Green Energy Partners' concept for a green energy centre in Virginia (Image: Green Energy Partners)
IP3 Corporation and Green Energy Partners LLC have formed a joint venture to establish the Surry Green Energy Center in Surry County, Virginia. Property and project development company GEP announced plans in April to build the USA's first integrated green energy centre adjacent to Dominion Energy's Surry nuclear power plant.
The SGEC will be a new data centre hub powered by carbon-free green energy and from small modular reactors (SMRs) on-site. GEP has secured 641 acres in Surry County on which to build the centre. The project includes a fleet of 4-6 SMRs powering 20-30 data centres, generating hydrogen fuel, and providing back-up power for Virginia's grid. The SGEC aims to expand Virginia's data centre capacity and offset escalating power demands.
IP3 is a developer and integrator of nuclear energy programmes in coordination with its wholly-owned subsidiary, Allied Nuclear Partners. A second subsidiary, IP3 Security, provides physical and cyber security expertise. IP3 will provide project development, financial structuring, and funding solutions in a phased approach. The joint agreement addresses inception, development, financing and operations that will attract private capital and cutting-edge energy companies to Virginia.
"Virginia's data centres process over 70% of the world's internet data and the need for data storage and handling is growing exponentially," IP3 said. "These data centres also consume about 25% of Virginia's energy, powered today by carbon-based fuels."
The joint IP3-GEP project will supply digital infrastructure and future power supply services to government agencies and military bases across the region from Washington, DC, to Norfolk, Virginia.
"The Commonwealth of Virginia has developed a purposeful plan for their energy future. They are ready to harness the smart energy transition to create jobs for Americans and set an example for developing clean industrial zones," said IP3 co-founder and CEO Michael Hewitt. "Infrastructure investment needs to be radically reoriented. The combined expertise of GEP and IP3 will access private capital markets to help Virginia's energy sector become a model for an era of American energy sovereignty.""For nearly fifty years, we have delivered positive growth for Virginia. Today, we see a clear path to clean power that reinforces America’s national security and supports a carbon-free future," added GEP CEO Mark Andrews. "GEP and IP3 offer a powerful partnership to pioneer an America-first solution for low-carbon energy security." IP3, GEP team up for Surry Green Energy Center
Los Angeles, (IANS) Model Miranda Kerr has shared how she practices Vedic rounding, a technique that combines yoga poses and breathing techniques, with her children.
Kerr has son Flynn, 15, with her ex-husband Orlando Bloom and sons Hart, seven, Myles, six, and Pierre, two, with her current spouse Evan Spiegel, reports femalefirst.co.uk.
She told LYMA's Power Women series: "Each of my kids, except the baby, have been taught Vedic meditation and they each have their own mantra. It's something I've been practicing since I was 17 and it's key to my connection and devotion.
"As an adult you do it for 20 minutes but for my children, my six year old does it for six minutes, seven year old seven minutes and so on."
She added: "This New Year, he (Flynn) said: 'Mum, I want to meditate with you every morning at 6am and do it for 20 minutes. On the days he does it... he's like, 'I really noticed a difference. I felt much calmer the days I did it.'"
Kerr also said that she wakes up at 5.30am every morning as she has become an "early bird" since she started dating Snapchat co-founder Spiegel.
She said: "I wake up every morning between 5am and 5.30am, I'm quite an early bird. I naturally wake up so it's been years of practice because I was naturally a night owl before I met my husband and we've been together 12 years this year.
"I remember one of the first Friday nights we spent together and he's like, 'Okay, let's go to bed'. I'm like, 'It's like 8.30pm'. And he's like, 'Yeah, let's go to bed.' Now I absolutely love it."
Kerr explained that she fits looking after her children into her daily routine as she sends them to bed early before having a round of laser therapy when she retires to the bedroom.
She said: "I get them into bed early and then I have time for myself. I put relaxing music on throughout the whole house at like 5pm and dim the lights so I can naturally help my kids wind down.“I put the baby down at 5.30pm because it's getting dark. The kids and I eat at 4.30pm which is a little bit early. And then I get into bed and put on two mats - a cell optimising mat and my web laser device mat. I do this routine for 15 minutes with the Lyma laser. I then put on the milky mushroom mask and it really plumps the skin, it's an overnight mask.” Miranda Kerr says all of her kids have been 'taught Vedic meditation' | MorungExpress | morungexpress.com
In the Pentagon’s lexicon, China has increasingly been presented as a “pacing challenge” or “pacing threat” − that is, a great-power rival against which a nation measures its strength, shapes its strategy and directs its resources across every domain of national power.
But what does it mean? For a country to be seen as a pacing threat, it must be a rising yet already near-peer whose capabilities and ambitions directly challenge the dominant country’s global position. A pacing threat doesn’t merely aspire to catch up; it sets the tempo of competition.
Esper’s successor in the Biden administration, Lloyd J. Austin III, continued to call China a “pacing threat,” explaining: “It means that China is the only country that can pose a systemic challenge to the United States in the sense of challenging us economically, technologically, politically and militarily.”
Use of “pacing threat/challenge” has grown since 2009 (Ngram)
The significance goes beyond rhetoric. By defining China in these terms, Washington reorients its entire defense establishment around a new strategic benchmark. The U.S.’s defense planning, industrial policy and global posture now revolve around a single question − how to keep up with and, if necessary, outpace Beijing.
When the United States government signals to its military leaders and industrial partners that a specific country is a “pacing threat,” it is giving them a yardstick by which to judge every dollar spent, every sailor or pilot assigned and every hour of training and preparation.
Pacing threats, increasing risks
The risk of focusing so intently on one foe is, of course, that there is more than one potential adversary out there. And the concept of a pacing challenge shouldn’t imply that China is Washington’s only competitor or potential enemy.
