bring that to the screen in a way that would make the most impact.
“We were doing our best to keep the audience immersed in his world. Dunk, in the novellas, has probably the most [anxious] inner monologue of George's characters. So obviously, a big challenge of this was going to be bringing that out,” Parker explained.
One way was by emphasizing Dunk's elevated breathing as well as his limited vision, framing a shot that seems to be coming from the inside of Dunk's helmet. Sound editor Alastair Sirkett told IndieWire, “To be able to go into that first part with the breathing in the helmet, I think it immediately takes you into [Dunk's panic] … that breathing, Peter was so into it. He knew where we were going with it and what we were trying to do, and got himself into that zone to give us that anxiety, sharp breathing. It was really perfect.”
As for the in-helmet shot, Harris explained, “It was a mixture of how do we do some great action and make it dramatic and exciting and entertaining, but how do we also keep the character and the tone of the show going throughout all of it.”
“You spend the whole show going on this journey with this guy, and finally you are quite literally inside his head—and the claustrophobia and anxiety of being trapped in this thing while people try to kill you? We're finding the balance between wanting to do something eye-catching and entertaining, but ultimately honest.”
The season finale of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms arrives Sunday on HBO and HBO Max.
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'Game of Thrones: The Mad King,' set over 15 years before the HBO series and featuring many familiar characters, premieres at the Royal Shakespeare Company this summer.
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Mukesh Ambani, the billionaire chairperson of Indian conglomerate Reliance, on Thursday unveiled the group's ₹10 trillion (about $110 billion) plan to build AI computing infrastructure in India over the next seven years.
Speaking at the India AI Impact Summit in New Delhi on Thursday, Ambani said the investment would fund gigawatt-scale data centers, a nationwide edge computing network, and new AI services integrated with Reliance's Jio telecom platform.
Reliance has already begun construction of multi-gigawatt data centers in Jamnagar, Gujarat, Ambani said, and more than 120 megawatts of capacity is expected to come online in the second half of 2026.
Ambani's pledge adds to a growing wave of AI investment in India. Earlier this week, Adani Group outlined plans to invest about $100 billion to build AI data centers in the country, and the Indian government expects more than $200 billion in AI infrastructure spending over the next two years.
Global technology firms are also stepping up their presence, with OpenAI partnering with the Tata Group to develop about 100 megawatts of AI capacity in the country, and plans to scale that to 1 gigawatt eventually.
Ambani said the push is essential for India's technological self-reliance, saying the country “cannot afford to rent intelligence,” and that Reliance aims to cut the cost of AI services as dramatically as it once reduced mobile data prices in the country.
“The biggest constraint in AI today is not talent or imagination,” Ambani said. “It is scarcity and high cost of compute.”
The build-out, Ambani said, would be supported by Reliance's green energy capacity, which stretches to 10 gigawatts of surplus power from solar projects in Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh.
Reliance will partner with Indian enterprises, startups, and academic institutions to embed AI in industries ranging from manufacturing and logistics to agriculture, healthcare and financial services.
Jio has already been striking AI partnerships: it last year landed a deal with Google to offer free Gemini AI Pro access to millions of its users in India.
Reliance also plans to develop AI capabilities in several Indian languages to spur adoption of the tech, Ambani said.
The aggressive push highlights how India's largest conglomerates are racing to secure a foothold in what is expected to be one of the country's biggest technology opportunities.
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BCIs became a nationally strategic sector in China last year.
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China could overtake the U.S. in brain computer interface (BCI) technology leadership in the coming months/years, thanks to a fortunate mix of government support and investor enthusiasm. In a recent interview with the Financial Times (FT), Tiger Tao, the founder of Shanghai-based NeuroXess, highlighted the rapid progress of the firm's BCI technology. NeuroXess (no relation to Intel XeSS) was set up in 2021 and has already reported some successful human BCI trials.
The FT report comes less than six months after we covered news of China's plans to outpace Neuralink with a state-backed BCI blitz, to coin a phrase.
At that time, a sweeping government policy document came into effect, with a fast, aggressive roadmap. It sought to coordinate and combine China's huge resources and oil the wheels of progress by streamlining planning, regulatory approval, and financing. At the time of writing, there have already been 10 invasive BCI trial programs in China. The hope was/is to produce two to three ‘world-class' BCI companies by 2030, and it looks like NeuroXess could be one of them.
As for NeuroXess' success, it seems to have been rapid. As mentioned in the intro, it was only founded in 2021. Now just half a decade old, it has recently boasted of using its BCI tech to allow a paralyzed patient to control a computer cursor. Moreover, the patient was using their BCI for computing tasks just five days after the implant operation.
NeuroXess trials have been using invasive BCI tech, and partly because of this, the focus has been on areas of strong medical need – like patients with paralysis or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). No one without a strong medical need would be interested in a brain operation, and such a device being implanted.
The NeuroXess BCI uses a polyimide and metal mesh, but it sits on the patient's brain and doesn't pierce any brain tissue. This contrasts with Elon Musk's Neuralink, which uses an implant bristling with microscopic threads to capture neural signals from within the brain. There have been concerns about electrodes going into brain tissue, causing scarring and thus the degradation of brain signal readings over time. Neuralink denies this is an issue, with its super-thin electrodes, butNeuroXess sidesteps the issue altogether.
Comparing Neuralink and NeuroXess in performance terms, the latest performance data shared by the FT suggests the former has achieved brain links at 10 bps in trials, and the Chinese tech is capable of 5.2 bps. You can see the NeuroXess speeds confirmed in the video linked in the intro.
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While the race for the best invasive implant BCI continues, a BCI expert that the FT talked to noted that firms are using the latest knowledge from this frontier to the benefit of non-invasive systems. It is hoped that the advances could eventually improve non-invasive BCIs so much that operations/implants become minor or unnecessary, in general.
This optimization work is expected to be easier in China, with a virtuous circle coming into play: more data, lower costs, resulting in more users, and more data.
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In the US..? Epstein tragically was committed suicide, and no other cases are forthcoming.
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Any commoner would have been sent "quick smart" to face the accusations there in court?
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(I'm kind of amazed he chose that name, tbh; it's not particularly uncommon for British monarchs to rename themselves on taking the throne, and it has... baggage.)
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Still seems to be lots more to play out.Example - Why all the supposed "...rich and powerful names ...." being seemingly protected ?What do they have to hide ?
Example - Why all the supposed "...rich and powerful names ...." being seemingly protected ?What do they have to hide ?
What do they have to hide ?
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* When did other high profile people know about this illegal and immoral behavior* Who else is getting away with similar behavior right now
* Who else is getting away with similar behavior right now
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Nature abhors a vacuum, and it seems the space that Epstein filled was large and branching and significantly profitable (in money, information, and influence). There's no way there isn't at least one other person that's started to fill the void.Ideally, the ramifications of association with Epstein should shrink the size of the vacuum considerably, but the pursuit of those associates has really only just started and, as someone else has already pointed out, some countries / governments are protecting these associates rather than investigating / prosecuting. As such, there's not much discouragement yet.
Ideally, the ramifications of association with Epstein should shrink the size of the vacuum considerably, but the pursuit of those associates has really only just started and, as someone else has already pointed out, some countries / governments are protecting these associates rather than investigating / prosecuting. As such, there's not much discouragement yet.
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Also, it might be an anomaly that one person has a very big network ; maybe it's usually more of a "small adjacent networks".So it would be like asking "who replaced pablo escobar or bernard madoff". The answer is (unfortunately) very likely not "no-one" ; but it might very well be "not one".
So it would be like asking "who replaced pablo escobar or bernard madoff". The answer is (unfortunately) very likely not "no-one" ; but it might very well be "not one".
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2 - Isn't it convenient that zero major news organizations - controlled by high profile people and their buddies - are raising that issue? Not that I believe there to be any public support for competent & systematic enforcement of the laws against such behavior. That I've heard of, nobody even cares about how Jeff got off with a slap on the wrist in 2008.
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https://jmail.world/thread/vol00009-efta00751685-pdf?view=in...https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA007516...
https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA007516...
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(Sadly, expecting the Yanks to follow their lead on that would be pure fantasy.)
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Sickness and death are inevitable, but many of us will never get the chance to know exactly when our worst health ailments will strike. Someday soon, though, that might not be true for people with Alzheimer's disease, research out today shows.
Scientists say they've devised a model that can narrow down the onset of Alzheimer's, the most common form of dementia. Based on simple blood test results, they were able to predict the age, within several years, that someone would develop symptoms. In the short term, this work could improve clinical trials for Alzheimer's, the researchers say, and down the road, it may help people at higher risk make crucial decisions about their future.
“Given the speed of progress in Alzheimer's research, blood biomarkers, and modeling, we are hopeful that these kinds of models will be available for clinical care within the next couple of years,” study author Suzanne Schindler, an associate professor of neurology at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, told Gizmodo.
There have been important advances in Alzheimer's research lately, including diagnosis.
Though the foolproof test for Alzheimer's still relies on examining the brain after death, doctors now employ several methods to diagnose the condition in living people with high accuracy, even before symptoms like memory loss appear. Last year, the Food and Drug Administration formally approved the first blood tests for diagnosing or ruling out Alzheimer's, and still more are on the way.
These tests look for biomarkers closely linked to Alzheimer's, such as the proteins tau and amyloid beta. In Alzheimer's, abnormal versions of these proteins build up in the brain. One particular form of abnormal tau, called phosphorylated tau 217 (ptau217), seems to be an especially great biomarker. Since its levels in the blood track so closely with the progression of Alzheimer's, the WashU researchers believe that ptau217 can act as a clock to predict the visible onset of the disease.
To create their model, the researchers analyzed data from two existing Alzheimer's research projects, involving roughly 600 older people. These volunteers, who started out in good cognitive health, were given one of several blood tests measuring ptau217, including PrecivityAD2, a commercially available test developed by WashU researchers that's in the final steps of being reviewed for FDA approval.
“In our study, we found that blood p-tau217 levels increased relatively consistently across individuals, allowing us to estimate the age that individuals became positive on the p-tau217 test,” co-author Kellen Petersen, an instructor in neurology at WashU Medicine, told Gizmodo. “This age at p-tau217 positivity was strongly associated with the age that individuals developed symptoms of Alzheimer's.”
All in all, the team's model could predict when someone's p-tau217 levels would likely soon lead to visible symptoms, though within an average time window of three to four years. Notably, the gap between high p-tau217 levels and Alzheimer's symptoms was shorter in older volunteers, suggesting that younger people can better fend off brain deterioration. The team's model also worked with blood tests besides PrecivityAD2, indicating its potential wide usability. Their results were published Thursday in Nature Medicine.
Given the current time frame of three to four years, their clock model is best used in clinical trials for now, the researchers say. But that amount of advance notice could still provide valuable insights.
“Our models will help trials select individuals who are still cognitively unimpaired but more likely to develop symptoms during the clinical trial, which would make trials more efficient,” Petersen said.
The researchers are also optimistic that incorporating data from other blood, imaging, and cognitive tests can further refine their predictions. And eventually, these models should become accurate enough that doctors and patients can use them to guide their next steps.
“For example, individuals who are far from symptom onset might choose to focus on lifestyle modification, while those close to symptom onset might be more proactive and consider participating in clinical trials,” Petersen said. The researchers are already working to improve their models, and they've released their code online and created a web-based app so that other research teams can try to do the same.
Right now, Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia are incurable. But innovations like this could help us one day turn back the clock.
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An oral version of the GLP-1 drug semaglutide failed to significantly slow the disease's progression compared to a placebo.
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OpenAI has partnered with India's Tata Group to secure 100 megawatts of AI-ready data center capacity in the country, with plans to scale to 1 gigawatt. The move is part of a broader push to deepen the company's enterprise and infrastructure footprint in one of its fastest-growing markets.
OpenAI announced on Thursday that the partnership with the Tata Group is part of its Stargate project, which aims to build AI-ready infrastructure and expand enterprise adoption globally. OpenAI will become the first customer of Tata Consultancy Services' HyperVault data center business, beginning with 100 megawatts of capacity. The deal also includes deploying ChatGPT Enterprise across Tata's workforce and standardizing AI-native software development through OpenAI's tools.
The partnership, which falls under the “OpenAI for India” initiative, highlights the company's expanding footprint in the country, which according to recent estimates from CEO Sam Altman has more than 100 million weekly ChatGPT users spanning students, teachers, developers, and entrepreneurs. The scale of adoption has positioned India as one of OpenAI's most important growth markets as it deepens enterprise and infrastructure investments in the country.
The local data center capacity will allow OpenAI to run its most advanced models within India, reducing latency for users while meeting data residency, security, and compliance requirements for regulated sectors and government workloads. Hosting compute domestically is critical for enterprises that handle sensitive data and operate under data localization and digital infrastructure rules. These circumstances could widen OpenAI's access to enterprise customers that require in-country processing.
An initial 100 megawatts of capacity represents a substantial commitment in the context of AI infrastructure, where large-scale model training and inference require power-hungry clusters of graphics processing units, or GPUs. Scaling to 1 gigawatt over time would place the Tata facility among the largest AI-focused data center deployments globally, underlining the scale of OpenAI's long-term ambitions in India.
Beyond infrastructure, OpenAI and Tata Group will pursue a strategic enterprise collaboration aimed at accelerating AI adoption across Tata's businesses. The conglomerate plans to roll out ChatGPT Enterprise to its workforce over the coming years, beginning with hundreds of thousands of employees at Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), in what would rank among the largest enterprise AI deployments globally. TCS also intends to use OpenAI's Codex tools to standardize AI-native software development across its engineering teams.
N Chandrasekaran, chairman of Tata Sons, said OpenAI's partnership would help build “state-of-the-art AI infrastructure in India” while supporting efforts to skill the country's workforce for the AI era.
Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, including whether OpenAI is making a capital investment in HyperVault or leasing capacity.
In November 2025, TCS secured backing from private equity firm TPG to develop AI-ready infrastructure in India under its HyperVault data center business. The platform is backed by about ₹180 billion (about $2 billion) in planned investment and is designed to support large-scale compute workloads for hyperscalers and enterprise customers.
OpenAI will also expand its certification programs in India, with TCS becoming the first participating organization outside the United States. The certifications are designed to help professionals build practical AI skills across roles and industries, the company said. The move follows OpenAI's recent partnerships with leading Indian institutions in engineering, medicine, and design.
OpenAI plans to open new offices in Mumbai and Bengaluru later this year, adding to its existing presence in New Delhi as it deepens operations in the country. The expansion is expected to support enterprise partnerships, developer engagement, and local regulatory coordination as the company scales its footprint in India.
The announcement comes as India hosts its AI Impact Summit in New Delhi, where global AI leaders, including Sam Altman, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei and Google CEO Sundar Pichai are participating alongside Indian startups and enterprises showcasing AI applications across sectors such as finance, healthcare, and education.
OpenAI has been expanding its presence in India through partnerships with companies including Pine Labs, JioHotstar, Eternal, Cars24, HCLTech, PhonePe, CRED, and MakeMyTrip, as it seeks to embed its models across consumer platforms, enterprise systems and digital payments infrastructure in one of the world's largest internet markets.
Together, the data center build-out, enterprise deployments, and expanding partner ecosystem signal OpenAI's most comprehensive push yet to anchor advanced AI infrastructure and applications in India.
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The great computer science exodus (and where students are going instead)
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Claude Code is a lock in, where Anthropic takes all the value.If the frontend and API are decoupled, they are one benchmark away from losing half their users.Some other motivations: they want to capture the value. Even if it's unprofitable they can expect it to become vastly profitable as inference cost drops, efficiency improves, competitors die out etc. Or worst case build the dominant brand then reduce the quotas.Then there's brand - when people talk about OpenCode they will occasionally specify "OpenCode (with Claude)" but frequently won't.Then platform - at any point they can push any other service.Look at the Apple comparison. Yes, the hardware and software are tuned and tested together. The analogy here is training the specific harness,caching the system prompt, switching models, etc.But Apple also gets to charge Google $billions for being the default search engine. They get to sell apps. They get to sell cloud storage, and even somehow a TV. That's all super profitable.At some point Claude Code will become an ecosystem with preferred cloud and database vendors, observability, code review agents, etc.
If the frontend and API are decoupled, they are one benchmark away from losing half their users.Some other motivations: they want to capture the value. Even if it's unprofitable they can expect it to become vastly profitable as inference cost drops, efficiency improves, competitors die out etc. Or worst case build the dominant brand then reduce the quotas.Then there's brand - when people talk about OpenCode they will occasionally specify "OpenCode (with Claude)" but frequently won't.Then platform - at any point they can push any other service.Look at the Apple comparison. Yes, the hardware and software are tuned and tested together. The analogy here is training the specific harness,caching the system prompt, switching models, etc.But Apple also gets to charge Google $billions for being the default search engine. They get to sell apps. They get to sell cloud storage, and even somehow a TV. That's all super profitable.At some point Claude Code will become an ecosystem with preferred cloud and database vendors, observability, code review agents, etc.
Some other motivations: they want to capture the value. Even if it's unprofitable they can expect it to become vastly profitable as inference cost drops, efficiency improves, competitors die out etc. Or worst case build the dominant brand then reduce the quotas.Then there's brand - when people talk about OpenCode they will occasionally specify "OpenCode (with Claude)" but frequently won't.Then platform - at any point they can push any other service.Look at the Apple comparison. Yes, the hardware and software are tuned and tested together. The analogy here is training the specific harness,caching the system prompt, switching models, etc.But Apple also gets to charge Google $billions for being the default search engine. They get to sell apps. They get to sell cloud storage, and even somehow a TV. That's all super profitable.At some point Claude Code will become an ecosystem with preferred cloud and database vendors, observability, code review agents, etc.
Then there's brand - when people talk about OpenCode they will occasionally specify "OpenCode (with Claude)" but frequently won't.Then platform - at any point they can push any other service.Look at the Apple comparison. Yes, the hardware and software are tuned and tested together. The analogy here is training the specific harness,caching the system prompt, switching models, etc.But Apple also gets to charge Google $billions for being the default search engine. They get to sell apps. They get to sell cloud storage, and even somehow a TV. That's all super profitable.At some point Claude Code will become an ecosystem with preferred cloud and database vendors, observability, code review agents, etc.
Then platform - at any point they can push any other service.Look at the Apple comparison. Yes, the hardware and software are tuned and tested together. The analogy here is training the specific harness,caching the system prompt, switching models, etc.But Apple also gets to charge Google $billions for being the default search engine. They get to sell apps. They get to sell cloud storage, and even somehow a TV. That's all super profitable.At some point Claude Code will become an ecosystem with preferred cloud and database vendors, observability, code review agents, etc.
Look at the Apple comparison. Yes, the hardware and software are tuned and tested together. The analogy here is training the specific harness,caching the system prompt, switching models, etc.But Apple also gets to charge Google $billions for being the default search engine. They get to sell apps. They get to sell cloud storage, and even somehow a TV. That's all super profitable.At some point Claude Code will become an ecosystem with preferred cloud and database vendors, observability, code review agents, etc.
But Apple also gets to charge Google $billions for being the default search engine. They get to sell apps. They get to sell cloud storage, and even somehow a TV. That's all super profitable.At some point Claude Code will become an ecosystem with preferred cloud and database vendors, observability, code review agents, etc.
At some point Claude Code will become an ecosystem with preferred cloud and database vendors, observability, code review agents, etc.
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This coding agent is minimal, and it completely changed how I used models and Claude's cli now feels like extremely slow bloat.I'd not be surprised if you're right in that this is companies / management will prefer to "pay for a complete package" approach for a long while, but power-users should not care for the model providers.I have like 100 lines of code to get me a tmux controls & semaphore_wait extension in the pi harness. That gave me a better orchestration scheme a month ago when I adopted it, than Claude has right now.As far as I can tell, the more you try to train your model on your harness, the worse they get. Bitter lesson #2932.
I'd not be surprised if you're right in that this is companies / management will prefer to "pay for a complete package" approach for a long while, but power-users should not care for the model providers.I have like 100 lines of code to get me a tmux controls & semaphore_wait extension in the pi harness. That gave me a better orchestration scheme a month ago when I adopted it, than Claude has right now.As far as I can tell, the more you try to train your model on your harness, the worse they get. Bitter lesson #2932.
I have like 100 lines of code to get me a tmux controls & semaphore_wait extension in the pi harness. That gave me a better orchestration scheme a month ago when I adopted it, than Claude has right now.As far as I can tell, the more you try to train your model on your harness, the worse they get. Bitter lesson #2932.
As far as I can tell, the more you try to train your model on your harness, the worse they get. Bitter lesson #2932.
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I mean I suspect for corporate usage Microsoft already has this wrapped up with Microsoft & GitHub Co-Pilots.
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The reason these LLM tools being good is they can "just do stuff." Anthropic bans third party subscription auth? I'll just have my other tool use Claude Code in tmux. If third party agents can be banned from doing stuff (some advanced always on spyware or whatever), then a large chunk of the promise of AI is dead.Amp just announced today they are dumping IDE integration. Models seem to run better on bare-bones software like Pi, and you can add or remove stuff on the fly because the whole things open source. The software writes itself. Is Microsoft just trying to cram a whole new paradigm in to an old package? Kind of like a computer printer. It will be a big business, but it isn't the future.At scale, the end provider ultimately has to serve the inference -- they need the hardware, data centers & the electricity to power those data centers. Someone like Microsoft can also provide a SLA and price such appropriately. I'll avoid a $200/month customer acquisition cost rant, but one user, running a bunch of sub agents, can spend a ton of money. If you don't own a business or funding source, the way state of the art LLMs are being used today is totally uneconomical (easy $200+ an hour at API prices.)36+ months out, if they overbuild the data centers and the revenue doesn't come in like OpenAI & Anthropic are forecasting, there will be a glut of hardware. If that's the case I'd expect local model usage will scale up too and it will get more difficult for enterprise providers.(Nothing is certain but some things have become a bit more obvious than they were 6 months ago.)
Amp just announced today they are dumping IDE integration. Models seem to run better on bare-bones software like Pi, and you can add or remove stuff on the fly because the whole things open source. The software writes itself. Is Microsoft just trying to cram a whole new paradigm in to an old package? Kind of like a computer printer. It will be a big business, but it isn't the future.At scale, the end provider ultimately has to serve the inference -- they need the hardware, data centers & the electricity to power those data centers. Someone like Microsoft can also provide a SLA and price such appropriately. I'll avoid a $200/month customer acquisition cost rant, but one user, running a bunch of sub agents, can spend a ton of money. If you don't own a business or funding source, the way state of the art LLMs are being used today is totally uneconomical (easy $200+ an hour at API prices.)36+ months out, if they overbuild the data centers and the revenue doesn't come in like OpenAI & Anthropic are forecasting, there will be a glut of hardware. If that's the case I'd expect local model usage will scale up too and it will get more difficult for enterprise providers.(Nothing is certain but some things have become a bit more obvious than they were 6 months ago.)
At scale, the end provider ultimately has to serve the inference -- they need the hardware, data centers & the electricity to power those data centers. Someone like Microsoft can also provide a SLA and price such appropriately. I'll avoid a $200/month customer acquisition cost rant, but one user, running a bunch of sub agents, can spend a ton of money. If you don't own a business or funding source, the way state of the art LLMs are being used today is totally uneconomical (easy $200+ an hour at API prices.)36+ months out, if they overbuild the data centers and the revenue doesn't come in like OpenAI & Anthropic are forecasting, there will be a glut of hardware. If that's the case I'd expect local model usage will scale up too and it will get more difficult for enterprise providers.(Nothing is certain but some things have become a bit more obvious than they were 6 months ago.)
36+ months out, if they overbuild the data centers and the revenue doesn't come in like OpenAI & Anthropic are forecasting, there will be a glut of hardware. If that's the case I'd expect local model usage will scale up too and it will get more difficult for enterprise providers.(Nothing is certain but some things have become a bit more obvious than they were 6 months ago.)
(Nothing is certain but some things have become a bit more obvious than they were 6 months ago.)
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Bloated apps are a material disadvantage. If I'm in a competitive industry that slow down alone can mean failure. The only thing Claude Code has going for it now is the loss making $200 month subsidy. Is there any conceivable GUI overlay that Anthropic or OpenAI can add to make their software better than the current terminal apps? Sure, for certain edge cases, but then why isn't the user building those themselves? 24 months ago we could have said that's too hard, but that isn't the case in 2026.Microsoft added all of this stuff in to Windows, and it's a 5 alarm fire. Stuff that used to be usable is a mess and really slow. Running linux with Claude Code, Codex, or Pi is clearly superior to having a Windows device with neither (if it wasn't possible to run these in Windows; just a hypothetical.)From the business/enterprise perspective - there is no single most important thing, but having an environment that is reliable and predictable is high up there. Monday morning, an the Anthropic API endpoint is down, uh oh! In the longer term, businesses will really want to control both the model and the software that interfaces with it.If the end game is just the same as talking to the Star Trek computer, and competitors are narrowing gaps rather than widening them (e.g. Anthropic and OpenAI releases models minutes from each other now, Chinese frontier models getting closer in capability not further), then it is really hard to see how either company achieves a vertical lock down.We could actually move down the stack, and then the real problem for OpenAI and Anthropic is nVidia. 2030, the data center expansion is bust, nVidia starts selling all of these cards to consumers directly and has a huge financial incentive to make sure the performant local models exist. Everyone in the semiconductor supply chain below nvidia only cares about keeping sales going, so it stops with them.Maybe nvidia is the real winner?Also is it just me or does it now feel like hn comments are just talking to a future LLM?
Microsoft added all of this stuff in to Windows, and it's a 5 alarm fire. Stuff that used to be usable is a mess and really slow. Running linux with Claude Code, Codex, or Pi is clearly superior to having a Windows device with neither (if it wasn't possible to run these in Windows; just a hypothetical.)From the business/enterprise perspective - there is no single most important thing, but having an environment that is reliable and predictable is high up there. Monday morning, an the Anthropic API endpoint is down, uh oh! In the longer term, businesses will really want to control both the model and the software that interfaces with it.If the end game is just the same as talking to the Star Trek computer, and competitors are narrowing gaps rather than widening them (e.g. Anthropic and OpenAI releases models minutes from each other now, Chinese frontier models getting closer in capability not further), then it is really hard to see how either company achieves a vertical lock down.We could actually move down the stack, and then the real problem for OpenAI and Anthropic is nVidia. 2030, the data center expansion is bust, nVidia starts selling all of these cards to consumers directly and has a huge financial incentive to make sure the performant local models exist. Everyone in the semiconductor supply chain below nvidia only cares about keeping sales going, so it stops with them.Maybe nvidia is the real winner?Also is it just me or does it now feel like hn comments are just talking to a future LLM?
From the business/enterprise perspective - there is no single most important thing, but having an environment that is reliable and predictable is high up there. Monday morning, an the Anthropic API endpoint is down, uh oh! In the longer term, businesses will really want to control both the model and the software that interfaces with it.If the end game is just the same as talking to the Star Trek computer, and competitors are narrowing gaps rather than widening them (e.g. Anthropic and OpenAI releases models minutes from each other now, Chinese frontier models getting closer in capability not further), then it is really hard to see how either company achieves a vertical lock down.We could actually move down the stack, and then the real problem for OpenAI and Anthropic is nVidia. 2030, the data center expansion is bust, nVidia starts selling all of these cards to consumers directly and has a huge financial incentive to make sure the performant local models exist. Everyone in the semiconductor supply chain below nvidia only cares about keeping sales going, so it stops with them.Maybe nvidia is the real winner?Also is it just me or does it now feel like hn comments are just talking to a future LLM?
If the end game is just the same as talking to the Star Trek computer, and competitors are narrowing gaps rather than widening them (e.g. Anthropic and OpenAI releases models minutes from each other now, Chinese frontier models getting closer in capability not further), then it is really hard to see how either company achieves a vertical lock down.We could actually move down the stack, and then the real problem for OpenAI and Anthropic is nVidia. 2030, the data center expansion is bust, nVidia starts selling all of these cards to consumers directly and has a huge financial incentive to make sure the performant local models exist. Everyone in the semiconductor supply chain below nvidia only cares about keeping sales going, so it stops with them.Maybe nvidia is the real winner?Also is it just me or does it now feel like hn comments are just talking to a future LLM?
We could actually move down the stack, and then the real problem for OpenAI and Anthropic is nVidia. 2030, the data center expansion is bust, nVidia starts selling all of these cards to consumers directly and has a huge financial incentive to make sure the performant local models exist. Everyone in the semiconductor supply chain below nvidia only cares about keeping sales going, so it stops with them.Maybe nvidia is the real winner?Also is it just me or does it now feel like hn comments are just talking to a future LLM?
Maybe nvidia is the real winner?Also is it just me or does it now feel like hn comments are just talking to a future LLM?
Also is it just me or does it now feel like hn comments are just talking to a future LLM?
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The advances in the Claude Code harness have been more around workflow automation rather than capability improvements, and truthfully workflows are very user-dependent, so an opinionated harness is only ever going to be "right" for a narrow segment of users, and it's going to annoy a lot of others. This is happening now, but the sub subsidy washes out a lot of the discontent.
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There are parallels to the silly Metaverse hype wave from a few years ago. At the time I saw a surprising number of people defending the investment saying it was important for Facebook to control their own platform. Well sure it's beneficial for Facebook to control a platform, but that benefit is purely for the company and if anything it would harm current and future users. Unsurprisingly, the pitch to please think of this giant corporation's needs wasn't a compelling pitch in the end.
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This whole game is a bizarre battle.In the future, many companies will have slightly different secret RL sauces. I'd want to use Gemini for documentation, Claude for design, Codex for planning, yada yada ... there will be no generalist take-all model, I just don't believe RL scaling works like that.I'm not convinced that a single company can own the best performing model in all categories, I'm not even sure the economics make it feasible.Good for us, of course.
In the future, many companies will have slightly different secret RL sauces. I'd want to use Gemini for documentation, Claude for design, Codex for planning, yada yada ... there will be no generalist take-all model, I just don't believe RL scaling works like that.I'm not convinced that a single company can own the best performing model in all categories, I'm not even sure the economics make it feasible.Good for us, of course.
I'm not convinced that a single company can own the best performing model in all categories, I'm not even sure the economics make it feasible.Good for us, of course.
Good for us, of course.
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And that's out of the box. With how comically extensible pi is and how much control it gives you over every aspect of the pipeline, as soon as you start building extensions for your own, personal workflow, Claude Code legimitely feels like a trash app in comparison.I don't care what Anthropic does - I'll keep using pi. If they think they need to ban me for that, then, oh well. I'll just continue to keep using pi. Just no longer with Claude models.
I don't care what Anthropic does - I'll keep using pi. If they think they need to ban me for that, then, oh well. I'll just continue to keep using pi. Just no longer with Claude models.
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I wouldn't all the value, but how else are you going to run the business? Allow other to take all the value you provide?
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AI companies: "You think you own that code?"
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Use an API Key and there's no problem.They literally put that in plain words in the ToS.
They literally put that in plain words in the ToS.
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That sounds absurd to me. Committing to not building in advertising is very important and fundamental to me. Asking people who pay for a personal subscription rather than paying by the API call to use that subscription themselves sounds to me like it is. Just clarifying the social compact that was already implied.I WANT to be able to pay a subscription price. Rather like the way I pay for my internet connectivity with a fixed monthly bill. If I had to pay per packet transmitted, I would have to stop and think about it every time I decided to download a large file or watch a movie. Sure, someone with extremely heavy usage might not be able to use a normal consumer internet subscription; but it works fine for my personal use. I like having the option for my AI usage to operate the same way.
I WANT to be able to pay a subscription price. Rather like the way I pay for my internet connectivity with a fixed monthly bill. If I had to pay per packet transmitted, I would have to stop and think about it every time I decided to download a large file or watch a movie. Sure, someone with extremely heavy usage might not be able to use a normal consumer internet subscription; but it works fine for my personal use. I like having the option for my AI usage to operate the same way.
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This statement is plainly wrong.If you boost and praise AI usage, you have to face the real cost.Can't have your cake and eat it, too.
If you boost and praise AI usage, you have to face the real cost.Can't have your cake and eat it, too.
Can't have your cake and eat it, too.
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It's kind of like a new restaurant started handing out coupons for "90% off", wanting to attract diners to the restaurant, customers started coming in and ordering bulk meals then immediately packaging them in tupperware containers and taking it home (violating the spirit of the arrangement, even if not the letter of the arrangement), so the restaurant changed the terms on the discount to say "limited to in-store consumption only, not eligible for take-home meals", and instead of still being grateful that they're getting food for 90% off, the cheapskate customers are getting angry that they're no longer allowed to exploit the massive subsidy however they want.
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Here, they put limits on the "under-cover" use of the subscription. If they can provide a relatively cheap subscription against the direct API use, this is because they can control the stuff end-to-end, the application running on your system (Claude Code, Claude Desktop) and their systems.As you subscribe to these plans, this is the "contract", you can use only through their tools. If you want full freedom, use the API, with a per token pricing.For me, this is fair.
As you subscribe to these plans, this is the "contract", you can use only through their tools. If you want full freedom, use the API, with a per token pricing.For me, this is fair.
For me, this is fair.
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Except they can't. Their costs are not magically lower when you use claude code vs when you use a third-party client.> For me, this is fair.This is, plain and simple, a tie-in sale of claude code. I am particularly amused by people accepting it as "fair" because in Brazil this is an illegal practice.
> For me, this is fair.This is, plain and simple, a tie-in sale of claude code. I am particularly amused by people accepting it as "fair" because in Brazil this is an illegal practice.
This is, plain and simple, a tie-in sale of claude code. I am particularly amused by people accepting it as "fair" because in Brazil this is an illegal practice.
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I am very curious what is particularly illegal about this. On the sales page nowhere do they actually talk about the API https://claude.com/pricingNow we all know obviously the API is being used because that is how things work, but you are not actually paying a subscription for the API. You are paying for access to Claude Code.Is it also illegal that if you pay for Playstation Plus that you can't play those games on an Xbox?Is it illegal that you can't use third party netflix apps?I really don't want to defend and AI company here but this is perfectly normal. In no other situation would we expect access to the API, the only reason this is considered different is because they also have a different service that gives access to the API. But that is irrelevant.
Now we all know obviously the API is being used because that is how things work, but you are not actually paying a subscription for the API. You are paying for access to Claude Code.Is it also illegal that if you pay for Playstation Plus that you can't play those games on an Xbox?Is it illegal that you can't use third party netflix apps?I really don't want to defend and AI company here but this is perfectly normal. In no other situation would we expect access to the API, the only reason this is considered different is because they also have a different service that gives access to the API. But that is irrelevant.
Is it also illegal that if you pay for Playstation Plus that you can't play those games on an Xbox?Is it illegal that you can't use third party netflix apps?I really don't want to defend and AI company here but this is perfectly normal. In no other situation would we expect access to the API, the only reason this is considered different is because they also have a different service that gives access to the API. But that is irrelevant.
Is it illegal that you can't use third party netflix apps?I really don't want to defend and AI company here but this is perfectly normal. In no other situation would we expect access to the API, the only reason this is considered different is because they also have a different service that gives access to the API. But that is irrelevant.
I really don't want to defend and AI company here but this is perfectly normal. In no other situation would we expect access to the API, the only reason this is considered different is because they also have a different service that gives access to the API. But that is irrelevant.
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Anthropic provides an API third-party clients can use. The pro-market position is that the API must be available at every pricing tier, as the benefits from increased competition outweigh the imposed restrictions to business practices. The pro-business position is that Anthropic must be allowed to choose which tiers can use the API, as the benefits from increased freedom outweigh the reduced competition in the market.
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While I do personally disagree with thinking that you should be able to do this when it was never sold in that way, at the end of the day as a customer you can choose if you want to use the product in the way that they are saying or use something else if you don't want to support that model.However the person I was responding too brought up legality which is a very different discussion.
However the person I was responding too brought up legality which is a very different discussion.
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But if that is the service they are making and they are clear about what it is when you sign up... That does not make it illegal.I can see why people think they should be entitled to do this, but it does not align with how they are selling the service or how many other companies sell services. In most situations you don't get unlimited access to the individual components of how a service works (the API), you are expected to use the service (in this case Claude Code) directly.
I can see why people think they should be entitled to do this, but it does not align with how they are selling the service or how many other companies sell services. In most situations you don't get unlimited access to the individual components of how a service works (the API), you are expected to use the service (in this case Claude Code) directly.
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"Both parties are okay with the terms" is far from being sufficient to make something "legal".Tie-in sales between software and services is not different from price dumping. If any of the Big Tech corporations were from any country that is not the US, the FTC would be doing anything in their power to stop them.
Tie-in sales between software and services is not different from price dumping. If any of the Big Tech corporations were from any country that is not the US, the FTC would be doing anything in their power to stop them.
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I disagree, in many cases what you are specifically paying for is the combination of the software and the service that are designed to work together. And in many cases do not work independent of eachother.There are countless cases of this, that what you are paying for is a thing that is made up of a piece of software and a serverside component. MMO's (and gaming in general) being a major example of this, but so are many of the apps I pay for subscriptions for on my phone.The actual technical implementation of how it works is irrelevant when it is clear what it is you are paying for.> "Both parties are okay with the terms" is far from being sufficient to make something "legal".True but the opposite is also true, just because you don't like the terms it does not make it illegal.
There are countless cases of this, that what you are paying for is a thing that is made up of a piece of software and a serverside component. MMO's (and gaming in general) being a major example of this, but so are many of the apps I pay for subscriptions for on my phone.The actual technical implementation of how it works is irrelevant when it is clear what it is you are paying for.> "Both parties are okay with the terms" is far from being sufficient to make something "legal".True but the opposite is also true, just because you don't like the terms it does not make it illegal.
The actual technical implementation of how it works is irrelevant when it is clear what it is you are paying for.> "Both parties are okay with the terms" is far from being sufficient to make something "legal".True but the opposite is also true, just because you don't like the terms it does not make it illegal.
> "Both parties are okay with the terms" is far from being sufficient to make something "legal".True but the opposite is also true, just because you don't like the terms it does not make it illegal.
True but the opposite is also true, just because you don't like the terms it does not make it illegal.
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And in many cases like Claude Code and the Anthropic models, they can and do work perfectly independently.> True but the opposite is also true, just because you don't like the terms it does not make it illegal.This is not me "not liking it". Like I said somewhere else in this thread: these types of tie-in are illegal in Brazil. This practice is clearly not done to favor the consumer. You can bet that if the US was anything closer to a functional democracy and the laws were not written by lobbyists, this would be illegal in the US as well.
> True but the opposite is also true, just because you don't like the terms it does not make it illegal.This is not me "not liking it". Like I said somewhere else in this thread: these types of tie-in are illegal in Brazil. This practice is clearly not done to favor the consumer. You can bet that if the US was anything closer to a functional democracy and the laws were not written by lobbyists, this would be illegal in the US as well.
This is not me "not liking it". Like I said somewhere else in this thread: these types of tie-in are illegal in Brazil. This practice is clearly not done to favor the consumer. You can bet that if the US was anything closer to a functional democracy and the laws were not written by lobbyists, this would be illegal in the US as well.
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Are MMO's illegal in Brazil? Is PlayStation Plus illegal in Brazil? Is Spotify, Apple Music, etc etc etc also illegal in Brazil?It would be ridiculous to argue that I could pay for a subscription to World of Warcraft and make my own third party client to play the game with. (Obviously you are free to argue it all you want but I would be very surprised if this was actually illegal).> And in many cases like Claude Code and the Anthropic models, they can and do work perfectly independently.Unless I am mistaken Claude Code does not have a local model built into it, so it requires a server side component to work?As far as the Anthropic models, yes like many other services they ALSO have a public API that is separate from the subscription that you are paying for.The critical difference here being that in the subscription it is very clear that you are paying for “Claude Code” which is a combination of an application and a server side component. It makes no claims about API usage as part of your subscription, again the technical implementation of the service you are actually paying for “Claude Code” is irrelevant.When it comes to “Claude Code” for all that we should care about, again given that “Claude Code” is what you are paying for, they could be sending the information to Gemini or or a human looks at it. Because it's irrelevant to the end user when it comes to the technical implementation since you are not being granted access to any other parts of the system directly.
It would be ridiculous to argue that I could pay for a subscription to World of Warcraft and make my own third party client to play the game with. (Obviously you are free to argue it all you want but I would be very surprised if this was actually illegal).> And in many cases like Claude Code and the Anthropic models, they can and do work perfectly independently.Unless I am mistaken Claude Code does not have a local model built into it, so it requires a server side component to work?As far as the Anthropic models, yes like many other services they ALSO have a public API that is separate from the subscription that you are paying for.The critical difference here being that in the subscription it is very clear that you are paying for “Claude Code” which is a combination of an application and a server side component. It makes no claims about API usage as part of your subscription, again the technical implementation of the service you are actually paying for “Claude Code” is irrelevant.When it comes to “Claude Code” for all that we should care about, again given that “Claude Code” is what you are paying for, they could be sending the information to Gemini or or a human looks at it. Because it's irrelevant to the end user when it comes to the technical implementation since you are not being granted access to any other parts of the system directly.
> And in many cases like Claude Code and the Anthropic models, they can and do work perfectly independently.Unless I am mistaken Claude Code does not have a local model built into it, so it requires a server side component to work?As far as the Anthropic models, yes like many other services they ALSO have a public API that is separate from the subscription that you are paying for.The critical difference here being that in the subscription it is very clear that you are paying for “Claude Code” which is a combination of an application and a server side component. It makes no claims about API usage as part of your subscription, again the technical implementation of the service you are actually paying for “Claude Code” is irrelevant.When it comes to “Claude Code” for all that we should care about, again given that “Claude Code” is what you are paying for, they could be sending the information to Gemini or or a human looks at it. Because it's irrelevant to the end user when it comes to the technical implementation since you are not being granted access to any other parts of the system directly.
Unless I am mistaken Claude Code does not have a local model built into it, so it requires a server side component to work?As far as the Anthropic models, yes like many other services they ALSO have a public API that is separate from the subscription that you are paying for.The critical difference here being that in the subscription it is very clear that you are paying for “Claude Code” which is a combination of an application and a server side component. It makes no claims about API usage as part of your subscription, again the technical implementation of the service you are actually paying for “Claude Code” is irrelevant.When it comes to “Claude Code” for all that we should care about, again given that “Claude Code” is what you are paying for, they could be sending the information to Gemini or or a human looks at it. Because it's irrelevant to the end user when it comes to the technical implementation since you are not being granted access to any other parts of the system directly.
As far as the Anthropic models, yes like many other services they ALSO have a public API that is separate from the subscription that you are paying for.The critical difference here being that in the subscription it is very clear that you are paying for “Claude Code” which is a combination of an application and a server side component. It makes no claims about API usage as part of your subscription, again the technical implementation of the service you are actually paying for “Claude Code” is irrelevant.When it comes to “Claude Code” for all that we should care about, again given that “Claude Code” is what you are paying for, they could be sending the information to Gemini or or a human looks at it. Because it's irrelevant to the end user when it comes to the technical implementation since you are not being granted access to any other parts of the system directly.
The critical difference here being that in the subscription it is very clear that you are paying for “Claude Code” which is a combination of an application and a server side component. It makes no claims about API usage as part of your subscription, again the technical implementation of the service you are actually paying for “Claude Code” is irrelevant.When it comes to “Claude Code” for all that we should care about, again given that “Claude Code” is what you are paying for, they could be sending the information to Gemini or or a human looks at it. Because it's irrelevant to the end user when it comes to the technical implementation since you are not being granted access to any other parts of the system directly.
When it comes to “Claude Code” for all that we should care about, again given that “Claude Code” is what you are paying for, they could be sending the information to Gemini or or a human looks at it. Because it's irrelevant to the end user when it comes to the technical implementation since you are not being granted access to any other parts of the system directly.
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"Tie-in sale": the business practice where a seller conditions the sale of one product (the tying good) on the buyer's agreement to purchase a different product (the tied good).The examples you are giving are not "tie-in" sales because the service from Playstation Plus, Spotify, Apple Music, etc is the distribution of digital goods.> Unless I am mistaken Claude Code does not have a local model built into it, so it requires a server side component to work?Which part are you not understanding?I don't care about Claude Code. I do not want it and do not need it. All I care about is the access to the models through the client that I was already using!> When it comes to “Claude Code” for all that we should care about, again given that “Claude Code” is what you are paying for.No, it is not! I paid for Claude Pro. Claude != Claude Code.
The examples you are giving are not "tie-in" sales because the service from Playstation Plus, Spotify, Apple Music, etc is the distribution of digital goods.> Unless I am mistaken Claude Code does not have a local model built into it, so it requires a server side component to work?Which part are you not understanding?I don't care about Claude Code. I do not want it and do not need it. All I care about is the access to the models through the client that I was already using!> When it comes to “Claude Code” for all that we should care about, again given that “Claude Code” is what you are paying for.No, it is not! I paid for Claude Pro. Claude != Claude Code.
> Unless I am mistaken Claude Code does not have a local model built into it, so it requires a server side component to work?Which part are you not understanding?I don't care about Claude Code. I do not want it and do not need it. All I care about is the access to the models through the client that I was already using!> When it comes to “Claude Code” for all that we should care about, again given that “Claude Code” is what you are paying for.No, it is not! I paid for Claude Pro. Claude != Claude Code.
Which part are you not understanding?I don't care about Claude Code. I do not want it and do not need it. All I care about is the access to the models through the client that I was already using!> When it comes to “Claude Code” for all that we should care about, again given that “Claude Code” is what you are paying for.No, it is not! I paid for Claude Pro. Claude != Claude Code.
I don't care about Claude Code. I do not want it and do not need it. All I care about is the access to the models through the client that I was already using!> When it comes to “Claude Code” for all that we should care about, again given that “Claude Code” is what you are paying for.No, it is not! I paid for Claude Pro. Claude != Claude Code.
> When it comes to “Claude Code” for all that we should care about, again given that “Claude Code” is what you are paying for.No, it is not! I paid for Claude Pro. Claude != Claude Code.
No, it is not! I paid for Claude Pro. Claude != Claude Code.
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If that was true, then getting equivalent usage of the API without claude.ai and Claude Code should cost less, not more.You can try to find all sorts of explanations for it, at the end of the day is quite simple: they are subsidizing one product in order to grow the market share, and they are doing it at a loss now, because they believe they will make up for it later. I understand the reasoning from a business point of view, but this doesn't mean they are entitled to their profits. I do not understand people that think we simply accept their premise and assume they can screw us over just because they asked and put it on a piece of paper.
