When it comes to top laptop brands, a manufacturer we can always stand behind is Asus. For years, these talented folks have been dropping some of the fastest and most powerful Windows laptops money can buy, and today, the world of Asus just got even better!While looking for laptop deals, we found this awesome Asus sale at B&H Photo & Video for the Asus Vivobook 16X. For a limited time, youll be able to grab the Intel Core i9 / RTX 4060 / 32GB (RAM) / 1TB (storage) configuration of this laptop for only $930.The Asus Vivobook is the perfect portable PC for those looking to make the most out of a full laptop battery. Delivering up to 16 hours of performance in our tests, the Vivobook blew us away with how long it lasted. We tested the OLED version, but this one on sale today is a standard LED display. It has a 1920 x 1200 resolution and 12Hz refresh rate.RelatedThanks to the RTX 4060 GPU, movies, shows, and video games are rendered bright and colorful quickly, making the Vivobook 16X a solid laptop choice for gamers (check out our list of the best gaming laptop deals!) and a solid photo- and video-editing workstation. The Vivobook also has an HDMI 2.1 port, Thunderbolt 4 USB-C, two USB-A, and an SD card reader.Were not sure how long this markdown is going to stick around, so today might be the best (and final) day to score this discount. Take $370 off this configuration of the Asus Vivobook 16X when you purchase through B&H Photo & Video today. We also suggest taking a look at our lists of the best Asus laptop deals for January for additional savings on other top items.Editors Recommendations

Ru ready for k2? Satellite firm bucks miniaturization trend, aims to build big for big rockets "We decided to go after one of the big problems." Eric Berger Jan 21, 2025 1:04 pm | 5 A view inside the K2 factory. Credit: K2 A view inside the K2 factory. Credit: K2 Story textSizeSmallStandardLargeWidth *StandardWideLinksStandardOrange* Subscribers only Learn moreA potentially disruptive satellite company launched its first spacecraft last week as part of a Transporter mission flown on SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket.The demonstration mission from a California-based firm named K2 aims to "burn down" the risk of the technology that will fly on the company's first full-sized satellite. So far, so good, but it's early days for the demo flight.Founded a little less than three years ago, K2 seeks to disrupt the production of large satellites by focusing on vertical integration and taking advantage of large launch vehicles, such as SpaceX's Starship and Blue Origin's New Glenn, which can throw a lot of payload into space."We think we're about to go from an era of mass constraints to an era of mass abundance," said Karan Kunjur, co-founder and chief executive of K2, in an interview with Ars.They go small, we go bigBy contrast, over the last decade, much of the satellite industry has gone smaller. Similar to the trend in consumer electronics, in which more computing power and other capability can be packed into smaller devices, satellites have also gotten smaller and cheaper."When we looked at the market, we saw a massive amount of small satellites," Kunjur said. "The small satellite boom figured out how to go cheaper and faster, but it hasn't figured out how to do that without sacrificing capability."Smaller satellites typically sacrifice a lot of power, going from as much as 20 kilowatts down to 1 or 2 kW, Kunjur said. They also often have a smaller aperture (such as a lens in a telescope), reducing the quality of observations. And they have to make difficult trades between payload capacity and on-board propellant.Taking on an industry titanThere has been less innovation in larger satellites.One of the industry-leading large satellite busesa satellite bus is the main structural component of a satellite, upon which payloads are hostedis Lockheed Martin's LM2100 spacecraft. It is a proven vehicle with a payload capacity of more than 1 ton and 20 kW of peak power. It is used for the military's Global Positioning Satellites and other government applications. The LM2100 is a robust satellite capable of operating in geostationary orbit for 15 years or longer.Although the price of this satellite bus is proprietary, various estimates place the cost at between $100 million and $150 million. One reason for the expense is that Lockheed Martin buys most of the satellite's elements, such as its reaction wheels, from suppliers."Lockheed is amazing at doing those missions with really complex requirements," Kunjur said. "But they just have not changed the way they build these larger, more complex spacecraft in the last 15 or 20 years."Vertical integration is the way?K2 aims to disrupt this ecosystem. For example, the reaction wheels that Honeywell Aerospace sells to Lockheed cost approximately $500,000 to $1 million apiece. K2 is now on its fourth iteration of an internally built reaction wheel and has driven the cost down to $35,000. Kunjur said about 80 percent of K2's satellite production is vertically integrated.The company is now building its first "Mega Class" satellite bus, intended to have similar capabilities to Lockheed's LM2100: 20 kW of power, 1,000 kg of payload capacity, and propulsion to move between orbits. But it's also stackable: Ten will fit within a Falcon 9 payload fairing and about 50 within Starship's fairing. The biggest difference is cost. K2 aims to sell its satellite bus for $15 million.The US government is definitely interested in this capability. About a month ago, K2 