Other rivals remain in the mix, including Russia, Iran, North Korea and a range of smaller militant groups, that could cause major problems for Washington with or without China’s involvement.
The danger for the U.S. is that in designating China its only pacing threat, it could leave blind spots elsewhere. And the objective for a U.S. leader is not simply to be ready for a potential war with China but to be ready for the next crisis wherever it may emerge.
This goal is complicated by a second risk: the urge to plan for the future at the expense of the present. It is one thing for the U.S. Navy to build a fleet and the Air Force to design a missile for 2035 to ensure that it “outpaces” Chinese innovation. But it is another to have the capability to deter or address, if necessary, a crisis or conflict in 2025.
Developing a long-term force to match or surpass China is an important objective to U.S. political and military leaders, but not at the expense of current capabilities.
If the United States is intent on remaining the world’s predominant economic, diplomatic and military force, then it must focus on both – but that is easier said than done.
Is China already ahead?
There are some who believe that America’s pacing threat has already outpaced its rival.
The United States already lags behind China in the scale and output of its defense-industrial base – particularly in the quantity of ships, missiles and other military hardware it can produce and field at speed.
China is building warships at a rate unseen in the U.S. for decades. And it has an industrial ecosystem that can deliver on new programs and scale up in a crisis.
By contrast, American factories face labor shortages, a lack of modern shipyards and glacial acquisition timelines.
If the U.S. is intent on fielding better military assets in the future, it needs them to upscale at a speed that can deter China. In other words, America’s deterrence to any pacing threat needs to start at the factory gate.
A contest of speed, not size
Facing China as a pacing threat will start with an honest U.S. accounting of the type of competition in which it is engaged. This is not merely a rivalry of fleets or firepower but a contest of tempo − who can innovate faster, build smarter and field more flexibly to shape a world in motion.
If the U.S. is to outpace China, it will likely need to reconnect its economic and industrial base to its defense posture and regenerate the productive capacity that made America the world’s arsenal.
But that task is far harder for democracies, where political cycles, fiscal constraints and public skepticism about militarization often slow the mobilization of national power.
Complicating the matter is the fact that the next great arsenal will be defined not just in steel but in data, design and decision. Here, too, China at present appears to be gaining an upper hand. A September report by the Washington-based Information Technology and Innovation Foundation assessed that China was now “dramatically outperforming the United States in the vast majority of critical technological fields.”
The U.S. will not stay ahead of its pacing threat by meeting China ship for ship or system for system. The real edge is in responsiveness − the ability to outthink, outproduce and outmaneuver its competitor.
Nick Mondek with his family after the stem cell procedure – Credit: Cedars-Sinai
A boy in California may have saved his father from a deadly returning cancer by becoming one of if not the world’s youngest stem cell donor.
9-year-old Stephen Mondek from Torrance loves playing catch with his dad, Nick, who himself loves nothing more than being a father.
In 2022 Mr. Mondek was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia, and had to be treated rapidly with an injection of donor stem cells from his older brother who was a perfect genetic match.
He went into remission but the cancer came back “ferociously fast,” and Mondek’s only option was that he had to find another stem cell donor. This form of leukemia affects the blood-forming cells in the bone marrow, but an injection of stem cells can form the basis of a new immune arsenal that can locate and attack the leukemia tumors.
A search through the National Bone Marrow Registry failed to turn up a match, but remembering the case of a friend of his, Mondek went into Cedars-Sinai Cancer center in April with a question to his doctors. He was remembering the case of a friend of his who received a lifesaving stem cell donation from his 18-year-old son to cure lymphoma.
“As my doctor came in the room, I said, ‘Could a 9-year-old who’s 70 pounds give us enough stem cells?’” Mondek said to NBC Nightly News.
Ronald Paquette, the clinical director of the Stem Cell and Bone Marrow Transplant Program at Cedars-Sinai Cancer, confirmed that Stephen Mondek who turned 10 back in August, was a possible donor. A child receives half of their DNA from each parent, so Stephen would naturally be a half-match.
Reporting on the story itself, Cedars-Sinai wrote that Paquette said a half-match might make the transplant more effective. A half-matched immune system might more easily recognize and kill the cancer cells in Mondek’s bone marrow, and transplants from younger donors tend to be most successful.
“The conversation with Stephen was pretty simple,” Mondek said. “I said, ‘Hey, Buddy, Dad’s sick and they need someone to give me stem cells, and they want to know if you want to get tested to see if you can do it.’”
Stephen’s response: “When do we go?”
“I wanted to make my dad’s cancer go away, and if I was sick, I would think he would do the same thing for me,” Stephen said.
After confirming that Stephen was a suitable match, he had the procedure explained to him so that he could give his own informed consent before visiting Cedars-Sinai Guerin Children’s Hospital for the donation that required general anesthesia. The stem cells were collected via a process of blood cycling over 6 hours.
A week later, Mondek underwent pre-donation chemotherapy to suppress his own immune system before eventually receiving the stem cells. After 6 weeks in the hospital, he was back home, but not before arriving in time to watch the final inning of Stephen’s little league game.
“Stephen was very brave, and our team made sure everything went perfectly so that this young boy could help his father,” said Hoyoung Chung, DO, a critical care pediatrician at Cedars-Sinai Guerin Children’s.“He donated six million stem cells to save my life, so it’s not just an honor to call him my son, I’m proud to call him my hero,” Mondek said. A 9-Year-Old Son Saves His Father from Leukemia by Donating Stem Cells
The economic consequences of the current federal government shutdown hinge critically on how long it lasts. If it is resolved quickly, the costs will be small, but if it drags on, it could send the U.S. economy into a tailspin.
That’s because the economy is already in a precarious state, with the labor market struggling, consumers losing confidence and uncertainty mounting.