You can try to find all sorts of explanations for it, at the end of the day is quite simple: they are subsidizing one product in order to grow the market share, and they are doing it at a loss now, because they believe they will make up for it later. I understand the reasoning from a business point of view, but this doesn't mean they are entitled to their profits. I do not understand people that think we simply accept their premise and assume they can screw us over just because they asked and put it on a piece of paper.
But that's not a product that they're offering. That ability was an undesired (from their business perspective) trait that they're now rectifying.
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Of course it was. - It was possible to do it.
- OpenCode did not break any security protocol in order to integrate with them.
- OAuth is *precisely* a system to let third-party applications use their resources.
It's not what they wanted, but it's not my problem. The fact that I was a customer does not mean that I need to protective of their profits.> (from their business perspective)So what?!Basically, they set up an strategy they thought it was going to work in their favor (offer a subsidized service to try to lock in customers), someone else found a way to turn things around and you believe that we should be okay with this?!Honestly, I do not understand why so many people here think it is fine to let these huge corporations run the same exploitation playbook over and over again. Basically they set up a mouse trap full of cheese and now that the mice found a way to enjoy the cheese without getting their necks broken, they are crying about it?
- It was possible to do it.
- OpenCode did not break any security protocol in order to integrate with them.
- OAuth is *precisely* a system to let third-party applications use their resources.
It's not what they wanted, but it's not my problem. The fact that I was a customer does not mean that I need to protective of their profits.> (from their business perspective)So what?!Basically, they set up an strategy they thought it was going to work in their favor (offer a subsidized service to try to lock in customers), someone else found a way to turn things around and you believe that we should be okay with this?!Honestly, I do not understand why so many people here think it is fine to let these huge corporations run the same exploitation playbook over and over again. Basically they set up a mouse trap full of cheese and now that the mice found a way to enjoy the cheese without getting their necks broken, they are crying about it?
> (from their business perspective)So what?!Basically, they set up an strategy they thought it was going to work in their favor (offer a subsidized service to try to lock in customers), someone else found a way to turn things around and you believe that we should be okay with this?!Honestly, I do not understand why so many people here think it is fine to let these huge corporations run the same exploitation playbook over and over again. Basically they set up a mouse trap full of cheese and now that the mice found a way to enjoy the cheese without getting their necks broken, they are crying about it?
So what?!Basically, they set up an strategy they thought it was going to work in their favor (offer a subsidized service to try to lock in customers), someone else found a way to turn things around and you believe that we should be okay with this?!Honestly, I do not understand why so many people here think it is fine to let these huge corporations run the same exploitation playbook over and over again. Basically they set up a mouse trap full of cheese and now that the mice found a way to enjoy the cheese without getting their necks broken, they are crying about it?
Basically, they set up an strategy they thought it was going to work in their favor (offer a subsidized service to try to lock in customers), someone else found a way to turn things around and you believe that we should be okay with this?!Honestly, I do not understand why so many people here think it is fine to let these huge corporations run the same exploitation playbook over and over again. Basically they set up a mouse trap full of cheese and now that the mice found a way to enjoy the cheese without getting their necks broken, they are crying about it?
Honestly, I do not understand why so many people here think it is fine to let these huge corporations run the same exploitation playbook over and over again. Basically they set up a mouse trap full of cheese and now that the mice found a way to enjoy the cheese without getting their necks broken, they are crying about it?
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You'd have to point me to an authoritative source on that (explicitly saying users are allowed to use their models via private APIs in apps of the user's choosing). If something isn't explicitly provided in the contract, then it can be changed at any point in any way without notice.Honestly, I'm not big on capitalism in general, but I don't understand why people should expect companies to provide things exactly the way they want at exactly the prices they would like to be charged (if at all). That's just not how the world/system works, or should, especially given there are so many alternatives available. If one doesn't like what's happening with some service, then let the wallet do the talking and move to another. Emigration is a far more effective message than complaining.
Honestly, I'm not big on capitalism in general, but I don't understand why people should expect companies to provide things exactly the way they want at exactly the prices they would like to be charged (if at all). That's just not how the world/system works, or should, especially given there are so many alternatives available. If one doesn't like what's happening with some service, then let the wallet do the talking and move to another. Emigration is a far more effective message than complaining.
Look at it this way: the service that you're accessing is really a (primarily desired) side-effect of the software. So re subscriptions, what they're actually providing are the apps (web, desktop, etc), and the apps use their service to aid the fulfillment of their functionality. Those wanting direct access to the internal service can get an API key for that purpose. That's just how their product offering is structured.
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Or any smart tv with free ip tv.
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What I don't understand is why start this game of cat and mouse? Just look at Youtube and YT-DLP. YT-DLP, and the dozens of apps that use it, basically use Youtube's unofficial web API and it still works even after Youtube constantly patches their end. Though now, YT-DLP has to use a makeshift JS interpreter and maybe even spawn Chromium down the line.
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I don't have a dog in this fight but is this actually true? If you're using Claude Code they can know that whatever client-side model selection they put into it is active. So if they can get away with routing 80% of the requests to Haiku and only route to Opus for the requests that really need it, that does give them a cost model where they can rely on lower costs than if a third-party client just routes to Opus for everything. Even if they aren't doing that sort of thing now, it would be understandable if they wanted to.
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They still have the total consumption under their control (*bar prompt caching and other specific optimizations) where in the past they even had different quotas per model, it shouldn't cost them more money, just be a worse/different service I guess
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As things are currently, better models mean bigger models that take more storage+RAM+CPU, or just spend more time processing a request. All this translates to higher costs, and may be mitigated by particular configs triggered by knowledge that a given client, providing particular guarantees, is on the other side.
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Opus is claude code's default model as of sometime recently (around Opus 4.6?)
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If subsidizing that offering is a good hook to get higher paying API users on board, then some of that cost is a customer aquisition cost, whereas the cost to them of providing the API doesn't have the same proportion that they can justify as a customer acquisition cost.
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Netflix: limits number of devices and stream quality and offline use.AWS: does not allow any number of applications (spamming, crypto mining, adult content)Airlines: do not allow smoking, boom boxesIs there any service that gives complete freedom?
AWS: does not allow any number of applications (spamming, crypto mining, adult content)Airlines: do not allow smoking, boom boxesIs there any service that gives complete freedom?
Airlines: do not allow smoking, boom boxesIs there any service that gives complete freedom?
Is there any service that gives complete freedom?
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There's this pervasive idea left over from the pre-llm days that compute is free. You want to rent your own H200x8 to run your Claude model, that's literally going to cost $24/hour. People are just not thinking like that. I have my home PC, it does this stuff I can run it 24/7 for free.
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No. The sauce is in KV caching: when to evict, when to keep, how to pre-empt an active agent loop vs someone who are showing signs of inactivity at their pc, etc.
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This sounds like engineering, finance, and legal got together and decided they were in an untenable position if OpenAI started nudging OpenClaw to burn even more tokens on Anthropic (or just never optimize) + continually updated workarounds to using subscription auth. But I'm sure OpenAI would never do something like that...At the end of the day, it's the same 'fixed price plan for variable use on a constrained resource' cellular problem: profitability becomes directly linked to actual average usage.
At the end of the day, it's the same 'fixed price plan for variable use on a constrained resource' cellular problem: profitability becomes directly linked to actual average usage.
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Not possible: OpenClaw is run by a foundation, and is open source, which means OpenAI has no leverage to do such a thing.
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I pay them $100 a month and now for some reason I can't use OpenCode? Fuck that.
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You can of course use OpenCode or any other project with the API, which is also offered as a separate product. People just don't want to do that because it's not subsidized, ie. more expensive. But the entire reason it's subsidized is that Anthropic can use the data to improve their product.
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This is grade A, absolute crap. It's subsidized because everyone else is subsidizing it, and everyone is doing it because they are trying to lock their consumer share.The solution is quite simple. Just get the FTC to forbid tie-in sales so that we don't get the huge corporations using their infinite resources to outlive the competition. Anthropic/Amazon/Google/OpenAI/Facebook can offer any type of service they want, but if the access to the API costs $X when offered standalone, then that is the baseline price for anything that depends on the API to work.
The solution is quite simple. Just get the FTC to forbid tie-in sales so that we don't get the huge corporations using their infinite resources to outlive the competition. Anthropic/Amazon/Google/OpenAI/Facebook can offer any type of service they want, but if the access to the API costs $X when offered standalone, then that is the baseline price for anything that depends on the API to work.
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I don't use the Anthropic subscriptions either.
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You are free to use the API.
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You are not paying for usage. You are paying for usage via their application.If their business plan is based on how quickly a human can enter requests and react to the results, and Claude Code is optimized for that, why should you be allowed to use an alternative client that e.g. always tries to saturate the token limits?
If their business plan is based on how quickly a human can enter requests and react to the results, and Claude Code is optimized for that, why should you be allowed to use an alternative client that e.g. always tries to saturate the token limits?
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In reality, heavy subscription users are subsidized by light subscription users. The rate limits aren't everything.If agent harnesses other than Claude Code consume more tokens than average, or rather, if users of agent harnesses other than CC consume more tokens than average, well, Anthropic wouldn't be unhappy if those consumers had to pay more for their tokens.
If agent harnesses other than Claude Code consume more tokens than average, or rather, if users of agent harnesses other than CC consume more tokens than average, well, Anthropic wouldn't be unhappy if those consumers had to pay more for their tokens.
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Do they, though?
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Doesn't that make sense? If you use it more you get charged more, if you use it less you get charged less.
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Probably the ToS change was to make it more clear.To be fair, the developer is the one breaking the ToS in the most significant way, breaking boilerplate reverse engineering clauses.But the user also is very aware that they are doing something funny, in order to authenticate, the user is asked to authorize Claude Code, n ot Opencode or OpenClaw, it's clearly a hack and there is no authorization from Anthropic to OpenClaw, and you are not giving Anthropic authorization to give access to OC, the user asks Anthropic to give access to Claude Code, the only reason this works is because OC is pretending to be Claude Code.The bottom line issue is that as a user you are paying for a subscription to a package that includes an expected usage. That package is not metered, but it is given on the condition that you will use it as it is expected to be used, by chatting manually with the chatbot, which results in a reasonable expected token usage. By using a program that programatically calls the chat interface, the token consumption increases beyond what was part of the original deal, and so the price should be different.A similar scenario would be if you go to an all you can eat buffet, you pay for a single person, but then you actually unload an army of little clones that start eating the whole buffet. Technically it was an all you can eat buffet and you paid the price right? Well no, come on, don't play dumb.
To be fair, the developer is the one breaking the ToS in the most significant way, breaking boilerplate reverse engineering clauses.But the user also is very aware that they are doing something funny, in order to authenticate, the user is asked to authorize Claude Code, n ot Opencode or OpenClaw, it's clearly a hack and there is no authorization from Anthropic to OpenClaw, and you are not giving Anthropic authorization to give access to OC, the user asks Anthropic to give access to Claude Code, the only reason this works is because OC is pretending to be Claude Code.The bottom line issue is that as a user you are paying for a subscription to a package that includes an expected usage. That package is not metered, but it is given on the condition that you will use it as it is expected to be used, by chatting manually with the chatbot, which results in a reasonable expected token usage. By using a program that programatically calls the chat interface, the token consumption increases beyond what was part of the original deal, and so the price should be different.A similar scenario would be if you go to an all you can eat buffet, you pay for a single person, but then you actually unload an army of little clones that start eating the whole buffet. Technically it was an all you can eat buffet and you paid the price right? Well no, come on, don't play dumb.
But the user also is very aware that they are doing something funny, in order to authenticate, the user is asked to authorize Claude Code, n ot Opencode or OpenClaw, it's clearly a hack and there is no authorization from Anthropic to OpenClaw, and you are not giving Anthropic authorization to give access to OC, the user asks Anthropic to give access to Claude Code, the only reason this works is because OC is pretending to be Claude Code.The bottom line issue is that as a user you are paying for a subscription to a package that includes an expected usage. That package is not metered, but it is given on the condition that you will use it as it is expected to be used, by chatting manually with the chatbot, which results in a reasonable expected token usage. By using a program that programatically calls the chat interface, the token consumption increases beyond what was part of the original deal, and so the price should be different.A similar scenario would be if you go to an all you can eat buffet, you pay for a single person, but then you actually unload an army of little clones that start eating the whole buffet. Technically it was an all you can eat buffet and you paid the price right? Well no, come on, don't play dumb.
The bottom line issue is that as a user you are paying for a subscription to a package that includes an expected usage. That package is not metered, but it is given on the condition that you will use it as it is expected to be used, by chatting manually with the chatbot, which results in a reasonable expected token usage. By using a program that programatically calls the chat interface, the token consumption increases beyond what was part of the original deal, and so the price should be different.A similar scenario would be if you go to an all you can eat buffet, you pay for a single person, but then you actually unload an army of little clones that start eating the whole buffet. Technically it was an all you can eat buffet and you paid the price right? Well no, come on, don't play dumb.
A similar scenario would be if you go to an all you can eat buffet, you pay for a single person, but then you actually unload an army of little clones that start eating the whole buffet. Technically it was an all you can eat buffet and you paid the price right? Well no, come on, don't play dumb.
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It's just price differentiation - they know consumers are price sensitive, and that companies wanting to use their APIs to build products so they can slap AI on their portfolio and get access to AI-related investor money can be milked. On the consumer-facing front, they live off branding and if you're not using claude code, you might not associate the tool with Anthropic, which means losing publicity that drives API sales.
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But I agree they can impose whatever user hostile restrictions they want. They are not a monopoly. They compete in a very competitive market. So if they decide to raise prices in whatever shape or form then that's fine.Arbitrary restrictions do play a role for my own purchasing decisions though. Flexibility is worth something.
Arbitrary restrictions do play a role for my own purchasing decisions though. Flexibility is worth something.
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Please enjoy these messages from our sponsors.
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Also why would you create a throwaway for this question? Are you trying to rage bait?
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You should never question anyone's route to privacy :)
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If you have to ask, it's probably not rage bait. I'm just too lazy to come up with a username.
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[1] https://i.programmerhumor.io/2025/03/778c56a79115a582edb9949...
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Instead, many, many websites (especially in the music industry) have some sort of funky API that you can only get access to if you have enough online clout. Very few are transparent about what "enough clout" even means or how much it'd cost you, and there's like an entire industry of third-party API resellers that cost like 10x more than if you went straight to the source. But you can't, because you first have to fulfill some arbitrary criteria that you can't even know about ahead of time.It's all very frustrating to deal with.
It's all very frustrating to deal with.
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Though, in this case, you get free API access to the model.[1]: https://x.com/badlogicgames/status/2017063228094709771
[1]: https://x.com/badlogicgames/status/2017063228094709771
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My impression is the opposite: frontend/UI/UX is where the moat is growing because that's where users will (1) consume ads (2) orchestrate their agents.
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I just think that OAI/Anthropic will try to keep both types of users locked into their walled garden via the UI.The APIs may have a future, but at our own peril and zero guarantees. It's a tool to create traction and demonstrate capabilities to devs.
The APIs may have a future, but at our own peril and zero guarantees. It's a tool to create traction and demonstrate capabilities to devs.
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— Erdogan, probably.
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There is nothing here stopping cambridge analytica from doing this again, they will provide whatever details needed. But a small pre launch personal project work that might use a facebook publishing application can't be developed or tested without first going through all the bureaucracy.Nevermind the non profit 'free' application you might want to create on the FB platform, lets say a share chrome extension "Post to my FB", for personal use, you can't do this because you can't create an application without a company and IVA/TAX documents. It's hostile imo.Before, you could create an app, link your ToS, privacy policy etc, verify your domain via email, and then if users wanted to use your application they would agree, this is how a lot of companies still do it. I'm actually not sure why FB do this specifically.
Nevermind the non profit 'free' application you might want to create on the FB platform, lets say a share chrome extension "Post to my FB", for personal use, you can't do this because you can't create an application without a company and IVA/TAX documents. It's hostile imo.Before, you could create an app, link your ToS, privacy policy etc, verify your domain via email, and then if users wanted to use your application they would agree, this is how a lot of companies still do it. I'm actually not sure why FB do this specifically.
Before, you could create an app, link your ToS, privacy policy etc, verify your domain via email, and then if users wanted to use your application they would agree, this is how a lot of companies still do it. I'm actually not sure why FB do this specifically.
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> to protect consumersWe are talking about Meta. They have never, and will never, protect customers. All they protect is their wealth and their political power.
We are talking about Meta. They have never, and will never, protect customers. All they protect is their wealth and their political power.
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Before you can sign up to build a WhatsApp bot, you need to jump through a million hoops, and after that, every automated message template must be vetted by Meta before it can be sent out, apple style.I'm glad of this, because unlike SMS and other messaging platforms, WhatsApp is spam free and a pleasure to use.
I'm glad of this, because unlike SMS and other messaging platforms, WhatsApp is spam free and a pleasure to use.
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At least here in Italy whatsapp is a spam house unless you actively update the default privacy settings in-app. There is no discernable difference between SMS and WhatsApp to spammers.
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But the real issue is that these companies, once they have any market leverage, do things in their best interest to protect the little bit of moat they've acquired.[0] https://www.mcdbooks.com/books/enshittification
[0] https://www.mcdbooks.com/books/enshittification
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Spotify in particular is just patently the very worst. They released an amazing and delightful app sdk, allowing for making really neat apps in the desktop app in 2011. Then cancelled it by 2014. It feels like their entire ecosystem has only ever gone downhill. Their car device was cancelled nearly immediately. Every API just gets worse and worse. Remarkable to see a company have only ever such a downward slide. The Spotify Graveyard is, imo, a place of singnificantly less honor than the Google Graveyard. https://web.archive.org/web/20141104154131/https://gigaom.co...But also, I feel like this broad repulsive trend is such an untenable position now that AI is here. Trying to make your app an isolated disconnected service is a suicide pact. Some companies will figure out how to defend their moat, but generally people are going to prefer apps that allow them to use the app as they want, increasingly, over time. And they are not going to be stopped even if you do try to control terms!Were I a smart engaged company, I'd be trying to build WebMCP access as soon as possible. Adoption will be slow, this isn't happening fast, but people who can mix human + agent activity on your site are going to be delighted by the experience, and that you will spread!WebMCP is better IMHO than conventional APIs because it layers into the experience you are already having. It's not a separate channel; it can build and use the session state of your browsing to do the things. That's a huge boon for users.
But also, I feel like this broad repulsive trend is such an untenable position now that AI is here. Trying to make your app an isolated disconnected service is a suicide pact. Some companies will figure out how to defend their moat, but generally people are going to prefer apps that allow them to use the app as they want, increasingly, over time. And they are not going to be stopped even if you do try to control terms!Were I a smart engaged company, I'd be trying to build WebMCP access as soon as possible. Adoption will be slow, this isn't happening fast, but people who can mix human + agent activity on your site are going to be delighted by the experience, and that you will spread!WebMCP is better IMHO than conventional APIs because it layers into the experience you are already having. It's not a separate channel; it can build and use the session state of your browsing to do the things. That's a huge boon for users.
Were I a smart engaged company, I'd be trying to build WebMCP access as soon as possible. Adoption will be slow, this isn't happening fast, but people who can mix human + agent activity on your site are going to be delighted by the experience, and that you will spread!WebMCP is better IMHO than conventional APIs because it layers into the experience you are already having. It's not a separate channel; it can build and use the session state of your browsing to do the things. That's a huge boon for users.
WebMCP is better IMHO than conventional APIs because it layers into the experience you are already having. It's not a separate channel; it can build and use the session state of your browsing to do the things. That's a huge boon for users.
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I totally understand that I should not reuse my own account to provide services to others, as direct API usage is the obvious choice here, but this is a different case.I am currently developing something that would be the perfect fit for this OAuth based flow and I find it quite frustrating that in most cases I cannot find a clear answer to this question. I don't even know who I would be supposed to contact to get an answer or discuss this as an independent dev.EDIT: Some answers to my comment have pointed out that the ToS of Anthropic were clear, I'm not saying they aren't if taken in a vacuum, yet in practice even after this being published some confusion remained online, in particular regarding wether OAuth token usage was still ok with the Agent SDK for personal usage. If it happens to be, that would lead to other questions I personally cannot find a clear answer to, hence my original statement. Also, I am very interested about the stance of other companies on this subject.Maybe I am being overly cautious here but I want to be clear that this is just my personal opinion and me trying to understand what exactly is allowed or not. This is not some business or legal advice.
I am currently developing something that would be the perfect fit for this OAuth based flow and I find it quite frustrating that in most cases I cannot find a clear answer to this question. I don't even know who I would be supposed to contact to get an answer or discuss this as an independent dev.EDIT: Some answers to my comment have pointed out that the ToS of Anthropic were clear, I'm not saying they aren't if taken in a vacuum, yet in practice even after this being published some confusion remained online, in particular regarding wether OAuth token usage was still ok with the Agent SDK for personal usage. If it happens to be, that would lead to other questions I personally cannot find a clear answer to, hence my original statement. Also, I am very interested about the stance of other companies on this subject.Maybe I am being overly cautious here but I want to be clear that this is just my personal opinion and me trying to understand what exactly is allowed or not. This is not some business or legal advice.
EDIT: Some answers to my comment have pointed out that the ToS of Anthropic were clear, I'm not saying they aren't if taken in a vacuum, yet in practice even after this being published some confusion remained online, in particular regarding wether OAuth token usage was still ok with the Agent SDK for personal usage. If it happens to be, that would lead to other questions I personally cannot find a clear answer to, hence my original statement. Also, I am very interested about the stance of other companies on this subject.Maybe I am being overly cautious here but I want to be clear that this is just my personal opinion and me trying to understand what exactly is allowed or not. This is not some business or legal advice.
Maybe I am being overly cautious here but I want to be clear that this is just my personal opinion and me trying to understand what exactly is allowed or not. This is not some business or legal advice.
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Subscriptions are for first-party products (claude.com, mobile and desktop apps, Claude Code, editor extensions, Cowork).Everything else must use API billing.
Everything else must use API billing.
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[0] https://platform.claude.com/docs/en/agent-sdk/overview
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But they're stating you can only use your subscription for your personal usage, not someone else's for their usage in your product.I honestly think they're being short sighted not just giving a "3rd party quota" since they already show users like 4 quotas.If the fear is 3rd party agents screwing up the math, just make it low enough for entry level usage. I suspect 3rd party token usage is bi-modal where some users just need enough to kick tires, but others are min-maxing for how mamy tokens they can burn as if that's its own reward
I honestly think they're being short sighted not just giving a "3rd party quota" since they already show users like 4 quotas.If the fear is 3rd party agents screwing up the math, just make it low enough for entry level usage. I suspect 3rd party token usage is bi-modal where some users just need enough to kick tires, but others are min-maxing for how mamy tokens they can burn as if that's its own reward
If the fear is 3rd party agents screwing up the math, just make it low enough for entry level usage. I suspect 3rd party token usage is bi-modal where some users just need enough to kick tires, but others are min-maxing for how mamy tokens they can burn as if that's its own reward
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> OAuth authentication (used with Free, Pro, and Max plans) is intended exclusively for Claude Code and Claude.ai. Using OAuth tokens obtained through Claude Free, Pro, or Max accounts in any other product, tool, or service — including the Agent SDK — is not permitted and constitutes a violation of the Consumer Terms of Service.
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I built a quick thing to download YouTube videos and transcribe them using with whisper, but it kind of feels clunky to summarize them using the claude CLI, even though that works.
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These kinds of business decisions show how these $200.00 subscriptions for their slot/infinite jest machines basically light that $200.00 on fire, and in general how unsustainable these business models are.Can't wait for it all to fail, they'll eventually try to get as many people to pay per token as possible, while somehow getting people to use their verbose antigentic tools that are able to inflate revenue through inefficient context/ouput shenanigans.
Can't wait for it all to fail, they'll eventually try to get as many people to pay per token as possible, while somehow getting people to use their verbose antigentic tools that are able to inflate revenue through inefficient context/ouput shenanigans.
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I used Claude back when API per token pricing was the only option and it was bad for all the usual reasons pay-per-use sucks compared to flat billing: you're constantly thinking about cost. Like trying to watch a Netflix video with a ticker in the corner counting up the cents you owe them.I don't understand your claim that they want people paying per token - the subscription is the opposite of that, and it also has upsides for them as a business since most people don't saturate the usage limits, and the business gets to stuff a bunch of value-adds on a bundle offering which is generally a more lucrative and enticing consumer pricing model.
I don't understand your claim that they want people paying per token - the subscription is the opposite of that, and it also has upsides for them as a business since most people don't saturate the usage limits, and the business gets to stuff a bunch of value-adds on a bundle offering which is generally a more lucrative and enticing consumer pricing model.
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When you ask it to do something and it goes off the rails, the payment plans have wildly different effects:Subscription- oh well, let's try again with a different promptPay per use- I just wasted money, this product sucksEven if it is less common than not, it has an outsized impact on how people feel using it.
Subscription- oh well, let's try again with a different promptPay per use- I just wasted money, this product sucksEven if it is less common than not, it has an outsized impact on how people feel using it.
Pay per use- I just wasted money, this product sucksEven if it is less common than not, it has an outsized impact on how people feel using it.
Even if it is less common than not, it has an outsized impact on how people feel using it.
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I expect some big falls from 10 figure businesses in the next year or two as they realize this is impossible. They've built an industry on the backs of gambling addicts and dopamine feins (I'm generalizing but this is a thing with LLM users (just read vibe coders posts on twitter, they're slot machine users). Ask sports betting operators from back in 2019-2022 how it worked out for them when they tried to give out 1-2k a year to attract new customers, and then realized their customers will switch platforms in an instant they see a new shiny offer. Look up the Fanduel Founders "exit" for an insight into this.They have to eventually stop catering to the slot machine users, which are generally paying for these hugely lossy flat rate subscriptions, and somehow get them used to a different type of payment model, or cater strictly to enterprise... Which also aren't going to tolerate paying 20k a month in tokens per developer, is my guess.... Lots of delicate pricing problems to figure out for all these companies.
They have to eventually stop catering to the slot machine users, which are generally paying for these hugely lossy flat rate subscriptions, and somehow get them used to a different type of payment model, or cater strictly to enterprise... Which also aren't going to tolerate paying 20k a month in tokens per developer, is my guess.... Lots of delicate pricing problems to figure out for all these companies.
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If they pump it up to $200 (or to $20). I'll simply use crappier local model. It won't be as good. But I already own my gaming PC that can run local models, and electricity is cheap.
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The issue with Claude Code is it's not at all obvious how any given task or query translates to cost. I was finding some days I spent very little and other days cost a fortune despite what seemed to me to be similar levels of usage.
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The alternative is AWS where you need to be a billing expert to keep costs locked at $20/month.
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On the other hand OpenAI and GitHub Copilot have, as far as I know, explicitly allowed their users to connect to at least some third party tools and use their quotas from there, notably to OpenCode.What is unclear to me is whether they are considering also allowing commercial apps to do that. For instance if I publish a subscription based app and my users pay for the app itself rather than for LLM inference, would that be allowed?
What is unclear to me is whether they are considering also allowing commercial apps to do that. For instance if I publish a subscription based app and my users pay for the app itself rather than for LLM inference, would that be allowed?
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https://github.com/rivet-dev/sandbox-agent/tree/main/gigacod... [I saw this inShow HN: Gigacode – Use OpenCode's UI with Claude Code/Codex/Amp] (https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46912682)This can make Opencode work with Claude code and the added benefit of this is that Opencode has a Typescript SDK to automate and the back of this is still running claude code so technically should work even with the new TOS?So in the case of the OP. Maybe Opencode TS SDK <-> claude code (using this tool or any other like this) <-> It uses the oauth sign in option of Claude code users?Also, zed can use the ACP protocol itself as well to make claude code work iirc. So is using zed with CC still allowed?> I don't see how they can get more clear about this, considering they have repeatedly answered it the exact same way.This is confusing quite frankly, there's also the claude agent sdk thing which firloop and others talked about too. Some say its allowed or not. Its all confusing quite frankly.
This can make Opencode work with Claude code and the added benefit of this is that Opencode has a Typescript SDK to automate and the back of this is still running claude code so technically should work even with the new TOS?So in the case of the OP. Maybe Opencode TS SDK <-> claude code (using this tool or any other like this) <-> It uses the oauth sign in option of Claude code users?Also, zed can use the ACP protocol itself as well to make claude code work iirc. So is using zed with CC still allowed?> I don't see how they can get more clear about this, considering they have repeatedly answered it the exact same way.This is confusing quite frankly, there's also the claude agent sdk thing which firloop and others talked about too. Some say its allowed or not. Its all confusing quite frankly.
So in the case of the OP. Maybe Opencode TS SDK <-> claude code (using this tool or any other like this) <-> It uses the oauth sign in option of Claude code users?Also, zed can use the ACP protocol itself as well to make claude code work iirc. So is using zed with CC still allowed?> I don't see how they can get more clear about this, considering they have repeatedly answered it the exact same way.This is confusing quite frankly, there's also the claude agent sdk thing which firloop and others talked about too. Some say its allowed or not. Its all confusing quite frankly.
Also, zed can use the ACP protocol itself as well to make claude code work iirc. So is using zed with CC still allowed?> I don't see how they can get more clear about this, considering they have repeatedly answered it the exact same way.This is confusing quite frankly, there's also the claude agent sdk thing which firloop and others talked about too. Some say its allowed or not. Its all confusing quite frankly.
> I don't see how they can get more clear about this, considering they have repeatedly answered it the exact same way.This is confusing quite frankly, there's also the claude agent sdk thing which firloop and others talked about too. Some say its allowed or not. Its all confusing quite frankly.
This is confusing quite frankly, there's also the claude agent sdk thing which firloop and others talked about too. Some say its allowed or not. Its all confusing quite frankly.
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You can't use Claude OAuth tokens for anything. Any solution that exists worked because it pretended/spoofed to be Claude Code. Same for Gemini (Gemini CLI, Antigravity)Codex is the only one that got official blessing to be used in OpenClaw and OpenCode, and even that was against the ToS before they changed their stance on it.
Codex is the only one that got official blessing to be used in OpenClaw and OpenCode, and even that was against the ToS before they changed their stance on it.
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Codex app-server is the interface Codex uses to power rich clients (for example, the Codex VS Code extension). Use it when you want a deep integration inside your own product.
It mentions 'Inside your own product', but not sure if that means also your own commercial application.
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But I believe OpenAI does let you use their subscription in third parties, so not an issue anyway.
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A third-party tool may be less efficient in saving costs (I have heard many of them don't hit Anthropic LLMs' caches as well).Would you be willing to pay more for your plan, to subsidize the use of third-party tools by others?---Note, afaik, Anthropic hasn't come out and said this is the reason, but it fits.Or, it could also just be that the LLM companies view their agent tools as the real moat, since the models themselves aren't.
Would you be willing to pay more for your plan, to subsidize the use of third-party tools by others?---Note, afaik, Anthropic hasn't come out and said this is the reason, but it fits.Or, it could also just be that the LLM companies view their agent tools as the real moat, since the models themselves aren't.
---Note, afaik, Anthropic hasn't come out and said this is the reason, but it fits.Or, it could also just be that the LLM companies view their agent tools as the real moat, since the models themselves aren't.
Note, afaik, Anthropic hasn't come out and said this is the reason, but it fits.Or, it could also just be that the LLM companies view their agent tools as the real moat, since the models themselves aren't.
Or, it could also just be that the LLM companies view their agent tools as the real moat, since the models themselves aren't.
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It's the whole "unlimited storage" discussion again.
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Maybe.First, Anthropic is also trying to manage user satisfaction as well as costs. If OpenCode or whatever burns through your limits faster, are you likely to place the blame on OpenCode?Maybe a good analogy was when DoorDash/GrubHub/Uber Eats/etc signed up restaurants to their system without their permission. When things didn't go well, the customers complained about the restaurants, even though it wasn't their fault, because they chose not to support delivery at scale.Second, flat-rate pricing, unlike API pricing, is the same for cached vs uncached iirc, so even if total token limits are the same, less caching means higher costs.
First, Anthropic is also trying to manage user satisfaction as well as costs. If OpenCode or whatever burns through your limits faster, are you likely to place the blame on OpenCode?Maybe a good analogy was when DoorDash/GrubHub/Uber Eats/etc signed up restaurants to their system without their permission. When things didn't go well, the customers complained about the restaurants, even though it wasn't their fault, because they chose not to support delivery at scale.Second, flat-rate pricing, unlike API pricing, is the same for cached vs uncached iirc, so even if total token limits are the same, less caching means higher costs.
Maybe a good analogy was when DoorDash/GrubHub/Uber Eats/etc signed up restaurants to their system without their permission. When things didn't go well, the customers complained about the restaurants, even though it wasn't their fault, because they chose not to support delivery at scale.Second, flat-rate pricing, unlike API pricing, is the same for cached vs uncached iirc, so even if total token limits are the same, less caching means higher costs.
Second, flat-rate pricing, unlike API pricing, is the same for cached vs uncached iirc, so even if total token limits are the same, less caching means higher costs.
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am I? Probably, but I get your point that your average user would blame Anthropic instead.> even if total token limits are the same, less caching means higher costsNot really, flat-rate pricing simply gives you a fixed token allotment, so less caching means you consume your 5-hour/weekly allotment faster.
> even if total token limits are the same, less caching means higher costsNot really, flat-rate pricing simply gives you a fixed token allotment, so less caching means you consume your 5-hour/weekly allotment faster.
Not really, flat-rate pricing simply gives you a fixed token allotment, so less caching means you consume your 5-hour/weekly allotment faster.
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Given the latest changes on Claude Code where they hide the actionshttps://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47033622it's likely more the other way around. They control how fast your subscription tokens are burned
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47033622it's likely more the other way around. They control how fast your subscription tokens are burned
it's likely more the other way around. They control how fast your subscription tokens are burned
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I don't want to say that you won't be missed but they will get over it.
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> OAuth authentication (used with Free, Pro, and Max plans) is intended exclusively for Claude Code and Claude.ai. Using OAuth tokens obtained through Claude Free, Pro, or Max accounts in any other product, tool, or service — including the Agent SDK — is not permitted and constitutes a violation of the Consumer Terms of Service.
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None of this is legal advice, I'm just trying to understand what exactly is allowed or not.[1] https://x.com/trq212/status/2024212380142752025?s=10
[1] https://x.com/trq212/status/2024212380142752025?s=10
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Pro and Max are both limited
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Nothing about that prevents a usage cap.
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I have never noticed there are people who interpret it that way.
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I'm sure you can use context clues to figure this one out. You're so close! Just put the pieces together.
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I think this is pretty clear - No.
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""
Usage policyAcceptable use
Claude Code usage is subject to the Anthropic Usage Policy. Advertised usage limits for Pro and Max plans assume ordinary, individual usage of Claude Code and the Agent SDK
""That tool clearly falls under ordinary individual use of Claude code. https://yepanywhere.com/ is another such tool. Perfectly ordinary individual usage.https://yepanywhere.com/sdk-auth-clarification.htmlThe TOS are confusing because just below that section it talks about authentication/credential use. If an app starts reading api keys / credentials, that starts falling into territory where they want a hard line no.
Acceptable use
Claude Code usage is subject to the Anthropic Usage Policy. Advertised usage limits for Pro and Max plans assume ordinary, individual usage of Claude Code and the Agent SDK
""That tool clearly falls under ordinary individual use of Claude code. https://yepanywhere.com/ is another such tool. Perfectly ordinary individual usage.https://yepanywhere.com/sdk-auth-clarification.htmlThe TOS are confusing because just below that section it talks about authentication/credential use. If an app starts reading api keys / credentials, that starts falling into territory where they want a hard line no.
That tool clearly falls under ordinary individual use of Claude code. https://yepanywhere.com/ is another such tool. Perfectly ordinary individual usage.https://yepanywhere.com/sdk-auth-clarification.htmlThe TOS are confusing because just below that section it talks about authentication/credential use. If an app starts reading api keys / credentials, that starts falling into territory where they want a hard line no.
https://yepanywhere.com/sdk-auth-clarification.htmlThe TOS are confusing because just below that section it talks about authentication/credential use. If an app starts reading api keys / credentials, that starts falling into territory where they want a hard line no.
The TOS are confusing because just below that section it talks about authentication/credential use. If an app starts reading api keys / credentials, that starts falling into territory where they want a hard line no.
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https://developers.openai.com/codex/auth
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I can't find anything official from OpenAI, but they have worked with the OpenCode people to support using your ChatGPT subscription in OpenCode.
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Opus has gone down the hill continously in the last week (and before you start flooding with replies, I've been testing opus/codex in parallel for the last week, I've plenty of examples of Claude going off track, then apologising, then saying "now it's all fixed!" and then only fixing part of it, when codex nailed at the first shot).I can accept specific model limits, not an up/down in terms of reliability. And don't even let me get started on how bad Claude client has become. Others are finally catching up and gpt-5.3-codex is definitely better than opus-4.6Everyone else (Codex CLI, Copilot CLI etc...) is going opensource, they are going closed. Others (OpenAI, Copilot etc...) explicitly allow using OpenCode, they explicitly forbid it.This hostile behaviour is just the last drop.
I can accept specific model limits, not an up/down in terms of reliability. And don't even let me get started on how bad Claude client has become. Others are finally catching up and gpt-5.3-codex is definitely better than opus-4.6Everyone else (Codex CLI, Copilot CLI etc...) is going opensource, they are going closed. Others (OpenAI, Copilot etc...) explicitly allow using OpenCode, they explicitly forbid it.This hostile behaviour is just the last drop.
Everyone else (Codex CLI, Copilot CLI etc...) is going opensource, they are going closed. Others (OpenAI, Copilot etc...) explicitly allow using OpenCode, they explicitly forbid it.This hostile behaviour is just the last drop.
This hostile behaviour is just the last drop.
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It seems like they currently have a lot of false positives: https://github.com/openai/codex/issues?q=High%20risk
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That pattern is people complaining that a particular model has degraded in quality of its responses over time or that it has been “nerfed” etc.Although the models may evolve, and the tools calling them may change, I suspect a huge amount of this is simply confirmation bias.
Although the models may evolve, and the tools calling them may change, I suspect a huge amount of this is simply confirmation bias.
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Is a week the whole attention timespan of the late 2020s?
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My brain trailed off after "won't be long enough to even finish"...
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ps: imafish may only be a fan of
Mark Zuckerberg walked somewhat stiffly into a courtroom of the Superior Court of Los Angeles County at 9 am on the dot on Wednesday, having first been escorted into the building by a security detail that included two Department of Homeland Security officers. The venue, overseen by Judge Carolyn Kuhl, was bursting with spectators and media, many crammed elbow-to-elbow on benches, all there to witness the Meta CEO testify before a jury about allegations that his company's products pose serious risks to younger users.
Specifically, Zuckerberg was on hand to answer questions as to whether Meta products such as Facebook and Instagram were intentionally engineered to be addictive—as well as allegations that the tech giant had deliberately targeted tweens and teens with engagement-boosting strategies that led to mental health crises. It was to be a crucial showdown in a lawsuit brought by a now 20-year-old Californian identified as K.G.M. (although her counsel usually referred to her by her first name, Kaley) and her mother against Meta, YouTube, Snap, and TikTok back in 2023. They allege that her compulsive use of those platforms accounts at an extremely young age caused severe psychological damage.
After Meta and Google failed to get the case dismissed in November, Snap and TikTok settled out of court, leaving the other companies to face the first of nearly two dozen so-called bellwether trials about social media addiction currently on the docket in Los Angeles. These are the cases selected as representative of a much larger pool of litigants—some 1,600 in total—who have filed suits against the same brands on similar grounds, alleging that their children fell victim to depression, dysmorphia, and suicide after they got hooked on apps that absorbed their attention. The families of some of these children were among those vying for a chance to finally see Zuckerberg in the hot seat on Wednesday.
K.G.M.'s counsel, Mark Lanier, launched into his examination of Zuckerberg by putting the 41-year-old executive's credibility under the microscope. Lanier picked apart claims Zuckerberg had made under oath in January 2024 during congressional testimony about online child safety. While Zuckerberg had claimed that children under 13 are not allowed on Instagram, Lanier showed that in 2015 the platform internally estimated that there were then 4 million Instagram users under age 13, comprising 30 percent of 10- to 12-year-olds in the US. While Zuckerberg previously claimed that the Meta team does not receive directives to increase the time users spend on their platforms, Lanier produced a 2015 goal-setting email from Zuckerberg that listed this as the first item.
Elsewhere, Lanier sought to establish Zuckerberg's ultimate decisionmaking authority over Meta and quoted a remark he made in an interview with Joe Rogan last year: “Because I control our company, I have the benefit of not having to convince the board not to fire me,” he'd told the podcast host. Zuckerberg insisted in court that this was merely a “simplified” version of the truth.
Over the course of his testimony, Zuckerberg was oddly evasive about even insignificant details and basic definitions. He was not quite prepared to confirm that his relevant congressional testimony had taken place on January 31, 2024, for example, and was hesitant to agree with Lanier's proposition that when something is “addictive,” people “do it more.” He ultimately hedged: “Maybe in the near term.” Zuckerberg also preferred to acknowledge any past comment, in probabilistic fashion, by saying, “It sounds like something I would have said.” Likewise, when asked whether internal documents appeared to suggest Meta's interest in maximizing “total teen time spent” on their apps, he often replied, “That's what the document says.”
Zuckerberg repeatedly fell back on accusing Lanier of "mischaracterizing" his previous statements. When it came to emails, Zuckerberg typically objected based on how old the message was or his lack of familiarity with the Meta employees involved. “I don't think so, no,” he replied when directed to clarify whether he knew Karina Newton, Instagram's head of public policy in 2021. And Zuckerberg never failed to point out when he wasn't actually on an email thread entered as evidence.
Perhaps anticipating these detached and repetitive talking points from Zuckerberg—who claimed over and over that any increased engagement from a user on Facebook or Instagram merely reflected the “value” of those apps—Lanier early on suggested that the CEO has been coached to address these issues. “You have extensive media training,” he said. “I think I'm sort of well-known to be pretty bad at this,” Zuckerberg protested, getting a rare laugh from the courtroom. Lanier went on to present Meta documents outlining communication strategies for Zuckerberg, describing his team as “telling you what kind of answers to give,” including in a context such as testifying under oath. “I'm not sure what you're trying to imply,” Zuckerberg said. In the afternoon, Meta counsel Paul Schmidt returned to that line of questioning, asking if Zuckerberg had to speak to the media because of his role as head of a major business. “More than I would like,” Zuckerberg said, to more laughter.
In an even more, well, “meta” moment after the court had returned from lunch, Kuhl struck a stern tone by warning all in the room that anyone wearing “glasses that record”—such as the AI-equipped Oakley and Ray-Ban glasses sold by Meta for up to $499—had to remove them while attending the proceedings, where both video and audio recordings are prohibited.
K.G.M.'s suit and the others to follow are novel in their sidestepping of Section 230, a law that has protected tech companies from liability for content created by users on their platforms. As such, Zuckerberg stuck to a playbook that framed the lawsuit as a fundamental misunderstanding of how Meta works. When Lanier presented evidence that Meta teams were working on increasing the minutes users spent on their platforms each day, Zuckerberg countered that the company had long ago moved on from those objectives, or that those numbers were not even “goals” per se, just metrics of competitiveness within the industry. When Lanier questioned if Meta was merely hiding behind an age-limit policy that was “unenforced” and maybe “unenforceable,” per an email from Nick Clegg, Meta's former president of global affairs, Zuckerberg calmly deflected with a narrative about people circumventing their safeguards despite continual improvements on that front.
Lanier, though, could always return to K.G.M., who he said had signed up for Instagram at the age of 9, some five years before the app started asking users for their birthday in 2019. While Zuckerberg could more or less brush off internal data on, say, the need to convert tweens into loyal teen users, or Meta's apparent rejection of the alarming expert analysis they had commissioned on the risks of Instagram's “beauty filters,” he didn't have a prepackaged response to Lanier's grand finale: a billboard-sized tarp, which took up half the width of the courtroom and required seven people to hold, of hundreds of posts from K.G.M.'s Instagram account. As Zuckerberg blinked hard at the vast display, visible only to himself, Kuhl, and the jury, Lanier said it was a measure of the sheer amount of time K.G.M. had poured into the app. “In a sense, y'all own these pictures,” he added. “I'm not sure that's accurate,” Zuckerberg replied.
When Lanier had finished and Schmidt was given the chance to set Zuckerberg up for an alternate vision of Meta as a utopia of connection and free expression, the founder quickly gained his stride again. “I wanted people to have a good experience with it,” he said of the company's platforms. Then, a moment later: “People shift their time naturally according to what they find valuable.”
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I guess the question to leadership is that two of the three pillars , namely security and quality are at odds with the third pillar— AI innovation. Which side do you pick?(I know you mean well and I love you, Scott Hanselman but please don't answer this yourself. Please pass this on to the leadership.)
(I know you mean well and I love you, Scott Hanselman but please don't answer this yourself. Please pass this on to the leadership.)
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Microsoft was unique among the companies I worked for in that they gave you some guidelines and then let you blog without having to go through some approval or editing process. It made blogging much more personal and organic IMO; company-curated blog posts read like marketing.I didn't see the original post but it looks like somebody made a bad judgment call on what to put in a company blog post (and maybe what constitutes ethical activity) and that it was taken down as soon as someone noticed.I care much less about whether the person exercised good judgment in posting, and don't care (and am happy) that there was not some process that would have caught it pre-publication.I care much more if the person works in a team that believes that copyright infringement for AI training is a justifiable behavior in a corporate environment.And now we know that is a thing, and I suspect that there will be some hard questions asked by lawyers inside the company, and perhaps by lawyers outside the company.
I didn't see the original post but it looks like somebody made a bad judgment call on what to put in a company blog post (and maybe what constitutes ethical activity) and that it was taken down as soon as someone noticed.I care much less about whether the person exercised good judgment in posting, and don't care (and am happy) that there was not some process that would have caught it pre-publication.I care much more if the person works in a team that believes that copyright infringement for AI training is a justifiable behavior in a corporate environment.And now we know that is a thing, and I suspect that there will be some hard questions asked by lawyers inside the company, and perhaps by lawyers outside the company.
I care much less about whether the person exercised good judgment in posting, and don't care (and am happy) that there was not some process that would have caught it pre-publication.I care much more if the person works in a team that believes that copyright infringement for AI training is a justifiable behavior in a corporate environment.And now we know that is a thing, and I suspect that there will be some hard questions asked by lawyers inside the company, and perhaps by lawyers outside the company.
