SCROLL NEWS / DISCOVERY
Search headlines
Find the stories shaping the conversation.
Results for " IRC " 1,497 found 🔀 AI-powered Shuffle
Talking Trash: Avoid Penalties on Cross-Border Business Aircraft Flights
There are strict rules for properly dealing with refuse when flying back into the U.S. Experts say breaking the law risks stiff fines and even prison sentences.
Talking Trash: Avoid Penalties on Cross-Border Business Aircraft Flights
There are strict rules for properly dealing with refuse when flying back into the U.S. Experts say breaking the law risks stiff fines and even prison sentences.
Trump officials decline Sunday show invitations amid Iran strikes
No senior Trump administration officials or cabinet members appeared on the Sunday show television circuit a day after the US and Israel began a major military operation in Iran, killing Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Seattle Times sports staff honored with multiple national awards
The Seattle Times – competing in Division A, the largest print circulation and website division – earned Top 10 honors in four categories of the APSE Contest.
Japan: Resident Evil Requiem on Nintendo Switch 2 is sold out at three of the biggest game retailers
It seems as though Japanese gamers are lapping up the recently released Resident Evil Requiem on the Nintendo Switch 2. Reports are circulating that the latest Resident Evil game on the Nintendo…
Is J.J.McCarthy’s Status with the Vikings in Doubt?
One of the more provocative rumors circulating around the NFL Combine this past week is that the Minnesota Vikings have soured on J.J. McCarthy and may even be pursuing an exit strategy with the former first-round pick. Tony Pauline reports that the Vikings are “quietly pursuing an exit strategy” for McCarthy and that a source […]
US shares video of its Iran strikes, including destroying targets
The US and Israeli militaries launched strikes against Iran with hundreds of aircraft and numerous munitions.
Ducks spend morning teaching science to nearly 7,000 students
On Thursday, students watched Ducks players practice on the ice, who then led demonstrations of the properties of electricity and circuitry.
The Science of It: Lighting Up Circuits For Spark STEMFest in February
The Science of It: Lighting Up Circuits For Spark STEMFest in February
Trump, seeking executive power over elections, is urged to declare emergency
Activists who say they are in coordination with the White House are circulating a draft executive order that would unlock extraordinary presidential power over voting.
Does the US have enough aircraft carriers for all Trump’s wars?
Want to threaten Iran? You’re going to need a bigger boat.
NCAA committee recommends stiff penalties for college football teams that try to circumvent transfer portal
This is the first year of a single transfer portal window in college football
House votes down Senate air safety legislation
The aviation safety bill would have required aircraft to carry advanced location tracking technology, which could have prevented last year’s deadly midair collision
Google Messages Details page brings back edit history
After losing with the broader Material 3 Expressive redesign, Google Messages Details page has regained edit history.
Possible bullet holes mysteriously appear on American Airlines plane after flight from Colombia
American Airlines jet discovered with possible bullet holes after Miami landing from Colombia. Aircraft grounded for investigation following inspection.
WATCH: ‘Can't let’ Iran have a nuclear weapon, Trump says
The U.S. has been building up its largest military presence of American warships and aircraft in decades in the Middle East, as the Trump administration plans to restart talks with Iran over its nuclear program.
Google Messages more widely rolling out circular read receipts redesign
In August of 2024, Google Messages started testing a circular redesign of read receipts. There now looks to be wide beta availability...
Never eat the candy on your pillow: reentry politics
Your circumstances rarely change with reentry no matter who’s president, and it’s easy to forget that there is power in the political
Brazil's Embraer announces new variants of Praetor business jets
Brazilian planemaker Embraer announced on Tuesday new variants of its Praetor business jets as it seeks to capitalize on heated global demand for executive aircraft.
Titans met with small school wideout at HBCU Legacy Bowl
The Tennessee Titans are turning over every stone in search of quality depth, and have met with one of the top HBCU prospects on the All-Star circuit.
MTU Aero Engines Expects Commercial Business to Boost 2026 Revenue
The aircraft-engine manufacturer forecasts higher revenue this year with particularly strong gains in its commercial series business.
How I booked my first business-class flight with points
These are the steps I took to book my first business-class flight with Virgin Atlantic for a trip to London, including how I transferred Amex points for the redemption.
Politics Unplugged Podcast: Richard Ruelas on the Guthrie media circus
Arizona Republic reporter Richard Ruelas joins the pod to talk about the media circus in Tucson for the Guthrie case.
Margo Price talks AI, bro-country and meeting Joan Baez at the circus
Ahead of her Boston show, the Grammy nominee discusses her inspirations — and reveals her unexpected Massachusetts connection.
After decades of soliciting the expertise of locals, Hajo Eicken’s northern career is coming full circle
The director of the International Arctic Research Center at the University of Alaska Fairbanks is returning home to Germany after 28 years in Alaska.
Madison Square Garden Sports shares hit record high as it explores Knicks, Rangers spinoff
Shares of Madison Square Garden Sports rose more than 16% to hit a record high on Wednesday after the company said it has approved a plan to explore a possible spinoff to separate its New York Knicks franchise from its New York Rangers businesses.
Wolfson announces new partnership with Nemours Children’s Health, ends deal with UF Health
Children’s medical care in Jacksonville is entering a new era following an announcement by Wolfson Children’s Hospital.
