Using high-resolution images, NIRCam, a near-infrared camera aboard the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope, has led astronomers to discover COSMOS-74706, one of the earliest known barred spiral galaxies. This discovery is pivotal in shaping our understanding of cosmic evolution.
COSMOS-74706: Unsharp mask overlaid on F200W, F277W, and F356W filter configurations. The white lines represent logarithmic spirals along the galaxy’s arm structure while the lines indicate the north-south bar structure. Image credit: Daniel Ivanov.
The barred spiral galaxy COSMOS-74706 existed approximately 11.5 billion years ago.
“This galaxy developed its bar just two billion years after the universe’s inception,” stated Daniel Ivanov, a graduate student at the University of Pittsburgh.
“Stellar bars are linear features found at the centers of galaxies, confirming their namesakes.”
COSMOS-74706’s bar comprises a dense collection of stars and gas, appearing as a bright line bisecting the galaxy when viewed perpendicularly to its plane.
Stellar bars significantly influence a galaxy’s evolution, funneling gas from the outskirts into the center, which feeds the supermassive black hole and can inhibit star formation within the galactic disk.
While previous reports identified barred spiral galaxies, their analyses were inconclusive due to the less reliable optical redshift methods compared to the spectroscopy used for COSMOS-74706 verification.
In some instances, a galaxy’s light was distorted by a massive object, leading to a phenomenon known as gravitational lensing.
“Essentially, COSMOS-74706 is the most redshifted spectroscopically confirmed lensless barred spiral galaxy,” Ivanov noted.
“We were not surprised to find barred spiral galaxies so early in the universe’s timeline.”
“In fact, some simulations suggest the bar formed at redshift 5, or roughly 12.5 billion years ago.”
“However, I believe we shouldn’t expect to find many of these galaxies just yet.”
This discovery helps refine the timeline for bar formation, making it a significant finding.
Logging extensive areas of boreal forests and submerging the trees in the Arctic Ocean could potentially eliminate up to 1 billion tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere each year.
Researchers suggest cutting down wildfire-prone coniferous trees and transporting them through six major Arctic rivers, including the Yukon and Mackenzie, where they can sink within a year.
“Currently, we have forests that sequester significant carbon, but the next challenge is finding ways to store it without burning,” says Wolf Bungen from Cambridge University.
To combat carbon emissions from hard-to-electrify industries, it’s essential to explore methods for atmospheric carbon reduction. While direct air capture technology is costly, tree planting can backfire if the trees end up dying or burning.
Several companies are working on wood burial techniques. For instance, a U.S. initiative, Running Tide, sunk 25,000 tonnes of wood chips off Iceland’s coast but faced shutdown due to environmental concerns.
Approximately 1 trillion tonnes of carbon are stored within the wood, soil, and peat of boreal forests across North Eurasia and North America, a figure expected to rise as climate change accelerates plant growth. However, with increasing wildfire frequency, this carbon could be released.
Bungen and his team previously discovered that wood can survive for up to 8,000 years in cold, oxygen-limited Alpine lakes without decomposing or emitting CO2. Six Arctic rivers transport substantial amounts of logs, with driftwood in deltas estimated to contain over 20 million tons of carbon. Carl Stadie from Germany’s Alfred Wegener Institute was not part of the study.
If every year, 30,000 square kilometers were cleared along each river, placing the wood on river ice in winter and then replanting, it could absorb up to 1 billion tons of CO2 annually, researchers estimate.
However, some US rivers continue to experience biodiversity loss a century after timber removal, warns Ellen Wall of Colorado State University.
“Dumping a massive amount of logs into a river resembles pushing brush into a river,” she notes.
Moreover, if wood becomes lodged on beaches or in tributaries, causing flooding, it could thaw permafrost and increase methane emissions from microorganisms.
“We could see a scenario where the wood aids ocean carbon sequestration, while onshore flooding and melting snow cause carbon release at high altitudes,” warns Merritt Turetsky from the University of Colorado Boulder.
Inadequate cold or oxygen-free conditions may lead to wood decomposition rather than sinking. Driftwood frozen in sea ice is often transported to the Faroe Islands.
“In a worst-case scenario, vast forest areas could be cleared, impacting the carbon they store,” says Stadie.
Roman Dial, a professor at Alaska Pacific University, warns that this proposal may be exploited by commercial logging and could face criticism from all sides of the political spectrum.
“How extensive is the list of potential unintended consequences that could unfold in the Arctic, given our limited understanding?” he questions.
Some regions of the Arctic ocean floor might not be suitable for conservation, according to Morgan Raven at the University of California, Santa Barbara. However, others could benefit from exploration, given the substantial influx of wood into the Arctic and other oceans. The Earth once experienced a greenhouse climate era 56 million years ago.
“We can investigate sediments and rocks to understand how this experiment was conducted in the past,” Raven concludes.
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Significant Economic Benefits of mRNA Cancer Vaccines Currently Under Development
Eugene/Getty Images
In August 2025, the United States announced a $500 million cut in funding for vaccine development, jeopardizing the potential advantages of mRNA cancer vaccine research. According to Alison Galvani from Yale University and colleagues, this reduction poses significant risks to future developments.
The team’s analysis indicates that the treatment advancements observed in current clinical trials could prevent nearly 50,000 deaths, translating to an economic value of $75 billion. “This estimate is based on just one annual cohort of patients for each cancer type,” stated the researchers.
Experts caution that diminishing federal investment in mRNA vaccine technology risks undermining these crucial benefits.
Recent research highlights that many of the most effective cancer treatments leverage the body’s immune response to combat tumors. mRNA vaccines can specifically activate the immune system to identify proteins unique to cancer cells, offering a tailored approach to cancer treatment.
To evaluate the potential impact of these vaccines, Galvani and her team analyzed 32 ongoing mRNA cancer vaccine clinical trials in the U.S. They identified the top 11 promising trials and estimated the additional years of life these treatments could provide if widely administered to eligible patients within a year.
Furthermore, the researchers calculated the annual value of an additional year of life, utilizing statistical measures regarding how much individuals would pay for such benefits. They applied values established by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to assess the implications of potential regulatory shifts.
Although the annual estimates may be optimistic—given that some vaccine candidates may not gain approval—Oliver Watson from Imperial College London employed a similar framework, estimating that COVID-19 vaccines have yielded global health and economic benefits ranging from $5 trillion to $38 trillion.
If researchers evaluated the cumulative value of multiple cohorts receiving cancer treatments and extended their analysis over a longer time frame, the potential benefits would be substantially greater. “These estimates are undoubtedly conservative,” Watson notes.
A rare triple-merger galaxy, known as J121/1219+1035, hosts three actively feeding radio-bright supermassive black holes, as revealed by a team of American astronomers.
Artist’s impression of J121/1219+1035, a rare trio of merging galaxies, featuring three radioactively bright supermassive black holes actively feeding, with jets illuminating the surrounding gas. Image credit: NSF/AUI/NRAO/P. Vosteen.
The J1218/1219+1035 system is located approximately 1.2 billion light-years from Earth.
This unique galaxy system contains three interacting galaxies, each harboring supermassive black holes at their centers that are actively accreting material and shining brightly in radio frequencies.
Dr. Emma Schwartzman, a research scientist at the US Naval Research Laboratory, states: “Triple active galaxies like J1218/1219+1035 are incredibly rare, and observing them during a merger allows us a front-row seat to the growth of supermassive galaxies and their black holes.”
“Our observations confirmed that all three black holes in J1218/1219+1035 are emitting bright radiation and actively firing jets. This supports the theory of active galactic nuclei (AGN) and provides insight into the life cycle of supermassive black holes.”
Schwartzman and colleagues utilized NSF’s Very Large Array (VLA) and Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) to study J1218/1219+1035.
The findings confirmed that each galaxy hosts a compact synchrotron-emitting radio core, indicating that all three harbor AGNs powered by growing black holes.
This discovery makes J1218/1219+1035 the first confirmed triple radio AGN and only the third known triple AGN system in nearby space.
“The three galaxies within J1218/1219+1035, located about 22,000 to 97,000 light-years apart, are in the process of merging, resulting in a dynamically connected group with tidal signatures indicative of their interactions,” the astronomers noted.
“Such triple systems are crucial in the context of hierarchical galactic evolution, wherein large galaxies like the Milky Way grow through successive collisions and mergers with smaller galaxies, yet they are seldom observed.”
“By capturing three actively feeding black holes within the same merging group, our new observations create an excellent laboratory for testing how galactic encounters funnel gas into centers and stimulate black hole growth.”
J1218/1219+1035 was initially flagged as an anomalous system through mid-infrared data from NASA’s Wide-Field Infrared Surveyor (WISE), which suggested the presence of at least two obscured AGNs within the interacting galaxies.
Optical spectroscopy confirmed one AGN in a core while revealing complex signatures in another, although the nature of the third galaxy remained uncertain due to the possibility of emissions from star formation.
“Only through new ultra-sharp radio imaging with VLA at frequencies of 3, 10, and 15 GHz did we uncover compact radio cores aligned with all three optical galaxies, confirming that each hosts an AGN bright in radio emissions and likely fueling small-scale jets and outflows,” the researchers explained.
“The radio spectra of the three cores exhibited traits consistent with non-thermal synchrotron radiation from the AGNs, featuring two sources with typical steep spectra and a third with an even steeper spectrum potentially indicative of unresolved jet activity.”
On Wednesday, artificial intelligence firm Anthropic unveiled plans for a substantial $50 billion investment in computing infrastructure, which will include new data centers in Texas and New York.
Anthropic’s CEO, Dario Amodei, stated in a press release, “We are getting closer to developing AI that can enhance scientific discovery and tackle complex challenges in unprecedented ways.”
In the U.S., the typical timeframe to construct a large data warehouse is around two years, requiring significant energy resources to operate. “This level of investment is essential to keep our research at the forefront and to cater to the escalating demand for Claude from numerous companies,” the firm—known for Claude, an AI chatbot embraced by many organizations implementing AI—mentioned in a statement. Anthropic anticipates that this initiative will generate approximately 800 permanent roles and 2,400 construction jobs.
The company is collaborating with London-based Fluidstack to develop new computing facilities to support its AI frameworks. However, specific details regarding the location and energy source for these facilities remain undisclosed.
Recent transactions highlight that the tech sector continues to invest heavily in energy-intensive AI infrastructure, despite ongoing financial concerns like market bubbles, environmental impacts, and political repercussions linked to soaring electricity prices in construction areas. Another entity, TeraWulf, a developer of cryptocurrency mining data centers, recently stated its partnership with Fluidstack on a Google-supported data center project in Texas and along the shores of Lake Ontario in New York.
In a similar vein, Microsoft announced on Wednesday its establishment of a new data center in Atlanta, Georgia, which will link to another facility in Wisconsin, forming a “massive supercomputer” powered by numerous Nvidia chips for its AI technologies.
According to a report from TD Cowen last month, leading cloud computing providers leased an impressive amount of U.S. data center capacity in the third fiscal quarter of this year, exceeding 7.4GW—more than the total energy utilized all of last year.
As spending escalates on computing infrastructure for AI startups that have yet to achieve profitability, concerns regarding a potential AI investment bubble are increasing.
Investors are closely monitoring a series of recent transactions between leading AI developers like OpenAI and Anthropic, as well as companies that manufacture the costly computer chips and data centers essential for their AI solutions. Anthropic reaffirmed its commitment to adopting “cost-effective and capital-efficient strategies” to expand its business.
OpenAI has secured a $38 billion (£29 billion) agreement to leverage Amazon’s infrastructure for its artificial intelligence offerings, part of a broader initiative exceeding $1 trillion in investments in computing resources.
This partnership with Amazon Web Services provides OpenAI with immediate access to AWS data centers and the Nvidia chips utilized within them.
Last week, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman stated that the company is committed to an investment of $1.4 trillion in AI infrastructure, highlighting concerns over the sustainability of the expanding data center ecosystem, which serves as the backbone of AI applications such as ChatGPT.
“To scale frontier AI, we need large-scale, dependable computing,” Altman remarked on Monday. “Our collaboration with AWS enhances the computing ecosystem that fuels this new era and makes sophisticated AI accessible to all.”
OpenAI indicated that this deal will provide access to hundreds of thousands of Nvidia graphics processors for training and deploying its AI models. Amazon plans to incorporate these chips into its data centers to enhance ChatGPT’s performance and develop OpenAI’s upcoming models.
AWS CEO Matt Garman reaffirmed that OpenAI is continuously pushing technological boundaries, with Amazon’s infrastructure forming the foundation of these ambitions.
OpenAI aims to develop 30 gigawatts of computing capacity, enough to supply power to approximately 25 million homes in the U.S.
Recently, OpenAI declared its transformation into a for-profit entity as part of a restructuring effort that values the startup at $500 billion. Microsoft, a long-time supporter, will hold roughly 27% of the new commercial organization.