As an economist who studies public finance, I closely follow how government policies affect the economy. Let me explain how a prolonged shutdown could affect the economy – and why it could be a tipping point to recession.
Direct impacts from a government shutdown
The partial government shutdown began on Oct. 1, 2025, as Democrats and Republicans failed to reach a deal on funding some portion of the federal government. A partial shutdown means that some funding bills have been approved, entitlement spending continues since it does not rely on annual appropriations, and some workers are deemed necessary and stay on the job unpaid.
While most of the 20 shutdowns that occurred from 1976 through 2024 lasted only a few days to a week, there are signs the current one may not be resolved so quickly. The economy would definitely take a direct hit to gross domestic product from a lengthy shutdown, but it’s the indirect impacts that could be more harmful.
The most recent shutdown, which extended over the 2018-2019 winter holidays and lasted 35 days, was the longest in U.S. history. After it ended, the Congressional Budget Office estimated the partial shutdown delayed approximately US$18 billion in federal discretionary spending, which translated into an $11 billion reduction in real GDP.
Most of that lost output was made up later once the shutdown ended, the CBO noted. It estimated that the permanent losses were about $3 billion – a drop in the bucket for the $30 trillion U.S. economy.
The indirect and more lasting impacts
The full impact may depend to a large extent on the psychology of the average consumer.
If the shutdown drags on, the psychological effects may lead to a larger loss of confidence among consumers and businesses. Given that consumer spending accounts for 70% of economic activity, a fall in consumer confidence could signal a turning point in the economy.
These indirect effects are in addition to the direct impact of lost income for federal workers and those that operate on federal contracts, which leads to reductions in consumption and production.
The risk of significant government layoffs, beyond the usual furloughs, could deepen the economic damage. Extensive layoffs would shift the losses from a temporary delay to a more permanent loss of income and human capital, reducing aggregate demand and potentially increasing unemployment spillovers into the private sector.
In short, while shutdowns that end quickly tend to inflict modest, mostly recoverable losses, a protracted shutdown – especially one involving layoffs of a significant number of government workers – could inflict larger, lasting impacts on the economy.
US economy is already in distress
This is all occurring as the U.S. labor market is flashing warnings.
Payrolls grew by only 22,000 in August, with July and June estimates revised down by 21,000. This follows payroll growth of only 73,000 in July, with May and June estimates revised down by 258,000.
In addition, preliminary annual revisions to the employment data show the economy gained 911,000 fewer jobs in the previous year than had been reported.
Long-term unemployment is also rising, with 1.8 million people out of work for more than 27 weeks – nearly a quarter of the total number of unemployed individuals.
At the same time, AI adoption and cost-cutting could further reduce labor demand, while an aging workforce and lower immigration shrink labor supply. Fed Chair Jerome Powell refers to this as a “curious kind of balance” in the labor market.
In other words, the job market appears to have come to a screeching halt, making it difficult for recent graduates to find work. Recent graduate unemployment – that is, those who are 22 to 27 years old – is now 5.3% relative to the total unemployment rate of 4.3%.
The latest data from the ADP employment report, which measures only private company data, shows that the economy lost 32,000 jobs in September. That’s the biggest decline in 2½ years. While that’s worrying, economists like me usually wait for the official Bureau of Labor Statistics numbers to come out to confirm the accuracy of the payroll processing firm’s report.
The government data that was supposed to come out on Oct. 3 might have offered a possible counterpoint to the bad ADP news, but due to the shutdown BLS will not be releasing the report.
Problems Fed rate cuts can’t fix
This will only increase the uncertainty surrounding the health of the U.S. economy. And it adds to the uncertainty created by on-again, off-again tariffs as well as the newly imposed tariffs on lumber, furniture and other goods.
Against this backdrop, the Fed is expected to lower interest rates at least two more times this year to stimulate consumer and business spending following its September quarter-point cut. This raises the risk of reigniting inflation, but the cooling labor market is a more immediate concern for the Fed.
The question now is not will the Fed cut rates, because it likely will, but whether that cut will help, particularly if the shutdown lasts weeks or more. Monetary policy alone cannot overcome the uncertainty created by tariffs, the lack of fiscal restraint, companies focused on cutting costs by replacing people with technology, the impact of the shutdown and the fears of consumers about the future.
Lower interest rates may buy time, but they won’t solve these structural problems facing the U.S. economy.
Los Angeles, (IANS): Actress Lily Collins "loves" being compared to Sarah Jessica Parker on the Netflix show, 'Emily in Paris'.
The 33-year-old actress takes on the title role of Emily in the Netflix hit about an ambitious marketing executive who relocates from Chicago to the French capital and said that her role is like that of stylish New York columnist Carrie Bradshaw, who was played by Sarah Jessica Parker, 57, in the cult 1990s series 'Sex and the City' as well as its spin-off 'And Just Like That', reports femalefirst.co.uk.
Lily told E! News: "That is one that I will always take with utter love. I just love Carrie Bradshaw. I love Sarah Jessica. We both are very much fashion shows and they celebrate the cities in which they film, Paris and New York. They're characters unto themselves, the fashion and the city."
Meanwhile, the 'Les Miserables' actress recently revealed she was determined to develop her understanding of "French culture" with her starring role in the series.
Asked what she most enjoyed about her character's journey during season three of the show, Lily explained: "For me, I was excited to ground myself more in the French culture, whether that be the language, the fashion, or just feeling a deeper sense of home within the city. And I was excited that the show, itself, leans more into the comedy among the characters, as opposed to all being about Emily's fish-out-of-water experience.
New York, (IANS) Carlos Alcaraz defeated Jannik Sinner, the game’s premier hard-court player, 6-2, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4, to claim his sixth major title and second at the US Open.
