Signal

Aug 19 · AM · 137 · archive

TOP SIGNAL

The recurring climate phenomenon is poised this year to enter a new phase known as a super El Niño, exacerbating the effects of climate change.
NYT Climate1hearth-paleontology9
Traveling electrical waves sweeping across the brain may help determine what we notice, predict what comes next, and construct our internal picture of the world. Researchers now argue that these waves aren't just background activity—they could be a core computational engine behind perception and memory.
Science Daily Mind Brain19hbiology-medicine9
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Science Alert2hphysics-cosmology9
The consequences of A.I. for the budget will largely hinge on whether — and to what extent — the technology reshapes the labor market.
NYT Politics18hmacro-monetary8
There were already several factors rattling investors. A further rise in bond yields is making things more expensive for everyone.
NYT Business8mmacro-monetary8
In an usual move, Congress worsened terms for some existing borrowers. Now they’ll have to pay more, and for a longer term.
NYT Business2hmacro-monetary8
In a new book, Jill Lepore examines what happens when we abandon liberal democracy for rule by automation and machines.
NYT Artificial Intelligence2hai-governance8
‘An altogether more serious—and shallow—allegation is that it was all ‘crazy’ because . . . [g]iven a chance, the left will waste capital by descending into infighting, radicalism and alienation.’
WSJ US Business14hpublic-policy8
Oil prices rose for a fourth day as talks to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and end the Iran war stalled.
WSJ US Business4hcommodities-energy8
Result in high-risk patients validates decades of research into mRNA-based therapeutic cancer vaccines.
WSJ Social & Health43mbiology-medicine8
Silver nanoparticles can precisely slice DNA and create longer “sticky ends,” helping genetic fragments join up to five times more efficiently than conventional methods. The breakthrough could eventually simplify the construction of large DNA sequences for gene therapies, cancer vaccines, engineered drugs, and advanced crops.
Science Daily Health Medicine4hbiology-medicine8
GENERAL25
The consumer watchdog said they were trying to find out if the three companies were not showing full prices upfront to customers.
BBC Top Stories51m⊕2
Russia's Defence Ministry says 453 Ukrainian drones were downed overnight in various regions.
Al Jazeera2h⊕2
The Ebola outbreak in Congo has passed 5,000 cases, government data showed, an unprecedented rate of spread that's outpacing efforts to slow it in one of the country's remotest regions.
CBS News2h⊕2
In a video to mark the 30th anniversary of Maggie's cancer charity, Queen Camilla speaks about her husband's own diagnosis.
BBC Top Stories12h⊕2
Harvard, Yale, Stanford and others face directive to review and cut alliances Pentagon deems national security risk Thirty US universities could lose federal funding unless they review and cut foreign academic partnerships the Pentagon considers a national security risk within the next two weeks, under a Pentagon directive aimed largely at ties to Chinese institutions. Harvard, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Johns Hopkins, Georgetown and Cornell are among the institutions ordered to conduct and report the reviews – and end partnerships deemed problematic – by 31 August, according to a US official who provided the full list to the Guardian. Continue reading...
Guardian US15h⊕2
'Busification', the term describing being captured on the street, is engulfed by abuse and corruption.
Al Jazeera12m
Government files a review of Supreme Court order, arguing that the jailed ex-PM should be examined at a public hospital.
Al Jazeera12m
Rough sleepers in England will be offered housing, in a move likened to the “Everyone In” initiative during the pandemic.
BBC Top Stories14m
Israeli government issues tender for more than 1,200 housing units as part of illegal E1 settlement project.
Al Jazeera14m
Unitree shares surge as much as 620 percent amid enthusiasm for burgeoning field of human-like robots.
Al Jazeera19m
The bodies of two climbers who disappeared in the Swiss Alps in 1992 have been found, freed from a melting glacier, police said.
CBS News25m
The Aircraft Accident Investigation Department tells the BBC the identities of those on board are not yet known.
BBC World27m
Francis Smith was one of a growing number of elderly people who are incarcerated.
