MIT

The United States has revoked federal limits on climate pollution from power plants, removing restrictions on greenhouse gas emissions from the electricity sector. The move, reported by Human Rights Watch, is drawing attention as a significant rollback of US climate policy, with critics likely to raise concerns about its impact on emissions goals and air quality.

News anchors and commentators are discussing a reported medical diagnosis affecting Mitch McConnell, the longtime US Senator from Kentucky and former Senate Republican leader. The diagnosis is being described as severe, prompting widespread reaction and concern about his health and whether he can continue serving in the Senate.

A major battery storage facility is being built in Waltrop, Germany, at a cost of around 500 million euros. The project would use 800 containers of lithium batteries to store up to 1,800 megawatt-hours of electricity and deliver up to 900 megawatts of power, allowing surplus wind and solar energy to be fed into the grid. It is being discussed as an example of Germany's push to expand grid-scale storage for renewable energy.

The Utah Wildlife Board has approved a package of changes covering fishing regulations, elk hunting rules, and conservation permits. The decisions will shape how anglers and hunters operate across the state in upcoming seasons. Coverage so far is limited to regional reporting, and the specific details of the approved changes have not yet been widely detailed.

An environmental group is challenging air quality permits issued for a massive Amazon data center project in North Carolina, with Duke Energy also named in the challenge. The dispute centers on emissions linked to powering the facility. Data centers have drawn growing scrutiny over their electricity demands and pollution footprint.

Scientists have discovered a microorganism nicknamed the 'fire amoeba' that can survive at temperatures previously thought impossible for life. The finding pushes the known upper heat limit for living organisms and could reshape understanding of how life survives extreme environments on Earth and possibly elsewhere.

At the Xi-Trump summit, US export controls on semiconductors reportedly featured less prominently than other issues on the agenda. Analysts say Washington may be prioritising broader trade and diplomatic goals over tightening chip restrictions for now, leaving the future of US technology controls toward China uncertain.

Pennsylvania's Department of Environmental Protection has issued Chapter 105 permits for Mid-Atlantic Interstate Transmission's Piney-Seward and Erie South Piney transmission line project, a roughly 150-mile line crossing eight counties. The permits clear a key regulatory hurdle for the high-voltage project. Details on conditions, opposition or construction timelines have not yet been widely reported.

US export controls on semiconductors were not a key topic at the summit between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping, according to the South China Morning Post. The observation is drawing attention given how central chip restrictions have been to US-China trade tensions, raising questions about whether both sides deliberately set the issue aside or reached quiet understandings on technology policy.

A new essay published by MIT Press Reader argues that laws banning teenagers from social media are misdirected, and that the focus on age restrictions distracts from deeper problems with how social media platforms are designed and operated. The piece questions whether outright bans protect young people, or simply treat symptoms while leaving the underlying incentives of attention-driven platforms untouched.

AFL fans are discussing Shai Bolton in connection with the Norm Smith Medal, the award for best player on the ground in the Grand Final. Sports Entertainment Network's Kane Whateley argued that Will Ashcroft deserved a record-tying Norm Smith Medal, adding to debate over who was truly best afield and whether the honour went to the right player.

TikTok has reached an agreement with Alabama, days before a scheduled trial, under which it must implement changes for teenagers in the state. These include a two-hour daily time limit, pauses after 15 minutes of continuous use, and stricter age verification checks. The deal is drawing attention as part of wider US scrutiny of social media's effects on young users, with some questioning why parents cannot set the limits themselves.

The United States and China have reached an agreement to lower tariffs on $30 billion worth of goods, following a summit in Washington between President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping. The deal marks a step toward easing trade tensions between the world's two largest economies, with further details on the affected goods and timeline expected as implementation begins.

MIT Technology Review's newsletter 'The Download' argues that both the latest AI breakthroughs and the fears surrounding them may be more hype than reality. The piece pushes back against claims that recent AI advances represent a transformative leap, suggesting public discourse has inflated both the capabilities and the dangers of current systems.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah was greeted with black flag protests in Kollam, Kerala. Protesters lined his route as part of a demonstration against the senior BJP leader's visit. The incident has also raised questions over a possible security breach, as the minister was apparently visible to demonstrators, prompting debate about lapses in his protection arrangements during the Kerala leg of his tour.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah launched the country's first central bank digital currency, presented as a step toward greater transparency in the delivery of funds and welfare mechanisms. The move ties India to a growing list of nations experimenting with digital rupee-style state currencies, and officials frame it as a way to cut leakage and make transactions traceable.