The 22-year-old Alcaraz hit all the high notes and kept his rival at bay across the pair’s 15th career meeting and third consecutive Grand Slam final, locking up his triumph in two hours, 42 minutes.
Alcaraz and Sinner have dominated the majors since the start of 2024, winning each of the last eight, but it is the Spaniard who has taken hold of his iconic rivalry with Sinner, snagging seven of the pair’s last eight meetings, five of their last six finals, and two of the three major finals they contested in 2025.
US Open triumph makes Alcaraz the second youngest male player in history to claim six major titles, and enables a triumphant return to the top of the ATP rankings. Alcaraz will begin his 37th week at No. 1 on Monday, returning to the top spot for the first time since September 2023.
Moreover, Alcaraz has become the fourth player in history to have won multiple major titles on all three surfaces (two on hard, two on clay and two on grass). He joins Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Mats Wilander on the list.
Sinner, who was on a 27-match winning streak at hard-court majors before Sunday, was bidding to become just the seventh man in the Open Era to win three Grand Slam singles titles in the same season.
By reaching the final in New York, the Australian Open and Wimbledon champion had already become the youngest man in the Open Era to play the final at all four majors in a season: Sinner also reached the final at Roland Garros, where he held three championship points before falling to Alcaraz in an all-time classic.
Alcaraz was crisp from the get-go, and as a result, Sinner’s troubles started early, the Italian facing his first break point just four minutes into the final.
Four more minutes—and a few jaw-dropping slingshot forehands later—and Alcaraz had already drawn first blood, taking the 1-0 advantage just nine minutes in.
Firing on all cylinders, Alcaraz engineered another break for 5-2 and served out the opening set in a tidy 37 minutes, US Open reports.
Not to be outdone, Sinner clicked back into focus to start the second set and took the play to Alcaraz, registering the critical break for 3-1 with a forehand that sailed past Alcaraz for a clean winner. The break held up, as Sinner reeled off five consecutive holds to become the first man to take a set from Alcaraz at this year’s Open.
Sinner was powerless to stop his opponent in the third set, when the Spaniard raced into a 5-0 lead and finished it off having remarkably outhit his opponent by 11 winners to one.Sinner's struggles to hold serve continued into the fourth set, and the Italian was forced to fend off two break points in the opening game. The pressure ultimately told in the fifth game, however, when Alcaraz broke serve for 3-2 and a lead that he never relinquished. US Open: Alcaraz beats Sinner to clinch men's singles title and world No. 1 crown | MorungExpress | morungexpress.com
For frequent American flyers and puzzled first-time visitors from Europe, a major security headache is due to finally to fade away into history’s rearview mirror.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced in early July that passengers traveling through domestic airports can keep their shoes on while passing through security screening at TSA checkpoints.
The new policy will increase hospitality for travelers and streamline the TSA security checkpoint process, leading to lower wait times.
In December 2001 onboard a flight from Miami to Paris, Richard Reid, who became known as the “shoe bomber,” tried to ignite hidden explosives in his shoes, which became the impetus for the eventual TSA rule, introduced 5 years later.
“Ending the ‘Shoes-Off’ policy is the latest effort DHS is implementing to modernize and enhance traveler experience across our nation’s airports,” said Secretary Noem.
“We expect this change will drastically decrease passenger wait times at our TSA checkpoints, leading to a more pleasant and efficient passenger experience.”
As well as being a source of traffic in the TSA lines, the last decade and a half has seen the Shoes Off rule become a major source of confusion as well.
In the two decades following the September 11th attacks, countries which had originally adopted the US’ harsh security screening protocols either gradually abandoned them or only parts of them.
The result was that flying through the Western world became an exercise in disarray, as passengers taking off their shoes would be told to keep them on, only to arrive in another country for a connecting flight and suddenly be told to take them off again.Presumably most other countries will abandon Shoes Off now that America has, so here’s to shorter airport security lines. Travelers Will No Longer Have to Remove Their Shoes in U.S. Airport Security Lines
Longer Tables, a nonprofit that believes in the power of shared meals to connect people, welcomed over 3,400 locals who signed up to sit down at the first-ever “Mile Long Table”.
The 5,280-foot long table at the Auraria Campus in downtown Denver, Colorado, served up tons of produce from local farmers, as the perfect side dish for the community on the beautiful Saturday afternoon.
“The community response to our first Mile Long Table has been overwhelmingly positive,” said Tim Jones, founder and executive director of Longer Tables. “It’s really powerful and deeply encouraging to hear guests talk about how eager and appreciative they are to connect with people from diverse backgrounds and cultures.
“Our goal is creating meaningful connections—and the table makes it all possible.”
Hundreds of volunteers set up and served the guests at the ‘Mile Long Table’, named as an homage to ‘the Mile High City’. (See the video below…)
One of the sponsors, Southwest Airlines, even provided 10 surprise roundtrip airline tickets to reconnect loved ones over the scrumptious feast provided by Serendipity Catering.
The airline selected ten people nominated by community members, and also covered lodging costs so they could take a seat at the table—reuniting with loved ones but also creating new friendships.
Credit: Longer Tables
Kim Evans was flown to Denver from Philadelphia to reconnect with Hannah Kahan, a longtime friend who had recently graduated from the University of Denver—and she called the experience “truly a blessing”.
Kim made new friends at the event and plans to stay in touch with her ‘tablemates’.
“The energy at the Mile Long Table was infectious,” said Lexi Muller, a senior manager at Southwest Airlines. “We believe that community is more than a place; it’s the heart of what brings us all together.”
One of the diners, Diana Samet, was “delighted” by the notion of the Mile Long Table and was thankful she attended.
“We met lots of folks and just felt a warm spirit of coming together as a community.”