BBC Top Stories37m
PM promises to mount ‘Covid-style campaign’ to get homeless people off streets in winter New Scottish government policy on datacentres marks a “real departure”, the minister in charge has said. Changes announced earlier this week mean the government has to be notified about applications to build datacentres above a 50 megawatt capacity, PA reported. Roughly half the savings come from having to build much less grid, fewer pylons and less cables carving up the countryside. The rest of the savings come from lower wholesale prices, lower balancing costs and subsidies. Basically, we’d pay a lot less money to switch wind farms off when it’s too windy, or for back up when it’s not windy enough. Continue reading...
Guardian World38m
Prosecutors in Charlie Kirk 's killing pointed to an engraved bullet, arguing that its inscription shows Kirk was targeted for how the defendant perceived his politics.
CBS News39m
President Trump has announced that the U.S. is delaying a 50% tariff on Canadian imports after reaching a deal. And, how progressive Democrats fared in Florida's primary elections yesterday.
NPR News45m
Right to assisted dying established for patients with conditions assessed as incurable and causing unbearable pain Legislation granting incurably ill adults the right to assisted dying has been formally adopted in France after the text was approved by the country’s highest constitutional authority and published in the official journal. The law, known as a law on “end of life” or “aid in dying” rather than “assisted dying” or “euthanasia”, means France joins the small group of countries including the Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland and Canada to have legalised the practice. Continue reading...
Guardian World45m
In Alaska, the top four vote getters in the primary advance to the general election.
CBS News48m
Move by Years, which provides personalised meals in subscription-based service, follows recipe change A dog food brand has recalled all of its fresh meals after reports that a recipe change may have caused some animals to develop an eye condition that, if left untreated, can lead to sight loss. The brand Years said owners should stop feeding its fresh meals to their dogs “immediately” and also told them not to feed the meals to any other animal, or to donate or sell them. Continue reading...
Guardian World57m
Warnings for northern England, eastern Scotland and Northern Ireland will come into force later on Wednesday.
BBC Top Stories57m
Martial law has been in place in Ukraine since February 2022, under which elections are suspended.
BBC World59m
New findings further call into question scientific judgment of current health leaders in the Trump administration A French researcher whose work was praised by Donald Trump and Dr Mehmet Oz during the Covid-19 pandemic published hundreds of papers with “substantial” ethical and legal concerns, according to a new analysis. An international team of scientists found concerns in 853 articles published by the Institut Hospitalo-Universitaire Méditerranée Infection, or the IHU, hundreds more than previously flagged by past investigations into work at the large research hospital. Of those, institute founder Didier Raoult was listed as co-author on 758 of them, according to one of the researchers behind the new analysis. Continue reading...
Guardian US59m
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s co-opting of conservative language to discuss a movement against state-sanctioned killings of Black people is damning August has brought us a referendum on “Woke 1” – a term that reductively brands 2020’s social justice movement – as prominent liberal voices reflect on that time period with disappointing hindsight. During a recent appearance on ABC’s This Week, when asked about 2020-era demands to abolish prisons and police, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the US congresswoman from New York, abandoned her previous support of the “defund the police” movement, and instead joked: “Woke 1 was crazyyyyy.” Ocasio-Cortez, a democratic socialist, implied that the still-resounding calls for municipalities to reduce police budgets and to divert aid to poor communities were worth advocating for during the 2020 uprising, but are now “crazyyyyy”. In 2020, she noted that “a lot of people cannot fathom what an abolitionist America looks like. Tell them it looks like a suburb. Affluent white communities already live in a world where they choose to fund youth, health, housing more than they fund police.” But she has since backtracked on that idea. Continue reading...
Guardian US59m
August is National Grief Awareness Month, and Kate Doerge wants to reimagine how we deal with grief. After the experience of losing her 16-year-old daughter, Kate decided it was time to reframe the feeling of sadness. We've all heard of the five stages of grief, but Kate suggests there are five actions to help you learn how to carry your grief. Plus, Norah talks about how she wants to be remembered, and Kate tells us how to show up for people who are grieving.
