There’s a lot to say about the White House’s new COVID-19 webpage. Before we get into it, here’s what happened.
The Trump administration has replaced COVID.gov (which is now unavailable), the federal government’s main source of information about the coronavirus, redirecting it to a revamped new page on whitehouse.gov called “Lab Leak: The True Origins of COVID,” which is riddled with misleading and conspiratorial claims about the coronavirus, asserting that the virus leaking from a lab in Wuhan, China, is the “most likely” origin.
It’s a theory that emerged in the early days of the pandemic and has been repeatedly disputed by health experts. (A team of WHO-appointed scientists flew to Wuhan in early 2021 to investigate the source of the pandemic concluded the lab-leak theory was “extremely unlikely.”)
The original website, launched under Biden, promoted information about the coronavirus vaccine, treatment, and testing. The new one rewrites the historic timeline of the COVID-19 pandemic, the role Democrats played in it, along withyou guessed itthe role of the media, which it also blames for discrediting its lab leak theory.
The Proximal Origin of SARS-CoV-2 publication which was used repeatedly by public health officials and the media to discredit the lab leak theory was prompted by Dr. Fauci to push the preferred narrative that COVID-19 originated naturally,” the site reads.
“This administration prioritizes transparency over all else,” a senior administration official told Fox News Digital. “The American people deserve to know the truth about the Covid pandemic and we will always find ways to reach communities with that message.”
Old grudges resurface
The site blames the Biden administration, and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in particular (which now faces a massive overhaul, including staff layoffs, as DOGE slashes its budgets and staff), for engaging “in a multi-year campaign of delay, confusion, and non-responsiveness in an attempt to obstruct the Select Subcommittees investigation and hide evidence that could incriminate or embarrass senior public health officials.”
It also takes a swipe at former National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Anthony Fauci, claiming that he misled the public with his recommendation that Americans keep “6 feet apart” and use masksboth of which were credited with helping to reduce the spread of COVID-19.
Instead, it argues “there was no conclusive evidence that masks effectively protected Americans from COVID-19.”
The site also insinuates that former President Joe Biden pardoned Fauci for how he handled the pandemic. (Biden has said that he issued preemptive pardons for Fauci and a host of others, as a guard against potential “revenge” from Trump in his second term.)
Finally, a lot has been said about the White House website’s dramatic bold redesign, and this page is no exception. On social media, users are making fun of the layout and font of the page, which looks both imposing and flashy, and unusual for a sitting president.
When it comes to electric vehicles in the U.S., California is by far the largest market: It accounts for nearly a third of the country’s EV sales. And for years, Tesla dominated this market, making up a majority of those sales. But thats changed: Teslas share of EV sales in California fell below 50% in the first quarter of 2025even as sales of other EVs increased.
In the first quarter of 2024, registrations for new Tesla vehicles made up 55.5% of Californias EV market. But in the first quarter of 2025, it fell to 43.9%, according to data from the California New Car Dealers Association (CNCDA). At the same time, registrations for all other EV models increased by 35%. Overall, zero emissions vehicle sales rose 7.3% in California between January and March.
Still, no other companies are close to competing with Tesla when it comes to EV models. But they have seen their share increase slightly. The second highest market share went to Ford, with 6%up 1.5% from the first quarter in 2024followed by BMW, with 5.6% (up .7% year over year) and then Hyundai, with 5.4% (up 1.1% year over year).
When it comes to the top selling battery electric and plug-in hybrid models in 2025, Tesla still took the number one and two spots with its Model Y and Model 3. There have been more than 23,000 Model Ys sold in California so far this year, and nearly 14,000 Model 3s. Hyundai took the third and fourth spots with its Prologue and Ioniq 5, but those sales were much lowerabout 4,400 and 3,700, respectively. Fords Mustang Mach-E took the number five spot, with 3,600 new sales.
Tesla backlash is affecting sales everywhere
Telsa once held an even bigger share of Californias EV market. In 2023, it accounted for 60% of EV sales, and in 2022, 71%. Part of that decline is likely due to the increase in EV offerings from other brands. But Teslas shrinking sales in California, especially this year, are also a sign of the companys overall slide away from EV dominancea trend fueled in part by CEO Elon Musks involvement in the Trump administration. An aging product lineup and backlash against Elon Musks political initiatives are likely key factors for the decline in Tesla BEV market share, the CNCDA wrote in its report.
Along with the political backlash, Tesla dealt with manufacturing disruptions this year that led to downtime at its assembly plants globally.
Across Europe, Tesla has already sold 42.6% fewer cars this year, according to the European Automobile Manufacturers Associationeven though, once again, overall EV sales are up. Sales of Teslas China-made EVs also plunged 49.2% in February alone, compared to the year prior. (Teslas sold in the U.S. are made in California and Texas, though they still include some parts from abroad; Tesla does have a factory in Germany to sell in Europe, though it also exports cars from China.)
Teslas stock price has also crashed, falling more than 40% since the start of the year. In one day alone at the beginning of April, the company lost 15% of its value.