I care much more if the person works in a team that believes that copyright infringement for AI training is a justifiable behavior in a corporate environment.And now we know that is a thing, and I suspect that there will be some hard questions asked by lawyers inside the company, and perhaps by lawyers outside the company.
And now we know that is a thing, and I suspect that there will be some hard questions asked by lawyers inside the company, and perhaps by lawyers outside the company.
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It feels out of character for a company like Microsoft to have such a policy, but I agree that it's insanely cool that some very cool folks get to post pretty freely. Raymond Chen could NEVER run his blog like that at FAANG.
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Bruce Dawson was publishing debugging stories (including things debugged about Google products done as part of his job) for the entire time he was working at Google: https://randomascii.wordpress.com/
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https://devblogs.microsoft.com/
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I was/am a nobody, I have no idea how that happened and it was mind blowing that MS was interacting with me.
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If you or anyone else who sees this wants to see the original post, it's still available in the Wayback Machine: https://web.archive.org/web/20260105115129/https://devblogs....
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Copywriter aside it looks like an interesting blog post.
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Why do you assume that reviewing docs is a lower bar than reviewing code, and that if docs aren't being reviewed it's somehow less likely that code is being reviewed?There's a formal process for reviewing code because bugs can break things in massive ways. While there may not be the same degree of rigor for reviewing documentation because it's not going to stop the software from working.But one doesn't necessarily say anything about the other.
There's a formal process for reviewing code because bugs can break things in massive ways. While there may not be the same degree of rigor for reviewing documentation because it's not going to stop the software from working.But one doesn't necessarily say anything about the other.
But one doesn't necessarily say anything about the other.
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What they say is that low quality in the documentation does not mean low quality in the code. Nothing says that they are related.
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I realize BSOD is no longer nearly as common as it once was, but let's not forget that Windows used to be very fragile indeed.
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Anecdotally, installing wrong drivers (in my case it was drivers for COM-port STM32 interaction) could make it as common as twice a day on Win11.
While my windows server 2008 still doing just great, no BSOD through lifetime.I agree that for a common user BSOD is now less likely to happen, but wonder whether it's less to do with windows core, and more with windows defender default aggressive settings
I agree that for a common user BSOD is now less likely to happen, but wonder whether it's less to do with windows core, and more with windows defender default aggressive settings
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It was more robust 5 years ago than it is today.Or at least that's been my impression. I can't back that up with hard data.
Or at least that's been my impression. I can't back that up with hard data.
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> I don't know if you are just playing devil's advocateIndeed, that is playing Devil's Advocate but one should remember that such Advocacy is performed to make sure that arguments against the Devil are as strong as they can be. It's not straightforward to see how simply repeating an assertion helps to argue for the veracity of it.
Indeed, that is playing Devil's Advocate but one should remember that such Advocacy is performed to make sure that arguments against the Devil are as strong as they can be. It's not straightforward to see how simply repeating an assertion helps to argue for the veracity of it.
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I have never even heard of a software company that acts otherwise (except IBM, and much of the world of Silicon Valley software engineering is reactionary to IBM's glacial pace).I'm not saying docs == code for importance is a bad way to be, just that if you can name firms that treat them that way other than IBM (or aerospace), I'd be interested to learn more.
I'm not saying docs == code for importance is a bad way to be, just that if you can name firms that treat them that way other than IBM (or aerospace), I'd be interested to learn more.
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What I'm saying is, you have to review code to get it out the door with a certain degree of quality. That's your core product. That's the minimum standard you have to pass, the lowest bar.In contrast, reviewing documentation is usually less core. You do that after the code gets reviewed. If there's time. If it doesn't get done, that's not necessarily saying anything about code quality.Even if it's easier to review documentation, that doesn't mean it's getting prioritized. So it's not a lower bar in the sense that lower bars get climbed first.
In contrast, reviewing documentation is usually less core. You do that after the code gets reviewed. If there's time. If it doesn't get done, that's not necessarily saying anything about code quality.Even if it's easier to review documentation, that doesn't mean it's getting prioritized. So it's not a lower bar in the sense that lower bars get climbed first.
Even if it's easier to review documentation, that doesn't mean it's getting prioritized. So it's not a lower bar in the sense that lower bars get climbed first.
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You reason in circles
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Organizations are large, so much so that different levels of rigor across different parts of the organization. Furthermore, more rigorous controls would be applied to code than for documentation (you would assume).
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I wasn't mad, just disappointed.
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Uber is a rebadged taxi service with seedier people than before.AirBnB is a less disguised but still rebadged B&B service with seedier people than before.Charlie Munger said it best. Cryptocurrency is like seeing a bunch of people trading turds and saying to yourself "well.. I don't want to miss out!" The seediest of all people.AI doesn't even really exist by any common definition. They have supremely weak and power hungry language models trained on terabytes of stolen data and reddit conversations.Hell, watching a guy hammer himself in his own nuts on youtube is an innovation, and I think I'm going to go do /that/ now instead of being depressed. Watching "ow my balls" and baitin'. What's left?
AirBnB is a less disguised but still rebadged B&B service with seedier people than before.Charlie Munger said it best. Cryptocurrency is like seeing a bunch of people trading turds and saying to yourself "well.. I don't want to miss out!" The seediest of all people.AI doesn't even really exist by any common definition. They have supremely weak and power hungry language models trained on terabytes of stolen data and reddit conversations.Hell, watching a guy hammer himself in his own nuts on youtube is an innovation, and I think I'm going to go do /that/ now instead of being depressed. Watching "ow my balls" and baitin'. What's left?
Charlie Munger said it best. Cryptocurrency is like seeing a bunch of people trading turds and saying to yourself "well.. I don't want to miss out!" The seediest of all people.AI doesn't even really exist by any common definition. They have supremely weak and power hungry language models trained on terabytes of stolen data and reddit conversations.Hell, watching a guy hammer himself in his own nuts on youtube is an innovation, and I think I'm going to go do /that/ now instead of being depressed. Watching "ow my balls" and baitin'. What's left?
AI doesn't even really exist by any common definition. They have supremely weak and power hungry language models trained on terabytes of stolen data and reddit conversations.Hell, watching a guy hammer himself in his own nuts on youtube is an innovation, and I think I'm going to go do /that/ now instead of being depressed. Watching "ow my balls" and baitin'. What's left?
Hell, watching a guy hammer himself in his own nuts on youtube is an innovation, and I think I'm going to go do /that/ now instead of being depressed. Watching "ow my balls" and baitin'. What's left?
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https://www.kaggle.com/datasets/shubhammaindola/harry-potter...More than just using the data, it seems linking to a copy that claims the dataset is public domain, would be problematic copyright-wise.Also interesting, this blog post has been up since November of 2024,
very surprising to me that Microsoft hasn't taken it down yet.
More than just using the data, it seems linking to a copy that claims the dataset is public domain, would be problematic copyright-wise.Also interesting, this blog post has been up since November of 2024,
very surprising to me that Microsoft hasn't taken it down yet.
Also interesting, this blog post has been up since November of 2024,
very surprising to me that Microsoft hasn't taken it down yet.
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When I try to fill the questionaire, my request is rejected with this message: We understand that you are not legally authorized to file a copyright complaint on behalf of the copyright owner.
In accordance with applicable copyright laws, we only accept copyright complaints from copyright owners or their authorized representatives. If you have legal questions about copyright law, please consult your own legal counsel.
We are sorry we cannot assist you further.
Hysterical. What a farce. That data set is pure theft.
We understand that you are not legally authorized to file a copyright complaint on behalf of the copyright owner.
In accordance with applicable copyright laws, we only accept copyright complaints from copyright owners or their authorized representatives. If you have legal questions about copyright law, please consult your own legal counsel.
We are sorry we cannot assist you further.
Hysterical. What a farce. That data set is pure theft.
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(e.g. see youtube, where this is (used to be?) poorly enforced, it's a mess)
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Would it? Sounds to me like the blame lies on the person uploading the dataset under that license, unless there is some reasonable person standard applied here like 'everyone knows Harry Potter, and thus they should know it is obviously not CC0'
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Yes there's an expectation that you put in some minimum amount of effort. The license issue here is not subtle, the Kaggle page says they just downloaded the eBooks and converted them to txt. The author is clearly familiar enough with HP to know that it's not old enough to be public domain, and the Kaggle page makes it pretty clear that they didn't get some kind of special permission.If you want to get more specific on the legal side then copyright infringement does not require that you _knew_ you were infringing on the copyright, it's still infringement either way and you can be made to pay damages. It's entirely on you to verify the license.
If you want to get more specific on the legal side then copyright infringement does not require that you _knew_ you were infringing on the copyright, it's still infringement either way and you can be made to pay damages. It's entirely on you to verify the license.
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Why wouldn't that apply?
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How many people think they can rip off Disney characters even if they don't know how much Disney lobbied to extend their ownership? People can observe that no one but Disney gets to use them and understand, even if not consciously, that those are Disney's to use.^ Probably poorly written without time to proof cause time constraint.
^ Probably poorly written without time to proof cause time constraint.
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_copyright_duration_by_...
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https://archive.is/D9vEN
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So in short, I kept my mouth shut. I assumed I would lose my job if my public comment reached the right people.
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https://github.com/Azure-Samples/azure-sql-db-vector-search/...
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https://utcc.utoronto.ca/~cks/space/blog/web/HackernewsEffec...
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https://devblogs.microsoft.com/azure-sql/?p=4796"Build a RAG App in 5 MinutesEver tried setting up an Al-powered project onAzure and felt overwhelmed? As a student or first- time user to cloud computing, I've been there too. The idea of creating a chatbot or search app using GPT sounds exciting, but the process of setting up everything right from the vector database, provisioning OpenAl models, to integrating them,it can f..."
"Build a RAG App in 5 MinutesEver tried setting up an Al-powered project onAzure and felt overwhelmed? As a student or first- time user to cloud computing, I've been there too. The idea of creating a chatbot or search app using GPT sounds exciting, but the process of setting up everything right from the vector database, provisioning OpenAl models, to integrating them,it can f..."
Ever tried setting up an Al-powered project onAzure and felt overwhelmed? As a student or first- time user to cloud computing, I've been there too. The idea of creating a chatbot or search app using GPT sounds exciting, but the process of setting up everything right from the vector database, provisioning OpenAl models, to integrating them,it can f..."
Azure and felt overwhelmed? As a student or first- time user to cloud computing, I've been there too. The idea of creating a chatbot or search app using GPT sounds exciting, but the process of setting up everything right from the vector database, provisioning OpenAl models, to integrating them,it can f..."
it can f..."
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I'm disappointed people continue to use it.
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If anything Kaggle would be on the hook for including the data as CC0. Or perhaps to Shubham Maindola for uploading it. In fact the "provenance" listed would give me chills. Crazy how this got a 10.0 score. "I downloaded the ebooks of Harry Potter. Then converted them to txt files."
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Microsoft has a market cap of almost $3 trillion. I think they can afford to pay for the texts they use in their AI research.
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I'm surprised that JKR's people haven't come down like a tonne of bricks on Kaggle / Microsoft.Does anyone know whether there is some special reason why this has lasted so long without being taken down?
Does anyone know whether there is some special reason why this has lasted so long without being taken down?
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[1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47057829, "Microsoft morged my diagram". It was in a discussion there that someone pointed out this article linking to full downloads of the Harry Potter novels, which I thought deserved more visibility.
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But this is just a lie.Approximately nobody is prosecuted for copyright infringement.
Approximately nobody is prosecuted for copyright infringement.
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We're moving the goalposts from the government systematically targeting normal people “if caught”, to only a handful of civil cases.
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I think most would agree that cases like that act as a deterrent?
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> I think most would agree that cases like that act as a deterrent?I think we could hardly get any further from “the rest of us are prosecuted as harshly as possible if caught”.
I think we could hardly get any further from “the rest of us are prosecuted as harshly as possible if caught”.
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[1]https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/throw_the_book_atNow, as for "the rest of us are prosecuted as harshly as possible if caught". You are correct in your pedantry that this statement not expressed as rigorously as it possibly could have been. There are different classes of copyright infringement; "receiving" and "perpetuating" being two of them [to avoid further pedantry, I am not asserting this is precise legal terminology but rather a lay distinction for the purposes of discussion]. It is the latter case which is tried as harshly as possible when caught, and there are many such examples other than Swartz, and I think it was clear my intent when I said it despite the fact that I did not write about the distinction at length.That is not to say the situation around the former type of copyright infringement is so kind, either. While in some countries it is mostly overlooked, which I believe to be the case in the US, in other countries it is more strictly enforced, such being the case in my own country. While "as harshly as possible" isn't accurate to prosecution against infringement of this nature, you can still be disproportionately punished relative to the damage caused when downloading pirated material for personal viewing, if caught (and ISPs/rightsholders do monitor for it to the best of their abilities).There is also a third class of copyright infringement to consider which is highly disfavourable to individuals: derivative works. Strictly speaking, even as something as simple as drawing fanart of a character or remixing a song is illegal, even if the activity is completely non-commercial in nature. This is, of course, absolutely ridiculous. Rightsholders know that copyright law reformation would gain tremendous popular support if they were draconian about enforcing their rights against derivative works, and that allowing fan communities to bloom is actually beneficial to their own IP, so enforcement is highly selective. However, that arbitrary, selective nature of enforcement is itself dangerous to individuals, and is sometimes used to punish specific individuals as harshly as possible at the whims of the IP holder. It is true that not everyone is actually subjected to this, but the threat of it happening looms over everyone who expresses their creativity through derivative works.None of this sits right with me, especially as corporations are hoovering up every piece of copyrighted material they possibly can and creating commercial derivative-work-machines that mass-produce sloppified derivative works, and are getting a completely free pass by the legal system to do so while individuals are still treated like felons for 'crimes' that are at most marginally harmful, or in the case of the creative production of derivative works, not only not harmful but actually beneficial to society.
Now, as for "the rest of us are prosecuted as harshly as possible if caught". You are correct in your pedantry that this statement not expressed as rigorously as it possibly could have been. There are different classes of copyright infringement; "receiving" and "perpetuating" being two of them [to avoid further pedantry, I am not asserting this is precise legal terminology but rather a lay distinction for the purposes of discussion]. It is the latter case which is tried as harshly as possible when caught, and there are many such examples other than Swartz, and I think it was clear my intent when I said it despite the fact that I did not write about the distinction at length.That is not to say the situation around the former type of copyright infringement is so kind, either. While in some countries it is mostly overlooked, which I believe to be the case in the US, in other countries it is more strictly enforced, such being the case in my own country. While "as harshly as possible" isn't accurate to prosecution against infringement of this nature, you can still be disproportionately punished relative to the damage caused when downloading pirated material for personal viewing, if caught (and ISPs/rightsholders do monitor for it to the best of their abilities).There is also a third class of copyright infringement to consider which is highly disfavourable to individuals: derivative works. Strictly speaking, even as something as simple as drawing fanart of a character or remixing a song is illegal, even if the activity is completely non-commercial in nature. This is, of course, absolutely ridiculous. Rightsholders know that copyright law reformation would gain tremendous popular support if they were draconian about enforcing their rights against derivative works, and that allowing fan communities to bloom is actually beneficial to their own IP, so enforcement is highly selective. However, that arbitrary, selective nature of enforcement is itself dangerous to individuals, and is sometimes used to punish specific individuals as harshly as possible at the whims of the IP holder. It is true that not everyone is actually subjected to this, but the threat of it happening looms over everyone who expresses their creativity through derivative works.None of this sits right with me, especially as corporations are hoovering up every piece of copyrighted material they possibly can and creating commercial derivative-work-machines that mass-produce sloppified derivative works, and are getting a completely free pass by the legal system to do so while individuals are still treated like felons for 'crimes' that are at most marginally harmful, or in the case of the creative production of derivative works, not only not harmful but actually beneficial to society.
That is not to say the situation around the former type of copyright infringement is so kind, either. While in some countries it is mostly overlooked, which I believe to be the case in the US, in other countries it is more strictly enforced, such being the case in my own country. While "as harshly as possible" isn't accurate to prosecution against infringement of this nature, you can still be disproportionately punished relative to the damage caused when downloading pirated material for personal viewing, if caught (and ISPs/rightsholders do monitor for it to the best of their abilities).There is also a third class of copyright infringement to consider which is highly disfavourable to individuals: derivative works. Strictly speaking, even as something as simple as drawing fanart of a character or remixing a song is illegal, even if the activity is completely non-commercial in nature. This is, of course, absolutely ridiculous. Rightsholders know that copyright law reformation would gain tremendous popular support if they were draconian about enforcing their rights against derivative works, and that allowing fan communities to bloom is actually beneficial to their own IP, so enforcement is highly selective. However, that arbitrary, selective nature of enforcement is itself dangerous to individuals, and is sometimes used to punish specific individuals as harshly as possible at the whims of the IP holder. It is true that not everyone is actually subjected to this, but the threat of it happening looms over everyone who expresses their creativity through derivative works.None of this sits right with me, especially as corporations are hoovering up every piece of copyrighted material they possibly can and creating commercial derivative-work-machines that mass-produce sloppified derivative works, and are getting a completely free pass by the legal system to do so while individuals are still treated like felons for 'crimes' that are at most marginally harmful, or in the case of the creative production of derivative works, not only not harmful but actually beneficial to society.
There is also a third class of copyright infringement to consider which is highly disfavourable to individuals: derivative works. Strictly speaking, even as something as simple as drawing fanart of a character or remixing a song is illegal, even if the activity is completely non-commercial in nature. This is, of course, absolutely ridiculous. Rightsholders know that copyright law reformation would gain tremendous popular support if they were draconian about enforcing their rights against derivative works, and that allowing fan communities to bloom is actually beneficial to their own IP, so enforcement is highly selective. However, that arbitrary, selective nature of enforcement is itself dangerous to individuals, and is sometimes used to punish specific individuals as harshly as possible at the whims of the IP holder. It is true that not everyone is actually subjected to this, but the threat of it happening looms over everyone who expresses their creativity through derivative works.None of this sits right with me, especially as corporations are hoovering up every piece of copyrighted material they possibly can and creating commercial derivative-work-machines that mass-produce sloppified derivative works, and are getting a completely free pass by the legal system to do so while individuals are still treated like felons for 'crimes' that are at most marginally harmful, or in the case of the creative production of derivative works, not only not harmful but actually beneficial to society.
None of this sits right with me, especially as corporations are hoovering up every piece of copyrighted material they possibly can and creating commercial derivative-work-machines that mass-produce sloppified derivative works, and are getting a completely free pass by the legal system to do so while individuals are still treated like felons for 'crimes' that are at most marginally harmful, or in the case of the creative production of derivative works, not only not harmful but actually beneficial to society.
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Shit, I don't even think the people who screamed "Snape killed Dumbledore" at lines for book 6 based on leaked copies that hit before the street date got in any trouble.
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I mean, books3 contained hundreds of thousands of copyrighted books, and people released it under their own name.
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(done, contacted her lawyers too)
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But ignoring that: I do not think that these txt files being online do any economic harm. Noone will go and say "hey, I'm going to read these un-formatted text files instead of buying the 30 year old books for little money or pirating proper epubs which are trivial to find". If at all the kaggle dataset is free publicity. So as the author I would leave them online.
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Archived copy: https://web.archive.org/web/20260105115129/https://devblogs....It is very worrying that people with no ethics work for these trillion dollar companies who are supposed to be shaping the technology of tomorrow.
It is very worrying that people with no ethics work for these trillion dollar companies who are supposed to be shaping the technology of tomorrow.
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Disrespecting the copyright on a multi-billion dollar franchise hardly comes close to the major unethical behavior the trillion dollar companies are committing.
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[1] actual indian
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So far, the only thing I've found AI to be consistently good at is entertainment of the humourous kind.
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Everything new is AI slop, and there seems to be no coming back from it.
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Very low code. Infinite scale. Name a better AI startup to invest.
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The implicit motto of this class of hyper-wealthy people is: "it's not yours if you cannot keep it". Well, game on.(There are 56.5e6 millionaires, and 3e3 billionaires -- making them 0.7% of the global population. They are outnumbered 141.6 to 1. And they seem to reside and physically congregate in a handful of places around the world. They probably wouldn't even notice that their property is being stolen, and even if they did, a simple cycle of theft and recovery would probably drive them into debt).
(There are 56.5e6 millionaires, and 3e3 billionaires -- making them 0.7% of the global population. They are outnumbered 141.6 to 1. And they seem to reside and physically congregate in a handful of places around the world. They probably wouldn't even notice that their property is being stolen, and even if they did, a simple cycle of theft and recovery would probably drive them into debt).
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https://archive.is/7WLho
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https://web.archive.org/web/20260105115129/https://devblogs....
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Nevertheless pretty egregious oversight (incompetence?) and something that shouldn't have been published.
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If it comes from a site claiming it was under a licence when it was not, the misdeed is done by the person who provided the version carrying the licence.
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Even if MS could claim that they were acting in good faith there really isn't much legal wiggle room for that. But it doesn't even come to that because I don't think anyone would buy that they really thought that the Harry Potter books were under the CC0
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Same thing applies here.Up to 80% off all works that are in copyright terms are accidentally in the public domain. A well known example is Night of the Living Dead. It is not your job to check that the copiright on a work you use is the correct one.
Up to 80% off all works that are in copyright terms are accidentally in the public domain. A well known example is Night of the Living Dead. It is not your job to check that the copiright on a work you use is the correct one.
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And it is your job to check that you have the rights to use other people's work. Ignorance is not a defence.
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Which ones? As far as I was aware, it's a crime to redistribute copyrighted works, not receive.
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Although this seems is not reciprocal. Rule for thee, but not for me.
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If I write an article on training an LLM on the leaked Windows XP source code, blithely mark the source code repo as in 'the public domain', but used Azure resources for the how-to steps, would that would make it OK Microsoft? You know, your Azure division might get some money...Seriously, this is just so...blatant. It's like we've all collectively decided that copyright just doesn't matter anymore. Just readin this article, I feel like I'm taking crazy pills.
Seriously, this is just so...blatant. It's like we've all collectively decided that copyright just doesn't matter anymore. Just readin this article, I feel like I'm taking crazy pills.
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[1] https://arxiv.org/abs/2601.02671
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Why exactly?
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A search index might also contain copyrighted material. As long as it's used for search queries as opposed to regurgitation there's no problem. Search indexes and LLMs are both clearly very beneficial tools to have access to.
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Since we're talking about an electronic system the search index example is the more directly relevant one. Anyone who wants to object to LLMs is going to need to take care to ensure consistency with his views on Google's search index.
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Also can you point out how copyright law changes because we're using an "electronic system" as opposed to an "analog system?"
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I never claimed any change in copyright law. Only that one analogy was more direct than the other for the purpose of the current discussion.You didn't answer my question. What point were you trying to make with your earlier reply?
You didn't answer my question. What point were you trying to make with your earlier reply?
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the merge commits in those repositories are all digitally signed by GitHub public key, so the previous history is fully authenticated and non-repudiableso any copies now can be trivially proven to be genuine output by Microslophoisted by your own petardsigned merge commit is: 987eee6af61788647ae0cab82ae8a5d9402a5bd0PGP signature (using GitHub's key: B5690EEEBB952194) is:for posterity: -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----
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The biggest irony would be if the page itself was generated by an LLM.
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https://news.microsoft.com/source/2004/02/12/statement-from-...In case the new anti-copyright Microslop memory-holes that link:https://web.archive.org/web/20260215220230/https://news.micr...The tutorial could have used that leaked source code for "educational purposes", as many here claim.
In case the new anti-copyright Microslop memory-holes that link:https://web.archive.org/web/20260215220230/https://news.micr...The tutorial could have used that leaked source code for "educational purposes", as many here claim.
https://web.archive.org/web/20260215220230/https://news.micr...The tutorial could have used that leaked source code for "educational purposes", as many here claim.
The tutorial could have used that leaked source code for "educational purposes", as many here claim.
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I'm sure the scripts of Star Wars would be similarly ignored if they were used.
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ftfy
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Something like Harry Potter might be shared every day. And I mean as pirate work distributed as new copy. Staying on top of that will be very hard work.
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This however is a very, VERY poor situation when you end up placing your employer at risk because you think copyright doesn't matter and everything on the internet is fair game.This is probably the most polite way I would describe this to most, UG. For the rest, jus stop acting like cheating through a situation to get a step up is the norm, it's just dirty behaviour.
This is probably the most polite way I would describe this to most, UG. For the rest, jus stop acting like cheating through a situation to get a step up is the norm, it's just dirty behaviour.
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But come on … these guides really are for learning purposes. Doesn't seem like a big deal to me at all. They aren't even hosting it, just pointing to kaggle who is hosting it.On principle copyright law should allow this kind of learning use case anyway.
On principle copyright law should allow this kind of learning use case anyway.
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Rowling is known for actively protecting her rights as an author, they couldn't have picked a worse author to slop up
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Everyone should torrent and rip off those books, anyway.
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In fact if you do this as a nonprofit or at an educational institution in a teaching context it's explicitly allowed by fair use already.If you do it individually, idk I'm not a lawyer. But it should be allowed on principle.But if you then go take your trained AI and deploy it for commercial purposes that's a different story and should have protections for the original rights holders.
If you do it individually, idk I'm not a lawyer. But it should be allowed on principle.But if you then go take your trained AI and deploy it for commercial purposes that's a different story and should have protections for the original rights holders.
But if you then go take your trained AI and deploy it for commercial purposes that's a different story and should have protections for the original rights holders.
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Doctors usually focus on a person's average blood pressure, but research increasingly shows that how much blood pressure fluctuates from moment to moment is just as important. Excessive short-term variability is a strong and independent predictor of heart disease, stroke and brain injury.
A group in University of Virginia School of Medicine's Department of Pharmacology has identified a group of nerve cells in the brainstem – a region that controls vital automatic functions – that act as a stabilizing system for blood pressure. The new research suggests these cells help prevent fluctuations when the body shifts between everyday activities such as sleeping, waking up, standing or exercising.
What we found is that a loss of just a few hundred nerve cells leads to unstable blood pressure even though the mean blood pressure was normal. This shows that the system that keeps blood pressure steady from moment to moment is no longer working."
Stephen Abbott, PhD, lead investigator of the study, UVA
Loss or dysfunction of these same brain cells has already been documented in people with multiple system atrophy, a rare and fatal neurological disease related to Parkinson's disease that is marked by severe blood pressure problems. The findings suggest that similar brain-based mechanisms could contribute to blood pressure instability in other conditions where average blood pressure appears normal by standard measurements. The findings could open the door to treatments to stabilize blood pressure and prevent those harmful effects.
"Our work emphasizes a new appreciation for how we think about blood pressure problems," Abbott said. "It's not just about lowering the numbers – it's about keeping blood pressure stable from moment to moment."
Abbott and his colleagues have published their blood pressure findings in the scientific journal Circulation Research. The research team consisted of George M.P.R. Souza, Harsha Thakkalapally, Faye E. Berry, Leah F. Wisniewski, Ulrich M. Atongazi, Daniel S. Stornetta and Abbott. The scientists have no financial interest in the work.
The research was supported by the National Institutes of Health, grant HL148004.
Finding new ways to understand and treat the most complex and challenging medical conditions is a primary mission for UVA's new Paul and Diane Manning Institute of Biotechnology. The institute aims to accelerate how quickly lab discoveries can be translated into lifesaving new treatments for patients.
University of Virginia Health System
Souza, G. M. P. R., et al. (2026). Control of Blood Pressure Variability Across Behavioral States by Brainstem Adrenergic Neurons. Circulation Research. DOI: 10.1161/CIRCRESAHA.125.326792. https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/CIRCRESAHA.125.326792
Posted in: Medical Science News | Medical Research News | Medical Condition News
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Dr. Lena Smirnova
Brain microphysiological systems are reshaping in vitro neurotoxicity testing through functional validation and advanced disease modeling.
Natasha Bury
Targeted protein degradation presents a promising strategy to address antimicrobial resistance, focusing on innovative approaches for gram-negative bacteria.
Rosanna Zhang
In our latest interview, News-Medical speaks with Rosanna Zhang from ACROBiosystems about utilizing organoids for disease modeling in the field of neuroscience research.
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New medical developments make it possible to treat an increasing number of severe and rare diseases with novel, high-cost pharmaceuticals. At the same time, there are limited resources. The aim of this thesis is to examine how the treatment of rare diseases challenges the priority-setting system in the Norwegian public health service. The findings can help inform Norwegian health policy in this field by contributing to the further development of national priority-setting processes and tools for allocating healthcare resources in clinical practice.
The thesis explores this aim both at the national level and in the encounters between physicians and patients in the clinic.The first sub-study analyses how Norwegian health priorities were discussed in the media before and after the establishment of the Decision Forum and the National System for Managed Introduction of New Health Technologies (Nye Metoder), based on the debate surrounding three high-cost treatments for cancer and rare diseases between 2013 and 2019. The study shows that these cases engage a wide range of commentators, and that discussions about individual treatments increasingly moved out of party politics after the establishment of Nye Metoder.The second sub-study investigates which criteria the public emphasises when making priority decisions between hypothetical patient groups. The findings show that patients who are expected to experience reduced informal caregiving needs or improved ability to work - societal criteria - are most likely to be prioritised. Patients who can gain more quality-adjusted life years or who have more severe conditions - health-related criteria - are also prioritised more highly. Responses related to work ability depend on whether the respondents themselves are employed.The third sub-study is based on interviews with 18 physicians regarding the introduction of a new, high-cost treatment for cystic fibrosis in 2022. Two main findings are described: Physicians negotiate the content of clinical guidelines in their encounters with patients, and they interpret the treatment cost in ways that enable them to continue offering the therapy - even when the effect is uncertain - rather than discontinuing it.The thesis increases understanding of the priority-setting challenges associated with expensive pharmaceuticals for rare diseases. The findings show that physicians often face difficult situations when translating overarching priority-setting principles into clinical practice, particularly when both the costs and the consequences for other patient groups are unclear. These insights may therefore support the further development of priority-setting tools in the healthcare system. Greater transparency in price agreements and clearer, evidence-based criteria in clinical guidelines for high-cost medicines can provide better support to clinicians when navigating uncertain treatment effects, while also contributing to fairer and more transparent priority-setting in the health service.
University of Bergen
Posted in: Medical Research News | Healthcare News | Pharmaceutical News
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Dr. Lena Smirnova
Brain microphysiological systems are reshaping in vitro neurotoxicity testing through functional validation and advanced disease modeling.
Natasha Bury
Targeted protein degradation presents a promising strategy to address antimicrobial resistance, focusing on innovative approaches for gram-negative bacteria.
Rosanna Zhang
In our latest interview, News-Medical speaks with Rosanna Zhang from ACROBiosystems about utilizing organoids for disease modeling in the field of neuroscience research.
News-Medical.Net provides this medical information service in accordance
with these terms and conditions.
Please note that medical information found
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Last Updated: Thursday 19 Feb 2026
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Certain neighborhood characteristics, including higher poverty, more uninsured residents, and lower educational attainment, may lead to an increase in COPD-related emergency department visits and hospitalizations, according to a new study in the January 2026 issue of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Diseases: Journal of the COPD Foundation, a peer-reviewed, open access journal.
COPD, which includes emphysema and chronic bronchitis, affects more than 30 million Americans and is the fourth leading cause of death worldwide. It can be caused by genetics and irritants like smoke or pollution.
Acute exacerbations, or flare-ups, are a sudden worsening of symptoms. People experiencing an acute exacerbation often require an emergency department visit or hospitalization, which can impact quality of life and health care costs.
This observational, ecological study analyzed nearly 10,000 COPD-related emergency department visits, hospitalizations, and 30-day readmissions in census tracts in Travis County, Texas from 2016 through 2020. Census tracts are small, relatively permanent subdivisions of a county, averaging approximately 4,000 people. Population characteristics, economic status, and living conditions are consistent among each census tract.
The results showed geographic patterns across neighborhoods when examining specific neighborhood characteristics for emergency department visits and hospitalizations related to a COPD exacerbation. Hospital readmission rates did not show the same geographic patterning.
Our findings suggest that addressing the risk of COPD exacerbations requires not just prioritizing individual medical care but also implementing community-level interventions that target neighborhood risk factors. By combining population-based data with studies focusing on an individual's exacerbation risk profile, we can inform appropriate policies to help improve people's quality of life and reduce acute care use."
Trisha M. Parekh, D.O., MSPH, of the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care at Dell Medical School at The University of Texas at Austin and lead author of the study
COPD Foundation
Parekh, T. M., et al. (2026) Census Tract Variability in COPD Emergency Department, Hospitalization, and Readmission Rates in Travis County, Texas. Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Diseases Journal of the COPD Foundation. DOI: 10.15326/jcopdf.2025.0663. https://journal.copdfoundation.org/jcopdf/id/1574/Census-Tract-Variability-in-COPD-Emergency-Department-Hospitalization-and-Readmission-Rates-in-Travis-County-Texas
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Brain microphysiological systems are reshaping in vitro neurotoxicity testing through functional validation and advanced disease modeling.
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Targeted protein degradation presents a promising strategy to address antimicrobial resistance, focusing on innovative approaches for gram-negative bacteria.
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Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have developed a method to predict when someone is likely to develop symptoms of Alzheimer's disease using a single blood test.
In a new study published Feb. 19 in Nature Medicine, the researchers demonstrated that their models predicted the onset of Alzheimer's symptoms within a margin of three to four years. This could have implications both for clinical trials developing preventive Alzheimer's treatments and for eventually identifying individuals likely to benefit from these treatments.
More than 7 million Americans live with Alzheimer's disease, with health and long-term care costs for Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia projected to reach nearly $400 billion in 2025, according to the Alzheimer's Association. This massive public health burden currently has no cure, but predictive models could help efforts to develop treatments that prevent or slow the onset of Alzheimer's symptoms.
Our work shows the feasibility of using blood tests, which are substantially cheaper and more accessible than brain imaging scans or spinal fluid tests, for predicting the onset of Alzheimer's symptoms."
Suzanne E. Schindler, MD, PhD, senior author, associate professor in the WashU Medicine Department of Neurology
Schindler noted that these models could allow clinical trials of potentially preventive treatments to be performed within a shorter time period.
"In the near term, these models will accelerate our research and clinical trials," she said. "Eventually, the goal is to be able to tell individual patients when they are likely to develop symptoms, which will help them and their doctors to develop a plan to prevent or slow symptoms."
The study was part of a project developed and launched by the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health Biomarkers Consortium, a public-private partnership of which WashU Medicine is a member.
The models that Schindler and her colleagues developed use a protein called p-tau217 in an individual's plasma, the liquid part of the blood, to estimate the age when they will begin experiencing symptoms of the neurodegenerative disease. Levels of p-tau217 in the plasma can currently be used to help doctors diagnose Alzheimer's in patients with cognitive impairment. These tests are not currently recommended in cognitively unimpaired individuals outside of clinical trials or research.
To identify the interval between elevated p-tau217 levels and Alzheimer's symptoms, Schindler and lead author Kellen K. Petersen, PhD, an instructor in neurology at WashU Medicine, analyzed data from volunteers in two independent long-running Alzheimer's research initiatives: the WashU Medicine Knight Alzheimer Disease Research Center (Knight ADRC) and the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI), based at multiple sites in the U.S. The participants included 603 older adults who lived independently in the community.
Plasma p-tau217 was measured with PrecivityAD2, a clinically available diagnostic blood test for Alzheimer's disease from C2N Diagnostics, a WashU startup co-founded by WashU Medicine researchers David M. Holtzman, MD, the Barbara Burton and Reuben M. Morriss III Distinguished Professor, and Randall J. Bateman, MD, the Charles F. & Joanne Knight Distinguished Professor of Neurology, both coauthors on the study. Plasma p-tau217 was also measured in the ADNI cohort using blood tests from other companies, including one cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Plasma p-tau217 has previously been shown to correlate strongly with the accumulation of amyloid and tau in the brain as shown on PET scans. The key hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease, amyloid and tau are misfolded proteins that begin building up in the brain many years before Alzheimer's symptoms develop.
"Amyloid and tau levels are similar to tree rings - if we know how many rings a tree has, we know how many years old it is," Petersen said. "It turns out that amyloid and tau also accumulate in a consistent pattern and the age they become positive strongly predicts when someone is going to develop Alzheimer's symptoms. We found this is also true of plasma p-tau217, which reflects both amyloid and tau levels."
The models predicted the age of symptom onset within a margin of error of three to four years. Older individuals had a shorter time from when elevated p-tau217 appeared to the start of symptoms as compared to younger participants, suggesting that younger people's brains may be more resilient to neurodegeneration and that older people may develop symptoms at lower levels of Alzheimer's pathology. For example, if a person had elevated p-tau217 in their plasma at age 60, they developed symptoms 20 years later. If p-tau217 wasn't elevated until age 80, they developed symptoms only 11 years later.
The team found that their predictive model worked with the other p-tau217-based diagnostic tests for Alzheimer's disease besides PrecivityAD2, illustrating the robustness and generalizability of their approach.
The authors shared all code for development of the models so that other researchers can further refine the models. Additionally, Petersen developed a web-based application allowing researchers to explore the clock models in greater detail.
"These clock models could make clinical trials more efficient by identifying individuals who are likely to develop symptoms within a certain period of time," Petersen said. "With further refinement, these methodologies have the potential to predict symptom onset accurately enough that we could use it in individual clinical care."
Petersen added that additional blood biomarkers are associated with cognitive symptoms in Alzheimer's; as a direction for future research, these could be used to refine the estimates of symptom onset.
Washington University in St. Louis
Petersen, K. K., et al. (2026). Predicting onset of symptomatic Alzheimerʼs disease with plasma p-tau217 clocks. Nature Medicine. DOI: 10.1038/s41591-026-04206-y. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-026-04206-y
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Brain microphysiological systems are reshaping in vitro neurotoxicity testing through functional validation and advanced disease modeling.
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Targeted protein degradation presents a promising strategy to address antimicrobial resistance, focusing on innovative approaches for gram-negative bacteria.
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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.
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Researchers at Amsterdam UMC have discovered that a second pregnancy alters the female brain. Previous research from the same group had already demonstrated the impact of a first pregnancy on the female brain. These results are published today in Nature Communications. The research demonstrates that both a first and a second pregnancy have a strong and unique impact on mothers' brains.
A previous study by Elseline Hoekzema and colleagues was the first to show that pregnancy changes the structure of the human brain. The research group also discovered that pregnancy changes brain functioning. For this follow-up study, they tracked 110 women: some became mothers for the first time, others had their second child, and a third group remained childless. Repeated brain scans allowed them to see exactly what changed in the brain.
With this, we have shown for the first time that the brain not only changes during the first pregnancy, but also during a second. During a first and second pregnancy, the brain changes in both similar and unique ways. Each pregnancy leaves a unique mark on the female brain."
Elseline Hoekzema, head of the Pregnancy Brain Lab at Amsterdam UMC
The greatest changes during a first pregnancy occurred in the structure and activity of the so-called Default Mode Network. This part of the brain is important for many functions including self-reflection and social processes. During a second pregnancy, this network changed again, but less strongly. However, during a second pregnancy, there were more changes in brain networks related to directing attention and responding to stimuli. "It appears that during a second pregnancy, the brain is more strongly altered in networks involved in reacting to sensory cues and in controlling your attention", explains researcher Milou Straathof, who analyzed the data. "These processes may be beneficial when caring for multiple children."
The researchers also found a link between changes in the brain and the bond between mother and child. This link was more prominent during a first pregnancy than during a second. In addition, the researchers observed connections between structural brain changes and peripartum depression, both during a first and a second pregnancy, providing the first evidence that the changes taking place in a woman's cortex during pregnancy relate to maternal depression. For women who became mothers for the first time, this was especially visible after childbirth. For women having their second child, this was particularly the case during their pregnancy. "This knowledge can help to better understand and recognize mental health problems in mothers. It is important that we understand how the brain adapts to motherhood."
This research provides new insights into how the female brain adapts to motherhood. The large majority of women become pregnant once or multiple times in their lives, yet we are only now starting to unravel how this impacts a woman's brain. This study contributes to addressing this important gap in knowledge on women's biology. The results can also contribute to better care for mothers, for example in preventing and treating postpartum depression. The findings also show that the brain is flexible and can continually adapt to major changes in a woman's life.
Amsterdam University Medical Center
Straathof, M., et al. (2026). The effects of a second pregnancy on women's brain structure and function. Nature Communications. DOI: 10.1038/s41467-026-69370-8. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-026-69370-8
Posted in: Medical Science News | Medical Research News | Women's Health News
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Brain microphysiological systems are reshaping in vitro neurotoxicity testing through functional validation and advanced disease modeling.
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Targeted protein degradation presents a promising strategy to address antimicrobial resistance, focusing on innovative approaches for gram-negative bacteria.
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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.
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Mass General Brigham's evaluation of low-field MRI performance lays potential groundwork for this technology to be a lower-cost, accessible option for breast imaging.
Researchers at Mass General Brigham have demonstrated the technical feasibility of using ultra-low field (ULF) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for breast imaging. With further refinement and evaluation, the technology could offer an alternative to existing breast cancer screening methods and may reduce barriers to screening. Results are published in Scientific Reports.
"These results are a very encouraging proof of principle, though larger studies are needed to establish diagnostic performance," said project principal investigator and co-senior author Matthew Rosen, PhD, an associate professor of Radiology and director of the Low Field MRI laboratory in the Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging in the Mass General Brigham Department of Radiology. "They motivate our continued pursuit of safe, comfortable, lower-cost screening approaches that can expand access for patients."
Current U.S. guidelines recommend screening mammography for women aged 40 to 74 years. Unlike mammography, ULF MRI doesn't require breast compression, which many patients find uncomfortable. Another benefit of ULF MRI is that it doesn't use ionizing radiation.
While higher risk patients may receive MRI screening for breast cancer, standard MRI machines are not used in routine breast cancer screening because they are expensive and not widely available. ULF MRI systems cost less than 5% of the price of standard MRI systems and have lower long-term operating costs.
In this study, ULF MRI scans were performed on 14 participants, including 11 women with no history of breast cancer, two women with a prior breast cancer diagnosis, and one woman with a benign mass.
When interpreting the ULF MRI scans, three radiologists could reliably identify essential breast features and distinguish fibroglandular tissue from adipose tissue. The authors note that discrepancies were likely related to the novelty of ULF MRI and may be reduced with additional training and experience.
"This early evidence suggests that ULF MRI can detect essential breast features and some abnormalities without radiation or injected contrast," said co-first author Neha Koonjoo, PhD, an investigator at the Martinos Center. "These findings point to the potential for ULF MRI as an option that could complement existing screening tools in the future."
"Even at very low magnetic field, the radiology team was able to make observations about the breast," said co-principal investigator and co-senior author Kathryn E. Keenan, PhD, from the US National Institute of Standards and Technology. "We attempted this study in hopes that the breast features would be visible, but you don't always have success. We're very motivated by this study to continue our work on ultra-low-field MRI for breast screening."
The researchers note that further study is needed to determine the diagnostic accuracy of ULF MRI for breast cancer screening, including studies in larger cohorts that include patients with benign and malignant lesions. They also emphasize that further refinements in ULF MRI technology are needed to meet clinical resolution standards for breast cancer screening.
These results will guide the next engineering steps to improve image quality and enable a more comfortable exam and help bring screening to more settings and more patients."
Sheng Shen, PhD, co-first author, Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging
Mass General Brigham
Shen, S., et al. (2026) Breast imaging with ultra-low field MRI. Scientific Reports. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-026-37130-9. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-026-37130-9
Posted in: Device / Technology News | Women's Health News
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A controlled human study reveals that coffee's complex chemical matrix may shape immune responses differently than pure caffeine, highlighting how everyday dietary exposures can subtly influence physiology.
Study: Immune modulation in response to coffee intake: a pilot study. Image Credit: ZeiMomArt / Shutterstock
In a recent study published in the European Journal of Nutrition, researchers evaluated the acute immunological effects of coffee compared with an equivalent dose of caffeine in solution and water in healthy adults.
Coffee consumption and caffeine exposure are widely studied due to their potential metabolic and immunological effects, which affect quality of life and generate public health interest. Many individuals consume caffeine regularly, and understanding its physiological effects remains important, while recognizing that biomarker changes do not necessarily translate into clinical health outcomes.
Dietary bioactive compounds, including caffeine and coffee polyphenols, have attracted attention for possible immunomodulatory effects. Caffeine is a methylxanthine present in coffee, acting partly through adenosine receptor antagonism rather than serotonergic pathways. Unlike pharmaceutical interventions, coffee intake represents a common dietary exposure rather than a clinical treatment, making its physiological impact relevant for everyday health research but not indicative of therapeutic effects.
In the present study, researchers evaluated the acute effects of orally consumed coffee compared with an aqueous caffeine solution and water in healthy volunteers. This was a randomized crossover pilot study involving a small sample (n = 10). Participants were aged 20 to 40 years, healthy, non-smoking regular coffee consumers with normal body mass index.
Individuals with chronic disease, medication use, pregnancy, or other health conditions affecting metabolism or immunity were excluded. Subjects were administered coffee brew, a caffeine solution, or water containing an equivalent caffeine dose (130 mg/100 mL) after a standardized meal to control for postprandial metabolic effects.
In each study phase, participants received one of the three beverages in randomized order with washout periods between sessions. The dose, approximately 130 mg caffeine per serving, was consumed orally.
The primary outcome was the postprandial immune response, including circulating cytokines and caffeine pharmacokinetics. Secondary measures included comparisons of inflammatory cytokines such as interferon gamma and interleukins, as well as caffeine exposure assessed by area under the curve. Safety monitoring included standard clinical observations appropriate for nutritional research.
Statistical analyses involved repeated-measures comparisons of cytokine levels and caffeine pharmacokinetics between interventions.
The study randomized 10 healthy participants to coffee, caffeine solution, and water crossover conditions. Participants were, on average, young adults and habitual coffee drinkers, with comparable baseline characteristics across interventions.
Immune marker responses differed modestly between interventions. Pure caffeine produced more pronounced suppression of certain cytokines, including interferon gamma and selected interleukins, whereas coffee often elicited responses closer to the water control despite equivalent caffeine content.
Systemic caffeine exposure was higher after coffee consumption than after the caffeine solution, suggesting potential matrix effects from other coffee constituents that may influence absorption or metabolism, although the authors interpreted this cautiously, given the pilot-scale design.