announced that it had signed a contract with the US Space Force to launch its first Mega Class satellite in early 2026. The $60 million contract for the "Gravitas" mission will demonstrate the ability of K2's satellite bus to host several experiments and successfully maneuver from low-Earth orbit to middle-Earth orbit (several thousand km above the surface of Earth).Although the Mega Class satellite is attractive to government and commercial customersits lower cost could allow for larger constellations in middle- and geostationary orbitsKunjur said he and his brother Neel Kunjur founded K2 to enable more frequent science missions to other planets in the Solar System."We looked at the decadal studies and saw all the mission concept studies that were done," Kunjur said. "There were maybe 50 studies over a 10-year period. And we realized that if NASA funding remains level, we'll be able to do one or maybe two of these. So we decided to go after one of the big problems."So, if we're moving into an era of launch abundance, K2 might just solve the problem of affordable science satellites to launch on all these rocketsif it all works, of course.Eric BergerSenior Space EditorEric BergerSenior Space Editor Eric Berger is the senior space editor at Ars Technica, covering everything from astronomy to private space to NASA policy, and author of two books: Liftoff, about the rise of SpaceX; and Reentry, on the development of the Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon. A certified meteorologist, Eric lives in Houston. 5 Comments

a coupla physicists sitting around talking How to get a perfect salt ring deposit in your pasta pot Particle diameter, height from which they fall through water, and particle volume are key factors. Jennifer Ouellette Jan 21, 2025 12:41 pm | 18 Releasing a handful of salt into a pasta pan can result in a circular ring deposit Credit: Mathieu Souzy Releasing a handful of salt into a pasta pan can result in a circular ring deposit Credit: Mathieu Souzy Story textSizeSmallStandardLargeWidth *StandardWideLinksStandardOrange* Subscribers only Learn morePhysicist Mathieu Souzy of the University Twente was enjoying an evening of pasta and board games with several colleagues when the conversation turned to how adding salt to a pasta pot to make it boil faster can leave a white ring on the bottom of the pot. Ever the curious scientists, they wondered about the various factors that would contribute to creating the perfect circular pattern for a salt ring.By the end of our meal, wed sketched an experimental protocol and written a succession of experiments we wanted to try on my youngest sons small whiteboard, said Souzy. It all comes down to three factors: the diameter of the particles (grains of salt, in this case), the settling height, and the number of particles released simultaneously, according to a new paper published in the journal Physics of Fluids.We've previously reported on physicists' longstanding interest in similar phenomena like the "coffee ring effect," when a single liquid evaporates and the solids that had been dissolved in the liquid (like coffee grounds) form a ring. It happens because the evaporation occurs faster at the edge than at the center. Any remaining liquid flows outward to the edge to fill in the gaps, dragging those solids with it. Mixing in solvents (water or alcohol) reduces the effect as long as the drops are very small. Large drops produce more uniform stains.There are also the so-called "whiskey webs" formed by American whiskeys (but not their Scottish counterparts): an unusual web-like pattern as droplets dry up. Those webs are different for different brands, making them a kind of "fingerprint." Similarly, when a drop of watercolor paint dries, the pigment particles of color break outward, toward the rim of the drop.A pinch of saltSouzy et al. specifically wanted to explore what mechanisms produce the salt rings and whether other deposit shapes are possible, as well as identify the key parameters involved. For their experiments, they used a large transparent water tank filled with waterlarge enough that the physicists could discount any effects a nearby wall might have on the results. Deposit morphologies for a settling particle. When increasing either the injection volume or the settling height, the deposit radius increases. Credit: M. Souzy et al., 2025 They used spherical borosilicate glass beads of varying diameters to represent the grains of salt and loaded different fixed volumes of beads into cylindrical tubes. Then they slid open the tube's bottom to release the beads, capturing how they fell and settled with a Nikon D300 camera placed at the top of the tank. The tank was illuminated from below by a uniform LED light screen and diffuser to get an even background.The physicists found that gravity will pull a single particle to the bottom of the tank, creating a small wake drag that affects the flow of water around it. That perturbation becomes much more complicated when many large particles are released at once, each with its own wake that affects its neighbors. So, the falling particles start to shift horizontally, distributing the falling particles in an expanding circular pattern.Particles released from a smaller height fall faster and form a pattern with a clean central region. Those released from a greater height take longer to fall to the bottom, and the cloud of particles expands radially until the particles are far enough apart not to be influenced by the wakes of neighboring particles such that they no longer form a