For years, Tesla was the dominant brand associated with electric vehicles, but thats clearly changing. Other car companies are still building up their EV offerings, and even bringing them statesideHyundai recently opened a $7 billion manufacturing plant in Georgia to build electric and hybrid vehicles here.
When it comes to overall car sales, though, the Trump administration’s tariffs on auto imports have muddled the years outlook. In March and April, customers flocked to buy cars before the tariffs kicked in, but its not yet clear if those tariffs will lead to higher vehicle prices, and by how much. California itself expects new vehicle registrations to fall 2.3% this year compared to last, because of U.S. trade policies.
If you thought youd heard the last of the viral Apple dance, think again. The TikToker behind it is now suing Roblox over its unauthorized use.
Last year, during the height of Brat summer, Roblox partnered with singer Charli XCX to feature her music and likeness in an in-game concert within “Dress to Impress,” a fashion game on the platform. In a lawsuit filed last week in Los Angeles, Kelley Heyerthe creator of the dance set to Charli XCXs hit songalleges that Roblox used her choreography in the update before finalizing negotiations to officially license the dance, as first reported by Polygon.
Heyer first posted the Apple dance on June 15, 2024, and submitted a copyright application on August 30. That was after Roblox reached out to her about licensing the dance as an emote for players to purchase. Roblox added the dance emote, an in-game action used to express a characters personality, in mid-August to coincide with the update. According to the lawsuit, Heyer expressed her willingness to license the dance on August 12, but alleges that Roblox has refused to finalize a license agreement and that she has received no compensation for the use of her choreography.
Roblox removed the emote from the game in November 2024but not before it was sold over 60,000 times, earning an estimated $123,000 from the copyrighted work, per the lawsuit. Heyer hasnt seen any of that revenue, and since the dance is entirely separate from the Charli XCX song, shes suing to claim her share (Charli XCX is not named in the lawsuit).
Roblox moved forward using Kelleys IP without a signed agreement, attorney Miki Anzai said in a statement to Polygon. Kelley is an independent creator who should be compensated fairly for her work and we saw no other option than to file suit to prove that. We remain willing and open to settle and hope to come to a peaceful agreement.
Roblox has since responded. A spokesperson told Polygon: “As a platform powered by a community of creators, Roblox takes the protection of intellectual property very seriously and is committed to protecting intellectual property rights of independent developers and creators to brands and artists both on and off the platform.”
They continued: Roblox is confident in its position and the propriety of its dealings in this matter and looks forward to responding in court.
Superman was born Kryptonian, raised Methodist, and sketched into existence by two Jewish teens in 1930s Cleveland. Faith and morality are his DNA.
There are no overt religious references in Superman comics. But over eight decades, hes been viewed as a divine entity, a savior figurehis sacrifice Christlike, his will to lead as strong as Moses parting the Red Sea, and his compassion akin to a bodhisattva, an enlightened being who guides Buddhists on the spiritual path.
While scholars, comic book writers, and fans alike are struck by the religious undertones in Superman comics, they say what separates Superman from the ever-growing pack of superheroes is his singular ability to bring hope in a hopeless world.
James Gunn’s Superman sparks conversation
As fans celebrate Superman Day on Friday, marking the 87th anniversary of the original superheros birth, they are also eagerly anticipating James Gunns film Superman set for release on July 11. This version starring David Corenswet, the first Jewish actor to play Superman in a major film, promises a return to a version of a vulnerable Man of Steel who is rooted in values espoused by most faithsgoodness, compassion, and hope.
The film has sparked a conversation about the place of Superman in the world and his personal code of ethics after several recent depictions of superheroes as antiheroes. Corenswet said in a recent interview to Fandango that what captivates him about Superman is how he chooses to see good in people and not dwell on the negative.
Why think about all the terrible things when we can focus on the good things we did today? he said.
In the same interview, Gunn said his Superman will reinforce the characters core value of preserving life at any cost.
He believes that the sanctity of life is of the utmost importance, Gunn said, noting the contrast with Supermans archnemesis Lex Luthor, who values scientific advancement over life.
Symbol of hope and positive masculinity
It was precisely this benevolent, hopeful version of Superman that inspired Robert Revington, who teaches at the Vancouver School of Theology at the University of British Columbia, to go skydiving in a Superman costume on his 28th birthday. And yet Revington, a Christian, balks at Christlike portrayals of his favorite superhero.
I like Superman and I like Jesus, he said. I dont necessarily want to conflate the two. To me, the best depiction of Superman is as a symbol of hope.
Revington also sees Supermans relevance today as an example of positive masculinity.
Hes this version of strong, but compassionate masculinity, which several prominent figures dont necessarily embody, he said.
Revington and many others beloved iteration of Superman appeared in All-Star Superman, a 12-issue series published by DC Comics between 2005 and 2008. The superhero saves a young person who is about to take their own life with the endearing message: You are stronger than you think you are.
