Sarosh Mulla of PAC Studio.Image: Sarosh MullerFollowing on from the well-attended first two lectures in the University of Aucklands Fast Forward series, Sarosh Mulla ofPac Studio will be speaking tonight on Pacs recurrent design motifs as illustrated by recent projects, focusing on the way fun and levity pervade the way they practice. He will cover what characterises PACs work, the way the studio operates, and how that differs from otherpractices.Next week will see Andre de Graaf and Helen Kerr, both principals of Isthmus Auckland studio, comparing growth challenges in changing environments, using project examples which include adaptation master planning in regional towns with declining populations, and measures of urban wellbeing in rapidly growing city neighbourhoods. The pair will challenge perceptions around what design interventions can make a difference and how to navigate uncertainty and will share their design kaupapa for regenerating communities, with examples of their urban design tools and mahi up and down themotu.In the final week of the series, co-founder ofParlour Dr Gill Matthewson will be presenting the story of her path and an update on her recent research and advocacywork.Waimataruru by Pac Studio.PAC Studio.FunDate: Wednesday 26 March 2025, 6.30pmVenue:Lecture Theatre 342, Conference Centre building 423Speaker: Sarosh Mulla, Pac Studio (Auckland)Bio: After graduating at the top of his class from the School of Architecture & Planning of Auckland in 2008, Sarosh Mulla completed a PhD in Architecture by Practice at The University of Auckland, where he is now a Senior Lecturer. Alongside his academic endeavours, he is a director at Pac Studio, a practice building a reputation across a wide spectrum of architecture-related fields: residential projects, commercial buildings, heritage conservation, as well as innovative exhibition, installation and research work. These projects have been the recipients of NZIA National Awards, Here magazines Best House Award, and a Best Awards PurplePin.Registerhere for your freeticket.Creating demand and meetingdemandVinegar Lane by Isthmus.Image: SUppliedDate: Wednesday 2 April 2025, 6.30pmVenue:University of Auckland Engineering Atrium, Level 3, Building 401, 5 Grafton Road, Auckland CitySpeakers: Andre de Graaf and Helen Kerr, Isthmus (Auckland)Bio: Founded in 1988, Isthmus has staked a position among the nations leading urban design firms. They have expanded their field of operation well beyond traditional planning, urban design, and masterplanning disciplines to include architecture, landscape architecture, infrastructure and graphic design. Their work strives to generate positive social and environmental outcomes through a kaupapa of regenerating Aotearoa by connecting land, people andculture.Registerherefor your freeticket.Dr Gill Matthewson, co-founder of Parlour: women, equity, architecture.Image: SuppliedThe Path toParlourDate: Wednesday 9 April 2025, 6.30pmVenue:University of Auckland Engineering Atrium, Level 3, Building 401, 5 Grafton Road, Auckland CitySpeaker: Dr Gill MatthewsonBio: Recently retired from Monash University in Melbourne, Dr Gill Matthewsonis a graduate of the University of Auckland. After a decade in practice and decades of teaching, Gill completed a PhD at the University of Queensland on womens careers in the architecture profession. Matthewson was a co-founder ofParlour: women, equity, architecture, a world-leading organisation devoted to studying and supporting gender equity in architecture. Her research extended into demographic studies of the Australian architecture profession as a whole. Matthewson also contributes regular commentary and analysis on contemporary issues in architecture to Parlour and other professional publications. As an activist, researcher, and writer, Matthewson has long advocated for women in architecture, Matthewson has been described as the most persistent commentator to date on women in New Zealandarchitecture.Registerhere for your freeticket.

Enjoy an immersive gaming experience with this ultra-wide monitor. Get it on sale now for 35% off before this deal expires.

Lawyers for a conservative non-profit called the program a bureaucrat's dream.