cloud. In that case, you end up with a homogeneous salt ring deposit.These are the main physical ingredients, and despite its apparent simplicity, this phenomenon encompasses a wide range of physical concepts such as sedimentation, non-creeping flow, long-range interactions between multiple bodies, and wake entrainment, said Souzy. Things get even more interesting once you realize larger particles are more radially shifted than small ones, which means you can sort particles by size just by dropping them into a water tank. It was a great overall experience, because we soon realized our simple observation of daily life conceals a rich variety of physical mechanisms.Those phenomena are just as relevant outside the kitchen, according to the authors, most notably in such geophysical and industrial contexts as "the discharge of dredged materials and industrial waste into rivers lakes and oceans," they wrote. "In scenarios involving contaminated waste, comprehending the behavior of both the solid waste and the interacting fluid is crucial."Physics of Fluids, 2025. DOI: 10.1063/5.0239386 (About DOIs).Jennifer OuelletteSenior WriterJennifer OuelletteSenior Writer Jennifer is a senior writer at Ars Technica with a particular focus on where science meets culture, covering everything from physics and related interdisciplinary topics to her favorite films and TV series. Jennifer lives in Baltimore with her spouse, physicist Sean M. Carroll, and their two cats, Ariel and Caliban. 18 Comments

Trying to sleep your way through jet lag might not actually workIakovos Hatzistavrou/AFP Via Getty ImagesIn the first flush of our relationship, my husband began taking a series of photos of me during our travels. In every one, I am asleep: sat on a chair at the Muse dOrsay in Paris. Head on my chest in the back seat of a car in Kiev, Ukraine. On a train in France, mouth open, drooling. He is lucky I still married him.This article is part of special series investigating key questions about sleep. Read more here.Jet lag certainly isnt pretty. Other than leaving you feeling exhausted or wide awake at the wrong time of day, a long flight across time zones can also cause gastrointestinal distress, off-kilter body temperature, headaches, irritability and cognitive impairment, all of which are much more serious for people who fly all the time, such as airline pilots. What can we do?Many of us approach jet lag by prioritising sleep whenever we can, in order to counter the exhaustion. Even the National Health Service website for England recommends that you change your sleep schedule to the new time zone as quickly as possible, and many of us try to just knock ourselves out on overnight flights (often with the help of over-the-counter medicines or in-flight refreshments).While this approach isnt always wrong, it can sometimes do more harm than good. Instead, we need to think about jet lag in a more nuanced way, says Steven Lockley, a neuroscientist who was at Harvard University Medical School. Jet lag really is

Starship flight test 7 goes through rapid unscheduled disassemblyJames Temple PhotographyThese eerie images of a fiery sky show the moment when SpaceXs Starship rocket dramatically returned to Earth in pieces last week. They were captured by photographer James Temple, who was working as a chef on a superyacht in the Turks and Caicos Islands. When he realised what was happening, he grabbed his camera extender for a closer shot.Starships seventh flight test took off from SpaceXs site at Boca Chica, Texas, on 16 January, but SpaceX lost contact with the rocket after approximately eight and

The United States and China are entangled in what many have dubbed an AI arms race. In the early days of this standoff, US policymakers drove an agenda centered on winning the race, mostly from an economic perspective. In recent months, leading AI labs such asOpenAIandAnthropicgot involved in pushing the narrative of beating China in what appeared to be an attempt to align themselves with the incoming Trump administration. The belief that the UScanwin in such a race was based mostly on the early advantage it had over China in advanced GPU compute resources and the effectiveness of AIsscaling laws. But now it appears that access to large quantities of advanced compute resources is no longer the defining or sustainable advantage many had thought it would be. In fact, the capability gap between leading US and Chinese models has essentially disappeared, and in one important way the Chinese models may now have an advantage: They are able to achievenear equivalent resultswhile using only a small fraction of the compute resources available to the leading Western labs. The AI competition is increasingly being framed within narrow national security terms, as a zero-sum game, and influenced by assumptions that a future war between the US and China, centered on Taiwan, is inevitable. The US has employedchokepoint tacticsto limit Chinas access to key technologies like advanced semiconductors, and China has responded by accelerating its efforts toward self-sufficiency and indigenous innovation, which is causing US efforts to backfire. Recently even outgoing US Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo, a staunch advocate for strict export controls, finally admitted that using such controls tohold back Chinas progress on AI and advanced semiconductors is a fools errand.Ironically, the unprecedented export control packages targeting Chinas semiconductor and AI sectors have unfolded alongside tentativebilateral and multilateral engagementsto