Grant Morrison, who wrote those comics, has said his view of Superman was shaped by Giovanni Pico della Mirandolas Oration On The Dignity of Man, which argues that humans ought to be more virtuous than angels.
Superman speaks to our better angels
Humans, Morrison said in a 2008 interview, become what they imitate, which is why he made Superman an inspirational character.
We live in the stories we tell ourselves, he told Newsarama, a comic book website, and can choose to be the astronaut or the gangster. The superhero or the super villain. The angel or the devil. Its entirely up to us.
As a result, said Matthew Brake, founder and editor of Pop Culture and Theology, Superman is an idea that can inspire us to be our best selves.
Supermans character is also shaped by his upbringing as a Kansas farm boy, raised by kindly parentsJonathan and Martha Kent. They are portrayed as Methodists in the comics.
Superheroes, in recent decades, have received less-than-flattering treatment. In The Boys, a comic book turned Amazon Prime series, the Superman-like character, Homelander, is a government-sponsored hero whose smiling exterior conceals the heart of a sadist.
Invincible, a comic turned television series from Robert Kincaid, author of the Walking Dead, features Omni-man, a Superman-like character who turns out to be an alien invader bent on conquest. The main character, Invincible, is Omni-mans son, and must choose between protecting the Earth or taking his fathers side.
Dune, the famed sci-fi book adapted into blockbuster movies, warns of superheroes’ frailty
Heroes are painful, superheroes are a catastrophe, Dune‘s author Frank Herbert once wrote. The mistakes of superheroes involve too many of us in disaster.
A relatable superhero
But Superman has cemented his place in pop culture not just as a beacon of hope, but also as a character relatable to many, regardless of race or ethnicity.
Gene Luen Yang, who has written several Superman comics, is best known for his 2020 graphic novel Superman Smashes the Klan, a story about a Chinese American family moving to Metropolis in 1946 and facing discrimination from the Klan. The story follows the Lee family as they confront the white supremacist group with Supermans help.
Yang sees his own experience as a Chinese American mirrored in Supermans story.
The idea that you have to hide who you are or that youre caught in between cultures, he said. Superman has two namesKal-El, his Kryptonian name and Clark Kent, his American name. I had a Chinese name at home and an American name in school. So even though Im a practicing Catholic, I was more drawn to his Jewish roots because thats where I could relate more.
Yang sees Superman as the original superhero who inspired almost religious fervor in the geekdom, featuring cosplayers who reenact scenes as a Christian might reenact biblical episodes around Christmas or Easter. A trip to a comic convention is like a pilgrimage where followers collect original art and all kinds of relics.
Stories in pop culture also draw from older storytelling traditions, often rooted in religions.
In some ways, you can think of religions as communities that are built around stories that last centuries, Yang said. The idea of self-sacrifice, the idea that you do good deeds without the desire to gain recognition. Thats the whole point of secret identities.
While his Catholic faith is an important facet of his life, Yang said he never forced religion into his Superman comics.
I write more about my life and my lived experience of faith, with the doubts and the ragged edges, he said.
Characters like Superman, while not themselves religious, provide a portal to the sacred through the profane, said A. David Lewis, a Boston-based graphic novelist and comic book writer.
I love that people take something from popular culture and find some level of spirituality or find a greater connection to some divine source through it, he said. But I would never say Superman is just of the Jewish or Christian people. Like some of the best narratives out there, Superman gives us access to something transcendent.
Superman’s strong Jewish roots
Samantha Baskind, professor of art history at Cleveland State University, is Jewish; she sees numerous parallels between Supermans story and the history of Jews. Supermans solitary flight from Krypton in a little spacecraft is reminiscent of how Moses mother placed him in a papyrus basket and left him on the Nile, seeing it has his best chance of survival.
Some also compare Superman’s backstory to the Kindertransport, she said, referring to a rescue program that transported nearly 10,000 children, mostly Jewish, from Nazi-controlled territories to Great Britain in 1938 and 1939.
In Supermans Kryptonian name, Kal-El, chosen by his original Jewish creators Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, the El in Hebrew connotes God. In DC Comics, Superman also frequents the Bottle City of Kandor, a Kryptonian city shrunk down and placed in a bottle, representing a fragmented piece of Kryptons history. Baskind said to her it is reminiscent of how diaspora Jews visit Israel.
Theres also the thinking that Siegel and Shuster created Superman because they were these two, skinny, young Jewish men who couldnt go out and fight Hitler, but Superman fought Nazis on the cover of their comic books, she said. In some early editions, Superman held Hitler by his Nazi uniform as he begged for mercy.
Appeal to the religiously unaffiliated
Despite the religious undertones, Supermans appeal to those growing religiously unaffiliated remains strong, said Dan Clanton, professor of religious studies at Doane University in Nebraska. He says its because Supermans story truly encapsulates American civil religion.
This idea that there are practices and beliefs that provide all, regardless of religious identity, with a sense of being part of something bigger than themselves, he said.