Most physiological changes were acute and transient following beverage consumption, with no evidence of clinically significant adverse health effects and no indication of lasting immune alterations within the short observation period.
The intervention was well tolerated among participants who received coffee or other caffeine-containing beverages. No serious adverse events or clinically meaningful abnormalities were reported, although minor transient physiological responses typical of caffeine intake were observed.
Acute consumption of coffee, which delivers approximately 130 mg of caffeine, produced measurable but modest immunological effects in healthy adults, distinct from those observed with isolated caffeine, suggesting that non-caffeine coffee components may modify physiological responses. The intervention appeared safe and well-tolerated.
These findings should be considered preliminary due to the small sample size, short-term design, and healthy participant population. Larger, longer studies across diverse populations and habitual intake patterns are needed to further evaluate the health implications of coffee and caffeine consumption.
Posted in: Medical Science News | Medical Research News | Medical Condition News
Written by
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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GoMo Health and Center for BrainHealth have expanded their partnership, launching The Brain Gym, a brain performance and resiliency fitness solution designed to translate brain science into practical, everyday support for employees.
The Brain Gym couples Center for BrainHealth's extensive expertise in developing science-backed brain health strategies and tools with the GoMo Health BehavioralRx® proprietary science of cognitive human engagement to deliver short, adaptive learning moments that fit naturally into daily life. The program is designed to support employees by strengthening cognitive flexibility, emotional regulation, stress management, and sustained mental performance, without stigma, labeling, or disruption to daily work.
Early adopters of The Brain Gym include organizations operating in high-pressure environments where cognitive performance, stress management, and resilience are essential to optimal daily operations. Among the first to embrace The Brain Gym program is the Dallas Police Department, recognizing that employees benefit from accessible, confidential brain performance and resiliency support that integrates into demanding work schedules.
Together, GoMo Health and Center for BrainHealth are advancing a shared mission: moving proactive brain health from research settings into actionable programs that can easily be adopted into daily life to meaningfully support performance, wellbeing, and resilience – at work and at home.
The expanded partnership deepens collaboration between the two organizations through the integration of Center for BrainHealth's evidence-based, curated content into the GoMo Health engagement platform. Together, the organizations are advancing applied brain health by delivering science-informed, accessible tools that support cognitive performance, adaptability, and resilience in real-world environments.
Center for BrainHealth brings deep experience developing and testing tools that make a difference in everyday life, and GoMo Health brings expertise in cultivating engagement among organizations and teams. This collaboration helps brain health scale up, giving teams and organizations access to a trusted brain health and performance companion."
Stephen White, COO, Center for BrainHealth
"This expanded partnership reflects a shared commitment to translating brain science into practical, real-world impact," said Bob Gold, CEO, Founder and Chief Behavioral Technologist at GoMo Health. "By integrating Center for BrainHealth content into The Brain Gym program, we are helping organizations support cognitive performance and resilience for employees in ways that fit naturally into their daily lives."
The announcement coincides with GoMo Health participation in BrainHealth Week 2026 (February 23-28), organized by Center for BrainHealth, including sponsorship of the Science Summit: Breakthroughs in Precision Brain Health, on February 26.
Center for BrainHealth
Posted in: Healthcare News
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Brain microphysiological systems are reshaping in vitro neurotoxicity testing through functional validation and advanced disease modeling.
Natasha Bury
Targeted protein degradation presents a promising strategy to address antimicrobial resistance, focusing on innovative approaches for gram-negative bacteria.
Rosanna Zhang
In our latest interview, News-Medical speaks with Rosanna Zhang from ACROBiosystems about utilizing organoids for disease modeling in the field of neuroscience research.
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A newly discovered cellular mechanism shows promise for treating painful lymphedema.
Scientists have made a breakthrough that could lead to effective treatments for lymphedema, a painful swelling condition for which there is currently no cure.
Lymphedema can be congenital or caused by an injury, but it mostly occurs as an unintended consequence following breast-cancer treatment.
It occurs when the lymphatic system, which moves fluid throughout the body via specialised vessels, is damaged, leading to fluid accumulation in tissues.
Our group of researchers has discovered a cellular process that promotes lymphatic vessel growth.
We initially made this discovery in zebrafish but have also shown that the process works in human lymphatic cells.”
Dr. Jonathan Astin, senior lecturer in molecular medicine and pathology, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences at Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland
The scientists discovered that a growth-promoting molecule, known as ‘insulin-like growth factor', or IGF, accelerates the growth of lymphatic vessels in zebrafish, so has potential to repair damaged vessels.
They then worked with a University colleague, senior research fellow Dr Justin Rustenhoven, to grow human cells in the lab and found the IGF, could also ‘instruct' human lymphatic vessels to grow.
While IGF has long been studied, it was not previously known to have this role in promoting lymphatic vessel growth.
“This work is of interest to the medical community as it provides an additional way to induce lymphatic vessel growth,” says Astin.
“This is especially important for people with lymphedema. In Aotearoa New Zealand, approximately 20 percent of women who have lymph nodes removed as part of breast-cancer treatment will develop lymphedema, and currently there is no cure.”
The work was conducted in Astin's lab by then doctoral student Dr Wenxuan Chen and involved collaborations with Dr Kate Lee, Rustenhoven and Professor Stefan Bohlander, all in the Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, as well as a lab in the US.
“We use fish primarily because they're very simple, but they're still remarkably similar to us,” Astin says.
“The advantage of using fish is we can fluorescently label lymphatic vessels so that they glow and then image vessel growth in a whole larva or embryo and not impact its growth at all.
“We can just watch it grow, and things happen much quicker in a fish, because they develop much faster.”
The next step will be to test an IGF based therapy on mice with lymphedema to see whether it helps.
Astin is cautious about promising too much but says this holds the potential to become a therapy for this painful, incurable condition in the future.
University of Auckland
Chen, W., et al. (2026). Insulin-like growth factor signaling regulates zebrafish lymphatic-vessel development. Cell Reports. DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2026.116971. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211124726000495?via%3Dihub
Posted in: Medical Science News | Medical Research News | Medical Condition News
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A review of randomized controlled trials found little to no benefit of Ginkgo biloba for mild cognitive impairment or multiple sclerosis-related cognitive symptoms. Evidence suggests small symptomatic improvements in dementia, but findings are uncertain due to study variability and limited long-term data.
Study: Ginkgo biloba for cognitive impairment and dementia. Image Credit: Gondronx Studio / Shutterstock
In a recent systematic review published in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, researchers evaluated the clinical efficacy and safety of Ginkgo biloba (ginkgo) for individuals with cognitive impairment and dementia. The review analyzed data from 82 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) involving 10,613 participants, with 72 studies providing extractable outcome data; however, not all outcomes were suitable for quantitative pooling. The review aimed to elucidate ginkgo's impact on memory, cognitive function, and daily routine task performance.
Review findings revealed that ginkgo offers little to no benefit for those with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or multiple sclerosis-related cognitive impairment. While the authors noted small to moderate benefits for patients already diagnosed with dementia, the review highlights significant heterogeneity in study outcomes, emphasizing the need for standardized future protocols. Evidence for dementia benefits is of low certainty, and some analyses have shown very high statistical heterogeneity across trials.
Dementia is an umbrella term for a spectrum of progressive neurocognitive disorders characterized by significant declines in memory, thinking, behavior, and cognitive function that often hamper routine life.
The condition is increasingly recognized as a global health crisis, especially as advancements in modern medicine have led to projections of 1.4 billion people aged 60 and older by 2030. Despite decades of research, dementia and other forms of cognitive decline, such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), have no scientifically validated cure or clearly established disease-modifying therapy.
Current interventions aim to prevent dementia onset through risk assessment and delay progression once clinically diagnosed. Consequently, many individuals seek alternative remedies in traditional folk medicine and media-popularized cures. Among the most popular is Ginkgo biloba, ginkgo, an extract from one of the oldest extant tree species.
Modern medicine typically uses a standardized extract known as EGb 761, which contains specific bioactive compounds, flavonoids, and terpene lactones. These compounds are believed to act as antioxidants, reduce brain inflammation, and protect neurons from damage, making the plant and its extracts biologically plausible candidates for treating cognitive disorders, although this Cochrane review evaluated clinical outcomes rather than mechanistic effects.
Despite widespread use as an over-the-counter supplement, scientific evidence for ginkgo's effectiveness remains inconsistent, necessitating an updated synthesis of its potential cognitive benefits.
This Cochrane systematic review synthesized trial evidence on ginkgo's efficacy across a large, diverse pooled sample. Review data were obtained through searches of major medical databases, including MEDLINE and Embase, and were updated in November 2024 to include multiple trial registries and regional databases.
The review focused on RCTs investigating ginkgo supplementation in adults with subjective cognitive complaints, MCI, dementia, or multiple sclerosis-related cognitive problems rather than exclusively older adults.
The final analysis included 82 studies with 10,613 participants, including people with subjective memory complaints, multiple sclerosis, MCI, and diagnosed dementia, such as Alzheimer's or vascular dementia.
The primary endpoints included global clinical status, an overall clinician-rated impression of change in health or functioning, global cognitive function assessed using standard tools such as the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) or the Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale-cognition (ADAS-Cog), activities of daily living (ADLs), and safety based on adverse events (AEs) and serious adverse events (SAEs).
Analyses suggested that baseline health status altered ginkgo's apparent efficacy. For participants with multiple sclerosis-related cognitive impairment, ginkgo's effects were not statistically distinguishable from placebo, with moderate-certainty evidence of little or no cognitive benefit.
Similarly, among 1,913 participants with MCI, ginkgo did not show a significant advantage over placebo at six months, with moderate-certainty evidence indicating little or no meaningful improvement in global clinical status, cognition, or daily functioning.
In contrast, participants with a formal dementia diagnosis showed improved global clinical status and cognitive function, and a slightly improved ability to perform daily tasks compared with the placebo group. However, evidence certainty was low, results varied widely between trials, longer-term data beyond about six months were limited, and current evidence does not demonstrate disease-modifying effects, only possible symptomatic benefit.
Safety assessments found no significant increase in adverse event risk compared with placebo in MCI and dementia populations. One short trial in people with subjective cognitive complaints suggested adverse events may occur more frequently with ginkgo, and evidence for serious adverse events remains uncertain.
This review synthesizes randomized trial evidence and concludes that while ginkgo is not a preventive “magic pill” for cognitive decline in healthy or mildly impaired individuals, it may provide modest symptomatic improvement for people living with dementia based on low-certainty evidence and heterogeneous results.
The review highlights substantial heterogeneity across RCTs and emphasizes the need for standardized methodologies and longer-term trials to identify which patients, such as those with Alzheimer's versus vascular dementia, are most likely to benefit from supplementation.
Posted in: Men's Health News | Medical Science News | Medical Research News | Medical Condition News | Women's Health News
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Hugo Francisco de Souza is a scientific writer based in Bangalore, Karnataka, India. His academic passions lie in biogeography, evolutionary biology, and herpetology. He is currently pursuing his Ph.D. from the Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, where he studies the origins, dispersal, and speciation of wetland-associated snakes. Hugo has received, amongst others, the DST-INSPIRE fellowship for his doctoral research and the Gold Medal from Pondicherry University for academic excellence during his Masters. His research has been published in high-impact peer-reviewed journals, including PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases and Systematic Biology. When not working or writing, Hugo can be found consuming copious amounts of anime and manga, composing and making music with his bass guitar, shredding trails on his MTB, playing video games (he prefers the term ‘gaming'), or tinkering with all things tech.
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U.S. men's national team captain Tim Ream said that he was sympathetic over fans' concerns about World Cup ticket prices, but emphasized that he and his teammates must focus on what they can control.
Ticket prices have been a major talking point around this summer's tournament, which will be co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada.
Fans have complained that FIFA's pricing is “extortionate” and claimed that following a team from the tournament's start to finish will cost nearly five times as much as the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
USMNT forward Tim Weah weighed in on the issue in an interview with French outlet Le Dauphiné last month.
"It is too expensive," Weah said. "Football should still be enjoyed by everyone. It is the most popular sport. This World Cup will be good, but it will be more of a show."
Those comments drew a rebuke from Weah's national team coach Mauricio Pochettino, who urged his players to stay away from non-soccer topics.
"First of all, I think players need to talk on the pitch, playing football, not outside of the [pitch]," Pochettino said. "It is not [Weah's] duty to evaluate the price of the ticket."
In an interview with USA TODAY Sports, Ream struck a balance.
"We know that there are other things going on, that this sport and what we do is not the be-all and end-all," Ream said. "For us it is our job, and it is the biggest tournament in the history of sport, and it is our job to focus on what we're trying to do.
"Do we sympathize with the paying fans? Absolutely. However, we can't control any of that. And for us as athletes, we always talk about what we can control. What are our controllables? And that's not one of them. Things that are off the field are not one of them, unfortunately for us.
"And so what can we do? We can focus on what we do on the field, putting in good performances and inspiring people all around the country to get on board and go through this journey and go through this World Cup with us."
Ream said that he was hopeful that a deep USMNT run in the tournament would help fuel the growth of soccer in the United States.
"It will be down to the players in the team to inspire the entire country, which is a lot of pressure," the Charlotte FC defender said.
"It's difficult but it's also a great challenge and if you can look at it as a challenge and you can change hearts and minds with a great performance at a World Cup, then why would we not attempt to do that?"
New Jersey's planned World Cup fan fest in Jersey City has been cancelled as the state will instead focus on supporting more local, community-based events for fans during this summer's tournament. The decision comes just months before the World Cup kicks off and after tickets had already been sold to the planned Fan Fest.
In a surprising decision, New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill confirmed on Thursday that the fan fest would not go on as planned. Instead, the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) and the FIFA World Cup 26 New York New Jersey Host Committee will partner to front an initiative that will allocate $5 million into community initiatives for soccer fans.
According to the state, the initiative will now focus on "high-impact" fan events that are more beneficial to small businesses across New Jersey, not just on the one Jersey City location. The original plan, which was announced in 2025, was for Liberty State Park to be open for all 104 matches of the tournament, which will be co-hosted by the U.S., Canada and Mexico.
"New Jersey is the beating heart of the 2026 World Cup, and this initiative makes sure that every New Jerseyan - no matter where they live - can be part of this once-in-a-generation moment,” Sherrill said in a statement to NBC. “From fan zones to neighborhood watch parties to street fairs, we are investing in the communities and small businesses that make New Jersey extraordinary. The World Cup is coming to our state - and we are going to make sure it belongs to New Jerseyans first.”
New Jersey, home of MetLife Stadium, is set to be one of the main hubs of this summer's World Cup, with the state set to host the tournament final. In addition to the finale, MetLife Stadium will host an additional seven matches, including one in the Round of 32 and one in the Round of 16.
In the group stage, the state will host matches between Brazil and Morocco on June 13, France and Senegal on June 16, Norway and Senegal on June 22, Ecuador and Germany on June 25 and Panama and England on June 27.
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Fans who purchased tickets to the previously planned fan fest will receive refunds, per NBC.
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FIFA President Gianni Infantino has suggested that every match for the 2026 men's World Cup will be sold out and claimed FIFA have received requests for over one million tickets per game for 77 of the 104 matches during the tournament in North America.
The games will be played in June and July this summer across Canada, Mexico and the United States.
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On Wednesday, Infantino appeared as a guest at the World Liberty Forum hosted at President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida. World Liberty Financial, who convened the invite-only business conference, is co-founded by President Trump and his three sons Eric, Donald Jr. and Barron are also among the co-founders.
The conference included appearances from business leaders, senators and investors, with Chelsea co-owner Behdad Eghbali speaking alongside AC Milan's owner Gerry Cardinale, while artist Nicki Minaj also appeared. During the event, Infantino was spotted wearing a USA baseball cap with the numbers 45 and 47 etched into the side, representing Trump's two periods as President.
In a subsequent interview with CNBC, Infantino provided details on the progress of FIFA's controversial ticketing policy for the World Cup, with record-high prices branded by supporters groups as a “monumental betrayal”, while also bringing criticism from politicians including UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani.
He repeated FIFA's claim, which cannot be independently verified, that the organization has received “requests for over 500 million tickets — 508 million, to be precise — for around 7 million tickets that we have on sale.”
FIFA has sought to resist suggestions that many of these requests may be bots, claiming that every request was “validated by unique credit card data.”
For the first time, Infantino also provided insight into more granular data, although he did not clarify the full spread of requests across games.
Asked if he is concerned that high ticket prices risk alienating supporters, Infantino replied: “It's not a problem in the sense that the demand is there. We have 104 matches in total, which if you look at the audience figures, six billion people will watch these matches. Obviously the price is a consequence of that and 77 out of these 104 matches have received requests for over 1 million tickets. Every match is already sold out. We keep some tickets back for some last minute sales, of course, but every match is sold out.”
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When asked by The Athletic to clarify how, exactly, games can be sold out if tickets are being held for later sales, a FIFA source indicated that Infantino had misspoke and that he was instead meaning to say that FIFA expect all the games to sell out. They were also unable to immediately clarify Infantino's calculations when he claimed an audience of six billion for the World Cup — the global population is eight billion.
Infantino said he expected FIFA revenues from the tournament to exceed $11 billion, while claiming that the U.S. economy will receive $30 billion in economic impact, but such studies are often treated with skepticism. FIFA stands to profit not only from initial sales but also from resales on its own platform, where it will charge 15 per cent commissions on both the seller and buyer, meaning it would make $30 from the sale of a $100 ticket.
Infantino claimed FIFA had received requests from “over 200 countries in the world.”
He said: “Everyone wants to come here and everyone wants to be part of something special. People generally want to experience some emotions and be part of something happy and feel something special. All these requests coming from all over the world show that people want to come, celebrate, have fun and — they are all a little bit, maybe tired and fed up of all this negativity that is portrayed the whole time, right? We need some good news and some good things.”
Infantino, who flew into Miami on a Qatari private jet earlier this week, also spent time in the Trump orbit on Thursday, where he was an attendee at a Board of Peace event hosted by the U.S. president. The body, founded and led by Trump, has so far been shunned by America's allies in NATO, but nations including Hungary, Israel, Belarus, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Indonesia, Argentina and Turkey have joined.
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Infantino has previously hailed Trump's foreign policy, even presenting him with FIFA's inaugural Peace Prize during the World Cup draw in December.
Later that month, an official complaint was submitted to FIFA's Ethics Committee by FairSquare, a non-profit organization and advocacy group which focuses mainly on global labor migration rights, political repression and sport. It alleged “repeated breaches” of FIFA's duty of political neutrality by Infantino, while also requesting an investigation into the process that saw Trump receive the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize.
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Adam Crafton is a British journalist based in New York City, having relocated from London in 2024. He primarily covers soccer for The Athletic. In 2024, he was named the Sports Writer of the Year by the Sports' Journalist Association, after winning the Young Sports Writer of the Year award in 2018. Follow Adam on Twitter @AdamCrafton_
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Deborah Abiodun, Gift Monday and Super Falcons to take on Cameroon in pre-WAFCON friendlies
Washington, D.C. (02/19/2026) – Washington Spirit midfielder Deborah Abiodun and forward Gift Monday have been called up to the Nigeria Women's National Team for the federation's upcoming friendlies against Cameroon, the Nigeria Football Federation announced today. The side will visit Yaoundé, the Cameroonian capital city, for both friendlies.
Abiodun made her debut for the Nigeria senior team in September 2022 and has since competed with the side at the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup and 2024 Olympic Games. Since joining the Spirit in August 2025, the midfielder has appeared in 12 matches, tallying a goal and an assist.
Monday first appeared for the Super Falcons in 2021 and has since played in over ten matches for the side, being part of Nigeria's 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup squad as well. Since joining the Spirit early last season, Monday has appeared in 28 matches for Washington, tallying 11 goals and two assists.
Nigeria's March Friendly Schedule:
The Spirit will look to build on the side's second consecutive NWSL Championship appearance in 2026. The team will kick off the regular season at home on Friday, March 13 when it hosts Portland Thorns FC in a rematch of last season's thrilling home semifinal. Information on 2026 season ticket memberships is available HERE.
About The Washington Spirit
The Washington Spirit is the premier professional women's soccer team based in Washington, D.C. and plays at Audi Field in Buzzard Point. The Spirit was founded on November 21, 2012 and is an inaugural member of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) the fastest growing sports league in the US. The club is home to some of the best players in the world who have won championships for both club and country. For more information about the Spirit, visit WashingtonSpirit.com and follow the club on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
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New Jersey is canceling a weeks-long World Cup festival at Liberty State Park in Jersey City and is instead allotting $5 million for fan-zone type experiences throughout the state, officials said Thursday.
The FIFA 2026 World Cup tournament is taking place in the U.S., Canada and Mexico and is expected to draw unprecedented interest in New Jersey. MetLife Stadium is scheduled to host eight soccer games, including the final game on July 19.
Viewing events will range from large public gatherings to small and mid-sized community watch parties, festivals and street fairs, according to an announcement from Gov. Mikie Sherrill.
“New Jersey is the beating heart of the 2026 World Cup, and this initiative makes sure that every New Jerseyan — no matter where they live — can be part of this once-in-a-generation moment,” Sherrill said in a statement provided by the governor's office.
The statement did not say why the original plan for a Liberty State Park celebration was abandoned.
Jersey City Mayor James Solomon did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The statewide fan zone activities will be organized by the state Economic Development Authority in conjunction with the FIFA World Cup 26 New York New Jersey Host Committee.
“The World Cup is an unparalleled opportunity to showcase New Jersey to the world and drive real economic impact for our businesses and communities,” said Evan Weiss, CEO of the state Economic Development Authority.
“This initiative is about more than soccer — it's about making sure that the energy and investment generated by this global event flows directly to the small businesses, cultural organizations, and neighborhood nonprofits that are the backbone of our state,” Weiss said.
Events will be announced in the coming weeks, officials said.
Rob Jennings is a journalist whose work has appeared on NJ.com and in the Star-Ledger since 2016. Rob grew up in Queens but has done most of his work in New Jersey covering education, politics, government,... more
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Mexico has announced it will debut three commemorative coins leading up to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, including the country's first-ever 25-peso coin, which will be made out of pure gold.
The new coins celebrate Mexico's third time hosting the World Cup, which it previously hosted in 1970 and 1986. This time around, however, it will host alongside the United States and Canada in an unprecedented tournament across three countries.
📌 México será el primer país en ser anfitrión por tercera ocasión de la Copa Mundial de la FIFA. En el marco de este importante evento, el Senado aprobó la creación de tres monedas conmemorativas que serán un recuerdo de esta justa deportiva.
Conoce sus valores nominales. 👇 pic.twitter.com/AjzK1hejsw
— Senado de México (@senadomexicano) February 17, 2026
“Mexico will be the first country to host the FIFA World Cup for the third time,” the Senate said in its official X account.“In commemoration of this important event, the Senate approved the creation of three commemorative coins as a memento of the sporting competition.”
With 94 votes in favor, the Senate approved three new commemorative coins with different materials, values and characteristics: a pure gold coin with a face value of 25 pesos, a pure silver coin with a face value of 10 pesos, and a bimetallic coin with a face value of 20 pesos.
The coins' design will share key elements. The obverse will boast the National Coat of Arms in sculptural relief, with the legend “Estados Unidos Mexicanos” forming a semicircle above. Meanwhile, the reverse will feature a design with motifs alluding to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Once the decree is officially issued and published in the Official Gazette of the Federation (DOF), the coins will be available for purchase at authorized banking institutions, the Casa de Moneda de México (Mexican Mint) and specialized official shops.
Senators from various political parties said the commemorative coins highlight the cultural, social and economic importance of football in Mexico, which will host 13 matches across Mexico City, Monterrey and Guadalajara. The inaugural game will take place at the Banorte Stadium, formerly known as Azteca Stadium, on June 11.
The World Cup coins are not to be confused with the new 10 and 20-peso coins that the Mexican Mint will gradually introduce starting this year. These ones are expected to reduce minting costs and strengthen anti-counterfeiting security.
With reports from Expansión
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Signage inside a SEPTA 42 bus in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US. (Photographer: Ryan Collerd/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA - The first whistle may blow in July, but SEPTA has already been laying the groundwork to move thousands of soccer fans across Philadelphia when the World Cup comes to town.
What we know:
Philadelphia's Lincoln Financial Field (temporarily renamed "Philadelphia Stadium" for the tournament) will host six FIFA World Cup 2026 matches between June 14 and July 4, including five group-stage games and a Round of 16 knockout match — coinciding with the United States' 250th anniversary.
SEPTA says it has been preparing for World Cup crowds from both service and infrastructure perspectives since last year, well ahead of match days. Improvements have focused on key travel points, such as City Hall and NRG stations.
Infrastructure upgrades include signal and track work, painting, new signage, improved lighting, accessibility enhancements and installation of new fare gates.
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Philadelphia is one of the U.S. host cities for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and fans across the region have learned which teams will be visiting the City of Brotherly Love for the group stage matchups.
To handle the expected influx of fans traveling to and from matches — particularly at Lincoln Financial Field — SEPTA will adjust service levels on key routes and deploy ambassadors at major stations across the system to assist riders.
Officials also say they are coordinating with city leaders and event organizers on finalized service plans, expected to be completed by spring. More details will be posted on SEPTA.org as the tournament approaches.
WASHINGTON, DC - DECEMBER 05: FIFA World Cup Trophy is displayed prior to the FIFA World Cup 2026 Official Draw at John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts on December 05, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Hector Vivas - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Ima
Why you should care:
With Philadelphia hosting games featuring some of the biggest names in international soccer and welcoming thousands of visitors into the city, transportation demand is expected to surge on match days — making transit planning and infrastructure readiness critical to keeping crowds moving smoothly.
The Source: This article was written using information from SEPTA officials and World Cup scheduling details from FOX 29 and FIFA.
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Sofia Cantore, Lucia Di Guglielmo and Le Azzurre to take on Sweden and Denmark in two qualifiers for 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup
Washington, D.C. (02/19/2026) – Washington Spirit forward Sofia Cantore and defender Lucia Di Guglielmo have been called up to the Italy Women's National Team for the side's upcoming matches, the Italian Football Federation announced this week. Le Azzurre will host Sweden and Denmark in two qualifiers for the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup in early March.
Originally from Lecco, Lombardy in northern Italy, Cantore has appeared in over 45 international matches and scored five goals for the Italy senior team, making her debut for the squad in December 2020. Since joining the Spirit in August 2025, Cantore has appeared in 18 matches for the team, tallying five goals and an assist.
Di Guglielmo hails from Pisa near Tuscany's Ligurian Sea coast and has been a mainstay of the Italian women's national team since making her senior debut in 2021 at 23 years old. The defender has appeared for Italy at two UEFA Women's Euro tournaments (2022, 2025) and one FIFA Women's World Cup (2023). Di Guglielmo joined the Spirit this offseason and is poised to make her NWSL debut this season.
Italy's March Schedule:
The Spirit will look to build on the side's second consecutive NWSL Championship appearance in 2026. The team will kick off the regular season at home on Friday, March 13 when it hosts Portland Thorns FC in a rematch of last season's thrilling home semifinal. Information on 2026 season ticket memberships is available HERE.
About The Washington Spirit
The Washington Spirit is the premier professional women's soccer team based in Washington, D.C. and plays at Audi Field in Buzzard Point. The Spirit was founded on November 21, 2012 and is an inaugural member of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) the fastest growing sports league in the US. The club is home to some of the best players in the world who have won championships for both club and country. For more information about the Spirit, visit WashingtonSpirit.com and follow the club on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
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Home > International > FIFA Club World Cup 2029 Expansion to 48 Teams Gains UEFA Backing
FIFA Club World Cup Trophy. Photo credits: © Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images.
Rabat—UEFA is reportedly now prepared to support FIFA's proposal to expand the 2029 FIFA Club World Cup to 48 teams. This is a huge shift, especially after years of tension where both sides were constantly at odds over international calendar congestion and how much football players could actually handle.
The breakthrough came after negotiations in February, where both sides finally found some common ground. FIFA will keep the tournament on a four-year cycle. By sticking to a four-year schedule, FIFA effectively buried the “biennial” dream which was an idea long opposed by UEFA. For them, this was a huge win, as it removes the direct threat to the Champions League's status as the world's top club competition.
UEFA will not oppose the expansion of the Club World Cup to 48 teams. The agreement was made possible after FIFA committed to keeping the tournament on its current four-year cycle, ruling out the idea of holding it every two years.
With this understanding, UEFA is expected to… pic.twitter.com/6QiQTSZJ6z
— Olt Sports (@oltsport_) February 19, 2026
club
Under the proposed expansion, Europe would receive 16 slots, up from 12 in the current 32-team format. The increase acts as a safety net for European clubs, as it would widen access for the big ones that previously failed to qualify, including powerhouses such as Barcelona, Liverpool and Manchester United.
More interestingly, African football could be represented by 6 or 7 clubs. A big opportunity for the continent.
For UEFA, the additional places mitigate competitive and commercial risks. For FIFA, broader European representation strengthens broadcast value and global appeal.
The map for the 2029 host is also starting to pull together. Spain and Morocco have jumped to the front of the line to co-host, which would turn the expanded Club World Cup into the last test. It's the perfect chance for them to test their operations on a huge scale just one year before they team up with Portugal for the 2030 World Cup
Despite the UEFA-FIFA alignment, opposition has not disappeared. The World Leagues Association and players' union FIFPRO continue to push back, arguing that further expansion intensifies player workload and increases injury risk in an already saturated calendar.
The proposal is headed for the FIFA Council's desk later this year for the final stamp of approval. If it's approved, this should be a total transformation of the game and probably the most significant structural change in global club football since the competition's modern relaunch.
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Where will the 48 teams playing at the 2026 World Cup this summer be based? It's a great question, and one we are here to help with.
MORE — Full 2026 World Cup schedule, how to watch live info
With 104 games taking place across the USA, Mexico and Canada in the biggest-ever FIFA World Cup, if you're not close to one of the 16 host cities where games will be played, don't fret: you could still go and see plenty of the best players in the world on, or near, the training field.
Plenty of national teams have confirmed the exact location of where they will train and be staying, and it remains to be seen if fans will be able to watch training or meet the players.
Below are the latest confirmed bases for each 2026 World Cup team, and we will update it as and when more locations are confirmed.
Croatia
Saudi Arabia
Curacao
France
Scotland
Spain
Ivory Coast
Ecuador
Norway
South KoreaColombia
ArgentinaEnglandNetherlands
Brazil
Japan
Panama
Australia
Uruguay
Austria Qatar
Switzerland
Germany
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Three Chelsea vs Burnley predictions for their Premier League clash on 21 February 2026 at 8:30 pm, including value on a goalscorer pick.
Our betting expert expects Chelsea to dominate the game and secure a convincing victory at home.
Chelsea quickly got over the disappointment of their 2-2 Premier League draw with Leeds last weekend. The Blues faced their manager's former side, Hull, in the fourth round of the FA Cup, and they came out on top. Their 4-0 triumph was a reminder to the rest of the participants in the cup that they're serious contenders for the trophy. This performance has significantly boosted their odds, and players can take advantage of the momentum by using a Stake.com Promo Code for the upcoming fixtures.
However, Liam Rosenior's charges are still under pressure in the league, as Liverpool are only two points behind. As things stand, Chelsea occupy the final Champions League position. Yet, with 12 games remaining, the margin for error is shrinking.
Fortunately, the West Londoners face what appears to be a straightforward fixture next. They're entertaining a Burnley team that are fighting for their Premier League status. The Clarets secured an away victory at Crystal Palace last weekend, which kept them in touch with West Ham.
Scott Parker's men will take confidence from defeating a London club, as they visit the team he once played for this weekend. Burnley are six points behind West Ham and are not completely out of the fight for safety yet. A win at Stamford Bridge would allow them to put pressure on West Ham, who host Bournemouth next.
Chelsea expected lineup: Sanchez, James, Acheampong, Chalobah, Cucurella, Caicedo, Santos, Palmer, Fernandez, Neto, Pedro
Burnley expected lineup: Dubravka, Laurent, Esteve, Worrall, Walker, Ugochukwu, Ward-Prowse, Humphreys, Edwards, Anthony, Fleming
Chelsea have put together a neat run under their new boss. The Blues are now unbeaten in their last five Premier League outings. Rosenior's only defeats since taking over in January came against Arsenal in the League Cup semi-final.
The hosts have won seven of their last nine matches in all competitions. This suggests they're entering this game with a heap of confidence. Thankfully for Burnley, last week's win snapped a 16-game winless streak in the league.
However, the visitors endured a horrible weekend. They were dumped out of the FA Cup at home by League One outfit, Mansfield Town. That's three defeats in their most recent four matches, which isn't good news for the travelling fans.
The West London club enjoy a record of losing just once across the last 15 head-to-heads. The Blues have won three of the last four meetings, including the reverse fixture at Turf Moor in November last year. Additionally, two of those wins saw Chelsea score exactly four goals.
With the riches that Chelsea have in their squad, it's no surprise that they're prolific up front. The Blues have scored in 24 of their 26 league matches this term. At home, they average 1.69 goals per game and tend to concede 1.15 goals per game.
Burnley's front line haven't been bad at all, as they've scored 28 goals in 26 games. Yet, they've been far better away from home, delivering 16 goals in 13 outings. The Clarets average 1.23 goals per away game in the league.
The main issue for Parker's men is their leaky defence on the road, with 32 goals in 13 matches. The hosts will be eager to capitalise on this. However, they should be wary since 62% of their league matches at home saw both teams score. For those wagering on the move, exploring the Best Betting Apps is key to finding the fastest odds and the smoothest mobile experience for this clash.
Meanwhile, 77% of Burnley's away Premier League matches produced goals at both ends, which is a likely scenario this weekend.
Chelsea's leading Premier League goalscorer this season is their summer signing Joao Pedro. The Brazilian registered 10 goals in total, six of which arrived at Stamford Bridge. Rosenior favours Pedro to lead the line, but he was rested in their FA Cup fixture last weekend.
He will no doubt feature in the starting lineup against Burnley and pose a constant threat. Pedro has scored five goals in his last six appearances for the club in all competitions. He's in form at the moment, which makes him a major threat to the visiting side.
Clubs who did not play are to get solidarity payments
No formula determined for dividing the money
Frustration is growing among clubs globally at the extended wait for £185m of solidarity payments promised by Fifa on the back of last summer's Club World Cup.
Clubs that did not participate in the tournament were promised a share of the sum, designed to ensure a proportion of the event's funding was distributed throughout the football pyramid. If shared equally it would amount to about £50,000 for every top-flight club in the world but, more than seven months after the Club World Cup's conclusion, there is no sign of the money and no timescale for its distribution. The Guardian understands Fifa is yet to determine how the money will be allocated.
There is no suggestion that the windfall will go unpaid but clubs in smaller leagues are growing particularly impatient. The £740m set aside as prize money is understood to have been released; the winners, Chelsea, are thought to have earned about £84m. In comparison the solidarity sum may seem a drop in the ocean but the cash injection would make a significant difference to those in less glamorous settings.
An executive from one of Europe's smaller leagues told the Guardian there had been no clear answers about when their clubs will be paid despite continued inquiries. In environments where domestic television rights deals are increasingly precarious, and in certain cases nonexistent, a five-figure windfall has the potential to be a lifeline.
Numerous clubs, including some on other continents, have painted a similar picture. In Europe there is a perception that Fifa has dragged its feet on reaching a final formula for the payments' distribution. On some occasions Fifa is believed to have postponed meetings on the topic. Fifa has been in dialogue for several months with the powerful European Football Clubs body, which reached an agreement last year for about 13% of Club World Cup revenue to be reserved for solidarity payments. In some quarters there is sympathy for Fifa, acknowledging the complexity and political sensitivity of the task.
One sticking point is that no formula has been determined for dividing the £185m between the six confederations, who were represented at the Club World Cup to wildly differing extents. In practice, clubs are highly unlikely to receive identical amounts. Additionally, most confederations do not have a mechanism for distributing such payments. Uefa has experience of handing out solidarity funds to clubs that do not qualify for the league phase of European club competitions and is likely to employ a similar formula when the final sums are known.
Fifa sources said they were in regular discussions with the confederations and clubs about how the money will be distributed, and that they wanted all stakeholders to benefit from what they regard as successful tournament.
A source from the Union of European Clubs (UEC), which represents more than 140 non-elite clubs around Europe, said none of its members had received any information about when payments might be received. “UEC as an organisation has not heard anything and no member clubs we have consulted with have heard anything either,” they said.
The last-minute nature of Fifa's funding deal for the Club World Cup is unlikely to have helped the process to run quickly. It was only in March, three months before the tournament, that the prize money and solidarity pots were agreed. That followed the £787m agreement with the Saudi-backed streaming platform Dazn, reached in December 2024, to air all the competition's games free of charge.
Fifa was contacted for comment.
by Martina Alcheva February 19, 2026
The build-up to the 2026 World Cup has already turned into a global spectacle, not only on the pitch but also at the ticket office. Supporters across the world have reacted with disbelief as prices for the expanded tournament in North America reached unprecedented levels, sparking accusations of profiteering, frustration among loyal fans, and renewed debates over access to soccer's biggest stage. Amid the storm, FIFA president Gianni Infantino has remained a central figure in defending the tournament's commercial model, while insisting that demand has never been higher.
The debate is unfolding as the club and the national team prepare for the most ambitious World Cup in history, with 48 teams, 104 matches, and a tri-nation hosting format involving the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Ticket pricing has emerged as one of the most controversial topics, with fans claiming the tournament is becoming inaccessible for ordinary supporters.
The controversy intensified after resale listings revealed staggering prices for major matches. Tickets for the opening match in Mexico City were listed at more than $5,300, compared with an original price of $895, while a single seat for the final in New Jersey reached a jaw-dropping $143,750 — more than 40 times its original value. Even the cheapest resale ticket for the final hovered close to $10,000, shocking supporters around the world.
Fan organizations accused FIFA of betraying its core audience, arguing that soccer's biggest tournament is drifting further away from ordinary supporters. “These exorbitant prices, unfortunately, don't surprise me… In the end, who pays the price? The passionate fans who end up with outrageous offers,” said France supporters' group Irresistibles Francais. “We would prefer that this benefit real fans… but unfortunately, that's not the case.”
FIFA attempted to soften the backlash by introducing a $60 “Supporter Entry Tier” ticket, but critics argued that the limited allocation — just 10% of tickets distributed through national associations — was symbolic rather than transformative.
While supporters questioned affordability, Infantino insisted the World Cup was witnessing historic demand, hinting that the tournament was on course to be one of the most attended sporting events in history. His comments fueled debate about whether soccer's popularity could truly offset concerns about accessibility and fairness.
In the middle of the controversy, the head of the international governing body delivered a striking declaration. “The demand is there. Every match is sold out,” he said in an interview with CNBC.
According to the FIFA president, 508 million ticket requests were submitted in just four weeks for roughly seven million available tickets, with applications coming from more than 200 countries. “We've never seen anything like that — incredible,” he added, noting that FIFA deliberately kept some tickets in reserve for a final sales phase starting in April and running until the final on July 19.
Infantino also addressed the pricing criticism directly, suggesting that the tournament's location was a major driver of demand. “I think it is because it's in America, Canada, and Mexico. Everybody wants to be part of something special,” he said. He explained that although official ticket prices are fixed, dynamic pricing models and resale platforms allow prices to fluctuate based on market demand, adding, “That's part of the market we are in.”
Beyond ticket sales, Infantino painted a picture of unprecedented economic impact. He estimated the tournament would generate more than $11 billion in revenue for FIFA, claiming “every dollar” would be reinvested in soccer across its 211 member associations.
He also projected that the World Cup could contribute around $30 billion to the US economy, driven by tourism, catering, security, and infrastructure investments. In addition, between 20 and 30 million tourists are expected, alongside 185,000 full-time jobs created by the event. “It's a big impact… I hope this impact will not just be limited to the World Cup but for the future as well,” Infantino said.
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Building on its relationship with the Washington Spirit, CVS expands its commitment to soccer through a new multi-year sponsorship with the league and federation, which includes a national community field investment and partnering with the Kansas City Current and Seattle Reign FC
WOONSOCKET, R.I., Feb. 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- CVS Pharmacy® has furthered its commitment to improving community health by becoming an Official Health and Wellness Partner of the U.S. Soccer Federation (USSF) and the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) and is backing that sponsorship with a multi-year investment to develop community multi‑use soccer fields in select markets across the country.
"CVS Pharmacy is uniquely positioned to strengthen health at the community level," said Len Shankman, Executive Vice President and President, Pharmacy and Consumer Wellness, CVS Health. "As an Official Health and Wellness Partner of U.S. Soccer and the NWSL, we have a valuable opportunity to deepen our ties in the neighborhoods we serve. Soccer positively impacts health and community connection1, making this sponsorship a natural fit. We're proud to partner with the NWSL, as well as the U.S. Soccer Men's and Women's National Teams to help expand access to opportunities that will support wellness for generations of athletes to come."
Building on its long-term support of women's soccer, including partnering with the Washington Spirit since 2020, CVS will also sponsor the Seattle Reign FC and Kansas City Current. Together, these club-specific sponsorships will help bring resources, revitalized spaces and meaningful community impact to additional markets – reflecting a shared belief that access to sports, safe places to play and community connection are essential drivers of lifelong wellbeing.
"This partnership reflects the NWSL's continued growth and our belief that the professional women's game is a powerful catalyst for impact far beyond the pitch," said Matt Soloff, SVP of Partnerships, National Women's Soccer League. "Together with CVS and our clubs, we're translating that growth into real investment in healthier communities and expanding access and opportunity for the next generation of players and fans."
Community soccer field revitalization initiative
At the heart of the initiative is a commitment to develop community multiuse soccer fields in select markets through 2028, creating welcoming, accessible spaces where families, kids and neighbors can gather, play and connect. To support this work, CVS Pharmacy is teaming up with Alex Morgan, an NWSL icon and two-time Women's World Cup champion, Olympic gold medalist, entrepreneur, philanthropist and mom, along with U.S. Soccer ambassadors and NWSL clubs to help amplify the stories of soccer's positive impact on communities, on and off the field.
"Soccer has shaped my life in countless ways, and I've seen firsthand how access to the game can build confidence, health and community," said Alex Morgan. "I'm excited to work with CVS to help ensure more kids and families can experience the joy and wellbeing soccer brings—starting with the fields where it all begins."
Supporting soccer and community health
"At U.S. Soccer, we believe the game can make a real difference beyond the field," said David Wright, Chief Commercial Officer of U.S. Soccer. "By working with CVS, a brand trusted by millions of families across the country, we have an opportunity to meet fans and families where they are and connect the game they love with everyday wellness."
Beyond field improvements and to coincide with its club sponsorships, CVS Pharmacy will also amplify local causes and community programs that matter most to fans in Washington, D.C., Seattle and Kansas City. Through club-led initiatives, matchday experiences and community investments with the Washington Spirit, Seattle Reign FC and Kansas City Current, CVS will help foster more inclusive, welcoming environments that encourage movement, connection and everyday wellbeing, while supporting local economic development.
To learn more about how CVS is supporting U.S. soccer, visit www.cvs.com/content/soccer.
About CVS HealthCVS Health (NYSE: CVS) is a leading health solutions company building a world of health around every consumer, wherever they are. As of December 31, 2025, the Company had approximately 9,000 retail pharmacy locations, more than 1,000 walk-in and primary care medical clinics and a leading pharmacy benefits manager with approximately 87 million plan members. The Company also serves an estimated more than 37 million people through traditional, voluntary and consumer-directed health insurance products and related services, including highly rated Medicare Advantage offerings and a leading standalone Medicare Part D prescription drug plan. The Company's integrated model uses personalized, technology driven services to connect people to simply better health, increasing access to quality care, delivering better outcomes, and lowering overall costs.
About U.S. Soccer Federation Founded in 1913, U.S. Soccer, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, is the official governing body of the sport in the United States. Our vision is clear; we exist in service to soccer. Our ambition, working across the soccer ecosystem, is to ignite a national passion for the game. We believe soccer is more than a sport; it is a force for good. We are focused on three areas: Soccer Everywhere, ensuring everyone, everywhere experiences the joy of soccer; Soccer Success, our 27 National Teams and Pro Leagues winning on the world stage; and Soccer Investment, maximizing and diversifying investments to sustainably grow the game at all levels. For more information, visit ussoccer.com/ourvision.
About National Women's Soccer LeagueThe National Women's Soccer League is the premier women's professional soccer league in the world featuring national team players from around the globe. The clubs are Angel City FC, Bay FC, Boston Legacy FC, Chicago Stars FC, Denver Summit FC, Gotham FC, Houston Dash, Kansas City Current, North Carolina Courage, NWSL Atlanta, Orlando Pride, Portland Thorns FC, Racing Louisville FC, San Diego Wave FC, Seattle Reign FC, Utah Royals FC, and Washington Spirit.
Media ContactKara Page401-302-9353[email protected]
1 "Elevating recreational soccer to improve population health in the United States"
View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cvs-pharmacy-partners-with-us-soccer-federation-and-national-womens-soccer-league-to-promote-community-health-and-wellness-302692028.html
SOURCE CVS Health
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UCL
Vinicius Jr
Incident
From left: Kate Scott, Thierry Henry, Jamie Carragher and Micah Richards owned the conversation around Vinicius Jr's racism allegations @CBSSportsGolazo
From left: Kate Scott, Thierry Henry, Jamie Carragher and Micah Richards owned the conversation around Vinicius Jr's racism allegations @CBSSportsGolazo
As the scope and significance of the Champions League match between Benfica and Real Madrid became clear on Tuesday evening, the two men in charge of CBS Sports' coverage made a decision.
Pete Radovich, the coordinating producer of the broadcaster's UCL Today show, and line producer Matt Curtis decided the post-match section should run longer than its usual slot of around an hour, extending it a further 30 minutes to end shortly after 6.30pm ET.
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The call was made because Thierry Henry, Micah Richards and Jamie Carragher, the show's pundits, had lucid thoughts and raw feelings they needed to share. They were speaking in the aftermath of the Madrid forward Vinicius Jr's allegation that he had been racially abused by Benfica winger Gianluca Prestianni. The Argentine subsequently denied this, and was defended by his club, but the matter is now the subject of a UEFA investigation.
In these moments, as the world's gaze fixes on the Champions League, CBS increasingly dominates the global conversation. Across Tuesday and Wednesday night, clips from UCL Today combined for over 20 million views across platforms, but also set the tenor of the debate across the English-speaking world.