Five Berkeley Lab Scientists Receive DOE Early Career Research Awards
Five scientists from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) have received Early Career Research Program (ECRP) awards from the Department of Energy. The ECRP program, now in its 16th year, was established to bolster the nation’s scientific workforce by supporting exceptional researchers at the outset of their careers, when many scientists do their most formative work. Recipients use the funding to pursue projects that have the potential to solve scientific challenges and advance the country’s STEM capabilities. To be eligible for the program, a researcher must be an untenured, tenure-track assistant or associate professor at a U.S. academic institution, or a full-time employee at a DOE national laboratory or Office of Science user facility, who is within 10 years of having earned their doctorate. Awards to an institution of higher education will be approximately $875,000 over five years, and awards to a DOE national laboratory or Office of Science user facility will be approximately $2,750,000 over five years. This year’s Berkeley Lab awardees and their projects are listed below: Timon Heim: Better detectors for more powerful particle colliders Timon Heim is a staff scientist in the Physics Division. His ECRP project will develop a new type of detector that can track the particles generated by collisions in particle colliders with high spatial and temporal resolution. Current detectors in use at high-energy colliders, like the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN, can track the trajectory and measure momentum of particles, but they can’t track a particle’s time of arrival with sufficient precision to discern from which of the many particle interactions they originate. Heim’s proposed technology — called a 4D tracking detector, because it captures data about particles’ positions in space and time — aims to solve this challenge, allowing researchers to glean more precise data from collision experiments to uncover new insights into fundamental forces and potentially discover new particles. The enhanced capabilities of 4D detectors will be a necessity for experiments at future colliders, such as the Muon Collider or Future Circular Collider. The project will develop custom microelectronics that process the signal of a pixelated silicon sensor that can register charged particles passing through it in an extreme radiation environment that these colliders produce during operation. The goal is to measure individual particles’ position with 50-micro-meter spatial and 50 pico-second (one trillionth of a second) temporal precision, for an incoming flux of around 1 billion particles per second per square centimeter. Harrison Lisabeth: Studying underground processes to unleash abundant energy Harrison Lisabeth is a research scientist in the Energy Geoscience Division focused on combining real-world experiments and AI to guide development of geothermal energy systems. His project will explore how deep underground rock formations – where geothermal wells are dug – are stressed by chemical reactions of the minerals and mechanical strain from movements in the Earth. A better understanding of subsurface stresses is essential to engineer safe and reliable geothermal wells that access the heat of deep rocks to produce electricity. It is estimated that the U.S. could generate ten times the amount of energy needed to power the grid using geothermal sources. Lisabeth plans to simulate how minerals grow, dissolve, and influence the behavior of surrounding rock in geothermal reservoirs by tracking chemical changes in rock samples under pressure in the lab. The project will also develop machine learning models to predict geologic strain based on field measurements and refine existing models that describe how common rock types deform under stress. Combining these approaches, Lisabeth hopes to develop a framework to predict stress to improve stability and longevity of geothermal wells. Daniel Carney: Pushing the quantum boundaries of particle measurement Daniel Carney is a staff scientist in the Physics Division who uses quantum information science to study particle physics and gravity. At very small scales, “quantum noise” — random fluctuations from the act of measurement — can drown out faint signals from rare processes. Carney’s ECRP project, “Fundamental Physics at the Quantum Limits of Measurement,” aims to build a new mechanical quantum sensor that can measure extremely small particle interactions below the limits of that quantum noise. The approach uses lasers to hold a tiny bead containing radioactive atoms; when one decays, the system measures the bead’s motion and the energy of any particles emitted. The experiment’s initial goal is to search for heavy sterile neutrinos, hypothetical particles predicted by some extensions of the Standard Model. The system could also help measure the mass of the neutrino, study the way particles interact through the electromagnetic and weak forces, and hunt for low-mass dark matter — all unsolved mysteries in particle physics. Callum Wilkinson: Using machine learning to demystify neutrinos Callum Wilkinson is a staff scientist in the Physics Division and part of the international Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) hosted by Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory. DUNE will create an intense beam of neutrinos that interact in detectors in Illinois and, after an 800-mile journey through the earth, in massive detectors in South Dakota. By precisely measuring neutrinos and how they change, researchers will get a better understanding of their fundamental properties and whether they are responsible for why there is so much more matter than antimatter in our universe. Wilkinson’s ECRP project will apply two machine learning techniques to improve the analysis of DUNE’s data and enhance the experiment’s precision. One approach will look for hidden patterns in how neutrinos interact and produce low-energy particles, while the other will help correct for distortions in what the detectors record. The methods will be tested on one of DUNE’s prototype detectors and could be used in other neutrino experiments, improving their measurements and helping scientists build better models. Aditi Krishnapriyan: Machine learning methods that scale as datasets grow Aditi Krishnapriyan is a faculty scientist in Berkeley Lab’s Applied Mathematics and Computational Research Division (AMCR) and assistant professor at UC Berkeley. Her project, awarded through UC Berkeley, will develop machine learning methods that scale with dataset size for modeling complex, multi-scale phenomena. The resulting tools can be applied in a wide range of research, including the study of new electrolytes for batteries or the examination of molecular interactions. ### Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) is committed to groundbreaking research focused on discovery science and solutions for abundant and reliable energy supplies. The lab’s expertise spans materials, chemistry, physics, biology, earth and environmental science, mathematics, and computing. Researchers from around the world rely on the lab’s world-class scientific facilities for their own pioneering research. Founded in 1931 on the belief that the biggest problems are best addressed by teams, Berkeley Lab and its scientists have been recognized with 17 Nobel Prizes. Berkeley Lab is a multiprogram national laboratory managed by the University of California for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science. DOE’s Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States, and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, please visit energy.gov/science.
