In November, Pixelmators team announced an acquisition agreement with Apple. Three months later, Pixelmator has officially confirmed that it is now a part of Apple.The confirmation is delivered through a software update for the Pixelmator and Photomator apps on iPhone and iPad.Pixelmator Pro and Photomator for Mac also include the message in new updates.As per each apps release notes, both updates include an important announcement regarding Pixelmator and Photomator. After updating to the latest versions, each app now features a splash screen announcing that they are now part of Apple.This is followed by a link to Apples privacy policy, which now applies to the photo and image editing apps.Next, well have to watch and see how the update cadence to Pixelmator goes. The Pixelmator team has been a great citizen of the Mac, iPad, and iPhone, regularly using Apples latest platform features and tools.We also dont know if Apple will change the pricing model or integrate either app into future OS updates. For now, the Pixelmator era at Apple is just beginning.Best Mac mini accessoriesAdd 9to5Mac to your Google News feed. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.Youre reading 9to5Mac experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Dont know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

On Monday, the Wall Street Journal reported that multi-hyphenate billionaire Elon Musk was leading a massive $97.4 billion bid to take over the nonprofit that controls ChatGPT maker OpenAI.It didn't take long for OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, who runs the company's for-profit arm and sits on the board of its non-profit as well, to slap down the offer."No thank you but we will buy twitter for $9.74 billion if you want," Altman wrote in a scathing rebuke shortly after the WSJ published its story, referencing Musk's disastrous acquisition of the social media platform, which has since lost almost 80 percent of what it was worth when he bought it.The battle of the outsized egos, which has been many years in the making, didn't end there. During a Bloomberg interview at the Paris AI Action Summit today, Altman took another jab at the richest man in the world."Elon tries all sorts of things for a long time," he said. "This is the latest you know, this weeks episode.""Probably his whole life is from a position of insecurity," Altman added. "I feel for the guy. I don't think he's like a happy person. I do feel for him."The beef between the two CEOs dates back many years. In 2019, roughly four years after the pair co-founded OpenAI, Musk rage quit the nonprofit, citing disagreements with the group's direction.Since then, Musk has filed several lawsuits against the ChatGPT maker, claiming that it had lost track of its "open-source" roots, and instead becoming beholden to corporate incentives and multibillion-dollar deals.That's despite having founded his own AI company, dubbed xAI, a for-profit entity that has raised billions of dollars, much like OpenAI. Emails leaked by OpenAI have also shown that Musk believed early on that OpenAI should be turned into a for-profit.In terms of valuation, Musk's AI company has historically lagged behind OpenAI. In December, xAI raised $6 billion at a valuation of $50 billion, less than a third of what OpenAI was valued at the time. That's not to mention OpenAI's current attempt to raise another $40 billion to effectively double its valuation in less than half a year, to an astronomical $340 billion.Technologically, xAI has also lagged, with an "anti-woke" chatbot that often shares progressive political opinions instead.Put simply, there are plenty of reasons to suggest that Musk has been raging against his number one competitor in the AI space out of "insecurity."As Reuters pointed out, it could also be a "textbook" example of "founder's syndrome," a situation when one or more founders maintain huge amounts of influence, which eventually leads to a litany of problems."I wish he would just compete by building a better product, but I think theres been a lot of tactics," Altman told Bloomberg today. "Many, many lawsuits, all sorts of other crazy stuff, now this. And well try to just put our head down and keep working."In some ways, Musk has taken on the qualities of people he once mocked. The billionaire once took it out one of his favorite punching bags, Amazon founder and Blue Origin CEO Jeff Bezos, accusing him in 2021 of retiring "in order to pursue a full-time job filing lawsuits against SpaceX."Given the many complaints he has filed against OpenAI, Musk has seemingly taken on that position himself.Nobody knows how OpenAI's non-profit board will view Musk's extremely overvalued offer. But bearing in mind Altman's notable influence over the board which changed significantly after he was booted and reinstated as the CEO in late 2023 it's unlikely to be taken all too seriously.Apart from calling Altman a "swindler" for not taking him up on his unusual offer, Musk has yet to respond to Altman's latest attack.However, Musk is unlikely to roll over and leave it at that, so expect more drama as the richest man in the world pursues the opportunity he walked away from over five years ago.More on the beef: Elon Musk Makes Huge Bid to Seize Control of OpenAIShare This Article