It is, in many ways, a curious phenomenon. It is only available to viewers in the United States (via the CBS Sports Network and the Paramount+ streaming platform) and, in truth, it is not the most convenient slot in the week for many Americans.
As Champions League games take place in the European evenings, it translates to various times in the afternoon in the U.S. depending on one's location within the country. Many people are still in their workplace, others are commuting by the time matches end at around 5pm ET, but it is a good time for children returning home from school, especially on the east coast. The precise numbers of people who actually watch the matches are not often disclosed, a common trait across streaming platforms.
Yet while this is a show made for a U.S. audience, in many ways modelled on Inside the NBA, its reach and influence are much broader. That, in itself, is a strange and remarkable thing, because any match action itself is geoblocked, meaning CBS Sports cannot share its match analysis on social media outside of the United States.
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Yet this show's unique blend of hi-jinks, sincere friendship and agenda-setting discussion means that the action is not a required ingredient for global virality.
UCL Today, it should be said, is not always to everyone's taste. One viewer's ‘fun' may be another's roll of the eyes, and it is true that some of the show's most-viewed content on YouTube includes a guest appearance by IShowSpeed and a compilation of schoolboy giggles about the club from the French city of Brest who played in the Champions League last season.
But it is perhaps because the show is so often light-hearted that it then becomes appointment viewing when the most serious matters come into play.
The sudden solemnity that gripped the four protagonists — Henry, Richards, Carragher and host Kate Scott — on Tuesday evening was striking, with much of the post-game show reserved for news, reaction and discussion from the game in Lisbon.
CBS Sports demonstrated the importance of investing in a product, because the post-match position taken up by pitchside reporter Guillem Balague illuminated the tensions between Benfica and Madrid after the final whistle.
From his station near the locker rooms, viewers could see scuffles breaking out between rival club employees, with Benfica's president Rui Costa somewhere in the thick of it. Balague gamely requested an interview every time Costa passed by, albeit unrequited, and wondered whether UEFA would rather all this wasn't being filmed.
Broadcasters are not always so challenging when these events occur. At times, they see themselves less as information platforms and more as partners, or even advertisers, of the product they have acquired.
This was how it felt when DAZN broadcast the FIFA Club World Cup last summer and supplied little immediate analysis or scrutiny after Real Madrid's Antonio Rudiger alleged he was racially abused in a game against Pachuca of Mexico (that case was ultimately dropped due to a lack of evidence). Yet that has never been the approach on UCL Today. Memorably, during the Champions League final in 2022, the CBS studio team, led by Scott and Carragher, challenged the UEFA narrative by revealing the mistreatment endured by Liverpool fans who were attempting to attend the match against Madrid at the Stade de France in Paris.
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A word on this occasion, too, for Clive Tyldesley, the experienced 71-year-old British commentator. Both he and co-commentator Rob Green handled the event with calm authority. They did not rush to make judgments. They used an old trick: simply saying what they could see.
“You can see what Vinicius Jr wants to happen here,” Tyldesley said as the Brazilian exited the pitch following the incident with Prestianni. “He wants everybody off the field because if he has been racially abused, this takes this moment to a whole different level.”
By contrast, former Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg issued a statement to apologize on Wednesday after saying on Amazon Prime's UK coverage that Vinicius had “not helped himself”.
“I got it wrong, I'm sorry,” Clattenburg wrote. “It was live TV, my job is to respond in the moment, and the words I used were clumsy and not right.”
Tyldesley instead pointed out that Prestianni had been smiling, but warned that it would be the “content” of what was said from behind the shirt collar the Benfica player had used to cover his mouth that would define the moment. “Somewhere in the midst of his celebrations, something has been said to him (Vinicius) that has raised his temperature beyond boiling point,” he added.
Opinion was largely deferred to those in the CBS studio.
Henry, usually a beacon of cool, appeared highly affected, transported back to past traumas from his own playing career at teams including Arsenal, Barcelona and the French national team.
"People did fight, way before my time, for us to be able to perform… and to be in 2026 talking about the same thing, it's tiring.
Thierry Henry and @MicahRichards share their experiences and frustrations about how far football still has to go to fight racism 👇 pic.twitter.com/oS5teP3mqT
— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) February 18, 2026
Both he and Richards, as former Black professional footballers, knew the script. They empathized with the isolation that grips those who have encountered abuse. They also knew that the intricacies of the moment — most specifically that Prestianni had covered his mouth — may complicate any investigation. They knew some form of victim-blaming would ensue.
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“I can relate to what Vinicius Jr is going through,” said Henry. “I've been there, I feel so sorry for the guy. That happened to me so many times on the field. I've been also accused of looking for excuses after games when that happened to me. At times, you feel lonely, because it's going to be your word against his word… You feel like you don't know what to do anymore.”
Richards veered between anger and an air of resignation. “The one that gets me is, like, ‘Oh, they're playing the race card again?' What do you mean, playing the race card? It's so difficult to talk about and articulate how you feel to someone who does not believe or feel what you feel at the time.”
He continued: “Prestianni is a coward… No one will ever know what he said, only him and Vinicius Jr. But to pull your shirt over your mouth and now we're having a conversation about, ‘Did it happen?'”
In this instance, Carragher's strength was his self-awareness. He recognized the power of saying less when his Black colleagues could say so much more. Henry and Richards had the lived experience and were best placed to take center-stage.
Carragher came into his own on the following day's show, reflecting on his own experience as a player at Liverpool when that club rallied in support of his Uruguayan team-mate Luis Suarez after Manchester United's Patrice Evra had accused the forward of racially abusing him. Carragher apologized to Evra for Liverpool's behaviour years later while presenting for UK broadcaster Sky Sports, acknowledging that Liverpool had got things “completely wrong”.
"It took a long time for us, inside our club, to accept we got this badly wrong. I just hope in time that Benfica can apologize."@Carra23 reflects on his involvement in the incident between Luis Suarez and Patrice Evra and what Benfica could learn from that situation. pic.twitter.com/t8nx7r5RHm
— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) February 18, 2026
He also intervened on Tuesday night after Benfica head coach Jose Mourinho appeared to suggest that Vinicius Jr., in some way, invites trouble by expressively celebrating his goals.
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“Anybody can celebrate how they like and you should not get racially abused for it,” Carragher said. “The Mourinho stuff… this is a guy who celebrates and antagonises the opposition more than any coach has ever done… It's a bit rich coming from him. Vinicius is entitled to celebrate how he likes.”
By this point, Richards appeared deflated: “I'm just disappointed with the whole thing. Mourinho is someone I absolutely love as a coach… I expect better from him, because he is a powerful person within the sport and a lot of people listen to what he says. I just feel a little bit let down.”
Amid high tensions, Scott chaired proceedings with trademark skill, cutting between what was being said in the London studio and the stadium in Lisbon. She also provided live, second-by-second translations into English for the viewers of highly newsworthy interviews by Mourinho and Vinicius Jr's French team-mate Kylian Mbappe. With sensitivities spiking, the potential for legal difficulties in any misrepresentation of those post-game interviews, and all the pressures of live television, Scott's performance cannot be underestimated.
On Wednesday, in the cold light of day, Scott opened the show with a monologue which, by midnight ET, had recorded almost 1.5 million views on Twitter and Instagram alone.
Kate Scott's powerful statement on racism in football ❤️ pic.twitter.com/kWUvH5Ts05
— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) February 18, 2026
“Jose Mourinho is an iconic figure in world football,” Scott said. “Yesterday, he switched the focus from what had actually been said to whether there was provocation for it. He essentially told us that Vinicius Jr was asking for it. That is a damaging narrative from a man who is considered a leading figure in the global game.
“Investigation and due process will have to occur, but whatever the results, we hope that football becomes a better platform, where hatred is met with more than nominal fines and partial stadium closures, where diversity is truly celebrated not just tolerated.
“The racial diversity on a football pitch in the Champions League is the representation of the global love for this game, and the global belonging in this game. This is the very spirit of football. And if you don't agree, then respectfully, you are the one who doesn't belong.”
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Adam Crafton is a British journalist based in New York City, having relocated from London in 2024. He primarily covers soccer for The Athletic. In 2024, he was named the Sports Writer of the Year by the Sports' Journalist Association, after winning the Young Sports Writer of the Year award in 2018. Follow Adam on Twitter @AdamCrafton_
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February 19, 2026
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Building on its relationship with the Washington Spirit, CVS expands its commitment to soccer through a new multi-year sponsorship with the league and federation, which includes a national community field investment and partnering with the Kansas City Current and Seattle Reign FC
WOONSOCKET, R.I., February 19, 2026 — CVS Pharmacy® has furthered its commitment to improving community health by becoming an Official Health and Wellness Partner of the U.S. Soccer Federation (USSF) and the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) and is backing that sponsorship with a multi-year investment to develop community multi use soccer fields in select markets across the country.
“CVS Pharmacy is uniquely positioned to strengthen health at the community level,” said Len Shankman, Executive Vice President and President, Pharmacy and Consumer Wellness, CVS Health. “As an Official Health and Wellness Partner of U.S. Soccer and the NWSL, we have a valuable opportunity to deepen our ties in the neighborhoods we serve. Soccer positively impacts health and community connection,1 making this sponsorship a natural fit. We're proud to partner with the NWSL, as well as the U.S. Soccer Men's and Women's National Teams to help expand access to opportunities that will support wellness for generations of athletes to come.”
Building on its long-term support of women's soccer, including partnering with the Washington Spirit since 2020, CVS will also sponsor the Seattle Reign FC and Kansas City Current. Together, these club-specific sponsorships will help bring resources, revitalized spaces and meaningful community impact to additional markets – reflecting a shared belief that access to sports, safe places to play and community connection are essential drivers of lifelong wellbeing.
“This partnership reflects the NWSL's continued growth and our belief that the professional women's game is a powerful catalyst for impact far beyond the pitch,” said Matt Soloff, SVP of Partnerships, National Women's Soccer League. “Together with CVS and our clubs, we're translating that growth into real investment in healthier communities and expanding access and opportunity for the next generation of players and fans.”
At the heart of the initiative is a commitment to develop community multiuse soccer fields in select markets through 2028, creating welcoming, accessible spaces where families, kids and neighbors can gather, play and connect. To support this work, CVS Pharmacy is teaming up with Alex Morgan, an NWSL icon and two-time Women's World Cup champion, Olympic gold medalist, entrepreneur, philanthropist and mom, along with U.S. Soccer ambassadors and NWSL clubs to help amplify the stories of soccer's positive impact on communities, on and off the field.
“Soccer has shaped my life in countless ways, and I've seen firsthand how access to the game can build confidence, health and community,” said Alex Morgan. “I'm excited to work with CVS to help ensure more kids and families can experience the joy and wellbeing soccer brings—starting with the fields where it all begins.”
“At U.S. Soccer, we believe the game can make a real difference beyond the field,” said David Wright, Chief Commercial Officer of U.S. Soccer. “By working with CVS, a brand trusted by millions of families across the country, we have an opportunity to meet fans and families where they are and connect the game they love with everyday wellness.”
Beyond field improvements and to coincide with its club sponsorships, CVS Pharmacy will also amplify local causes and community programs that matter most to fans in Washington, D.C., Seattle and Kansas City. Through club-led initiatives, matchday experiences and community investments with the Washington Spirit, Seattle Reign FC and Kansas City Current, CVS will help foster more inclusive, welcoming environments that encourage movement, connection and everyday wellbeing, while supporting local economic development.
To learn more about how CVS is supporting U.S. soccer, visit www.cvs.com/content/soccer.
CVS Health (NYSE: CVS) is a leading health solutions company building a world of health around every consumer, wherever they are. As of December 31, 2025, the Company had approximately 9,000 retail pharmacy locations, more than 1,000 walk-in and primary care medical clinics and a leading pharmacy benefits manager with approximately 87 million plan members. The Company also serves an estimated more than 37 million people through traditional, voluntary and consumer-directed health insurance products and related services, including highly rated Medicare Advantage offerings and a leading standalone Medicare Part D prescription drug plan. The Company's integrated model uses personalized, technology driven services to connect people to simply better health, increasing access to quality care, delivering better outcomes, and lowering overall costs.
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The National Women's Soccer League is the premier women's professional soccer league in the world featuring national team players from around the globe. The clubs are Angel City FC, Bay FC, Boston Legacy FC, Chicago Stars FC, Denver Summit FC, Gotham FC, Houston Dash, Kansas City Current, North Carolina Courage, NWSL Atlanta, Orlando Pride, Portland Thorns FC, Racing Louisville FC, San Diego Wave FC, Seattle Reign FC, Utah Royals FC, and Washington Spirit.
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Alex Mott·19 February 2026
OneFootball can today announce an exciting new partnership with the U.S. Soccer Federation.
As part of the new partnership, fans will soon be able to follow the U.S. Men's National Team and U.S. Women's National Team even more closely on their Official Team Profiles on OneFootball – through video, editorial and social-first formats.
From behind-the-scenes moments and player stories to match-related content, U.S. Soccer will join the OneFootball platform to reach a young, global football audience in the build-up to a historic few years for the game:
This collaboration is all about making the USMNT and USWNT more accessible to fans everywhere, on the screens and platforms they use every day. From growing the interest of soccer in North America and its host nations to leveraging OneFootball's global scale.
Content will range from official U.S Soccer content and player stories, to match-related coverage around key moments in the calendar, all delivered through our global football-only platform.
By joining forces, U.S. Soccer and OneFootball aim to use this historic window to tell the stories, identities and journeys of both national teams to a broader audience – not only in traditional soccer markets, but also among new and emerging fanbases discovering the sport.
The collaboration reinforces OneFootball's commitment to the North American market, while supporting U.S. Soccer's long-term ambition to grow the game and its fanbase globally through digital innovation.
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When the Haitian men's soccer team qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, its first time since 1974, it did so without being able to play in its home stadium or train inside the beleaguered country.
"Which makes this achievement even more remarkable. We're very proud of this," said Regine Etienne, Haiti's acting consular general in Boston. "Their journey demonstrates that there is still hope for Haiti, and that determination and talent can triumph despite adversity."
Making the World Cup can have that kind of power for a small or troubled country. The Haitian flag will fly with those of some the world's most powerful nations. Haiti's citizens, however, will not be able to travel to the United States to cheer them on, a reality that stings for Haitians at home and in the diaspora. Haitians, like citizens from Senegal, Ivory Coast and Iran, face almost a complete travel ban under Trump Administration policy. Despite pleas from those countries, there is no indication President Donald Trump will relent, or that FIFA will pressure the U.S. to make an exception for those who want to travel to the World Cup.
As of Jan. 1, the Trump administration expanded its visa-issuance suspensions to nationals from 39 countries, citing national security and public safety concerns and saying the identified countries could not properly vet their citizens. Four of the countries on the banned list -- Haiti, Senegal, Ivory Coast and Iran -- have qualified for the World Cup, hosted this year by the U.S., Canada and Mexico.
Under the policy, known formally as Presidential Proclamation 10998, players, team officials and immediate family members from the four countries will be granted visas. While the policy allows for some other exceptions -- including those that "would serve the U.S. national interest" -- a State Department spokesman said in an email that those would be "quite rare."
"A visa is a privilege. Visas are not a right," the spokesperson said in an emailed statement "Under President Trump, the Department of State is administering visa operations in a way that prioritizes the safety of the American people and our national interests, strengthens screening and vetting, and enforces the law."
The Haitian government "is actively exploring all possible options," Etienne said. But noted that, "a visa is a sovereign prerogative and remains at the discretion of the relevant authorities."
One hope for the four World Cup countries might be New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a democratic socialist who had what observers found to be a surprisingly cordial Oval Office meeting with the Republican president in November.
Mamdani said in January that he would appeal to Trump for a travel exception for the World Cup. In a recent interview with ESPN, Mamdani would not say whether he had spoken to Trump -- "I'll keep conversations between the president and myself private" -- but said he intends to advocate for affected communities in any way he can.
"It is an opportunity to be seen by a world that often overlooks you. And I've heard, especially from Haitian New Yorkers, about what it means that their team is going to be a part of this World Cup, that it's a recognition of an entire people," Mamdani said, adding that he will "always make the case" that New York is "a city that the world can visit."
Mamdani, known for his love of soccer, hosted a watch party for the Africa Cup of Nations final between Morocco and Senegal last month, the first of what he says will be numerous events celebrating New York's immigrant communities.
A White House spokesman would not say whether the president had spoken to Mamdani or would consider a travel ban appeal, saying in an email, "Thanks to President Trump's leadership, the FIFA World Cup 2026 will be one of the greatest and most spectacular events in the history of mankind, right here in the United States of America. This event will generate billions of dollars of economic impact and bring hundreds of thousands of jobs to our country. The President is focused on making this the greatest World Cup ever while ensuring it is the safest and most secure in history."
Haiti, Senegal and Iran will play all their group-stage games in the United States. The Ivory Coast, on the other hand, plays its second group stage game in Toronto, where Canada has a strict vetting process but not a blanket ban. It's also possible that teams could advance to knockout games in Canada or Mexico, a long shot for all but Senegal.
Sheck Wes, a Senegalese-American hip hop artist raised in New York City, said the ban not only prohibits Senegalese tourists from sharing their passion with World Cup crowds, but also keeps other Americans from seeing a vibrant community that wants to contribute to the event.
"If we're going back to 1776, back to Benjamin Franklin having to be in Paris and getting help from the French, we're a country known to ask for help and give help, and this World Cup is a great opportunity for us as a country to be great hosts for these people," he said.
When the Trump administration announced the bans, it said nationals from the named countries "have been involved with crimes that include murder, terrorism, embezzling public funds, human smuggling, human trafficking, and other criminal activity."
"Widely unreliable foreign civil documents and lack of authoritative criminal information" make it difficult for the U.S. to vet applicants, the administration said, adding that the government must "exercise extreme vigilance" in the visa-issuance process.
The policy has been attacked by Democrats and a number of civil and human rights organizations as being discriminatory, with Human Rights First describing the policy as "racist" and "a sweeping act of collective punishment."
Jonathan Grode, a prominent immigration lawyer in Philadelphia, said the inflexibility on immigration runs counter to the Trump Administration's own business instincts.
"You have (the Department of) Commerce, who understands the significance and importance of (sports diplomacy), and you have the immigration hawk faction, which, irrespective of the financial gain of the country, or what it means as a world leader, they are not interested in that if it goes against the overall objective of how they want to treat immigration," he said. "And that is really what's coming to a head here."
Asked whether FIFA might push for an exemption to the ban, a spokesman for the organization pointed out that FIFA has worked with the Trump administration to create an expedited visa interview process for anyone holding a World Cup ticket. Who ultimately receives a visa, however, is a different matter: "The U.S. government... determines who gets a visa and who is admitted. FIFA is not involved in host country immigration processes."
Critics said they think FIFA President Gianni Infantino, who has grown close to Trump and awarded the American president the inaugural FIFA peace prize, should press his friend for an exemption.
"It's very difficult to process," said Lionel Lucien, a Haitian-American community leader in Boston, where Haiti will play its World Cup opener. "There are people over there that would love to come and that qualify based on some of the requirements. The blank prohibition of Haiti to come for the World Cup is completely against the FIFA mission. It's hurtful and disrespectful."
One retired veteran U.S. diplomat, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the U.S. has legitimate concerns about vetting people from poor or unstable countries seeking tourist visas. Haiti and Iran faced restrictions in previous administrations: "Tourist visas for them are basically rare, if not impossible, to get, and some of it is just logistics," the former diplomat said. But, he said, a total ban is an extreme reaction.
"There's a way to handle it that's sane and measured and meant to solve the problem, and then another to use this completely for an ideological goal, and door 'B' is what they've chosen," the diplomat said.
Senegal may be "a poor country, and there is significant fraud," the diplomat said, "but to see upwardly-mobile citizens going to see their teams is not crazy to think about."
Iran has been in its own category since the Islamic Revolution in 1979.
"We've never had a functioning consular section there since the 'Argo' era," the diplomat said, referencing the film about the 1979 Iran hostage crisis. "And the vetting is quite justified when an Iranian is not an ex-pat or a dissident, someone we already know.
"They're not just hostile (to the United States) but they're not sharing information that lets us trust in their identities and their passports. The difficulty in determining that a person holding an Iranian passport is actually that person-how can you trust that?"
Trump's announcement of the suspensions also stated that foreign nationals from the named countries have "exploited the historic generosity of the United States" by not adhering to the terms of their visas. According to Department of Homeland Security data, Haitians who have received visas over the past several years have overstayed the terms of their visas at a rate far beyond any other country in the World Cup. But that's an argument for vetting, the diplomat said, not for a blanket ban.
"For Haiti this is not just about soccer, it's about dignity and visibility," said James "Reggie" Colimon, a Haitian American who is director of global affairs and protocol for Boston Mayor Michelle Wu. "Sport is supposed to unite the world, but Haiti can't participate? We are a country where all are welcome, supposedly, in theory, but what we're seeing is very different.
"When you single out one nation while welcoming others, it creates a credibility gap. No one will ever dispute security doesn't matter, but there's an inconsistency in the way we're doing things. The World Cup already operates under the highest security."
“Football will win,” said Nasser Al-Khelaifi (below), the chairman of football's reigning European champions, Paris Saint-Germain, and one of football's most powerful administrators, as he addressed UEFA's Congress in Brussels last week.
At the annual powwow of Europe's great and good, UEFA, Real Madrid and the EFC - formerly the ECA, chaired by Qatar's Al-Khelaifi - had just signed an agreement, signalling Real Madrid's retreat from the ill-conceived Super League and the reintegration of the Bernabeu club into the European football family.
It was a curious moment. Real Madrid briefed that they had won. UEFA's president, Aleksander Ceferin, echoed Al-Khelaifi's words and said that football was the winner. From Florentino Perez to the ubiquitous Gianni Infantino, the “football family” demonstrated more unity than ever.
In a dense statement, the three parties wrote that they had “reached an agreement of principles for the well-being of European club football, respecting the principle of sporting merit with emphasis on long-term club sustainability and the enhancement of fan experience through the use of technology.
“This agreement of principles will also serve to resolve their legal disputes related to the European Super League, once such principles are executed and implemented.”
What did that even mean? Real Madrid's return was framed as the ultimate collapse of the Super League, but few at the UEFA Congress were willing to shine a light on the finer details of the agreement.
A senior UEFA official indicated to Sporting Intelligence that Real Madrid had gained little. They had become isolated, even if the club's longstanding boss Florentino Perez had been one of the main drivers of the Super League project.
They have returned to the European establishment in different circumstances. The EFC and the joint venture that the EFC now have with UEFA - which is called UC3 - call the shots in the continental club game.
UEFA's annual financial report discloses as much, saying: “We also transferred the management, sale and delivery of all media, sponsorship and licensing rights to our elite men's and women's club competitions to UC3, a UEFA-EFC joint venture.”
Real Madrid and the other elite clubs can therefore now lobby from the inside for any future reformatting of the Champions League. Sources say that one reformatting proposal is that the current 36-team group phase becomes a “two division” phase, with the “biggest” clubs in one 18-team league, and “the rest” in another 18-team league, with more teams from the “big clubs” pool getting to the last 16 than from the “other” pool.
It should be stressed: this is all up for grabs and proposals remain in their infancy. But the bottom line is that Europe's “biggest” clubs - Real Madrid, Barcelona, PSG, and the major clubs from the Premier League, Bundesliga, and Serie A will have enhanced chances of success, and crucially, enhanced chances of making more money, under any reformatted version of the CL.
The EFC currently takes €25m from UEFA annually, as first reported by The Independent. Those funds, it is understood, come from UEFA club competitions. On page 29, UEFA's 2024-25 financial report discloses: “€25m was allocated to European Football Clubs (EFC) in accordance with the memorandum of understanding signed by UEFA and EFC.”
In total, over the course of multiple seasons, an estimated €96m has flown from UEFA to the EFC. With this cash going to the EFC rather than to clubs who might (should) have earned it via European competition, it means lots of clubs have lost out on income.
Aston Villa (€631,000) and Celtic (€1.2m) are among dozens and dozens of clubs to miss out on extra revenue because of the money going to the EFC from UEFA. In the 2024-25 season, Scotland's Heart of Midlothian missed out on €43,000 through their participation in the Conference League while Arsenal, the losing semi-finalists in the Champions League, lost out on €883,000.
A full list of how much each club across has “lost” because of UEFA's funding of the EFC is available in a downloadable spreadsheet below. The remainder of this piece, and accompanying documents, is available to paying subscribers, without whom this site would not exist.
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ATLANTA (Feb. 18, 2026) – The U.S. Under-17 Women's National Team will face Puerto Rico, Haiti and Bermuda in Group B in the Final Round of the 2026 Concacaf Women's Under-17 Qualifiers. The Final Round of qualifiers will be held between March 17-22, 2026, at the Costa Rican Football Federation headquarters in San Rafael, Alajuela.
This is the second year of this Concacaf qualifying format for the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup. With the world championship now staged annually and expanded from 16 to 24 nations, instead of a tournament in which the top three Concacaf finishers qualify for the Women's U-17 World Cup, 12 teams were drawn into three groups of four teams each with the winner of each group and the best second place team qualifying for the World Cup, set for October-November 2026 in Morocco.
The Concacaf U-17 Women's Qualifiers format includes two rounds: Round One and the Final Round. For Round One, 28 nations – all ranked fifth and below based on the Concacaf U-17 Women's Ranking – were split into six groups. After round-robin play between January 24 and February 2, eight teams progressed to the Final Round, joining the Confederation's four best-ranked teams.
The Final Round will also be played in a group format with three groups of four teams each. The 12 participating teams are: Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico and the United States who were all pre-seeded; Dominican Republic, Panama, Haiti, Jamaica, Costa Rica, and El Salvador, which were the six Round One group winners; and Bermuda and Nicaragua, which were the best second-place finishers in Round One.
The other two groups feature Canada, El Salvador, Dominican Republic and Nicaragua in Group A and Mexico, host Costa Rica, Panama and Jamaica in Group C.
With the expanded annual U-17 Women's World Cup, the Concacaf region has been allocated an additional fourth berth. The next four editions of the tournament will be held in Morocco.
Last year's change in format means the USA can no longer win a Concacaf U-17 Women's Championship, of which it has won six and the most recent four in a row. The USA won the Concacaf U-17 Women's Championship in 2008, 2012, 2016, 2018, 2022 and 2024.
Just three countries thus far have qualified for the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup. In addition to host Morocco, New Zealand and Samoa have qualified from Oceania via 2025 OFC U-16 Women's Championship.
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SEATTLE — As millions of fans prepare to travel for the FIFA World Cup™ this summer, Airbnb announced the launch of what it calls its largest new host incentive program to encourage residents in host cities to rent out their homes during the tournament.
According to estimates from Deloitte, residents in host cities like Seattle could earn an average of $3,000 by listing their space on Airbnb during the event.
The report also projects significant travel demand tied to the tournament, creating what the company describes as a major economic opportunity for local communities.
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World Cup-related travel interest is already rising sharply.
Image of Seattle FIFA World Cup 2026 Logo. Seattle FIFA World Cup 2026 organizing committee released its logo in January 2025.{ } (SFWC26)
Searches for stays in host cities are up 80% year-over-year as fans begin making plans to attend matches and related events, according to Airbnb.
In Seattle and nearby areas alone, more than 149,000 fans are expected to travel for the tournament, according to Deloitte.
Local hosts in the region are projected to earn an average of $3,800 by renting their homes on Airbnb during the event.
Airbnb said it is actively seeking new hosts to help meet the anticipated surge in demand for accommodations during the FIFA World Cup™, positioning home sharing as a way for residents to benefit financially while helping to accommodate visiting fans.
New entire home hosts in any of the 16 World Cup cities across the US, Canada, and Mexico who welcome their first guests between now and July 31, 2026, are eligible to earn a $750 USD bonus, Airbnb said.
Beyond individual host earnings, Airbnb said its activity is expected to have a broader economic impact.
The company cited Deloitte estimates that direct spending through Airbnb bookings could generate approximately $260 million for the local economy through a multiplier effect.
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Former LSU Soccer defender Sydney Cheesman has earned a call-up to the U.S. Under-23 Women's National Team, announced by the U.S. Soccer Federation on Wednesday.
Cheesman is one of 24 players that have been called up to the first U.S. Under-23 Women's National Team training camp of 2026, which will run from Feb. 27 to March 7 in South Florida.
U.S. U-23 WNT head coach Heather Dyche will train a squad featuring 21 professional players – 19 from the NWSL and two from the USL Super League – along with three current collegiate players.
The camp will end with two matches against the Mexico U-23 Women's National Team, on March 3 at Noon ET and March 6 at 2 p.m. ET, both at the FIU Soccer Stadium in Miami. The matches are open and free to the public.
Cheesman's selection marks another milestone for LSU Soccer, as the program continues to produce talent at the national level. The U-23 Women's National Team serves as a key pipeline to the senior national team, featuring some of the top emerging players in the country.
The selection marks LSU Soccer's third Tiger to earn a national team call-up just this week. Previously, current freshman Sariyah Bailey received a call-up to the U.S. Under-19 Women's National Team, while former Tiger and teammate of Cheesman, Ida Hermannsdottir, got named to the full Icelandic Women's National Team.
Cheesman concluded her LSU career in 2025 as a cornerstone of the Tigers' backline, being a vital piece of the squad that led the program to its first-ever NCAA Sweet 16 appearance. Over her two seasons in Baton Rouge, she appeared in 44 matches, earning the start in all but one of those, and logged 3,557 minutes on the pitch. In addition to her defensive contributions, Cheesman tallied two goals and seven assists during her time in the Purple and Gold.
After transferring to LSU in 2024, Cheesman quickly established herself as a vital piece of the Tigers' defense, bringing experience, consistency and leadership to the squad. Her impact was instrumental in LSU's historic 2025 season, as the team set new benchmarks on the national stage.
The U-23 call-up reflects Cheesman's continued development and recognition among the nation's elite young players. She will now have the opportunity to compete and train at the international level as part of the U.S. Soccer system.
U.S. U-23 WNT Roster by Position – (Club/College; Hometown)Domestic Training Camp and Matches — Miami, Fla.
Goalkeepers (2): Liz Beardsley (Tampa Bay Sun FC; Lakeland, Fla.), Neeku Purcell (Seattle Reign FC; Seattle, Wash.)
Defenders (8): Macy Blackburn (Racing Louisville FC; Fort Worth, Texas), Carolyn Calzada (Portland Thorns FC; Sugar Hill, Ga.), Sydney Cheesman (Louisiana State; Lafayette, Colo.), Leah Klenke (Houston Dash; Houston, Texas), Ayo Oke (Denver Summit FC; Lawrenceville, Ga.), Jayden Perry (Portland Thorns FC; Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.), Evelyn Shores (Angel City FC; Atlanta, Ga.), Sierra Sythe (Wake Forest; Long Beach, Calif.)
Midfielders (7): Sofia Cook (Gotham FC; Huntington Beach, Calif.), Shae Harvey (Portland Thorns FC; Hermosa Beach, Calif.), Ally Lemos (Orlando Pride; Glendora, Calif.), Yuna McCormack (Denver Summit FC; Mill Valley, Calif.), Lexi Missimo (Dallas Trinity FC; Southlake, Texas), Sarah Schupansky (Gotham FC; Pittsburgh, Pa.), Taylor Suarez (Angel City FC; Charlotte, N.C.)
Forwards (7): Jasmine Aikey (Denver Summit FC; Palo Alto, Calif.), Andrea Kitahata (Gotham FC; Hillsborough, Calif.), Karlie Lema (Bay FC; Morgan Hill, Calif.), Hope Leyba (Colorado; Phoenix, Ariz.), Kat Rader (Houston Dash; Stuart, Fla.), Pietra Tordin (Portland Thorns FC; Miami, Fla.), Sarah Weber (Racing Louisville FC; Gretna, Neb.)
LSU Wins Again By 10-Run Rule, Beating Nicholls State, 12-1, To Go To 5-0 On The Season
LSU's soccer team successfully bounced back from its worst loss of the season with a 6-0 victory Sunday over Texas A&M Commerce at the LSU Soccer Stadium. The Tigers (4-2-0) led 2-0 at halftime and […]
A brace from Taylor Dobles helped LSU's soccer team successfully complete the non-conference portion of its 2023 schedule. Dobles gave the Tigers a 2-0 lead in the first half which proved to be enough in […]
LSU center back Lindsi Jennings is turning into quite an offensive threat. For the second straight game Jennings found herself on the finishing end of a volley, this time helping to catapult the Tigers to […]
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Amanda Anisimova ended Mirra Andreeva's title defense at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships in the quarterfinals, coming through a nailbiter in a third-set tiebreak. She will face Jessica Pegula, who defeated last year's finalist Clara Tauson in three sets, in an all-American semifinal.
No. 2 seed Amanda Anisimova ended No. 5 seed Mirra Andreeva's Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships title defense 2-6, 7-5, 7-6(4) in a quarterfinal thriller, holding off a late charge from 5-3 down in the third set by the 18-year-old to convert her fourth match point after 2 hours and 38 minutes. Anisimova had trailed by a set and 2-0 before mounting a comeback of her own.
Anisimova will face No. 4 seed Jessica Pegula in an all-American semifinal, a reprise of last month's Australian Open quarterfinal tilt. Pegula edged No. 12 seed and last year's runner-up Clara Tauson 6-3, 2-6, 6-4 to reach her seventh consecutive semifinal on the WTA Tour Driven by Mercedes-Benz, a streak that stretches back to last year's US Open.
Dubai: Scores | Draws | Order of play
"I was almost in tears there at the end," Anisimova said in her on-court interview. She wasn't the only one; after Andreeva's final backhand went long, the 18-year-old bent double with the emotion.
"It was such a tough battle, and I thought we played incredible tennis," Anisimova continued. "Seeing Mirra down like that, it's understandable. We both fought so hard today, and it made me emotional seeing her like that. She was playing so well, she's the defending champion and I feel like we both won on the court today. These type of matches, it's always tough that someone has to lose at the end of the day."
In her press conference, Anisimova expanded on her sympathy for Andreeva.
"It's not easy to see someone that gives their all and then to react like that," she said. "It made me really sad for her. In my mind, I was just thinking if she keeps playing like this, there's a title around the corner for her. Obviously she's going to have a great year. She seems to be doing all the right things."
Anisimova's victory was her first Top 10 win of 2026, and marks the first time she has reached a semifinal since the 2025 WTA Finals Riyadh. It was also the second time she has downed Andreeva in a nailbiter in as many meetings. Last year, she ended Andreeva's 13-match winning streak 7-6(5), 2-6, 6-3 in the Miami third round.
Pegula and Anisimova will both be bidding to reach the Dubai final for the first time. Pegula has dominated their head-to-head so far with a perfect 4-0 record, including a 6-2, 7-6(1) win in Melbourne last month.
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Setting the stage for a third-set tug-of-war: As Andreeva advanced to a 6-2, 2-0 lead, the teenager's tactics and execution were both spot on. She was both out-manoeuvring the two-time major finalist from the baseline and out-serving her: in the first set, Andreeva fired four aces to Anisimova's zero, while the latter coughed up 20 unforced errors.
But with two points to go up a 3-0 double break, Andreeva threw in a pair of her own errors -- and a rejuvenated Anisimova cleaned up her accuracy to reel off five straight games and lead 5-2. Andreeva managed to rediscover her first-set form to level at 5-5, but lapsed into error again in the final game of the set.
The decider saw both players raise their levels at the same time. Andreeva, already up a break, won one of the best points of the match in the second game, anticipating an Anisimova putaway and stealing the rally with a lob-drop shot combination.
Anisimova expands her game to pull ahead: But getting tied up in that exchange seemed to only spur Anisimova on. She found her best sequence of no-holds-barred power hitting in response, and took five of the next seven games to lead 5-3. In this passage of play, Anisimova's willingness to come forwards proved crucial -- and she also pulled off a hot shot of her own, a one-handed backhand flick to finish a cat-and-mouse placement battle in the sixth game.
"I feel I'm always learning when you play matches like that," Anisimova said in her on-court interview. "I'm expanding my game, and that's something I feel likeI really want to get better at."
Most impressively, Anisimova's adjustments were made on the fly. Net play had not been part of her advance strategy.
"Before the match that wasn't really something in my mind," she said. "But as the match went on, she gets to every single ball. So I felt like I was trying different things, like drop shots, coming into the net, trying to use the court as much as I can because otherwise I don't think that the point would finish if I just kept hitting the ball.
"It's something I've also tried to get better at and improve in. I feel like I can play well at the net if I commit to it ... We were just going back to back with it. We were both trying to play really aggressive. I feel like the game style shifted a lot of times throughout the match."
Andreeva musters a last stand ... but Anisimova powers to victory: With her back to the wall, Andreeva refused to let go of her crown. With Anisimova serving at 5-3, Andreeva saved a match point by drawing the error with a short forehand slice. At 5-5, she nailed a pair of down-the-line winners off each wing to win a third straight game.
"When it was 5-5 I was like, damn, I had a match point at 5-3," Anisimova recalled in her press conference. "How did you blow that? I was like, maybe I might lose the match at this point, too.
"It was just a flying thought in my mind. It didn't really stick long. I feel like we were both playing so well, so of course that's going to happen. I think Coco [Gauff] also saved a few match points last night. I ended up coming to watch that match in the end. I feel like the tennis here has been sort of a rollercoaster. That's also what makes this sport so enjoyable to watch. Yeah, the game can be crazy."
Embracing the wild shifts made possible by tennis's scoring system, Anisimova made one last charge -- and victory ultimately came down to her ability to tee off on the Andreeva second serve. At 6-5, 30-30, Anisimova avoided facing a match point by hammering a forehand return down the line. Consecutive return winners also gave her the momentum early in the ensuing tiebreak.
Amanda Anisimova ended Mirra Andreeva's title defense at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships in the quarterfinals, coming through a nailbiter in a third-set tiebreak. She will face Jessica Pegula, who defeated last year's finalist Clara Tauson in three sets, in an all-American semifinal.
Listen or stream this week's jam-packed episode now.ByEd McGroganPublished Feb 18, 2026 copy_link
Published Feb 18, 2026
Episode 7 of The Big T, a Tennis Channel podcast, is now available to listen on your favorite streaming platforms—click here for the latest drop.You can also watch specific segments and bonus content from every episode on the Tennis Channel app—click here and start digging in!On this week's episode, which for the first time featured three of our hosts in one room…
You can also watch specific segments and bonus content from every episode on the Tennis Channel app—click here and start digging in!On this week's episode, which for the first time featured three of our hosts in one room…
On this week's episode, which for the first time featured three of our hosts in one room…
What do Petra Kvitova and Barbora Krejcikova have in common? Two things, as many tennis fans know: they're both Czech, and they've both won two Grand Slam singles titles.But they shouldn't be the only active Czech ladies with that designation, according to Brad Gilbert.“I feel like she's the biggest ‘What if?' player on the women's tour,” says BG of Karolina Muchova, the recently crowned champion in Doha.The 29-year-old dropped just one set to win the 1000-level tournament, which for a while looked like Victoria Mboko's event to lose. But the surging Canadian teen—who had defeated Mirra Andreeva and Elana Rybakina just to reach the semifinals—couldn't handle Muchova's signature blend of all-court craftsmanship in the title bout.Yet despite having reached three Grand Slam semifinals, ascended as high as No. 8 in the world and posted a 338-163 win-loss record, this was just Muchova's second WTA-level title of any sort, and her first since 2019!I feel like she's the biggest ‘What if?' player on the women's tour. Brad Gilbert on Karolina MuchovaCoco Vandeweghe heard Gilbert out, but offered another Muchova comp: Ash Barty.Karolina “really disrupts the big power game…we haven't seen for at least a good eight years now, since Ash retired.”Muchova's biggest problem has always been health. Could this year actually be different? And who do you think will have a better year: Muchova, or Mboko?
But they shouldn't be the only active Czech ladies with that designation, according to Brad Gilbert.“I feel like she's the biggest ‘What if?' player on the women's tour,” says BG of Karolina Muchova, the recently crowned champion in Doha.The 29-year-old dropped just one set to win the 1000-level tournament, which for a while looked like Victoria Mboko's event to lose. But the surging Canadian teen—who had defeated Mirra Andreeva and Elana Rybakina just to reach the semifinals—couldn't handle Muchova's signature blend of all-court craftsmanship in the title bout.Yet despite having reached three Grand Slam semifinals, ascended as high as No. 8 in the world and posted a 338-163 win-loss record, this was just Muchova's second WTA-level title of any sort, and her first since 2019!I feel like she's the biggest ‘What if?' player on the women's tour. Brad Gilbert on Karolina MuchovaCoco Vandeweghe heard Gilbert out, but offered another Muchova comp: Ash Barty.Karolina “really disrupts the big power game…we haven't seen for at least a good eight years now, since Ash retired.”Muchova's biggest problem has always been health. Could this year actually be different? And who do you think will have a better year: Muchova, or Mboko?
“I feel like she's the biggest ‘What if?' player on the women's tour,” says BG of Karolina Muchova, the recently crowned champion in Doha.The 29-year-old dropped just one set to win the 1000-level tournament, which for a while looked like Victoria Mboko's event to lose. But the surging Canadian teen—who had defeated Mirra Andreeva and Elana Rybakina just to reach the semifinals—couldn't handle Muchova's signature blend of all-court craftsmanship in the title bout.Yet despite having reached three Grand Slam semifinals, ascended as high as No. 8 in the world and posted a 338-163 win-loss record, this was just Muchova's second WTA-level title of any sort, and her first since 2019!I feel like she's the biggest ‘What if?' player on the women's tour. Brad Gilbert on Karolina MuchovaCoco Vandeweghe heard Gilbert out, but offered another Muchova comp: Ash Barty.Karolina “really disrupts the big power game…we haven't seen for at least a good eight years now, since Ash retired.”Muchova's biggest problem has always been health. Could this year actually be different? And who do you think will have a better year: Muchova, or Mboko?
The 29-year-old dropped just one set to win the 1000-level tournament, which for a while looked like Victoria Mboko's event to lose. But the surging Canadian teen—who had defeated Mirra Andreeva and Elana Rybakina just to reach the semifinals—couldn't handle Muchova's signature blend of all-court craftsmanship in the title bout.Yet despite having reached three Grand Slam semifinals, ascended as high as No. 8 in the world and posted a 338-163 win-loss record, this was just Muchova's second WTA-level title of any sort, and her first since 2019!I feel like she's the biggest ‘What if?' player on the women's tour. Brad Gilbert on Karolina MuchovaCoco Vandeweghe heard Gilbert out, but offered another Muchova comp: Ash Barty.Karolina “really disrupts the big power game…we haven't seen for at least a good eight years now, since Ash retired.”Muchova's biggest problem has always been health. Could this year actually be different? And who do you think will have a better year: Muchova, or Mboko?
Yet despite having reached three Grand Slam semifinals, ascended as high as No. 8 in the world and posted a 338-163 win-loss record, this was just Muchova's second WTA-level title of any sort, and her first since 2019!I feel like she's the biggest ‘What if?' player on the women's tour. Brad Gilbert on Karolina MuchovaCoco Vandeweghe heard Gilbert out, but offered another Muchova comp: Ash Barty.Karolina “really disrupts the big power game…we haven't seen for at least a good eight years now, since Ash retired.”Muchova's biggest problem has always been health. Could this year actually be different? And who do you think will have a better year: Muchova, or Mboko?
I feel like she's the biggest ‘What if?' player on the women's tour. Brad Gilbert on Karolina Muchova
Coco Vandeweghe heard Gilbert out, but offered another Muchova comp: Ash Barty.Karolina “really disrupts the big power game…we haven't seen for at least a good eight years now, since Ash retired.”Muchova's biggest problem has always been health. Could this year actually be different? And who do you think will have a better year: Muchova, or Mboko?
Karolina “really disrupts the big power game…we haven't seen for at least a good eight years now, since Ash retired.”Muchova's biggest problem has always been health. Could this year actually be different? And who do you think will have a better year: Muchova, or Mboko?
Muchova's biggest problem has always been health. Could this year actually be different? And who do you think will have a better year: Muchova, or Mboko?
Last week marked the first time in 44 years that three tournaments featured finals pitting the No. 1 seed vs. the No. 2 seed:Dallas: (1) Taylor Fritz vs. (2) Ben SheltonRotterdam: (1) Alex de Minaur vs. (2) Felix Auger-AlassimeBuenos Aires: (1) Francisco Cerundolo vs. (2) Luciano DarderiFrom an American perspective, at least, the highlight was Fritz vs. Shelton, which Andrea Petkovic lauded—especially their final set.“It was exciting, the quality was great, the men were moving incredibly well,” she said. “I was very impressed.”
From an American perspective, at least, the highlight was Fritz vs. Shelton, which Andrea Petkovic lauded—especially their final set.“It was exciting, the quality was great, the men were moving incredibly well,” she said. “I was very impressed.”
“It was exciting, the quality was great, the men were moving incredibly well,” she said. “I was very impressed.”
The drama also played into the appraisal. Fritz had three match points, but couldn't capitalize on any. They were all on Shelton's serve—and to Fritz's credit, he returned each one and engaged in a rally—but painfully came up short.“When you get a tournament win like that,” said Gilbert of Shelton, “the next place that you go to…you get in a same situation, I'm going to find another win.”WATCH: Should Fritz, playing through injury, take some time off?
“When you get a tournament win like that,” said Gilbert of Shelton, “the next place that you go to…you get in a same situation, I'm going to find another win.”WATCH: Should Fritz, playing through injury, take some time off?
WATCH: Should Fritz, playing through injury, take some time off?
Taylor Fritz pushed Ben Shelton to the limit, but at what cost?
The Big T's favorite game show, Bank or Shank? returned, with each of the hosts giving their proverbial thumbs up or thumbs down to a tennis hypothetical.First statement: There is too much clay on the tennis calendar.Shank, said Petkovic.Safe to say that Coco disagreed:
First statement: There is too much clay on the tennis calendar.Shank, said Petkovic.Safe to say that Coco disagreed:
Shank, said Petkovic.Safe to say that Coco disagreed:
Safe to say that Coco disagreed:
Coco Vandeweghe wasn't buying what Andrea Petkovic was selling.
Some other topics for the hosts:👉 Vickie Mboko has a higher ceiling than Coco Gauff. (Watch here) 👉 Serena Williams will play a pro singles match this year.And a follow-up question, from Petko to BG: How would you coach Serena?