March 26, 20255 min readHHSs Long COVID Office Is Closing. What Will This Mean for Future Research and Treatments?The Office for Long COVID Research and Practice was instrumental in coordinating the U.S. governments initiatives to treat, diagnose and prevent the mysterious postviral condition that affects millions of people todayBy Lauren J. Young edited by Dean Visser Grace Cary/Getty ImagesUnder orders from the Trump administration, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is planning to close its Office for Long COVID Research and Practice (OLC). This governmental office orchestrates efforts across health agencies to understand and treat long COVID, a mysterious postviral condition that affects an estimated 23 million people in the U.S. today. The closure is another casualty of the administrations reorganization of various governmental departments, according to an internal e-mail from the OLCs director Ian Simon.Over the last 3+ years, we have built meaningful connections and fruitful collaborations across the federal landscape to support this work, Simon wrote. While our office is closing, we hope that the work we have been dedicated to will continue in some form.The closure sends a harrowing message to the many adults and children who are still navigating the complex condition, says Ziyad Al-Aly, a leader in long COVID research and a clinical epidemiologist.On supporting science journalismIf you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.People have been scarred by this pandemic in the form of long COVID, and their disease is real and requires help, Al-Aly says. The intent of the office was to really catalyze progress and realize efficiencies. Undoing it risks undoing a lot of the work, delaying a lot of progress, and [it] really is a disservice today to the more than 20 million Americans who are suffering from long COVID.What Did the Long COVID Office Do?Various health agencies, including the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Agency for Healthcare and Research Quality (AHRQ), had begun early research on long COVID in 2020. The OLC was created in 2023 to serve as a quarterback, Al-Aly says, helping those agencies coordinate and efficiently run various long COVID initiatives. These have included the CDCs program to train clinicians in timely diagnosis, prevention, and treatment and AHRQs Long COVID Care Network (an initiative to provide funding and support to several existing long COVID clinics across the U.S.). The networks clinics have focused particularly on expanding care to underserved, rural, vulnerable and marginalized communities. The OLC supported other programs that addressed stigma and health disparities associated with long COVID, such as by creating standards for research studies to include racial and ethnic groups that have been disproportionately affected by the condition.What Does the Closure Mean for Affected People and Research?The World Health Organization estimates six in 100 people infected with the COVID-causing virus SARS-CoV-2 will develop long COVID, which includes a sweep of mild to devastating symptoms that can persist for months or years. The causes, the puzzling range in severity, and future treatments and cures have been prime areas of interest for the OLC.Long COVID has proved to be a complex condition, and while some treatments may help alleviate symptoms, there isnt a cure. But Al-Aly says much progress has been made, and he notes that the office has supported hundreds of long COVID studies since 2020.While people currently under treatment for long COVID might not see immediate consequences, the OLCs closure will have a chilling effect, Al-Aly says. Groups that advocate for people with long COVID, such as the COVID-19 Longhauler Advocacy Project, have echoed this sentiment, expressing concerns about future investment and care for an overlooked condition.This isnt just about an office being closed. Its about the erasure of tens of millions of people, the founder of the Longhauler Advocacy Project wrote in a recent statement. The Office was our strongest ally. The team was deeply empathetic, mission-driven, and understood the urgency of the crisis we are living through. It was the first and only government entity with the ability to unify all HHS agenciesto ensure efforts werent duplicated or contradictory, to establish true coordination, and to finally treat Long COVID like the systemic, multisector challenge it is. For the first time, we had many efforts underway and ready to launch, and the infrastructure to act as one country. Thats all gone now.Other Initiatives under ThreatThe shuttering of the OLC coincides with other recent moves to deprioritize research efforts related to COVID and pandemic preparedness.On Tuesday Science reported that it had learned that several principal investigators of research projects on antiviral drugs, COVID vaccines and long COVID received letters that their grant funding was effectively terminated. In a statement to Science, HHS wrotethatthe agency will no longer waste billions of taxpayer dollars responding to a non-existent pandemic that Americans moved on from years ago.It's kind of like saying, Youve been through an earthquake, but the earthquake is over, Al-Aly says. So don't complain to me that the building is destroyed. Dont complain to me that youre injured. Im not seeing the earth shaking. Its over. This is how this feels to usthe people who are working and thinking about long COVID and patients with long COVID.Additionally, a former AHRQ employee recently told STAT that grant funding that supports the Long COVID Care Network may also be in jeopardy because the Trump administration has targeted the agency and reduced its staffing.If the OLCs closure was also intended to be a cost-saving move, it should be considered that the funding to run the office is peanuts amid the government budget, Al-Aly adds. And it doesnt compare to the costs of long COVID to the U.S. economy: a 2022 preprint analysis by a Harvard University economist estimated those costs to be $3.7 trillion.Betsy Ladyzhets, a long COVID reporter and co-founder of the long COVID news website the Sick Times, reported that during the government information purge conducted in the wake of executive orders issued by President Donald Trump, a federal website for the U.S. Department of Labors Job Accommodation Network took down long COVIDs status as a disabilityalong with resources and accommodation information.The unwinding of long COVID initiatives and information is particularly confounding, given new Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.s platform to tackle chronic illness in the U.S. During his confirmation hearings, Kennedy avidly pledged to invest in long COVID research and the development of new treatments.I understand there is this enthusiasm to support chronic disease. Well, long COVID is the exemplar of chronic disease, Al-Aly says. I would like to remind RFK, Jr. that he told the nation in his confirmation hearing that hes going to prioritize research on long COVID.... The actions over the past several days dont really align with that, to be honest. You said you want to prioritize long COVID, you said you want to help with chronic disease and Make America Healthy Again, and thats not what were seeing now.