Image by Steve Christo / Corbis via Getty / FuturismRx/MedicinesDoctors have begun noticing a trend among their colleagues: they seem to be getting full before finishing dinner, likely thanks to GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic sweeping the medical profession.In interviews with theNew York Times, medical professionals who use the popular weight loss drugs which replicate the stomach's feeling of fullness have begun sniffing each other out.Though there don't appear to be any surveys tracking how many physicians take the drugs or what doses they're on, Harvard Medical School cardiologist Michael Gibson said that he and his colleagues at heart disease meetings often now seem to hit a wall at the same time during meals."We will sit around at dinner and halfway through the meal, we will simultaneously push our plates away," Gibson described. "We look at each other and laugh and say, 'You, too?'"University of North Carolina diabetes specialist John Buse said he's shed 25 percent of his body weight, which "totally changed [his] life" after years of struggling with his weight. Since starting on Wegovy, he's noticed that others in his field have lost a lot of weight though he never asks people outright."There are people who have changed a lot," said Buse, who conceded that he consults with both Mounjaro-maker Eli Lilly and Ozempic manufacturer Novo Nordisk. He added he'd "bet dollars to doughnuts" that his fellow diabetes doctors are taking the popular weight-loss medications.Although those Harvard and UNC doctors are open about their use of the drugs, which have surprised even experts with formidable health benefits in addition to the weight they help lose, others are "in the closet," as Gibson put it.A Boston-based cardiologist who spoke to theNYT is one such closeted GLP-1 user. Speaking under condition of anonymity, the physician hasn't told many people that she's taking Ozempic after a fellow female heart doctor and GLP-1 user prescribed it to her. She's experienced the same mid-meal group fullness with colleagues as Gibson, though, which ends up outing her and her fellow doctors."Yes, you can definitely tell," the cardiologist said. "And when you go to dinners, you can definitely see. We eat, like, an eighth of our meal. I know whats going on here."Interestingly, none of the medical professionals interviewed by the newspaper discussed the side effects of GLP-1 drugs, which include mild to severe gastrointestinal distress, not to mention a popularity among those with eating disorders. To be fair, however, none of the people who spoke to the NYTwere GI doctors or nutritionists.Their lack of discussion about the drugs' physical downsides doesn't mean they're unaware of the inequities surrounding the expensive drugs, which can cost upwards of $1,300 without insurance coverage, or the privilege they have in accessing them.Buse, the UNC diabetes specialist, said that after his insurance stopped covering Wegovy, he was lucky enough to get a six-month bulk prescription from a colleague in Europe during a conference on that continent and fill it for a fraction of the cost.Gibson, meanwhile, said he's had little trouble getting various GLP-1s covered by his Harvard insurance as he experiments with which will help him lose the most weight.One clear takeaway: it's interesting to see medical professionals not to mention specifically cardiologists and diabetes specialists starting to shed the idea that weight is purely an issue of willpower."A lot of people are of the mindset that it is shameful, that it is cheating to use a drug," the Harvard cardiologist said. For Gibson, however, it's the "greatest thing [he] ever did."Share This Article

The Super Bowl trailer forMarvelsThunderbolts* gave us our first look at the movies big villain, The Void, and with it also gave us a lot of clues about the plot of the movie: Who the Thunderbolts are, who assembles this team, why they are put together now, and what their mission is going to be. (We still dont know why the title has an asterisk though.)In our latest Marvel Cinematic Universe breakdown video, well look at theThunderbolts*trailer, and point out all the little details, Easter eggs, and secrets you might have missed. Well also talk about what thistrailer tells us about the current state of the Avengers, who the Sentry is and how he got his powers, and how the Thunderbolts get together and why someone wants them dead. Watch our full look at the trailer below:READ MORE: The Worst Marvel Comics EverIf you liked that video on the Thunderbolts* Super Bowl trailer and all the stuff in it you missed, check out more of our videos below, including our recap of the entire Falcon and Winter Soldier Disney+ series, one on the entire Captain America franchise up to Brave New World, and one on the hidden Watcher cameo in TheFantastic Four: First Stepstrailer and what it means for the future of the MCU. Plus, theres tons more videos over atScreenCrushs YouTube channel. Be sure to subscribe to catch all our future episodes.Thunderbolts* is scheduled to open in theaters on May 2.Sign up for Disney+ here.Get our free mobile appEvery Marvel Cinematic Universe Movie, Ranked From Worst to BestIt started with Iron Man and its continued and expanded ever since. Its the Marvel Cinematic Universe, with 34 movies and counting. But whats the best and the worst? We ranked them all.

