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From pickups to idle plants: automakers seek lifeline from defence boom
Western automakers are chasing a defence spending boom as a way to sell more vehicles and make use of underemployed factories, though executives say military work will not make up for slowing car sales and growing Chinese competition.
The longevity boom is getting ahead of the science
Billions are pouring into anti-ageing biotech, but manipulating ageing has risks we are only beginning to understand.
Robert Pattinson reveals his favorite meme of himself: ‘It makes me feel like a boomer’
King of memes, Robert Pattinson, reveals his personal favorite of his many, many popular memes. His ‘Primetime’ director, Lance Oppenheim, also weighs in on meme culture and its deep connections to the film.
Forget Politics. EVs Have An Age Problem
Republicans and Democrats are surprisingly aligned on EV buying intent. It's Boomers that are the problem.
As the coding boom fades, computer science grads focus on AI skills in choppy job market
CS grad Jack Zemke sent hundreds of applications into the void, then landed an “AI evangelist” role after demoing a project. As AI reshapes entry-level hiring, schools pivot to AI tool training and new internships.
David Beckham Earnings Boom Amid FIFA World Cup
The soccer star and Inter Miami owner saw revenue and profits at his brand business soar even ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
How AI Is Driving Both Parties Back to Their Roots
The dot-com boom shifted political alignments. AI is shifting them back.
As coding boom fades, computer science grads focus on AI skills in choppy job market
It has been a difficult job market for new graduates, especially in fields like software development where artificial intelligence is shouldering more of the work.
As the coding boom fades, computer science grads focus on AI skills in choppy job market
It's a difficult job market for new graduates, especially in fields like software development where artificial intelligence is shouldering more of the work.
As the coding boom fades, computer science grads focus on AI skills in choppy job market
It's a difficult job market for new graduates, especially in fields like software development where artificial intelligence is shouldering more of the work. While college students majoring in computer...
As the coding boom fades, computer science grads focus on AI skills in choppy job market
Computer science student Jack Zemke was getting nowhere despite sending out hundreds of job applications that mostly disappeared into the void — ignored. With his graduation from Tulane University ju...
HSBC plans India equity broking return after 13 years amid IPO boom, sources say
HSBC is re-entering India's equity broking business after an absence of more than a decade, seeking to capitalise on a robust pipeline of share sales and rising demand from wealthy clients for equity market products, two people with direct knowledge of the matter said.
Passing the torch: Who will own the business next?
Across our region, businesses are changing hands. While 350,000 U.S. baby boomers attempt to sell their businesses annually, the Inland Northwest alone holds a pool of 49,000 baby boomer-owned businesses facing transition. However, local and national success rates hover between 20% and 30%. When…
AI Boom, Politics, Inflation Stoke Anxiety Across Big Law
AI’s ascendance, polarized politics, and stubborn inflation are weighing down legal professionals, survey shows.
Amazon leans into 'boomerang' hiring, recruiting former employees back
Amazon is courting former employees for open roles across the company, including some workers it laid off, recruiter emails show.
Business booms at Montgomery's Perennial restaurant after NYT honor
A local Montgomery restaurant built on sustainability has seen an overwhelming uptick in business since being named to the The New York Times Restaurant List for 2026.
Boom Year for Desert Blooms
Carpets of wildflowers burst from arid, ochre-colored land in Western Australia following winter rains.
MSCHF bends and twists LEXUS cars into surreal full-scale sculptures in new york
two vehicles are stretched into impossible geometries, translating squash-and-stretch animation into full-scale automotive sculpture.
Is 50 the new 60?