👉 Vickie Mboko has a higher ceiling than Coco Gauff. (Watch here) 👉 Serena Williams will play a pro singles match this year.And a follow-up question, from Petko to BG: How would you coach Serena?
And a follow-up question, from Petko to BG: How would you coach Serena?
From Agassi to Roddick to Gauff, Brad Gilbert has coached some serious American talent.
Players are getting burnt out, and I think that's the worst thing that can happen to a sport. Coco Vandeweghe
The 2025 tennis season saw the highest percentage of mid-tournament withdrawals and retirements on records. And despite advances in health technology, sports science and medicine, there were 25 percent more retirements on the ATP and 50 percent on the WTA, compared to 20 years ago.While acknowledging the outsized length of the calendar, Gilbert also felt some players were retiring when they really didn't have to—and worse, playing shortly after.“There should be some sort of penalty for retiring, because you screwed the fans—you couldn't have been that bad, you played the next week,” said BG. “They need to look at that.”Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek (neither of whom retired last week) aren't playing this week in Dubai, a 1000-level tournament, nor are Doha finalists Muchova and Mboko. Everyone is seemingly looking for answers.“You blame the tours more than you blame the tournaments,” says Vandeweghe, noting that both tournaments were elevated to mandatory 1000s. “It makes it impossible for the women to pick and choose what they want. If you don't play these two 1000s, then you have to put the load at the end of the year.”
While acknowledging the outsized length of the calendar, Gilbert also felt some players were retiring when they really didn't have to—and worse, playing shortly after.“There should be some sort of penalty for retiring, because you screwed the fans—you couldn't have been that bad, you played the next week,” said BG. “They need to look at that.”Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek (neither of whom retired last week) aren't playing this week in Dubai, a 1000-level tournament, nor are Doha finalists Muchova and Mboko. Everyone is seemingly looking for answers.“You blame the tours more than you blame the tournaments,” says Vandeweghe, noting that both tournaments were elevated to mandatory 1000s. “It makes it impossible for the women to pick and choose what they want. If you don't play these two 1000s, then you have to put the load at the end of the year.”
“There should be some sort of penalty for retiring, because you screwed the fans—you couldn't have been that bad, you played the next week,” said BG. “They need to look at that.”Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek (neither of whom retired last week) aren't playing this week in Dubai, a 1000-level tournament, nor are Doha finalists Muchova and Mboko. Everyone is seemingly looking for answers.“You blame the tours more than you blame the tournaments,” says Vandeweghe, noting that both tournaments were elevated to mandatory 1000s. “It makes it impossible for the women to pick and choose what they want. If you don't play these two 1000s, then you have to put the load at the end of the year.”
Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek (neither of whom retired last week) aren't playing this week in Dubai, a 1000-level tournament, nor are Doha finalists Muchova and Mboko. Everyone is seemingly looking for answers.“You blame the tours more than you blame the tournaments,” says Vandeweghe, noting that both tournaments were elevated to mandatory 1000s. “It makes it impossible for the women to pick and choose what they want. If you don't play these two 1000s, then you have to put the load at the end of the year.”
“You blame the tours more than you blame the tournaments,” says Vandeweghe, noting that both tournaments were elevated to mandatory 1000s. “It makes it impossible for the women to pick and choose what they want. If you don't play these two 1000s, then you have to put the load at the end of the year.”
We want to hear from you!
In your experience, what do you think makes a good umpire, and what made you crazy that umpires sometimes do? Did you care who was in the chair for your matches?Good question, Lynn from Seattle. The answer is only a click away (44-minute mark).Want to see your questions on the show? Email thebigt@tennischannel.com or call 844-678-BIGT🫖 Spilling the T: Code ViolationsThis week, we gave time for the hosts to get a few things off their chests. And Petko, fresh off flying to the U.S., gladly took the opportunity.What grinds the German's gears? Well, among other things:Walking in an airport, only to have someone stop right in front of her to check their phoneBaggage claim etiquetteWe're withholding the third code violation—listen to it here—but we'll show you the reaction to it:
Good question, Lynn from Seattle. The answer is only a click away (44-minute mark).Want to see your questions on the show? Email thebigt@tennischannel.com or call 844-678-BIGT🫖 Spilling the T: Code ViolationsThis week, we gave time for the hosts to get a few things off their chests. And Petko, fresh off flying to the U.S., gladly took the opportunity.What grinds the German's gears? Well, among other things:Walking in an airport, only to have someone stop right in front of her to check their phoneBaggage claim etiquetteWe're withholding the third code violation—listen to it here—but we'll show you the reaction to it:
Want to see your questions on the show? Email thebigt@tennischannel.com or call 844-678-BIGT🫖 Spilling the T: Code ViolationsThis week, we gave time for the hosts to get a few things off their chests. And Petko, fresh off flying to the U.S., gladly took the opportunity.What grinds the German's gears? Well, among other things:Walking in an airport, only to have someone stop right in front of her to check their phoneBaggage claim etiquetteWe're withholding the third code violation—listen to it here—but we'll show you the reaction to it:
This week, we gave time for the hosts to get a few things off their chests. And Petko, fresh off flying to the U.S., gladly took the opportunity.What grinds the German's gears? Well, among other things:Walking in an airport, only to have someone stop right in front of her to check their phoneBaggage claim etiquetteWe're withholding the third code violation—listen to it here—but we'll show you the reaction to it:
What grinds the German's gears? Well, among other things:Walking in an airport, only to have someone stop right in front of her to check their phoneBaggage claim etiquetteWe're withholding the third code violation—listen to it here—but we'll show you the reaction to it:
We could screengrab Coco's reactions to Petko forever.
New episodes drop every Wednesday: Follow on your favorite platform for instant notifications:SpotifyAppleAmazonYouTubeiHeartPlus: Watch full episodes, individual segments and bonus content on the Tennis Channel app
Plus: Watch full episodes, individual segments and bonus content on the Tennis Channel app
The Tour Architecture Council aims to deliver actionable changes as early as 2027 amid growing withdrawals and injuries.ByStephanie LivaudaisPublished Feb 19, 2026 copy_link
Published Feb 19, 2026
© 2025 Clicks Images
Last week, world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka and No. 2 Iga Swiatek announced their withdrawal from the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, the second of back-to-back WTA 1000 events in the Middle East.Their absence renewed the conversation around how sustainable the professional tennis calendar really is—a discussion that only grew louder after eight other players also pulled out of the draw citing injury, illness and schedule changes, while four more players, including top seed Elena Rybakina, retired mid-match in Dubai.Read More: Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek Dubai withdrawals signal 'strategic scheduling' from top playersThe WTA's top players are largely in agreement that the calendar needs an overhaul—and now a new council has been formed to begin addressing the issue head on.On Tuesday, WTA Chair Valerie Camillo announced the launch of the 13-person Tour Architecture Council, whose goal is to recommend “actionable improvements” that could be implemented as early as the 2027 season.
Their absence renewed the conversation around how sustainable the professional tennis calendar really is—a discussion that only grew louder after eight other players also pulled out of the draw citing injury, illness and schedule changes, while four more players, including top seed Elena Rybakina, retired mid-match in Dubai.Read More: Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek Dubai withdrawals signal 'strategic scheduling' from top playersThe WTA's top players are largely in agreement that the calendar needs an overhaul—and now a new council has been formed to begin addressing the issue head on.On Tuesday, WTA Chair Valerie Camillo announced the launch of the 13-person Tour Architecture Council, whose goal is to recommend “actionable improvements” that could be implemented as early as the 2027 season.
Read More: Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek Dubai withdrawals signal 'strategic scheduling' from top playersThe WTA's top players are largely in agreement that the calendar needs an overhaul—and now a new council has been formed to begin addressing the issue head on.On Tuesday, WTA Chair Valerie Camillo announced the launch of the 13-person Tour Architecture Council, whose goal is to recommend “actionable improvements” that could be implemented as early as the 2027 season.
The WTA's top players are largely in agreement that the calendar needs an overhaul—and now a new council has been formed to begin addressing the issue head on.On Tuesday, WTA Chair Valerie Camillo announced the launch of the 13-person Tour Architecture Council, whose goal is to recommend “actionable improvements” that could be implemented as early as the 2027 season.
On Tuesday, WTA Chair Valerie Camillo announced the launch of the 13-person Tour Architecture Council, whose goal is to recommend “actionable improvements” that could be implemented as early as the 2027 season.
Read More: GI Illness forces Elena Rybakina to retire in Dubai, as lucky loser Antonia Ruzic advances“It's important we take a fresh, collaborative look at how to best preserve the high-quality competition that builds value for tournaments and provides an unparalleled experience for fans,” Camillo wrote in a letter addressed to players and tournament partners titled ‘A Stronger Framework for Women's Tennis.'“Over my first 90 days, there has been a clear sentiment across the Tour that the current calendar does not feel sustainable for players given the physical, professional and personal pressures of competing at the highest level…“For this reason, today I am establishing the Tour Architecture Council, a representative working group convened by the WTA to develop meaningful improvements to the calendar, commitments and other core elements of the Tour framework.”
“It's important we take a fresh, collaborative look at how to best preserve the high-quality competition that builds value for tournaments and provides an unparalleled experience for fans,” Camillo wrote in a letter addressed to players and tournament partners titled ‘A Stronger Framework for Women's Tennis.'“Over my first 90 days, there has been a clear sentiment across the Tour that the current calendar does not feel sustainable for players given the physical, professional and personal pressures of competing at the highest level…“For this reason, today I am establishing the Tour Architecture Council, a representative working group convened by the WTA to develop meaningful improvements to the calendar, commitments and other core elements of the Tour framework.”
“Over my first 90 days, there has been a clear sentiment across the Tour that the current calendar does not feel sustainable for players given the physical, professional and personal pressures of competing at the highest level…“For this reason, today I am establishing the Tour Architecture Council, a representative working group convened by the WTA to develop meaningful improvements to the calendar, commitments and other core elements of the Tour framework.”
“For this reason, today I am establishing the Tour Architecture Council, a representative working group convened by the WTA to develop meaningful improvements to the calendar, commitments and other core elements of the Tour framework.”
According to Camillo, the Council will bring together prominent voices from across the global tennis ecosystem. It is made up of players from around the world, leaders from tournaments across the Americas, Europe and Asia, as well as WTA senior leadership—including Camillo and WTA CEO Portia Archer—and experts in Tour operations.The Council will be chaired by world No. 5 Jessica Pegula, who will help guide discussions so they reflect the “full range of different player experiences on Tour.”Pegula, who also serves on the WTA Player Council, explained the initiative to press in Dubai.“I know that the schedule is very tough, and it's not easy,” she told The National's Reem Abulleil. “I think at some point in the year, if you do have a few good results, some weeks unfortunately do become a little bit of a sacrifice if you're thinking long term. I can't knock any player that wants to make that decision for themselves."
The Council will be chaired by world No. 5 Jessica Pegula, who will help guide discussions so they reflect the “full range of different player experiences on Tour.”Pegula, who also serves on the WTA Player Council, explained the initiative to press in Dubai.“I know that the schedule is very tough, and it's not easy,” she told The National's Reem Abulleil. “I think at some point in the year, if you do have a few good results, some weeks unfortunately do become a little bit of a sacrifice if you're thinking long term. I can't knock any player that wants to make that decision for themselves."
Pegula, who also serves on the WTA Player Council, explained the initiative to press in Dubai.“I know that the schedule is very tough, and it's not easy,” she told The National's Reem Abulleil. “I think at some point in the year, if you do have a few good results, some weeks unfortunately do become a little bit of a sacrifice if you're thinking long term. I can't knock any player that wants to make that decision for themselves."
“I know that the schedule is very tough, and it's not easy,” she told The National's Reem Abulleil. “I think at some point in the year, if you do have a few good results, some weeks unfortunately do become a little bit of a sacrifice if you're thinking long term. I can't knock any player that wants to make that decision for themselves."
GI Illness forces world No. 3 Elena Rybakina to retire against lucky loser Ruzic in Dubai.© 2026 Getty Images
© 2026 Getty Images
“At the end of the day, we play a lot. We play a full schedule, we play 10, 11 months out of the year sometimes," Pegula added. "And I think right now we're living in an age where the priority is always staying healthy mentally and physically, and you never know where a player is at with that.“Even if they've been winning matches, you don't know if they've been dealing with an injury throughout that whole time or not. And that's where you see people, especially top players, be a little bit more choosy with that schedule until maybe it changes in the future.”The first order of business for the Council will be to focus on areas where the WTA has direct authority—for example, not the Grand Slams, which the WTA does not govern—while also identifying longer-term opportunities that will require broader coordination across the sport.Other player representatives on the Tour Architecture Council include Victoria Azarenka, Maria Sakkari, Katie Volynets and Anja Vreg, while tournament representatives include Bob Moran, Laura Ceccarelli and Alastair Garland.
“Even if they've been winning matches, you don't know if they've been dealing with an injury throughout that whole time or not. And that's where you see people, especially top players, be a little bit more choosy with that schedule until maybe it changes in the future.”The first order of business for the Council will be to focus on areas where the WTA has direct authority—for example, not the Grand Slams, which the WTA does not govern—while also identifying longer-term opportunities that will require broader coordination across the sport.Other player representatives on the Tour Architecture Council include Victoria Azarenka, Maria Sakkari, Katie Volynets and Anja Vreg, while tournament representatives include Bob Moran, Laura Ceccarelli and Alastair Garland.
The first order of business for the Council will be to focus on areas where the WTA has direct authority—for example, not the Grand Slams, which the WTA does not govern—while also identifying longer-term opportunities that will require broader coordination across the sport.Other player representatives on the Tour Architecture Council include Victoria Azarenka, Maria Sakkari, Katie Volynets and Anja Vreg, while tournament representatives include Bob Moran, Laura Ceccarelli and Alastair Garland.
Other player representatives on the Tour Architecture Council include Victoria Azarenka, Maria Sakkari, Katie Volynets and Anja Vreg, while tournament representatives include Bob Moran, Laura Ceccarelli and Alastair Garland.
Flavio Cobolli, feeling like a superhero at the Delray Beach Open.
The third-seeded Italian celebrated his first ATP Tour win since 4 January on Wednesday by showing off his new tattoo to the crowd at the hard-court ATP 250 in Florida. Cobolli, who overcame Terence Atmane 7-5, 6-4, was quick to attribute his victory to the distinctive green character now inked into his right leg: The Hulk.
"In Davis Cup [last year], you remember I [ripped] my t-shirt, so now I have Hulk,” said the No. 20 in the PIF ATP Rankings Cobolli in his on-court interview. “It's fresh, like two weeks old. I felt like Hulk on the court [then], so now I have to be like him!”
"I feel like Hulk on the court now" 🤣💪🦸♂️
Italian superhero @cobollifla has a new tattoo to share...#DBOpen | 📍Delray Beach pic.twitter.com/mCCda4gmim
Cobolli's shirt-shredding celebration that inspired the tattoo came after he saved seven match points and won a 32-point deciding-set tie-break to overcome Zizou Bergs and seal Italy a spot in November's Davis Cup Final, which the European country subsequently won. He showcased that sort of on-court grit again against Atmane on Wednesday by bouncing back from four consecutive defeats to set a quarter-final meeting with Coleman Wong, who defeated Brandon Nakashima 6-4, 7-6(4).
“It's my first win [for a while], so I'm really happy to be in the middle of the court,” said Cobolli after levelling his Lexus ATP Head2Head series with Atmane at 1-1. “It was tough, the beginning of the year, but now I'm really happy to be here at this fantastic tournament.
“It was a different result [to last time]. I lost to him last time with a great battle in Cincinnati. I practised well this week and felt comfortable staying on the court for a long time. I'm really happy how I managed this first round against a tough opponent like Terence.”
In other action, second seed Casper Ruud fought off a stern test from Marcos Giron, defeating the American 4-6, 7-6(6), 6-4. Giron will rue being two points from victory at 6/6 in the second-set tie-break.
Ruud then built upon his momentum by breaking the American's serve in the opening game of the decider before sailing across the finish line. Playing in his first tournament since the Australian Open, the 27-year-old improved to 3-2 in his Lexus ATP Head2Head series with Giron and will now look to extend his perfect 2-0 record against Sebastian Korda.
Ruud is making his first appearance at the ATP 250 in Delray Beach, where the Norwegian arrived just weeks after he and his fiancée Maria welcomed the birth of their first child, a daughter.You May Also Like: Ruud, new father, returns ‘to win matches and see if I can play for more than myself'
Korda defeated countryman Alex Michelsen 6-3, 7-6(6), saving four set points in the second set to avoid a decider and reach the last eight. The 25-year-old broke Michelsen at 4-5 in the second set, crucially getting back on serve after facing three set points in that game. Korda fended off another set point on return at 5/6 in the tie-break.
Korda, the No. 50 player in the PIF ATP Rankings, is the second man to reach three tour-level quarter-finals this season, alongside Ben Shelton. Korda reached the Delray Beach final in 2021.
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Ruud then built upon his momentum by breaking the American's serve in the opening game of the decider before sailing across the finish line. Playing in his first tournament since the Australian Open, the 27-year-old improved to 3-2 in his Lexus ATP Head2Head series with Giron and will now look to extend his perfect 2-0 record against Sebastian Korda.
Ruud is making his first appearance at the ATP 250 in Delray Beach, where the Norwegian arrived just weeks after he and his fiancée Maria welcomed the birth of their first child, a daughter.
You May Also Like: Ruud, new father, returns ‘to win matches and see if I can play for more than myself'
Korda defeated countryman Alex Michelsen 6-3, 7-6(6), saving four set points in the second set to avoid a decider and reach the last eight. The 25-year-old broke Michelsen at 4-5 in the second set, crucially getting back on serve after facing three set points in that game. Korda fended off another set point on return at 5/6 in the tie-break.
Korda, the No. 50 player in the PIF ATP Rankings, is the second man to reach three tour-level quarter-finals this season, alongside Ben Shelton. Korda reached the Delray Beach final in 2021.
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Korda defeated countryman Alex Michelsen 6-3, 7-6(6), saving four set points in the second set to avoid a decider and reach the last eight. The 25-year-old broke Michelsen at 4-5 in the second set, crucially getting back on serve after facing three set points in that game. Korda fended off another set point on return at 5/6 in the tie-break.
Korda, the No. 50 player in the PIF ATP Rankings, is the second man to reach three tour-level quarter-finals this season, alongside Ben Shelton. Korda reached the Delray Beach final in 2021.
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ATP 500 action returns to Mexico as Alexander Zverev and Alex de Minaur lead the field at the Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC in Acapulco.
Here's what you need to know ahead of the tournament in Mexico:
The 2026 Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC will be held from 23-28 February. The hard-court ATP 500 tournament, established in 1993, will take place at the Boulevard de las Naciones & Paseo de los Manglares. The tournament director is Alvaro Falla.
The Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC will feature Alexander Zverev and Alex de Minaur.
The Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC draw will be made on Saturday, 21 February at 3 p.m.
*Qualifying: Saturday, 21 February – Sunday, 22 February at 5 p.m. and 6 p.m.
*Main Draw: Monday, 23 February - Friday, 27 February
*Monday, 23 February - Thursday, 26 February at 6 p.m.
*Friday, 27 February at 7 p.m.
*Doubles Final: Saturday, 28 February at 6:30 p.m.
*Singles Final: Saturday, 28 February at 9 p.m.
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The prize money for the Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC is US $2,469,450.
SINGLES:
Winner: $461,835 / 500 points
Finalist: $248,480 / 330 points
Semi-finalist: $132,425 / 200 points
Quarter-finalist: $67,655 / 100 points
Second Round: $36,115 / 50 points
First Round: $19,260 / 0 points
DOUBLES (US Dollars; per team):
Winner: $151,690 / 500 points
Finalist: $80,900 / 300 points
Semi-finalist: $40,930 / 180 points
Quarter-finalist: $20,470 / 90 points
First Round: $10,590 / 0 points
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Hashtag: #CelebratingTennis
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X: @AbiertoTelcel
Tomas Machac won the 2025 Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC title with a 7-6(6), 6-2 victory against Davidovich Fokina in the final. Christian Harrison and Evan King lifted the doubles trophy, defeating Sadio Doumbia and Fabien Reboul 6-4, 6-0 in the final.
Watch highlights from the Machac vs. Davidovich Fokina final:
Most Titles, Singles: Rafael Nadal (4), David Ferrer (4), Thomas Muster (4)
Oldest Champion: Rafael Nadal, 35, in 2022
Youngest Champion: Rafael Nadal, 18, in 2005
Highest-Ranked Champion: No. 1 Gustavo Kuerten in 2001
Lowest-Ranked Champion: No. 129 Juan Ignacio Chela in 2000
Last Home Champion: None
Most Match Wins: David Ferrer (32)
View Who Is Playing, Past Champions, Seeds, Points & Prize Money Breakdown
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Ocon: 'A very good day for us'
Kimi Antonelli sets the fastest lap of day 5 of Bahrain testing
F1 TV's Sam Collins runs through the key technical talking points from Day 1 of the second Bahrain pre-season test.
Formula 1 cars were back on track on Wednesday as the second and final 2026 pre-season test got under way at the Bahrain International Circuit.
As usual, F1 TV's resident technical expert Sam Collins was on hand to analyse the latest upgrade offerings from teams up and down the pit lane – including a special exhaust wing from Ferrari.
What exactly have the famous Italian marque done? How much performance could it realistically bring? And what have some of their rivals been up to at the same time?
Find out by clicking go on the player above to watch the latest Tech Talk from Bahrain.
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Woody is back, and this time, he's wearing a poncho. And has a bald spot.
The new trailer for “Toy Story 5” has dropped, and it returns Woody (from retirement? exile?) to his old friends and to help out Jessie's owner Bonnie from yet another new threat taking kids away from their beloved toys: a tablet.
The new trailer shows Woody Eastwood teaming up with Buzz and the gang to curb the influence of Lilypad, an interactive, talking green teaching tablet shaped like a frog that has Bonnie obsessed with screen time.
Franchise newbie Greta Lee voices Lilypad, and we get a taste of her character in a scene in which Jessie confronts her and asks if she's even listening, to which Lilypad replies, “I'm always listening” and then repeats Jessie's words in both English and Spanish. Lilypad soon conspires to send the toys away and have “tech” take over playtime from the toys.
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There's a number of newcomers here alongside the previously announced Lee, including Melissa Villaseñor as a plastic knife named Karen Beverly and Conan O'Brien as the toy Smarty Pants. Craig Robinson is Atlas, a cheerful talking GPS hippo toy; Shelby Rabara is the excitable camera toy Snappy; Scarlett Spears is the sweet and shy 8-year-old Bonnie; Mykal-Michelle Harris is Blaze, an independent 8-year-old girl who loves animals; and Matty Matheson is the tech-fearing toy Dr. Nutcase.
All the other favorites are also returning, including Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack, John Ratzenberger, Wallace Shawn, Blake Clark, Jeff Bergman, Anna Vocino, Annie Potts, Bonnie Hunt, John Hopkins, Kristen Schaal, Ernie Hudson, and even Tony Hale as Forky and Keanu Reeves as Canadian daredevil toy Duke Caboom, both of whom debuted in “Toy Story 4.”
“Toy Story 5” is directed by Andrew Stanton (“WALL•E,” “Finding Nemo,” “Finding Dory”), making it the first time the Pixar veteran is taking on the “Toy Story” franchise as a director specifically, even though he co-wrote all four previous entries (he's the sole screenwriter on this entry). The film is co-directed by Kenna Harris (“Ciao Alberto”) and produced by Lindsey Collins. Randy Newman is also back to score his fifth “Toy Story” feature.
Each of the last “Toy Story” films, including the third in 2010 and the fourth in 2019, surpassed $1 billion at the box office globally. “Toy Story 5” releases in theaters nationwide on Friday, June 19. Watch the film's new trailer below.
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When cinematographer Linus Sandgren reunited with “Saltburn” director Emerald Fennell for her maximalist take on Emily Brontë's 1847 classic “Wuthering Heights,” he immediately felt liberated by Fennell's passionate, fearless approach to the material. “Normally in a film you always have some sort of realism that you feel bound to,” Sandgren told IndieWire. “But in this case, the realism is Emerald's world — it was very inspiring because it felt like there were no limits to how expressive we could be with this love story. You really could go all the way, having free rein.”
Having free rein meant Sandgren was able to help Fennell find a cinematic corollary for the visceral experience she had as a teenager when she first read the book. “ I wanted to make something that felt like the world of a 14-year-old girl reading this book for the first time,” Fennell told IndieWire, “which meant that things are a little more heightened, or a little more anachronistic.”
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The key for Fennell, Sandgren, and collaborators like production designer Suzie Davies, was to create a self-contained world with its own internal logic and guiding principles — principles informed not by literal reality but by the emotional states of the characters.
“You should be able to pause the movie and understand what the characters are feeling inside that frame,” Fennell said. “Whether it's foreboding, whether it's dread, whether it's lust.” For Sandgren, that often meant taking advantage of — or, for the scenes shot on stages, creating — extreme weather conditions. “In Yorkshire, where the story takes place, you have dramatic weather to work with,” Sandgren said. “It's a great metaphor.” For example, when the filmmakers wanted to convey the humiliation of heroine Cathy's father (Martin Clunes), they relied heavily on rain to give him the appearance of, as Sandgren put it, “a sad dog.”
Because even many exteriors were created on stages, Sandgren and Fennell had extreme control over their palette; the result is some of the most striking color imagery since the glory days of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, whose studio-bound flights of fancy like “Black Narcissus” and “A Matter of Life and Death” were key reference points for Fennell. “When heartbreak occurs, the sky can be blood red,” Fennell said, adding that Thrushcross, the estate Cathy (Margot Robbie) moves to in the middle of the film, exists in a state of everlasting spring. “Except when it's Christmas — then it always snows.”
The desire to give the audience an immersive emotional experience informed each of Sandgren's choices, including what format to shoot on and what aspect ratio to select for the framing. As has come to be Sandgren's usual practice, “Wuthering Heights” was captured on film — primarily 35mm, with some sweeping landscape shots photographed in VistaVision. At one point, Sandgren and Fennell considered shooting the movie on 65mm, but the grain was too fine and the detail too sharp for the textured, romantic look they desired.
“Film is an organic format,” Sandgren said. “If you have a digital camera and the camera is still, and there's a wall, then it's actually a still image, and it's not moving. But film moves, and that automatically helps with the suspension of disbelief. It also really helps with the richness of the colors and the skin tones. It's much more emotional.” Although Sandgren and Fennell leaned into the grain for most shots, for wide shots, they used the higher resolution VistaVision so that the viewer's eye could go to small figures in the frame without being distracted by grain that was nearly as large as the actors.
For Fennell, shooting on film added to the tactile quality of the movie, something she tried to embrace on every level. “You want the feeling of hands that make things,” she said, “whether it's Charli XCX's music or the film itself or the skin wall.” Fennell wanted viewers to buy into the reality of her very unreal world, which played into both the decision to shoot on celluloid and the choice of a 1.85:1 aspect ratio as opposed to the 1.33:1 frame she and Sandgren used on “Saltburn,” or a wider anamorphic frame that might have showcased the landscapes.
“It could have been a 1.33 movie, and it could have been a 2.40 movie,” Sandgren said, explaining that he and Fennell had a lot of discussions about the pros and cons of various aspect ratios. Ultimately, he felt 1.85 would be the most enveloping format simply because it's the one most cinemas are currently built for. “Unfortunately, most screens now are built for 1.85, and if you see a 2.40 movie, it has matting just like on your TV. When you go to a cinema, you want to see it as big as possible on the screen, and today 1.85 screens are the larger format.”
Fennell noted that the different aspect ratios indicate the different approaches taken to “Saltburn” and “Wuthering Heights.” “‘Saltburn' is a portrait and this is a landscape,” Fennell said, adding that if they had gone wider, it would have been more difficult to compose in the painterly fashion to which she and Sandgren aspired. Sandgren also felt that the 1.85 frame lent itself to the many scenes in which he wanted Cathy to appear isolated. “The movie is often about her being lonely,” Sandgren said. “She's lying on a rock, or sitting alone in a room, and I think you can do those lonesome compositions more powerfully in a taller format than 2.40.”
Ultimately, Sandgren and Fennell agreed that these decisions and others were guided largely by instinct; although they began each day with a shot list, they didn't lock themselves into it or create detailed storyboards that would restrict the actors. “It's a long process where things slowly evolve,” Sandgren said. “Some scenes might be very clearly planned, while others evolve and finalize on the day. You really can't know the shots for an emotional scene until you see the actors and work with them together.”
“We plan really rigorously,” Fennell said, explaining that careful shot-listing then liberates her and Sandgren to explore in the moment. “We have it already, and then you see something more interesting. We're always looking for something intimate and exciting. And you can really only do that on the day.”
The sense of playfulness and experimentation extended to Fennell and Sandgren's influences and reference points, which went beyond other films and even paintings and into more unorthodox areas. “We looked at a lot of disgusting stuff,” Fennell said. “The interior structure of the heart, and its relationship to a tree. That's the real fun… then you get to open all sorts of little doors.”
A Warner Bros. release, “Wuthering Heights” is now in theaters.
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By Matt Grobar
Senior Film Reporter
In his first outing behind the camera since Barry, his Emmy-winning dark comedy for HBO, Bill Hader has officially locked in plans to write, direct and star in They Know, a new horror film for MRC, which will begin production in Los Angeles this spring.
They Know centers on a divorced dad (Hader) who grows suspicious that his ex-wife is secretly dating a mysterious man who is having a strange influence on their children.
With the film, Hader is set to become the latest major comedic talent to make his mark in horror, joining a lineage that includes the likes of Jordan Peele, Zach Cregger, and most recently, Curry Barker.
MRC is the studio financing the project, which is based on an original story Hader created with his Barry collaborator Duffy Boudreau. Bob Graf and Hader are set to produce under the latter's Hanarply banner, with Alyssa Donovan co-producing.
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With his work on Barry, a tragicomedy about a hitman trying to turn over a new leaf as an actor, only for the consequences of his actions to slowly but surely catch up with him, Hader became the rare winner of three DGA Awards, also winning multiple Emmys and Critics Choice Awards. Hader co-created the show with Alec Berg and also served as its co-showrunner, executive producer, director, writer, and star. A longtime cast member on Saturday Night Live, Hader's other acting credits include Trainwreck, Superbad and The Skeleton Twins. He will next be starring in Warner Bros. Pictures Animations' The Cat in the Hat, out November 6.
Coming off the release of Emerald Fennell's Wuthering Heights, which has grossed over $92M worldwide in a little over a week, MRC's upcoming slate includes The Only Living Pickpocket in New York and The Gallerist, which just premiered at Sundance, as well as A Place in Hell, The Best Is Yet to Come, Unabomer, and Eloise.
Hader is repped by UTA and Felker Toczek Suddleson. Nominated for three Emmys, with additional credits including The Lowdown, Hit-Monkey, Documentary Now!, and Big Mouth, Boudreau is repped by UTA and TroyGould.
Nexus Point News was first to the news of They Know.
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By
Michael Embrich
The Department of Veterans Affairs this week issued a public notice announcing some changes in how it evaluates disability ratings. The administration has been finding ways to shortchange veterans since Donald Trump retook office last year, and the VA's new rules for determining disability ratings, which are how the government determines what kind of benefits veterans receive, appears to be yet another way to erode care for the men and women who have served the nation.
The new rules, which went into effect on an interim basis on Tuesday, open the door for the VA to slash earned disability ratings from veterans in two major ways, breaking from years of established U.S. law on workers' compensation.
First, the VA can now take medication into account when rating a disability. For example, tinnitus, or ear ringing, is one of the most common conditions for which the VA assigns a disability rating. Under the new rule, if the VA says aspirin or painkillers reduce your tinnitus, they can lower your rating or refuse to rate it at all.
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Second, the VA can factor a veteran's earning capacity into a disability rating. If the VA determines that a veteran is employed, it can deny disability or pension payments entirely. It's a cruel and arbitrary change. If you give a leg for your country, you should be compensated for it, whether you work a job that requires use of the leg or not.
VA disability ratings are a government acknowledgement that military service led to a permanent condition that affects quality of life and long-term earning capacity. They are given on a percentage scale. One veteran could be rated 100 percent permanently disabled, for example, while another can be rated at 10 or 20 percent for minor injuries or ailments. The percentage determines monthly pay, health care priority, housing and caregiver programs, and other benefits. It is not unemployment assistance. It is indemnity for harm incurred in service.
For generations, VA disability compensation has followed the same legal logic as workers' compensation. The compensation is for the injury itself, independent of how well you may be able to manage it. This was codified in U.S. law by Ingram v. Collins, a 2025 case brought against VA Secretary Doug Collins in which the court ultimately ruled that when a VA disability rating rule does not explicitly mention medication, the VA must evaluate the veteran's condition as it is, without the assistance of medication. The decision was designed to protect veterans from losing benefits regardless of whether they followed medical advice. The new rule announced this week explicitly mentions the need to “minimize the negative impact” of Ingram v. Collins.
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Before the new policy was announced this week, the VA rated conditions based on their underlying severity over time, not whether medication temporarily reduced symptoms or whether the veteran was employed. A veteran could work and still receive compensation because the payment recognized the existence of the service-connected injury. Tinnitus, PTSD, asthma, and chronic pain were evaluated on medical impairment and functional impact in daily life, while separate programs handled inability to work.
The VA claims the new rule does not represent any significant change in policy. “This regulation simply formalizes VA's longstanding practice of determining disability ratings based on Veterans' service-related disabilities and any medications they are taking to treat those disabilities,” VA Press Secretary Pete Kasperowicz said in a statement to Rolling Stone.
Veterans groups see it differently.
“For years, courts held that VA could not reduce ratings based on the effects of medication, requiring evaluation of a veteran's true functional impairment when evaluating a service-connected disability,” Veterans of Foreign Wars said in a statement. “This new rule reverses that standard, directing examiners to rate disabilities as they present, including the impact of medication, and to disregard unmedicated baseline severity.”
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VFW National Commander Carol Whitmore added that while “VA has authority to amend the rating schedule, it must do so without adversely affecting veterans.”
Coleman Lee, national commander of veterans group DAV, wrote in a statement that the group is “extremely disappointed and alarmed by VA's decision to issue an Interim Final Rule today that could potentially reduce disability compensation for millions of disabled veterans” and that the “new regulation would allow VA to reduce disability compensation ratings for veterans who take medications to control their conditions or reduce their symptoms.”
The VA rewriting the rules on disability ratings, like many of the department's actions since Trump retook office, is in line with Project 2025, which called for a number of measures that would negatively impact health care and other benefits for veterans. “Efforts to expand disability benefits to large populations without adequate planning have caused an erosion of veterans' trust in the VA enterprise,” Brooks T. Tucker wrote in the notorious right-wing policy manifesto. In fact, the opposite is true.
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The Trump administration and Republicans in Congress are already trying to restrict veteran care through bills that seek to redirect funds from the VA to outside private providers. The disability rating changes, however, are a back-door way for the administration to continue to turn the screws on veterans without congressional authorization.
The new rule changes could drastically change the way the VA decides compensation and disability claims, which accounts for over 50 percent of the VA's overall budget. As Trump calls for a historic $1.5 trillion military budget for 2027 (which Congress supports) while racking up a multi-trillion-dollar budget deficit, it seems once again that veterans will be the ones paying the price so billionaires and trillionaires can get their tax breaks.
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The Boss' beef with the Trump administration is cooking.
By
Lars Brandle
The United States simply isn't big enough for two bosses. That's one takeaway from a new missive from the White House, which has dismissed Bruce Springsteen as a “loser” with “Trump Derangement Syndrome” and an atrophying brain, doing so by way of a statement.
With the announcement that Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band will head back out on the Land of Hope and Dreams American tour, the White House is chiming in. Only this time, the titles of several choice Springsteen work are woven in for added effect.
“When this loser Springsteen comes back home to his own City of Ruins in his head, he'll realize his Glory Days are behind him and his fans have left him Out in the Street, putting him in a Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out because he has a severe case of Trump Derangement Syndrome that has rotted his brain,” reads the message from White House comms director Steven Cheung, issued to Politico.
Billboard has reached out to Springsteen for comment.
The iconic rocker had laid into the Trump administration in January with his anti-ICE song, “Streets of Minneapolis,” inspired by what the Rock Hall-inducted singer called the “state terror being visited on the city of Minneapolis” in a statement at the time.
Specifically, the song called out the killings of U.S. citizens Renée Good and Alex Pretti, both 37, who were gunned down in Minneapolis by immigration enforcement troops in the midst of the so-called Operation Metro Surge enforcement action that has seen thousands of border patrol and ICE agents descend on the city.
Springsteen found himself back at No. 1 with “Streets of Minneapolis,” which debuted atop Billboard's Digital Song Sales chart dated Feb. 7. It was the highest selling song in the United States for the week, even with it being available for just two days of the tracking cycle.
The White House had words at the time, one of which was to snub Springsteen as “irrelevant.”
Springsteen is many things, but a “loser” — as the administration has referred to him — isn't one of them. Across a 40 year-plus career, the rocker has collected 20 Grammys, won an Oscar and a Tony, been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, received a Kennedy Center Honor and, in November 2016, was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. And his album sales are north of 150 million, reps say.
After 129 shows, the Springsteen and E Street Band 2023-25 tour grossed $729.7 million and sold 4.9 million tickets, according to figures reported to Billboard Boxscore, for the biggest result of his career.
The rock legend embarks on his 20-date arena outing at Minneapolis' Target Center on March 31, and ends with one stadium show on May 27 at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C.
“We are living through dark, disturbing and dangerous times, but do not despair — the cavalry is coming!” said Springsteen in a statement Tuesday (Feb. 17) when announcing the forthcoming tour.
He added, “We will be rocking your town in celebration and in defense of America — American democracy, American freedom, our American Constitution and our sacred American dream — all of which are under attack by our wannabe king and his rogue government in Washington, D.C. Everyone, regardless of where you stand or what you believe in, is welcome — so come on out and join the United Free Republic of E Street Nation for an American spring of Rock n' Rebellion! I'll see you there!”
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WAY2GO Bruce way2go!!! May God 🙌 You, and God Bless America. 😘😘💯🙏🏾🙏🏾🩵🩵🩵🩵🩵🩵🩵🩵🩵🩵🩵🩵🩵🩵🩵🩵🩵🩵🩵🩵🩵🩵🩵🩵🩵🩵🩵🩵🩵🩵🩵🩵🩵🩵🩵🩵🩵🩵💜💜💜🩵🩵🩵🩵🩵🩵🩵
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How the artist worked with promoter Live Nation to make the fan experience as seamless, and satisfying, as possible.
By
Lyndsey Havens
In early February, Noah Kahan announced an impressive North American stadium tour in support of his upcoming fourth album, The Great Divide – and it's already sold out. Equally impressive: the measures Kahan and his team have taken to ensure that tickets ended up in the hands of fans – and for face value.
“Selling out his first stadium run this quickly speaks to the deep connection he's built with fans through both his music and his live show,” says Michael Yerke, a global tour promoter at Live Nation, which is promoting Kahan's tour. “He is always intentional about the fan experience, making thoughtful decisions to ensure fans can access and enjoy his shows.”
For the Great Divide outing, Kahan made use of two Ticketmaster programs that aim to improve the fan experience when it comes to purchasing concert tickets. One of these is identity verification, known as Persona, in which Ticketmaster uses multiple forms of identification to help block potential scammers. Kahan used Persona verification during presale signup to help protect fans, making him the first artist to do so.
Additionally, Kahan is using Ticketmaster's Face Value Exchange program, which caps resale prices at the original price paid with no added fees. Since becoming available in 2019, artists including Hayley Williams, Billie Eilish and Foo Fighters have used the program.
“Noah's priority has always been the fans,” says manager Drew Simmons, a partner at Foundations. “I'm proud to work with an artist that is willing to take risks and lead the way by implementing these new security measures, a first at stadium scale.”
Simmons adds that “beyond fighting bots and brokers,” the team prioritized keeping ticket prices reasonable, with floor seats starting at $150, including fees. The team also ran a lottery for the general admission pit, offering up a portion of those tickets for $100, including fees.
“Noah's relationship with fans is meaningful and the demand for tickets has been exceptional,” says Simmons. “We're already looking ahead to what we can do next to offer more.”
Not only is Kahan making his shows more affordable and accessible to fans, but he is continuing his work – on and off the road – as a mental health advocate through The Busyhead project, which he launched in 2023. Busyhead has raised over $5.5 million to date, and with The Great Divide Tour, will earn another $2 million thanks to Ticketmaster and Tickets For Good's Make a Difference initiative, which helps teachers, healthcare workers and non-profit staff receive free or significantly discounted tickets. Both Kahan himself and Live Nation contributed donations of $1 million to the Make a Difference program, which will be donated to The Busyhead Project.
Kahan's sold-out stadium run – which includes an unprecedented four nights at Fenway Park – sold over one million tickets. The 30-date tour begins June 11 in Orlando, Fl. and wraps Aug. 31 in Seattle, Wash.
Kahan's last album, Stick Season, became a cultural phenomenon. The album reached No. 2 on the Billboard 200 and its title track earned Kahan his first Hot 100 top 10. He bested that placement with The Great Divide's lead single and title track, which debuted at No. 6.
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Over 50 years after “Death Wish” it's hard to find a new take on revenge movies, but writing and directing siblings Kevin and Matthew McManus have found a delightfully original and emotionally affecting approach in their new thriller “Redux Redux.” The film follows the adventures of Irene (Michaela McManus, the filmmakers' sister), a grief-stricken mother who travels through parallel universes to kill her daughter's murderer over and over again. The problem is that with each act of vengeance Irene finds it harder and harder to get the satisfaction she craves — and realizes she's losing her soul in the process.
The McManus brothers' elegantly structured screenplay is a smoothly engineered combination of suspense, tragedy, action, dark humor, and ultimately redemption that veers between wildly disparate tones with carefully calibrated ease. Although it recalls time travel movies like “The Terminator” and “Back to the Future” in its skill at making complicated structural and conceptual conceits accessible and entertaining, its unique style is all its own, and so original that the movie is sometimes difficult to classify.
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That goes for the filmmakers themselves, who were surprised to learn during the editing process that their first audience couldn't clearly articulate what genre the movie belonged to. “After we we screened the movie for the first time with a big group of friends, we asked, ‘What genre do you think this is?'” Matthew McManus told IndieWire. “We were really on the fence ourselves. There are some gruesome elements, but it isn't a pure horror film in my mind.”
The brothers were surprised to find that the audience didn't think of it as a straight horror flick or a straight science fiction film, even though it's a multiverse movie. “They really latched on to the idea that this is a character-driven revenge drama that happens to have sci-fi and horror elements,” Matthew said. “That was a big surprise to us. But it was a lovely surprise, and it's nice when you learn things about the movie that you didn't realize.”
Keeping the various timelines straight and clear to the audience was tricky for the filmmakers, who found that they had to be more rigorous with the details than on a typical movie. “On every movie up until this point, Matt and I were always like, ‘Continuity be damned,'” Kevin McManus told IndieWire. “If people are noticing the continuity, that means you've got bigger problems with your story. But here, that's where the joy is, in the Easter eggs where you're seeing a coffee mug change colors or a sign change incrementally. Continuity became much more challenging — and more fun — making sure those things all matched up.”
To a certain degree, the writers were able to simplify their script simply by trusting that the audience would understand the multiverse concept from other films and TV shows. “We started writing almost 10 years ago, and that was before the big multiverse boom,” Kevin said. “There used to be a long monologue at the beginning just explaining what a multiverse even is and how it works, but we were able to strip a lot of that out and just lean into giving the audience the chance to figure it out as they go along.”
A lot of the movie's power comes from the performances, particularly Michaela's wrenching work as the rage-filled, devastated heroine. Even before the mechanisms of the plot are clearly understandable, the audience is on board thanks to the depth and economy of expression in Michaela's performance — we understand intuitively what she's going for even before the script has made it explicit. For Matthew, directing the actors comes down to giving them “actionable” directions — and not getting too rigid about how the brothers envisioned the characters as they were writing them.
“It's about giving them pointed directions to get to the results we're looking for,” Matthew said, “and not falling too much in love with our own explanations for what the character has been through.” The directors quickly learned that for extremely emotional scenes, Michaela worked best if she was allowed to build up on the first take, then do it immediately again without cutting camera. That second try was almost always the best, which on one occasion created problems when the perfect acting take coincided with an unfortunate set mishap.
“The first take was pretty good,” Matthew said. “Then the second take was amazing, and the whole crew was leaning in — it was just magic. And at that moment, a security guard at the ranch where we're shooting just walks through the background. This big eye sore of a random stranger! We tried it again, and the third take was good but not the same, so we used visual effects to erase this guy and get the perfect performance.”
Throughout the shoot time was the biggest enemy, as the McManus brothers had only 18 days to make an incredibly complex movie. “Every day was a big day and every day had a massive set piece attached to it,” Kevin said. “Not only that, but every day had heavy emotional beats for the actors to grapple with as well. Running up against time was a constant battle, and the only way you fight that is by being really serious about your prep, really serious about your shot list and executing exactly what you need. Because there's just no time to get inspired on set.”
That said, making a movie with their sister made shooting “Redux Redux” a joyous experience for the brothers, who were brought back to their childhoods before Michaela made a name for herself on TV shows like “Law and Order: SVU” and the current “Memory of a Killer.” “I can't help but think back to when I was a little kid making horror movies with my sister,” Matthew said. “I remember back then, her scream was so blood-curdling. On ‘Redux Redux,' she'd be getting dragged through the dirt screaming, and everyone else on the set was horrified. But Kevin and I both had grins on our faces, because it just reminded us of making movies when we were teenagers.”
“Redux Redux” opens in theaters on Friday, February 20.
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By Destiny Jackson
Awards Writer
EXCLUSIVE: Angela Sant'Albano has been revealed as the voice and motion-capture performer for the new leading character Grace Ashcroft in Capcom's upcoming video game Resident Evil: Requiem.
The game was revealed in a surprise announcement during Los Angeles' Summer Game Fest in June, commemorating 30 years of the Resident Evil franchise. It will be released February 27 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and Series S, Microsoft Windows and Nintendo Switch 2.
Requiem, the ninth installment in the video game series, takes place about 30 years after the missile strike on Raccoon City and centers on FBI analyst Grace Ashcroft, daughter of Resident Evil Outbreak protagonist Alyssa Ashcroft, who is still haunted by the mysterious death of her mother some eight years earlier. When she is thrown into an investigation of murders connected to her mother's past in Raccoon City, she catches the eye of former Umbrella scientist Dr. Victor Gideon, who claims Grace holds the key to unlocking a secret project. Somewhere along the way in Grace's investigation, she crosses paths with anti-bioterrorism agent and longtime series mainstay Leon Kennedy, who holds dark secrets of his own.