Deadpool creator Rob Liefeld has cut ties with Marvel after expressing unhappiness with his treatment at the premiere of Deadpool and Wolverine.The 57-year-old comic book writer artist is the man behind the wise-cracking hero and has had a lengthy relationship with Marvel but bemoaned how he felt sidelined at the premiere of Deadpool and Wolverine, the first film in the franchise to be released since Disney acquired Fox and the character was integrated into the Marvel Cinematic Universe.Liefeld claimed that he felt ignored by Disney bosses, including Marvel chief Kevin Feige, at the event last July and was disappointed to discover that he and his family had not been invited to the premiere after-party.Speaking on his Robservations podcast, Liefeld said: It was meant to embarrass, diminish, defeat me ... At some point, you go, Ive received the message, and the message is clear.Liefeld, who co-created the character of Deadpool in 1991, explained that he requested more involvement in terms of marketing and promotion on the movie and also requested a special credit different from the standard one granted to comic book creators at the end of the flick.He wrote in an email: Marvels treatment of creators has never been their strength. Without the worlds, the characters and the concepts that we create and in this specific case, the world of Deadpool there are no films to shoot. No blockbusters to distribute ... I am not the easy button at Staples. I am the human imagination behind at all.Liefeld added: Comic book creators cannot continue to be relegated as afterthoughts. This is easy to address. Unless I reach out to address it, it will never manifest.Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman - Deadpool and Wolverine - Marvel - DisneyMarvelloading...READ MORE: Every Marvel Cinematic Universe Movie, RankedThe comic book creator previously suggested that Marvel was to blame for the delay to Deadpool and Wolverine, which was released six years after Deadpool 2.Liefeld told ComicBook.com in 2020: I blame Marvel... blame Marvel that it hasnt happened yet.They are the reason it isnt happening. Whatever conundrum or it didnt fit into your master plan, just commission it. Okay, commission it.He also suggested that he lacked faith in Marvel and felt that the foul-mouthed hero wouldnt fit into the family-friendly MCU.Liefeld said: If Ryan (Reynolds) isnt making Deadpool 3 right now, thats because Marvel hasnt allowed it to be yet and thats all I'm saying.So, do I have a lot of faith in that system? Dude, I have no idea. So this is where Im not that, Im not giving you the answers you want. Im like yeah, yeah. Look if it happens, terrific.Get our free mobile appVHS Tapes That Sold For Shocking Amounts of MoneyThese VHS tapes recently sold for hundreds of even thousands of dollars.Categories: Movie News, Superheroes

Roofer.com is looking for a freelance content writer to create high-quality, engaging content that helps homeowners and businesses understand roofing solutions. As a tech-driven roofing company, we use AI, drone inspections, and digital tools to provide seamless roofing services. We need a writer who can translate our expertise into clear, informative, and compelling content for blogs, landing pages, and marketing materials.What Youll Do:Write blog posts for Roofer.com, website copy, and other marketing materials focused on roofing and home improvement.Research industry trends and create accurate, engaging, and SEO-friendly content.Adapt your writing style to match our brands voice and audience.Collaborate with our marketing team to develop content that supports our growth goals.What Were Looking For:Proven experience in content writing, preferably in home services, construction, or a related field.Strong understanding of SEO best practices and ability to write optimized content.Ability to research technical topics and present them in a reader-friendly way.Reliable, deadline-driven, and able to work independently.This is a remote, freelance position with flexible hours. Were looking for writers who can provide consistent, high-quality content on an ongoing basis. We do not accept applications by email or through our website. Apply only through our form at: https://forms.gle/K5nmgZZhUxSEZDqz5Apply NowLet's start your dream job Apply now