Business Restructuring Review
In This Issue: The Year in Bankruptcy: 2025 A brief chronicle of the year's notable developments in corporate bankruptcy and restructuring, including business bankruptcy filings, significant court rulings, and legislative developments. [read more …] U.S. Bankruptcy Court Denies Chapter 15 Recognition of Maltese Liquidation Absent Evidence of Meaningful Activities Supporting Finding of COMI or Establishment in Malta In In re Geden Holdings, Ltd., No. 25-90138, 2025 WL 2484883 (Bankr. S.D. Tex. Aug. 28, 2025), stay pending appeal denied, No. 25-90138, 2026 WL 97993 (Bankr. S.D. Tex. Jan. 13, 2026), the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas ruled that, for purposes of recognition under chapter 15 of the Bankruptcy Code, although a foreign debtor may have had its center of main interests ("COMI") or an establishment in Malta when a liquidation proceeding was commenced for it in a Maltese court in 2017, the absence of any meaningful activity by the debtor's liquidator from that time until the liquidator filed a chapter 15 petition in the United States more than five years later meant that the debtor had neither a COMI nor an establishment in Malta on the chapter 15 petition date. The court accordingly denied the petition for recognition. [read more …] The Ninth Circuit's Expansive Reading of "Financial Accommodations" that Cannot Be Assumed or Assigned in Bankruptcy It is generally well understood that agreements to extend credit or provide financing to a debtor cannot be assumed or assigned in bankruptcy. Even so, the provision of the Bankruptcy Code that precludes assumption or assignment—section 365(c)(2)—also extends to "financial accommodations," a term that is not defined in the Bankruptcy Code and has been the subject of relatively few bankruptcy and appellate court rulings. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit examined the meaning of the term in In re Svenhard's Swedish Bakery, 154 F.4th 1100 (9th Cir. 2025). The court of appeals ruled that a deeply discounted settlement of pension plan withdrawal liability is a "financial accommodation" that cannot be assumed or assigned, thereby extending the reach of section 365(c)(2) well beyond conventional lending arrangements. [read more …] Pennsylvania District Court Applies "Hypothetical Test" in Determining that Patent License Agreement Is Assignable in Bankruptcy In Crivella Holdings Ltd. v. Mesearch Media Technologies Ltd., No. 2:25-cv-333, 2025 WL 2443400 (W.D. Pa. Aug. 25, 2025), the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania affirmed a bankruptcy court ruling denying a software licensor's motion for relief from the automatic stay to terminate the license agreement. The court found the license was assumable in bankruptcy under the Third Circuit's hypothetical test as a result of language in the agreement stating that it could be assigned to a "successor in interest" of the debtor without the licensor's further consent, thereby overriding federal patent law's general prohibition against the assignment of patents. [read more …] New York Bankruptcy Court Denies Motion to Terminate Chapter 15 Recognition and Dismiss Chapter 15 Case In In re Oi S.A., No. 23-10193 (LGB), 2025 WL 2806591 (Bankr. S.D.N.Y. Oct. 1, 2025), the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York considered whether chapter 15 recognition of a debtor's Brazilian restructuring proceeding should be terminated and the case dismissed due to the debtors' financial deterioration and inability to satisfy its restructuring plan obligations after entry of the recognition order. The court denied the motion, concluding that recognition of the Brazilian proceeding and a court-approved restructuring plan for the debtors should not be terminated under section 1519(d) of the Bankruptcy Code—according to the court, the sole authority for revocation of chapter 15 recognition—because, among other things, the restructuring proceeding was still pending, the debtors might still need relief authorized under chapter 15, and the debtors' prospects for reorganizing under a hypothetical chapter 11 case were uncertain at best. It also found that no provision of the Bankruptcy Code authorizes the dismissal of a chapter 15 case. [read more …] Newsworthy Effective January 1, 2026, Jones Day welcomed Isel M. Perez (Miami), Andrew M. Butler (New York), Sid Pepels (Amsterdam), and Anna C. Bretting (Munich) to the partnership in the Business Restructuring & Reorganization Practice. Sid Pepels (Amsterdam) has been nominated for the Future Leader Award by the Global Restructuring Review, an organization that acknowledges and honors excellence within the global restructuring and insolvency sector. This award is designed to recognize exceptional contributions made by both individuals and firms in the field. The 2026 edition of Chambers UK recognized Ben Larkin (London) in the practice area Restructuring/Insolvency and Adam R. Brown (London) in the practice area Restructuring/Insolvency: Litigation. The 2026 edition of Chambers Asia-Pacific ranked Roger Dobson (Sydney) in the practice area Restructuring/Insolvency. An article written by Corinne Ball (New York) titled "Backstop Fees for Lenders in Chapter 11 Plans: Absent Market Test, Equality of Treatment Now Required in Fifth Circuit After 'ConvergeOne'" was published on November 12, 2025, in the New York Law Journal. An article written by Oliver S. Zeltner (Houston) titled "Delaware Bankruptcy Court: No Legal Authority for Chapter 11 Plan Gatekeeping Provision" was published on November 20, 2025, by Lexis Practical Guidance. An article written by Daniel J. Merrett (Atlanta) titled "First Impressions: Eleventh Circuit Rules that Annulment of Automatic Stay Does Not Violate U.S. Supreme Court's Prohibition of Nunc Pro Tunc Orders" was published on November 21, 2025, by Lexis Practical Guidance. An article written by Genna Ghaul (New York) titled "Iowa District Court: Avoidance Claims Cannot Be Encumbered by Pre-Bankruptcy Liens" was published on November 20, 2025, by Lexis Practical Guidance. An article written by Dan T. Moss (Washington/New York), Corinne Ball (New York), David S. Torborg (Washington), and Ben Rosenblum (New York) titled "New York Bankruptcy Court Rejects Challenge to Barnet Rule Permitting Foreign Debtors to Obtain Chapter 15 Recognition With Only Minimal U.S. Assets" was published on November 21, 2025, by Lexis Practical Guidance. The M&A Advisor has recognized the Silvergate Capital Corporation Bankruptcy case as the Chapter 11 Reorganization of the Year (over $5 billion) during its 20th Annual Turnaround Awards. Jones Day is listed among the professionals for the representation of Exploration Capital, which was led by Joshua M. Mester (Los Angeles). Lawyer Spotlight: Sid Pepels Sid Pepels, a partner in Jones Day's Amsterdam Office, litigates and advises clients on commercial and international insolvency matters, with a focus on complex restructurings and insolvencies. He has advised and litigated high-profile cases, including: the cross-border WHOA (Wet Homologatie Onderhands Akkoord) proceedings concerning Vroon Group and Diebold Nixdorf; proceedings on behalf of expropriated SNS Reaal bond holders against the Dutch State; the bankruptcy of Intertoys, the leading Dutch toys retailer; the restructuring of Oi, the Dutch finance vehicle of the Brazilian telecom giant; and Blokker, the leading Dutch home appliances retailer. Sid holds a Ph.D. in European insolvency law and regularly publishes in academic journals on topics of cross-border insolvency. He has been recognized in The Legal 500 Netherlands and was noted by his peers for being client-minded and a creative thinker with a "strong grasp of the law and strong interpersonal skills." Sid was also nominated for the "Future Leader" award at the Global Restructuring Review Awards 2025. He is a board member for the Netherlands Association for Comparative and International Insolvency Law and a NextGen member of the International Insolvency Institute.