The race for computing resources among AI firms has sparked worries among market analysts regarding financing methods. The Financial Times reported that OpenAI’s annual revenue is approximately $13 billion, a figure starkly contrasted by its $1.4 trillion infrastructure expenditures. Other data center deals OpenAI has entered include a massive $300 billion agreement with Oracle.
During a podcast with Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, Altman addressed concerns regarding spending, stating “enough is enough” when prompted by host Brad Gerstner about the disparity between OpenAI’s revenue and its infrastructure costs.
Altman claimed that OpenAI generates revenue “well above” the reported $13 billion but did not disclose specific figures. He added: “Enough is enough…I believe there are many who wish to invest in OpenAI shares.”
Analysts at Morgan Stanley have forecast that global data center investment will approach $3 trillion from now until 2028, with half of this spending expected to come from major U.S. tech firms, while the remainder will be sourced from private credit and other avenues. The private credit market is an expanding segment of the shadow banking industry, raising concerns for regulators such as the Bank of England.
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Amazon’s CEO Andy Jassy wore a broad smile while meeting Keir Starmer in the gardens of Downing Street to announce a £40bn investment in the UK this past June. Starmer shared his enthusiasm, stating, “equally passionate”. He remarked, “This transaction demonstrates that our transformation strategy to attract investment, stimulate growth, and enhance people’s financial well-being is succeeding.”
However, just four months later, the company faced a massive global outage on Monday that halted thousands of businesses and underscored its reliance on Amazon Web Services (AWS), the cloud computing platform utilized by the British government.
Data gathered for the Guardian indicates that the UK government is increasingly dependent on the services of U.S. tech giants. These companies have come under fire from trade unions and politicians for their working conditions in logistics and online retail.
Since 2016, AWS has secured 189 contracts with the UK government valued at £1.7bn and has billed approximately £1.4bn during this timeframe, according to data from public procurement intelligence firm Tassel.
The research group reported: “Currently, 35 public sector authorities utilize AWS services across 41 contracts totaling £1.1bn. The primary ministries involved include the Home Office, DWP, HMRC, the Ministry of Justice, Cabinet Office, and Defra.
Screenshot of the out-of-service HMRC website on Monday, October 20th. Photo: HMRC.gov.uk/PA
Tim Wright, a technology partner at law firm Floodgate, noted that the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) have consistently warned about the risks associated with concentrating cloud services for regulated enterprises.
“Recent efforts by the Treasury, the PRA, and the FCA to impose direct oversight on ‘significant third parties’ aim to mitigate the risk of outages like those faced by AWS,” he said. “However, until we see substantial diversification and the establishment of sovereign clouds, the UK government’s approach contradicts the resilience principles that regulators advocate for.”
The House of Commons Treasury Committee has reached out to Chancellor of the Exchequer Lucy Rigby to inquire why Amazon wasn’t classified as a “significant third party” within the UK financial services sector, a designation that would have subjected the tech giant to regulatory scrutiny.
Committee Chair Meg Hillier noted that Amazon recently informed the committee that its financial services clients rely on AWS for “resilience” and that AWS offers “layers of protection.”
This week’s outage impacted over 2,000 businesses around the globe, leading to 8.1 million reports of issues, with 1.9 million in the U.S., 1 million in the UK, and 418,000 in Australia, according to internet outage tracker Downdetector.
Only HMRC confirmed it was affected by the outage, stating customers were “experiencing difficulties accessing our online services” and recommended they call back later due to busy phone lines.
While many websites restored their services after a few hours, some continued to experience problems throughout the day. By Monday evening, Amazon announced that all cloud services had “returned to normal operations.”
Trade unions have long questioned whether Amazon should be excluded from government contracts because of its reputation for subpar working conditions in its large warehouses.
Andy Prendergast, national secretary of the GMB union, stated: “Amazon has a dismal record regarding fair treatment of workers. Shocking conditions in their warehouses have resulted in emergency ambulance calls, with employees claiming they are treated like robots, forced to work until exhaustion, all while being compensated with poverty wages until they strike for six months.”
“In this context, wasting nearly £2 billion of public funds is deplorable.”
AWS has not provided a comment. A spokesperson from Amazon’s fulfillment centers stated that the “vast majority” of ambulance calls at their facilities are not “work-related.”
Artistic Representation of Cha 1107-7626, a rogue planet located roughly 620 light years from Earth
ESO/L. Calçada/M. Kornmesser
The voracious rogue planet consumes a staggering 6 billion tons of gas and dust every second. This peculiar behavior challenges the distinction between planets and stars, indicating that both may form via similar mechanisms.
It appears that free-floating gas bodies, not gravitationally bound to a parent star, are quite common, potentially outnumbering stars in galaxies. However, astronomers remain uncertain about whether these bodies will develop like planets orbiting stars, wander alone through galaxies, or independently emerge like stars.
Víctor Almendros-Abad from Palermo Observatory in Italy, and his team have observed remarkable growth of the rogue planet now known as CHA 1107-7626.
The planet garnered astronomers’ attention back in 2008 due to what appeared to be a disc of primitive planets around it. Almendros-Abad and his colleagues began monitoring these celestial objects in April this year using a sizable telescope in Southern Europe, but by June, the planet’s mass consumption rate surged to nearly ten times what it had been previously.
Such a growth rate aligns with what has only been previously observed in stars, including our own Sun.
“This indicates that the formation processes of stars and these objects are likely very similar,” says Almendros-Abad. “Thus, when considering star formation, we must also account for these rogue planets.”
To elucidate this unprecedented growth rate, Almendros-Abad and his team speculate that a mechanism akin to that observed in stars is likely at work; however, the reason and timing of the planet’s sudden surge in mass consumption remain unclear.
The similarities in their growth mechanisms imply that the line between stars and planets may be even hazier than previously believed, suggests Almendros-Abad. “Every time I observe these rogue planets, I see that the boundary between a star and a planet is not as defined as we thought. There must be chemical signatures, yet we have yet to discover the ‘Rosetta Stone’ that differentiates the formation processes.”
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Elon Musk was the first individual to achieve a net worth of $500 billion, placing Tesla’s CEO halfway in the wealth rankings.
Musk’s fortune dipped to $49.9 billion after briefly exceeding the $50 trillion mark on Wednesday. Forbes Billionaire List.
Owning 12% of Tesla, which is valued at over $1.5 trillion, Musk’s wealth has been positively impacted this year by a significant increase in the electric vehicle maker’s stock price.
Besides Tesla, the 54-year-old is also involved with SpaceX, the rocket company, where he holds a 42% ownership according to Pitchbook data.
Earlier this year, Tesla’s stock experienced a decline, affected by concerns regarding Musk’s focus amidst rising competition from Chinese manufacturers, falling sales, distractions from his other ventures, and a tumultuous relationship with Donald Trump. Analysts noted that Musk’s vocal support for Trump on X (the social media platform he owns) resonated with right-wing political sentiments.
However, Tesla’s stock has surged by 70% over the past six months as investor confidence improved and Musk redirected his attention back to the company. Since its inception in 2025, it has soared by 13%.
Last month, Tesla’s board president, Robin Denholm, remarked that Musk had returned to a “front and center” role in the company after months of distractions.
Shortly thereafter, Musk revealed he had acquired approximately $1 billion in shares, showcasing a strong belief in Tesla’s future as it transitions from a traditional automaker to a leader in AI and robotics.
The Tesla Board also proposed a $10 billion compensation plan for Musk last month, addressing his request for a larger stake while setting high financial and operational goals for the CEO.
Despite this, Musk’s standing in the wealth rankings has been fluctuating. In September, Larry Ellison, co-founder of Oracle, briefly surpassed Musk as the world’s richest person, according to Bloomberg’s Billionaire Index.
Currently, Bloomberg lists Musk ahead of Ellison but estimates Musk’s wealth at $470 billion compared to Ellison’s $349 billion.
Amazon has consented to a $2.5 billion penalty and support for its Prime members to settle the case with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
According to the FTC, approximately $1.5 billion will be allocated to a fund for reimbursing qualifying subscribers, in addition to the billion-dollar civil fine.
The FTC, which oversees consumer protection in the United States, filed a lawsuit against Amazon in 2023 during the Biden administration, accusing the company of enrolling millions of customers in a subscription service without their consent and trapping them in a complicated cancellation process.
The case was heard in a federal court in Seattle earlier this week and is expected to continue for a month.
Andrew N. Ferguson, the Trump-appointed chair of the FTC, celebrated this as “a historic victory for countless Americans who are frustrated with deceptive subscription practices that are nearly impossible to cancel.”
“Evidence indicated that Amazon employed complex subscription tactics aimed at manipulating consumers into signing up for Prime, making it exceedingly difficult for them to cancel their subscriptions,” Ferguson stated. “Today, we are returning billions of dollars to Americans and ensuring that Amazon does not repeat these actions.”
As part of the settlement, Amazon is required to provide a “clear and prominent” option for customers to decline Prime subscriptions while shopping on the site, according to the FTC. The company has previously claimed that it has made improvements to its registration and cancellation processes, describing the FTC’s allegations as outdated.
“We are dedicated to ensuring our customers find it clear and straightforward to sign up or cancel significant memberships while providing valuable services to millions of loyal members globally,” stated the company.
Following the announcement, Amazon’s stock remained relatively stable in New York.
The company faces an additional case initiated by the FTC regarding its alleged maintenance of an illegal monopoly. This case is set to go to trial in 2027 and is presided over by the same judge as the Prime case.
This lawsuit is part of a broader legal action against a major U.S. tech corporation accused of abusing its market position to the detriment of smaller competitors. In subsequent legal maneuvers, Google was designated an illegal monopoly but avoided the government’s most severe penalty.
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Nvidia, a top player in the semiconductor industry, has revealed plans to invest $5 billion in Intel while collaborating with struggling chip manufacturers on various products.
Following confirmation that the Trump administration has secured a 10% stake in Intel, Nvidia announced that it will collaborate with the company on custom data centers essential for artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure and personal computer products.
Intel’s stock surged nearly 23% after market hours, marking the company’s largest single-day percentage gain since 1987. Nvidia’s stock also climbed by over 3%, enhancing its market valuation to $400 billion.
Nvidia plans to invest $5 billion in Intel common stock at a price of $23.28 per share, pending regulatory approval.
“This groundbreaking partnership combines two leading platforms, accelerating the computing stack with Nvidia’s AI capabilities and Intel’s CPUs within the extensive X86 ecosystem,” stated Jensen Huang, CEO of Nvidia. “Together, we will expand our ecosystem and lay the groundwork for the next era of computing.”
The companies announced their intention to “seamlessly integrate the architecture.”
For data centers, Intel develops custom chips that Nvidia utilizes in its AI infrastructure. For PC products, Intel manufactures chips that incorporate Nvidia technology.
This deal presents a crucial opportunity for Intel, a pioneering force in Silicon Valley that experienced decades of growth fueled by the personal computer surge but has struggled after failing to adapt to the mobile computing trend initiated by the iPhone’s 2007 launch.
In recent years, Intel fell further behind during the AI boom that propelled Nvidia to become the world’s most valuable company. Last year, Intel reported a loss of nearly $1.9 billion, followed by another $3.7 billion in the first half of this year, along with plans to reduce its workforce by a quarter by the end of 2025.
Conversely, Nvidia is experiencing significant growth, driven by its specialized chips that support the artificial intelligence trend. Graphics processing units (GPUs) have proven particularly efficient in developing advanced AI systems.
Nvidia is the second firm to invest billions in chip manufacturers this year. In August, Japan’s leading high-tech investment firm, SoftBank, announced a $2 billion investment in Intel for a 2% stake in the company. SoftBank’s involvement follows initial reports regarding the US government’s plans to invest in Intel.
Donald Trump has been striving to bolster the US semiconductor sector, previously threatening to implement 100% tariffs on imported chips. He also brokered an export agreement with Nvidia and competitor AMD, which permitted the sale of certain low-power AI chips to China.
Experts believe Nvidia’s recent investment in Intel could strengthen the position of major chip manufacturers and potentially provide the impetus needed for Intel to compete effectively in the AI arena.
“According to Wedbush’s tech analyst Dan Ives: [Nvidia’s] world is waiting for more sovereignty, with businesses lining up for the world’s most advanced chips, while everyone else pays a premium.”
The immense black hole at the center of Radio Quasar RACS J032021.44-352104.1 (shortened to RACS J0320-35) is currently expanding at one of the fastest rates ever recorded.
Artist illustrations and x-ray images from Chandra for Racs J0320-35. Image credits: NASA/CXC/INAF-BRERA/IGHINA et al. / SAO / M. WEISS / N. WOLK.
The black hole residing in RACS J0320-35 has a mass approximately 1 billion times greater than that of the sun.
This system is situated about 12.8 billion light-years away from Earth, meaning astronomers are observing it as it existed just 920 million years after the universe’s inception.
It emits more X-rays than any other black hole identified in the universe’s first billion years.
Black holes are the driving force behind what scientists refer to as quasars.
This luminous giant’s energy is fueled by the significant amount of material that falls into the black hole.