About DOTsftyAt DOTsfty, we're not just changing the game; we're creating a new playbook in public road safety. With our industry-first, device-agnostic vision AI for dashcams, we monitor 10,000+ drivers and help companies reduce accident costs by over 50%. Our services are currently available in the USA and Japan markets.We are a VC-backed, seed-stage company growing rapidly. Our investors include leading East Asia-based venture capital firms and a founding member of OpenAI as an angel investor. Join us in revolutionizing road safety through cutting-edge AI technology!About the RoleWe are seeking a talented Machine Learning Operations Engineer (MLOps) to join our team. In this role, you will be responsible for driving the operations and management of our machine learning models, including YOLO-based object detection and various Vision-Language Models (VLMs) such as Qwen and Gemini. You will play a critical role in fine-tuning models, cleaning and annotating data, and testing new models to ensure optimal performance.Key ResponsibilitiesManage and operationalize machine learning models, including YOLO-based object detection and Vision-Language Models (VLMs).Fine-tune models to improve accuracy and efficiency.Clean, annotate, and preprocess data for model training and evaluation.Test and validate new models to ensure they meet performance benchmarks.Collaborate with cross-functional teams to deploy models into production environments.Monitor and maintain model performance in real-world applications.Stay up-to-date with the latest advancements in MLops, computer vision, and AI technologies.About You:Education: Masters degree in Computer Science or a related field from a top university.Experience: Proven experience in MLops, including managing and deploying machine learning models.Technical Skills:Strong proficiency in Python programming.Hands-on experience with object detection models (e.g., YOLO) and Vision-Language Models (e.g., Qwen, Gemini).Familiarity with data cleaning, annotation, and preprocessing techniques.Experience with model fine-tuning and performance optimization.Soft Skills:Strong problem-solving abilities and attention to detail.Excellent communication and collaboration skills.Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, startup environment.Why Join DOTsfty?Be part of a mission-driven company revolutionizing road safety with cutting-edge AI.Work with a talented, passionate, and collaborative team.Enjoy the opportunity to grow and make a significant impact in a fast-growing startup."Apply NowLet's start your dream job Apply now

Our Experts Written by Andrew Lanxon Our expert, award-winning staff selects the products we cover and rigorously researches and tests our top picks. If you buy through our links, we may get a commission. Reviews ethics statement Andrew is CNET's go-to guy for product coverage and lead photographer for Europe. When not testing the latest phones, he can normally be found with his camera in hand, behind his drums or eating his stash of home-cooked food. Sometimes all at once. Expertise Smartphones | Photography | iOS | Android | Gaming | Outdoor pursuits Credentials Shortlisted for British Photography Awards 2022, Commended in Landscape Photographer of the Year 2022 See full bio Why You Can Trust CNET 16171819202122232425+ Years of Experience 14151617181920212223 Hands-on Product Reviewers 6,0007,0008,0009,00010,00011,00012,00013,00014,00015,000 Sq. Feet of Lab Space How we test CNETs expert staff reviews and rates dozens of new products and services each month, building on more than a quarter century of expertise.Table of Contents Our Picks Best all-round photography backpack LowePro ProTactic 450 AW II View details $371 at Amazon View details Best camera bag for travel PeakDesign Everyday Backpack View details $280 at B&H Photo-Video View details Best adventure photography backpack Compagnon Backpack Gen III View details $599 at B&H Photo-Video View details Best Camera sling bag Wandrd Rogue Sling View details $139 at B&H Photo-Video View details Best luxury camera bag Oberwerth Matterhorn 13" View details $899 at B&H Photo View details Best large camera backpack Manfrotto Pro Light Frontloader View details $235 at B&H Photo-Video View details Best smaller camera backpack Wandrd Prvke View details $299 at B&H Photo-Video View details Best small camera messenger bag Compagnon Little Messenger Gen III View details $399 at B&H Photo-Video View details Best camera backpack for hiking F-Stop Ajna 37L View details $440 at B&H Photo-Video View details Best larger camera messenger bag Billingham Hadley Pro 2020 View details $300 at Amazon View details Table of Contents Photography isn't exactly a cheap hobby; your camera, along with lenses, tripods and other accessories, costs a pretty penny. When you are out there finding the right angles and chasing the perfect shot, the last thing