Longer Tables began its mission of promoting shared meals in 2013. The organization has since hosted more than 100 gatherings in five states to ‘help cities, organizations, businesses and neighborhoods create cultures of connection and belonging’.
The Texas Comptroller’s office has officially commenced the application process for more than $3.8 billion in funding to advance broadband infrastructure across the state. This substantial investment, administered by the Broadband Development Office (BDO), combines federal dollars from the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program with state contributions from the Texas Match Assistance Program (TMAP). The initiative aims to extend reliable high-speed internet service to over 245,000 unserved and underserved locations, encompassing homes, businesses, and schools.
Acting Comptroller Kelly Hancock described access to high-speed internet as a necessity in the modern era, critical not only for education and business but also for healthcare and daily life. He underscored that expanding broadband connections, especially in rural and underserved communities, is a transformative step that supports job creation, stimulates local economic development, and equips Texans across all ZIP codes with essential tools to thrive in a connected economy.
The official Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA), published on the Texas SmartBuy website on June 26, provides detailed guidelines for prospective applicants. Eligible projects must focus on deploying broadband with minimum speeds of 100 Mbps download and 20 Mbps upload, with latency at or below 100 milliseconds, to meet the program’s benchmarks for service quality. Applications are being accepted through August 1, 2025, via the state’s BEAD Application Portal, where applicants can also find application guidance and register for program updates.
The BEAD funding of $3.3 billion from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) is supplemented by an additional $500 million from the state’s TMAP, designed to assist applicants in meeting matching fund requirements. Eligible applicants include cooperatives, nonprofits, public-private partnerships, private companies, and local governments, reflecting a broad eligibility to attract diverse entities capable of accelerating broadband deployment.
This effort marks part of Texas’s ongoing commitment to close the digital divide, which saw the establishment of the BDO within the Comptroller’s office in 2021. The BDO is charged with overseeing broadband expansion activities and additional programs such as the Broadband Infrastructure Fund and the Pole Replacement Program, ensuring a comprehensive suite of funding opportunities beyond BEAD and TMAP.
However, in a related development earlier this year, the BDO paused all grants and contracts associated with the federal State Digital Equity Capacity Grant Program in March 2025 due to federal government realignment and the need to ensure compliance with evolving program guidelines. This pause highlights the complexities of coordinating broadband initiatives amid shifting federal priorities, though the pause has not directly affected the newly opened BEAD and TMAP grant application window.
Prospective applicants had the opportunity to ask questions about the NOFA during a formal public inquiry period in May, with responses made publicly available by mid-June, reflecting transparency efforts by the BDO to assist applicants in navigating the funding process effectively.
As Texas moves forward to deploy this transformative broadband infrastructure funding, the successful expansion of high-speed internet access remains a crucial priority for enabling equitable economic and social participation across the state’s diverse regions.
Majesty with her new friend Taylor Swift – credit Shaneka Holloman, via GoFundMe
GNN loves seeing celebrities channel their influence for good, and there are few better at it than America’s undisputed sweetheart of sweethearts.
Taylor Swift, having recently concluded the record-breaking Eras tour, visited Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital in Florida.
Passing between rooms in a lithe sage-green dress, she touched the hearts of the children undergoing treatment for life-threatening illnesses including cancer and cardiomyopathy.
It was on June 12th that Shaneka Holloman, the mother of a 7-year-old transplant recipient and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy survivor, Majesty, received a phone call asking if her daughter would like to come to a “function.”
One can only imagine her surprise.
“ She touched her hair to make sure Taylor was real,” Holloman told the USA TODAY Network. “I didn’t know what to say. I didn’t know what to do. This is Taylor Swift, America’s sweetheart.”
The two talked for around 15 minutes, after which Majesty asked if she could have Swift’s phone number. The event swept across “swifty” socials, and soon, a GoFundMe set up by Holloman to fund Majesty’s treatment had received thousands in donations. At publishing time it has surpassed $16K.
Two other GoFundMe efforts received the Swift bump: two-year-old Aaliyah and 10-year-old Zoe, both of whom are currently enduring treatment for brain cancer, with Zoe being the victim of neuroblastoma for seven years.
Zoe and Swift at Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital – credit, Monica Franco De Villa, via GoFundMe
Swift visiting Aaliyah at Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital – credit, Crystal Mortensen, via GoFundMe
For the former, Swift autographed an Eras tour concert booklet—a gift which her Aaliyah’s mother Crystal Mortensen put up on an online store for sale at $500. A swifty, or Taylor Swift fan, bought it, recognized who was selling it, and told the family to keep it.
Donations in increments of 13, which is Swift’s favorite number allegedly, raised almost $60,000 of the $100,000 goal, which would cover the entire treatment panoply for Aaliyah.
Zoe, who is still undergoing treatment, has received $23,000 in donations to her GoFundMe, many of which arrived after “one of the kindest human beings” visited her.
“Undeniably one of the kindest human beings I have ever had the privilege of meeting,” said Dr. Jill Whitehouse, the chief of surgery who posted a photo with Swift after her visit in a note on the GoFundMe.
“Thank you #taylorswift for making dreams come true for all of our patients, families, and staff.
Climate change is lengthening fire seasons across much of the world. This means the potential for wildfires at any time of the year, in both hemispheres, is increasing.
That poses a problem. Australia regularly shares firefighting resources with the United States and Canada. But these agreements rest on the principle that when North America needs these personnel and aircraft, Australia doesn’t, and vice versa. Climate change means this assumption no longer holds.
But to what extent do fire seasons in Australia and North America actually overlap? Our new research examined this question.
We found an alarming increase in the overlap of the fire seasons, suggesting both regions must invest far more in their own permanent firefighting capacity.
What we did
We investigated fire weather seasons – that is, the times of the year when atmospheric conditions such as temperature, humidity, rainfall and wind speed are conducive to fire.