Ten years after its launch, Pillars of Eternity is getting a turn-based combat modeTesting starting "later this year".Image credit: Obsidian Entertainment News by Matt Wales News Reporter Published on March 27, 2025 It's been exactly ten years since Pillars of Eternity thundered out into the world, and developer Obsidian Entertainment is celebrating the occasion with a new patch and the announcement it'll be adding turn-based combat to the acclaimed old-school RPG."Coming later this year," the studio announced in a post on its forums, "Watchers will be able to help us test a brand-new feature: turn-based combat. We're excited to explore this new way to experience encounters in Pillars of Eternity, and your feedback will help shape its future." Obsidian says it'll be sharing more details on how to participators in the test "in the near future".That all suggests it could be a while before Pillars of Eternity's turn-based combat mode is ready for its full release, so players will just have to make do with classic real-time with pause battling until then. But the wait will hopefully worth it - turn-based combat worked nicely when it was introduced to Pillars of Eternity 2 as part of a post-launch update back in 2019, so it should be a welcome addition to the original Pillars of Eternity too.Pillars of Eternity: Complete Edition trailer.Watch on YouTubeFurthermore, Obsidian isn't letting today's 10-year anniversary go by without something tangible for fans. It's released brand-new Pillars of Eternity patch - officially titled Patch 1.3.8.0.87535 - promising a "wide range of fixes and improvements across visuals, combat, quests, and more" that the studio says should make the experience "a little smoother". You'll find full patch notes below."It's an RPG with design firmly rooted in nostalgia, but one that absolutely doesn't rely on it to be enjoyable today," Eurogamer contributor Richard Cobbett said of Pillars of Eternity in his Recommended review ten years ago today. "Instead, it's both a great reminder of why those games worked so well, and a brand new adventure well worth the hours upon hours (upon hours upon hours) that it takes to pick away at its secrets and its world."General Fixes & Platform SupportMac users may now access the latest updates and bug fixes without issue.Resolved a longstanding issue where the game would boot to a black screen on systems using Turkish and certain other non-Latin-based language settings.GOG Achievements should now unlock correctly.Kickstarter and Backer rewards on Steam and GOG are once again granted properly to new players.Steam Linux users: support is now live and will be maintained in future patches.Epic Games Store users will now properly receive their Royal Edition digital rewards.Saved games now sort by most recent activity, regardless of save type (Manual, Auto, or Quick).Visual & Audio EnhancementsCharacters should now reliably speak when selectedEder has once again found his voice.Grimoires will now properly vanish from view when reading scrolls.Cutscenes and maps now perform better when viewed in 4K resolution.Fixed rare T-pose occurrences in select cutscenes.Removed unintended "knock" sounds in some dialogue nodes.Act introductions and developer commentary no longer echo unintentionally.Ferry boat in Oldsong no longer appears to be sinking.Corrected VFX alignment for multiple Woodskin spell variants, including Spell Holding and Spell Bind versions.Visual and audio effects restored for Delemgans, Adragan, Pwgra, and Menpwgra spells.Party members immune to poison will no longer complain about being poisoned.All animal companions now make proper footstep sounds.Hiravias' Spiritshift FX now play correctly upon reverting to his natural form.Taenas VO will now trigger correctly in both instances where it can be heard.Quests & Dialogue FixesResolved softlocks involving Aldwyn's services, both in Brighthollow and the Salty Mast after hiring Lyrinia.Simoc in Sacrificial Bloodlines will no longer drop a duplicate quest reward if slain.Slaying the High Monk after receiving Alia Braccia will no longer