Capcom also has confirmed the return of Nick Apostolides, who took over the voice of Leon Kennedy in the Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 4 remakes and Netflix's series Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness.
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Since Resident Evil's video game debut in 1996, the series continues to be among Capcom's most popular and highest-grossing titles. As of 2025, the franchise has amassed $11 billion in sales: $8 billion from games and $3 billion from TV, film, casino spinoffs and merchandising. The recent release of Resident Evil 4 remake (2023) sold more than 10 million units. While Resident Evil Village (2021), the eighth mainline title and canonical predecessor to Resident Evil: Requiem, broke records as the fastest-selling game in the series at 13.5 million units sold in the four years since its release. Weapons director Zach Cregger is currently working on a Resident Evil film reboot.
Sant'Albano previously appeared on Season 3 of HBO's Industry, HBO Max's I Hate Suzie and Apple TV's The Buccaneers. She made her feature film debut alongside Nicole Kidman, Laura Linney and Colin Firth in 2016's Genius, directed by Michael Grandage.
She is repped by Independent Talent Group and Aaron Bergman from Iconoclast.
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There is something (ahem) distinctly abnormal afoot in the town of Normal, Minnesota. There's the very luxe new town hall (where did these everyday folk find $16.8 million for that?). There are the kindly old townspeople who seem way to plugged into the police scanner. And the police? Why do they have such a stash of heavy-duty firepower?
These questions, and more, are on offer in the first full trailer for Ben Wheatley‘s latest, “Normal.” The biggest question of all, however: why can't you people just let Bob Odenkirk rest? As Normal's newest (interim!) sheriff, his Ulysses is about to get plunged into yet another energetic action outing that doesn't give a damn about his own professional desires.
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Per the film‘s official logline, this “kinetic neo-Western action film stars Odenkirk as an unassuming substitute sheriff with a troubled past who, after moving to a small, sleepy town, responds to a bank robbery and unknowingly uncovers something far more explosive. For Sheriff Ulysses (Odenkirk), his provisional posting to the quaint Midwestern American town of Normal was meant to be a welcome respite from both his marital woes and recent moral injuries in the line of duty. But when a botched bank robbery interrupts the municipality's tranquil pace, a dark secret is inadvertently exposed, and Ulysses soon discovers that the town is anything but its namesake.”
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The film also stars Henry Winkler and Lena Headey, and was written by “John Wick” screenwriter Derek Kolstad. Like Odenkirk's recent mini-franchise “Nobody,” the film continues to make the case for Bob Odenkirk, Action Hero. (Kolstad also wrote both “Nobody” and “Nobody 2.”)
Before the film premiered at last year's Toronto International Film Festival, Odenkirk, Kolstad, and producer Marc Provissiero told IndieWire about their plans for more films like “Normal” and “Nobody.” The trio even formed an official production company — more of a “creative partnership” — dedicated to making stylish, fun, and original action movies.
“There's a cookie cutter action type story you can tell and it will satisfy an audience, I understand that. I grasp that there's an audience out there, and I don't want to name names, but I don't need to because you can conjure them up without effort,” Odenkirk told IndieWire. “There is a kind of movie that if you make it and it looks reliably satisfying, it will get its audience. But I'm always trying to find something more, find something more to the form, smuggle in something more than just the accepted values of that genre.”
Magnolia Pictures will release the film in theaters on Friday, April 17. Check out the film's first full trailer below.
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By Andreas Wiseman
Executive Editor Of International & Co-Head Of Film
EXCLUSIVE: Tiffany Haddish (Bad Boys: Ride Or Die) and Rosario Dawson (Ahsoka) are attached to star in The Lesson, a horror-thriller from American Heist and The Bachelor executive producer JoJo Ryder, who will also direct and has scripted.
The film “centers on a devoted teacher whose death sets off a chain of disturbing events that begin to haunt his former students. As unsettling incidents escalate, long-buried secrets and unresolved guilt resurface, forcing the group to confront a past they believed was safely behind them.” Additional casting is in process.
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Ryder's previous credits as exec producer also include Mack & Rita, A Little White Lie, and Talks With Mama Tina. The Lesson marks his feature directorial debut.
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Executive producers include Shaun Kowlessar, Jeff Williams, Lindsay Butler and Ryder Media. Filming is being lined up for this year in LA.
Grammy and Emmy winner Haddish commented: “What drew me to The Lesson was how layered it is. It's not just horror — it's about choices, consequences, and the things we think we can walk away from. Audiences are in for something unexpected.”
Five-time Critics' Choice nominee Dawson added: “I'm excited about the project, looking forward to be working with Tiffany and JoJo.”
“I'm thrilled to have Tiffany and Rosario join The Lesson,” Ryder said. “They bring intensity, range, and a fearless presence that elevates every scene. This story demands emotional depth as much as suspense, and they deliver both.”
Haddish is in post on movies including The Toad, The Deputy and Motion. Dawson has season two of Disney's Star Wars spinoff series Ahsoka upcoming.
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Thousands of invading American, British, and Canadian soldiers died on D-Day just trying to make it to shore. That grim fact props up Focus Features' new “Pressure” as more of a slow-boiling political thriller than your average World War II movie. And yet, both strategic battlefields derive their excitement from deciding when, where, and how “real” characters should finally pull the trigger and make history.
Directed by Anthony Maras and co-written with David Haig, adapting Haig's 2014 stage play from the Edinburgh Fringe Festival (which later appeared on the West End), “Pressure” unfolds over the 72 hours preceding the largest seaborne military invasion ever tried. At its center is General Dwight D. Eisenhower (Brendan Fraser) and Royal Air Force meteorologist James Stagg (Andrew Scott), whose forecast will determine whether the conflict-changing takeover in France has even the smallest chance to succeed.
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Here, Fraser brings ferocious authority to Eisenhower, embodying the familiar role with an all-consuming, gruff steadiness that casts the 34th U.S. president as a force as strong as weather. The Oscar winner (“The Whale”) further explores Eisenhower's diplomatic reputation by unearthing a side that's even more emotional and dynamic. Under Maras' grinding escalation of the stakes, “Pressure” promises a feature that follows the real man and the myth he became to produce a cultural swell this consequential.
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A military leader holding firm beneath the weight of international conflict, a one-note Eisenhower performance is a real risk that still lingers for Fraser. But the first “Pressure” trailer suggests he's got a good scene partner in Scott. Stagg must treat clouds as a life-or-death key to abstract science, and the footage here toggles between claustrophobic war-room scenes and sweeping shots of churning rain off the coast of Normandy for an uneasy visual balance that mirrors the strong leads brewing tension.
Kerry Condon also appears as Eisenhower's assistant Kay Summersby, while Chris Messina, Damian Lewis, and more round out an ensemble that positions “Pressure” as a prestige acting showcase with big aspirations in the wake of masterpieces from “Das Boot” to “Dunkirk.” Revisiting a heavily contentious chapter of American life comes with stiff competition, but “Pressure” seems set to weather the storm.
From Focus Features, “Pressure” will be released in theaters on Friday, May 29. Watch the film‘s first trailer below.
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Just how immortal are we talking? The last we saw of Cillian Murphy's iconic gangster and “Peaky Blinders” star Tommy Shelby, the mob boss was literally riding off on a white horse (symbolism!) after undergoing a change of heart (and a change of lungs, depending on how you view his false diagnosis of tuberculoma).
When the beloved BBC series ended after six seasons in 2022, its conclusion offered a bit of a respite for Tommy, while leaving the door wide open for more drama and trauma with the Peaky Blinders gang. Creator Steven Knight was never shy about his plans for more “Peaky,” and the first (of what may be many) films and other followups is now just weeks away from release.
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So, what's it about? Well, Tommy is back in Birmingham, and has been hinted, a time jump is very much afoot. We're now smack in the middle of World War II, and life in England is about as hard as it's ever been. While some folks have forgotten Tommy Shelby, plenty of others have not (shout out to the pub dudes who very much get it). That includes his young son Duke (played by franchise newbie Barry Keoghan), who seems to be mixed up in some pretty nasty business (read: treason?). What a time for his dear old dad to reappear.
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Tom Harper directed the film, which Knight himself wrote. In 2025, as he was working on the feature, Knight shared, “The stuff that I'm watching — the rushes, the assemblies — no one will be disappointed. It is quite an incredible thing. It's a very fitting way to end this part of the ‘Peaky' story.”
The film also stars Rebecca Ferguson, Tim Roth, Sophie Rundle, Ned Dennehy, Packy Lee, Ian Peck, Jay Lycurgo, and Stephen Graham.
“Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man” will release in select theaters on Friday, March 6, and on Netflix on Friday, March 20. Watch the film's first full trailer below.
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By Rosy Cordero
Associate Editor, TV
EXCLUSIVE: Prime Video‘s hit series Jury Duty is returning for a second season on March 20, and Deadline has your first look at the 14 new ensemble castmembers.
Jury Duty Presents: Company Retreat will feature Alex Bonifer (Kevin Can F**k Himself), Blair Beeken (Pluribus), Emily Pendergast (Veep), Erica Hernandez (True Lies), Jerry Hauck (Paradise), Jim A. Woods (The Office), LaNisa Renee Frederick (Shifting Gears), Marc-Sully Saint-Fleur (Home Economics), Rachel Kaly (Worried), Rob Lathan (Inside Amy Schumer), Ryan Perez (The Break with Michelle Wolf), Stephanie Hodge (The Comeback), Warren Burke (Dead for a Dollar), and Wendy Braun (Atypical).
Season 2 will premiere March 20 with three episodes, followed by two episodes on March 27, and a three-episode finale on April 3.
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Co-created and executive produced by Lee Eisenberg (Lessons In Chemistry, The Office) and Gene Stupnitsky (Hello Ladies, The Office), Jury Duty Presents: Company Retreat is a documentary-style comedy that captures a corporate offsite event at a family-owned hot sauce company from the perspective of Anthony, a recently hired temporary worker.
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Unbeknownst to Anthony, the entire experience is staged, every colleague around him is performing a role, and each moment – whether in conference rooms or during downtime – has been meticulously orchestrated. As the founder prepares to step down, the getaway transforms into a clash between big corporate ambitions and small business values, with control of the company hanging in the balance.
Jury Duty's first installment chronicled the inner workings of an American jury trial through the eyes of one particular juror, Ronald Gladden. Gladden is unaware that the entire case is fake, everyone except him is an actor, and everything that happens — inside the courtroom and out — is carefully planned.
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As we reported last year, the theme of the new installment is David Vs. Goliath, which centers on a small business going on a company retreat. To protect the integrity of the premise, with the regular person not realizing that they are part of a scripted TV show, just like they did with Season 1, the casting and production of the new installment were done in a clandestine manner.
Jake Szymanski directs and executive produces the series. David Bernad also executive produces with Todd Schulman, Nicholas Hatton, Anthony King, Chris Kula, James Marsden and Ruben Fleischer.
RELATED: 2026 TV Cancellations Photo Gallery: Series Ending This Year & Beyond
Bonifer is represented by Industry Entertainment and Myman Greenspan Fox. Beeken is represented by Rise Management and Knol Hanly Garrett. Pendergast is represented by Gersh and Quest Entertainment & Management. Hernandez is represented by Mosaic and Gersh. Hauck is represented by Advanced Management and Henderson Represents, Inc.
Woods is represented by AM Mediaworks. Frederick is represented by Limitless Management. Saint-Fleur is represented by Mosaic. Kaly is represented by OPE Partners, UTA, and Schreck Rose Dapello. Hodge is represented by Bohemia Group and The Park Agency. Burke is represented by Silvera Arougheti Entertainment Group & TalentWorks LA. Braun is represented by BRS-Gage and The Priluck Company.
RELATED: 2026 TV Series Renewals Photo Gallery
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Netflix's new docuseries about “America's Next Top Model” has plenty to say about an alleged culture of exploitation, sexism, and racism lurking behind the scenes of one of reality TV‘s formerly proudest hits. But across three episodes, “Reality Check: Inside America's Next Top Model” catalogs story after story of young women being body-shamed, manipulated, and pushed to emotional extremes in a way that once again treats their trauma as alarmingly trivial.
From invasive dental procedures mandated by “Top Model” judges — to troubling late-night encounters with men the girls met while traveling abroad — “Reality Check” presents its limited cast of contestants earnestly, but it tells their side of things only in part. More than 300 people competed on “Top Model” over the course of the show's 24-season run, but just 10 contestants appear in Netflix's new account. Worse, “Reality Check” co-directors Mor Loushy and Daniel Sivan subject the women who do appear to many of the same toxic tricks that got us here in the first place. Structurally, “Reality Check” looks less like a documentary than an unscripted reunion wrapped in prestige true crime packaging.
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Nowhere is that imbalance clearer than in the project's repeated return to the reality show's most infamous moment: Banks' on-camera confrontation with contestant Tiffany Richardson during Season 4. The clip (“Be quiet, Tiffany. Be quiet. Never in my life have I yelled at a girl like this!”) has long functioned as “Top Model” shorthand for the show's characteristic cruelty and Banks' volatility. “Reality Check” presents the moment as the product of a pressure-cooker workplace that made Banks feel personally responsible for helping women navigate the industry.
But the docuseries does not include Richardson herself, once again making her powerless in a national narrative. The former contestant does not appear to reflect on the moment that has come to define her public image, and instead she responded to the series via Instagram (h/t Vulture). Calling Banks a “bully” and challenging her to speak face-to-face, Richardson's sentiments don't feel like closure, and “Reality Check” never meaningfully grapples with what it means to keep reopening psychological wounds while sidelining the real people who “Top Model” hurt.
Even as the series continues to villainize Banks, the competing women of “Top Model” rarely get the sustained attention given to the show's more familiar faces: Jay Manuel, Miss J. Alexander, and Nigel Barker. Longtime series fixtures who served as judges, mentors, and on-camera fashion authorities throughout much of the original show's run, all three personalities are listed as consultants on “Reality Check.” Barker and Manuel also donated archival footage, and the series treats the trio gently without making that relationship explicit until the credits.
Manuel, Alexander, and Barker are given extensive space to contextualize their actions, explain their discomfort with certain challenges, and frame their participation in those scenes as constrained by a business model that was bigger than them… but supposedly, not bigger than Banks. Their agency is rarely challenged in “Reality Check,” but their emotional journeys are still foregrounded over the voices of victims and the contrast is striking. They are allowed to reckon with how they felt about controversial “Top Model” moments — including photoshoots that saw them personally challenging contestants to embrace blackface, glamorize domestic violence, and work through more thoughtless shock value — without being pressed on why they failed to intervene back then.
The show devotes significant time to the three consultants' past hardships as well as their ongoing bond, and that's crystallized in a moving segment about Alexander's harrowing recovery after a devastating stroke in 2022. That moral generosity matters because these creative personalities were not peripheral observers to the “Top Model” world, as they themselves admit in “Reality Check.” They were authority figures whose approval shaped contestants' fates and their failure to interrogate their own motives then and now suggests an enduring lack of self-awareness that undermines this new project.
Manuel, Alexander, and Barker were all laid off by Banks and producer Ken Mok in a high-profile restructuring for “Top Model” in 2012. “Reality Check” frames the trio's participation in this series as incidental to that earlier schism, but their demeanor while recounting some of the events related to that emotional employment saga come across as tone-deaf at best and axe-grinding at worst.
Notably not credited as a consultant, Banks occupies a more constrained and paradoxical position in “Reality Check.” The docuseries repeatedly depicts the former host declining to answer certain questions from her interviewer: a framing choice that subtly positions her as evasive. Simultaneously, that restraint conveys the sense that Banks knows she's behind enemy lines and could be a victim of bad editing like anyone else. The seasoned supermodel offers some of the most thoughtful analysis in the series, explicitly tying the worst “Top Model” moments to a deeply exploitative industry. But Banks also seems careful to not take responsibility for anything the “Reality Check” research team can't prove.
The result is an ethically muddy exercise that might satisfy the rhythms of subscribers who like reality TV of varying tastes and ethical levels, but it falls sorely short of documentary's basic obligations and intellectual rigor. Netflix's role looms large over all of this, of course. The streaming platform has a well-documented history of recycling real trauma for content, particularly in the unscripted space. “Reality Check” fits neatly into that troubling pattern, effectively suspending the damage of “Top Model” in amber and treating the exploitation at its core like any other piece of familiar IP.
Even with the aughts back in fashion, the real danger of “Reality Check” isn't that it reignites harm but normalizes doing so with little regard for the consequences. When it comes to explaining how and why the culture at “Top Model” was allowed to get progressively worse for over 15 years, “Reality Check” is noticeably selective. Responsibility is framed as both diffuse and oddly concentrated, with Banks and, to a lesser extent, Mok positioned as primary targets for scrutiny. It's an incomplete narrative that cries out for more thorough investigation, as others involved in crafting the problematic show receive more grace.
Documentary has long carried an expectation of empirical truth and public service. The format can help society reckon with abuse long after headlines fade, but when projects like “Reality Check” confuse exposure with accountability, they undermine that trust and make it harder to inspire change. Here, Netflix seems to want viewers to feel informed about the history of “Top Model” only to the extent that it benefits their agenda. A clear-eyed portrait of how capitalism and fame corrode good intentions could be valuable, but a glossy retrospective of retired humiliation suggests indifference is back in fashion.
“Reality Check: Inside America's Next Top Model” is now streaming on Netflix.
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By Nellie Andreeva
Editor-In-Chief
EXCLUSIVE: French-language drama series The Hunt (Traqués) will debut on Apple TV on March 4. That is three months after the acquired series from Gaumont was slated to premiere on Dec. 3 but was delayed, with the French production company launching an investigation into claims that the show may have been plagiarized.
In a statement, Gaumont laid out the sequence of events and revealed the outcome of its review related to the series' IP.
Originally scheduled for December 2025, The Hunt‘s release was postponed after it was identified in November 2025 that the project, presented as an original work, was based on an existing work, Douglas Fairbairn's Shoot.As soon as this information came to its attention, Gaumont, the series' producer, immediately took the necessary steps to identify the rights holders, and obtain the required authorizations.Respect for works and authors' rights is a fundamental principle for Gaumont, which can only be exercised with the trust and transparency of creative artists.
The last part is a likely reference to The Hunt‘s director Cédric Anger who was originally credited as creator of the series when it was sold to Apple TV as an original project. Once Apple was made aware of plot similarities between The Hunt and Fairbairn's 1973 novel Shoot (as well as the 1976 U.S./Canadian movie of the same name), the streamer notified Gaumont while putting the show's release on hold two weeks before its scheduled debut.
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The similarities were clearly significant as The Hunt is now billed as “a series by Anger based on the novel Shoot by Douglas Fairbairn, which was first adapted into a feature film of the same name, directed by Harvey Hart from a screenplay by Richard Berg.”
The adjustment follows deals that Gaumont has made with the rights holders of the book and film. (Fairbairn died in 1997).
Information about the show, which had been removed following the original premiere date delay, has now been restored on Apple's site and the app with the revised credits.
In The Hunt, Franck (Benoît Magimel) and his longtime friends enjoy spending their weekends hunting together, but one Sunday, they come across another group of hunters who start targeting them without explanation. When one of their party is shot, Franck's friends strike back, sending an attacker to the ground. Barely managing to escape, the four friends keep the event a secret. Franck tries to go back to his life as usual alongside his wife Krystel (Mélanie Laurent), but in the next few days, he starts to feel like he and his friends are being watched, or worse, tracked by hunters who are now hell-bent on revenge.
Damien Bonnard, Manuel Guillot, Cédric Appietto and Frédéric Maranber also star.
The six-episode, one-hour series is executive produced by Sidone Dumas, Isabelle Degeorges, Clémentine Vaudaux and Alexis Barqueiro, through Gaumont. (This is the same quartet of EPs as before.) Anger directs five episodes, and Guillaume Renusson directs Episode 3. The first two episodes of The Hunt will debut globally on March 4, followed by one new episode every Wednesday through April 1.
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James Wan is notorious for doing this kind of thing. Shymalan got caught after The Village came out so he can't do it anymore.
Now do THE SAVANT.
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By Zac Ntim
International Reporter
Here's the latest trailer for Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man, Steven Knight's big screen adaptation of his popular TV series.
Netflix released the trailer this afternoon. The film is set for a theatrical release in select cinemas on March 6, 2026. Netflix will then debut the movie globally on its platform from March 20.
Directed by Tom Harper, the Knight-penned film stars Oscar-winner Cillian Murphy in a return to the iconic role of Tommy Shelby, whom he played on the BAFTA-winning drama series from 2013 to 2022. Also starring are Rebecca Ferguson, Tim Roth, Sophie Rundle, Barry Keoghan, Stephen Graham, and Jay Lycurgo. Along with Murphy, Rundle, and Graham, other series alums in the cast include Ned Dennehy, Packy Lee, and Ian Peck.
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The film's official logline reads: “Birmingham, 1940. Amidst the chaos of WWII, Tommy Shelby is driven back from a self-imposed exile to face his most destructive reckoning yet. With the future of the family and the country at stake, Tommy must face his own demons and choose whether to confront his legacy or burn it to the ground.”
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Created and written by Knight, the original Peaky Blinders series became a global phenomenon. The gangster drama began airing on BBC Two in the UK in 2013, and debuted on Netflix a year later. It won the BAFTA for Best Drama Series for its fourth season and moved to BBC One in 2019 for its fifth and sixth seasons.
Producers on The Immortal Man are Guy Heeley, Murphy, Knight, and Patrick Holland. Exec producers are Andrew Warren, Caryn Mandabach, Jamie Glazebrook, Harper, and David Kosse.
Check out the trailer above.
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Ticket booked.
The show's great, why did they need to make a film? Barry's got a dodge-y accent happening, why not keep his natural accent if Tommy wasn't around to raise him?
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By Jill Goldsmith
Co-Business Editor
Imax and Apple TV are bringing the 2026 FIA Formula One World Championship live to select big screens across the U.S. for the first time.
Five of the most iconic Grands Prix in F1 — Miami, Monaco, Silverstone, Monza, and Austin — will be available across at least 50 Imax locations, amplifying the inaugural season of Apple TV as F1's official U.S. broadcaster. The tech giant cliched a five-year rights deal in October as the racing circuit grows in popularity in the U.S. with stops in Las Vegas, Miami and Austin.
The Miami Grand Prix is first up May 3 followed by Monaco (June 7), British Grand Prix (Silverstone, July 5), Italian Grand Prix (Monza, September 6), and United States Grand Prix (Austin, October 25).
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The announcement builds on Imax and Apple's successful collaboration on Apple Films' F1: The Movie. A filmed for Imax release shot with Imax-certified digital cameras, it was the top grossing Imax Hollywood release of 2025 at $97.6 million worldwide. Imax re-released it on 50 screens January 30 after an Oscar Best Picture nomination. The Apple Studios film is directed and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, Joseph Kosinski, seven-time Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton, Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, and Chad Oman.
Distributed by Warner Bros., it has a global box office take of $654 million, an all-time record for Pitt and for the sports movie category.
“F1 is a rapidly growing force in sports and culture in the US, and by bringing F1 on Apple TV live to Imax theaters nationwide, we're delivering the energy and excitement to even more screens in a truly immersive way,” said Oliver Schusser, Apple's VP of Music, Sports, and Beats. “We're excited to collaborate with Imax to expand access to F1 on Apple TV and give fans across the U.S. a powerful new way to experience the speed and spectacle that the sport delivers.”
F1: The Movie “proved beyond a doubt that the speed, precision, and artistry of Formula 1 translate beautifully to the Imax Experience, and we are very excited to further our collaboration with Apple and offer fans more of what resonated so deeply with that film by presenting live F1 races to them in Imax,” said Imax Chief Content Officer Jonathan Fischer. “We look forward to working with Apple to amplify its live coverage of Formula 1 and give fans in the U.S. an all-new way to experience this fast-growing sport.”
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By
Emily Zemler
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested in Norfolk, England, on Thursday morning on suspicion of misconduct in public office. The British royal, formerly known as Prince Andrew before being stripped of his titles by his brother King Charles, is being detained by Thames Valley Police.
The police did not name Mountbatten-Windsor, in accordance with U.K. law, but confirmed they arrested a man in his sixties (the royal turned 66 today). The police also confirmed they are searching “addresses in Berkshire and Norfolk.”
“Following a thorough assessment, we have now opened an investigation into this allegation of misconduct in public office,” Assistant Chief Constable Oliver Wright said in a statement (via the BBC). “It is important that we protect the integrity and objectivity of our investigation as we work with our partners to investigate this alleged offense. We understand the significant public interest in this case, and we will provide updates at the appropriate time.”
The news comes after photos began to circulate of police vehicles at Wood Farm on the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk, where Mountbatten-Windsor currently lives. The arrest is related to recent revelations in the Epstein files that suggest Mountbatten-Windsor sent trade reports to Jeffrey Epstein in 2010, not to ongoing allegations of sexual misconduct.
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Mountbatten-Windsor was stripped of his titles by King Charles III in October following revelations about his relationship with Epstein. Earlier this month, the British monarch forced his brother to vacate his longtime home at Royal Lodge near Windsor Castle.
King Charles III released a statement on the arrest of his brother. “I have learned with the deepest concern the news about Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and suspicion of misconduct in public office,” he wrote. “What now follows is the full, fair and proper process by which this issue is investigated in the appropriate manner and by the appropriate authorities. In this, as I have said before, they have our full and wholehearted support and co-operation. Let me state clearly: the law must take its course. As this process continues, it would not be right for me to comment further on this matter. Meanwhile, my family and I will continue in our duty and service to you all.”
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The former prince has continually denied any wrongdoing; however, he was mentioned and pictured several times in the 3 million-plus pages of documents released by the U.S. Department of Justice recently. One of the mentions of Mountbatten-Windsor is a photograph of him with a woman who appears to be Virginia Giuffre, who alleged she was forced to have sex with him as a teenager.
Giuffre was one of Epstein's most prominent accusers and also filed a high-profile sexual-assault lawsuit against Andrew, which was settled in 2022. Giuffre died by suicide last April. Her family released a statement following Mountbatten-Windsor's arrest. “At last, today, our broken hearts have been lifted at the news that no one is above the law, not even royalty,” her siblings said in a statement distributed to news outlets. “On behalf of our sister, Virginia Roberts Giuffre, we extend our gratitude to the U.K.'s Thames Valley Police for their investigation, and the arrest of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. He was never a prince. For survivors everywhere, Virginia did this for you.”
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Prince William and Princess Catherine recently shared a rare public statement distancing themselves from Mountbatten-Windsor. “I can confirm that the Prince and Princess of Wales have been deeply concerned by the continued revelations,'' the palace said in a statement on Feb. 9. “Their thoughts remain focused on the victims.”
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Some disturbing online searches related to Nancy Guthrie and her daughter, Savannah Guthrie, were made before her disappearance, online data shows.
According to Fox News Digital, Google Trends reports appear to show queries for Nancy's home and Savannah's salary as the “Today” show co-host.
The outlet reported that someone in Arizona searched for Nancy's Tucson address between June 21 and 28, 2025, and again on January 11, 2026.
Separate Google image searches for Nancy Guthrie's residential address were also conducted between March 1 and 8, 2025, as well as on November 30 and December 1, 2025, according to Fox News Digital.
The outlet noted that the queries were specifically looking for images or a map of Nancy's house.
In addition to searches for Nancy's address, queries about “Savannah Guthrie's salary” were made in the days before the abduction, originating in Tucson between December 13 and 20, 2025.
In comparison, CNN anchor Anderson Cooper and Fox News' Sean Hannity also generated similar searches.
The outlet revealed that someone from the New York area looked up “Anderson Cooper salary” between March 29 and April 5, 2025. Someone also appeared to search “Sean Hannity salary” between May 3 and 10, 2025.
Meanwhile, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos remains optimistic as the search for Nancy Guthrie continues. He said he will only begin to worry if the flow of tips starts to slow down.
“Because let's face it, you've been around enough to know that when these tips dry up, this case goes cold,” Nanos told KGUN. “We believe somebody out there knows who did this. We need that person to call.”
The Sheriff's Department has reportedly taken in nearly 18,000 tips and still counting.
On Wednesday, Nanos said he believes Nancy is still in the area.
“I think she's somewhere here in our community,” Nanos told BBC. “I just do. I don't know why. I don't have any evidence to prove that, but I just believe that she's somewhere here locally.”
As the search continues, the FBI reportedly reached out to Mexican authorities to spread the word to various police agencies.
TMZ reported that the FBI believes Nancy was taken across the border, but it's unlikely it happened directly after the kidnapping.
Detectives reportedly scoured border patrol cameras and other electronic devices, but there was still no sign of Nancy.
Nancy Guthrie was abducted from her home on February 1.
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Have you noticed that every picture has Savannah face planted right there. Not the other daughter face just Savannah's.
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By
Charisma Madarang
After Stephen Colbert claimed that CBS lawyers blocked The Late Show from airing an interview with James Talarico — a Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate in Texas — for fear the network would meet the displeasure of the Federal Communications Commission, FCC chair Brendan Carr downplayed the controversy.
During the agency's press conference on Wednesday, Carr insisted there was “zero censorship with the equal time provision.” “You had a Democrat candidate who understood the way that the news media works, and he took advantage of all of your sort of prior conceptions to run a hoax, apparently for the purpose of raising money and getting clicks,” Carr told reporters.
On Monday night's episode of The Late Show, Colbert alleged that the FCC has begun cracking down on liberal-leaning broadcasters under the guise of enforcing the “equal time” rule. The so-called equal time rule requires broadcast and radio stations to offer “equal opportunities” to political candidates running against each other. However, there have historically been exceptions to the rule, including talk shows like The Late Show, as well as documentaries, on-the-spot interviews, and scheduled newscasts. Under Carr's leadership, the FCC has moved to strip those protections from liberal-leaning broadcast outlets, while exempting other broadcasts like right-wing talk radio.
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While the interview with Talarico did not make it on air, Colbert announced that their conversation would instead be distributed on the show's YouTube channel. In a statement to CNN, CBS claimed that they had not prohibited Colbert from airing the interview. “The show was provided legal guidance that the broadcast could trigger the FCC equal-time rule for two other candidates, including Rep. Jasmine Crockett,” the broadcaster said, adding that The Late Show decided to post the interview on social media “rather than potentially providing the equal-time options.”
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Amid Carr's claims of “zero censorship,” the FCC chair also confirmed that the commission has started a probe into The View‘s alleged violations of equal time rules. Earlier this month, reports surfaced that Carr had opened an investigation into ABC's long-running panel show after it hosted Talarico for an interview.
“Disney has a program called The View. And they've been asserting the position that The View is what is known as ‘bona fide news' in the statute,” Carr said when popping on FOX News Channel's The Ingraham Angle on Wednesday night. “If you are bona fide news, you don't have to give candidates equal air time. But, Disney and The View have not established that that program is, in fact, bona fide news. We've started enforcement proceedings, taking a look at that. And, again, we're going to hold broadcasters accountable.”
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By
Nancy Dillon
Country hitmaker Megan Moroney was honored Wednesday at the second annual Sharing the Spotlight awards hosted by She Is The Music, the nonprofit advocacy group for women in the music industry co-founded by Alicia Keys.
“I'm not even gonna play with y'all. I can't believe Alicia Keys knows who I am,” Moroney said with a laugh as she accepted her Artist Spotlight award, which recognized both her breakout success and the all-female team behind her career, including her manager Hayley Corbett, agent Elisa Vazzan, publicist Jensen Sussman, and tour manager Chelsae Partosan. A platinum-selling singer-songwriter and critical favorite, Moroney previously won the Country Music Association's New Artist of the Year award in 2024.
“I'm inspired every time I get to be in a room with badass women who change the game every day, who do things their own way, and who don't take no for an answer,” Moroney said at the packed event in West Hollywood. “I think sometimes we're taught, subtly or not, that there's only room for a few women at the top. But music and creating art isn't a competition for oxygen. I'm positive that when one of us wins, it stretches the ceiling higher for the next girl watching.”
Speaking with Rolling Stone, Keys said she was impressed by Moroney “consciously bringing incredible women into the scene.” The Grammy award winner said she founded She Is The Music with UMPG CEO Jody Gerson, mix engineer Ann Mincieli, and UTA's co-Head of Music, Sam Kirby Yoh, after seeing a 2018 USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative report that found women remained severely underrepresented in the music industry. The report found that the ratio of male to female producers across 400 popular songs was 47-to-1.
“We saw these statistics coming back, showing there really aren't enough women in the seats and positions of power. But we were there, so we knew it was possible,” Keys tells Rolling Stone. “We decided to take matters into our own hands and really create the pathways, the opportunities, the sisterhoods, and the power to bring us all together and show each other how to cultivate the possibilities together.”
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Sylvia Rhone, the former chairwoman and chief executive of Epic Records, was also honored Wednesday, receiving the Trailblazers Spotlight Award in recognition of her four-decade career championing female executives and artists, including Missy Elliott.
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“I've worked in this industry since vinyl,” Rhone told the crowd, recalling a time when women were “rarely, if ever, in line for C-suite or even vice presidential roles.” Women were present, she said, “often the most prepared, often the most intuitive,” but they were not “at the head of the table, not always holding the final pen, and certainly not in these numbers.”
Though she described the current moment as “tumultuous — politically, economically, technologically,” Rhone struck an optimistic note. “Creativity adapts,” she said, “and women, especially women, innovate under pressure.” Looking out at the audience, she added, “I'm not anxious about the future of our industry at all. I'm energized by it. Music is in very good hands. So let's keep opening doors wider than we found them.”
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The Los Angeles-based luxury fashion brand founded by Mike Amiri also tapped actor and musician Malcolm McRae and models Jordan Daniels and Heather Diamond Strongarm for the campaign.
By
Chris Gardner
Chateau Amiri, California is open for business.
The Los Angeles-based luxury fashion brand founded by Mike Amiri has launched a new spring-summer campaign dubbed Chateau Amiri, California and drafted actors Danny Ramirez and Michael Imperioli to check in alongside multi-hyphenate Malcolm McRae and models Jordan Daniels and Heather Diamond Strongarm.
They were tasked with playing “a heightened, imagined version of themselves” for photographer Hart Leshkina and director Bon Duke who captured the campaign inside the faux hotel, which was designed to pay homage “to the haunts and locales” that have shaped the modern mythology of Hollywood, per Amiri. The brand's founder, Mike Amiri, who launched the label in 2014, explained it a little further.
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“Character is the starting point for everything I create, shaped by cinema, the soul of Hollywood. Our Amiri campaigns have become spaces to explore this idea — creating immersive worlds of still and motion pictures, where our collections come to life with new context, different stories,” said Amiri. “Building on that universe we're crafting, this season we welcome you, and a cast of true stars, into the Chateau Amiri.”
The campaign features the models outfitted in fits from Amiri's spring-summer collection, accessorized by martinis, sunglasses, room keys, hand bags and more framed by hotel suites, lobbies and pools. See below for shots from the campaign.
Imperioli is best known for his starring turn opposite James Gandolfini on the iconic Sopranos. More recently, he's been seen in Song Sung Blue, The Nice Guys, The White Lotus and The Many Saints of Newark. Ramirez meanwhile is best known for his work in Top Gun: Maverick, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Captain America: Brave New World and The Last of Us. He'll next be seen in Avengers: Doomsday. Rocker McRae had a role on Daisy Jones and the Six.
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Abrams is producing the feature that has Mollner back in the director's chair for the first time since his breakout 'Strange Darling.'
By
Borys Kit
Senior Film Writer
Sony has come out on top of a bidding war for Skeletons, a thriller that has JJ Abrams on board to produce and Brie Larson attached to star. The studio beat out Paramount, Warner Bros. and Neon for the project, which was also selling at the European Film Market.
Sony's deal is for worldwide rights.
What makes the interest in the project even spicier is the involvement of JT Mollner, the filmmaker behind Strange Darling. He co-wrote the script and is attached to direct.
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Mollner has emerged as rising filmmaking talent in the mold of a Zech Cregger (Weapons) and Parker Finn (Smile), an original voice in the genre space. Mollner wrote and directed Strange Darling, a non-linear thriller that, while not a box office hit, cemented him as a filmmaker with whom studios are deeply keen to work. He wrote last year's acclaimed adaptation of Stephen King's The Long Walk, but did not direct it. Studios have been waiting for his next move.
Many of Skeletons plot details are being kept in the closet. It is understood, however, to focus on the relationship between a son and his mother, with the latter being mysteriously placed in a secure cage each night.
The initial draft was written by Brian Duffield, who wrote No One Will Save You (which he also directed) and Love and Monsters. The project is based on a short story by Philip Fracassi and at one point was previously known as Fail-Safe.
The project hit the town last week and generated immediate bids, according to sources. At the same time, the project was selling at the European Film Market. The initial plan by FilmNation Entertainment, WME and CAA was to sell it by individual territories. Sony, however, came in aggressively to take worldwide rights.
It was not immediately clear where financial figures are landing, but it is at least in the mid-$20 million range for domestic rights. Sources say the figures for worldwide are higher.
Abrams has been relatively quiet on the feature front since making 2019's Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, focusing much of his attention on television. He did, however, produce documentaries The Blue Angels and Elizabeth Taylor: The Lost Tapes, as well as the Allison Janney Netflix thriller Lou.
Larson's last big-screen entry was Marvel Studios' ill-fated The Marvels and she also starred in Apple TV's prestige mini-series Lessons in Chemistry.
Larson is repped by WME and Sloane Offer. Mollner is repped by UTA and Jackoway Austen.
Worldwide acquisitions president Joe Matukewicz, exec VP of business affairs Virginia Longmuir, and VP of business development Elan Kovo are negotiating the deal for Sony.
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By
Charisma Madarang
North West has signed to Gamma, former Apple executive Larry Jackson‘s independent music company that's vying to be a top contender in the industry. Sources confirmed the news to Rolling Stone and said North has been spending time in the studio.
Since its 2023 launch, Gamma has collaborated with the likes of Mariah Carey, Usher, Sexyy Red, and Snoop Dogg — with the Doggfather moving Death Row under Gamma's umbrella for distribution services. The media company has also brought in North's father Ye, the artist formerly known as Kanye West, who inked a partnership deal with Gamma for the release of Bully, his 12th studio album set to arrive on March 20.
At 12 years old, North, a scion of Kim Kardashian and Ye's celebrity empire, appears poised to chart her own path in music. Her recent single, “Piercing on My Hand,” which arrived on Feb. 6, was reportedly released via Gamma and produced by Ye and Will Frenchman. In January, North debuted the track live alongside her father in Mexico City in front of nearly 40,000 attendees, and the pair also performed Ye's 2014 dedication to his eldest daughter, titled “Only One,” plus ¥$ tracks “Talking” and “Bomb.”
North previously appeared on Ye and Ty Dolla $ign's Vultures single “Talking/Once Again,” which reached Number 30 on the Billboard Hot 100 and charted in the U.K. She also featured on FKA Twigs‘ “Childlike Things” on the Grammy winner's album Eusexua — which saw North rapping in both English and Japanese over Twigs' electronic dance beat.
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As North carves her own name in music, she also seems to be taking early steps toward a fashion venture. People confirmed earlier this week that her mother, Kardashian, applied for multiple trademarks for a fashion and accessories company called “NOR11” back in January.
In a recent Rolling Stone article, music editor Jeff Ihaza declared that as “the celebrity children of the 2010s come of age and follow in their parents' footsteps, we've arrived at the next generation of nepo babies.” Still, he remarked, given North's fluency in online culture and her unapologetic approach to music, fashion, and identity, she is “less a carbon copy of her parents than a Gen Alpha translation.”
Contributors: Shirley Halperin
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As we've reported pretty extensively lately, there's been a lot of back-and-forth going on this week over Stephen Colbert's interview with Texas Rep. James Talarico—and, specifically, who told who what about whether running said interview with the prospective Senate hopeful would run afoul of the FCC's famed equal-time rules for political candidates. Now the FCC itself has weighed in on the conversation, producing a truly dark specter to haunt the ailing body of a weakened democracy: The sight of FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr trying to do schtick.
“I think yesterday was a perfect encapsulation of why the American people have more trust in gas station sushi than they do in the national news media,” Carr feverishly Dennis Miller-ed during an FCC meeting on Wednesday, per The Guardian—suggesting the news media should be ashamed for believing Colbert's “lies” about the interview. Said accusations stemming, as far as we can tell, from Colbert (and Talarico, who's gotten a pretty major media bump off of all this) refusing to pay lip service to Carr's policy of running the government's TV regulation by a national expression of the “I'm not touching you, I'm not actually touching you!” rule so favored by childhood's most irritating siblings. After all, Carr never publicly told CBS not to air an interview with the Democratic up-and-comer: He just made very loud noises about how his FCC wouldn't be adhering to decades of precedent about talk show interviews being treated as exempt from the equal-time rule anymore, and (quite successfully, it appears) waited for the network to comply in advance and regulate itself.
This “I never technically regulated you” approach might offer Carr some measure of legal cover, but it's offered no such protection from Colbert, who has blasted both the FCC and his network over the “legal guidance” they've been so kindly offering him of late. Which, again, has led to the woeful image of Carr trying to throw shade at a guy who cut his national comedy teeth eviscerating hypocrites for a living, tepidly firing back (per Reuters) that Colbert has “what he probably views as a long and distinguished career in the limelight, sees that that limelight is fading, is coming to an end. That's got to be a difficult time for him… That doesn't change the facts of what happened here.”
Speaking of facts: After all that, Carr then went on to state that he was pursuing an “enforcement action” against ABC's The View for having Talarico on two weeks ago, all but confirming that he would have done the same thing to CBS had they aired the interview. Ignoring the fact that equal-time complaints are traditionally supposed to come from the rival candidates in a campaign, and not just bubbled up by the FCC itself, the move ably demonstrates the true point of so much of Carr's policy in recent years: To produce a chilling effect so that networks don't even bother running the risk of getting dinged, allowing Carr to claim, with a straight smirk, that he's not the one censoring anybody at all.
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Jeffrey “Dammit” claims the actor targeted him with anti-gay slurs in a confrontation that escalated into violence in the Marigny.
By
Kevin Dolak
Shia LaBeouf's arrest in New Orleans in the early hours of Tuesday, as the city's Mardi Gras celebrations were underway, is facing fresh scrutiny, as an alleged victim of the actor's rampage that night says he was targeted in the confrontation, which he is characterizing as an alleged hate crime.
The altercation that took place 15 minutes after midnight at R Bar in the city's Faubourg Marigny neighborhood — video of which circulated widely online, showing a belligerent LaBeouf's Jekyll and Hyde display as he was restrained outside the bar — left two bartenders injured and the actor facing two counts of simple assault; he was quickly released by early afternoon Tuesday on his own recognizance. He is due back in court on March 19.
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Jeffrey “Dammit,” a longtime local fixture and master of ceremonies at various New Orleans events, is also a Screen Actors Guild member who now resides and works in Hollywood most of the year. He told The Hollywood Reporter on Wednesday that he makes multiple trips back to New Orleans annually; he first moved to The Big Easy in 1995 and over the years, has taken various bartending jobs, including at R Bar. He said that his initial confrontation with the Transformers star began hours before the now-viral street scuffle.
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“He smashed into me, knocking me into some boxes,” Jeffrey explained of his first encounter with LaBeouf around 5 p.m. on Monday. “Then he turned around screaming, ‘Don't you fucking push me. I'll kill you.' I hadn't touched him.” Jeffrey said he attempted to defuse the situation but alleges LaBeouf escalated things, putting a finger in his face and calling him a homophobic slur.
“He said he'd ‘kick my ass' and called me a faggot,” Jeffrey said. “I told him I wasn't going to fight him. I wasn't giving him that.”
LaBeouf was in and out of the bar throughout Monday evening and appeared highly intoxicated. When he returned to the bar around midnight, he recalled, the situation had intensified.
“He was screaming at a bartender and had to be escorted outside,” Jeffrey said. “Once outside, he started pacing in the street, yelling, ‘You're all a bunch of fucking faggots. I'll kick your ass.'” Jeffrey said he briefly intervened when a shirtless LaBeouf lunged at a staff member.
“I grabbed him and held him for less than a minute so he wouldn't beat up the bartender,” he said. “The bartender told me to let go, and I did.”
Moments later, he alleges, LaBeouf punched a second bartender in the face, breaking his nose. Video clips from outside the bar show LaBeouf being restrained as he continues shouting.
“He kept trying to get up and fight people,” Jeffrey said. “He wouldn't stop screaming slurs. That's why I say this wasn't just a bar fight. This was about hate.”
Police, who he said had to be flagged down to quell the scene, took statements from Jeffrey and at least one R Bar bartender. LaBeouf was transported from the scene and later released on his own recognizance, according to court records. New videos circulated on social media showing the actor dancing on Bourbon Street after his release, with the actor holding his jail release paperwork in his mouth.
Jeffrey said the speed of that release surprised him.
“In decades of coming to Mardi Gras, I've always understood that if you go to jail during Mardi Gras, you're not getting out until after Ash Wednesday,” he said. “The only thing I'm surprised about is that anybody else would have been in jail.”
He added that the decision to release LaBeouf quickly “sends a terrible message” about accountability during one of the city's busiest weeks.
Beyond the physical confrontation, Jeffrey said that the slurs and threats are what linger most.
“Anytime somebody insists on calling me a ‘faggot' and threatening to hurt me because of it — that's not something you ever get used to,” he said. “I've worked in bars for years. I've seen fights. But when someone is screaming that word over and over while trying to attack people, that's different.”
He also expressed concern about professional fallout, noting that both he and LaBeouf work in the entertainment industry.
“I would not feel safe running into him on a set,” he said. “If he could make a call and get out of jail before anybody else, what's stopping him from making a call about my career?” LaBeouf recently claimed to be sober and blamed past abusive behavior on alcoholism. Before his arrest in New Orleans on Tuesday, he went on an extended-weekend bar crawl during Mardi Gras in New Orleans' Uptown neighborhood, according to employees of various drinking establishments.
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A provocative move by the director at the NBA All-Star Game only throws into relief what's been happening on screens, from the Olympics to the multiplex, this entertainment season.