Neal Bailey, a contributor for over a decade to Superman Homepage and an atheist, believes Superman at his best is a philosophical pragmatist solving the most complex problems with the least amount of harm.
He actually goes beyond religion to see our commonalities, he said. Superman wouldnt care about people’s religious beliefs. He would care more about whether they are living up to their human potential.
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Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the APs collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
Deepa Bharath of The Associated Press and Bob Smietana of Religion News Service
Today, Apples streaming service, Apple TV Plus, has done something unheard of in streaming television. The company has now rereleased the final episode of the canceled sitcom Mythic Quest with a new, re-edited ending. The re-edit removes the original season cliffhanger and replaces it with a new ending that acts to resolve the shows lingering plot point, thus wrapping up the series by giving the show’s supporters, and characters, closure.
But while the re-edit may please fans, it raises some interesting issues concerning the entertainment historical record.
A first in TV streaming
On March 26, Apple TV Plus released the 10th episode of Mythic Quest season four. Titled Heaven and Hell, this episode was initially designed to be the seasons finale, and, as most season finales do, it ended on a cliffhanger.
However, after the season finale aired, Apple announced that it was canceling Mythic Quest. With no season five, the show’s cancellation meant that the series ended on a cliffhanger that would never be resolvedjust like so many streaming series that were canceled before it.
But then Apple did something unexpected and unheard of in the world of streaming television. It allowed Mythic Quests producers to go back and re-edit the season four finale by swapping out the cliffhanger ending for one that better aligns with a series finalein other words, one that wraps up the shows loose threads.
Mythic Quests creators and executive producers, Megan Ganz, David Hornsby, and Rob McElhenney, announced the unusual move last week, stating, Because endings are hard, with Apples blessing we made one final update to our last episodeso we could say goodbye, instead of just game over.
And now, the re-edited Mythic Quest episode is available.
How the original and re-edited endings are different
If you navigate to the Mythic Quest listing on Apple TV Plus now, youll see that the episode shows a new original airdate of April 18, 2025, signaling that Apple has now released the re-edit.
As the entertainment website Pajiba points out, the re-edited episode features a relatively small change. In the original episode, the show’s two main characters, Ian and Poppy, who have always had a platonic and professional work relationship throughout the shows run, kissed. The repercussions of that cliffhanger kiss ending were originally meant to be fully explored in Mythic Quests season five.
Yet the re-edited episode now removes the kiss ending entirely. As Pajiba notes, Its the same episode, only this time, the two agree to repair their working relationship, but it remains platonic. They hug, and thats it.
Its likely that since work had already ceased on the series, this new hugging scene had already been previously shot, which is what allowed the creatives to alter the episode so quickly within just weeks of its original release.
Altering the historical record
While fans of the show will no doubt be grateful that Apple gave the creatives permission to go back and change the final Heaven and Hell episode to provide closure for them and the shows characters, how Apple has handled it is worth pointing out.
There are television shows that have been canceled before that were later brought back on a new network or revived on streaming, but never, to my knowledge, has there been a show that has had its last episode aired before cancellation, changed, and then re-released.
But it seems like Apple has chosen to go about its fan-pleasing move by not caring too much about the entertainment historical record. Thats because there is nothing left on Apple TV Pluss platform that suggests the Heaven and Hell episode available now is anything but the one that originally aired.
Mythic Quests season four finale has now been relabeled as the Series Finale in Apple TV Pluss show listing. Apple has chosen to make only the re-edited version of the show available to watch. (We’ve reached out to Apple to ask if it plans to also release the original version at some point.)
Furthermore, its original release date has also been changed from March 26 to April 18, 2025. It is also not mentioned anywhere in the episode that the episode has been re-edited from its original versionnor is there an option to view the original ending.
In other words, it seems like Apple has taken the George Lucas approach to changing the historical entertainment record. In the late 1990s, Lucas released a version of the original Star Wars trilogy with new scenes and effects inserted. Lucasfilm then essentially wiped the trilogy as it originally was from existence. To this day, Lucasfilm (and now its owner, Disney) only makes the re-edited version of the Star Wars trilogy available for consumption.
When it comes to a less culturally relevant show like Mythic Quest (compared to Star Wars), is this that big of a deal? Probably notat least not to general streaming subscribers. But the wiping of the original episode highlights how, in this digital world of ours, anything can be altered at any timeand the original may not always be preserved for posterity.
Morningside Park, a beloved neighborhood park in Miami with sweeping views of Biscayne Bay, will soon pilot an innovative approach to coastal resilience.
BIOCAP tiles, a 3D-printed modular system designed to support marine life and reduce wave impact along urban seawalls, will be installed on the existing seawall there in spring 2025. BIOCAP stands for Biodiversity Improvement by Optimizing Coastal Adaptation and Performance.
Developed by our team of architects and marine biologists at Florida International University, the uniquely textured prototype tiles are designed to test a new approach for helping cities such as Miami adapt to rising sea levels while simultaneously restoring ecological balance along their shorelines.
