The Trump administration on Wednesday sued Maine for not complying with the government’s push to ban transgender athletes in girls and women’s sports, escalating a dispute over whether the state is abiding by a federal law that bars discrimination in education based on sex.The lawsuit follows weeks of feuding between the Republican administration and Democratic Gov. Janet Mills that has led to threats to cut off crucial federal funding and a clash at the White House when she told President Donald Trump: “We’ll see you in court.”The political overtones of the moment were clear, with Attorney General Pam Bondi — and one of the athletes who joined her on stage at the Justice Department — citing the matter as a priority for Trump. Bondi said other states, including Minnesota and California, could be sued as well.“President Trump, before he was elected, this has been a huge issue for him,” Bondi said. “Pretty simple: girls play in girls’ sports, boys play in boys’ sports. Men play in men’s sports, women play in women’s sports.”Trump campaigned against the participation of transgender athletes in sports in his 2024 race. As president, he has signed executive orders to prohibit that and to use a rigid definition of the sexes, rather than gender, for federal government purposes. The orders are being challenged in court.Trump’s departments of Education and Health and Human Services have said Maine’s education agency is violating the federal Title IX antidiscrimination law by allowing transgender girls to participate on girls teams. The Justice Department is asking the court to order the state to direct all schools to prohibit the participation of males in athletic competition designated for females.Maine officials have refused to agree with a settlement that would have banned transgender students from sports, arguing that the law does not prevent schools from letting transgender athletes participate. Mills said Wednesday that the lawsuit was expected and is part of a pressure campaign by Washington to force Maine to ignore its own human rights laws.“This matter has never been about school sports or the protection of women and girls, as has been claimed, it is about states rights and defending the rule of law against a federal government bent on imposing its will, instead of upholding the law,” Mills said in a statement.Maine’s attorney general, Aaron Frey, said Wednesday he is confident Maine is acting in accordance with state and federal law.“Our position is further bolstered by the complete lack of any legal citation supporting the Administration’s position in its own complaint,” he said in a statement. “While the President issued an executive order that reflects his own interpretation of the law, anyone with the most basic understanding of American civics understands the president does not create law nor interpret law.”The government’s complaint cites as examples the case of a transgender athlete who in February won first place in pole vault at a Maine indoor track and field meet and a transgender athlete who last year began competing in female cross country races in the state and placed first in a girl’s 5K run.The lawsuit reflects a stark philosophical turnabout from the position on gender identity issues taken during Democratic administrations.Under President Joe Biden, the government tried to extend civil rights policies to protect transgender people. In 2016, the Justice Department, then led by Attorney General Loretta Lynch, sued North Carolina over a law that required transgender people to use public restrooms and showers that corresponded the gender on their birth certificate.Trump signed an executive order in February, “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports,” that gave federal agencies wide latitude to ensure entities that receive federal funding abide by Title IX in alignment with his administration’s interpretation of “sex” as the gender someone was assigned at birth.Bondi was joined at the news conference by former University of Kentucky swimmer Riley Gaines, who has emerged as a public face of the opposition to transgender athletes. Gaines tied with a transgender athlete for fifth place in a 2022 NCAA championship and has testified before lawmakers across the country on the issue. She and others frame the issue as women’s rights.During a February meeting with governors, Trump threatened to pull federal funding from Maine if the state did not comply with his executive order. Mills responded: “We’ll see you in court.”Maine sued the administration this month after the Department of Agriculture said it was pausing some money for the state’s educational programs because of what the administration contended was Maine’s failure to comply with the Title IX law. A federal judge on Friday ordered the administration to unfreeze funds intended for a Maine child nutrition program.Questions over the rights of transgender people have become a major political issue in the past five years.Twenty-six states have laws or policies barring transgender girls from girls school sports. GOP-controlled states have also been banning gender-affirming health care for transgender minors and restricting bathroom use in schools and sometimes other public buildings. Whittle reported from Portland, Maine. Associated Press writer Geoff Mulvihill in Philadelphia contributed to this report. —Alanna Durkin Richer, Eric Tucker and Patrick Whittle, Associated Press