establish AI safety standards and governance frameworkshighlighting a paradoxical desire of both sides to compete and cooperate. When we consider this dynamic more deeply, it becomes clear that the real existential threat ahead is not from China, but from the weaponization of advanced AI by bad actors and rogue groups who seek to create broad harms, gain wealth, or destabilize society. As with nuclear arms, China, as a nation-state, must be careful about using AI-powered capabilities against US interests, but bad actors, including extremist organizations, would be much more likely to abuse AI capabilities with little hesitation. Given the asymmetric nature of AI technology, which is much like cyberweapons, it is very difficult to fully prevent and defend against a determined foe who has mastered its use and intends to deploy it for nefarious ends. Given the ramifications, it is incumbent on the US and China as global leaders in developing AI technology to jointly identify and mitigate such threats, collaborate on solutions, and cooperate on developing a global framework for regulating the most advanced modelsinstead of erecting new fences, small or large, around AI technologies and pursing policies that deflect focus from the real threat. It is now clearer than ever that despite the high stakes and escalating rhetoric, there will not and cannot be any long-term winners if the intense competition continues on its current path. Instead, the consequences could be severeundermining global stability, stalling scientific progress, and leading both nations toward a dangerous technological brinkmanship. This is particularly salient given the importance of Taiwan and the global foundry leader TSMC in the AI stack, and the increasing tensions around the high-tech island. Heading blindly down this path will bring the risk of isolation and polarization, threatening not only international peace but also the vast potential benefits AI promises for humanity as a whole. Historical narratives, geopolitical forces, and economic competition have all contributed to the current state of the US-China AI rivalry. Arecent reportfrom the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission, for example, frames the entire issue in binary terms, focused on dominance or subservience. This winner takes all logic overlooks the potential for global collaboration and could even provoke a self-fulfilling prophecy by escalating conflict. Under the new Trump administration this dynamic will likely become more accentuated, with increasing discussion of aManhattan Project for AIand redirection of US military resources fromUkraine toward China. Fortunately, a glimmer of hope for a responsible approach to AI collaboration is appearing now as Donald Trump recentlyposted on January 17 that hed restarted direct dialoguewith Chairman Xi Jinping regarding various areas of collaboration, and given past cooperation should continue to be partners and friends. The outcome of the TikTok drama, putting Trump at odds with sharp China critics in his own administration and Congress, will be a preview of how his efforts to put US China relations on a less confrontational trajectory. The promise of AI for good Western mass media usually focuses on attention-grabbing issues described in terms like the existential risks of evil AI. Unfortunately, the AI safety experts who get the most coverage often recite the same narratives, scaring the public. In reality, no credible research shows that more capable AI will become increasingly evil. We need to challenge the current false dichotomy of pure accelerationism versus doomerism to allow for a model more likecollaborative acceleration. It is important to note the significant difference betweenthe way AI is perceived in Western developed countries and developing countries. In developed countries the public sentiment toward AI is 60% to 70% negative, while in the developing markets the positive ratings are 60% to 80%. People in the latter places have seen technology transform their lives for the better in the past decades and are hopeful AI will help solve the remaining issues they face by improving education, health care, and productivity, thereby elevating their quality of life and giving them greater world standing. What Western populations often fail to realize is that those same benefits could directly improve their lives as well, given the high levels of inequity even in developed markets. Consider what progress would be possible if we reallocated the trillions that go into defense budgets each year to infrastructure, education, and health-care projects. Once we get to the next phase, AI will help us accelerate scientific discovery, develop new drugs, extend our health span, reduce our work obligations, and ensure access to high-quality education for all. This may sound idealistic, but given current trends, most of this can become a reality within a generation, and maybe sooner. To get there well need more advanced AI systems, which will be a much more challenging goal if we divide up compute/data resources and research talent pools. Almost half of all top AI researchers globally (47%) wereborn or educatedin China, according toindustry studies.Its hard to imagine how we could have gotten where we are without the efforts of Chinese researchers. Active collaboration with China on joint AI research could be pivotal to supercharging progress with a major infusion of quality training data and researchers. The escalating AI competition between the US and China poses significant threats to