you want is to worry about damaging your gear. This is where a good camera bag can help. These bags don't just provide space or protection. They can also help keep everything organized and easy to carry, so you are always ready to shoot.Read more: Best Camera to Buy in 2025Ive done a ton of research to help you find the perfect bag for your camera. Ive picked out and tested a great variety, from messenger bags to adventure backpacks to compact sling bags, all so you can find one that fits your style and needs.Best overall camera bag in 2025Each photographer has different needs, so it isn't easy to point to which camera bag is the best. That said, LowePro's ProTactic 450 AW II ticks every box we'd expect from a camera bag and does it at a more affordable price than many others on this list. Its large size and sturdy design make it great for longer adventures, while its waist and chest straps make it comfortable for all-day wear.The Compagnon Little Messenger Gen III is a great pick for a smaller messenger bag. It has enough room for a small mirrorless camera and all its gear. Plus, with its handmade, all-leather design, it not only looks awesome but feels good, too. Its tough enough to handle years of use while you're out and about on urban photo walks. Photo Gallery 1/1 $371 at Amazon Pros Generous internal storage External mounting points for accessories Rugged materials and zips Cons Utilitarian design $371 at Amazon LowePro has been a staple of the photography bag world for years and with the ProTactic 450 it's easy to see why. This rugged backpack opens fully from the back, although there are side and top quick-access points too. It provides a wealth of storage slots for a DSLR, multiple lenses, filters, batteries and other accessories -- I even stuffed a small drone in among my gear.If you can't quite fit everything inside, you can get additional accessory pouches that attach to the outside of the case, where you can also attach your tripod. It's comfortable to carry thanks to both chest and hip straps, it's made of durable materials and it has a zipped compartment for laptops up to 15 inches.

See at ExpressVPN Best VPN for streaming ExpressVPN See at ExpressVPN See more details See at ESPN Watch the FA Cup in the US from $12 per month ESPN Plus See at ESPN See more details See at ITV Carries 2025 Six Nations games for free in the UK ITV See at ITV See more details See at SN Now Watch the FA Cup in Canada for CA$15 a month Sportsnet See at SN Now See more details See at Optus Watch the FA Cup in Australia from AU$7 a month Optus Sport See at Optus See more details Table of Contents The fourth round of this season's FA Cup concludes with an intriguing tie in Devon as League One's Exeter City host high-flying English Premier League team Nottingham Forest.Exeter have already pulled off one shock so far in this tournament, beating Championship side Oxford United 3-1 in the third round to set up today's tie.Somewhat ominously for Exeter, Forest appear to be taking this season's FA Cup seriously, despite now being legitimate Premier League title contenders. Nuno Esprito Santo's Tricky Trees eased past Luton 2-0 in the last round and trounced Brighton 7-0 in the EPL at the weekend. Below, we'll outline the best live TV streaming services to use to watch the game live, wherever you are in the world. Nuno Esprito Santo's Nottingham Forest have won four of their last five away fixtures. Ritchie Sumpter/Nottingham Forest FC/Getty ImagesExeter vs. Nottingham Forest: When and where?Exeter City take on Nottingham Forest in this FA Cup fourth-round match at St James Park in Devon on Tuesday, Feb. 11. Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. GMT local time in the UK, which is 3 p.m. ET or 8 a.m. PT in the US and Canada, and7 a.m. AEDT in Australia early on Wednesday morning. How to watch the Exeter vs. Nottingham Forest game online from anywhere using a VPNIf you find yourself unable to view EPL matches locally, you may need a different way to watch the games -- that's where using a VPN can come in handy. A VPN is also the best way to stop your ISP from throttling your speeds on game day by encrypting your traffic, and it's also a great idea if you're traveling and find yourself connected to a Wi-Fi network and you want to add an extra layer of privacy for your devices and logins.With a VPN, you're able to virtually change your location on your phone, tablet or laptop to get access to the game. Most VPNs, like our Editors' Choice, ExpressVPN, make it really easy to do this.Using a VPN to watch or stream sports is legal in any