The project receives funding from the National Science Foundation and the Environmental Protection Agency.
Ecological costs of traditional seawalls
Seawalls have long served as a primary defense against coastal erosion and storm surges. Typically constructed of concrete and ranging from 6 to 10 feet in height, they are built along shorelines to block waves from eroding the land and flooding nearby urban areas.
However, they often come at an ecological cost. Seawalls disrupt natural shoreline dynamics and can wipe out the complex habitat zones that marine life relies on.
Marine organisms are crucial in maintaining coastal water quality by filtering excess nutrients, pollutants and suspended particles. A single adult oyster can filter 20-50 gallons of water daily, removing nitrogen, phosphorus and solids that would otherwise fuel harmful algal blooms. These blooms deplete oxygen levels and damage marine ecosystems.
Filter-feeding organisms also reduce turbidity, which is the cloudiness of water caused by suspended sediment and particles. Less water turbidity means more light can penetrate, which benefits seagrasses that require sunlight for photosynthesis. These seagrasses convert carbon dioxide into oxygen and energy-rich sugars while providing essential food and habitat for diverse marine species.
A robotic 3D printer extrudes concrete in layered, intricate channels. [Photo: Sara Pezeshk]
Swirling shapes, shaded grooves
Unlike the flat, lifeless surfaces of typical concrete seawalls, each BIOCAP tile is designed with shaded grooves, crevices and small, water-holding pockets. These textured features mimic natural shoreline conditions and create tiny homes for barnacles, oysters, sponges and other marine organisms that filter and improve water quality.
The tiles swirling surface patterns increase the overall surface area, offering more space for colonization. The shaded recesses are intended to help regulate temperature by providing cooler, more stable microenvironments. This thermal buffering can support marine life in the face of rising water temperatures and more frequent heat events driven by climate change.
Another potential benefit of the tiles is reducing the impact of waves.
When waves hit a natural shoreline, their energy is gradually absorbed by irregular surfaces, tide pools and vegetation. In contrast, when waves strike vertical concrete seawalls, the energy is reflected back into the water rather than absorbed. This wave reflectionthe bouncing back of wave energycan amplify wave action, increase erosion at the base of the wall and create more hazardous conditions during storms.
The textured surfaces of the BIOCAP tiles are designed to help diffuse wave energy by mimicking the natural dissipation found on undisturbed shorelines.
The design of BIOCAP takes cues from nature. The tile shapes are based on how water interacts with different surfaces at high tide and low tide. Concave tiles, which curve inward, and convex tiles, which curve outward, are installed at different levels along the seawall. The goal is to deflect waves away from the seawall, reduce direct impact and help minimize erosion and turbulence around the walls foundation.
A collection of 3D-printed concrete BIOCAP tiles. [Photo: Sara Pezeshk]
How we’ll measure success
After the BIOCAP tiles are installed, we plan to assess how the seawall redesign enhances biodiversity, improves water quality and reduces wave energy. This two-year pilot phase will help assess the long-term value of ecologically designed infrastructure.
To evaluate biodiversity, we will use underwater cameras to capture time-lapse imagery of the marine life that colonizes the tile surfaces. These observations will aid in documenting species diversity and habitat use over time.
To assess water quality, we have developed a specialized prototype tile with sensors that can measure pH, dissolved oxygen levels, salinity, turbidity and temperature in real time. This data will provide insight into how the tiles affect local water conditions.
Finally, to measure wave attenuation and the reduction of wave force, we will mount pressure sensors on both the BIOCAP tiles and the adjacent traditional seawall sections. This comparison will allow us to quantify differences in wave energy across varying tidal conditions and storm events.
As coastal cities confront the dual challenges of increasing threats from climate change and environmental degradation, the BIOCAP project offers what we hope will be an example of a resilient, nature-based solution that benefits both humans and the environment.
In the coming year, well be watching with hope as the new BIOCAP tiles begin to welcome marine life, offering a glimpse into how nature might reclaim and thrive along our urban shorelines.
Sara Pezeshk is a postdoctoral fellow in architecture at Florida International University and Shahin Vassigh is a professor of architecture at Florida International University.
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Rice, the worlds most consumed grain, will become increasingly toxic as the atmosphere heats and as carbon dioxide emissions rise, potentially putting billions of people at risk of cancers and other diseases, according to new research published Wednesday in The Lancet.
Eaten every day by billions of people and grown across the globe, rice is arguably the planets most important staple crop, with half the worlds population relying on it for the majority of its food needs, especially in developing countries.
But the way rice is grownmostly submerged in paddiesand its highly porous texture means it can absorb unusually high levels of arsenic, a potent carcinogenic toxin that is especially dangerous for babies.
Lewis Ziska, a plant physiologist and associate professor at Columbia University, has studied rice for three decades and has more recently focused his research on how climate change reduces nutrient levels across many staple crops, including rice. He teamed up with researchers from China and the U.S. to conduct a first-of-its-kind study, looking at how a range of rice species reacted to increases in temperature and carbon dioxide, both of which are projected to occur as more greenhouse gas emissions are released into the atmosphere as a result of human activities. The new study was published in The Lancet Planetary Health.