both nations and to the entire world. The risks inherent in this rivalry are not hypotheticalthey could lead to outcomes that threaten global peace, economic stability, and technological progress. Framing the development of artificial intelligence as a zero-sum race undermines opportunities for collective advancement and security. Rather than succumb to the rhetoric of confrontation, it is imperative that the US and China, along with their allies, shift toward collaboration and shared governance. Our recommendations for policymakers: Reduce national security dominance over AI policy.Both the US and China must recalibrate their approach to AI development, moving away from viewing AI primarily as a military asset. This means reducing the emphasis on national security concerns that currently dominate every aspect of AI policy. Instead, policymakers should focus on civilian applications of AI that can directly benefit their populations and address global challenges, such as health care, education, and climate change. The US also needs to investigate how to implement a possible universal basic income program as job displacement from AI adoption becomes a bigger issue domestically. 2.Promote bilateral and multilateral AI governance.Establishing a robust dialogue between the US, China, and other international stakeholders is crucial for the development of common AI governance standards. This includes agreeing on ethical norms, safety measures, and transparency guidelines for advanced AI technologies. A cooperative framework would help ensure that AI development is conducted responsibly and inclusively, minimizing risks while maximizing benefits for all. 3.Expand investment in detection and mitigation of AI misuse.The risk of AI misuse by bad actors, whether through misinformation campaigns, telecom, power, or financial system attacks, or cybersecurity attacks with the potential to destabilize society, is the biggest existential threat to the world today. Dramatically increasing funding for and international cooperation in detecting and mitigating these risks is vital. The US and China must agree on shared standards for the responsible use of AI and collaborate on tools that can monitor and counteract misuse globally. 4.Create incentives for collaborative AI research.Governments should provide incentives for academic and industry collaborations across borders. By creating joint funding programs and research initiatives, the US and China can foster an environment where the best minds from both nations contribute to breakthroughs in AI that serve humanity as a whole. This collaboration would help pool talent, data, and compute resources, overcoming barriers that neither country could tackle alone. A global effort akin to theCERN for AIwill bring much more value to the world, and a peaceful end, than aManhattan Project for AI,which is being promoted by many in Washington today. 5.Establish trust-building measures.Both countries need to prevent misinterpretations of AI-related actions as aggressive or threatening. They could do this via data-sharing agreements, joint projects in nonmilitary AI, and exchanges between AI researchers. Reducing import restrictions for civilian AI use cases, for example, could help the nations rebuild some trust and make it possible for them to discuss deeper cooperation on joint research. These measures would help build transparency, reduce the risk of miscommunication, and pave the way for a less adversarial relationship. 6.Support the development of a global AI safety coalition.A coalition that includes major AI developers from multiple countries could serve as a neutral platform for addressing ethical and safety concerns. This coalition would bring together leading AI researchers, ethicists, and policymakers to ensure that AI progresses in a way that is safe, fair, and beneficial to all. This effort should not exclude China, as it remains an essential partner in developing and maintaining a safe AI ecosystem. 7.Shift the focus toward AI for global challenges.It is crucial that the worlds two AI superpowers use their capabilities to tackle global issues, such as climate change, disease, and poverty. By demonstrating the positive societal impacts of AI through tangible projects and presenting it not as a threat but as a powerful tool for good, the US and China can reshape public perception of AI. Our choice is stark but simple: We can proceed down a path of confrontation that will almost certainly lead to mutual harm, or we can pivot toward collaboration, which offers the potential for a prosperous and stable future for all. Artificial intelligence holds the promise to solve some of the greatest challenges facing humanity, but realizing this potential depends on whether we choose to race against each other or work together. The opportunity to harness AI for the common good is a chance the world cannot afford to miss. Alvin Wang Graylin Alvin Wang Graylin is a technology executive, author, investor, and pioneer with over 30 years of experience shaping innovation in AI, XR (extended reality), cybersecurity, and semiconductors. Currently serving as global vice president at HTC, Graylin was the companys China president from 2016 to 2023. He is the author ofOur Next Reality. Paul Triolo Paul Triolo is apartner for China and technology policy leadat DGA-Albright Stonebridge Group. He advises clients in technology, financial services, and other sectors as they navigate complex political and regulatory matters in the US, China, the European Union, India, and around the world.