By
Steven Zeitchik
Senior Editor, Technology and Politics
The first Jewish basketball player to make the NBA All Star-Game was Dolph Schayes, in 1951. Schayes would go on to make the next eleven, his two-handed arcing jump shot and lightning-quick drives to the basket turning the 6′ 8″ forward into a superstar.
The most recent Jewish basketball player to make the NBA all-star game was Deni Avdija, an Israeli playing for the Portland Trailblazers who stands exactly as tall as Schayes did and drives just as fast. Avdija is having a breakout season, averaging 25 points, seven rebounds and seven assists per game, numbers that helped land him the fifth-most All-Star fan votes in 2026, ahead of Victor Wembanyama and Kevin Durant.Avdija is no anomaly, at least not historically. Jews have deep roots in basketball, dominating the game in pre-War America, especially at the college level; one famous contest between undefeateds NYU and City College of New York in 1934 featured nine of ten Jewish starters and landed the nascent sport in Newsweek and The New York Times. As recent immigrants, Jews played the game in their dense urban neighborhoods and helped popularize it with traveling teams up and down the East Coast. That changed with migrations to the suburbs and as the game developed in new directions. But basketball has always been tied up with the Jewish-American experience.Needless to say, then, Avdija's appearance on the NBC telecast Sunday night — he notched five points and two assists in eight minutes for the World squad and caught the attention of LeBron James — was a source of pride for many Jews, who continue to play basketball in schools and recreationally perhaps more than any other sport. Among Jewish Americans this basketball season Avdija's performance has been a talking point everywhere from rec-league pickup games to family WhatApp groups. “Can you believe what he threw down last night?”It's unlikely Spike Lee knew all of that, though as a student of basketball, it's fair to assume he caught some of it. But he does know a thing or two about ethnic pride and identity, having made countless movies about the topic. And if none of that clocks, his longtime production office is a few blocks from the Barclays Center, home of the Brooklyn Nets, where two Israeli-backgrounded Jews, Danny Wolf and Ben Saraf, currently play.
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Which is why when he showed up courtside at the Intuit Dome Sunday night wearing a keffiyeh-patterned hoodie, a shoulder bag with the colors of the Palestinian flag and what appeared to be the infamous upside-down red triangle used by Hamas to identify the presence of Israeli soldiers, all seemingly to be in the eyeline of both Avdija and the millions of Jews watching him, it felt like an affront.Lee didn't say anything in a quick red-carpet walk in to the arena, and if you asked him, he might say he wasn't aiming it at Avdija and was just making a general political point. But he would be playing a fancy-footwork game worthy of Luka Dončić. The director gets to show up at the game and have the effect of provoking the Jewish player running up and down the court in front of him, even as he retains the ability to say he just happened to feel the need to get political that night.Supporting the Palestinian cause is Lee's right, of course, but no Palestinian was playing in the NBA All-Star Game. Protesting the Israeli government's actions in Gaza or anywhere else is also very much Lee's right, but no Israeli government officials or even national team was playing. The man who was playing was guilty of little more than being born in Israel, and for that he apparently deserved an ongoing in-game protest. Even the small Israel flag embossed on Avdija's jersey was no different from the flag worn by any other of the international stars, including Nikola Jokić, who grew up in Slobodan Milošević's Serbia, and Alperen Sengun, who was raised in Recep Erdoğan's Turkey, and had those flags on their jerseys. If Lee wore an article of clothing protesting their involvement in the game, I somehow missed it.
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[On Wednesday Lee posted that he did not know Avidija was Israeli and was simply making a statement independent of him. “Much Respect To Deni Avdija, The First Israeli-Born Player In The NBA All-Star Game. Congratulations Also To All The Players And The NBA. There Has Been Some Conjecture About What I Wore To The Games on Saturday and Sunday. The Clothes I Wore are Symbols of My Concern For The Palestinian Children and Civilians, And My Utmost Belief In Human Dignity For All Humankind,” Lee wrote. “What I Wore Was Not Intended As A Gesture Of Hostility To Jewish People Or To Support Violence Against Anyone, Nor Was It Intended As A Comment On The Significance Of Deni Being An All-Star. There Were 28 NBA Players Chosen To Be In LA This Weekend. I Didn't Know Them All And Deni Playing For The Portland Trailblazers, A West Coast Team, I Didn't Know Deni As The First Israeli Born NBA All-Star. He can BALL. NOW I DO KNOW. LIVE AND LEARN. ONWARD AND UPWARD PEACE AND LOVE YA-DIG? SHO-NUFF.”]
A very different scene has been playing out for Jewish and Israeli athletes halfway around the world. In a record showing, Israel sent nine athletes to the Winter Olympics across five disciplines this year, up from six athletes at the Beijing Games. The country has exactly one mountain that regularly gets snow, but it has become a source for one of the feelgood stories of the Games courtesy of the Israeli bobsled team — led by AJ Edelman, brother of Alex Edelman, the Emmy-winning writer and performer of the HBO special and Broadway hit Just For Us. AJ Edelman had taught himself how to skeleton and competed for Israel at the 2018 Games in Pyeongchang; now he had pivoted to another sport and made the Olympics again. He and his two-man-bob teammate Menachem Chen stood at 26th out of 26 sleds halfway through the competition (where they would finish) but were still pumping their fists after their runs like they'd landed on the podium. As an NBC news story noted, “AJ Edelman and Menachem Chen are in last place out of 26 sleds at the midway point of the Olympic two-man bobsled race at the Milan Cortina Games. And they're thrilled.”There has been very little visible Spike-like protests of the Israeli athletes. A commentator for the Swiss broadcaster RTS did say on-air that, because Edelman was pro-Israel, “one can therefore question his presence in Cortina during these Games,” but RTS had the good sense to take the comments down, even if they didn't exactly denounce them.And then there's Marty Supreme, which has been beaconing Jewish pride since Christmas Day, its title character competing not just with the Jewish stereotype of smarts but with stamina and skill, a ferocious athleticism. The scene has been striking: A Jewish actor playing a Jewish sports legend to millions of non-Jews who don't bat an eye.Jews excited about Jews in sports is a strange and, yes, sometimes funny beast. On one hand, the enthusiasm almost undermines its own point; if such an event were actually common it wouldn't be celebrated with such gusto. (See under: the classic Airplane! bit “how about this leaflet, famous Jewish sports legends?”) On the other hand, for many Jews a genuinely deep, almost existential thrill comes from such a sight.Partly that's because any of us intramural or beer-league legends want to imagine that, but for a twist of fate, it could be us winning gold or draining the Game 7 winner, and how much more realistic if the athlete who does sits down at the same seder table. But it of course goes deeper than that, to the same issues of representation that echo through much of Hollywood — of seeing someone who looks like you excelling at something you've rarely seen them excel at, then taking that improbable inspiration into your own life on a smaller stage.That's why Edelman and Chen's bobsled runs have been so miraculous. Ice and snow sports? Where you jet down a mountain at death-tempting F1 speeds? That requires a WASPish pedigree, not to mention a Jewish mother who has been medically induced into a coma. We never see Jews doing that. And yet here some were, under Olympic lights. When Alex Edelman took a good-natured dig at his brother in Just For Us at how good AJ was at a sport that only about 50 people in the world competed in, it got a laugh for the enjoyable snark but also a little nod of pride that AJ was doing something so rare in the first place. (Just for Us has been leaning in to the younger Edelman's Italy competitions on social.)But the sight of a Jew excelling in sports is even more than a bit of representational inspiration. So much of antisemitism, historic and resurgent, is bound up with demeaning Jews as genetically inferior — at the top line with Hitler and those infamous Olympics 90 years ago but also much more casually, in easy jokes and schoolyard assumptions, in the implication that genetic makeup makes Jews less athletic. (Funny how some of the same people trading in these stereotypes also paint Jewish soldiers as fierce goons; who says hate has to be consistent?) And so the sight of Jewish-Americans Aerin Frankel, the goalie on the unstoppable U.S women's hockey team, pitching three shutouts and counting, or dominant speed skater Emery Lehman, who just won silver in the men's team pursuit on Tuesday, resoundingly shuts down the argument. The U.S. men's hockey team is anchored by the wizardry of star forward Jack Hughes and his brother Quinn Hughes back on the blue line. Both are Jewish, the sons of women's hockey pioneer Ellen Weinberg.Even the greatest slalom skier of all time, Mikaela Shiffrin who, OK, she's a little harder to claim, but would've been Jewish enough to pass the old Nazi test.And, of course, the Israeli bobsled team, aka “shul runnings.” The pun is great. The story is even better.Taking in all these great sights on so many screens has the effect of marginalizing a Spike Lee and his apparent belief that a Jewish athlete exists only as a vessel for his virtue-signal fashions; the director deserves no more emotional energy than a whatever eye-roll for his performative narcissism. Lee can't kill the mood of anyone excited about Jewish sports swagger. He can just remind us why it's needed.
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Jason Bateman and Amanda Anka may look like a couple goals today. But even their long-standing marriage has had its share of turbulence, including a period that forced Bateman to confront habits that were quietly straining their relationship.
In a new interview, Bateman is getting candid and opening up like never before! The star is revisiting a chapter of his life that forced him to slow down and look inward. He shared that getting sober was less about career ambition and more about easing the quiet strain his drinking had placed on his relationship with Amanda Anka.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter published Wednesday, the “Horrible Bosses” star reflected on how his years of partying brought, as Anka described, a constant “drip, drip, drip” of unpredictability into their home.
Anka, also 57, eventually asked him when the “spigot was going to completely turn off.”
Bateman admitted they had “a few negotiations” about his drinking. “[She] didn't demand that I completely absolve, but that was sort of the back-and-forth.
“I was like, ‘Well, I feel like my [sobriety] ETA is six months away, but if I could land this plane now, it would alleviate a lot of the tension, so let's just [expletive] do it,'” the “SmartLess” podcast co-host said.
Looking back, he said it was not a dramatic breaking point. It was a quiet realization that he was ready to make a change.
Bateman said he has stayed away from alcohol and cocaine, which he once described as “the ‘Scarface' stuff,” since getting sober. He shared that he still smokes marijuana.
Looking back, he feels fortunate he made the decision before things spiraled out of control.
“I've got friends who had bottoms that were pretty chilling, but I was lucky enough to recognize, ‘This is probably as far as I should go if I still want to accomplish the things that I want to get to,'” he told the outlet.
At the time, he was thinking beyond Hollywood success. He was thinking about the life he hoped to build.
“I was conscious the whole time of wanting to get a lot of these boxes checked before I became a father and a guy with a career that I not only wanted but had a feeling I might be able to get if I just got the right job,” he said.
Bateman married Anka in July 2001, the same year he stopped drinking. The couple later welcomed daughters Francesca, now 19, and Maple, now 14, milestones that unfolded in the years that followed his decision to change course.
In a December 2025 interview with Esquire, Bateman reflected on how quickly his life transformed. He said his sobriety, his Malibu wedding, and his breakout role on “Arrested Development” all unfolded within “12 to 24 months.”
During that same stretch, he also quit smoking.
Looking back, he described the years leading up to that shift as a “confusing and challenging … learning curve,” especially after spending much of his childhood steadily working in Hollywood.
Bateman has long acknowledged that alcohol often fueled other habits in his 20s.
In a 2009 interview with Details, via NBC Miami, he explained, “Booze was what would make me want to stay out all night and do some blow or smoke a joint or whatever, so shutting that off was key. … So that's the moment. Do you want to continue being great at being in your twenties, or do you want to step up and graduate into adulthood?”
As Bateman got closer to 30, he said he began to understand that some habits no longer aligned with the future he envisioned.
He has shared that there were “a handful things” he “couldn't be doing” if he wanted lasting success.
For him, quitting was not a spectacle. It was a conscious, measured choice.
Today, Bateman's career remains strong, and his marriage to Anka is thriving! In hindsight, he does not frame sobriety as a sacrifice, but as the turning point where he chose the life he truly wanted.
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While the judge dismissed parts of the case, he said a jury might find that "artists were coerced into going with Live Nation."
A federal judge on Wednesday (Feb. 18) refused to dismiss the Justice Department's sweeping monopoly lawsuit against Live Nation, sending the case to trial next month.
Live Nation had asked Judge Arun Subramanian to end the antitrust lawsuit, which aims to break up the company from its Ticketmaster subsidiary, arguing the feds had uncovered little hard evidence after more than a year of discovery.
But in his ruling, the judge said the government could proceed to trial on several key accusations, including that Live Nation abused its vast portfolio of amphitheaters to force artists to use its promotion services.
“A reasonable jury could certainly find that artists were coerced into going with Live Nation as their promoter to get into its amphitheaters,” Judge Subramanian wrote in allowing those claims, known as “tying,” to move ahead.
The judge also refused to dismiss the DOJ's accusation that Live Nation has forced venues into exclusively using Ticketmaster as their primary ticketing service, preventing rival services from growing into challengers.
“Taking all this together, a jury must decide whether the exclusive contracts are the product of coercion (as there's some evidence for) or venue preference (as there's some evidence for),” the judge wrote.
Though he allowed the case to move ahead, the judge threw out some other key monopoly claims focused on concert booking and the fan experience. He held that the DOJ failed to properly define a nationwide market for fans, dooming those claims, and that there's no evidence of Live Nation harming both arenas and amphitheaters with a booking-services monopoly.
Dan Wall, Live Nation's head of corporate and regulatory affairs, said in a statement Wednesday that the company is “grateful” the judge narrowed the case and that “with those claims gone, we see no possible basis for breaking up Live Nation and Ticketmaster.”
“We look forward to addressing the remaining claims at trial,” added Wall. “The deficiencies we identified in the government's monopoly power and conduct claims have not gone away, and we continue to believe that we will prevail in the end.”
The DOJ declined to comment on the ruling. A jury trial is currently scheduled to begin on March 2.
The DOJ and dozens of states filed the case in 2024, with an aim to break up Live Nation and Ticketmaster over accusations that they form an illegal monopoly over the live music industry. The feds alleged Live Nation runs an illegal “flywheel” — reaping revenue from ticket buyers, using that money to sign artists, then leveraging that repertoire to lock venues into exclusive ticketing contracts that yield ever more revenue.
In October, after more than 15 months of discovery, Live Nation moved for a so-called summary judgment ruling, arguing there was “barely a molehill” of evidence that it had done anything monopolistic. The DOJ disagreed, arguing it had uncovered numerous examples of the company abusing its market power.
In his ruling allowing the primary ticketing accusations to move ahead on Wednesday, Judge Subramanian pointed to “evidence of coercion” — including “specific instances in which Ticketmaster appears to have threatened venues by conditioning access to artists on the venues picking Ticketmaster as the ticketer.”
“Although Live Nation argues that these threats aren't specific to exclusivity, a jury could find that it was understood that going with Live Nation meant going with an exclusive deal,” the judge wrote.
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by Alex Billington February 19, 2026Source: YouTube
"You took something from us..." Shudder has unveiled their freaky official trailer for a new indie horror film called Bodycam, another new found footage horror. This one is being pitched as Cops meets Paranormal Activity, with a dash of Event Horizon thrown in (when the s&!t hits the fan). Two police officers investigate a domestic dispute but there's an accidental shooting. Not wanting to be crucified by the public, the officers attempt to cover it up, only to uncover that the cameras aren't the only things watching them. According to reviews, it's "equipped with plenty of scares, yet also deeper overtones of how people lose their humanity in the participation of systemic evil (policing in this case). Also very impressive what they did with the effects given the budget." Though other critics say that it "would've worked so much better as a V/H/S segment." Bodycam film stars Jaime Callica, Sean Rogerson, Catherine Lough Haggquist, Angel Prater, and Keegan Connor Tracy. Have a look if you want some horror blending "visceral dread with cosmic terror."
Here's the official trailer (+ poster) for Brandon Christensen's horror film Bodycam, direct from YouTube:
When two police officers show up to investigate a domestic dispute, a startling escalation leads to a tragic accident. Not wanting to be crucified by the public, the officers attempt to cover it up – only to reveal that their body cameras aren't the only things watching them. Bodycam, also known as 911: Llamada Infernal in Spanish or POV: Presença Oculta in Portuguese, is directed by Canadian genre filmmaker / VFX artist Brandon Christensen, director of the horror movies Still/Born, Z, Superhost, The Puppetman, and Night of the Reaper previously, plus many other shorts. The screenplay is written by Brandon Christensen & Ryan Christensen. Produced by Chris Ball, Brandon Christensen, Kurtis David Harder. This originally premiered at the 2025 Popcorn Frights Festival in the US last year. Shudder releases Brandon Christensen's Bodycam horror film streaming on Shudder starting March 13th, 2026 coming soon. So who wants to watch this?
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Congressman Eric Burlison has claimed he heard reports of a crashed alien craft “so large it cannot be moved.”
On a Newsmax TV interview with Rob Finnerty, Burlison proclaimed: “I'm not going to mention the country because I heard of it inside of a closed setting, and I want to protect my classification level.”
Burlison says he hasn't personally verified the craft, as it comes down to politicians' jurisdictions being closed off when investigating classified materials: “I'm having a difficult time getting access to facilities that are just within a few miles from my office in Washington, DC,” he added.
The congressman refrained from explicitly mentioning which country he was referring to by alluding to confidentiality agreements.
“To try to attempt to go to another country and get permission at that level is going to be somewhat insurmountable.”
As the case for governmental transparency gains traction, Burlison remains committed:
If I come under any hard evidence… I will not hold back on telling the American people that we are alone or not alone in this universe.
Burlison's comments follow up on a recent observation about UAP videos from a Pentagon briefing, addressing the frustration of slow communication at the top regarding UFO disclosure.
Meanwhile, in the same interview, Dr. Steven Greer claims multiple alien craft have been “brought down,” some “bigger than a football field.”
Greer, a retired trauma physician turned prominent UFOlogist, named a specific location: “One [craft] in the mountains outside Seoul. It was so huge they had to build a structure around it.” Greer stipulated he was able to mention this as he is not bound by the same confidential terms as Burlison.
Greer also mentioned another craft near Fort Sill, Oklahoma, allegedly concealed by a structure, though it wasn't as elaborate as the Korean site, suggesting a highly cordoned-off area stateside.
Tellingly, he also mentioned that he had been in contact with a top-secret Pentagon-connected informant, without naming them officially, as dialogue seems tentative yet ongoing.
These claims come amid renewed interest in UFOs, following recent remarks by Barack Obama on The Brian Tyler Cohen Show: “They're real, but I haven't seen them.”
He added, “They're not being kept at Area 51. There's no underground facility unless there's this enormous conspiracy and they hid it from the president of the United States.”
Obama later clarified that he had been participating in a quick-fire round of questioning, with the interview not necessarily centered around UAP disclosure – unlike some of his more leftfield contemporaries.
This exposure, along with the Burlison and Green interview, concurs with the circulation (though heavily redacted for the public) of the Pentagon UAP reports, which include over 750 sightings from May 2023 to June 2024.
Twenty of those sightings were considered worthy of investigation, indicating that the case for whistleblowers is gaining traction as more evidence comes under the spotlight.
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Donald Trump is reportedly ready to speak about aliens and extraterrestrial spacecraft present on Earth. His daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, claimed on a podcast that the president refused to come clean when she asked about aliens, but she has heard about a speech.
Lara Trump, Donald Trump's daughter-in-law, has claimed that the president has a speech prepared for the day he addresses the discovery of alien life. The 43-year-old was speaking on the New York Post's Pod Force One podcast, where she stated that her father-in-law was being "really coy" when she and Eric (her husband) asked him if he knew something about extraterrestrials. On the podcast, Lara was asked about former President Barack Obama's admission about aliens in a recent interview. Talking to podcaster Brian Tyler Cohen, Obama seemingly confirmed the existence of extraterrestrials. But he changed his stance the next day, stressing that he saw “no evidence" of aliens as president. Host Miranda Devine asked Lara if Trump is preparing to make an announcement on aliens. "Do you think that he's about to make an announcement about UFOs, because President Obama was just on a podcast talking about how he believes in UFOs and hinting that he saw something when he was president?” the host asked.
“What's kind of funny is we've kind of asked my father-in-law about this cause we're like, ‘Well, what do you know?'” Lara said. She said that Trump “played a little coy” when she and Eric inquired about the possibility of extraterrestrial life. “Eric and I were like, ‘Oh my gosh, he won't even fully tell us, maybe there's more to it,'” she said. Lara then went on to admit that she had heard that her father-in-law even has a speech prepared. “I have just heard kind of around that he's actually said, my father-in-law has actually said it, that there is some speech that he has, that I guess at the right time...I don't know what the right time is...that he is going to break out and talk about, and it has to do with maybe some sort of extraterrestrial life, so to speak,” Lara added.
Also Read: ‘Since it's gotten attention...': Obama clarifies on ‘aliens are real' claim after video goes viral
There have been reports that Trump is gearing up to make an announcement on extraterrestrial life and objects that have been gathered over the years. A few days ago, he reportedly permitted the release of all information on secret UFO facilities in the United States, such as Area 51. US Congressman Eric Burlison of Missouri had sought permission from the president to visit these secure locations tied to UFOs and secret government projects. Over the years, many whistleblowers have confessed that the US is hiding bodies of aliens who visited Earth, and the wreckage of their spacecraft. However, all governments have rubbished these claims.
Anamica Singh holds expertise in news, trending and science articles. She has been working at WION as a Senior News Editor since 2022. Over this period, Anamica has written world n...Read More
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Sam Raimi's latest directorial venture, the survival horror movie Send Help, is on the verge of completing three weeks in theaters. After posting impressive numbers during the Feb 13-15 weekend, the film collected $1.3 million on its third Monday, a 46.8% drop from Sunday but a strong 37.8% jump from last Monday.
With an additional $0.9 million earned on Tuesday, the film's domestic total has climbed to $49.9 million, making it the highest-grossing release of 2026 so far in North America, according to Box Office Mojo's annual chart. At its current pace, Send Help is tracking to finish its domestic run in the $60-70 million range.
At the worldwide box office, Send Help has surpassed 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple ($57.6 million) and was recently overtaken by Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi's steamy romance Wuthering Heights ($92 million). Currently the second-highest-grossing title of 2026 worldwide so far, the Rachel McAdams and Dylan O'Brien starrer is now closing in on the global haul of Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension (2015), the sixth installment in the popular found-footage horror franchise. Here's a look at how much more Send Help needs to earn to outgross it globally.
Let's take a closer look at how the two films stack up at the domestic and global box office, based on Box Office Mojo data:
Send Help – Box Office Summary
Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension – Box Office Summary
Based on the above figures, Send Help is just $4.1 million away from surpassing Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension worldwide, a gap it could close within a few days if its current momentum holds. Interestingly, Sam Raimi's survival horror has performed significantly stronger in North America, earning nearly three times the domestic total of the 2015 found-footage sequel. However, The Ghost Dimension holds a clear advantage overseas. If Send Help maintains steady international legs with a solid domestic run, it is well-placed to overtake the franchise entry globally in the coming days.
Here's how Send Help stacks up against every entry in the Paranormal Activity series at the global box office, based on Box Office Mojo figures (Box Office Mojo):
With a current worldwide total of $74.8 million, Send Help is poised to outgross The Ghost Dimension, the lowest-grossing film in the Paranormal Activity franchise. However, it still trails the next entry, The Marked Ones, by roughly $16.1 million and remains far behind the franchise's top performers, all of which crossed over $140 million globally.
If the Sam Raimi directorial holds a steady momentum in the next few weeks, it appears well-positioned to surpass at least The Marked Ones at the global box office. The final outcome should become clearer in the coming weeks.
The film features a high-concept survival story centered on Linda (Rachel McAdams), an underappreciated employee, and Bradley (Dylan O'Brien), her difficult boss. Their lives take a dramatic turn when they become the only survivors of a plane crash and find themselves stranded on a desolate island. Now, the two must set aside their differences and work together to survive in these harsh conditions.
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Must Read: Wuthering Heights Box Office: Reclaims No.1 Spot In North America & Eyes Two Major Milestones
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In this exclusive extract from a new biography of the star, unpublished documents reveal the truth behind the Kennedy conspiracy theories
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It's August 4 1962, Marilyn Monroe's last day alive. She hasn't slept well, partly because of an argument she had with Pat Newcomb, her publicist turned close friend, the night before. Marilyn invited Pat to stay over at Fifth Helena Drive, her home in Los Angeles, because she is suffering from bronchitis and the actress thought a little rest and sunbathing would benefit her.
That morning, Marilyn takes some more sleeping pills that leave her feeling groggy. At 9am, she eats a grapefruit – or, according to another account, drinks a glass of grapefruit juice – and chats to Eunice Murray, her “devoted assistant” and housekeeper, who is due to spend the day at the house.
The actress does a little light gardening and takes delivery of a bedside table and some fruit trees that Murray will plant in the garden. At around 10am, photographer Lawrence Schiller drops by to show Marilyn some nude shots he took of her on the set of Something's Got to Give, which he hopes to sell to Playboy.
At around noon, Marilyn's former father-in-law, Isidore Miller – to whom she is still close despite the divorce from [her third husband, playwright] Arthur – phones the house, but Murray tells him Marilyn is dressing and will call him back. Marilyn spends some of the morning in her bedroom, talking on the telephone. She receives many calls congratulating her on the interview with Richard Meryman for Life magazine, which has just hit the newsstands.
Just after noon, Pat emerges from the guest room, having had more than 12 hours of sleep – a luxury beyond Marilyn's wildest imaginings and something that seems to enrage her. Pat enjoys an omelette cooked by Murray and made with herbs from the garden, but Marilyn eats nothing. The two women continue to bicker.
At some point during the early afternoon, Marilyn asks Murray whether there is any oxygen in the house, a question that strikes the housekeeper as so strange that she rings Dr [Ralph] Greenson, Marilyn's psychiatrist, to ask for his advice; he tells her he will call by at some point later.
At 4.30pm, Marilyn, sounding depressed, telephones Dr Greenson herself and he makes the short trip over to the house. “She was unhappy and complained about [Pat Newcomb] again, about not sleeping well, but after I had spent about two and a half hours with her, she seemed to quiet down,” he wrote in a letter to Marilyn's friend, the poet Norman Rosten. Greenson suggests that it would be better if Newcomb leave the house, which she does.
Between 5pm and 6pm, masseur and close friend Ralph Roberts telephones the house. Greenson picks up the phone and when Roberts asks to speak to Marilyn, he informs him she isn't at home and hangs up. After the session with Greenson is over, Marilyn tells him that she'd like to go for a walk on Santa Monica pier – she says it is a place that brings back the few happy memories from her childhood – but the psychiatrist warns her that she is too groggy.
Before he leaves, at around 7.15pm, he is so worried about Marilyn that he asks Murray to spend the night at Fifth Helena Drive, something she didn't often do. Greenson makes Marilyn promise to call him the next morning.
About half an hour later, he receives a call from her sounding much brighter – she tells him that the 20-year-old son of another ex-husband, Joe DiMaggio – has just rung to inform her that he isn't going to marry “some awful girl” and she felt “relieved about that”.
During the same conversation with Greenson, Marilyn asks the psychiatrist if he has taken away her bottle of the barbiturate sleeping pill Nembutal. “I was surprised that she asked me that,” he wrote in a letter to Marilyn's other therapist, Dr Marianne Kris. “I did not know she was taking Nembutal. She had stopped taking barbiturates for three weeks.”
Greenson denies removing the sleeping pills, at which point Marilyn changes the subject. “I thought perhaps she was just confused,” he said. “Anyway she sounded pleasant on the phone, although somewhat depressed, but by no means acutely so.”
The late afternoon into the early evening continues with a complicated game of telephone tag. At some point between 7pm and 8pm, the actor Peter Lawford calls Marilyn. Earlier on in the day he had invited her to a small dinner party at his Malibu beach house and he wants to check whether she's still coming. During the conversation her voice seems to “fade out” and when he tries to call back her line is busy.
Lawford is so concerned by what she says – “Say goodbye to Pat, say goodbye to Jack [JFK], and say goodbye to yourself because you're a nice guy” – that he contacts his manager, Milton Ebbins, who advises him not to go to Fifth Helena Drive – after all, not only has Lawford been drinking but he is the brother-in-law of the president. Ebbins, in turn, at 8.30pm, leaves a message for Marilyn's attorney, Milton Rudin (also Dr Greenson's brother-in-law), to call him. Fifteen minutes later the two men talk over the phone and Ebbins relates what he's heard from Lawford.
At 9pm, Rudin rings the house at Fifth Helena Drive and Eunice Murray picks up the phone. He asks about Marilyn and Murray reassures him that she is in her bedroom and that she is “all right”.
At some point that evening, Murray hears the telephone ring again in Marilyn's room. “I don't remember what time the call came in, and I don't know who it was from,” she told the Los Angeles Times a few days after the star's death. “But knowing Marilyn as I do, I think that if this call waked her up [sic] she might have taken some more sleeping pills.” Later, Murray would tell biographer Anthony Summers, “Marilyn had a phobia about sleeping, anything that would deter sleeping, especially after she had taken some sedation, and then she would have to take more – and that's dangerous, she told me that.” Marilyn was so neurotic about not being disturbed that Murray would not knock on the actress's door in case it woke her.
In the guest bedroom, Murray watches television and reads before she turns out her light and goes to sleep. At around midnight she wakes up and, after stepping out of her room, notices that the cord for one of the telephones is still under the star's bedroom door. (Marilyn had two lines; one of her night-time rituals – to ensure she was not disturbed – was to take the telephones out of her room.)
What happens next is unclear. According to the testimony of sergeant Jack Clemmons, the first police officer on the scene, Murray told him that Marilyn's body was discovered at around midnight. This is important, because official reports give the time of discovery as around 3.30am.
According to the official version of events, Murray woke up again at around 3.30am and saw that the phone cord was still under Marilyn's door. At this point, she didn't check whether the door was locked because she was still worried about incurring Marilyn's wrath in case she woke her up. Instead, she went outside, looked through the window and saw something that shocked her. “I saw Marilyn lying on the bed – face down, nude,” she said. “It was not a warm night, the light was on, and so everything was wrong. I was really in panic.”
She rushed inside and, using the second telephone, rang Dr Greenson, who told her to call Marilyn's physician, Dr Engelberg. When Greenson arrived shortly after, and found the bedroom door locked, he took a poker from the fireplace, went around to the side of the house, broke one of the panes of glass in a window not covered by rejas (Spanish/Mexican-style security grilles), opened the window to Marilyn's room and climbed in. She was lying face down on the bed, with her shoulders exposed; it was obvious to him that she was dead – “and as I got closer I could see the phone clutched fiercely in her right hand”, he wrote in a letter to Norman Rosten.
When Dr Engelberg arrived, he took out his stethoscope, checked Marilyn's pupils and confirmed that she was dead. The two doctors noticed that rigor mortis had set in. They also saw that Marilyn's bedside table was cluttered with bottles of pills. A later official report estimated that during the course of the evening, she had taken approximately 20 capsules of the sedative chloral hydrate and 25 x 100mg of Nembutal.
When asked about this key moment in the chronology in an interview done in the early 1980s, Murray said: “When you're in panic – when I'm in panic – I know now time has no… you're just not concerned about time. I was thinking just wildly about this horrible, how awful, what on earth is everybody going to do next.”
Murray's account is plausible; sometimes people in traumatic situations do lose all sense of time. But her opaqueness – and her surprising failure to note the time on the night of Marilyn's death – left police investigators suspicious. There have been other reports that suggest Marilyn died as early as 10.30pm on the Saturday night, and Dr Greenson did not report the death to the police until 4.25am on the Sunday morning.
Into the black hole of these few empty hours conspiracy theorists have injected a thousand wild conjectures. According to one of the most widely believed conspiracy theories, the delay in reporting the death would give Marilyn's supposed murderers time to clear the house of any incriminating evidence. Central to the question of the alleged cover-up is Marilyn's involvement with the Kennedy family.
Six weeks after Marilyn's death, sergeant Jack Clemmons met with two men who – like him – had a vested interest in digging up dirt on the Kennedys. Clemmons was a director of the Right-wing Fire and Police Research Association of Los Angeles – “If you haven't time to learn more about and to fight communism today,” runs the tagline for one of the organisation's newsletters, “you'd better start getting ready to learn how to live under it tomorrow!” Jim Dougherty, Marilyn's first husband, was a colleague of Clemmons's at the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), where Jack was known for his extreme Right-wing views. “The old rascal, he hates the Kennedys,” said Dougherty. “He's so far Right, I can't tell you, if he stuck out his head he'd hit himself in the right eye… He would paint the Kennedys as black any way he could.”
Clemmons's co-conspirators in a battle to bring down the liberal Kennedy clan – whom they thought were too sympathetic to far-Left causes – were Maurice Ries, president of the anti-communist Motion Picture Alliance for the Preservation of American Ideals, and private detective turned Right-wing propagandist Frank Capell.
At that initial meeting in September 1962, the three men discussed the possibility of using Marilyn's death to besmirch the Kennedy brothers. Ries had heard a rumour that Marilyn had been having an affair with Robert Kennedy, then attorney general; according to hearsay, he had promised to marry her, but when he changed his mind she was so angry and bitter she threatened to expose him. In order to shut her up, so the story went, Kennedy had her murdered.
Clemmons and Capell joined forces to investigate Marilyn's death, determined to start a smear campaign. The result was the slim but poisonous pamphlet The Strange Death of Marilyn Monroe, written by Capell, and published by The Herald of Freedom, a “national anti-Communist educational bi-weekly”, in July 1964.
When Clemmons and Capell discovered from Marilyn's autopsy – carried out by Thomas Noguchi on the morning of August 5 – the seemingly significant detail that no residues from the pills were found in the star's stomach, the two men believed they had stumbled upon evidence of foul play. (In fact, they misunderstood and misinterpreted the physical evidence: not all of those who die by overdose have traces of the drugs left in their stomachs.)
And so the fantastical murder plot was hatched. Like in a terrible whodunnit, Clemmons and Capell gathered together their suspects in the fetid drawing room of their dark imagination. “Many ‘suicides' and ‘heart attacks' and ‘accidental deaths' are in reality murders ordered by the Communist Party,” wrote Capell. “Marilyn was deeply involved with Left-wingers and identified Communists and her death has many suspicious aspects to it which we shall attempt to bring out by presenting documented evidence.” Capell calls out many in Marilyn's life as known or suspected communists – Arthur Miller, Dr Engelberg, Norman and Hedda Rosten [writers and friends of Monroe], Lee and Paula Strasberg [her acting teachers] – but he leaves the reader in little doubt as to who was to blame for Marilyn's death: Robert Kennedy.
“If Marilyn's death were really murder dressed up to look like an accident or suicide, who would have wanted her out of [the] way?” Capell asks. “The most likely [suspect] would be an ambitious man, already important but wanting to become more important and knowing that a serious scandal might ruin his chances for the biggest job of all. Would he take a gun and shoot her or personally involve himself in the dirty work? No, he would be devious as always and utilise the forces best qualified for the job – the Communist Conspiracy, which is expert in the scientific elimination of its enemies. Marilyn, already surrounded by doubtful people, was easy game.”
In an unpublished letter, written to lawyer and fellow Right-wing activist Helen Clay, dated September 3 1964, Capell admitted to using the Monroe case for his own political ends. He hoped that the resulting bad publicity “would bring home to the New York voters the truth about Bobby Kennedy”. He said that if Kennedy was elected senator, “I am afraid he will become the unofficial ‘Dictator' in Congress, since he has the support of every known Left-winger group, liberal group etc, etc…”
Robert Kennedy had made many powerful enemies, including J Edgar Hoover, the director of the FBI. Kennedy – whose 1960 book The Enemy Within documented his battle with corrupt labour unions – believed that Hoover used his connections to the mob to try to dig up dirt on the Kennedy family. Hoover was so thrilled by Capell's central allegation that he took the trouble to write Robert Kennedy a memo that read, “Mr Capell stated he will indicate in his book that you and Miss Monroe were intimate, and that you were in Miss Monroe's apartment at the time of her death.” However, in the same cache of FBI files, it maintains that “the allegation concerning the attorney general and Miss Monroe has been circulated in the past and has been branded as utterly false”.
Throughout the 1960s, Hoover was on the look-out for anything that he could use to besmirch Robert Kennedy, but no matter how hard he searched, he couldn't find anything. William Sullivan, assistant director of the FBI, went on the record to state the truth of the matter.
“The stories about Bobby Kennedy and Marilyn Monroe were just stories,” he said. “The original story was invented by a so-called journalist, a Right-wing zealot [Capell] who had a history of spinning wild yarns. It spread like wildfire, of course, and J Edgar Hoover was right there, gleefully fanning the flames.”
The rumour about Marilyn having an affair first with JFK and then RFK has been branded upon our collective consciousness. So what is the truth about Marilyn and the Kennedys? The first documented evidence of Marilyn and John F Kennedy being in the same room together is from April 12 1957, when they attended a charity event, the Paris Ball at the Waldorf-Astoria, in New York. Both were with their respective spouses – Marilyn with Arthur Miller, Senator Kennedy with his wife of three years, Jacqueline.
There are no photographs of Marilyn and Kennedy together from that evening, and it seems likely that they didn't even talk to one another that night. The next public event was JFK's birthday celebration, and Democratic gala fundraiser, at Madison Square Garden on May 19 1962, when Marilyn sang Happy Birthday in front of a crowd of 15,000 people. “I can now retire from politics after having had Happy Birthday sung to me in such a sweet, wholesome way,” joked the president.
Afterwards, Marilyn – together with her date for the evening, Isidore Miller, Arthur's father, and her publicist Pat Newcomb – attended a party at the Manhattan townhouse of [movie studio head] Arthur and Mathilde Krim. This is where the famous photograph of Marilyn, JFK and RFK was taken, the only one known of the three together. In the image, it looks as though the president and his brother might be ogling the star, gazing down at her breasts. Often, in reproduction, the photo is cropped to show only Marilyn and the two Kennedy men, but in reality they were surrounded by a number of other guests.
It's clear that if Marilyn and the president – who, despite his philandering nature, had a public image as a happy family man – were conducting an affair, they would want to keep it out of the public eye. In various biographies there have been dozens of witnesses – some more reliable than others – who have testified that Marilyn and JFK had been lovers. The statements of Marilyn's friends such as Henry Rosenfeld, her masseur Ralph Roberts and [actress] Susan Strasberg – all of whom confirmed such a relationship between the two – should be taken seriously.
Rosenfeld maintained that Marilyn's relationship with JFK started after he became president in 1961 – “She was so excited you'd think she was a teenager” – but that the sexual contact between them was confined to “a very, very few times”. According to Rosenfeld, the couple used to meet up at a place on 53rd Street in New York, and Marilyn travelled to Washington a couple of times, although she never made it into the White House itself. “She would say, ‘I'm going to be with You Know Who again – he's so important',” said Rosenfeld. “She was going to bed with the president of the United States. She was awed by big names.”
According to Roberts, Marilyn called JFK “the Gentleman Caller”. At the end of March 1962, she phoned Roberts to tell him that the president had invited her to spend the weekend of 24 to 25 March in Palm Springs, at Bing Crosby's estate. She told Roberts she was going to travel in disguise, as she often did. “I'm wearing the black wig, carrying an attaché case. I have an identification card with a picture of me wearing the wig. Guess what my name is? Tony Roberts.” She went on to say that the president was anxious that she might be identified by her trademark sexy walk. “He says I would be recognised in the deepest part of Africa from it,” she said.
From Palm Springs, Marilyn telephoned Roberts again and told him about a conversation she had with a friend – whom he took to be the president – about her walk and her knowledge of physiology. During the call, she passed the phone to the president – Roberts recognised JFK's voice – and the masseur and the leader of the free world (and a sufferer of back problems) had a brief chat about the psoas muscle. “He [Kennedy] said that the little massaging I did on his back worked wonders,” she told Roberts on another occasion. “I replied that I'd learnt from a master. He remarked, ‘Well, he might be the master, but you added a touch I bet he doesn't have.'”
Those who believe the theory that Robert Kennedy killed Marilyn Monroe – or had her murdered – often cite a taped conversation between Dr Greenson and magician turned celebrity photographer Billy Woodfield, one of the first media representatives to turn up at Fifth Helena Drive in the early hours of August 5 1962. Working with journalist Joe Hyams of the New York Herald Tribune, Woodfield started to “play detective”.
The week after Marilyn's death he claimed that he'd discovered from a pilot's log in Santa Monica that a helicopter had been ordered to pick up a passenger from Peter Lawford's beach house in the early hours of August 5 and take them to Los Angeles Airport. “It showed clearly that a helicopter had picked up Robert Kennedy at the Santa Monica Beach,” Woodfield said. Woodfield and Hyams realised that if this were true, they had a big scoop on their hands and requested a comment from Robert Kennedy's office, which reportedly asked them not to run the story. Hyams wrote it up anyway and offered it to his newspaper, which decided not to publish it.
Woodfield did not pursue the story until the German magazine Stern contacted him in 1964 to check out the allegations contained in Frank Capell's book. During his research, Woodfield tracked down Dr Greenson and recorded their subsequent telephone conversation. The tape – which was featured on the 1985 television documentary Say Goodbye to the President – became famous for the following quote from Greenson: “I can't explain myself or defend myself without revealing things I don't want to reveal. You can't draw a line and I'll say, ‘I'll tell you this but I won't tell you that.'… It's a terrible position to be in to have to say I can't talk about it because I can't tell the whole story… Listen – talk to Bobby Kennedy.”
The implication was clear. Greenson's taped testimony suggested that Robert Kennedy was the person to blame for Marilyn's death. However, an examination of the whole taped conversation, instead of this edited segment, casts the so-called revelation in an entirely different light.
After Greenson tells Woodfield about the moral and ethical difficulties involved in talking to a journalist, he adds, “the stories of the gossips are quite fantastic”, a quote missing from the final broadcast. Woodfield asks Greenson whether he will sit down with him for a proper interview. The news of the Capell book is going to break soon, he says, and Greenson replies that nobody will listen if it's just read by a few people in the John Birch Society, a reference to the Right-wing group. This is the subject they are talking about when Greenson makes his famous “Listen – talk to Bobby Kennedy” comment. They are not discussing who is responsible for Marilyn's death or anything to do with Marilyn. Rather, they are discussing the possible impact of Capell's pamphlet. Here is the transcript:
Billy Woodfield: It's [Capell's book] going to break all over New York City just before the election. [Bobby Kennedy was standing to be New York senator, a position he secured in November 1964.]
Dr Greenson: Well, when that happens – listen – talk to Bobby Kennedy.
In fact, Robert Kennedy was nowhere near Fifth Helena Drive on August 4 or 5 1962. A set of 15 photographs taken over the course of that weekend places the attorney general, his wife, Ethel, and their four children, together with their hosts, John and Nancy Bates, at a ranch in Gilroy, northern California – over 300 miles away from LA. The Kennedy family arrived at the country home of Bates – a prominent Californian lawyer and a friend of JFK's from his navy days – on Friday August 3 and stayed until August 5.
It's time finally to bury the conspiracy theories. As Pat Newcomb stated in an unpublished interview, “Everyone tried to make something out of the most glamorous people of that particular era. That was what they decided to invent… I do not think she was murdered. I am certain she was not murdered. I do not think she meant to kill herself. I think it was an accidental suicide – period.”
With each passing year, Marilyn's fame seems to grow. Her image continues to haunt our culture. The life story of “the Love Goddess of the Nuclear Age”, as she was dubbed by the writer Clare Boothe Luce in 1964, is told and retold. She is around us, reproduced, reinterpreted, reborn. She is featured in films, fashion spreads, advertising, novels, poetry, opera, video games and plays. And soon, she will be celebrated in a major exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery, to mark what would have been her 100th birthday.
It's no surprise that because Marilyn's life was cut short, we will always want to imagine the possibilities for the time she had left. She inspires, she arouses, she transfixes, she mesmerises, she brings us together, she divides us: aspects of her biography still fuel heated debates. Above all, she continues to make us feel.
Towards the end of his life, director John Huston was asked about Marilyn's continuing appeal. Why did interest in her endure? What did this mean, both for him and for the public? He paused and then replied, “Well, simply that she's still alive.”
Extracted from I Wanna Be Loved By You: Marilyn Monroe, A Life in 100 Takes by Andrew Wilson, published on Feb 26 (Simon & Schuster, £25)
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Former US President Barack Obama joined a popular podcast this week and seemingly admitted that aliens were “real". In an interview with podcaster Brian Tyler Cohen, Obama appeared to confirm the existence of extraterrestrials during a lightning round segment, where he gave rapid-fire answers to quick questions.
By the next day, Obama moved to clarify his statement, saying on social media that his response was made in “the spirit of the speed round." He added that the chances Earth has been visited by aliens are “low" and stressed that he saw “no evidence" of extraterrestrial life during his presidency.
Read more: Aliens, Area 51 Intrigue & The Stranger Things That Went Viral After Obama's Remark Explained
Here's a look at what former US Presidents have said on aliens and UFOs
Jimmy Carter: The President Who Filed A UFO Report
Jimmy Carter stands out as the only US President to formally report seeing what he believed was a UFO. In 1969, Carter said he witnessed a mysterious flying object in Georgia along with several others. He later filed a report with the International UFO Bureau in 1973 and even promised during his presidential campaign to make UFO information public. However, once in office, Carter changed his stance, saying releasing certain information could harm national security. He also took a symbolic step toward extraterrestrial contact by placing a message of peace aboard NASA's Voyager spacecraft, intended for any intelligent life that might encounter it.
Ronald Reagan: Aliens As A Warning And A Metaphor
Ronald Reagan also claimed to have seen an unidentified flying object while on a plane in the 1970s, according to accounts from his pilot. As US President, Reagan frequently used the idea of an alien invasion as a metaphor for global unity during the Cold War. In a famous 1987 speech at the United Nations, Reagan said humanity's divisions might disappear if Earth faced an extraterrestrial threat.
Bill Clinton: Searching For Secrets
Bill Clinton openly admitted that he had asked aides to investigate whether the government was hiding alien evidence, particularly at the secretive Area 51 military base. He also expressed curiosity about the 1947 Roswell incident, one of the most famous UFO cases in history. Clinton later joked that he hoped any alien encounter would not resemble the hostile invasion portrayed in Hollywood films.
Read more: After Sparking UFO Frenzy, Obama Clarifies Viral ‘Alien Are Real' Remark: ‘Saw No Evidence…'
Obama: Acknowledging The Unknown
Even before his latest viral remark, Obama had addressed the UFO issue. In a 2021 interview, he said there was footage of objects in the sky that could not be easily explained, though he emphasised there was no proof they were extraterrestrial.