The same research team discovered this black hole two years prior, but further observations from Chandra were required in 2023 to gain more insights.
Data from X-ray observations suggests that this black hole is expanding at a rate that exceeds the typical limits for such objects.
“It was somewhat surprising to observe such a dramatic growth in this black hole,” commented Dr. Luca Idina, an astronomer at the Harvard & Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics.
As material is drawn towards the black hole, it heats up and generates intense radiation across a wide spectrum, including X-rays and optical light. This radiation creates pressure on the infalling material.
Once the falling speed reaches a critical threshold, the radiation pressure counterbalances the black hole’s gravity, making it usually impossible for material to fall inward more rapidly. This upper limit is known as the Eddington limit.
Researchers believe that black holes growing slower than the Eddington limit must originate with solar masses exceeding 10,000, allowing them to achieve a mass of 1 billion solar masses in the early universe.
Such massive black holes may originate from unique processes, often linked to incredibly dense clouds of gas that contain heavier elements than helium.
Interestingly, RACS J0320-35 is expanding at a remarkable speed, estimated to be 2.4 times greater than the Eddington limit, indicating that its formation may have followed a more typical path, beginning with a mass of less than 100 solar masses resulting from massive star explosions.
“By determining a black hole’s mass and growth rate, we can infer its initial size,” said Dr. Alberto Moretti, an astronomer at INAF-Osservatorio Astronomico di Brera.
“This calculation permits us to evaluate various theories regarding the formation of black holes.”
To investigate how rapidly this black hole is growing (at rates between 300 and 3,000 solar masses per year), researchers compared the theoretical model with Chandra’s X-ray spectra, assessing the X-rays emitted at various energy levels.
The findings indicated that Chandra’s spectrum closely matched their expectations based on a model for black holes developing beyond the Eddington limit.
Supporting data from optical and infrared observations further corroborates the conclusion that this black hole is accumulating mass faster than the Eddington limit permits.
“How did the universe generate the first generation of black holes?” mused Dr. Thomas Connor, an astronomer at the Harvard & Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics.
“This is one of the most pressing questions in astrophysics, and this singular object propels our quest for answers.”
Moreover, this research also sheds light on the origins of the jets of particles emitted by some black holes that approach the speed of light, as observed in RACS J0320-35.
“Jets like these are uncommon in quasars, suggesting that the accelerated growth of black holes may play a role in the formation of these jets,” the author remarked.
Their paper is set to be published in the Astrophysical Journal.
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Luca Idina et al. 2025. X-ray investigation of the possibility of Super Eddington accretion in a wireless loudsal of Z = 6.13. apjl 990, L56; doi: 10.3847/2041-8213/aded0a
Senate Democrats are working to reinstate a database that monitored billions of dollars in climate and weather-related disasters for decades, which was discontinued by the Trump administration this past May.
Since 1980, NOAA has kept a disaster database for events causing damages over $1 billion in the U.S., but the agency halted its initiatives this spring due to budget cuts in climate science research under the Trump administration.
The database and its annual reports shed light on how climate change is influencing extreme weather patterns, including increased travel to flood-prone areas and rising wildfire incidents. Lawmakers have utilized the report in assessing disaster funding while raising awareness about natural disaster costs.
In a statement to NBC News in May, a spokesperson from NOAA indicated that the closure of the database was “consistent with evolving priorities and staffing changes.”
Currently, Senate Democrats, led by Peter Welch, D-Vt., have introduced a bill that mandates NOAA to revive the database and update it at least biannually. Congress holds the power to dictate NOAA’s budget and outline its administrative functions.
Welch stated, “Our legislation is crucial to reversing the reckless actions of the Trump administration, restoring this database, and mitigating the expenses associated with emergency preparedness and natural disasters. This database is essential for understanding the financial implications of constructing homes, businesses, and communities nationwide after significant weather events.”
Neither the White House nor NOAA has provided a response to requests for comments.
More than a dozen senators have co-sponsored the bill, including Sen. Angela of Brooks and Chris Van Hollen, who represents Maryland, where NOAA is based.
This legislation may face uphill battles in becoming law as Republicans, who hold the Senate, are not supporting the bill.
The introduction of this new bill reflects mounting concerns and protests regarding funding at NOAA and other climate-focused organizations. Notably, NOAA’s database has seen leading scientists resign, with some leaving the agency in May due to the planned closure of the database. One of them, Smith, has since joined Climate Central, a nonprofit research organization dedicated to climate change, to continue the work he once conducted at NOAA.
Tom Di Liberto, a spokesperson for Climate Central, indicated that the organization has refrained from commenting on current policies or proposed legislation.
“We look forward to enhancing our in-house $1 billion disaster dataset,” Di Liberto noted in an email.
From 1980 to 2024, NOAA’s database has recorded a staggering total of $40 billion in disaster-related expenses. In the previous year alone, NOAA reported $27 billion in disasters, amounting to around $182.7 billion in costs. This year ranks as the second-lowest for reported multi-billion dollar disasters since 2023.
The analysis provided “direct costs” of disasters, encompassing damage to buildings, infrastructure, and crops. However, it did not factor in other important considerations, such as loss of life, health-related costs from disasters, or economic impacts on “natural capital,” including forests and wetlands, as detailed in a 2025 report from the Congressional Research Service.
NOAA adjusts its data annually to account for inflation.
Previous Reports highlight that developments in hazardous areas vulnerable to floods, wildfires, and other natural disasters have intensified over time, leading to an increase in both the number and cost of weather and climate disasters, ultimately raising the number of at-risk assets.
Moreover, climate scientists assert that extreme weather events are occurring more frequently. Climate change is raising temperatures, heightening the risks of heat waves, intense precipitation, and rapidly intensifying hurricanes.
NOAA has utilized a combination of private and public data to generate estimates, integrating information from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Fire Centers, as well as private insurance data.
Like NOAA, these institutions are also experiencing budget cuts.
Google has announced plans to invest £5 billion in the UK over the next two years to aid the government and address the increasing demand for artificial intelligence services.
With the opening of a new data centre in Waltham Cross, Hertfordshire, this investment is anticipated to create thousands of jobs.
Prime Minister Rachel Reeves is focusing on stimulating growth amid challenges facing the UK economy, stating that research and development, capital expenditures, and engineering investments are a show of “voting for trust” in the UK economy.
US President Donald Trump began his official state visit to the UK on Tuesday, coinciding with announcements of significant investments in UK data centres from ChatGpt parent OpenAI and chipmaker Nvidia.
On Tuesday, Google disclosed that it plans to allocate £5 billion towards capital expenditures, research and development, and associated engineering efforts over the coming two years, which includes “pioneering” AI research in science and healthcare via Google Deepmind.
The Silicon Valley firm stated that the investment will foster the UK’s AI economy, spearheading technological advancements, enhancing cybersecurity, and generating jobs.
Google anticipates that the investment will create 8,250 jobs annually for UK companies.
Reeves will formally inaugurate the company’s first UK data centre at Waltham Cross on Tuesday, responding to rising demand for Google’s cloud, workspace, search, and map services.
Google has also announced a partnership with Shell to manage the UK’s renewable energy resources.
According to The Guardian, the new Google DataCentre in Essex is projected to emit over 500,000 tonnes of CO2 each year.
Reeves will also facilitate a meeting with leaders of top US and UK financial companies on Tuesday, jointly hosted with US Treasury Secretary Scott Bescent and attended by senior representatives from BlackRock, Barclays, and Blackstone.
Trump is set to visit the UK for two days starting Wednesday, featuring several business sessions and a state banquet with prominent tech leaders and senior ministers. The US President will subsequently head to Checker on Thursday for a business reception, lunch, and press conference with Keir Starmer.
Google’s £5 billion investment aims to mobilize approximately $850 billion from investors in July for the 2025 fiscal year, reflecting a significant rise in capital expenditure budgets compared to previous £750 billion forecasts.
On Monday, parent company Alphabet joined the ranks of firms beyond the $30 billion market cap, alongside giants like Nvidia, Microsoft, and Apple.
Alphabet’s shares surged earlier this month following a court decision that softened the most stringent rulings sought by US competition regulators, including the potential forced sale of Chrome browsers.
Reeves commented: “Google’s £5 billion investment is a considerable display of confidence in the UK economy and the robustness of its partnership with the US, promising job creation and economic growth in the coming years.
“This government is reversing decades of neglect that have restricted our growth by addressing the burdensome deficit, implementing transformational reforms in our planning systems, and investing in advanced technologies to unlock better employment opportunities.”
“We’re committed to delivering a range of services to our clients,” said Demis Hassabis, co-founder and CEO of Google Deepmind.
“The UK has a rich tradition of being at the forefront of technological advancement, from Lovelace to Babbage and Turing, making it fitting for its legacy to continue by investing in the next wave of innovation and scientific discovery in the UK.”
Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla, has acquired nearly $1 billion worth of shares in the electric vehicle maker.
Following this announcement, Tesla’s stock surged by over 8% in pre-market trading on Monday.
As Tesla shifts its focus from solely electric vehicle production to becoming a technology powerhouse, the company is racing to achieve ambitious goals in Robotaxis, Artificial Intelligence, and Robotics. By December, Musk held approximately 13% of the company, according to data from LSEG.
On Friday, Musk purchased 2.57 million shares in open market transactions, with prices ranging from $372.37 to $396.54 per share.
Tesla’s shares increased by over 7% on Friday, building on strong gains from the previous session. Despite a year-to-date decline of around 2%, the stock is poised to achieve profits for the third consecutive session if pre-market trends hold steady.
Musk has persistently sought greater ownership interests, enhanced voting power at Tesla, and has threatened to develop AI and robotics ventures outside of Tesla unless he secures 25% voting power.
Earlier this month, Tesla’s board proposed a trillion-dollar compensation package for Musk, even amidst challenges posed by intense competition and declining electric vehicle demand.
On Friday, Robin Denholm, the board chair, downplayed concerns that Musk’s political engagements were negatively impacting sales, asserting that the billionaire had returned to being “front and center” within the company following his time in the White House.
Musk’s political involvement and public disagreements with Donald Trump have placed pressure on the company’s stock this year, raising investor concerns about potential distractions and declines in sales.
Utilizing data gathered by NSF’s Gemini South Telescope and NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope, astronomers have identified methane signatures (CH4), water (H2O), and silane (SiH4) in the cold brown dwarf gas WISEA J153429.75-104303.3 (shortened to W1534). Silanes are predicted to act as significant reservoirs of silicon, the element responsible for the large clouds of gas that surround giant worlds, but their presence had remained undetected until now, masked by the development of deep silicate clouds in the observable atmosphere.
This artist’s illustration depicts a brown dwarf with an atmosphere filled with gas and dust clouds. Image credits: Noirlab/NSF/Aura/R. Proctor.
The W1534, referred to as the accident, is situated approximately 50 light years from Earth in the Libra constellation.
This brown dwarf was likely formed between 100 and 120 billion years ago and ranks among the oldest brown dwarfs discovered to date.
First identified in 2020 by citizen scientists participating in the Backyard Worlds: Planet 9 Citizen Science Project, its unusual light profile captivated astronomers.
Using two of the world’s most advanced terrestrial and space-based telescopes, astronomers examined its atmosphere to analyze its properties and composition.
The survey commenced with NSF’s Noirlab Astronomer Sandy Leggett capturing near-infrared images of W1534 with a Gemini South telescope in Chile, part of the International Gemini Observatory.
This initial work laid the groundwork for further explorations using Webb, guided by Noirlab Astronomer Aaron Meisner.
“W1534 is quite faint, and Gemini South is the only ground-based telescope capable of detecting it,” Dr. Meisner stated.
“The Gemini discovery paved the way for Webb’s observations by revealing the deeper atmospheric layers of this mysterious object and enabling us to determine the exposure time necessary to gather useful near-infrared data on its composition.”
Within W1534’s atmosphere, the team uncovered the crucial signature of silane, a compound formed from silicon and four hydrogen atoms.
Planetary scientists have long theorized the existence of this molecule within gas giants, attributing potential significance to its role in cloud formation within the atmosphere.
Despite extensive searches, its atmospheric presence has remained elusive in our solar system’s gas giants, Jupiter and Saturn, although thousands of studies on brown dwarfs and gas giants orbiting other stars have occurred.
This marks the first discovery of silanes in any brown dwarf, exoplanet, or solar system object.
The absence of this molecule in all but one singular brown dwarf suggests intriguing insights into the chemistry occurring in such an ancient environment.
“Often, it is these extreme objects that help us understand the average,” remarked Dr. Jackie Faherty, a researcher at the American Museum of Natural History.
The presence of silanes in W1534’s atmosphere implies that in very ancient objects, silicon is capable of bonding with hydrogen to form lighter molecules that can ascend to the upper layers of a gas giant’s atmosphere.
In contrast, more recently formed objects, such as Jupiter and Saturn, result in silicon bonding with readily available oxygen, producing heavier molecules that settle deeper into the atmospheric layers.
The evidence gleaned from W1534’s atmosphere further validates astronomers’ comprehension of gas giant cloud formation and sheds light on how primitive conditions influence atmospheric composition.