Stripe accidentally sent an image of a cartoon duck to some staff in a layoff email, BI has learned.The company also sent some laid off staff an incorrect termination date.Stripe laid off 300 people on Monday, impacting mostly product, engineering, and operations.Payments software company Stripe accidentally emailed an image of a cartoon duck to some employees when notifying them that they had been laid off, Business Insider has learned.The company laid off 300 staff on Monday, equivalent to about 3.5% of its workforce. Those roles were primarily in product, engineering, and operations, according to a leaked memo obtained by BI.The image, which was attached as a PDF, showed a yellow duck with brown feathers on its wing and accompanying text that says, "US-Non-California Duck."The company also sent impacted staff an incorrect date for the date of termination in an email. A screenshot of the duck image was shared on Stripe's internal group on Blind. Blind/Business Insider A Stripe spokesperson confirmed the duck image and incorrect dates were sent in error and pointed BI to a follow-up email from McIntosh.McIntosh wrote, "I also want to note that some impacted Stripes received a notification error to their personal email accounts Monday evening PT."He added, "I apologize for the error and any confusion it caused. Corrected and full notifications have since been sent to all impacted Stripes."In a separate email to staff confirming the layoffs, McIntosh said Stripe still planned on growing its head count to about 10,000 employees by the end of the year.One employee asked if others had received the duck image in an internal Stripe group on the app Blind, seen by BI. One person responded that they had and that it was another "indication the comms to those laid off were flubbed completely."Another employee, seemingly joking, wrote, "Wonder if there's a california duck," while a different employee wrote, "Quick, make a slack emoji out of the duck."Stripe, which provides payment software to millions of businesses, has made previous rounds of layoffs in recent years. A publicly shared letter from Stripe CEO Patrick Collisonwon praise from some corners for its candidness. Are you a Stripe employee with insight to share? Contact the reporter Jyoti Mann via email at or via Signal at jyotimann.11. Reach out via a nonwork device.

Lauren Snchez wore a white Alexander McQueen suit and lace bra to Trump's inauguration.She previously wore the ensemble to a book event in December and at a Forbes event in September.This time, she paired it with a Schiaparelli coat that retails for over $9,000.Lauren Snchez seems to have a favorite outfit.For at least the third time since September, the journalist has worn a white Alexander McQueen suit with a lace bra peeking out of its blazer for a public event.The latest outing was Donald Trump's inauguration, which she attended on Monday alongside her fianc, Jeff Bezos.She wore the designer outfit beneath a brushed wool and mohair coat from the Italian fashion house Schiaparelli.The statement design costs 8,700 euros, or about $9,073, and features gold-brass buttons designed to look like nipples. Lauren Snchez and Jeff Bezos attend Donald Trump's inauguration. Brendan Smialowski/Kenny Holston/Getty Images Some loved Snchez's feminine look, while others criticized the set specifically its visible bra, which was cut low and had small cutouts. They described it as risqu on platforms like X.Snchez, however, isn't one to shy away from being bold at political events. She previously wore a red, satin, and lace gown with a sheer corseted bodice at a 2024 state dinner hosted by Joe Biden in honor of Japan's prime minister at the time, Fumio Kishida.Stylist Kelly Johnson put together the most recent ensemble, which Snchez has worn on numerous occasions. Johnson and representatives for Snchez did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.The children's book author previously wore the outfit (minus the coat) to The New York Times DealBook event in New York City on December 5 and once earlier at the Forbes Power Women's Summit in September 2024.At the latter event, Snchez spoke onstage about beingas a responsibility, and their work together on Bezos Earth Fund, a $10 billion effort to fight the climate crisis."I'm in this room with all these influential and powerful women," she said at the time. "I'm looking around and going, 'Whoa,' and it doesn't escape me that most of you know me as Lauren Snchez, comma, Jeff Bezos' fiance.""I get it, but I can choose to do something, or I can choose to do nothing," Snchez said. "And I'm choosing to do something." Lauren Snchez attends the 2024 Forbes Power Women's Summit. Taylor Hill/WireImage/Getty Images Historically, women who wear white at presidential inaugurations have been recognized as making political statements.When Hillary Clinton wore the color at Trump's first inauguration in 2017, for example, many saw her outfit as a symbol of women's suffrage.It's unclear if Snchez's outfit had a hidden meaning or if she just really likes her McQueen suit.