Subscribe TL;DR: Younger generations are showing signs of worse health compared to earlier-born cohorts at the same age This backward “drift” is showing up both in mortality risk and chronic disease Worsening trends in obesity and diabetes are the most consistent signals Taking the long view, we’ve made astonishing gains in health and life expectancy in the last century. Global average life expectancy has more than doubled from 32 years in 1900 to 73 years in 2024. (But don’t forget, there were still old people when life expectancy was 32). As people lived longer, they also generally lived healthier along the way. It turns out that avoiding things that can kill you early, like malnutrition and lots of childhood infections, also keeps you healthier later in life. In a classic 2004 paper, Finch and Crimmins proposed that cohorts of children who benefited from fewer early life infections had less lifetime exposure to inflammation and cardiovascular disease later in life, accelerating mortality improvements at older ages. Poor nutrition in the womb has also been linked to a higher risk of later chronic disease. The upshot is that improvements in childhood health can pay dividends many decades later. The combination of better living conditions (nutrition, sanitation) and medical advances (antibiotics, vaccines, blood pressure meds, etc) meant that people’s healthy lifespan generally expanded, even as they lived longer. Aging researchers call this best-case scenario “compression of morbidity”—meaning we delay the onset of disease and disability even faster than the years of life we are adding. During my 20+ year research career, we could generally bank on the idea that younger generations would not only live longer but also keep getting healthier along the way. “60 is the new 50” as they say… Enter “Generational Health Drift” Sadly, this expectation of steady progress may be changing. You’ve probably heard that US life expectancy gains have slowed to a crawl in the past couple of decades. Mortality improvements are also slowing (though less dramatically) in many other high-income countries (you can read more about that in a review paper I wrote here). Mortality is a very blunt health measure, but it is often a good barometer for the broader population health trends happening underneath. And we are now seeing that younger generations may be in worse health at similar ages compared to earlier born cohorts. My collaborator Prof. George Ploubidis at University College London coined this worsening health in more recently born cohorts “generational health drift.” “Generational health drift” is bad news on multiple fronts. Most obviously, we don’t want our health progress to go backward. But the timing is also bad, since our populations are aging. In demographic terms, “population aging” means that the proportion of the population at older ages (i.e >65 years) is increasing. Fun demography fact: Current population aging is not due to the recent declines in the birth rates making the news, but declines in fertility decades ago, after the “baby boom.” As baby boomers reach older ages, the smaller cohorts behind them mean the percentage of older adults will increase. For example, the share of the population age 65 and older in the US increased from 12.4% in 2004 to 18.0% in 2024. This story of population aging was written long ago. Many worry that population aging will put pressure on health care and pension systems. But if people reach older ages in better health than in years past, those fiscal pressures would be less dire than projected. Healthy older people can also continue to contribute to society in many valuable ways, including paid work, caregiving, community service….even high political office 🤷. On the flip side, if younger generations reach retirement age in worse health and with more disabling conditions, this could magnify the societal challenge of population aging. Evidence for worsening generational health A recent paper that I LOVED in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences by Dr. Leah Abrams and colleagues examined which birth cohorts (aka generations) were behind worsening US mortality. Behold the Lexis diagram (cue swooning demographers). Calendar time is on the x-axis, age on the y-axis. Birth cohorts can be followed over time as they age on the diagonal lines moving up and to the right. This figure plots the year-on-year % change in all-cause mortality at a given age. Green shading indicates mortality improvements over time, white is stagnation, and gray shading indicates worsening mortality. Following the diagonal line for those born in 1950, you can see a noticeable shift from green to gray that follows this cohort for most of their lives. This gray shading shows generally worsening mortality for the 1950 to 1959 birth cohorts compared to their predecessors across all ages. Concerningly for my GenX and elder millennial peeps, there was also a deterioration in mortality for birth cohorts born in the 1970s and 1980s, visible as dark gray areas at ages 30 to 45 during the 2010s. While some of these mortality changes reflect specific shocks such as the opioid epidemic, most deaths still occur from major causes of death such as cardiovascular disease and cancer. For cancer, the gray in the top left corner of the figure below reflects the legacies of smoking for older cohorts, followed by a period of green with improvements in cancer mortality as smoking rates declined. But the white/gray shading in the bottom right corner highlights a stagnation and reversal of the cancer trends, with cohorts born around 1970 to 1985 experiencing worsening cancer mortality. This deterioration was most noticeable for colon cancer mortality, possibly linked to obesity or dietary factors. Not just dying more, but less healthy along the way. A recent paper by Dr. Laura Gimeno of University College London (of which I am a co-author), found evidence that more recently born cohorts in Great Britain have stagnating or worsening health. A stylized picture of what“generational