How Jet Engines Are Powering Data Centers
Companies are converting aircraft engines to land-based natural gas turbines for power generation in the AI boom.
Scientists warn! Gulf Stream collapse could trigger severe global disruption | - The Times of India
Science News: Scientists are again examining the strength of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation, the vast ocean system that moves warm water northwards.
Scientists discover "time crystals" that defy Newton’s third law
“Our system is remarkable because it’s incredibly simple,” said paper author and physicist David Grier of New York University.
Lufthansa Unblocks New Business-Class Seats on Boeing 787 Model
Deutsche Lufthansa AG said most of the Allegris business-class seats on its new Boeing Co. 787 aircraft are now available for booking, ending months of having to cordon off almost the entire premium section because of delayed certification.
Rashid takes unusual 700th wicket as Afghanistan beat UAE
Rashid Khan claims his 700th T20 wicket in unusual circumstances as Afghanistan keep their faint World Cup hopes alive with a five-wicket win over United Arab Emirates.
Award-winning pilot and wife die in plane crash after dirty windows prompt emergency landing, pet dog survives
Award-winning pilot declares emergency "due to oil on windshield" before fatal Texas crash. Ron and Barbara Timmermans died when aircraft hit power lines.
Snakes keep evolving into cannibals — here's what scientists think is going on
A review of over 500 reports of cannibalistic behavior in snakes finds it's appeared multiple times in different evolutionary lineages, leading researchers to hypothesize it's beneficial for snakes under certain circumstances.
Tracking global water circulation using atomic fingerprints
Scientists have developed a powerful new way to trace the journey of water across the planet by reading tiny atomic clues hidden inside it. Slightly heavier versions of hydrogen and oxygen, called isotopes, shift in predictable ways as water evaporates and moves through the atmosphere. By combining eight advanced climate models into a single ensemble, researchers created the most accurate large-scale simulation yet of how water circulates worldwide.
Warm weather in Philadelphia brings boost for businesses and couples
Russia's air defenses learned in Ukraine, now a bigger threat to NATO
Russia still has many air defenses, and experience it gained against Ukraine actually makes them a bigger threat to NATO aircraft than before 2022.
Online sports betting petitions cleared for circulation after more than a month of waiting
The final language for two petitions aimed at legalizing and regulating online sports betting in Nebraska has been approved and the petitions are now ready for circulation.
Do Portugal Circus brings family entertainment to Richmond
The Do Portugal Circus continues through Feb. 22 in Richmond.
Paris says 'oui' to booming business of romantic proposals
STORY: This Texan couple have been dating for one year.And Josue Perales wanted extra special celebrations with his girlfriend Kayla Balboa. On a candlelit terrace, overlooking the Eiffel Tower, she says "yes".Balboa had always wanted a Paris proposal. "She's always been mentioning how...""This is my dream place.""This is her dream... well, here we are."To make sure every detail was perfect, Perales employed the help of a local marriage proposal planning agency.And he's not the only one.Paris is seeing a surge in demand for elaborate marriage proposals like this one.Thanks to social media, TV shows and events showcasing the "City of Love", the entire industry catering to love-struck couples willing to pay thousands for unforgettable moments is booming.Les Entremetteuses, or "The Matchmakers", helped Perales get his "yes".Founder Pauline Le Tendre says Valentine's Day is her "busiest day of the year."But she says she's busy all year round - after demand started growing in 2019, with a brief lull during the pandemic."Once the borders reopened, it steadily increased. After that, there were a couple of boosts with (the TV show) 'Emily in Paris,' the Paris Olympics also. We had a lot of work after the Games."The company's proposal packages start at 590 euros, or just under $700, for a proposal on the Seine river banks.The average spend can go up to $2,400 - with some clients spending more for extras, like performers.:: Kiss Me in Paris/Artem Martynov & Anastasia KalynaFor those wanting to splurge even more, Kiss Me in Paris has them covered.The agency says its clients typically spend an average of about $12,000 on their experiences - or as much as some $118,000.:: Kiss Me in Paris/Tuan Nguyen FilmsLuxurious proposals are choreographed in high-end hotels, aboard yachts on the Seine, or in authentic French chateaux."To just be able to, in your social circles, say, 'We got engaged in Paris,' is great, right? It has prestige, it has cachet." That's Cengiz Ozelsel, who co-founded Kiss Me in Paris with his wife Chantelle Marie Streete.They say bookings have more than doubled since 2015.While the more budget-friendly Oui Love Paris agency told Reuters, its bookings have quadrupled since 2020.For many planners, though, the payoff is more than just numbers."I absolutely love it because... people are inviting you into their lives at one of the most special times in their lives."
Spirit Airlines to sell 20 jets, recalls furloughed flight attendants
Spirit Airlines will recall 500 flight attendants from furloughs while selling 20 Airbus aircraft to address financial struggles during bankruptcy proceedings.