The central question we asked was: how many days each year do fire weather seasons in Australia and North America overlap?
To determine this, we calculated the length of the fire weather seasons in the two regions in each year, and the number of days when the seasons occur at the same time. We then analysed reconstructed historical weather data to assess fire-season overlap for the past 45 years. We also analysed climate model data to assess changes out to the end of this century.
And the result? On average, fire weather occurs in both regions simultaneously for about seven weeks each year. The greatest risk of overlap occurs in the Australian spring – when Australia’s season is beginning and North America’s is ending.
The overlap has increased by an average of about one day per year since 1979. This might not sound like much. But it translates to nearly a month of extra overlap compared to the 1980s and 1990s.
The increase is driven by eastern Australia, where the fire weather season has lengthened at nearly twice the rate of western North America. More research is needed to determine why this is happening.
Longer, hotter, drier
Alarmingly, as climate change worsens and the atmosphere dries and heats, the overlap is projected to increase.
The extent of the overlap varied depending on which of the four climate models we used. Assuming an emissions scenario where global greenhouse gas emissions begin to stabilise, the models projected an increase in the overlap of between four and 29 days a year.
What’s behind these differences? We think it’s rainfall. The models project quite different rainfall trends over Australia. Those projecting a dry future also project large increases in overlapping fire weather. What happens to ours and North America’s rainfall in the future will have a large bearing on how fire seasons might change.
While climate change will dominate the trend towards longer overlapping fire seasons, El Niño and La Niña may also play a role.
These climate drivers involve fluctuations every few years in sea surface temperature and air pressure in part of the Pacific Ocean. An El Niño event is associated with a higher risk of fire in Australia. A La Niña makes longer fire weather seasons more likely in North America.
There’s another complication. When an El Niño occurs in the Central Pacific region, this increases the chance of overlap in fire seasons of North America and Australia. We think that’s because this type of El Niño is especially associated with dry conditions in Australia’s southeast, which can fuel fires.
But how El Niño and La Niña will affect fire weather in future is unclear. What’s abundantly clear is that global warming will lead to more overlap in fire seasons between Australia and North America – and changes in Australia’s climate are largely driving this trend.
Looking ahead
Firefighters and their aircraft are likely to keep crossing the Pacific during fire emergencies.
But it’s not difficult to imagine, for example, simultaneous fires occurring in multiple Australian states during spring, before any scheduled arrival of aircraft from the US or Canada. If North America is experiencing late fires that year and cannot spare resources, Australia’s capabilities may be exceeded.
Fire agencies are becoming increasingly aware of this clash. And a royal commission after the 2019–20 Black Summer fires recommended Australia develop its own fleet of firefighting aircraft.
Long, severe fire seasons such as Black Summer prompted an expansion of Australia’s permanent aerial firefighting fleet, but more is needed.
As climate change accelerates, proactive fire management, such as prescribed burning, is also important to reduce the risk of uncontrolled fire outbreaks.
VATICAN CITY - World leaders welcomed the election of Robert Francis Prevost, who, as Pope Leo XIV, becomes the first leader of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics from the United States.
Tens of thousands cheered as Leo, successor to the late pope Francis, appeared on the balcony of St Peter's Basilica to deliver his first address.
"Congratulations to Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, who was just named Pope. It is such an honour to realise that he is the first American Pope. What excitement, and what a great honour for our country," said US President Donald Trump. "I look forward to meeting Pope Leo XIV. It will be a very meaningful moment!"
"This is a historic day for the United States, and we will pray for him as he begins the sacred work of leading the Catholic Church and setting an example for so many, regardless of faith," former US president Barack Obama said, congratulating the "fellow Chicagoan."
President Cyril Ramaphosa also congratulated Pope Leo, saying his early emphasis on peace is a call that resonates with most of humanity and is one that honours the legacy of the late Pope Francis.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he has hope for 'moral' support.
"At this decisive moment for our country, we hope for the continued moral and spiritual support of the Vatican in Ukraine's efforts to restore justice and achieve a lasting peace."
GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/Getty Images via AFP | SCOTT OLSON
Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas sent his best wishes for success to Pope Leo XIV in continuing his noble work and maintaining the legacy of the late Pope Francis and his peace efforts.
Abbas stressed "the importance of the moral, religious, and political role of the Holy See in defending just causes, first and foremost that of the Palestinian people and their right to freedom and independence."
Russian President Vladimir Putin hoped that "the constructive dialogue and cooperation established between Russia and the Vatican will continue to develop on the basis of the Christian values that unite us."
Israeli President Isaac Herzog said he looks forward to enhancing the relationship between Israel and the Holy See "and strengthening the friendship between Jews and Christians in the Holy Land and around the world.
"May your papacy be one of building bridges and understanding between all faiths and peoples," he said.
France's President Emmanuel Macron highlighted "a historic moment for the Catholic Church and its millions of faithful."
"Through your role, you provide hope and guidance to millions of believers around the world in these challenging times," said German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
Nigeria's President Bola Tinubu said "the election of Pope Leo XIV opens a new chapter in the history of the Catholic Church and the values of love, humanity and charity, particularly to the underprivileged that it has consistently projected.""The election of Pope Leo XIV is a deeply profound moment of joy for Catholics in the United Kingdom and globally, and begins a new chapter for the leadership of the Church and in the world," said British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. World leaders welcome first US pope
TOKYO - Figure skater Alysa Liu feared she might "humiliate" herself on her comeback last year, but now she is women's world champion and said Wednesday she can get even better before next year's Winter Olympics.
American Liu was just 16 when she retired from the sport in 2022 after winning world championship bronze and competing at the Beijing Olympics, saying she had achieved all her goals.