country where VPNs are legal, including the US, UK and Canada, as long as you have a legitimate subscription to the service you're streaming. You should be sure your VPN is set up correctly to prevent leaks: Even where VPNs are legal, the streaming service may terminate the account of anyone it deems to be circumventing correctly applied blackout restrictions. James Martin/CNET 2024 Price $13 per month, $100 for the first 15 months (then $117 per year) or $140 for the first 28 months (then $150 per year)Latest Tests DNS leaks detected, 35% speed loss in 2025 testsNetwork 3,000 plus servers in 105 countriesJurisdiction British Virgin Islands ExpressVPN isour current best VPN pickfor people who want a reliable and safe VPN, and it works on a variety of devices. It's normally $13 a month, but if you sign up for an annual subscription for $100 you'll get three months free and save 49%. That's the equivalent of $6.67 a month.Note that ExpressVPN offers a 30-day money-back guarantee. 61% off with 2yr plan (+4 free months) See at ExpressVPN Livestream the Exeter vs. Nottingham Forest game in the USThis clash is streaming exclusively live in the US on ESPN Plus. Kickoff is at 3 p.m. ET on Tuesday. ESPN Plus ESPN's standalone streaming service costs $12 a month or $120 for an annual subscription. With it, you'll be able to watch all of this season's FA Cup fixtures.Read our ESPN Plus review. See at ESPN Can I livestream the Exeter vs. Nottingham Forest game in the UK?The great news for footy fans in the UK is that free-to-air broadcasters the BBC and ITV are sharing live duties for this season's FA Cup, with this game being shown on ITV4. That means the game will be available to stream on ITVX. Coverage begins at 7:30 p.m. GMT ahead of the 8 p.m. kickoff. ITV ITV's streaming online streaming service is free to viewers in the UK, with dedicated apps available for Apple and Android devices, as well as most smart TVs. See at ITV Livestream Exeter vs. Nottingham Forest in CanadaCanadian soccer fans looking to watch this FA Cup fixture can watch all the action live via Sportsnet. Sportsnet Sportsnet is available via most cable operators, but cord-cutters can subscribe to the network's standalone streaming service Sportsnet Plus instead, with prices starting at CA$25 per month or CA$200 per year. See at SN Now Livestream the Exeter vs. Nottingham Forest game in AustraliaFootball fans down under can watch FA Cup matches live on streaming service Optus Sport. Optus With exclusive rights to stream select FA Cup and all Premier League matches live this season, as well as German Bundesliga and Spanish La Liga games, streaming service Optus Sport is a particularly big draw for Aussie soccer fans.If you're already an Optus network customer, you can bag Optus Sport for a reduced price, with discounts bringing the price down to as low as AU$7 a month. If you're not, a standalone monthly subscription to the service starts at AU$25. See at Optus Quick tips for streaming the FA Cup using a VPNWith four variables at play -- your ISP, browser, video streaming provider and VPN -- your experience and success when streaming FA Cup matches may vary.If you don't see your desired location as a default option for ExpressVPN, try using the "search for city or country" option.If you're having trouble getting the game after you've turned on your VPN and set it to the correct viewing area, there are two things you can try for a quick fix. First, log into your streaming service subscription account and make sure the address registered for the account is an address in the correct viewing area. If not, you may need to change the physical address on file with your account. Second, some smart TVs -- like Roku -- don't have VPN apps you can install directly on the device itself. Instead, you'll have to install the VPN on your router or the mobile hotspot you're using (like your phone) so that any device on its Wi-Fi network now appears in the correct viewing location.All of the VPN providers we recommend have helpful instructions on their main site for quickly installing the VPN on your router. In some cases with smart TV services, after you install a cable network's sports app, you'll be asked to verify a numeric code or click a link sent to your email address on file for your smart TV. This is where having a VPN on your router will also help, since both devices will appear to be in the correct location.And remember, browsers can often give away a location despite using a VPN, so be sure you're using a privacy-first browser to log into your services. We normally recommendBrave.