Takeaways: Enforcement surge ending in Minneapolis as state and DHS officials face tough questions in Senate
While White House border czar Tom Homan announced Thursday morning the federal immigration surge in Minnesota would be ending, state officials were facing tough questions about the circumstances that led to that crackdown in the first place.
Women in Science: Paleoceanographer Apollonia Arellano
Arellano uses geochemical analyses to reconstruct deep ocean circulation in the North Atlantic Ocean.
NFL Picks Tiger Woods’ TMRW Sports to Lead Flag Football Ops
The NFL has tapped TMRW Sports to be the operating partner in a league-supported pro flag football circuit, the latest in the NFL's flag push.
Scientists Discover a Brain Circuit That Enhances Physical Endurance In Mice
It's needed to build strength.
African climate science-policy has a serious blind spot: the slowing Atlantic circulation
An important ocean circulation system is slowing down faster than expected.
Super Bowl 2026 Performers List for National Anthem, Halftime Show Entertainment
The Super Bowl is the biggest football game of the year for the NFL but while the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots will battle it out for the right to hoist the Lombardi Trophy, the pomp and circumstance surrounding the game is often as noteworthy as the play on the field.
New drug resets the body clock and cuts jet lag recovery nearly in half
Scientists have identified a promising new compound, Mic-628, that can reliably shift the body’s internal clock forward—something that’s notoriously hard to do. By targeting a key clock-control protein, Mic-628 jump-starts the gene that sets daily rhythms, synchronizing both the brain’s master clock and clocks throughout the body. In mice experiencing simulated jet lag, a single dose cut recovery time nearly in half.
YouTube Music lyrics now require a Premium subscription
After testing in recent months, YouTube Music looks to be widely rolling out a Premium paywall for lyrics...
Kushner, Witkoff visited USS Abraham Lincoln carrier amid tension with Iran
President Donald Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff, and Trump’s son in law Jared Kushner, visited the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier on Saturday morning after completing talks with Iran on Friday, according to a senior US official and two regional sources familiar with the matter.
Indiana Jones and Great Circle will be full game on cartridge
Bethesda has recently revealed that surprisingly Indiana Jones and the Great Circle on the Nintendo Switch 2 will be the full game on cartridge, so no Game-Key Card malarky here.
Ninth Circuit Upholds Administrator’s Denial of Residential Mental Health Benefits Under ERISA
In an unpublished memorandum decision, the Ninth Circuit in R.R. v. California Physicians' Service d/b/a Blue Shield of California, affirmed the insurer
L3Harris begins militarizing Bombardier business jets for South Korean AEW&C order
“We have already received two aircraft to begin mission system integration work, demonstrating both program momentum and the maturity of the AERIS solution,” L3Harris's Jason Whitford told Breaking Defense.
2026 March Madness: Men's NCAA Tournament schedule and dates
The NCAA Tournament is just around the corner, so here's what dates to circle on your calendar
Bethesda Games Coming to Nintendo Switch™ 2
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle™, Fallout 4: Anniversary Edition and The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered are all coming to the Nintendo Switch™ 2 this year!
Canon Announces RF 7-14mm f/2.8-3.5 L Fisheye Zoom: World’s Widest 190° Zoom
Canon's wildest lens yet? The RF 7-14mm f/2.8-3.5 delivers both circular and diagonal fisheye looks in one weather-sealed zoom. Perfect for VR, astro, and creative wide-angle shots.
Ruckersville Elementary to host annual Science Night with over 100 student presentations
Students will demonstrate projects covering topics from the solar system to electric circuits to ocean life and living systems.
US carrier shoots down Iranian drone and armed boats threaten US tanker as tensions in with Iran escalate
A US aircraft carrier shot down an Iranian drone that “aggressively approached” the ship in the Arabian Sea on Tuesday hours before two gunboats operated by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps approached a US-flagged tanker in the Strait of Hormuz and threatened to board and seize the ship, according to a US military spokesman.
Epstein files reveal close ties to Trump’s influential inner circle
The latest tranche of files reveal new details about the extent to which key members of President Donald Trump’s inner circle were interacting with Jeffrey Epstein for years after he was initially arrested and convicted.
Letters: Claims using data about environment and health should be viewed skeptically
A website called Louisiana Health Facts has been circulating recently, presenting parish-level health statistics to argue that concerns about Louisiana’s industrial corridor are overstated. The site relies on broad indicators
Student scientists share findings at 25th High School Science & Engineering Fair
Three hundred students from Westfield HIgh School and Westfield Technical Academy presented their science and engineering projects in the WHS auditorium to over 100 judges; scientists, industry professionals and educators with backgrounds in science and engineering at the 25th annual High School Science and Engineering Fair on Jan. 29.
A380 Retrofit: Lufthansa modernizes Business Class of its largest aircraft
All eight Airbus A380s will be equipped with new premium seats in Business ClassThe retrofit will take place at Elbe Flugzeugwerke in DresdenThe program will begin in early February with the A380 "Mike-Charly"
Trump Threatens Canada Over Business Jet Dispute
The president said he would restrict the use of Canadian-built aircraft and impose a 50 percent on them until the dispute was resolved.
Circus and Mardi Gras-themed stage shows are coming to New Orleans theaters this week
Get ready for a thrilling week of theatrical performances in New Orleans, from the Carnival spirit in "And the Ball and All" to the circus magic of "Water for Elephants."
Scientists found a way to cool quantum computers using noise
Quantum computers need extreme cold to work, but the very systems that keep them cold also create noise that can destroy fragile quantum information. Scientists in Sweden have now flipped that problem on its head by building a tiny quantum refrigerator that actually uses noise to drive cooling instead of fighting it. By carefully steering heat at unimaginably small scales, the device can act as a refrigerator, heat engine, or energy amplifier inside quantum circuits.