grant a second copy.A Mothers Plea now correctly fails if Ranga is killed before acquiring the potion.Abrecan will still accept the letter he requests, even if you already possess it.Krivis Od Nua rewards can now only be claimed once.Anamfath Leader in Twin Elms will now continue The Child of Five Suns quest even if Vincent Agosti is dead.Failing Athletics or Dexterity checks in Durgans Battery now properly applies the Concussion affliction.Tealdors Bounty can now be continued later even if you initially leave the conversation.Turning in the final pieces of the Blade of the Endless Paths while Dunstan is defending the keep now grants proper rewards.Grynde's "ripple sponge addict" accusation exploit has been fixed.Crothars fate no longer influences the state of Korgraks quest.Combat & MechanicsFixed a crash involving the Shadow Step ability.Shadow Step is now ground-targeted and no longer treated as a modal.Spellsword Wizards will now prioritize Second Wind over Deleterious Alacrity of Motion when wounded.Party AI will no longer waste Second Wind when Endurance is low but Health is too low to benefit.Party AI will no longer target charmed/confused allies with harmful abilities.Movement commands now hold position briefly, as seen in Deadfire. (Watchers may still attack if able.)Trap Accuracy no longer double-applies the attacks Accuracy modifier.Constant Recovery now scales properly and outperforms Veteran's Recovery, as intended.Ryonas Buckle Tenacity Accuracy bonus now updates dynamically with Endurance changes.Iron Circle damage reduction now deactivates correctly when above 26% Endurance.Killing Bolt traps now correctly target Fortitude and no longer display slash damage.Chain Lightning traps now properly deal damage.Abydons Hammer will no longer cause permanent Might increases when reforged.The Ladys Hand now uses a visible trigger for easier tracking on the character sheet.Black Sanctuary shield correctly applies endurance regen during Withdraw.Royal Deadfire Cannoneer belt no longer causes trap recursion.Eyestrike and similar effects no longer trigger on beneficial attacks.Powder Burns and similar modals no longer damage allies unintentionally.Fulvanos Blunderbuss now correctly charms targets on spellchance.Knock Down now respects suppression mechanics and prevents stacking.Characters under Crushing Doom are no longer able to move while proned.Izali's Boon Stealth bonus now properly clears after resting.Scrolls of Minoletta's Bounding Missiles and Boiling Spray now match their respective spells in description and range.Scrolls of Restore Endurance now have updated ranges consistent with the spell version.Salty Mast hirelings now maintain their boons when aiding at your stronghold.Skyward Kick no longer causes bugs like vertical launch or permanent prone states when missing.Multiple Unconscious effects no longer allow movement during incapacitation.UI & Interaction ImprovementsCulture selection on character creation is now preserved in rare level-up cases.Double-clicking a weapon now equips it to your first weapon slot.Right-clicking creatures now opens their bestiary entries (if discovered).Retraining UI no longer shows white portrait bugs."Best of" damage types now show correctly in the character sheet.Burial Isle vision sequences can now be properly canceled.Traps that trigger aggression now show appropriate cursor warnings when opened.Trapped chest in the Abbot's Quarter during The Rising Tide can now be looted after disarming.Queued looting actions can no longer be exploited to loot multiple times.Ancestor Pendants Guardian Spirit no longer displays erroneous ability info.Invalid names at the end of character creation will now prevent finalization.Attribute bonuses from culture are only displayed after culture is selected.LocalizationSeveral Talents that were previously missing translations are now fully localized across supported languages.Known IssuesIn rare cases, the spell cursor may show an incorrect icon. This should now happen far less frequently, but further improvements are being investigated for a future patch.