She ended her exile last year and crowned her comeback with a dazzling win at the world championships in Boston a little less than three weeks ago.
Now 19 years old, Liu said the victory was "very unexpected" but added her best was yet to come as she looked ahead to the Milan-Cortina Olympic Games next February.
"I think pretty highly of myself so it's not like I'm insecure," she said Wednesday in Tokyo, where she is preparing to compete for the United States in the season-ending World Team Trophy this week.
"I just feel that I can improve so much more. I think I haven't created my best work yet."
She only returned to competition in October and said her achievements had far exceeded her expectations.
"I didn't think I was going to do well in competition, I needed to get used to it again," she said.
"I was like, 'I'll humiliate myself this season, it's fine. I'll get used to the feeling of competition again and then next season I'll come back strong'.
"But it turns out I came back kind of strong this season."
Liu said becoming world champion had not changed her approach with the Winter Olympics on the horizon.
"If I don't even get sent to the Olympics, that will be fine too -- I'll probably go there anyway and watch," she said.
"None of the titles matter as long as I have two good programmes that I'm proud of, that I want people to watch."
Liu is one of several world champions in a star-studded United States team in Tokyo this week.
Ilia Malinin, who won his second men's title in Boston, and ice dance champions Madison Chock and Evan Bates are also competing for the Americans.Japan, Georgia, France, Canada and Italy are the other nations competing. Skating comeback queen Liu says she can get even better for Olympics
NEW YORK - When "The Last of Us" the smash hit series about a post-apocalyptic society ravaged by a mass fungal infection - arrived on our screens in 2023, the real world was emerging from a pandemic.
Its timely premise evidently struck a chord, as the video game adaptation's debut season drew a record-breaking 32 million US viewers per episode, according to HBO.
Now season two, which premieres April 13 and hinges on themes of conflict and vengeance, will be equally relevant and prescient, promises returning star Pedro Pascal.
Part of the show's strength is its ability "to see human relationships under crisis and in pain, and intelligently draw political allegory, societal allegory, and base it off the world we're living in," said the actor, who plays lead character Joel.
Bella Ramsey plays Ellie, seemingly the one human immune to the deadly cordyceps fungus
AFP/File | Chris DELMAS
"Storytelling is cathartic in so many ways... I think there's a very healthy and sometimes sick pleasure in that kind of catharsis -- in a safe space," he told a recent press conference.
In the first season, smuggler Joel is forced to take teenage Ellie (Bella Ramsey) -- seemingly the one human immune to the deadly cordyceps fungus -- with him as he crosses the United States seeking his brother.
'Conflicts'
Kaitlyn Dever was originally in talks to play Ellie when a film adaptation of 'The Last of Us' was in development in the mid-2010s
AFP/File | Chris DELMAS
Although fans of the original video games will know what to expect from season two, HBO is trying to keep plot details of the dark and gritty second installment under wraps.
A recent trailer makes clear that Joel and Ellie have come into conflict with each other, and a new character Abby (Kaitlyn Dever) is a soldier on a murderous rampage.
In a quirk of fortune, rising star Dever ("Booksmart," "Dopesick") was originally in talks to play Ellie when a film adaptation of "The Last of Us" was in development in the mid-2010s.
Though the film collapsed, she became a fan of the games, and said getting cast as Abby -- a main, playable character in video game "The Last of Us Part II" -- for the TV series years later was "surreal."
"I was a fan of the game. It was a real bonding moment for me and my dad playing it together," she reflected.
"And to have it come back around, what, 10-plus years later?... It just felt right. Abby felt right."
'The Last of Us' co-star Gabriel Luna said there is 'a huge catharsis element' to watching the second season at a time when, in the real world, conflicts are raging and alliances are fracturing
AFP/File | Chris DELMAS
Gabriel Luna, who returns as Joel's brother Tommy, agreed with Pascal that "there's a huge catharsis element" to watching the second season at a time when, in the real world, conflicts are raging and alliances are fracturing.
"The first season, we made a story about a pandemic, fearing that maybe there was a fatigue. But I think the experience that everyone had just gave them an entry point to what we were doing," he said.
He continued: "I think the second game... and the second season is about conflicts. Where do they start? And who started it?
"Right now, all over the world, we're dealing with these conflicts... People are stuck in the wheel of vengeance. Can it be broken? Will it be broken? And that's where we are."
A survey of 2,000 single Americans revealed that 56% of respondents agreed it’s important that their partners have the same career values that they do.
In terms of ambition, 44% would prefer someone whose career ambitions were the same as their own, while 34% are looking for someone who is even more ambitious.
Regarding salary, 39% of all respondents—which were equally divided between men and women—said they would prefer to be an equal “breadwinner” with their partners. Unsurprisingly, this was much more common for women, with 45% of females preferring salaries to be equal, compared to 33% of men.
Conducted by Talker Research on behalf of the dating app The League, the survey also looked at the most desirable careers for 2025.
29% of men and women agreed that those in the health care field make the best partners, while careers in education ranked as the second most attractive for the men surveyed (28%).
21% of women are interested in dating an entrepreneur, 19% were interested in an educator, while finance guys and artists were desirable for 18%.
Also ranking in the top most dateable jobs for both genders are lawyers (24%), scientists (16%), and careers in tech, like web or software developers (14%).
The poll also explored the ideal time to have “the career conversation” with potential partners. Nearly a quarter of respondents (22%) said that, ideally, they’ll have a conversation about goals and aspirations before going on a first date—but most will bring up the conversation by the end of their first date.
“Transparency is more attractive than ever,” said Rachel DeAlto, a dating expert at The League. “While there may be no perfect time to talk about careers and ambitions, bringing it up in conversation sooner than later in the dating process allows singles to determine if they share similar values and life goals from the start.”