CBS News1h
MARKETS FINANCE21
Commodities energy3
Africans have turned to one of their own for fuel as the world’s supplies run low. But they are not the only ones with the continent’s richest man on speed dial.
NYT Home Page2h7
Plus: New law aims to speed output of modular and manufactured homes; attacks mount on Strait of Hormuz shipping.
WSJ US Business1h6
Find insight on Evolution Mining, BlueScope Steel and more in the latest Market Talks covering basic materials.
WSJ US Business1h3
Portfolio theory2
Personal injury cases have exploded, in number and magnitude, funded by companies betting on a win — and offering investors a piece of the action.
NYT Home Page2h7
Plus, chips and bonds stabilize.
WSJ Markets1h4
Equities earnings9
Unitree is the second major Chinese technology company linked to the country’s artificial intelligence boom to surge following its initial public offering in the past month.
NYT Business9h⊕27
Lowe’s trimmed its full-year sales and profit targets, signaling that price-conscious homeowners are delaying major renovations and compounding back-half headwinds.
WSJ US Business18m6
Soft drinks and other beverages delivered 7.8% growth, driven by gains in multiple markets, while beer volumes declined slightly by 1%.
WSJ US Business3h5
The world’s second-largest memory chip maker is accelerating its shareholder-return program via what it says would be South Korea’s largest stock buyback.
WSJ Markets3h5
The Estee Lauder Companies narrowed its fiscal fourth-quarter loss on higher sales, as the company’s turnaround continued to pick up steam.
WSJ US Business1h4
On the heels of a positive quarter, the retailer now expects sales growth of about 5% this fiscal year.
WSJ US Business1h4
U.S. stock futures are muted with investors focused on retailer earnings and minutes from the Fed’s July meeting.
WSJ Markets47m4
Investors got a shock last week when the retailer said that Ted Decker, the chief executive, would take a medical leave. Tuesday’s earnings brought a more welcome surprise.
NYT Business17h3
European stock indexes were mixed in muted early trade as a global technology selloff lost some momentum, while manufacturing and chemical stocks strengthened.
WSJ Markets4h3
Macro monetary5
Plus, Pennsylvania restricts data-center construction and ABC sues the FCC.
WSJ US Business14h6
Inflation was driven by a surge in household energy costs and reached the highest annual rate since March, when prices spiked following the outbreak of the war in Iran.
WSJ Social & Economy3h6
Gold prices slipped as investors waited for the release of the Federal Reserve’s July meeting minutes for fresh clues on its monetary policy outlook.
WSJ Markets3h4
The DXY dollar index fell.ahead of the Fed minutes later, and Tapass said the currency could remain under pressure as monetary-policy expectations have softened.
WSJ Markets2h4
Housing starts fell sharply below expectations in July as home-builder sentiment remained muted.
WSJ Social & Economy22h4
Valuation analysis1
Pharmaceutical chiefs are always hunting for drugs to replace expiring blockbusters. But shopping hungry can lead to expensive mistakes.
WSJ Markets2h6
Derivatives tail risk1
The investment bank will serve as a broker, arranging block trades on everything from weather forecasts to iPhone sales.
WSJ Markets30m5
SCIENCE HISTORY10
Physics cosmology3
It doesn’t take much for small powers to gain a big advantage over the powerful.
NYT Home Page16h7
A newly discovered Arctic process can dramatically boost the number of particles that help form clouds. Near melting sea ice, sunlight reacts with chemicals released by the ocean, algae, and ice, causing cloud-seeding particles to multiply by as much as 50 times in a day. Because the active ice-edge region is growing as sea ice retreats, the effect could become increasingly important. Scientists now want to add the process to climate models to see how much it could reshape Arctic warming.
Science Daily Climate18h7
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Science Alert6h6
Ancient history archaeology2
A German archaeologist’s dig of important historic pieces in the 1870s set off an ownership battle between Turkey, Germany and Russia, with no signs of abating.