Moreover, it indicates that worlds formed billions of years ago display characteristics distinctly different from those formed during the early solar system.
“The formation and detection of silanes highlight an essential relationship among composition, cloud formation, and atmospheric mingling in cold brown dwarfs and planetary atmospheres,” the authors concluded.
Regulators from the European Union imposed a hefty fine of 2.95 billion euros ($3.5 billion) on Google for breaching competition laws by prioritizing its own digital advertising service.
As the administrative body for the 27-nation bloc and the leading antitrust authority, the European Commission mandated U.S. companies to cease their “self-preferences” and implement measures to eliminate “conflicts of interest” in the advertising technology supply chain.
The findings of the committee’s investigation indicated that Google “exploits” its dominant role within the ad technology sector.
In response, Google labeled the decision “incorrect” and announced plans to appeal.
Lee-Anne Mulholland, Google’s global regulatory director, commented, “This demands changes that could negatively impact countless European businesses by imposing unjust fines and inhibiting their profitability.”
This decision follows more than two years after the European Commission first raised antitrust accusations against Google. At that time, the Commission asserted that selling off parts of Google’s profitable digital advertising enterprise was the only viable way to address antitrust issues. However, this decision signifies a departure from their earlier stance and arises amid renewed tensions over trade, tariffs, and technology regulations between Brussels and the Trump administration.
Top officials in the EU have previously indicated that forced divestitures are being considered since past penalties against Google have proven ineffective in curbing anti-competitive practices, allowing the company to continue its behavior in other forms.
The committee’s penalty stems from a formal investigation initiated in June 2021, assessing whether Google compromised rival publishers, advertisers, and ad tech services in order to favor its own online display ad technology. Online display ads typically include banners and text that are customized based on user browsing patterns.
Mulholland asserted: “We are not anti-competitive in offering our services to advertisers and publishers. The alternatives to our services have never been more abundant.”
Humanity, an artificial intelligence firm, has agreed to a $1.5 billion settlement in response to a class action lawsuit filed by the author of a specific book, who alleges that the company used a pirated copy of their work to train chatbots.
If a judge approves the landmark settlement on Monday, it could signify a significant shift in the ongoing legal conflict between AI companies and writers, visual artists, and other creative professionals who are raising concerns about copyright violations.
The company plans to compensate the author approximately $3,000 for each of the estimated 500,000 books involved in the settlement.
“This could be the largest copyright restoration we’ve seen,” stated Justin Nelson, the author’s attorney. “This marks a first in the era of AI.”
Authors Andrea Burtz, Charles Greber, and Kirk Wallace Johnson, who were litigated against last year, now represent a wider group of writers and publishers whose works were utilized to train the AI chatbot Claude.
In June, a federal judge issued a complex ruling stating that training AI chatbots on copyrighted books is not illegal. Unfortunately, Humanity acquired millions of books from copyright-infringing sources inadvertently.
Experts predict that if Humanity hadn’t settled, they would likely have lost the lawsuit as it was set to go to trial in December.
“We’re eager to see how this unfolds in the future,” commented William Long, a legal analyst at Wolters Kluwer.
U.S. District Judge William Alsup in San Francisco is scheduled to hear the terms of the settlement on Monday.
Why are books important to AI?
Books are crucial as they provide the critical data sources—essentially billions of words—needed to develop the large language models that power chatbots like Anthropic’s Claude and OpenAI’s ChatGPT.
Judge Alsup’s ruling revealed that Anthropic had downloaded over 7 million digitized books, many of which are believed to be pirated. The initial download included nearly 200,000 titles from an online library named Books3, created by researchers other than OpenAI to build a vast collection utilized for training ChatGPT.
Burtz’s debut thriller, The Lost Night, served as the lead plaintiff in this case and was also part of the Books3 dataset.
The ruling revealed that at least 5 million copies had been ingested from around 2 million instances found on Pirate websites like Library Genesis.
The Author Guild informed its thousands of members last month that it anticipated losses of at least $750 per work, which could potentially be much higher. A sizeable settlement award of about $3,000 per work could indicate a reduced pool of impacted titles after taking duplicates and non-copyrighted works into account.
On Friday, Author Guild CEO Mary Raysenberger stated that the settlement represents “a tremendous victory for authors, publishers, and rights holders, sending a strong message to the AI industry about the dangers of using pirated works to train AI at the expense of those who can’t afford it.”
ByteDance, the parent company of the short video platform TikTok, is set to initiate a new employee stock buyback, valuing the Chinese tech powerhouse at over $330 billion, as its revenue continues to climb.
The firm plans to offer its employees $200.41 per share through a repurchase program. This valuation marks a 5.5% increase from $189.90, which was offered approximately six months ago.
The buyback initiative is expected to roll out in the fall.
The new buyback program, reflecting higher valuations, comes as ByteDance strengthens its position as the leading social media entity globally in terms of revenue, with second-quarter earnings rising 25% year-over-year, according to sources.
The surge indicated that the company’s second-quarter revenues reached nearly $48 billion, with a significant portion derived from the Chinese market despite ongoing political pressures regarding its US operations.
Details concerning the updated valuation and second quarter revenue growth had not been previously disclosed. The source requested anonymity as they were not authorized to speak to the media.
ByteDance did not immediately respond to the request for comment.
In the first quarter, ByteDance’s revenues exceeded $43 billion, establishing it as the number one social media company globally in terms of revenue, surpassing Meta’s $42.3 billion during the same period.
Both companies maintained sales growth of over 20% in the second quarter, driven by robust advertising demand.
ByteDance’s semi-annual buyback program allows employees of the private company to liquidate some of their holdings, showcasing a balance sheet strengthened by expanding both domestic and international operations.
It is becoming increasingly frequent for late-stage private firms to engage in regular buybacks to provide liquidity to employees without needing to go public prematurely.
Many organizations, including SpaceX and OpenAI, utilize external investors to fund these initiatives. However, ByteDance stands out as it consistently leverages its own balance sheet, reflecting financial flexibility and solid margins. The firm is also recognized as one of China’s AI leaders, investing billions in Nvidia chips, establishing AI infrastructure, and developing new models.
TikTok Sale
Despite surpassing Meta’s revenue this year, ByteDance’s valuation is less than one-fifth of Meta’s market capitalization, a discrepancy analysts largely attribute to political and regulatory risks faced in the US.
ByteDance is currently under significant scrutiny in Washington, where lawmakers are voicing national security concerns regarding its Chinese ownership.
Last year, Congress enacted legislation mandating that TikTok’s US assets be divested by January 19, 2025, or risk facing a nationwide ban affecting its 170 million US users. Donald Trump has made multiple remarks regarding TikTok and postponed the asset sale deadline until September 17, claiming that US buyers are lined up and that another extension could be possible.
Some lawmakers have criticized the delay, alleging that the administration is neglecting the law and disregarding national security worries related to China’s control over TikTok. While ByteDance is profitable, TikTok’s US operations have reportedly incurred losses, according to two sources. TikTok has not responded to Reuters’ request for comment.
If TikTok’s US assets are divested, they are expected to be owned by a joint venture involving an American consortium of investors and ByteDance.
The consortium currently leading the charge includes ByteDance’s existing shareholders, Susquehanna International Group, Atlantic General, KKR, and Andreessen Horowitz. Blackstone recently withdrew from the consortium, citing delays in the transaction timeline. A new ByteDance buyback could bolster morale among US-based employees, many of whom are concerned about TikTok’s uncertain future. The company is also reportedly working on a potential standalone app for US users, but it’s unclear if this contingency plan will be finalized amidst ongoing trade discussions between Trump and Beijing.
The icy dwarf planet Ceres might have been habitable in the past
NASA/Jet Propulsion Research Institute (JPL)
The dwarf planet Ceres seems desolate and frozen, yet, billions of years after its creation, it could have housed a warm, habitable interior.
Sam Course Building from Arizona State University notes that while we can’t definitively say life could arise on Ceres, its past conditions possibly allowed for the survival of life.
Previous research indicates that Ceres may contain water ice and organic compounds, suggesting potential for life. In this study, however, researchers explored what these potential alien life forms could have consumed. Instead of feeding on other organisms, they might have derived energy directly from chemical molecules, similar to microorganisms found in hydrothermal vents in Earth’s oceans. Could analogous microorganisms have lived in Ceres’ ancient oceans?
The team simulated Ceres’ history and found that over 500 million to 2 billion years ago, pores near its hot core could have released liquid which mingled with the cold ocean waters. This interaction might have provided essential chemical “food” for microorganisms.
To seek past or current life in the solar system, Amanda Hendrix from the Institute of Planetary Sciences emphasizes the importance of examining worlds like Ceres that either currently have or once possessed oceans.
Interestingly, the types of life-sustaining conditions described by the team might also have existed on other ice-like bodies the size of Ceres. This suggests that the number of potentially habitable planets in evolution could be greater than previously thought.
“If Ceres was habitable in the past, then it’s probable that a multitude of asteroids and moons were also habitable, and many may still be today,” states team member Joe O’Rourke from Arizona State University.
Thus, habitability may simply result from readily available ingredients that appear to be common in the solar system.
However, many aspects remain uncertain, especially concerning Ceres itself. Researchers believe that accurate chemical analyses of surface minerals will enhance their models, but no spacecraft capable of conducting such analyses has landed on Ceres yet.
Do Kwon, the South Korean entrepreneur behind two cryptocurrencies that were responsible for an estimated $400 billion loss in 2022 and caused significant market turbulence, pleaded guilty to two counts of fraud and wire fraud in a US court on Tuesday.
At 33 years old, Kwon co-founded Terraform Labs in Singapore and was the creator of the Terrausd and Luna currencies. He appeared in a federal court hearing in New York, having initially pleaded not guilty in January to nine charges, which include securities fraud, wire fraud, merchandise fraud, and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
Kwon was accused of deceiving investors about Terrausd in 2021—a Stablecoin intended to maintain a value equivalent to one US dollar—leading him to plead guilty to two counts under a plea agreement with Manhattan prosecutors.
He could face a maximum of 25 years in prison when Judge Engelmeyer sentences him on December 11. However, prosecutor Kimberly Ravener noted that Kwon has agreed to a prison term of no more than 12 years if he takes responsibility for his actions. He has been in custody since his extradition from Montenegro late last year.
Kwon is among several cryptocurrency executives facing federal charges after the 2022 downturn in digital token prices led to the collapse of numerous businesses. Sam Bankman-Fried, the founder of FTX—the largest crypto exchange in the US—was sentenced to 25 years in prison in 2024.
Prosecutors allege that when Terrausd dipped below $1 in May 2021, Kwon misled investors, claiming that the “Terra Protocol,” a computer algorithm, had restored the coin’s value. Instead, he allegedly arranged for the covert purchase of millions of dollars in tokens to artificially inflate the price through high-frequency trading companies.
These false representations reportedly misled retail and institutional investors, enticing them to invest in Terraform products and escalate the value of Luna.
During the court proceedings, Kwon expressed remorse for his actions.
“I made misleading statements about why it regained its value without disclosing the involvement of the trading company in restoring that PEG,” Kwon stated. “What I did was wrong.”
Kwon has also agreed to pay $80 million in civil penalties in 2024 and is prohibited from engaging in crypto trading as part of a $4.555 billion settlement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
Additionally, he faces charges in South Korea. As part of his plea agreement, prosecutors indicated they would not oppose his potential transfer to serve his sentence overseas after completing his time in the US, Ravener stated.
Donald Trump praised Apple for its pledge to boost its investment in U.S. manufacturing by an additional $100 billion over the next four years.
Apple’s commitment to increasing its domestic investments comes as it seeks to circumvent the tariffs threatened by Trump. During a May revenue call, CEO Tim Cook cautioned that tariffs could lead to losses of up to $900 million in that fiscal quarter alone.
Cook mentioned that many components of the iPhone, such as glass, semiconductors, and Face ID modules, are already produced domestically. However, he noted that final assembly will remain overseas for the time being. Previously, he stated that this new investment would involve collaboration with ten companies across the U.S. that manufacture components for Apple products.
Apple previously announced a plan to invest $500 million domestically, which has now increased to $600 million. The company also intends to hire 20,000 workers in the U.S. over the next four years.
Recently, Trump has vocally criticized tech companies, with Cook pursuing a strategy to shift iPhone production to India to evade tariffs imposed by the Republican administration on China. On the same day the White House made its announcement, Trump raised U.S. tariffs on India from 25% to 50%.
While in Qatar earlier this year, Trump mentioned a “slight problem” with Apple during a conversation with Cook, indicating he didn’t want production to move to India.
India has incurred the president’s ire lately as he ordered an additional 25% tariff on the country, citing its use of Russian oil. This new import tax, set to be implemented over 21 days, could elevate total tariffs on Indian goods to 50%.
According to Reuters, Apple tried to preempt Indian tariffs in April by exporting as many as 1.5 million iPhones from the country to the U.S.