Previous work has focused on individual responsessome on CO2 and some on temperature, but not both, and not on a wide range of rice genetics, Ziska said. We knew that temperature by itself could increase levels, and carbon dioxide by a little bit. But when we put both of them together, then wow, that was really something we were not expecting. Youre looking at a crop staple thats consumed by a billion people every day, and any effect on toxicity is going to have a pretty damn large effect.
For six years, Ziska and a large team of research colleagues in China and the U.S. grew rice in controlled fields, subjecting it to varying levels of carbon dioxide and temperature. They found that when both increased, in line with projections by climate scientists, the amount of arsenic and inorganic arsenic in rice grains also went up.
Arsenic is found naturally in some foods, including fish and shellfish, and in waters and soils.
Inorganic arsenic is found in industrial materials and gets into waterincluding water used to submerge rice paddies.
Rice is easily inundated with weeds and other crops, but it has one advantage: It grows well in water. So farmers germinate the seeds, and when the seedlings are ready, plant them in wet soil. They then flood their fields, which suppresses weeds, but allows the rice to flourish. Rice readily absorbs the water and everything in itincluding arsenic, either naturally occurring or not. Most of the worlds rice is grown this way.
The new research demonstrates that climate change will ramp up those levels.
What happens in rice, because of complex biogeochemical processes in the soil, when temperatures and CO2 go up, inorganic arsenic also does, Ziska said. And its this inorganic arsenic that poses the greatest health risk.
Exposure to inorganic arsenic has been linked to cancers of the skin, bladder and lung, heart disease and neurological problems in infants. Research has found that in parts of the world with high consumption of rice, inorganic arsenic increases cancer risk.
Ziska and his colleagues took the data from their field trials and then, based on per capita consumption data in seven of the top rice-consuming countries in Asia, projected how disease risk could also increase. They found that in those seven countriesVietnam, Indonesia, China, Bangladesh, the Philippines, Myanmar, and Indiadisease risk rose across the board.
There is a toxicological effect of climate change relative to one of the most consumed staples in the world, Ziska said, and the consumption is one of the hallmarks of whether youre going to be vulnerable to that effect.
Researchers have known that rice can contain high levels of arsenic and regulators have suggested exposure limits, especially for infants who are particularly vulnerable and tend to eat a lot of rice. This new research should put extra pressure on regulators to set more stringent thresholds, the authors say. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has never set limits for arsenic in foods.
The researchers also point to the potential of various interventions that could limit exposure to inorganic arsenic from rice, including developing strains of rice that are less absorbent and educating consumers about alternatives to rice.
Rice has always been a food where arsenic is an issue, and climate change is making it worse, said Keeve Nachman, one of the reports authors, a professor at Johns Hopkins University and a longtime researcher of health risks related to food production and consumption. This is one more reason to interveneto control peoples exposure. The number one thing we can do is everything in our power to slow climate change.
Georgina Gustin, Inside Climate News
This article originally appeared on Inside Climate News. It is republished with permission. Sign up for their newsletter here.
When Chinese automaker BYD announced plans to build a massive factory in the hardscrabble city of Camacari, in Brazil’s northeastern Bahia state, locals saw a new beginning. After years of economic stagnation following Ford’s exit from the region in 2021, there was hope that the global leader in electric vehicles would bring back well-paying jobs and a brighter future.The timing seemed right. Brazil, the world’s sixth-largest auto market, is seeing a surge in EV salesand BYD is leading the charge. For Camacari, the deal promised to fill the economic vacuum left by the American company, which had once been the city’s largest employer.
Then plans went off track.A December raid led by Brazilian authorities rescued 163 Chinese nationals said to be working in “slavery-like” conditions at the site. A video from the Labor Prosecutor’s Office showed dormitories with beds lacking mattresses and makeshift cooking facilities. The company postponed plans to begin its first production line in March and has not established a new timeline, spreading fears among Camacari workers.“When BYD announced it was coming here, it sparked a lot of hope in us,” said Luizmar Santana Pereira, a metalworker and former Ford employee, who has been working as a taxi driver. “We’ve been waiting for this job opportunity, but so far, we haven’t seen it.”After the raid, a spokesperson based at BYD’s China headquarters denied wrongdoing, saying in a post on the Weibo social media site that the accusations were an attempt at “smearing” Chinese brands and China. The post also blamed “foreign forces” for the allegation and criticized media reports.In a statement disseminated in Brazil, the carmaker adopted a more conciliatory tone. The company said it “does not tolerate disrespect for Brazilian law and human dignity” and rescinded the contract with Chinese construction company Jinjiang, which had brought the workers.
