Countries that don’t make trade deals with the U.S. by August 1 can expect tariff rates to return to the levels announced in April, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Sunday. Why it matters: It’s effectively a new deadline for the biggest U.S. trading partners to negotiate an alternative to President Trump’s sweeping global tariffs — […]
Tariffs return to April rates on August 1 without deals, Bessent says Read More »
Americans live in separate economic realities: Those with a job are likely to stay employed, but those without one are likely to stay unemployed. Why it matters: Welcome to the low-hire, low-fire labor market. Private-sector layoffs are at historic lows, but that masks a dreadful outlook for unemployed workers or those unhappy with their current
America has two labor markets now Read More »
Generative AI critics and advocates are both racing to gather evidence that the new technology stunts (or boosts) human thinking powers — but the data simply isn’t there yet. Why it matters: For every utopian who predicts a golden era of AI-powered learning, there’s a skeptic who’s convinced AI will usher in a new dark
AI’s great brain-rot experiment Read More »
AI can generate a larger volume of creative ideas than any human, but those ideas are too much alike, according to research newly published in Nature Human Behaviour. Why it matters: AI makers say their tools are “great for brainstorming,” but experts find that chatbots produce a more limited range of ideas than a group
Study: ChatGPT’s creativity gap Read More »
As unusually hot temperatures sweep much of the U.S. this week, millions of Americans remain under heat advisories or warnings. The big picture: While extreme heat can have burdensome impacts on our bodies, it can also have tremendous impacts on vital — and aging — infrastructure. Such heat can leave behind devastating consequences on infrastructure,
How extreme heat can impact infrastructure Read More »
Rush University Medical Center in Chicago is adding a new twist to its curriculum for medical students and residents, using AI tools and learning modules to teach how to more quickly identify measles rashes on different skin tones. Why it matters: It’s another reminder that diseases once thought to have been eradicated are showing up
New docs get schooled in old diseases as vax rates fall Read More »
President Trump on Sunday accused Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell of artificially inflating interest rates and said they should be less than half of what they are now. Why it matters: After Trump’s threats to fire Powell scared global bond markets and caused interest rates to spike, the president and his administration have turned to
Trump accuses Powell of keeping interest rates “artificially high” Read More »
Linda Pitcher was so self-conscious after cancer surgery that removed part of her nose, she wouldn’t even answer the front door. Now, at 61, she’s a successful artist showing her work in public. For many months after skin cancer surgery, Linda Pitcher couldn’t leave the house. She avoided answering the front door, and if she
Suspendisse faucibus mauris massa, ut scelerisque est ultricies nec. Aliquam quis dictum tortor. Nunc tincidunt gravida ornare. Sed pulvinar faucibus dolor ac efficitur. Why it matters: Accenture’s study offers fresh modeling — and metrics — as policymakers, companies and other stakeholders try to understand AI’s path. The big picture: Its “base case” scenario sees carbon
New study shows AI emissions path — and how to bend the curve Read More »
Elon Musk still isn’t happy with how his AI platform answers divisive questions, pledging in recent days to retrain Grok so it will answer in ways more to his liking. Why it matters: Efforts to steer AI in particular directions could exacerbate the danger of a technology already known for its convincing but inaccurate hallucinations.
Elon Musk wants to put his thumb on the AI scale Read More »