NYT Arts2h7
A tomb in Egypt’s Theban Necropolis reveals a surprisingly organized story of burial, reuse, and changing beliefs spanning hundreds of years. Researchers found 16 mummified people, the remains of at least four more, and a mummified dog, with burials ranging from wealthy individuals laid in coffins with amulets and imported goods to later bodies carefully stacked in increasingly crowded spaces.
Science Daily Science Society3h7
Earth paleontology1
Miocene South America was packed with giant prey—and the predators hunting them were just as spectacular. Fossil bite marks suggest crocodylians, especially the enormous Purussaurus neivensis, were more important predators than mammals in this ancient tropical ecosystem. At around seven meters long, Purussaurus may even have helped control populations of giant herbivores.
Science Daily Marine Biology2h7
Biology medicine4
Researchers have built microscopic, light-driven robots that can rapidly navigate through liquid, collect bacteria, and deposit them in chosen locations. These tiny “cleaners” could open new possibilities for manipulating cells and microbes with remarkable precision.
Science Daily Health Medicine13h5
A widely prescribed blood pressure drug was associated with a 33% higher risk of serious kidney problems in people with type 2 diabetes, even when they were already taking kidney-protective medications. The surprising finding is prompting researchers to question whether DCCBs are always the safest second-line choice for diabetic kidney disease.
Science Daily Health Medicine13h4
Breast cancer is rising rapidly among Asian American women, with some of the most alarming increases occurring in younger women and in aggressive or advanced cancers. Researchers say screening alone can't explain the surge, suggesting important risk factors may still be undiscovered.
Science Daily Health Medicine3h4
Here’s what you need to know. ScienceAlert stories are written, fact-checked, and edited by humans, never generated by AI. Don't miss a story, subscribe here.
Science Alert9h4
POLICY ACADEMIA25
Public policy18
The agency has launched probes into DEI practices and equal-time rules in the wake of criticism of President Trump by ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel and “The View.”
WSJ US Business19h⊕27
The 11-day military exercise will now end six days earlier than originally scheduled.
WSJ World News56m7
Even if the fertility decline doesn’t reverse itself anytime soon, the consequences are unlikely to be apocalyptic.
The Atlantic1h7
Iran has survived decades of sanctions. Faced with more, it is likely to escalate rather than surrender, analysts said.
NYT Home Page3h6
The Emirates has long been a major trading hub for Iran, and analysts say it has been key to Iranian efforts to evade international sanctions, which the country denies.
NYT Home Page35m6
The rule to require efficient replacement tires was praised by environmentalists. But manufacturers warned that the change would hurt American companies and increase tire prices.
NYT Home Page11h6
A burst of ad spending is part of a campaign tactic in which the major parties try to boost fringe hopefuls on the other side.
NYT US News8h6
President Trump had ordered the Defense Department to reduce joint exercises with the key U.S. ally, declaring the drills “hostile” toward North Korea.
NYT US News4h6
Syria has given international inspectors access to a recently disclosed site containing nuclear material from the Assad-era program.
WSJ World News15h6
Andy Burnham has made unemployment a priority amid skyrocketing youth inactivity and a rapid collapse in entry-level vacancies. Economists warn the issue risks leaving a permanent scar on the economy.
WSJ World News51m6
Watch WSJ’s Thomas Grove explain how Ukraine’s targeted strikes on Russia’s retail and energy hubs are exposing the war’s hidden economic cost.
WSJ World News20h6
An immigration officer charged in an on-duty Minneapolis shooting has been held in a Texas jail.
WSJ US News17h5
Taxpayers will no longer fund hormone therapy or surgery for minors.
WSJ US News14h5
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency has proposed an insurance plan that could protect local police officers who make immigration arrests.
Fox 5 DC News17h⊕25
The Republican incumbent has President Trump’s support, but has little name recognition to many in her state.
NYT US News11h⊕34
Ms. Nixon, a democratic socialist, is running on a platform that calls for universal health care and a federal minimum wage of $25 per hour.