In Brazil, ample room for BYD to grow
EVs are spreading fast in Brazil, Latin America’s most populous nation. Sales jumped 85% in 2024, reaching over 170,000 units, including fully electric and hybrid vehicles, according to the Brazilian Association of Electric Vehicles. That accounted for about 7% of new car sales in the country.The growth is spearheaded by BYD. Seven out of 10 EVs sold in the country are from the brand, which also leads hybrid sales. In major cities such as Sao Paulo and Brasilia, imported BYD cars and dealerships have become a common sight. In Brazil’s capital, it’s the best-selling brand, whether EV or gas-powered.Another Chinese EV maker, GWM, also recently announced plans to open a factory in Brazil after acquiring a shuttered Mercedes-Benz facility in the industrialized state of Sao Paulo.BYD’s inroads in Brazil are in tandem with the company’s global growth. The world’s leading EV company logged a record $107 billion in revenue in 2024 as its sales of electric and hybrid vehicles jumped 40%, surpassing American rival Tesla. This year, plans include the inauguration of its first car factory in Europe, currently under construction in Hungary.Brazil’s policies are driving EV sales and production, according to Adalberto Maluf, national secretary of Urban Environment and Environmental Quality.In an interview with The Associated Press in Brasilia, Maluf cited incentives enacted in 2024 that favor electric motors, tax reductions for lower-emission cars and a new air quality program with nationwide monitoring and pollution reduction goals.Brazil is the one of the top 10 emitters of greenhouse gases, contributing around 3% of global emissions, according to nonprofit Climate Watch. However, pollution from energy does not play a big role, as about half of greenhouse gas emissions come from deforestation, mostly in the Amazon, followed by agriculture. About 85% of the country’s electricity comes from renewable sources.For Maluf, who worked for almost nine years at BYD Brazil, the country is attractive to Chinese electric car makers for reasons ranging from the size of its market to the presence of several auto parts suppliers and the strong political relationship between the two countries.“Brazilians have no geopolitical issues with China. If you ask, ‘Are you against China?’ most people won’t have a strong opinion about it,” he said.“In the U.S., however, they do, because it’s part of the president’s rhetoric,” he added, referring to President Donald Trump’s frequent comments about China “ripping off” America on trade.
It’s unclear what is next for BYD factory
Since the raid, BYD has not allowed press visits inside its Camacari premises, citing concerns about trade secrets. It’s unclear if BYD is still on track to turn the former Ford site into its largest plant outside China by the end of 2026.When AP journalists visited in March for several days, they saw only a few construction workers at the large site. And one day, while standing on the street adjoining the premises, three BYD guards, one who kept his hand on his gun, incorrectly accused the journalists of flying a drone inside factory boundaries and demanded to see identification. Minutes later, security guards on motorcycles approached, honking and ordering the journalists to stop filming workers.BYD said its security guards acted appropriately and declined to answer other questions about its operations in Brazil.While the future of the factory is unclear, the raid and the presence of Chinese workers have gotten the attention of labor unions.“The Metalworkers Union will not tolerate Chinese workers on the production line. If that happens even in the beginning of the production, we will call for a work stoppage,” Jślio Bonfim, the union president, told AP. Bonfim added that there were no objections with BYD employing Chinese technicians and managers, but the factory floor must employ only Brazilians. It was unclear if BYD had agreed to that.Despite the raid and seemingly slow pace of construction, in the Camacari region the shift from Ford to BYD is increasingly visible. A three-decades-old dealership for the American brand named Indiana, in tribute to the U.S. state, now shares space with a BYD reseller, Mandarim. A local hotel started distributing instructions specifically to Chinese guests, asking them not to hang washed clothes in common areas. And a state lawmaker introduced a bill to rename the city’s Henry Ford Avenue, where the plant is located, to BYD Avenue.
Fabian Maisonnave, Associated Press
A Wall Street Journal report this week gave an extensive look into how Elon Musk, the world’s richest man and a senior Trump adviser, handles his companies and his more than a dozen children.
The answer, it seems, is by relying heavily on his longtime right-hand man, Jared Birchall. Birchalls role, as he reportedly said in a phone call, is to protect Elon. Here’s what to know about Musks fixer.
Birchalls Early Career
Birchall graduated from Brigham Young University in 1999 and spent a year as a financial analyst at Goldman Sachs. In 2000, he moved into private wealth management at Merrill Lynch but was fired after a decade for sending correspondence to a client without management approval, according to a regulatory report cited by Bloomberg. He joined Morgan Stanley in 2010, where he managed Musks money as part of a small team. In 2016, Musk recruited Birchall to run his family office, Excession.
A Quiet Contrast to Musk
Birchall and Musk present starkly different public personas. Birchall, according to Bloomberg and The Wall Street Journal, is a practicing Mormon who prefers to stay out of the spotlight. Musk, by contrast, thrives on attentionhaving hosted Saturday Night Live and frequently sharing his views on X, the social media platform he owns.