The iPhone is composed of parts sourced from multiple countries, with final assembly primarily taking place in China, making the company particularly vulnerable to Trump’s tariffs. A shift of production to the U.S. could significantly increase costs, as many analysts regard American-made iPhones as a pipe dream while Apple navigates the uncertain waters of Trump’s trade war.
Apple’s announcement of increased investment aims to enhance supply chains and advanced manufacturing capabilities within the United States.
This latest pledge from Apple comes shortly after the company signed a $500 million contract with MP Materials, which operates the only rare earth mine in the U.S. This deal allows MP Materials to expand its Texas facility and utilize recycled materials to manufacture magnets vital for the iPhone.
During the recent investor call, Cook highlighted the various components produced in the U.S., such as glass displays and facial recognition modules, and indicated that there are plans to scale up production for additional components within the country.
“We’re doing more here, with about 1.9 billion chips now being produced in the U.S. We’re making progress,” Cook stated last week without going into further details.
Despite investors’ concerns regarding impending tariffs and a slowdown in adopting artificial intelligence, Apple’s latest revenue report indicates strong iPhone sales, surpassing Wall Street expectations year over year. Following news of Trump’s announcement, Apple’s stock, which had dropped significantly earlier this year, jumped over 5% on Wednesday.
The largest companies in the US have outspent the government, pouring $155 billion into artificial intelligence development, positioning themselves for the competitive landscape of 2025 as they race to invest more in each other. Education, training, employment, social services continues to dominate the agenda through 2025.
Recent financial disclosures from major Silicon Valley corporations indicate an impending surge that could impact hundreds of millions of people annually.
In the past fortnight, Alphabet (Meta’s parent company), Microsoft, Amazon, and Google have released their quarterly financial reports. Each report disclosed that their capital expenditures related to the acquisition or enhancement of tangible assets since around 2018 are already totaling tens of thousands.
Capital Expenditure (CAPEX) denotes the spending technology firms allocate for AI, necessitating large investments in physical infrastructure—primarily data centers that demand substantial electricity, water, and costly semiconductor chips. Google highlighted in its latest revenue call that capital expenditures “support AI by reflecting primarily investments in servers and data centers.”
Since the beginning of the year, Meta’s capital expenditures have reached $30.7 billion, which is double the $15.2 billion reported last year. Just in the most recent quarter, the company incurred $17 billion in capital expenditures, exceeding the $8.5 billion spent during the same timeframe in 2024. Alphabet has reported approximately $400 billion in CAPEX during the first two quarters of this fiscal year, while Amazon has reported $55.7 billion. Microsoft has announced plans to spend over $300 billion this quarter to develop a data center that powers AI services. Microsoft CFO Amy Hood indicated that this quarter’s CAPEX is at least 50% higher than that of the previous year, surpassing the company’s record capital expenditures of $24.2 billion from June to June.
“We will continue to leverage the vast opportunities ahead,” Hood stated.
In the upcoming year, the total capital expenditure of Big Tech is anticipated to grow significantly, surpassing last year’s impressive figures. Microsoft plans to invest about $100 billion in AI during the next fiscal year, as CEO Satya Nadella announced on Wednesday. Meta is expected to invest between $660 billion and $720 billion, while Alphabet’s estimate has risen to $85 billion, exceeding a prior projection of $750 billion. Amazon anticipates spending $100 million in 2025, now projected to reach $118 billion. Collectively, these four tech giants are predicted to exceed $400 million in CAPEX next year. Wall Street Journal.
The billion-dollar expenditure represents colossal investments, even overshadowing the EU’s quarterly defense spending, as noted by the Journal. However, major tech firms seem unable to allocate sufficient funds for investor returns. Microsoft, Google, and Meta informed Wall Street analysts last quarter that their estimates exceeded previous projections. This led to a surge in excitement among investors, resulting in significant stock price increases following each company’s earnings reports. Microsoft’s market capitalization reached $40 billion the day after their report.
Even Apple, typically regarded as a strong competitor, has hinted at increasing its AI spending next year. The company’s quarterly spending surged to $3.46 billion from $2.15 billion in the same period last year. Apple reported rebounding iPhone sales and strong business performance in China, yet is perceived as lagging in developing and implementing advanced AI technologies.
Apple CEO Tim Cook announced on Thursday that the company is reallocating a “fair number” of employees to focus on artificial intelligence, emphasizing that the “core of its AI strategy” involves ramping up investments across all devices and platforms to “embed” AI features. However, they did not disclose specific spending figures.
“We’re significantly expanding our investments. We don’t have specific figures yet,” he noted.
Meanwhile, smaller companies are striving to compete with the substantial expenditures of the major players and capitalize on the AI boom. Recently, OpenAI announced it had secured $8.3 billion in investments, as part of a planned $40 billion fundraising effort, valuing the ChatGPT startup at $300 billion as of 2022.
Microsoft, currently the second most valuable company in the world, is investing heavily in its artificial intelligence initiatives while simultaneously generating significant revenue. This has led to heightened enthusiasm among investors.
The enterprise software leader announced its fourth-quarter results on Wednesday, surpassing expectations. Investors are closely monitoring the company as it competes for data centers and talent. Microsoft anticipates its capital expenditures for the upcoming fiscal year to exceed $100 billion, representing a 14% increase from the previous year.
In the fifth quarter, Microsoft exceeded Wall Street’s predictions. As the company approaches its 50th anniversary, originally founded by Bill Gates and Paul Allen in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in April 1975, its stock trades near an impressive $513—a 22% rise since the beginning of the year.
Shares of the software titan increased by more than 7% in extended trading on Wednesday.
Microsoft is actively enhancing its data center capabilities to address the growing demand for AI, similar to its competitors Alphabet/Google and Amazon. Recently, Alphabet revealed plans to invest $850 billion on capital expenditures by 2025, while Amazon is contemplating an expenditure of $100 million in the same timeframe.
“Cloud and AI are the primary catalysts for business transformation across all industries and sectors,” stated Satya Nadella, Chairman and CEO of Microsoft. “We are revamping the entire high-tech stack to assist our clients in adapting and thriving in this new era. This year, Azure’s growth has reached 34%, surpassing $750 billion, with an increase in all workload areas,” Nadella noted in a recent statement.
Microsoft reported a revenue of $76.4 billion, outperforming the consensus estimate of $738.1 billion, with earnings per share at $3.65 against an estimate of $3.37. This marks an 18% year-on-year revenue growth, compared to $64.733 billion for the same period last year.
The substantial investments in data centers necessary to support AI products are occurring as businesses increasingly shift their computing demands to the cloud.
Wedbush financial analyst Dan Ives remarked that as Microsoft sees its shares rise to $600,000,000,000,000,000,000, the company is poised to reach a market value of $400 billion and $5 trillion soon, driven by its accelerating adoption of AI technology.
“This was a stellar quarter for MSFT, as cloud and AI become pivotal drivers of major business transformations across all sectors during this AI revolution.”
The escalating costs of attracting top AI talent are also noteworthy. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman revealed that Meta had offered a staggering $100 million signature bonus to recruit talent from his firm. Additionally, Meta reportedly allocated $2 million to senior Apple engineers to join its Superintelligence team.
In response, Microsoft is reportedly compensating high-level engineers with annual salaries of $408,000, as per Business Insider.
On Monday, Samsung entered into a contract worth $16.5 billion (£12.3 billion) to produce artificial intelligence chips for Tesla, marking a significant development while Elon Musk was active on social media.
The South Korean technology giant disclosed a partnership with an unnamed client in a regulatory filing. Musk shared details on the platform X.
Musk stated that Samsung will manufacture Tesla’s next-gen A16 chips at its new facility in Texas.
He emphasized, “The strategic significance of this is hard to overstate.”
Back in December, the Biden administration allocated $4.755 billion to support Samsung’s semiconductor manufacturing operations in Texas under the Chips Act. At that time, former U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo remarked that this funding would ensure a “steady flow” of chips vital for AI and national security.
In a post on X on Monday, Musk indicated that he had allowed Samsung to assist Tesla in “maximizing manufacturing efficiency” and “expediting” production processes.
He added that the Samsung facility in Taylor, a suburb of Austin, Texas, is “conveniently located not far from my home.”
This agreement is poised to revive projects that have faced significant delays due to Samsung’s struggle to maintain and attract major clients. Ryu Young-Ho, a senior analyst at NH Investment & Securities in Seoul, noted that the Taylor plant “currently has no customers,” making this deal “a logical move.”
In October, Reuters reported that Samsung had postponed shipments of chip manufacturing equipment from ASML, a Dutch supplier, as it had not yet secured key customers. The facility’s opening has already been delayed until 2026.
Samsung is currently producing Tesla’s AI4 chips, which enhance the automaker’s fully autonomous driver assistance system. Taiwan’s TSMC will initially manufacture Tesla’s AI5 chips in Taiwan before moving production to Arizona.
The regulatory filing announcing Samsung’s chip supply agreement did not disclose the client’s identity, citing a request for confidentiality concerning the transaction to be carried out until the end of 2033.
Google has committed to securing up to 3GW of hydropower in what is being termed the largest clean power agreement by a corporation, as the tech giant seeks to expand its energy-intensive data centers, the company announced on Tuesday.
The agreement with Brookfield Asset Management includes a 20-year power purchase deal worth $3 billion for electricity generated from two hydroelectric plants located in Pennsylvania.
Additionally, the tech giant will invest $25 billion into data centers across Pennsylvania and neighboring states over the next two years, according to Semafor’s report on Tuesday.
The technology sector is increasingly seeking vast amounts of clean energy to support the power demands of data centers essential for artificial intelligence and cloud computing.
Ruth Porat, president and chief investment officer of Google’s parent company Alphabet, spoke about the initiative at the AI Summit in Pittsburgh, where Donald Trump announced a $70 billion investment in AI and energy.
Amanda Peterson Corio, head of Datacenter Energy at Google, commented on the collaboration with Brookfield, stating, “This partnership is a crucial step towards ensuring a clean energy supply in the PJM region where we operate.”
Almost a year ago, Google initiated several unique power purchase agreements involving carbon-free geothermal energy and advanced nuclear options. The company is also collaborating with PJM Interconnect, the largest power grid operator in the U.S., to expedite the integration of new power sources using AI technology.
Google has entered into an initial framework agreement with Brookfield, the owner of Brookfield Renewable Partners, stating its intent to develop and operate a renewable energy facility. The two hydroelectric plants in Pennsylvania will undergo upgrades and refurbishment as part of this agreement. Furthermore, Google intends to expand its commitment beyond these facilities to other regions within the Mid-Atlantic and Midwest.
Planetary scientists have identified over 15,000 km of ancient riverbeds in the Noachis Terra region of Mars’ southern highlands, indicating that the planet may have been significantly wetter than previously believed.
This image depicts a flat upper eroded river wavy ridge above Mars, with dunes moving over it. Image credits: NASA/JPL/University of Arizona.
The nature of Mars’ climate during the Noatian-Hesperian transition, which occurred around 3.7 billion years ago, is still being debated. This period saw significant geological and climatic changes, as well as the formation of surface features like valley networks and lakes associated with liquid water.
There are two prevailing theories: the first suggests that a warm and wet environment followed early Mars, allowing liquid water to persist on the surface for an extended time. The second posits that Mars has generally been cold and dry, with flowing water created sporadically by melting ice during brief climate shifts.
In Noachis Terra, climate models predicting “warm and humid” conditions suggest significant precipitation levels.
A recent study led by Open University Ph.D. student Adam Losekoot and his team analyzed the region’s wavy ridges, also known as inverse channels.
“These formations likely resulted from sediments laid down by rivers that solidified, later exposed through the erosion of surrounding materials,” noted the lead researcher.
“Similar ridges have been identified in various Martian terrains.”
“Their presence implies that flowing water once traversed the area, with precipitation being the most probable source,” he added.
The team found that river-wave ridges are widespread throughout Noachis Terra, amounting to over 15,000 km in total length.
While many segments are isolated, some systems extend several hundred kilometers.
“Exploring Mars, particularly less altered regions like Noachis Terra, is thrilling because they have remained relatively unchanged for billions of years,” Losekoot commented.
“It acts as a time capsule that captures fundamental geological processes in ways that are impossible to observe on Earth.”
In their investigation, the researchers utilized data from three orbital devices: the Context Camera (CTX), the Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA), and the High-Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE).
These datasets enabled them to map the locations, lengths, and forms of the ridge systems across various areas.
“Our findings present new evidence indicating that Mars was once a much more dynamic and complex planet than we suppose,” they stated.
“The size and interconnectivity of these ridges suggest that liquid water existed for an extended period, indicating that Noachis Terra experienced warm, wet conditions for a geologically significant time.
“These results challenge the conventional belief that Mars has been predominantly cold and dry, with valleys formed only by sporadic, short-term meltwater from ice sheets.”
Paths of interstellar comet 3I/Atlas through the solar system
NASA/JPL-Caltech
The interstellar entities currently traversing our solar system may include one of the oldest comets ever observed.