In this age of disposable furniture, you know you've got a winning design when people are still talking about it a decade after its debut. Veteran industrial designer Todd Bracher created this timeless Trea chair in collaboration with Steelcase in the mid-2010s. The elegant, lobster-exoskelton-inspired form has been popular enough to warrant multiple spin-offs; the original Four Star four-legged office chair on casters has been joined by a taller High Task verison, a caster-less Four Leg version and a Cantilever model. Now the entire Trea series, which won a Red Dot Award upon its debut in 2015, has snagged a 2025 iF Design Award, besting thousands of entrants in the Office category. "Merging simplicity with sophistication, Trea delivers intuitive ergonomic support to any workspace. Designed in collaboration with renowned designer Todd Bracher, Trea's innovative solid-state recline mechanism provides seamless, natural movement without manual adjustments. Its contoured shell is thoughtfully crafted to support the body's curves, enhancing lower back support and mimicking the hips' natural rotation. With a minimalist aesthetic and versatile design, Trea is ideal for professional, home, and 'third place' environments, offering both comfort and style." "Inspired by nature, Todd Bracher collaborated with Humanscale to create the Trea Task Lite and Stool. Adaptable to both office and home environments, Trea's four-star, cantilever, stool, or four-leg bases are interchangeable, allowing it to be customised for different settings while maintaining visual consistency. True to Humanscale's belief in achieving more with less, Trea is crafted with fewer parts than a standard task chair, reducing its environmental impact while maximising efficiency." The Trea series is Living Product Certified, meaning it is climate, water, and energy positive. Congratulations to Bracher and Steelcase!

Bangkok-based artist Taras Yoom presents “Another Kingdom: Dichotomy,” a limited-edition chess set exploring the eternal battle between light and darkness within the human soul and the world. Unveiled at PAD Paris from April 2–6, this piece seamlessly merges art and design with a blend of innovative and artisanal methods. Part of the Yoomoota universe’s ongoing chess series, it symbolizes an allegorical conflict between opposing kingdoms. Each of the 21 handcrafted sets is a masterpiece, utilizing techniques like detailed 3D printing, molding, sculpting, and acrylic paint detailing. Embedded with NFC chips, these sets ensure authenticity and traceability, crafted from materials like acrylic, metals, and silicone. Designer: Taras Yoom The set is designed in the classic yet serene black and white tones, referencing traditional chess while offering a deep conceptual reinterpretation rooted in the Yoomoota universe. This artistic choice reflects the timeless duality inherent in the game. According to the artist, an imagined cosmic event—a powerful eclipse caused by the wandering Star of Dichotomy—has drained all color from the world. This dramatic transformation divides the realm into stark binaries – light and dark, certainty and doubt, order and chaos. This narrative enriches the visual experience and also invites players and observers to contemplate the deeper philosophical themes of balance and opposition that are central to both the game and life itself. The previous set in the series, “Another Kingdom: Light Stage,” now a part of the Red Dot Design Museum, embodied a serene moment of harmony and mutual exchange between two kingdoms. It showcased a peaceful coexistence and a delicate balance, capturing the essence of unity amidst diversity. In stark contrast, the latest set, “Dichotomy,” portrays a world ensnared in opposition, where the forces of light and darkness are always at odds. This set illustrates a landscape where struggle is unending, and resolution remains elusive, reflecting the perpetual conflict and tension that defines its universe. Through its intricate design and symbolic elements, “Dichotomy” invites viewers to ponder the complexities of a world where harmony is a distant memory and the clash between opposing forces is an ever-present reality. In “Another Kingdom: Dichotomy,” chess set, Taras Yoom masterfully captures the eternal conflict of light and darkness. It features an intricate design and symbolic elements, which allow the players to reflect on life’s dualities, providing a unique artistic and philosophical experience that transcends the traditional boundaries of the game. “Here, the game is not merely a matter of strategy but a complex ethical conflict. There is no room for hesitation or shades of gray—only pure opposition. Chess invites players to confront the ethical dilemmas inherent in their choices. Every move, every decision, every turn is now dictated by an immutable law: light or darkness—nothing in between,” Taras Yoom explains. The post This Limited-Edition Museum-Worthy Chess Set Represents The Symbolic Battle Of Light & Darkness first appeared on Yanko Design.

The Zorah tech demo pushes the boundaries of real-time path tracing.

Fans of the hit YouTube series are upset over Netflix’s “watered-down” remake, which one of the streamer’s executives calls a “tragedy.”

The ruling was the second time in a year that a federal court had found that Google had acted illegally to maintain its dominance.

Macworld Other than the chip, the new iPad Air is identical to the old model, so there’s no reason not to jump on a clearance sale. And we’ve got an incredible one: Amazon is selling the 11-inch M2 iPad Air with 512GB of storage and 5G for $799, a massive savings of $250 on its $1,049 MSRP and the best price we’ve ever seen by far. The tablet’s 11-inch Liquid Retina display is the same gorgeous 2360x1640p screen that we’ve come to love over the years. With 500 nits of brightness, you can use this tablet pretty much anywhere you are, no matter how brightly lit the area is. On top of the fact that this is a cellular model so you can take it anywhere (with service from your wireless company), the tablet has a hefty 512GB capacity, which is quite a bit of space for apps, games, photos, and anything else you want to fill it up with. When we reviewed the M2 Apple iPad Air last year, we gave it a four-star rating, appreciating the processor and the upgraded performance, as well as the landscape front camera with Center Stage, so you’ll never be out of the frame during video calls. So forget about the M3 and go grab this incredible deal on the 11-inch cellular version of the M2 iPad Air with 512GB for $799. The M2 iPad Air has never been this cheapBuy now at Amazon