You can trust VideoGamer. Our team of gaming experts spend hours testing and reviewing the latest games, to ensure you're reading the most comprehensive guide possible. Rest assured, all imagery and advice is unique and original. Check out how we test and review games hereAnother Fortnite x Mortal Kombat collaboration is around the corner! Epic Games first released Sub-Zero, one of the most popular characters of the franchise, to the Battle Pass. Now, its time for a massive drop of cosmetics in the Item Shop. According to the latest leak, three more Mortal Kombat characters will come to the video game, and the release date is sooner than we expected!In this article, we will reveal all the collaboration details we have, including the price, bundle, release date, and other important info.What is the release date of the new Fortnite x Mortal Kombat skins?The release date of new Mortal Kombat skins is March 28, according to Hypex, the most popular leaker. Originally, it was believed that only Scorpion would come to the games shop. However, the leak shows two other characters, Kitana and Raiden, that will also arrive. In addition to skins, each Mortal Kombat character will have their own accessories, such as pickaxes and back blings.Here are all the details about upcoming cosmetics, including the prices, leaked by SpushFNBR:Raiden, Scorpion, Kitana skins: 1,500 V-Bucks eachFlawless Victory, Toasty, and five other emotes: 300 V-Bucks eachScorpions Flame Skull back bling: 800 V-BucksScorpions Katana pickaxe: Included with the skinRaidens Amulet back bling: 300 V-BucksRaidens Staff pickaxe: 800 V-BucksKitanas Steel Fan pickaxe: 800 V-BucksKitanas Fan Bear: Included with the pickaxeFull bundle: 3,300 V-BucksScorpion was leaked a while ago and will be part of the bundle. Image by VideoGamerThe design of the upcoming Fortnite skins hasnt been leaked yet. However, Hypex believes that they will be based on Mortal Kombat 3. Since the release date is just around the corner, we will likely get even more leaks shortly, including the preview of all cosmetic items that will come to the Item Shop. FortnitePlatform(s):Android, iOS, macOS, Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S/XGenre(s):Action, Massively Multiplayer, Shooter9VideoGamerSubscribe to our newsletters!By subscribing, you agree to our Privacy Policy and may receive occasional deal communications; you can unsubscribe anytime.Share

President Donald Trump and the White House on Wednesday announced a series of sweeping tariffs on foreign-made cars and auto parts, a prelude to the April 2 "Liberation Day" duties that are expected to hit a wide variety of goods made by many of the largest U.S. trading partners.Many details remained unclear, however.Trumps initial statements about the tariffs were quickly updated by a White House official anda fact sheet posted on the White House website.Speaking from the Oval Office,Trump initially said he was imposing a 25% tariff on all cars coming into the United States.The White House later clarified that foreign auto parts would also be taxed at the 25% rate even if the cars they go into are assembled in the United States. However, companies that import vehicles under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) will get special consideration until the Commerce Department establishes a process for levying the 25% duties, the White House said. USMCA-compliant automobile parts will remain tariff-free until the commerce secretary, in consultation with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, establishes a process to apply tariffs to their non-U.S. content.Trump said he expects auto companies to relocate to the United States and build new sites or expand existing ones. He hit out at companies that have opened facilities in Canada and Mexico in recent decades, at what he said was the expense of U.S. workers."If you build your car in the U.S., there's no tariff," he said.Collection of the tariffs will begin April 3, and Trump said they would be "permanent." He said the United States could end up collecting as much as $100 billion from tariff revenues. Shares of the top U.S. automakers fell sharply in after-hours trading on the announcement, with General Motors down more than 7%, Ford off 4.6% and Stellantis lower by 4%.Jennifer Safavian, president and CEO of Autos Drive America, a trade group that represents U.S. operations of international automakers, said in a statement: At a time when cost is the number one concern for American car buyers, U.S. automakers are working to provide a range of affordable vehicles for consumers. The tariffs imposed today will make it more expensive to produce and sell cars in the United States, ultimately leading to higher prices, fewer options for consumers, and fewer manufacturing jobs in the U.S.Eight of the top 10 "most American" vehicles whose parts are sourced and assembly are undertaken in the United States are actually foreign-owned companies, according to Cars.com. Its full list of the most American-made brands can be found here."It always surprises car shoppers that the badge on the hood doesnt always reveal a vehicles economic contributions. In fact, 66% of vehicles on Cars.coms 2024 American-Made Index come from foreign automakers that support communities in Alabama, Indiana,MichiganandOhio, Cars.com said in a release last year. Half of all vehicles sold in the United