health drift” might look like: The review paper found: Rates of childhood overweight and obesity were highest among Gen Z. Rates of diabetes in the 40s almost doubled from 3.1% among the Baby Boomers to 5.9% in Generation X. Gen Z reported higher rates of poor mental health in adolescence compared to earlier-born groups. These UK results are consistent with studies showing worsening health across generations in the US as well. A 2021 US study found that more recently born cohorts had worse biological markers (like blood pressure and blood sugar) than earlier generations at the same age. A separate 2022 study of Americans aged 50 and over found that more recently born generations had a higher number of chronic diseases, with younger age of disease onset. A 2024 Lancet paper found that in the US, women born in 1945 had 33% obesity prevalence at age 50, rising to 48.2% for women born in 1970 turning 50. So what’s going on, and can we turn it around? We don’t have a definitive answer for what’s causing the deteriorating health of younger cohorts, but circumstantial evidence points to worsening trends in obesity and diabetes in both the US and UK. Remember that cohort trends reflect lagged effects of early environments, and younger generations have faced both earlier onset and more severe obesity across their lifetimes. Despite these very concerning trends, the future is not set in stone. We’ve reversed poor generational health trends before: drops in smoking are a major reason cancer and heart disease deaths fell so dramatically in recent decades. GLP-1 drugs may finally turn the tide against rising rates of obesity and diabetes, though it is still early days. But things could also get worse…for example from a return to higher levels of childhood infectious diseases that can have a lasting impact on health. See for example: [ ](https://jenndowd.substack.com/p/dont-you-forget-about-measles-the) [ Don’t You Forget About Me(asles): The Virus That Erases Immune Memory ](https://jenndowd.substack.com/p/dont-you-forget-about-measles-the) Jenn Dowd, PhD · March 24, 2025 [ Read full story ](https://jenndowd.substack.com/p/dont-you-forget-about-measles-the) Even as an optimist, emerging data on the “generational health drift” has my full attention. For most of my research career, we took it for granted that each generation would be healthier than the last. But if present trends continue, **50 could be the new 60….**and Gen Z celebrities will soon look older than Paul Rudd :). Stay well, Jenn Share the Health! If you found this post useful, please share it with a friend. Share
3 Stocks to Consider From the Booming Business Information Industry
AI, proprietary data and cloud platforms are reshaping business information services. FDS, VRSK and TRU are positioned to benefit.
Kelly Loeffler warns of 'silver tsunami' as boomer business owners retire
U.S. Small Business Administrator Kelly Loeffler discusses the economic impact of the 'silver tsunami' on small businesses. She details how the agency supports millennials transitioning into skilled blue-collar trades.
What’s a Classic Car? Younger Collectors Prize Less Heralded Models.
Baby boomers embraced brawny cars from the 1950s and ’60s, but as new collectors take up the hobby, Mazdas and Nissans from the 1980s and ’90s are hot, and still don’t break the bank.
What’s a Classic Car? Younger Collectors Prize Less Heralded Models.
Baby boomers embraced brawny cars from the 1950s and ’60s, but as new collectors take up the hobby, Mazdas and Nissans from the 1980s and ’90s are hot, and still don’t break the bank.
Boomers love AI images of their grandkids; millennial parents hate it
Some grandparents think AI images of their grandkids are adorable. Millennial parents worry about privacy, consent, and where the photos may end up.
Boomers love AI images of their grandkids; millennial parents hate it
Some grandparents think AI images of their grandkids are adorable. Millennial parents worry about privacy, consent, and where the photos may end up.
Why Goldman Sachs still prefers AI infrastructure to 5% Treasuries
Higher rates haven't necessarily undermined the AI boom
Oracle CEO tells employees AI has not sped up product delivery
Oracle's chief reveals what the AI productivity boom is missing.
Oracle CEO tells employees AI has not sped up product delivery
Oracle's chief reveals what the AI productivity boom is missing.
Oracle CEO tells employees AI has not sped up product delivery
Oracle's chief reveals what the AI productivity boom is missing.
Oklahoma ranks top 10 for business bankruptcies despite startup boom
Oklahoma ranks in the top 10 for business bankruptcies as interest rates rise, yet the state remains a top spot for startups.
📚 Philly’s bookstore boom
Philadelphia bookstores are seeing a surge in sales. Plus: more people are composting; Temple police officer under investigation for alleged racist remarks; Johnny Doc is now a Republican.
As the Rich Buy Bigger Boats, Private Equity Is Investing in the Booming Marina Business
The private equity firm Blackstone now owns more marinas than anyone in the world.
Trump announces new 'AI Force,' vows to protect industry as AI czar announcement nears
Trump's new AI Force mirrors his first-term Space Force creation, with a high-IQ "czar" appointment coming soon to oversee the booming industry.
The Watch: Drought-Flood Whiplash Intensifies As Climate Warms
Frequent extreme shifts in weather challenge communities’ preparedness…lagging protections pose health risks as data centers boom…nearly half of all young Medicaid users could lose coverage under new policies…and more
Telehealth companies keep exposing their customers’ medical data. What should they do?
It's not hard to explain why business is booming for telehealth companies.
$700 Billion Data Center Boom: Tax Gains Beat Political Backlash
Data centers need fewer city services than warehouses; electricity and water are solvable problems; and tax gains keep outweighing political backlash
Squishies are everywhere. Burns and safety concerns are rising.