Despite many respondents being eager to speak with potential partners about their career, that doesn’t mean single Americans are “all work and no play.” 40% of singles surveyed want their potential partners to have a passion for what they’re doing but also prioritize a work/life balance.
Gabriella Clare Marino
Additionally, over one in five respondents are looking for partners who have a desire to leave a positive impact on society or other people.
64% are willing to date someone in graduate school, further demonstrating the appeal of having drive and goals, no matter where your career is at the moment.
“When partners share similar aspirations and value the same things in life, they’re better equipped to support and understand each other. The key is to stay open to finding that alignment,” said DeAlto.
On the flip side, constant burn-out (32%), long overtime hours (29%) and switching jobs every year (25%) are some of the top career “red flags.” Interestingly, being an “influencer” was also a “red flag” for more than one in five respondents (22%).
WHAT CAREER VALUES ARE IMPORTANT IN A POTENTIAL NEW PARTNER?
Passion for what they’re doing — 40%
Prioritizing work/personal life balance — 34%
Understanding that there is always more to learn/ways to improve — 28%
Ability to work well with others and build relationships with colleagues — 25%
Desire to leave a positive impact on society or other people — 21%
Competitiveness or wanting to be successful — 19%
Desire to leave a positive impact on the environment — 15%
Countries and economic blocs around the world are at different stages of regulating artificial intelligence, from a relative "Wild West" in the United States to highly complex rules in the European Union.
Here are some key points about regulation in major jurisdictions, ahead of the Paris AI summit on February 10-11:
- United States -
Returning President Donald Trump last month rescinded Joe Biden's October 2023 executive order on AI oversight.
Largely voluntary, it required major AI developers like OpenAI to share safety assessments and vital information with the federal government.
Backed by major tech companies, it was aimed at protecting privacy and preventing civil rights violations, and called for safeguards on national security.
Home to top developers, the United States now has no formal AI guidelines -- although some existing privacy protections do still apply.
Under Trump, the United States has "picked up their cowboy hat again, it's a complete Wild West", said Yael Cohen-Hadria, a digital lawyer at consultancy EY.
The administration has effectively said that "we're not doing this law anymore... we're setting all our algorithms running and going for it", she added.
- China -
China's government is still developing a formal law on generative AI.
A set of "Interim Measures" requires that AI respects personal and business interests, does not use personal information without consent, signposts AI-generated images and videos, and protects users' physical and mental health.
AI must also "adhere to core socialist values" -- effectively banning AI language models from criticising the ruling Communist Party or undermining China's national security.
DeepSeek, whose frugal yet powerful R1 model shocked the world last month, is an example, resisting questions about President Xi Jinping or the 1989 crushing of pro-democracy demonstrations in Tiananmen Square.
While regulating businesses closely, especially foreign-owned ones, China's government will grant itself "strong exceptions" to its own rules, Cohen-Hadria predicted.
- European Union -
In contrast to both the United States and China, "the ethical philosophy of respecting citizens is at the heart of European regulation", Cohen-Hadria said.
"Everyone has their share of responsibility: the provider, whoever deploys (AI), even the final consumer."
The "AI Act" passed in March 2024 -- some of whose provisions apply from this week -- is the most comprehensive regulation in the world.
Using AI for predictive policing based on profiling and systems that use biometric information to infer an individual's race, religion or sexual orientation are banned.
The law takes a risk-based approach: if a system is high-risk, a company has a stricter set of obligations to fulfil.
EU leaders have argued that clear, comprehensive rules will make life easier for businesses.
Cohen-Hadria pointed to strong protections for intellectual property and efforts to allow data to circulate more freely while granting citizens control.
"If I can access a lot of data easily, I can create better things faster," she said.
- India -
Like China, India -- co-host of next week's summit -- has a law on personal data but no specific text governing AI.
Cases of harm originating from generative AI have been tackled with existing legislation on defamation, privacy, copyright infringement and cybercrime.
New Delhi knows the value of its high-tech sector and "if they make a law, it will be because it has some economic return", Cohen-Hadria said.
Occasional media reports and government statements about AI regulation have yet to be followed up with concrete action.
Top AI firms including Perplexity blasted the government in March 2024 when the IT ministry issued an "advisory" saying firms would require government permission before deploying "unreliable" or "under-testing" AI models.
It came days after Google's Gemini in some responses accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of implementing fascist policies.
Hastily-updated rules called only for disclaimers on AI-generated content.
- Britain -
Britain's centre-left Labour government has included AI in its agenda to boost economic growth.
The island nation boasts the world's third-largest AI sector after the United States and China.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer in January unveiled an "AI opportunities action plan" that called for London to chart its own path.
AI should be "tested" before it is regulated, Starmer said.
"Well-designed and implemented regulation... can fuel fast, wide and safe development and adoption of AI," the action plan document read.
By contrast, "ineffective regulation could hold back adoption in crucial sectors", it added.
A consultation is under way to clarify copyright law's application to AI, aiming to protect the creative industry.
- International efforts -
The Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI) brings together more than 40 countries, aiming to encourage responsible use of the technology.
Members will meet on Sunday "in a broader format" to lay out an "action plan for 2025", the French presidency has said.
The Council of Europe in May last year adopted the first-ever binding international treaty governing the use of AI, with the US, Britain and European Union joining the signatories.
Of 193 UN member countries, just seven belong to seven major AI governance initiatives, while 119 belong to none -- mostly in the Global South.By Tom Barfield With Afp Bureaus AI regulation around the world
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Mile Long Table in Denver – Credit: Longer Tables
Credit: Longer Tables
Zoe and Swift at Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital – credit, Monica Franco De Villa, via GoFundMe
Swift visiting Aaliyah at Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital – credit, Crystal Mortensen, via GoFundMe