Investment and Statecraft: The International Politics of Sovereign Wealth Funds - Georgetown Journal of International Affairs
In 1953, Kuwait established the world’s first sovereign wealth fund to invest the country’s oil revenues and generate returns that would reduce its reliance on a single resource. Since then, over 100 separate funds have been created to preserve national wealth and ensure long-term fiscal sustainability. Today, they manage over $10 trillion in global assets. In this discussion with GJIA, political economist Kathryn Lavelle explains the increasingly novel dynamics that surround fund behavior and what the world can come to expect from their growing presence in international financial markets. GJIA: When it comes to the roles sovereign wealth funds (SWFs) play in global markets and politics, what would you say makes them unique? Kathryn Lavelle: Sovereign wealth funds (SWFs) operate on behalf of governments as investors. That in itself is a strange relationship. Within them, a core contest takes place between the state’s interests (or sovereign) part of the dynamic, and the money interests (or wealth) part of it, and these two aspects are frequently in contradiction, serving fundamentally different goals. SWFs are also quite fascinating because when you talk to the people who manage these funds, they have an interest in convincing you that the decisions are made almost exclusively on a financial basis—they really will go to great lengths to differentiate their government owners and those who make the management decisions. At the same time, these people ultimately answer to someone in power. Therefore, for most SWFs, it remains deeply unclear who is actually making the investment decisions and for what purposes. Of course, it is not always clear how other vehicles, such as hedge funds and private equity make the decisions they do, but I think what a lot of people find particularly disconcerting about SWFs is that they seem to act on behalf of people who have a different identity from their own. People who could be trying to manipulate politics and markets in a way that would have a long-term effect on their own populations. Regular investors come and go at will, and they only share an interest in profit as far as most of us understand. However, SWFs have that extra “sovereign” part right behind them that obscures their true interest. GJIA: These funds can be found in countries all across the globe, in both authoritarian states and democracies. Would you say SWFs differ in their goals and structures between regime-type? KL: It is not necessarily regime type that makes the goals and structures of SWFs different. It has to do with their economies. Let’s look at a country like China. There’s going to be a debate about exactly how to characterize the regime, but it is a country with many different kinds of sovereign wealth funds, and a particularly opaque state connection to each. At one time, some of the state-owned Chinese oil companies created specialized investment vehicles listed outside Chinese markets that excluded parts of the firms that were more associated with human rights violations. At the same time, the China Investment Corporation (CIC)—China’s largest SWF—draws a lot of concern, not necessarily because of its investment activities, but because of the dynamics of global politics. So, I wouldn’t really tie differences to regime types themselves in a wholesale way, but rather to how such funds are perceived and how they are structured. Saudi Arabia’s SWF is getting all kinds of attention for its involvement in Hollywood, and this takes me right back to when I was a student in the 1980s, when people were concerned about Japanese investment entities buying assets in Hollywood. They aren’t quite the same in financial terms, but it’s the same kind of concern about foreign investment that drives people to be suspicious, and the whole idea that “foreigners are influencing Hollywood.” This holds true across industries, and it reflects where politics are in places like the United States right now. One metric we can try to look at is transparency, where all the funds will tell you, “we are transparent.” The problem you’ll keep running into with this approach is how you value things. When trying to do comparative studies of equity markets, you’ll find that every country doesn’t use Generally Accepted Accounting Principles like we do in the United States. A fund may appear opaque politically and not want people to show what they’re invested in or what their intent with that investment is, but they could also just not be able to report it because of the way it was purchased, or the kinds of shares they purchased. There are some assets out there that really are difficult to put a monetary value on. GJIA: To what extent do domestic politics shape SWF behavior in both the investing “home” country and the recipient “host” country? KL: This depends on the type of fund present and also on the extent to which voters’ political views are able to influence the fund. For example, in a democratic home state like Norway, the SWF doesn’t invest in nuclear weapons or tobacco because of social concerns, but there is a continuing debate over whether it should invest in oil, even though that’s where most of the money comes from. The degree to which Norway will continue to make those investments, and whether they contradict the government’s overall climate goals, is an open question in Norwegian politics. Because of the way the fund’s governance is structured, it may not be easy to resolve. On the other hand, some people consider pension funds, like the State Teachers Retirement System (STRS) in Ohio, to be quasi-SWF. They have a very strict separation between the people who make up the management division and the fund owners. No teacher or professor would want to invest in things that may harm the future of their students. At the same time, a fund manager might see an opportunity in a diversified multinational corporation that offers a good return, despite it deriving part of its revenue from e-cigarettes. These contests are very apparent. Domestic politics can work in host countries too. A good example is Singapore’s SWF, Temasek, investing in Thailand’s telecommunications sector. If you study political economy, you already know that countries everywhere are uncomfortable with foreign ownership of their telecom sectors because a foreign entity could monitor or manipulate our communications with each other. In the case of Temasek, there was significant pushback from Thai citizens surrounding the deal, which went on to influence national political sentiment toward Singapore as a whole, underscoring the risks some SWFs may face with their investment choices. In this case, fund behavior led to the dissolution of the entire Thai government in 2006 and a subsequent coup d’état. GJIA: To address some of this unease, the Santiago Principles were established in 2009 to ostensibly promote trust and transparency. From your perspective, have these mechanisms actually changed fund behavior? KL: In international relations theory, we always like to have a clear set of norms and best practices—the orientation we want the proverbial ship to be going in. In that regard, the Santiago Principles at least got the discussion going about which direction SWFs should take at a time when people were very skittish about the growing size of these funds. Nobody wanted them to be out there and potentially destabilizing economies, so talks about disclosure, conditions for withdrawal, and the independence of managers were helpful when initiated. The biggest stumbling block was that there wasn’t