President Trump and his appointees have repeatedly stressed the need to establish “American energy dominance.”  But the White House’s profusion of executive orders and aggressive tariffs, along with its determined effort to roll back clean-energy policies, are moving the industry in the wrong direction, creating market chaos and economic uncertainty that are making it harder for both legacy players and emerging companies to invest, grow, and compete. Heat Exchange MIT Technology Review’s guest opinion series, offering expert commentary on legal, political and regulatory issues related to climate change and clean energy. You can read the rest of the pieces here. The current 90-day pause on rolling out most of the administration’s so-called “reciprocal” tariffs presents a critical opportunity. Rather than defaulting to broad, blunt tariffs, the administration should use this window to align trade policy with a focused industrial strategy—one aimed at winning the global race to become a manufacturing powerhouse in next-generation energy technologies.  By tightly aligning tariff design with US strengths in R&D and recent government investments in the energy innovation lifecycle, the administration can turn a regressive trade posture into a proactive plan for economic growth and geopolitical advantage. The president is right to point out that America is blessed with world-leading energy resources. Over the past decade, the country has grown from being a net importer to a net exporter of oil and the world’s largest producer of oil and gas. These resources are undeniably crucial to America’s ability to reindustrialize and rebuild a resilient domestic industrial base, while also providing strategic leverage abroad.  But the world is slowly but surely moving beyond the centuries-old model of extracting and burning fossil fuels, a change driven initially by climate risks but increasingly by economic opportunities. America will achieve true energy dominance only by evolving beyond being a mere exporter of raw, greenhouse-gas-emitting energy commodities—and becoming the world’s manufacturing and innovation hub for sophisticated, high-value energy technologies. Notably, the nation took a lead role in developing essential early components of the cleantech sector, including solar photovoltaics and electric vehicles. Yet too often, the fruits of that innovation—especially manufacturing jobs and export opportunities—have ended up overseas, particularly in China. China, which is subject to Trump’s steepest tariffs and wasn’t granted any reprieve in the 90-day pause, has become the world’s dominant producer of lithium-ion batteries, EVs, wind turbines, and other key components of the clean-energy transition. Today, the US is again making exciting strides in next-generation technologies, including fusion energy, clean steel, advanced batteries, industrial heat pumps, and thermal energy storage. These advances can transform industrial processes, cut emissions, improve air quality, and maximize the strategic value of our fossil-fuel resources. That means not simply burning them for their energy content, but instead using them as feedstocks for higher-value materials and chemicals that power the modern economy. The US’s leading role in energy innovation didn’t develop by accident. For several decades, legislators on both sides of the political divide supported increasing government investments into energy innovation—from basic research at national labs and universities to applied R&D through ARPA-E and, more recently, to the creation of the Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations, which funds first-of-a-kind technology deployments. These programs have laid the foundation for the technologies we need—not just to meet climate goals, but to achieve global competitiveness. Early-stage companies in competitive, global industries like energy do need extra support to help them get to the point where they can stand up on their own. This is especially true for cleantech companies whose overseas rivals have much lower labor, land, and environmental compliance costs. That’s why, for starters, the White House shouldn’t work to eliminate federal investments made in these sectors under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act, as it’s reportedly striving to do as part of the federal budget negotiations. Instead, the administration and its Republican colleagues in Congress should preserve and refine these programs, which have already helped expand America’s ability to produce advanced energy products like batteries and EVs. Success should be measured not only in barrels produced or watts generated, but in dollars of goods exported, jobs created, and manufacturing capacity built. The Trump administration should back this industrial strategy with smarter trade policy as well. Steep, sweeping tariffs won’t  build long-term economic strength.  But there are certain instances where reasonable, modern, targeted tariffs can be a useful tool in supporting domestic industries or countering unfair trade practices elsewhere. That’s why we’ve seen leaders of both parties, including Presidents Biden and Obama, apply them in recent years. Such levies can be used to protect domestic industries where we’re competing directly with geopolitical rivals like China, and where American companies need breathing room to scale and thrive. These aims can be achieved by imposing tariffs on specific strategic technologies, such as EVs and next-generation batteries. But to be clear, targeted tariffs on a few strategic sectors are starkly different from Trump’s tariffs, which now include 145% levies on most Chinese goods, a 10% “universal” tariff on other nations and 25% fees on steel and aluminum.  Another option is implementing a broader border adjustment policy, like the Foreign Pollution Fee Act recently reintroduced by Senators Cassidy and Graham, which is designed to create a level playing field that would help clean manufacturers in the US compete with heavily polluting businesses overseas.   Just as important, the nation must avoid counterproductive tariffs on critical raw materials like steel, aluminum, and copper or retaliatory restrictions on critical minerals—all of which are essential inputs for US manufacturing. The nation does not currently produce enough of these materials to meet demand, and it would take years to build up that capacity. Raising input costs through tariffs only slows our ability to keep or bring key industries home. Finally, we must be strategic in how we deploy the country’s greatest asset: our workforce. Americans are among the most educated and capable workers in the world. Their time, talent, and ingenuity shouldn’t be spent assembling low-cost, low-margin consumer goods like toasters. Instead, we should focus on building cutting-edge industrial technologies that the world is demanding. These are the high-value products that support strong wages, resilient supply chains, and durable global leadership. The worldwide demand for clean, efficient energy technologies is rising rapidly, and the US cannot afford to be left behind. The energy transition presents not just an environmental imperative but a generational opportunity for American industrial renewal. The Trump administration has a chance to define energy dominance not just in terms of extraction, but in terms of production—of technology, of exports, of jobs, and of strategic influence. Let’s not let that opportunity slip away. Addison Killean Stark is the chief executive and cofounder of AtmosZero, an industrial steam heat pump startup based in Loveland, Colorado. He was previously a fellow at the Department of Energy’s ARPA-E division, which funds research and development of advanced energy technologies.