Comet 3I/Atlas was identified earlier this month near Jupiter’s orbit, moving at approximately 60 km per second and estimated to be about 20 km in size. It is the third recognized interstellar object in our solar system, having passed near Mars in October before entering the solar orbit.
Matthew Hopkins from Oxford University and his team utilized data from the ESA Gaia spacecraft, which cataloged billions of stars in our galaxy, to simulate the comet’s speed and trajectory, revealing its point of origin. It seems to have emerged from an area close to our galaxy, which is about 13 billion years old, specifically from what is referred to as a thick disk.
“Objects from the thicker disk tend to be quicker,” explains Hopkins, noting that the previous two identified interstellar objects (Oumuamua in 2017 and Comet Borisov in 2019) exhibited a decline in speed. “Their velocities aligned with expectations for thin disk objects.”
Modeling by the team indicates that 3I/Atlas may have originated from a star nearly 8 billion years old, potentially twice the age of our sun, hinting at it being one of the oldest comets ever witnessed. “This might be the oldest comet I’ve encountered,” Hopkins states. Interstellar objects are typically ejected early during a star’s lifecycle and are often propelled by interactions with massive planets.
Hopkins mentioned that ancient stars are likely to possess lower metallicity compared to our sun, implying that these comets might have a higher water content. If this hypothesis holds, we may witness significant water activity from the comet as it nears the sun in the upcoming months.
This could be our first interaction with another star, providing insights into pristine materials that have existed for billions of years, unaltered since before Earth’s formation. “I believe many interstellar objects we’ve encountered are our first meetings with stars, even those that are 8 billion years old,” Hopkins asserts. “They have likely traversed vast distances through empty space before approaching us.”
The examination of North West Africa (NWA) 16286 reveals a lunar metstone with a distinctive chemical profile, offering new perspectives on the evolution of the moon’s interior and emphasizing the enduring nature of its volcanic activity.
Backscattered electron images of NWA 16286 samples. Image credit: Joshu Asu Nape/University of Manchester.
Discovered in Africa in 2023, NWA 16286 is one of only 31 moon basalts officially identified on Earth.
The distinct composition of the 311-gram metstone, featuring melted glassy pockets and veins, indicates it was likely impacted by an asteroid or metstone on the lunar surface before being ejected and eventually landing on Earth.
A recent study by researchers at the University of Manchester supports the theory that the moon has maintained internal heat production processes responsible for lunar volcanic activity across various stages.
Lead isotopic analyses suggest that these rock formations are the youngest basalt lunar metstones identified on Earth, dating back approximately 2.35 billion years, a time when lunar samples are scarce.
The sample’s unique geochemical profile distinguishes it from those brought back by previous lunar missions, indicating that its chemical characteristics likely result from lava flows that solidified after ascending from the moon’s depths.
“While the moon rocks returned from sample return missions provide valuable insights, they are limited to the immediate areas around those landing sites,” stated Dr. Joshua Snape from the University of Manchester.
“In contrast, this sample could originate from impact craters located anywhere on the moon’s surface.”
“Thus, there is a unique coincidence with this sample. It fortuitously landed on Earth, unveiling secrets about lunar geology without the need for an extensive space mission.”
The sample contains notably large crystals of olivine and is classified as olivine basalt, characterized by medium titanium levels and high potassium content.
Alongside the atypical age of the samples, researchers found that the lead isotopic composition of the rocks—geochemical signatures preserved when the rocks formed—originates from internal lunar sources with unusually high ratios of uranium and lead.
These chemical markers can assist in identifying the mechanisms behind the moon’s prolonged internal heat production.
“The sample’s age is particularly intriguing as it fills a billion-year gap in the history of lunar volcanism,” Dr. Snape noted.
“It is younger than the basalts collected during the Apollo, Luna, and Chang-E 6 missions, yet significantly older than the more recent rocks retrieved by the Chang-E 5 missions in China.”
“Its age and composition indicate that volcanic activity persisted throughout this entire timeframe, and our analysis suggests a potentially continuous process of heat generation from radioactive elements that generates heat over extended periods.
“Moon rocks are a rarity, making it always exciting to acquire samples that stand out from the norm.”
“This specific rock presents new constraints on the timing and nature of volcanic activity on the moon.”
“We still have much to learn about the lunar geological history. Further analyses to trace surface origins will inform where future sample return missions might be directed.”
Reports indicate that Meta is preparing to unveil a substantial $15 billion (£11 billion) bid aimed at achieving computerized “Superintelligence.”
The competition in Silicon Valley to lead in artificial intelligence is intensifying, even as many current AI systems show inconsistent performance.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is set to announce the acquisition of a 49% stake in Scale AI, which is led by King Alexandre and co-founded by Lucie Guo. This strategic move has been described by one analyst in Silicon Valley as a “wartime CEO” initiative.
Superintelligence refers to an AI that can outperform humans across all tasks. Currently, AI systems have not yet achieved the same capabilities as humans, a condition known as Artificial General Intelligence (AGI). Recent studies reveal that many prominent AI systems falter when tackling highly complex problems.
Following notable progress from competitors like Sam Altman’s OpenAI and Google, as well as substantial investments in the underperforming Metaverse concept, observers are questioning whether Meta’s renewed focus on AI can restore its competitive edge and drive meaningful advancements.
Meta’s initiative has sparked fresh calls for the European government to embark on its own transparent research endeavors, ensuring robust technological development while fostering public trust, akin to the Swiss CERN European Nuclear Research Institute.
Michael Wooldridge, a professor at the Oxford University Foundation for Artificial Intelligence, stated, “They are maximizing their use of AI. We cannot assume that we fully understand or trust the technology we are creating. It’s crucial that governments collaborate to develop AI openly and rigorously, much like the importance of CERN and particle accelerators.”
Wooldridge commented that the reported acquisition appears to be Meta’s effort to reclaim its competitive edge following the Metaverse’s lackluster reception, noting that the company invested significantly in that venture.
However, he pointed out that the state of AI development remains uneven, with AGI still a distant goal, and “Superintelligence” being even more elusive.
“We have AI that can achieve remarkable feats, yet it struggles with tasks that capable GCSE students can perform,” he remarked.
Andrew Rogoiski, director of partnerships and innovation at the University of Surrey’s People-centered AI Institute, observed, “Meta’s approach to AI differs from that of OpenAI or Humanity. For Meta, AI is not a core mission, but rather an enabler of its broader business strategy.”
“This allows them to take a longer-term view, rather than feeling rushed to achieve AGI,” he added.
Reports indicate that King is expected to take on a significant role within Meta.
Meta has chosen not to comment at this time. Scale AI will be reached for additional comments.
Nestled in a quieter street of vibrant central London, the headquarters of a significant yet under-the-radar climate organization awaits your discovery.
The Quadrature Climate Foundation (QCF) annually allocates hundreds of millions of dollars to some of the most impactful campaign groups and scientific institutions, at the forefront of research and advocacy in green transitions. It funds initiatives such as anti-methane vaccines for livestock, sustainable aviation fuel, geothermal energy, and carbon capture technologies.
As research budgets tighten in universities and across the UK, organizations like QCF step in to facilitate the shift toward net-zero emissions.
Established in 2019 as a charitable arm of the Four Seasons hedge fund, the QCF empowers founders Greg Skinner and Sunil Setya to tackle climate challenges. Recently recognized in the Sunday Times Rich List for their philanthropic efforts, they contributed over $6.7 million to climate-related initiatives last week through the foundation. In total, QCF has dispersed over $1 billion to climate interventions, ranking it as one of the largest and most influential climate charities globally.
Who decides which research projects to back, what causes to prioritize, and the strategic direction to pursue? Greg de Temmerman, a former nuclear physicist and the QCF’s Chief Science Officer, is tasked with evaluating proposals to identify the most promising initiatives.
Madeleine Cuff: Could you explain your transition from a nuclear fusion focus to climate strategy?
Greg de Temmerman: I worked on the ITER project [an international fusion experiment based in France] for seven years, the largest scientific endeavor on Earth. Throughout this period, I engaged in outreach efforts to demystify fusion. Unfortunately, the project faced mounting delays.
I was frequently interacting with decision-makers, which illuminated the divide between scientific research and policy-making. Consequently, I chose to exit fusion in 2020 and co-founded a think tank with a Parisian entrepreneur, aiming to bridge the gap between policymakers and early-stage technology. In 2023, I joined the Quadrature Climate Foundation where I continue this mission, but now with greater resources to effect change.
Controversial geoengineering initiatives, like this insulation project in Switzerland, are under scrutiny
Fabrice Coffrini/AFP via Getty Images
Explain your current role at QCF.
QCF’s mission is to promote projects and partnerships that can drive global change. Our portfolio includes support for early-stage technologies, advocacy, campaigns, technical work, capacity building, and more. It’s crucial to identify the problem at hand.
For instance, one might say, “I want to boost renewable energy,” but what obstacles stand in the way? Is it financial resources? Infrastructure issues? I was brought on board to ask these critical questions and ensure we pursue the right solutions.
How does charitable funding differ from traditional investments and government support?
Charitable funding doesn’t seek financial returns, allowing for greater risk-taking than typical investments. Moreover, we can move more swiftly than government entities. Essentially, we both catalyze the net-zero movement and act as a catalyst for other funding sources.
With an impressive annual budget reaching around $325 million in 2025, do you face significant influences?
We are notable players in climate finance but still small in comparison to what’s needed for a successful climate transition. While it feels empowering to operate at this scale, our budget pales in comparison to the global demands of climate mitigation.
You support various initiatives, from studying climate change impacts to advocating for clean tech entrepreneurship. Can you share a particular success?
We were among the first substantial funders of permanent carbon removal techniques. Our initiatives aimed to develop a compliance market while emphasizing accountability measures. This became critical following discussions ignited by the last international climate change report, which highlighted the necessity for negative emissions, leading to serious dialogue on the subject.
Last year, you introduced a new strategy, shifting focus towards adaptation and resilience in climate change. What prompted this shift?
The climate crisis is accelerating, with more extreme weather events becoming a norm. Adaptation is essential to any decarbonization efforts. This new strategy seeks to unify our initiatives under a coherent vision, aligning with what our founders find most impactful.
As part of the new strategy, you’ll be supporting climate intervention research, particularly geoengineering, which can be contentious. What motivates this funding?
Indeed, these scientific endeavors should predominantly come from public funding, which has been lacking for various reasons. Thus, we decided to support this research to ensure that vital questions are being explored.
This sector raises major ethical concerns. How can you justify financial support for it?
I don’t have a definitive stance on the ethics of geoengineering. Currently, it’s a complex arena that necessitates rigorous understanding, and I don’t endorse any immediate applications of geoengineering techniques.
Our intent is to spark discussions about geoengineering, especially as new startups emerge in this field, despite existing research lagging behind.
Is your support strictly for foundational research, or do you engage with field trials as well?
Much of our backing centers around fundamental climate science. One pressing issue in geoengineering is understanding cloud formation, which parallels many critical challenges in climate science. We funded a minimal outdoor experiment in the U.S. that was suspended after a few weeks due to public backlash. We prefer to remain cautious and utilize robust climate models to predict the impacts of geoengineering. Comprehensive observational capabilities are essential for effective outdoor trials, and we believe there remains much work in foundational climate science.
In the current political climate, with leaders like former President Trump rolling back climate policies, how do you navigate these headwinds?
Transition involves disruption; established systems resist change while new ones emerge, and this tension can be challenging. It’s essential to foster understanding of this dynamic and communicate the complexities inherent to the transition process.
The upcoming years may be tough. Addressing climate issues has become increasingly challenging. In the UK, rising electricity costs compound the disconnect between the public’s perception of renewable energy benefits and their current bills, which can lead to skepticism.
However, there’s compelling motivation to move away from fossil fuels, independent of climate beliefs. Oil and gas markets are notoriously unstable, making diversification essential for resilience. The key is to demonstrate that energy transitions benefit everyone, regardless of their views on climate action.
Oil refinery at sunset in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Panoramic Images/Alamy
Climate disinformation and malign players pose challenges. What can be done to combat this?
Attacks on climate science persist, but the overwhelming evidence supports the scientific consensus. While some may cling to flat Earth beliefs, the facts remain clear. Increasingly, the discourse pivots to contesting solutions rather than the scientific basis itself. For instance, searching “Electric Car” on YouTube reveals numerous videos disputing their efficacy. These discussions, while interesting, rely heavily on data and understanding.
What exciting prospects lie ahead for QCF in the coming year?
To transform industries, we must bring down energy costs, and there are opportunities to achieve that. Furthermore, tackling industrial emissions—once deemed difficult—is now achievable with ready solutions. It’s an exhilarating time as skeptics claimed decarbonizing sectors like steel was impossible. But now, we know we can do it.
As you’ve identified as a major player, how do you cope with the responsibility of influencing climate transition?
It’s about recognizing our role within the broader system and acknowledging our limitations. It’s vital to approach initiatives with the belief that we can unlock new possibilities, while remaining open to the reality that we may not always be correct.