exactly a good way to measure compliance with the Principles, let alone how to hold funds to them. If you read the Principles, they’re overall quite vague. In general, a fund doesn’t want to reveal how and why they make certain investment decisions because that information is proprietary—a fund makes money off of how and why it makes decisions—so how do you reconcile that with loosely-defined ideas of openness? Some decisions might have a political purpose. The bottom line is that trying to figure out and assign a score to compliance is not easy, and it is therefore the reason why the Santiago Principles never really got off the ground to the point where they could truly direct fund behavior. GJIA: Many emerging markets are looking to build their own SWFs from mineral and oil revenues. Historically, have funds shaped development trajectories in these countries? KL: I think the big story in international emerging markets investment is that the investment is increasingly no longer unidirectional. In the past multinational corporations of primarily Western background were the main form of foreign direct investment in a country. That has changed dramatically, to the point where you have companies from so-called “developing countries” taking over companies in the United States. Therefore, the landscape of international investment has changed, and I think SWFs are certainly a possibility to be the next step in the game. Historically, you didn’t need an entire financial vehicle to reinvest commodity revenues in your country, but as emerging markets get more financially sophisticated, their capacity to operate such funds has increased. SWFs would allow treasuries to move from relying on holding foreign exchange assets like cash or government bonds to having broader financial markets and targeted growth areas, while easing pressure on welfare expenditures. GJIA: With their increasing financial weight, do you see the presence of SWFs being a factor in the political choices leaders will have to make with regard to domestic and foreign policy? KL: It will depend on just how big the funds get. One of the reasons people are already apprehensive is because of their scale, and if certain SWFs in certain countries achieve a large-enough size, the presence will absolutely be cause for concern. The other factor political leaders will have to consider are their objectives. It’s not always clear how to define a SWF, or even where its activity is concentrated, but it is certainly a worry from the perspective of national security of opaque external investment. More than that, I think one of the most interesting questions going forward is whether the United States, the home to the world’s largest financial markets, will develop its own fund, for which the Trump administration announced a plan. There have also been several proposals in Congress. Were it to come into being, it would have tremendous weight. At the same time, one of the hallmarks of U.S. capitalism is a lack of government ownership of shares, so it would not be clear how such a fund would be received in domestic politics, or which direction it would take. Given how politically fragmented the country is, a Democratic administration would likely be concerned about different sectors of the economy, such as healthcare, and want investment there, rather than a Republican administration, which might prefer defense industries. No investment vehicle could thrive under conditions of such instability. Moreover, it remains unclear where the money to fund a theoretical U.S. SWF would come from. It would be a fundamentally different entity depending on whether it is financed with debt, economic surplus, commodities, or the sale of state companies, as in the case of Singapore. If it is debt, or government borrowing of some form, then the fund would have to outperform whatever the cost of that debt is, which is not an easy thing to do. I think our political leaders have enough on their plate. Our system has worked well keeping political and investment functions generally separate. We have seen different forms of business rise and fall, and even the perception of different countries, all of which funds are tied to. Unless a major SWF either starts—like in the case of the United States—or collapses—an issue that concerns the Saudis, I don’t see any political tsunamis on the horizon. . . . Kathryn Lavelle is the Ellen and Dixon Long Professor of World Affairs at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. Her research explores the exchange between domestic and international and political institutions with a particular emphasis on political economy and multilateralism. Dr. Lavelle’s first book, The Politics of Equity Finance in Emerging Markets, explored the political circumstances that surround large issues of stock in the developing world. After being granted tenure at Case Western, she was awarded an American Political Science Association Congressional Fellowship and named the William A. Steiger fellow, a designation given to the most promising political scientist in her class of fellows. While in Washington during 2006-2007, she worked on the staff of the House Committee on Financial Services on issues related to domestic and international monetary policy. Dr. Lavelle holds a PhD in political science from Northwestern University; an M.A. in government and foreign affairs from the University of Virginia; and a bachelor’s degree in international economics from Georgetown University. She is a permanent member of the New York Council on Foreign Relations. This transcript has been lightly edited for clarity and length. Interview conducted by Sid Mehrotra. Image Credit: Jason Leung, Unsplash Content Licenses, via Unsplash
Harley's late goal lifts Stars past Blues, 4-3
Thomas Harley’s goal with just over a minute left short-circuited a late rally by the St. Louis Blues and lifted the Dallas Stars to a 4-3 win on Tuesday night. Matt Duchene scored a pair of goals for his first multigoal game since Feb. 8. Roope Hintz also scored and Jake Oettinger made 23 saves, as the Stars won for the third time in their last four games and improved to 10-2-1 against St. Louis going back to Nov. 28, 2022.
Koepka 'rang Woods first' over PGA Tour return
Five-time major winner Brooks Koepka says Tiger Woods was the first person he called to discuss a return to the PGA Tour after leaving the LIV Golf circuit.
Sundance beguiles with sex comedies as distributors circle
Movies such as Olivia Wilde's "The Invite" and the Iliza Shlesinger-starring "Chasing Summer" steer the fest toward chucklesome ground as news of deals build.
Beyond the Box: How West Entertainment is Re-Engineering the IFEC Ecosystem
As the IFE industry pivots toward a dynamic, data-driven, and rights-aware content ecosystem, West Entertainment is positioning itself as a technical bridge between airlines and the latest technology.
Google settles privacy lawsuit for $68m over voice assistant
Tech company denied illegally recording and circulating private conversations to send phone users targeted ads
Sam Darnold 'going back to Cali' completes full-circle journey of a career rebuilt from the ashes
Celebrating Excellence: Honoring P&G’s Top-Performing External Business Partners
P&G recognizes 40 top-performing suppliers committed to performance, partnership and excellence.
Why This Expert Believes Social-Emotional Learning Will Survive Politics and AI
As the head of a prominent SEL group steps down, she shares her predictions.
YouTube Music now syncs your queue across Android, iOS, & web
The YouTube Music queue will now sync between your signed in devices to let you seamlessly continue listening.