States in 2023 were imports, according to Cars.com. Popular autos that see some or all models assembled abroad, according to Autoweek, include:Audi Q5Buick Encore GXChevrolet Silverado 1500Chrysler Pacifica and VoyagerFord MaverickFord Bronco SportFord Mustang Mach-EGMC TerrainRam 1500 and 2500VW Jetta, Taos and TiguanThe 25% tariffs will almost certainly increase the cost consumers will pay to buy new vehicles they affect."If a 25% tariff is imposed, prices could increase by as much as $12,000 for some models, or as little as $4,000 for others, in both cases a cost that will almost certainly be passed on to US buyers," Autoweek said.Alongside Teslas assembly plant in Fremont, California, the South has increasingly displaced the Midwest as a growing hub of American auto manufacturing. The new duties were announced a week before Trump's planned "Liberation Day" on April 2, when he has promised to roll out a bevy of new tariffs against many of America's largest trading partners, including longtime allies, that will affect a broad range of goods. Trump had hinted in recent days that a separate statement about auto tariffs could come ahead of next week.Previously, Trump indicated he was receptive to pleas from U.S. automakers that tariffs would harm their businesses. Hegave them a one-month reprieve from duties onfor all items covered by the U.S.-Mexico-Canada free-trade agreement.Trump's on-again, off-again announcements have roiled markets in recent weeks and ratcheted up uncertainty in the economy. That has led to declining business and consumer confidence. While some economic indicators have suggested the American economy remains in solid shape, the Commerce Department reported Tuesday that orders for business equipment placed with U.S. factories unexpectedly declined 0.3% last month, the first drop since October.Meanwhile, S&P Global reported this week that U.S. manufacturing activity slipped back into contraction territory, thanks to a rise in materials costs related to tariffs, while the outlook for the services sector deteriorated.

A Venmo account under the name Michael Waltz, carrying a profile photo of the national security adviser and connected to accounts bearing the names of people closely associated with him, was left open to the public until Wednesday afternoon. A WIRED analysis shows that the account revealed the names of hundreds of Waltzs personal and professional associates, including journalists, military officers, lobbyists, and othersinformation a foreign intelligence service or other actors could exploit for any number of ends, experts say.Among the accounts linked to Michael Waltz are ones that appear to belong to Susie Wiles, the White House chief of staff, and Walker Barrett, a staffer on the United States National Security Council. Both were fellow participants in a now-infamous Signal group chat called Houthi PC small group.The White House declined to comment after being presented with WIREDs findings, but the accounts appearing to belong to Waltz and Wiles went fully private following WIREDs inquiry.Earlier this week, The Atlantic reported that an account with the name Michael Waltz accidentally invited the publications editor in chief, Jeffrey Goldberg, to the chat, in which senior administration officials discussed plans for a strike on Yemen. (Waltz told Fox News Laura Ingraham he takes full responsibility for inviting Goldberg, adding, We have some of the best technology minds looking at how this happened.) Over the encrypted messaging app, which Department of Defense guidelines bar from being used for the discussion of any nonpublic defense information, the group debated whether a strike should be carried out at all. Hours after an account with the name of defense secretary Pete Hegseth shared missile targets, strike timing, and other highly sensitive operational details of a coming strike, US forces bombed Houthi targets in Yemen, reportedly killing at least 53 people.A WIRED review of public data exposed on Venmo accounts associated with senior administration officials suggests that the Signal group chat was not an isolated mistake, but part of a broader pattern of what national security experts describe as reckless behavior by some of the most powerful people in the US government.The Venmo account under Waltzs name includes a 328-person friend list. Among them are accounts sharing the names of people closely associated with Waltz, such as Barrett, formerly Waltzs deputy chief of staff when Waltz was a member of the House of Representatives, and Micah Thomas Ketchel, former chief of staff to Waltz and currently a senior adviser to Waltz and President Donald Trump.Got a Tip?Are you a current or former government employee who wants to talk about what's happening? We'd like to hear from you. Using a nonwork phone or computer, contact the reporter securely on Signal at dmehro.89 or timmarchman.01.Other accounts carry the names of a wide range of media figures, from on-air personalities like Bret Baier and Brian Kilmeade of Fox News and Brianna Keilar and Kristen Holmes of CNN to a cable news producer, a prominent national security reporter, local news anchors, documentarians, and noted conspiracy theorist Ivan Raiklin, who calls himself the the secretary of retribution and once created a deep state target list. (Fox News declined to comment; CNN did not respond to a request for comment.)