NYT US News9h4
The president attempted nuclear diplomacy with the autocrat during his first term. North Korea’s program has only grown stronger since then.
WSJ World News12h4
State Representative Angie Nixon, a progressive firebrand, defeated a moderate who dramatically out-raised her with grass-roots enthusiasm. Can it carry her to victory in November?
NYT Home Page4h3
Regulation antitrust7
ABC’s owner has a good case in its lawsuit against Brendan Carr’s harassment on free-speech grounds.
WSJ US Business14h⊕27
Federal prosecutors are reportedly investigating Andreessen Horowitz, the venture capital giant, over board seats it holds.
NYT Business23h6
The levies were set to affect 5% of Canadian exports to the U.S. and risked escalation into a broader trade conflict.
WSJ World News8h6
Cities that say no to driverless cars are blocking a technology that would change their residents’ lives for the better.
The Atlantic1h6
The proposed tariffs, which would have gone into effect at 12:01 a.m. on Wednesday, would have covered around 5% of the goods Canada ships to the U.S. each year.
Fox 5 DC News8h6
U.S. politicians are crying foul as California Merlots, Kentucky bourbons and Tennessee whiskeys​ disappear from Canadian shelves.
WSJ World News8h5
Plus, President Trump wants a new summit with Kim Jong Un, and a staunch Trump ally won the GOP governor race in Florida.
WSJ Social & Politics1h5
INCERTA ENVIRONMENTAL3
Environmental risk intel2
A photo of a North American river otter suggests a river coming back to life, Bronx Zoo experts say.
NYT NY Region2h7
The U.S. Forest Service intends to rescind a 2001 rule that blocked most development and timber harvesting in certain national forests.
WSJ US News13h⊕24
Disaster recovery insurance1
We look at the aftermath of Hurricane Lala.
NYT Home Page1h1
STRATEGY BUSINESS7
Startup methodology1
European governments, facing a nearly $1 trillion gap in investment funding, are casting a wide net to back start-ups developing pioneering technologies.
NYT Business2h7
Marketing funnels2
With GLP-1s threatening billions in sales, packaged-food makers are testing ways to win over the not-so-hungry.
WSJ US Business11h6
Plus, Costco looks to bulk up membership appeal with branded Medicare plans.
WSJ US Business23h3
Unsorted4
The CMO-CRO-CTO trio is an important C-suite partnership to manage the current tech and AI landscape, Lumen finance chief says.
WSJ US Business55m6
In an era of public offerings and acquisitions, Lodge has remained in the grip of its founding patriarch’s descendants.
WSJ US Business11h3
Although the fate of the ballroom is tied up in court, the Trump administration argues that the project is too far along to be stopped now.
NYT Home Page2h1
AI ML3
Semiconductors1
The semiconductor company reported higher profit and revenue in its third quarter driven by accelerating demand for data center hardware and industrial chips.
WSJ US Business6m7
Applied ml2
Wispr Flow is supposed to make writing effortless and magical. So I “wrote” this column with it.
NYT Artificial Intelligence2h4
The tech writer and podcaster Bridget Todd felt sorry for people who said they had relationships with chatbots. Then she became one of them.
NYT Artificial Intelligence2h3
CULTURE LIFE4
When wages are low and activities are pricey, the frugal find new ways of socializing.
NYT Home Page4h3
It shouldn't work – but it does. ScienceAlert stories are written, fact-checked, and edited by humans, never generated by AI. Don't miss a story, subscribe here.
Science Alert0mhealth-performance3
Psychologists, therapists and other experts share the works they recommend to people who are struggling to connect.
NYT Wellness2hhealth-performance2
The “Heroes” and “Nashville” star, who died Sunday at 36, endured personal struggles that were compounded by her public profile.
NYT Arts7hhealth-performance1
FILM MEDIA2
Documentarian Rory Kennedy’s follow-up to her 2022 investigation into the 737 MAX tragedies argues that a profits-over-quality company culture was to blame.
WSJ US Business15h2
In films like “Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma” and “The Invite,” middle-aged sexual gurus are helping younger characters — and audiences — relearn desire.