New York Startup Builds Fridge-Sized Machine That Can Turn Air Into Gasoline
While it's not quite the free energy it sounds like at first, Aircela's technology in its current state has some practical, small-scale applications.
AMD to use RDNA5 for premium iGPU solutions, but RDNA3.5 to remain the core of AMD portfolio until 2029
VEGA RDNA3.5 lives AMD's integrated graphics roadmap has become hard to follow. The current APU lineup keeps circling back to the same iGPU architecture,
College football 2026 schedule: One game each way-too-early top 25 team has circled
These games could define the 2026 college football season
Facial Filler, Reversibility, and the Science We Don’t See
I talked about Botox a lot in 2025. Which, in the social circles of a 22-year-old woman, raises a fair question: why? We don’t have wrinkles yet. Our frontal lobes aren’t even finished developing.
Nintendo Switch 2 led December sales in the U.S., now at 4.4 million, doubled Switch 1's performance
Much has been made of Nintendo Switch 2’s sales during the holiday period, but with the December 2025 Circana U.S. sales report having just been released, it paints a more positive picture. Last month, Nintendo Switch 2 led the hardware market in both unit and dollar sales. The same also goes for 2025 as a whole. Thanks to that, the...
Rare bug with Pixel Phone app ‘Take a Message’ could leak your audio to callers
A small number of Pixel users have encountered an issue where “Take a Message” is sending their audio to the caller.
Blues, Circa Sports to send two fans to Vegas for each remaining home win
To celebrate its new partnership with the St. Louis Blues, sports betting venture Circa Sports will award two lucky winners a trip to Circa Resort & Casino in Las Vegas for all home game wins at Enterprise Center the rest of the 2025-26 regular season. Circa Sports launched in the
Cone Health Patients Can Now Fast-Track Disability Applications
Electronic record-sharing runs circles around snail mail and faxes.
Scientists uncover a hidden network of over 300 giant canyons beneath Antarctica’s ice with major impact on ocean circulation - Futura-Sciences
A mysterious world buried deep beneath Antarctica is finally coming into view. Researchers have uncovered hundreds of enormous canyons hidden under the ice — formations that could transform what we know about currents, glacier melt, ... Read more
Tiny doses of THC show big benefits for HIV treatment
A new study suggests that micro-doses of THC could help counter many long-term side effects of HIV treatment without causing intoxication. In animal models, low-dose THC reduced inflammation, improved gut bacteria, boosted serotonin, and lowered harmful cholesterol and bile acids. Surprisingly, it also reduced circulating levels of antiretroviral drugs while maintaining viral suppression, potentially protecting the liver. Scientists say the results point to a promising new approach for managing chronic complications of HIV.
One Year Into Trump 2.0, Elon Musk Is Still Poised to Be Kingmaker
The neofascist tech oligarch was cast out of Trump’s inner circle, but his money and influence are still omnipresent.
ASM International Logs Strong Orders as China Business, Advanced Tech Pick Up
Orders climbed to roughly €800 million in the fourth quarter on strong demand from producers of integrated circuits that power smartphones and other devices.
Fourth Coast Entertainment “Up North Magazine” celebrates 20 years of championing North Country music and entertainment
CANTON – A homegrown music zine that started as an eight-page passion project in 2006 is celebrating two decades under the Fourth Coast Entertainment banner. Founded by North Country …
Circus returns bringing lots of entertainment to local schools
Photos by Tom Rivers MEDINA – Ian and Claudia perform on aerial silks at the Clifford Wise Intermediate School. Billy Martin’s Cole All Star Circus did two shows on Friday at Clifford Wise with some of the proceeds going to the Orleans Community Health Foundation. The circus is led by Billy Martin, who is now […]
5 Best Small Business Loans of 2026
We selected the best small business loans of 2026, including BlueVine, OnDeck, Fundbox and Funding Circle.
Ninth Circuit axes work threshold for entertainment industry pension withdrawal exemptions
Las Vegas case changes how you assess withdrawal exposure for multiemployer pension plans
US expected resistance from Venezuela air defenses: Maduro raid memo
Venezuela relied on Russian air defense systems and Chinese radars, but its forces did not shoot down any US military aircraft.
What happened to Minneapolis businesses when ICE came to town
Federal immigration agents have been circling El Burrito Mercado, a prominent Mexican supermarket and restaurant in St. Paul, Minnesota, for the last week.
How Bournemouth's shootout loss 'completed a circle of sorts'
Bournemouth's exit from the FA Cup on penalties at Newcastle United completed a circle of sorts, as the two sides had contested the first televised FA Cup penalty shootout in January 1992. Before the 1991-92 season, drawn FA Cup ties were replayed, again and again, until a winner was found. For Bournemouth's part, they played Torquay at Bristol City's Ashton Gate (1932), Ipswich at Arsenal's Highbury (1952), Watford at Swindon's County Ground (1967), Blackpool at Aston Villa's Villa Park (1972), Gillingham at Brentford's Griffin Park (1974) and Colchester at Watford's Vicarage Road (1977) in cup competitions.
Federal appeals court upholds California's Prop 50 redistricting maps
A panel of three judges in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals voted 2-1 to dismiss claims by Republicans that the maps favored Latino voters.
Comscore and Santikos Entertainment Announce Five-Year Circuit Wide Commitment to Cinema ACE and Enterprise Web Solutions
Comscore (Nasdaq: SCOR), a trusted partner for planning, transacting and evaluating media across platforms, today announced a five-year agreement with Santikos Entertainment to deploy Comscore’s next-generation theatre and circuit management solutions - Cinema ACE and Enterprise Web™- across all Santikos locations.
China's hyped radars useless during US air assault on Venezuela
China's JY-27A radar, touted for its ability to supposedly detect stealth aircraft, doesn't appear to have been effective during the US attack.