How do you maintain optimism in a time where climate progress appears stagnant?
I often say my optimism shines on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays; I’m more pessimistic on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, with Sundays reserved for reflection.
Aiming to be a cutting-edge office in central London for Google over the coming decades, the new £1 billion headquarters faces challenges with local foxes, one of the oldest known nuisances to humans.
Valpin assumed control of the rooftop garden at the so-called “Craper of Land” in Kings Cross, which influenced the construction, though the company reported that the impact was “minimal.”
The initial report of fox activity Newsletter London Centric was verified by a source with knowledge of the construction. They relayed to the Guardian that the situation had been observed for three years, starting when foxes began to dig dens on well-maintained grounds.
“There are small holes in the garden,” they mentioned. “We’ve seen her around the building, even from the fifth floor.”
Others reported finding fox droppings on the property of the structure designed by Thomas Heatherwick.
The rooftop garden is estimated to hold 40,000 tonnes of soil and 250 trees. Photo: Tim Robberts/Getty Images
Mosh Latifi, co-founder of Ecocare, a pest control firm based in London, noted they can’t stay away from rodent populations.
“Foxes thrive off rodents. We don’t live more than three meters from the nearest rat,” he remarked, explaining that they have spotted the fox in a building where workers seek out leftover food.
Leaky pipes or plentiful food from local establishments might be sustaining the foxes, suggested another London pest control expert who requested anonymity. “London is a vast playground for foxes; they’ll go just about anywhere,” he stated.
Do you have any information about this story? Email investigations.contact@theguardian.com or use Signal or WhatsApp to message (UK) +44 7721 857 348.
A spokesperson for Google mentioned: “Sightings of foxes at construction sites are quite common, and our King’s Cross project is no exception. Foxes have occasionally been seen on-site, though their presence has been limited and had little effect on the construction progress.”
According to searches using the company’s own search engine, effective ways to deter foxes include removing food sources, installing secure fencing, and sealing any gaps.
This isn’t the first time a costly London construction has faced such an issue. In 2011, a fox named Romeo was discovered at a site. He was found living in the shard, surviving on leftover scraps from construction workers.
Romeo was captured and, after a health check, was released back into the wild.
Facebook also had to deal with a fox family at their Menlo Park headquarters, which gained popularity on social media with a series of stickers introduced for the Messenger app.
Plans for the new Google building were unveiled in 2013, marking it as the first fully owned and designed site by the company outside the United States. The 11-story structure will host up to 7,000 employees.
The 300-meter-long rooftop garden extends along the building, wrapping around the seventh to eleventh floors. It is estimated to contain 40,000 tonnes of soil to support 250 trees, all strategically placed. The garden aims to attract bees, bats, birds, and butterflies, with areas designated for dining, lounge chairs, a fitness zone, and even an indoor pool.
Currently under construction since 2018, the nearly 1 million square foot building is expected to be completed later this year.
In 2022, a topping-off ceremony featuring non-alcoholic pims and exquisite canapés was attended by London Mayor Sadiq Khan and Keir Starmer, representing the Holborn and St Pancras constituencies.
“This project signifies a robust confidence in London, our community, and our flourishing tech sector,” Khan commented at the event.
On Tuesday, Donald Trump’s media organization announced that institutional investors are set to acquire $2.5 billion in stock, with plans to build Bitcoin reserves from the generated revenue.
Around 50 institutional investors are expected to put $1.5 billion into a private placement for Trump Media and Technology Group, the firm behind Truth Social, along with a $1 billion conversion of senior notes into common stock, as per the company’s statement.
Trump Media aims to utilize its revenues to establish a “Bitcoin Treasury Department.” This initiative will mirror the president’s actions and develop a “strategic Bitcoin Reserve” for the U.S. government.
Devin Nunes, former Congressman and current CEO and Chairman of Trump Media, stated in a press release: “We view Bitcoin as the pinnacle of financial freedom. Currently, Trump Media holds cryptocurrency as a significant portion of their assets. Nunes added that purchasing a substantial amount of Bitcoin will enhance subscription payments and promote a true social “utility token,” which is a form of cryptocurrency used for app purchases on a designated blockchain.
During his initial term, Trump, who once described cryptocurrency as “not money,” critiquing its value as “based on thin air,” has since shifted his perspective on technology. He was the first major candidate to accept donations in cryptocurrency during his campaign. Since assuming office, he has introduced his own cryptocurrency.
Just last week, Trump compensated 220 individuals involved in another cryptocurrency venture, Trump’s Memecoin, leading to allegations that he has blurred the lines between his responsibilities as president and personal interests during a lavish dinner at a luxury golf club in Northern Virginia.
At an event hosted at his Mar-A-Lago club in Florida during the May 2024 presidential election, Trump received confirmation that supporters from the cryptocurrency sector would significantly fund his re-election. He plans to address major Bitcoin events throughout the campaign, with Vice President JD Vance scheduled to speak at a gathering this week.
On May 20, 2025, Donald Trump unveiled the Golden Dome, marking one of the most ambitious and contentious defense projects in US history.
The $175 billion initiative that Trump aims to implement before his term ends in January 2029 seeks to establish a comprehensive missile defense system designed to guard the United States against nuclear threats, including intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) and advanced weaponry.
Inspired by Israel’s Iron Dome, the proposal envisions a global network of both terrestrial and space-based detectors and interceptors, enabling the destruction of enemy missiles in the atmosphere before they reach US soil.
While the administration has yet to clarify the operational details, critics argue that the concept is not only impractical but could also foster dangerous instability.
A New Era for Space
“The Golden Dome is reminiscent of a rebranded Strategic Defense Initiative,” says Dr. Michael Mulbihill, a researcher at Teesside University specializing in the geopolitical and technical ramifications of space weaponization. BBC Science Focus. “There are numerous political dynamics at play.”
The Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI), proposed by President Ronald Reagan in the 1980s, aimed to create a US missile defense system using lasers, satellites, and other space-based technologies to intercept incoming Soviet missiles. Eventually, the project was abandoned due to concerns over its technical feasibility and astronomical costs.
Critics warn that the Golden Dome could revive similar flawed thinking, leading to severe ramifications for space security.
Although space has historically supported military operations through satellites for tracking, communication, and navigation, it hasn’t typically been viewed as a battlefield. In fact, the Outer Space Treaty explicitly prohibits the use of outer space for hostile purposes.
However, the Golden Dome might change that paradigm.
“This initiative could serve as a catalyst for the weaponization of space, prompting the development of various systems that have emerged in recent years,” warns Mulvihill.
The concern isn’t solely about US weapons in orbit; it extends to potential responses from other nations, such as Russia, raising the specter of an extensive orbital arms race.
Fueling an Arms Race
Critics like Mulvihill underscore that space-based missile shields could ultimately backfire, making the world less safe. The logic is straightforward: if one side creates a defense system capable of intercepting missiles, the opposing side is likely to retaliate by increasing its missile arsenal to overwhelm those defenses.
“This has been a consistent issue with anti-ballistic missile systems,” Mulvihill points out. “They can be overloaded, as seen in the 1960s and ’70s when both the US and USSR significantly increased their warhead counts.”
All defense systems come with inherent limitations. The Cold War taught us that the goal is often to amass enough warheads to ensure that at least some can reach their targets.
According to Mulbihill, the Golden Dome poses a risk of repeating this cycle on an even larger scale.
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Low Earth Orbit: A Crowded Space
Implementing the Golden Dome would require thousands of new satellites. This space component could involve Starlink-like megaconstellations equipped with interceptor missiles to target ICBMs during the initial launch phase.
That isn’t just ambitious—it’s hazardous.
A 2024 study published in Nature’s Sustainability estimated that there could be over 100,000 low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellites by 2034. According to NASA, there are already more than 25,000 objects greater than 10cm in size, along with approximately 500,000 smaller fragments.
Even in the absence of weapons, navigation in space is becoming increasingly challenging. The addition of thousands of military satellites could dramatically heighten the risk of collisions and debris.
“If one of these interceptors malfunctions or detonates, it doesn’t just result in the loss of a single satellite; it can render entire orbits unusable for years,” warns Mulvihill.
He provides a stark analogy: “In naval warfare, when a ship sinks, the battlefield is abandoned. In space, the debris remains, circling the Earth at incredibly high speeds.”
A rocket launched from Gaza is intercepted on October 9, 2023, by the Israeli Iron Dome near Ashkelon, Israel.
Is the Golden Dome Feasible?
In addition to the geopolitical and environmental concerns, the Golden Dome faces fundamental operational challenges that could hinder its effectiveness.
While it may be capable of intercepting slower threats such as drones and short-range missiles, the difficulties presented by ICBMs are significantly greater.
“Interdicting an ICBM during its boost phase is extraordinarily challenging,” says Mulvihill. “Those missiles are launched from locations that could include central China or central Russia.”
To achieve global coverage within such a limited window, a tremendous number of space-based interceptors would be necessary.
According to a February 2025 Report from the American Physical Society (APS), over 1,000 orbital weapons would be essential to intercept even North Korean ICBMs during their boost phase. For 10 missiles launched in quick succession, around 10,000 interceptors would be required.
The costs entailed would be astronomical, and vulnerability to anti-satellite attacks from countries like Russia adds another layer of complexity. Reports suggest that such developments pose severe risks.
The APS report concludes with cautionary insight: “Even relatively modest numbers of nuclear-armed ICBMs present substantial challenges for creating reliable and effective defenses.”
“An extensive review of published literature highlights that many key challenges identified in developing and deploying efficient ballistic missile defenses are likely to remain unresolved beyond the 15-year timeframe we studied.”
Not Just Another Iron Dome
While the Golden Dome draws its name and inspiration from Israel’s Iron Dome, the comparison is misleading.
“People tend to focus on the success of the Israeli Iron Dome, but we must remember that it’s designed to protect against much lower-altitude projectiles and even some handheld rockets,” asserts Mulvihill. “ICBMs operate in an entirely different arena.”
Despite the ambitious plans for the Golden Dome, Mulvihill remains doubtful about its viability as a serious defense mechanism.
“It seems more like a spectacle fueled by political motives and opportunism from the aerospace industry,” he concludes.
About Our Experts
Michael Mulbihill is a researcher at Teesside University focused on sociotechnical and astrophysical phenomena stemming from nuclear deterrence and space technology. He also serves as the deputy convener for the Military War and Security Research Group and is a member of the Space Cooperative Working Group of the British Association for International Studies.
OpenAI is set to acquire an innovative startup for $6.4 billion, marking its largest acquisition to date. The hardware startup, named IO, was established by Apple design legend Jony Ive, who is widely recognized as a key architect behind the iPhone. Sam Altman, the CEO of both IO and OpenAI, highlighted in a blog post that their partnership is expected to span two years.
“Our collaboration, rooted in friendship, curiosity, and aligned values, has rapidly expanded in ambition,” they noted in their blog, offering minimal specifics about the forthcoming devices. “Initial concepts and explorations have refined into tangible designs.”
The acquisition of IO by OpenAI is its most notable to date. According to the blog post, Ive and other alumni from Apple co-founded IO a year ago as part of a larger initiative called Lovefrom, which they describe as a “creative collective” of architects, artists, engineers, designers, musicians, and writers.
Ive departed from Apple in 2019 after spending 27 years as a leading product designer. He is celebrated for his minimalist aesthetics and meticulous attention to details such as packaging and typography. One of his early acclaimed designs was the vibrant, bubble-shaped iMac computer, followed by iconic products like the iPod, iPhone, MacBook Air, Apple Watch, and AirPods.
For his contributions to distinctive product design, Ive was knighted by Princess Anne at Buckingham Palace in 2012.
In a blog post shared on Wednesday, Altman and Ive stated that the IO team will integrate with OpenAI to foster closer collaboration with their research, engineering, and product divisions. Although Ive will not join OpenAI as an employee, his company will manage all of OpenAI’s design aspects, including software. Bloomberg.
Since launching Lovefrom and leaving Apple, Ive has largely remained low-profile, and IO has yet to unveil any hardware. However, reports suggest that the company has clients such as Christie’s, Airbnb, and Ferrari. Another venture IVE is pursuing is the design of Lovefrom’s headquarters in San Francisco. The New York Times detailed that Ive is tasked with creating the headquarters for the entity he is developing at OpenAI.
While OpenAI hasn’t yet revealed any hardware products, it indicates a future direction in that realm. The company has hired hardware and robotics experts, including Caitlin “CK” Karinovsky, who previously led Meta’s Augmented Reality Glasses initiative. In her LinkedIn announcement, Karinovsky mentioned that her new focus at OpenAI will be on “robotics projects and partnerships aimed at integrating AI into the physical realm.” OpenAI is also investing in robotics startups including Physical Intelligence, stating, “We intend to bring general AI into the physical world.”
Investors have been actively funding OpenAI in recent years, with a current valuation of $300 billion, according to Bloomberg. In March, OpenAI completed a $400 billion funding round led by the Japanese conglomerate SoftBank. Microsoft holds a 49% stake in the AI company after its $13 billion investment in 2023.