As squishy toys boom, reports of burns, leaks, and explosions are raising new questions about their safety and ingredients.
Nursing Home Beds Are Disappearing. That’s a Problem.
As the oldest baby boomers turn 80, researchers worry there won’t be enough room in nursing facilities for a rapidly graying nation.
Washington Post
Booming business and a minimum investment of just 5,250 Nigerian naira, or $3.94, has made Dangote refinery’s IPO this week Africa’s largest — and inspired an explosion of memes depicting ordinary...
Permitting deal faces political crunch
Senators believe they’re closing in on a long-sought permitting deal, but looming over the talks is whether to address the politically fraught data center boom.
‘Swagger on a trillion’: The booming business of styling NFL players
Custom menswear designers and stylists explain why players use the bowels of stadiums to build their brands and show off their individuality.
The Booming Business of Hair Loss
As hair loss moves from niche concern to mainstream beauty priority, consumers are spending on products spanning scalp serums to LED devices. Now, brands are racing to turn thinning hair into beauty’s next major growth category.
No. 1 2028 pitcher Sophia Schlader commits to OU softball
Sophia Schlader committed to OU softball Wednesday after head coach Patty Gasso posted a "Go Boomer" video on X.
Bills’ Highmark Stadium Debut Begins Boom in New NFL Venues
Seven new NFL stadiums are set to open over the next half decade.
Booming Business: Atlanta Firm Creates Cleaner Way to Sop Up Oil Spills
After the Deepwater Horizon spill, o-founder and CEO Sudhir Sharma, a Georgia Tech Ph.D. and chemical engineer, started wrestling with how to actually clean up spilled oil instead of just moving the problem from the ocean to the landfill.
JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon says small businesses are experiencing a 'mini boom'
JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon said in an interview on Wednesday that he thinks the country's small businesses are having a "mini boom."
COLUMN: Nebraska has only itself to blame for the quiet crowds
Nebraska volleyball players and coaches have noticed a shift in crowd volume at the games. Senior Harper Murray and Head Coach Dani Busboom Kelly each made a statement regarding the crowd energy levels. The team is hoping that the next game against their rivals, Creighton will change that energy.
Zolli Candy CEO Alina Morse: Business is booming
Zolli Candy founder and CEO Alina Morse joins 'Mornings with FOX Business' to discuss Hershey's expansion into healthier options and the growing market for zero-sugar and dye-free children's sweets.
Bozeman photographer pitches nonprofit business plan
Bozeman’s building boom means a steady supply of empty walls rising every month. At the same time, some local photographers have plenty of talent, but no easy way to market
As WA’s economy slows, it’s boom times for government task forces
The Partnership for a Competitive Puget Sound is the third high-profile task force this year – and a sign, perhaps, that political consensus is growing for economic solutions.
Is collagen a lie?
Collagen powders, gummies and pills have boomed in popularity in recent years boosted by claims that they smooth wrinkles, promote glossy hair and help with joint pain. Amid the noise it can be hard to figure out whether there’s any actual science behind the promise of looking younger for longer. Luckily Dr Xand van Tulleken has spent the past three years writing Make me well: a quest to understand the confusing world of wellness, and his chapter on collagen dives deep into the evidence. He tells Madeleine Finlay what collagen does in the body, how we can get it without splashing out on expensive supplements, and why getting to the truth behind wellness claims can be so hard
What one power broker thinks is driving Williamsburg’s booming retail market
Ariel Schuster has been involved in several notable recent transactions in Williamsburg, including Bylt Basics' first New York City store.
Japan’s biomass energy boom threatens further deforestation in Indonesia
Expanding deforestation in Indonesia caused by the country’s wood pellet and chip industry is putting further pressure on tropical forests, Key Biodiversity Areas, and Indigenous territories in the archipelago, according
Former EPA officials: Trump is letting data centers make you sick
“Families shouldn’t have to pay for the AI boom with their health.”
Data Center Boom Brings Health Hazards, Former EPA Officials Warn
Experts warn of dangers from fossil fuel expansion and federal carveouts for the AI industry.
Boom Ball brings unique baseball experience to Niles
Lots of trick plays and entertainment were seen today as the Boom Ball nationwide tour made its way to Niles this evening.
A rare “boomerang” earthquake shocks scientists with its bizarre U-turn in Burma - Futura-Sciences
A March Morning That Changed Everything On March 28, 2025, a violent earthquake struck Myanmar (formerly Burma) with an estimated magnitude between 7.7 and 7.9. The epicenter was close to Mandalay, the country’s second-largest city. The quake’s power rippled far—so much so that tremors were even felt in neighboring Thailand,...