February 11, 20254 min readTrump Spending Freeze on Rural Electric Co-ops Could Raise Energy CostsBillions of dollars for rural electric cooperatives are stuck in limbo as the Department of Agriculture continues the Trump administrations funding freeze, despite federal court ordersBy Adam Aton & E&E News Electric co-ops have seen their funding frozen as the Trump administration halts grants from the Inflation Reduction Act. Grant Faint/Getty ImagesCLIMATEWIRE | Billions of dollars for rural electric cooperatives are stuck in limbo as the Department of Agriculture continues the Trump administrations funding freeze, despite federal court orders.The Empowering Rural America program also known as New ERA, a $9.7 billion grant and loan program created by the Inflation Reduction Act has been halted, and awardees chosen by the Biden administration have not received funding, according to officials at seven co-ops across the country.The spending pause for energy projects reflects the volatility of the Trump administration's stance on funding as several courts have ordered it to reverse the sweeping freeze on government grants. The administration has not complied, with President Donald Trump openly questioning the judiciarys authority.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.Regardless of the legal wrangling, executives of electric co-ops do not expect to get the New ERA funding for at least 90 days when Trump has ordered agencies to finish a review of spending.A USDA spokesperson said the department is reviewing rural electric provisions to ensure they comply under the Trump Administration Executive Orders. The website for the New ERA program has gone offline.Rural co-ops had planned to use New ERA funding to purchase, generate or transmit new sources of renewable energy. Those plans are now suspended nationwide and are concentrated in regions where Trump won his biggest margins in the election.Rural co-ops said that nixing New ERA would lead to higher energy costs and lower reliability.Its basically that simple, said Brandon Shaw, CEO and general manager of Inside Passage Electric Cooperative, which serves islands in southeast Alaska.Inside Passage generates most of its electricity from diesel generators among the dirtiest and most expensive energy sources. Under New ERA , the co-op had been awarded $7.4 million to build a hydroelectric facility to replace its diesel generators.That work is now halted, and the Alaskan co-op fears that this years construction season could be lost if delays persist.Our communities are paying four times the national average for electricity, and thats predominantly because of the cost of diesel fuels, Shaw said. Inflation picks up the costs of these projects each year they dont get built. So thats a large concern of ours.Some people said the New ERA freeze demonstrates how Trumps moves can harm his own priorities and constituents.These are not Trump enemies by any stretch of the imagination, said one labor official, who was not authorized to speak publicly. They might even be friends arguably theyre the [Trump] base. But will anyone [in the administration] actually figure that out?The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association said it would lobby the Trump administration to unfreeze the program, which it said aligns with the presidents desire to stabilize energy costs and achieve energy dominance.We understand the administrations desire to re-examine and prioritize efficient and effective government spending, a NRECA spokesperson said in a statement. We look forward to continuing our discussions with this administration on how electric co-ops are leveraging New ERA and other federal programs to promote American energy dominance.The Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association had received $2.5 billion in New ERA loans and grants for projects across Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Wyoming and eastern Nebraska. The co-op said it needs to invest in new generation to meet the regions rising energy demand.Tri-State and our members stand ready to invest in new resources that drive rural economic development, help secure the American energy dominance that the Administration is prioritizing and provide the reliable and affordable power on which our members and rural America depend, Lee Boughey, the company's vice president of communications, said in a statement.Many co-ops said they were still early in the planning phases for their New ERA grants, some of which USDA announced just days before Trumps inauguration.Even if the New ERA freeze is reversed, some co-ops might find the program too risky to base multibillion-dollar plans around.Were in wait-and-see mode, one official said.In Texas, Rayburn Electric had planned to use New ERA funding to construct 160 megawatts of new battery storage. But officials said the pause has disrupted those plans, which were part of a long-term system upgrade.If that [funding] changes, we then have to change accordingly, said Chris Anderson, the co-ops general counsel. You're introducing variability into a process that we thought was somewhat well laid out.Another co-op official downplayed the impact of the funding freeze as part of the friction that comes from changing administrations.Now, yeah, we don't have $1.4 billion typically on the table when all that's happening, the official said. But it's not unusual for there to be some changes at the beginning of the administration, and for that to take some time to work out.This story also appears in Energywire.Reprinted from E&E News with permission from POLITICO, LLC. Copyright 2025. E&E News provides essential news for energy and environment professionals.