In addition to the acquisition of IO, OpenAI has also pursued other significant purchases in the past year. Earlier this month, it acquired the AI-assisted coding tool Windsurf for $3 billion, and last summer, it purchased Rockset, a real-time analytics database, for an undisclosed amount.
Analysis from the ESO’s Very Large Telescope (VLT) and ALMA data indicates that intense radiation from a quasar within these galaxies affects the gas properties of other galaxies, reducing their ability to form new stars.
Artistic impression of a galaxy merger where the right galaxy hosts a quasar at its core. This quasar, containing a supermassive black hole, emits a powerful radiation cone that affects neighboring galaxies. This interaction can destroy gas and dust clouds, leaving behind only denser regions that may struggle to form stars. Image credit: ESO/M. Kornmesser.
“In the far reaches of the universe, two galaxies are entangled in an exhilarating conflict,” remarked Dr. Paschier Notardem, an astronomer affiliated with the Paris Astronomical Institute.
“On a collision course at speeds of 500 km/s, they collide multiple times, only to push one another away before gearing up for another round.”
“Thus, we refer to this system as the ‘space joust.’ However, these galactic contenders don’t fight fairly, utilizing quasars to strike with beams of radiation.”
Quasars are the luminous cores of certain distant galaxies powered by supermassive black holes, emitting substantial amounts of radiation.
The combination of a quasar with a galaxy was significantly more common during the universe’s first billion years, allowing astronomers to glimpse the remote past using powerful telescopes.
The light from this “joust of the universe” traveled over 11 billion years to reach us, providing a snapshot of the universe when it was merely 18% of its current age.
ALMA image showcasing the molecular gas content of two galaxies involved in a collision. Image credits: ALMA/ESO/NAOJ/NRAO/Balashev et al.
“According to Dr. Sergei Balashev from the Ioffe Institute,
the observations from the new VLT/ALMA indicate that radiation from the quasar J012555.11-012925.00 obliterates the normal gas and dust clouds in the surrounding galaxy, leaving only the densest regions.
These regions are likely too limited for star formation, causing a significant decline in stellar nurseries within the affected galaxy.
However, the transformed galaxies are not the only ones undergoing changes.
“These mergers are believed to funnel substantial amounts of gas into the supermassive black holes at the galaxies’ centers,” Dr. Balashev mentioned.
“In this cosmic arena, fresh supplies of fuel come within reach of black holes that power the quasar.”
“As these black holes are nourished, the quasar can persist in its destructive assault.”
A paper detailing these findings was published today in the journal Nature.
____
S. Balashev et al. Quasar radiation transforms gas in a merged companion galaxy. Nature Published online on May 21, 2025. doi:10.1038/s41586-025-08966-4
Brazil Takes the Lead in Funding Forest Conservation
Luiz Claudio Marigo/Nature Picture Library/Alamy
During the COP30 Climate Summit in November, a coalition of countries led by Brazil introduces a groundbreaking initiative aimed at compensating tropical nations for sustaining their forest ecosystems.
The Tropical Forests Forever Facility (TFFF) secures funding through investments rather than relying solely on donations or the sale of carbon credits.
“We need to explore new fundraising avenues for tropical forests. This innovative fund has the potential to play a vital role in complementing traditional grant-based funding and, more importantly, reducing our dependency on carbon trading,” states Kate Dooley, from the University of Melbourne, Australia.
The fund is positioned as a substitute for the carbon market, offering businesses a means to offset their emissions by financing forest protection. While it was once seen as a promising strategy for generating funds from the private sector, it has faced significant backlash for favoring corporate profits over environmental benefits.
A major benefit of TFFF is its straightforward approach. Rather than estimating how much carbon is stored in forests or assessing their vulnerability, the initiative compensates for the intact forest canopy each year, monitored through satellite technology.
“Our team approached the Brazilian government in 2023,” explains Pedro Moura Costa, an expert in environmental finance.
Unlike government donations that can be inconsistent and withdrawable at any moment, this fund is designed for sustainability.
The project’s planners aim to secure a $25 billion sovereignty loan from the government along with an additional $100 billion from private investors. These funds will be directed towards corporate bonds and green energy initiatives, particularly avoiding industries tied to deforestation.
After ensuring a fixed return for investors, any profits generated will flow directly to tropical nations for forest conservation efforts. This includes expanding conservation agencies. Crucially, 20% of the resources must be allocated to Indigenous communities, with TFFF collaborating closely with the Global Alliance of Territorial Communities, advocating for Indigenous rights.
The funds projected can generate $4 billion annually, which is sufficient to offer $4 every year per hectare of tropical forest preserved. Conversely, for every hectare lost, $100 will be deducted from government payments. Moura states it takes 100 years for primary tropical forests to regenerate, demanding a high level of responsibility.
However, the current proposal defines an undisturbed forest as having only 20% canopy cover, raising concerns of potential overexploitation. Dooley warns that “fires often indicate degradation rather than being its cause,” pointing out flaws in using fire metrics for monitoring.
Several environmental organizations and climate finance analysts have expressed strong disapproval of this concept. They argue that wealthier nations should provide direct financial support to poorer countries rather than investing in uncertain ventures. Frederick Hash from the Green Finance Observatory, which evaluates private investments in green opportunities, states, “Conservation funds are vulnerable to future economic shifts, interest rates, and fund management capabilities. This differs markedly from grants, and may not meet the expectations of a fund aimed at addressing our critical ecological challenges.” He adds that the promised 20% for Indigenous peoples “seems insufficient and fails to acknowledge their valuable contributions.”
Despite insufficient donor funding for conservation and the looming threat of surpassing the Paris Agreement’s 1.5°C warming limit, advocates argue there is an urgent need for practical alternatives to grant-based support.
“To initiate substantial change, we must devise new, innovative strategies where environmental protection becomes self-funding and is no longer dependent on grants or handouts. Without this, we may face failure,” remarks Moura.
“There must be a mechanism to compensate those safeguarding nature and preserving forests.” Simon Zadeck, a climate adaptation consultant and investment platform expert, adds, “Funding sources might include domestic finances and philanthropy, alongside income from natural products like nuts and timber, but these are insufficient alone. Thus, we need to promote creative funding solutions.”
If TFFF can achieve its $125 billion goal, it will represent the most significant single funding source in history for forest conservation. It may even surpass Brazil’s current environmental budget.
However, the success of this initiative hinges on attracting enough capital during what international experts identify as a particularly challenging economic landscape.
“This geoeconomic environment presents significant obstacles for such an ambitious project,” says Zadek. “Public finances are strained, and private investment is currently focused on short- to medium-term returns.”
OpenAI is reportedly negotiating to acquire Windsurf, an AI-driven programming tool, for approximately $3 billion, according to two informed sources.
This acquisition could potentially draw in thousands of new customers from the tech sector, as it swiftly embraces tools like Windsurf, which enables instant code generation.
Should the deal go through, it would represent OpenAI’s largest acquisition to date, aiming to broaden its offerings beyond its well-known chatbot ChatGPT. Last year, OpenAI acquired Rockset, a startup aimed at assisting businesses in constructing the foundational elements of large-scale computer networks.
Windsurf, previously recognized as Codeum, was valued at $1.25 billion following a $150 million funding round led by the venture capital firm General Catalyst last year.
The agreement is not finalized yet, as the two anonymous sources indicated. Initial reports of discussions have surfaced previously on Bloomberg.
OpenAI currently offers technology that enables users to create their own code. In fact, Windsurf utilizes OpenAI technology or similar systems from firms like Google and Anthropic for code generation.
About four years ago, researchers from companies such as OpenAI and Google started developing systems to analyze extensive text data sourced from the Internet, including digital books, Wikipedia articles, and chat logs. By recognizing patterns within this content, these systems can generate text, including poetry and news articles.
What surprised many was that researchers were able to create their own programming code. Currently, developers use these systems to produce code and integrate it into large software projects with tools like Windsurf and Microsoft’s Copilot.
(Times has filed a lawsuit against OpenAI and its partner Microsoft, accusing them of copyright violation regarding AI Systems news content. Both OpenAI and Microsoft have denied these allegations.)
Developing technologies that enhance coding tools is incredibly costly for companies such as OpenAI, and startups face pressure to generate revenue.
OpenAI anticipates earning around $3.7 billion this year, according to financial documents reviewed by The New York Times. The company expects revenues to reach $11.6 billion next year.
In March, OpenAI concluded a $40 billion funding round, which valued the company at $300 billion, making it one of the most valuable private enterprises globally, alongside prominent players like TikTok parent company ByteDance and SpaceX. This funding round was led by Japan’s SoftBank.
However, scrutiny is placed on this transaction as OpenAI plans to revise its complex corporate structure, and failure to accomplish this by year-end could allow SoftBank to reduce its overall investment to $20 billion.
On Friday, Google consented to pay Texas $1.4 billion, facing accusations of violating state residents’ privacy related to two lawsuits concerning location tracking, search history, and facial recognition data collection.
Attorney General Ken Paxton, who facilitated the settlement, initiated a lawsuit in 2022 under Texas’ data privacy and deceptive trade practices legislation. Less than a year later, he achieved a $1.4 billion settlement with Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram.
This settlement marks another legal challenge for the tech giant. In the last two years, Google has faced a series of antitrust cases, revealing its significant control over app stores, search engines, and advertising technology. Recent legal battles have sought to counter the U.S. government’s requests to break up the company.
“Big tech must adhere to the law,” Paxton stated.
Google spokesperson José Castañeda remarked that the company has already revised its product policies. “This resolves numerous longstanding claims, many of which have found resolution elsewhere,” he noted.
Privacy concerns have caused significant friction between tech corporations and regulators in recent years. In the absence of federal privacy regulations, states like Texas and Washington have enacted laws to limit the collection of facial, voice, and other biometric data.
Google and Meta have been among the leading companies challenged under these regulations. Texas law, known as the Capture or Use of Biometric Identifiers, mandates that companies obtain consent before utilizing features like facial and speech recognition technology. Violators can face penalties of up to $25,000 per breach.
The lawsuit under this law centers on the Google Photos app, which facilitates searching for images of specific individuals. Future Google cameras may issue alerts upon recognizing visitors at a door. Moreover, Google Assistant is designed to learn and respond to inquiries from up to six users.
Mr. Paxton filed another lawsuit claiming that Google misled Texans by tracking their personal location data, even when they believed they had disabled the feature. He asserted additional grievances in the lawsuit, alleging that Google’s private browsing settings (known as Incognito Mode) were not genuinely private. These cases were filed under the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act.
The Trump administration discontinued its $18.1 billion grant to the National Institutes of Health within just 40 days.
This information comes from an analysis published in JAMA on Thursday, which utilizes data from the Department of Health and Human Services to monitor accountability within the government grant system.
The analysis offers the most extensive overview to date regarding the reduction of NIH funding following the Trump administration’s significant efforts to eliminate perceived waste and inefficiency in federal spending.
Michael Liu, a student at Harvard Medical School, noted that while some grants are still uncertain due to new terminations and temporary revivals due to court orders, the HHS grant tracker remains the most reliable and current dataset available.
From February 28th to April 8th, the administration processed close to 700 grants at 24 NIH labs and centers, concentrating on areas such as aging, cancer, child health, diabetes, mental disorders, and neuropathy.
“These cuts haven’t been evenly distributed,” Liu remarked. “The National Institute on Health and Health Disparities in Minority has faced the steepest reductions, with approximately 30% of its funding cut—ten times the average.”
President Trump’s upcoming budget proposal aims to eliminate all funding for the National Institute focused on health disparities among minorities, labeling the Institute as “full of DEI spending.” His January executive order called for the cessation of a program centered on diversity, equity, and inclusion.
The proposal also suggests an overall reduction in NIH funding, slashing its budget for the next fiscal year to $27 billion, a decrease of around $18 billion, which would eliminate gender-focused research and studies on climate change. The administration plans to emphasize research on chronic diseases and other epidemics.
So far, most NIH grants that have been finalized have been directed toward research projects, with about 20% allocated to early career grants, training, or development. The analysis indicates that larger grants are more prone to termination, though it’s unclear if they were intentionally targeted based on the data.
“These sizable grants typically support large clinical trials and extensive research centers,” Liu explained. “Halting these initiatives is incredibly damaging, as it prevents patients from receiving necessary medications or interventions.”
Liu also pointed out that the analysis suggests that the rescinded grants are severely disrupted by both public and private institutions.
Among the grant recipients, Columbia University faced the highest number of terminations, totaling 157. The Trump administration targeted Columbia for funding cuts, citing “ongoing omissions at schools amid the persistent harassment of Jewish students” following significant Palestinian protests on campus. Columbia recently laid off 180 staff members associated with federal grants affected by these cuts.
“Columbia’s leadership continues to engage with the federal government to seek a resolution for resuming these research activities,” an official wrote in a letter to the Columbia community. “We are actively planning to address all potential contingencies, but tensions with federal authorities impact our financial situation and our research mission.
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