Ohio candidates seeking to regulate data centers both invest in them
Both frontrunners for Ohio governor are adamant about pausing the data center boom, but each is invested in and financially benefiting from the tech hubs they seek to regulate.
The politics and possibilities of ‘AI could kill us all’
I found myself fielding a lot of questions from folks who don’t usually talk much about AI this week. They were mostly along the lines of “do you think AI is going to kill us all?” or “how worried should I be about this human extinction stuff?” Motivating this wave of existential anxiety was the highly dramatic resignation of now-former Anthropic employee Jacob Coxon, who quit his job while publicly sharing his concerns about safety practices at the leading AI companies. More specifically, he declared that almost everyone at OpenAI and Anthropic, the leading AI labs, believes that there’s a decent chance the AI systems they’re producing could “kill us all” by the end of the decade, and the companies aren’t “acting responsibly.” Other AI safety researchers, including those still employed at Anthropic and OpenAI, all confirmed that yes, Coxon is correct, they’re all worried that their company’s products might prove fatal for the entire human race as well. Two more AI employees quit and joined the chorus. Now, the warning shot has been covered everywhere from the Wall Street Journal to Fox News to WIRED to the Guardian. I understand why all this sounds scary, but my response to those who have asked, has generally been: No, you don’t need to worry that AI will kill go rogue and kill us all. But that does not mean we shouldn’t worry, period. Far from it. The companies building AI products are now among the wealthiest and most powerful entities in the world. And they very much are building enormous engines of mass surveillance, extraction, and automation. They can and have allowed their AI systems to carry out felony hacks of other companies, provided the government with autonomously generated kill lists, and sold enterprise technology to firms around the world that is explicitly intended to replace jobs. But “AI” has done these things not because they have all-powerful minds of their own but, ultimately, because people have programmed, calibrated, and directed them to. In other words, it’s not AI we need to worry the most about. It’s the people and corporations working to profit from and gain power by deploying it. The technology is sophisticated, sure, and, especially in cybersecurity contexts, potentially disruptive to plenty of existing systems. But if we want to stop this predatory, profiteering, and extractive form of AI—and it’s worth noting that at this point, most people do—we absolutely can. A quick note/plea: I can only do all of this with the support of readers like you, so if you find value in independent, critical tech journalism and analysis, please consider becoming a paid subscriber. I want to keep as much of this un-paywalled as absolutely possible, and I need your support to do so. Many thanks to all who continue to chip in, it’s very much appreciated. Onward. Subscribe First, some context: AI industry folks like Coxon have been discussing the prospect that AI will destroy humanity for years. Even before the beginning of the AI boom, many working in the industry, from the executive staff to the rank and file researchers, have obsessed over ‘x-risk’, or the possibility that AI will become sentient or semi-sentient and move one way or another to exterminate humanity. This is ostensibly why Elon Musk bankrolled OpenAI in the first place, and is the grounds for his lawsuit alleging OpenAI betrayed its charter by abandoning its nonprofit status to become a commercial enterprise. Many AI engineers and startup founders have calculated their own personal p(doom), or the probability that the tech product they are working on will initiate an actual humanity-extinguishing apocalypse. 10-25% p(doom)s are pretty common. (I wrote about a long weekend I spent among these folks at one of their top conferences here, to give you an idea of their ideas and belief systems.) Sam Altman himself drove the narrative of the imminent rise of a super-powerful AI, or artificial general intelligence, to prominence by declaring that the technology he was building posed an existential risk to humanity. This idea is in other words baked into the DNA of modern AI companies and into the products they engineer. It’s also why the industry is routinely accused, by myself and others, of “doom marketing,” ie, using such proclamations and framings to impart the sheer power of the technology behind your product onto investors, partners, consumers, and the state. Some ambient understanding of this tendency may have helped prevent the press from repeating the claim every time one of the x-risk folks made it over the years, including when they quit their jobs at AI companies while doing so. Yet Coxon’s AI x-risk alarm has broken containment, as they say, and has exposed the idea to the mainstream media once again. This has happened, I think, for a number of reasons. First, when AI CEOs were going around saying AI might kill everyone in 2023, their companies were well-capitalized, but not nearly to the extent they are today. They were more easily dismissed as eccentric geeks of the sort that Silicon Valley is supposed to produce. Now, not only do their products have much greater market saturation, but people are more aware of a) the often unethical ways the executives and companies comport themselves b) the other adverse