Google is an illegal monopolist in online advertising, a federal court has determined, in a ruling that could lead to a breakup of its ad business.Google monopolised online ads, a court determined. On Thursday, U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema ruled that Google unlawfully monopolized advertising markets. The ruling determined that Google had control over a number of advertising markets, to the level of a monopoly, which it used to its advantage.In the ruling, Judge Brinkema determined that Google's monopoly affected the market for publisher ad servers and for ad exchanges. In effect, Google was able to influence the way advertisers bought ads, as well as how much publishers sold that ad space for. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

Elevating your portrait photography involves exploring lighting beyond conventional methods. Advanced lighting setups can infuse your portraits with greater depth, emotional resonance, and artistic flair, allowing you to tell richer visual stories. Here’s how you can push creative boundaries using sophisticated lighting techniques. Exploring the World of Creative Lighting Traditional three-point lighting has its merits, but innovative setups can help photographers uncover new expressions and moods. Creative lighting can transform portraits from simple captures into captivating visual narratives. Dramatic Portraits with Colored Gels Adding Emotional Depth Colored gels introduce a powerful visual component, dramatically altering the mood and atmosphere of your images. Experiment by matching gel colors to specific emotions or themes—cool blues and greens evoke calmness or introspection, while warm reds and oranges convey passion or intensity. Practical Gel Techniques Use gels selectively on rim lights to outline subjects and enhance depth or on background lights to create vivid backdrops that complement your subject’s character. Extended reading: How to use complementary colors to make your photos pop Combining Continuous and Flash Lighting Blending Movement and Clarity Integrating continuous lighting with flash can yield extraordinary results, providing both control and creative flexibility. Continuous lighting softly captures subtle movements, enhancing a portrait’s dynamism, while strategically placed flashes freeze critical details precisely. Adjusting your camera’s shutter speed allows you to blend ambient continuous light with the sharpness of the flash, offering artistic control over the balance of motion and clarity. Unconventional Modifiers for Unique Effects Explore unconventional lighting modifiers to achieve distinct effects: Reflective surfaces, mirrors, and metallic textures introduce intriguing highlights and reflections. Custom-made gobos—cut-outs or patterns placed in front of lights—can project shadows and textures onto your subject or background, adding layers of storytelling and visual interest. Fine-Tuning Your Advanced Lighting Setup Mastering Lighting Ratios Lighting ratios are crucial in controlling emotional intensity in portraits. By manipulating the strength and direction of lights, you can achieve diverse styles, from soft, evenly-lit scenes to dramatic, high-contrast visuals. Sculpting with Shadows Deliberately position lights to sculpt and highlight your subject’s features, using shadows purposefully to convey deeper emotions. Layered lighting—foreground and background illumination—creates depth and guides the viewer through your composition, enhancing narrative and visual interest. Bringing It All Together When experimenting with creative lighting techniques, remain intentional and thoughtful. The most impactful portraits are those where every lighting choice contributes meaningfully to the image’s emotional and narrative strength. Continually refine your approach, remain open to experimentation, and let your artistic vision guide your lighting decisions. Ultimately, the creative possibilities are endless—use them to leave a lasting impression with every portrait you create. The post Creative Lighting Setups to Enhance Your Portraiture appeared first on 500px.