The Fixer’s Role
Birchalls responsibilities are wide-ranging. According to Bloomberg, he helped arrange the loans from Wall Street that enabled Musk to purchase what was then known as Twitter. He also handled disbursements from Musks super PAC, which supported Donald Trumps presidential campaign. More recently, The Wall Street Journal reported, Birchall has acted as a go-between for Musk and several of the mothers of his children. That has allegedly included acquiring a property in Austin for them to live in and offering secrecy agreements in exchange for large sums of money.
Loyalty and Wealth
Birchall has remained at Musks side throughout the billionaires meteoric rise. While his exact income is unknown, Bloomberg cited a report estimating that the typical head of a large family office earns between $1 million and $3 million annuallythough his salary may be much higher. In 2020, Birchall reportedly purchased a $2.25 million home in Austin, complete with a pool and tennis court.
He also serves as the head of Musks neurotechnology firm, Neuralink. However, Bloomberg noted that Birchall holds no actual executive authority there. His name was added to company documents as a legal formality, and he does not participate in day-to-day operations.
Imagine two interns. The first follows instructions to the lettercompiling research, scheduling social media posts, and managing your calendar.
The second completes the same tasks but takes it a step furtherfinding additional research sources, streamlining the social media workflow, and proactively suggesting optimal meeting times based on past interactions and behaviors.
These two interns, with their overlapping but distinct capabilities, capture the essence of automation versus AI. Both liberate users from tedious manual work, but only one, with its built-in autonomy, is changing the nature of how we interact with technology.
At Jotform, weve incorporated automation and AI into our daily processeswe also offer both types of solutions to users. Heres how each serves a unique purposeand how you can leverage them to work smarter.
Automation versus AI
Im a strong proponent of automation. Its the foundation of my career and my company. I even wrote a book about itto show how automation can free people from the dull, repetitive parts of their jobs.
But automation itself is nothing new. Over a century ago, Henry Ford revolutionized manufacturing with the moving assembly line, cutting production time for the Model T from 12 hours to just 90 minutes. That was mechanical automationa system designed to streamline repetitive tasks.
The 21st century brought a similar revolution to knowledge work. If you break down your daily workflows, youll likely find parts that can be automated using the right tools or technology.
Take a reporter covering breaking news: instead of manually checking for updates every half hour, she sets up Google Alerts to track developments in real-time.
Or consider a recruiter: rather than sifting through thousands of applications, they use a tool like Harver to automatically screen candidates based on preset criteria, bringing the most promising applicants to the fore.
When I published my book in 2023, we were only beginning to grasp AIs potential. Fast-forward to today, and tools like ChatGPT have evolved dramaticallyexcelling in speed, accuracy, memory, and multimodal capabilities. Automation executes tasks. AI mimics human thinking and reasoning.
AI doesnt just follow instructions; it reasons, adapts, and makes decisions. And now, AI agents are taking things a step furtheroperating autonomously, dynamically reasoning through complex situations, and acting without human intervention.
I like the analogy Google used in a recent white paper: agents are like chefsgathering ingredients, planning a dish, and making adjustments as they cook. I would add that automation is like a line cookhighly efficient, but following instructions rather than innovating.
In todays workplace, automation and AI complement each other. The real power comes in knowing when to use which.
Leveraging their strengths
Painting with broad strokes, automation tools are ideal for repetitive tasks that require clear, rule-based actions. For instance, you can set an automation tool to redirect any email containing X to a specific folder or flag any X security issue in a system for review by a human employee. Automation shines when it comes to tasks meant to be executed consistently and without variation.
AI tools, on the other hand, can add a human-like reasoning element to a task or workflow. Its ideal for situations that require dynamic responses.
For example, imagine an AI agent that doesnt just transcribe your meetings, but also provides a personalized recap, compiles action items, and even drafts follow-up emailsall tailored to your role in the organization or meeting. While executing tasks, the agent applies judgment and adapts as it goes.
The beauty of agents, the latest advance in AI, is the power to design them based on your unique needs and circumstances.
For instance, I wanted an AI agent to help wrangle my email inbox, so I built one according to my personal goals: parsing out spam, flagging time-sensitive messages, and redirecting items to read later. That way, I can check email twice or three times a day, knowing Ill be alerted about any urgent messages. I redirect my focus to more impactful work that requires deep focus.
So, is AI always the best option? Not necessarily.
Consider it like using a laser cutter for a task that a pair of scissors could handle perfectly well. Sometimes, the added investment in AI tools isnt justified when simpler automation will do the trick.
It starts with mapping out your workflows and deciding which type of task youd like to delegatewhether it requires mere execution or a higher level of judgment and reasoning.
Final thoughts
Automation and AI are two sides of the same coinoffloading work that doesnt require your direct involvement and recapturing more time for meaningful tasks involving creativity and strategic thinking.
By removing boring, tedious work from your plate, they also serve in the battle against burnout, which has become all too common in a world obsessed with busyness.
The key is knowing when to use each. If automation improves your efficiency, AI tools can boost your reasoning and decision-making. Combined, AI and automation dont just save time; they change how we approach work.