impacts of AI that have already arrived, and c) the physical cost of building these systems, particularly when it comes to data centers. Finally, toss in the constant stream of headlines in 2026 about AI models going rogue or potentially upending the world’s infrastructure. [ ](https://www.bloodinthemachine.com/p/with-the-backlash-to-data-centers) [ With the backlash to data centers, Flock and AI glasses, a mass opposition to big tech is underway. Silicon Valley is in denial. ](https://www.bloodinthemachine.com/p/with-the-backlash-to-data-centers) Brian Merchant · Aug 27 [ Read full story ](https://www.bloodinthemachine.com/p/with-the-backlash-to-data-centers) As a result, general sentiment was already overwhelmingly skeptical of AI and its overlords, so the table was pretty well set for someone to come along and say ‘just a reminder, the companies that are building the product that promises to take your job and leave a data center in your neighborhood also think that it might exterminate the human race’ and get a strong reaction from the media and the public. The question is: Should we understand this stuff as hype, strategically fanned to feed already swelling valuations? Is it doom marketing? Genuine cause for alarm that the infrastructure that undergirds modern life is facing a novel threat vector? Or reason to be sincerely worried that AI companies are amassing too much power, and that their products are genuinely dangerous? The answer, I’m afraid, is “yes.” Let me try to untangle all of this a bit, because arguments over how to navigate this moment are extremely heated right now, as they are essentially arguments over how to approach the politics of AI at a moment where there may be a unique opening for action. Those sympathetic to AI alignment concerns and x risk arguments—which increasingly includes a faction on the left who want to shut down AI over safety concerns—argue that people who dismiss AI as all hype have their heads in the sand. Meanwhile, critics of the x-risk narrative—which I might note includes a cadre of investors and tech folks on the right, too—argue that it is hype and can be used to further inflate valuations or for pursuing regulatory capture. The challenge is that many feel that dismissing AI as just hype or purely marketing also diminishes the urgency of taking on the AI industry as the novel and threat to labor, civil society, and the public sphere it is; others that by accepting the industry’s own terms, we imbue it with undue power and enable it. But let’s be clear: Declarations that AI is so powerful it might end the world are a kind of marketing, and anyone who says otherwise is just as off base as those who say that’s all that it is. If you don’t think that these sub-trillion dollar companies have higher-ups who noticed that when their founders talked about super-powerful dangerous AI they got spikes in media interest and phone calls from investors, or that those founders didn’t notice that themselves, and lean into certain narratives to advantage their products, then I don’t know what to tell you. Not all marketing is a Pepsi ad campaign with a celebrity spokesperson. Yet confronting the AI industry should certainly be considered an urgent project. Do I share the x-riskers’ fear that out-of-control, super-intelligent AI agents might end the world? I do not. I’ve read a good deal of AI extinction literature over the last couple of years and I have not come across a credible, step-by-step documentation of how exactly AI might move from self-recursively improving AI to killing every single human on the planet. Most of what I’ve read seems predicated on a sort of reverse Ian Malcolmian logic: Eventually, it becomes smart enough and AI, uh, finds a way (to exterminate humanity). Are the AI companies also overstating and dramatizing what their products can do? Yes, pretty much all the time. They’re in a knife fight for market share and are trying to win customers and government contracts before their investors come knocking. And yet. They have concentrated enormous amounts of compute, have extensive data collection and surveillance capacities, have inserted themselves into the state in numerous capacities, including military kill chains, and they are being run by egomaniacal billionaires who are rushing to monopolize an entire new market. The way I think about their most recent frightening-seeming exploits is not as a “swarm of rogue AI agents building a new civilization” or whatever, but as corporations with a hitherto-unimaginable amount of compute at their disposal recklessly experimenting with automation programs, completely unafraid of any repercussions because we have been unwilling or unable to impose any on them. So I think we should welcome any newfound imperative to hold them accountable. I also think that ultimately, the AI critics, Pause AI folks, leftists, doomers, effective altruists, and, honestly, most of the public, want a lot of the same things: legitimate checks and limits on AI companies’ power, actual transparency into what the companies are doing, and for more of AI to be under public control. (Ultimately, a lot of what animates the x-risk fears are rooted in just that: a fear of losing control.) How we move towards all this, exactly, is the question of the day, and while there’s much to be argued over in terms of building a viable political platform to challenge the AI industry’s power, I do want to cast a vote against one particular approach. Not to pick on Chris here, as there are a lot of folks out there proposing stuff like this, and