NYT Arts2hdark-comedy1
CREATIVE CRAFT1
Eric Goode’s latest docuseries about the lurid business of exotic animals is also his most personal, not least for examining his own complicity.
NYT Arts2hdocumentary-filmmaking1
MISC25
Volunteers and priests rallied to clean up Kyiv’s Dormition Cathedral, still smelling of smoke from a massive blaze, for an anniversary celebration.
NYT Home Page2h6
The four-year degree isn’t just an economic signal; it’s become a lifestyle determinant.
NYT Home Page57m4
Poems, essays and books written by working-class writers have garnered recognition in recent years — as well as increasing government attention.
NYT World News7h4
A federal judge ruled that initial preparatory steps, including testing out paints on the building’s gray granite exterior, could proceed for now.
NYT US News16h3
Some of the most talked-about pavilions at this year’s art event feature theatrical performances. But working with live bodies brings extra challenges.
NYT Arts2h3
The platform’s guidelines strictly forbid romantic advances, but the site’s clear headshots and ample details have made it a go-to tool for singles tired of swiping.
WSJ Lifestyle2h3
Alaska is a new West Coast entrant in the trans-Atlantic market, and the flight turned out to be a fantastic value with one major caveat: no Wi-Fi.
WSJ Lifestyle11h3
Why is the president obsessed with steam power?
The Atlantic14h3
When several horses wildly outperformed the odds at tracks at Saratoga and the Jersey Shore, bookmakers in London were stung and industry watchers suspected an elaborate plot.
NYT Home Page2h2
Among the stars and stans at a Hudson River retreat, two reporters beheld the big belters and niche merchandise at a new musical theater festival.
NYT Arts19h2
Hear a track from L’Rain and the song our critic wishes Phoebe Bridgers had made her lead single.
NYT Arts18h2
The orchestra will play in six halls in the Washington area and tour to five states as the center moves to shut down for a two-year overhaul.
NYT Arts20h⊕22
Philanthropist Herbert Wertheim paid a record price at auction for a Ferrari Luce sports car in the name of charity.
WSJ US Business8h2
The board overseeing Washington Dulles International Airport is scheduled to vote Wednesday on a $19.9 billion renovation plan described as one of the largest airport overhauls ever proposed, aimed at transforming Dulles into an airport for the future.
Fox 5 DC News13m2
The U.S. Attorney for D.C. criticized a judge's decision to grant pretrial release to the woman accused of vandalizing the World War II Memorial.
Fox 5 DC News11h2
A Georgia man has been linked to a burglary at the North Carolina home of late NASCAR driver Greg Biffle and it's not his first crime, investigators say.
Fox 5 DC News9h2
CBP officers in San Diego seized 553 pounds of fentanyl, cocaine and methamphetamine worth $67 million during 144 smuggling attempts in July.
Fox 5 DC News13h2
The parent company, Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream, voluntarily recalled five flavors nationwide. No injuries linked to the recalled products have been reported.
NYT US News16h1
Rescuers found a 29-year-old man in serious condition on the volcano’s eastern slope on Sunday. He was later pronounced dead at a hospital in Catania.
NYT World News3h1
Over a seven-hour period Tuesday, nearly 1,700 calls did not go through to one of the city's two emergency call centers. It was unclear what had caused the problem.
NYT NY Region9h1
Last-minute budget strategies rest on one key principle: flexibility.
NYT Business2h1
Caitlin Simmers, a world champion surfer, sees her sport as dance. How does this translate? She’s as seamless as a ribbon.
NYT Arts2h1
A sunny, hot and dry Wednesday is expected across the Washington, D.C. region, with highs near 90 degrees and slightly lower humidity.
Fox 5 DC News2h1
Beaver attacks have led to the expanded closure of parts of a popular Maryland state park.
Fox 5 DC News11h1
An Ohio couple was arrested after authorities said they forced their way into a family's cruise ship cabin and attacked two adults and their 9-year-old child after being asked to quiet down.
Fox 5 DC News12h1