This story was originally published by Grist and is reproduced here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration. Within hours of being sworn into office on Monday, President Donald Trump announced a spate of executive orders and policies to boost oil and gas production, roll back environmental protections, withdraw from the Paris climate accord, and undo environmental justice initiatives enacted by former President Joe Biden.Trump has called climate change a hoax, and appointed fossil fuel industry executives and climate skeptics to his Cabinet. His first-day actions represent a complete remaking of the countrys climate agenda, and set the tone for his administrations approach to energy and the environment over the next four years. RelatedDrill, baby, drillAmong the most significant actions Trump took Monday was declaring an energy emergency, which he framed as part of his effort to rein in inflation and reduce the cost of living. He pledged to use all necessary resources to build critical infrastructure, an unprecedented move that could grant the White House greater authority to expand fossil fuel production. He also signed an executive order to encourage energy exploration and production on federal lands and waters, and another expediting permitting and leasing in Alaska, including in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. We will have the largest amount of oil and gas of any country on Earth, and we are going to use it, Trump said during his inaugural address. We are going to drill, baby, drill.The US Strategic Petroleum Reserve can store 714 million barrels of crude oil, but currently holds about 395 million. Under his administration, he said, the cache will be filled up again right to the top. He also said the country will export energy all over the world.We will be a rich nation again, he said, standing inside the Capitol Rotunda, and it is that liquid gold under our feet that will help.Richard Klein, a senior research fellow for the international nonprofit Stockholm Environment Institute, noted that fossil fuel companies extracted record-high amounts of oil and gas during the Biden administration. Even if it is technologically possible to boost production further, its unclear whether that will reduce prices. Dan Kammen, a professor of energy at the University of California Berkeley, said it is a direct falsehood that increasing fossil fuel extraction would drive down inflation. He agreed that the US should declare a national energy emergency but for reasons exactly the opposite of what Trump had in mind. We need to quickly move to clean energy, to invest in new companies across the US, Kammen told Grist.Exiting the Paris agreement (again)Trump delivered on his promise to once again withdraw from the 2015 Paris climate agreement, the United Nations pact agreed upon by 195 countries to limit global warming, which the new president referred to on Monday as a rip-off. In addition to signing an executive order saying the US would leave the agreement titled Putting America First in International Environmental Agreements Trump also signed a letter to the United Nations to set the departure in motion. Due to the rules governing the accord, it will take one year to formally withdraw, meaning US negotiators will participate in the next round of talks in Brazil at the end of the year. By this time next year, however, the US could join Iran, Libya, and Yemen as the only nations that arent part of the accord. It simply makes no sense for the United States to voluntarily give up political influence and pass up opportunities to shape the exploding green energy market, Ani Dasgupta, president and CEO of the nonprofit World Resources Institute, said in a statement. Only two in 10 Americans support quitting the Paris agreement, according to a poll by the Associated Press.Trumps announcement came just 10 days after the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration declared 2024 Earths hottest year on record, one marked by life-threatening heat waves, wildfires, and flooding around the world. Experts say things will only get worse unless the US and other countries do more to limit greenhouse gas emissions. Much of the very fabric of life on Earth is imperiled, climate scientists wrote last October. They noted then, even before Trumps election, that global policies were expected to cause temperatures to climb 2.7 degrees Celsius (6.9 degrees Fahrenheit) by 2100. One analysis by Carbon Brief estimated that a second Trump administration would result in an extra 4 billion metric tons of climate pollution, negating all of the emissions savings from the global deployment of clean energy technologies over the past five years twice over.Reversing course on electric vehicles Trump also took action to revoke the electric vehicle mandate, in keeping with his campaign promise to support autoworkers.In other words, youll be able to buy the vehicle of your choice, he said during his inaugural address even though there is no national mandate requiring the sale of electric vehicles and consumers are free to purchase any vehicle of their liking. The Biden administration did promote the technology by finalizing rules that limit the amount of tailpipe pollution over time so that electric vehicles make up the majority of automobiles sold by 2032. Under Joe Biden, the US also launched a $7,500 tax credit for consumer purchases of EVs manufactured domestically and planned to funnel roughly $7.5 billion toward building charging infrastructure across the country. Rolling back incentives to build electric vehicles in the United States is going to cost jobs as well as raise the price of travel, said Costa Samaras, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at Carnegie Mellon University who served as a senior policy leader in the Biden White House. Fueling up an electric vehicle costs between one-third and one-half as much as driving on gasoline, not to mention the benefits for reducing air pollution. Ultimately, to lower the price of energy for US consumers, we need to diversify the sources of energy that were using and ensure that these are clean, affordable, and reliable.Rescinding environmental justice initiativesTrump