the policy ideas actually stem from AI safety groups. But not only would this be challenging to land politically (I can already hear the ‘China will beat us to AGI’ calls) and all but unworkable in practice, this approach is a) far too limiting, b) fails to address the current harms caused by AI and c) would likely only wind up serving Anthropic and OpenAI; it’s what regulatory capture looks like in action. Full model transparency is the floor for what should be on offer here. If these companies believe their products will kill us, the very least we deserve is to know how. It’s in the public interest. I would also argue we might get a lot of the way to stopping any currently envisioned robot apocalypse simply by forcing AI companies to assume liability, and to submit to the full brunt of the law. If Sam Altman were liable to be charged with a felony for approving the hack on Hugging Face1, if Google was forced to pay defamation fines each time it published a false and injurious AI Overviews, these companies might suddenly find cause to restrain their models’ output, and we might hear less about rogue AI. We would need to introduce new frameworks and available tools for tracking automated lawbreaking, to be sure, but I’d wager that little would frighten the AI companies more than actually being held accountable for what their products enable. To that end, Illinois has passed an AI liability law, which the industry fought tooth and nail, and Florida is considering one. The next steps would be towards moving AI under public control; again, it’s only reasonable, since everyone, not just AI insiders, should get a say over how a technology whose developers say might kill us is developed and deployed. Dismantling the whole industrial project as currently structured should be on the table, too, pending democratic input. But that’s for another post. For now, suffice to say that while I won’t be losing any sleep about an AI-enabled extinction event, Mr. Coxon and co. have given us an opportunity to underscore the urgency of the clear and present damage AI companies are doing, the extreme power they wield and the extent to which they hold themselves unaccountable, and the abundance of political capital there is out there for taking them on. Subscribe 1 Purely speculative! I do not know if he did or not.
Data Center Boom Brings Health Hazards, Former EPA Officials Warn
Experts warn of dangers from fossil fuel expansion and federal carveouts for the AI industry.
As Election Day 1876 neared, politicians hit the stump in Colorado's mining boomtowns
Voters in Colorado's mining boomtowns had been an important constituency since its early days as a territory.
Enflame Technology soars after IPO as China backs Nvidia challengers
Tencent-backed Enflame is riding China's AI chip boom as US export curbs accelerate Beijing's semiconductor ambitions.
Business booms as lobbyists push 'priorities' in EU capital
In the shadow of the EU Parliament in Brussels, under a grand white tent filling a museum garden, hundreds of lobbyists, officials and lawmakers hobnob as the cava flows.Those changes did not go far e...
Garry Tan urges separating ‘science fact from science fiction’ amid AI doomsday fears
CNBC’s Kate Rooney sat down for an exclusive interview with Y Combinator CEO Garry Tan to discuss the boom in so-called “hard tech” robotics startups. And discussing the increasingly heated debate over AI safety and how Silicon Valley should handle the rapidly advancing technology.
Is San Antonio's gut health boom backed by science or hype?
From kefir bars to a lupus breakthrough, San Antonio is having a gut health moment. Scientists explain what's evidence-based and what's not.
Is San Antonio's gut health boom backed by science or hype?
From kefir bars to a lupus breakthrough, San Antonio is having a gut health moment. Scientists explain what's evidence-based and what's not.
BOOM! 2028 TE Luke Sohyda commits to Ohio State
BOOOM! Ohio State adds to their 2028 class with a commitment from Pennsylvania tight end Luke Sohyda
A booming business on Wall Street would love more biotechs to quietly die
Once disparaged, reverse mergers have become so popular that some deal experts question whether there are enough quality shell companies to meet the demand.
The data center backlash is reshaping Texas politics
By Texas Tribune Events Staff, The Texas Tribune August 28, 2026 Data centers are reshaping Texas communities, and the politics around them don’t break along familiar lines. On Wednesday, Sept. 9, The Texas Tribune convened a panel examining where Texans actually stand on the data center boom, how opinions are shifting and what it…
Influencer marketing can bring a boom, but will it last?
Influencer marketing has become a polarizing issue, with some businesses and venues pushing back against creators while others see significant value in the exposure they can generate, Inc. reports. For small and midsize businesses, influencer attention can deliver dramatic increases in traffic and sales, but it also comes with risks and operational challenges. In Michigan, […]
NASA X-59 explainer: Science of sonic booms
The most common misconception about sonic booms is that they’re just the sound created at the moment when an aircraft “breaks the sound barrier.”
From Wearables to Robots to Tabletop Trinkets, the AI Hardware Scene Is Booming
AI is supercharging a new crop of gadgets, mixing whimsy with practicality. I checked them out at IFA 2026.
Why September 9 is the most common birthday
Holiday cheer can lead to a baby boom nine months later.