Its only been a day since ChatGPTs new AI image generator went live, and social media feeds are already flooded with AI-generated memes in the style of Studio Ghibli, the cult-favorite Japanese animation studio behind blockbuster films such as My Neighbor Totoro and Spirited Away.In the last 24 hours, weve seen AI-generated images representing Studio Ghibli versions of Elon Musk, The Lord of the Rings, and President Donald Trump. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman even seems to have made his new profile picture a Studio Ghibli-style image, presumably made with GPT-4os native image generator. Users seem to be uploading existing images and pictures into ChatGPT and asking the chatbot to re-create it in new styles.OpenAIs latest update comes on the heels of Googles release of a similar AI image feature in its Gemini Flash model, which also sparked a viral moment earlier in March when people used it to remove watermarks from images. OpenAIs and Googles latest tools make it easier than ever to re-create the styles of copyrighted works simply by typing a text prompt. Together, these new AI image features seem to reignite concerns at the core of several lawsuits against generative AI model developers. If these companies are training on copyrighted works, are they violating copyright law?According to Evan Brown, an intellectual property lawyer at the law firm Neal & McDevitt, products like GPT-4os native image generator operate in a legal gray area today. Style is not explicitly protected by copyright, according to Brown, meaning OpenAI does not appear to be breaking the law simply by generating images that look like Studio Ghibli movies.However, Brown says its plausible that OpenAI achieved this likeness by training its model on millions of frames from Ghiblis films. Even if that was the case, several courts are still deciding whether training AI models on copyrighted works falls under fair use protections.I think this raises the same question that weve been asking ourselves for a couple years now, said Brown in an interview. What are the copyright infringement implications of going out, crawling the web, and copying into these databases?The New York Times and several publishers are in active lawsuits against OpenAI, claiming the company trained its AI models on copyrighted works without proper attribution or payment. There have been similar claims brought in lawsuits against other leading AI companies, including Meta and AI image-generation startup Midjourney.In a statement to TechCrunch, an OpenAI spokesperson says that while ChatGPT refuses to replicate the style of individual living artists, OpenAI does permit it to replicate broader studio styles. Of course, its worth noting there are living artists who are credited with pioneering their studios unique styles, such as Studio Ghiblis co-founder, Hayao Miyazaki.Evidently, users have also been able to use GPT-4os native image-generation feature to re-create styles from other studios and artists. Someone else made a Marc Andreessen portrait in the style of Dr. Seuss, and a married couple re-created their wedding photos in the style of Pixar.We tested several popular AI image generators including ones available in Googles Gemini, xAIs Grok, and Playground.ai to see their ability to match Studio Ghiblis style. We found OpenAIs new image generator created the most accurate replica of the animation studios style.A real dog (Left) and an AI-generated image of a dog ChatGPT made in Studio Ghibli style (right).Image Credits:Maxwell Zeff/openAIFor now, OpenAIs and Googles new image features present a leap forward in what AI models can generate, which seems to be driving a surge in usage. OpenAI delayed the rollout of its new image tool to free-tier users on Wednesday, citing high demand. That may be the most important thing for these companies today, but well have to wait for the courts to weigh in on their legality.

In BriefPosted:3:22 PM PDT March 26, 2025Image Credits:Akio Kon/Bloomberg / Getty ImagesNvidia is reportedly in talks to acquire Lepton AINvidia is looking to get into the server rental market.The semiconductor giant is reportedly nearing a deal to acquire Lepton AI, a company that rents out servers that are powered by Nvidias AI chips, according to The Information. The deal is reportedly worth several hundred million dollars, according to The Information, which cited unnamed sources.TechCrunch reached out to Nvidia for more information.Lepton AI was founded two years ago and raised an $11 million seed round in May 2023 from CRV and Fusion Fund. The other big player in the server rental market is Together AI, a startup that has raised more than $500 million in venture capital despite only being about a year older than Lepton.Nvidia reportedly acquired synthetic data startup Gretel last week.Topics