signed a single executive order undoing nearly 80 Biden administration initiatives, including rescinding a directive to federal agencies to incorporate environmental justice into their missions. The Biden-era policy protected communities overburdened by pollution and directed agencies to work more closely with them. That move was part of a broader push that Trump described in his inaugural address as an attempt to create a color-blind society by stopping the government from trying to socially engineer race and gender into every aspect of public and private life. Klein said the objective was embarrassing. Kammen said it was a huge mistake to move away from environmental justice priorities.Blocking new wind energy Trump officially barred new offshore wind leases and will review federal permitting of wind projects, making good on a promise to end leasing to massive wind farms that degrade our natural landscapes and fail to serve American energy consumers. The move is likely to be met with resistance from members of his own party. The top four states for wind generation Texas, Iowa, Oklahoma, and Kansas are solidly red, and unlikely to acquiesce. Even Trumps pick for Interior secretary, Doug Burgum, refused to disavow wind power during a hearing last week, saying he would pursue an all of the above energy strategy.Many state and local policymakers, including the members of America Is All In, a climate coalition made up of government leaders and businesses from all 50 states, pledged to take up the mantle of climate action in the absence of federal leadership.Regardless of the federal governments actions, climate mayors are not backing down on our commitment to the Paris Agreement, said Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego, in a statement. Our constituents are looking to us to meet the moment and deliver meaningful solutions.Youve read 1 article in the last monthHere at Vox, we're unwavering in our commitment to covering the issues that matter most to you threats to democracy, immigration, reproductive rights, the environment, and the rising polarization across this country.Our mission is to provide clear, accessible journalism that empowers you to stay informed and engaged in shaping our world. By becoming a Vox Member, you directly strengthen our ability to deliver in-depth, independent reporting that drives meaningful change.We rely on readers like you join us.Swati SharmaVox Editor-in-ChiefSee More:

Thought gaming was already an expensive hobby? (Getty/Microsoft/Sony/Metro)The physical video games market may come to an end even sooner than expected, as US President Donald Trump threatens tariffs on Mexico.Now that Donald Trump has once again been inaugurated as the president of the US hes already talking about tariffs against countries including Mexico and Canada, and that could have a serious effect on the video games industry.He previously threatened tariffs against China too, which the games industry soon realised would potentially make consoles and games more expensive, with business experts saying it would only hasten the death of the physical games market.Its possible companies like Nintendo, Microsoft, and Sony will successfully lobby for an exemption on electronic goods (as they did once before), but so far Trump hasnt confirmed that the Chinese tariffs will go ahead but they will for Mexico and Canada.now Trump is threatening tariffs on Mexico as well, which analyst Matt Piscatella believes will lead to less physical releases in the US.As reported by the BBC, Trump told Oval Office reporters that he could force tariffs upwards of 25% on imports from Mexico, as well as Canada, as early as February 1 unless they take stronger measures to prevent illegal migrants and drugs from entering the US.In a recent Bluesky thread, Piscatella points out that this will have a knock-on effect on physical video games since much of that production infrastructure is in Mexico.Piscatella believes this could result in a sharp downtick in the number of disc-based games released in the US, and most certainly further incentivise increasing prices for both physical and digital games.Alright, well, video games.With 25% tariffs on imports from Mexico on the way, I can see a sharp downtick in the number of disc-based games that get released physically in the US, as much of that production infrastructure is in Mexico.If they do get made, I expect higher prices both phys & dig. Mat Piscatella (@matpiscatella.bsky.social) 2025-01-21T14:38:47.618ZPiscatella does acknowledge the hypothetical possibility of moving production to the US, but this wouldnt solve the issue since annual US physical video game software spending is now half what it was in 2021 and declining rapidly.More TrendingTheres no telling if this will have wider ramifications for the games market in the UK or elsewhere in the world, but it doesnt look good from a consumer or preservationist standpoint.According to the Financial Times, Mexicos president Claudia Sheinbaum has responded to Trumps threats by saying, We will defend our sovereignty, and Its always important to have a cool head and refer to the decrees rather than the discourse.As for the aforementioned tariffs for China, those are dependent on whether Chinese company ByteDance agrees to sell at least half of TikToks ownership to a US company, which is also a stipulation for Trumps removal of the TikTok ban that was signed off by the Biden administration.Trumps inauguration took place on January 20 and aside from his other radical executive orders, the conversation has been dominated by arguments over whether Elon Musk did a Nazi salute. The Switch 2s lack of price point could be because Nintendos waiting to see if these tariffs go through (YouTube)Emailgamecentral@metro.co.uk, leave a comment below,follow us on Twitter, andsign-up to our newsletter.To submit Inbox letters and Readers Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use ourSubmit Stuff page here.For more stories like this,check our Gaming page.GameCentralSign up for exclusive analysis, latest releases, and bonus community content.This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Your information will be used in line with our Privacy Policy