Louisiana concrete companies join forces to capitalize on construction boom
Two Louisiana concrete suppliers are joining forces with two out-of-state companies to pursue large-scale construction projects as billions of dollars in new industrial and technology investment move … Already an INSIDER? Sign in. Already an INSIDER? Sign in
Boomerang hiring is growing. Here's why CEOs like it.
More workers are returning to their former employers. CEOs say boomerang hires bring experience, connections, and other benefits.
Why VCs are questioning AI companies' big revenue claims
Investor skepticism is growing around the revenue claims powering the AI boom.
Trump keeps heralding an economic boom, but even a solid jobs report is causing problems for him
President Donald Trump has spent 20 months promising that America was on the cusp of an economic boom. But Friday's surprisingly positive jobs report ultimately provoked frustration from Trump.
Marvell's AI Business Is Booming. Photonics Could Be Next
Data-center revenue jumped 46% as Marvell positions itself for a shift from copper connections toward faster optical technology.
'Black Swan' investor predicts AI boom ends with crash of a lifetime
Universa Investments' Mark Spitznagel told BI that he expects one more "euphoric rally" followed by a "bigger crash than we've seen in our lifetime."
Nvidia’s Israeli networking business is booming, and so is its economic footprint
The company’s networking revenue reached $32.3 billion in just the first half of fiscal 2027, already surpassing the previous full-year total. Much of the technology behind the business traces back to Mellanox and Nvidia’s Israeli development centers.
East Ohio Street is changing, even booming. Residents and business owners hope the new can lift all
The sound of hammers echoed between historic buildings on East Ohio Street as men in construction vests nailed in scaffolding. Meanwhile, the North Side...
Norah O'Donnell's CBS comeback offers career lessons for returnees
As Norah O'Donnell returns to "CBS Mornings" after seven years away, career experts say boomerangs should treat an old job like a new one.
A16z partner says fears of AI 'permanent underclass' is 'dark fantasy'
He said the AI tech boom is a lot less centralized than previous tech cycles, and many players stand to win.
Dyersville businesses see summer sales boom from Velocity Festival, MLB game, and RAGBRAI
Dyersville restaurants and businesses say the Field of Dreams keeps customers coming through the doors, and a string of special events this summer added even more business.
A Condo for Cars? Luxury Vehicle Storage Turns Parking into Big Business
A booming luxury car residence industry in South Florida has car lovers shelling out millions for opulent auto "condos."
Voya Financial’s (VOYA) Earnings Fell While Its Retirement Business Boomed
On August 4, Voya Financial (NYSE:VOYA) announced its second-quarter 2026 results, and the headline numbers tell an uncomfortable story. Net income available to common shareholders dropped to $90 million, or $0.97 per diluted share, down from $162 million and $1.66 a year earlier. Adjusted operating earnings fell just as sharply, to $140 million from $240 […]
Indoor entertainment fuels UAE attractions boom
Harry Potter land to join expanding number of theme parks on Yas Island
CD sales are booming as physical media continues its resurgence
People are abandoning streaming, but physical media sales continue to grow.
Trump keeps heralding an economic boom, but even a solid jobs report is causing problems for him
President Donald Trump has been promising an economic boom, but Friday's positive jobs report left him frustrated.
Many truckers don't feel like the rest of America about AI data centers as business booms
Sprawling data center components from HVAC systems to tubing, wiring and semiconductors arrive primarily by truck, a boon for a business hit hard by trade wars.
The best time to buy an iPhone may be right this minute
Whatever your favorite smartphone, it’s going to cost more. Blame inflation driven by the AI boom.
Primm braces for booming Labor Day business
Visitors return to Primm Valley Resort as Terrible's takes over operations.
Primm braces for booming Labor Day business
Primm is preparing for a busy Labor Day weekend as travelers stop by while heading in and out of Las Vegas
A record fiscal year for business, job growth in Georgia
The economic boom continued in Georgia last year, with a second record-topping year of business investment and job growth.
How Alliance Entertainment Is Helping Drive the Physical Music Boom
Alliance Entertainment is the biggest indie physical distribution company in the U.S. and is helping drive the vinyl and CD boom, per CEO Jeff Walker.
Why is a can of fish being sold at a Gen Z concert? Behind the popularity boom of tinned fish
The appeal of tinned fish does not only stem from its social media hype; the shelf-friendly protein has also gained popularity for being chock-full of nutrients.
Used books are big business in CT again. ‘People are just reading more in general’.
Whether it’s about cost, availability or a rediscovered love of browsing and collecting, stores and book fairs that specialize in used or out-of-print books are booming.