Good news COVID shots protect kids from long COVIDand dont cause sudden death Researchers recommend kids stay up to date on the COVID vaccines. Beth Mole Feb 24, 2025 6:57 pm | 19 A 13-year-old celebrates getting the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine in Hartford, Connecticut, on May 13, 2021. Credit: Getty | JOSEPH PREZIOSO A 13-year-old celebrates getting the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine in Hartford, Connecticut, on May 13, 2021. Credit: Getty | JOSEPH PREZIOSO Story textSizeSmallStandardLargeWidth *StandardWideLinksStandardOrange* Subscribers only Learn moreCOVID-19 vaccines cut the risk of long COVID by between 5773 percent in kids and teens, according to a study published today in JAMA Network Open. And there's more good news:A second study published today in the journal offered more data that the now-annual shots are not linked to sudden cardiac arrest or sudden cardiac death in young athletesa claim that gained traction on social media and among anti-vaccine groups during the acute phase of the pandemic.Together, the studies bolster current recommendations that children and teens should stay up to date on their COVID-19 vaccines, which are estimated to have prevented more than 3 million deaths and more than 18 million hospitalizations in the first two years of their use. So far, the recommendations for kids have largely gone unheeded; only 14 percent of children aged 5 to 17 are up to date on their 20242025 COVID shot. Surveys suggest that parents largely think the vaccines are unnecessary, given that most children only have mild COVID infections.Still, not all infections are mild, and even mild cases can lead to long COVID, according to the authors of the first study. An estimated 1 percent to 3 percent of children infected with SARS-CoV-2 will develop long COVID, defined as having symptoms that continue or develop four or more weeks after the initial phase of infection. With tens of millions of kids getting infected with the pandemic virus, a large number of them are at risk of developing the condition.The finding that the vaccines substantially reduce the risk of long COVID in kids echoes findings seen in studies on adults. However, studies on children have been limited and inconsistent.For the new study, led by researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, kids from Florida, Texas, Arizona, and Utah, all aged between 5 and 17, were followed between December 2021 and March 2023. They had no history of SARS-CoV-2 infections before the study and were tested for the new infections via weekly nasal swabs. In all, 622 kids tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 during the trial and were eligible to be in the analysis. Of the 622, 28 developed long COVID, 12 of whom (43 percent) were unvaccinated, and 594 acted as controls, 136 of whom (23 percent) were unvaccinated.Benefits and a non-existent riskUsing an adjusted odds ratio, the researchers found that vaccination reduced the likelihood of developing long COVID with one or more symptoms by 57 percent, and reduced the likelihood of developing long COVID with two or more symptoms by 73 percent. Vaccination prior to infection was also linked to a 75 percent reduction in risk of developing long COVID that impacted day-to-day functioning. The authors note that the estimates of protection are likely underestimates because the calculations do not account for the fact that vaccination prevented some children from getting infected in the first place."Our findings suggest that children should stay up to date with current COVID-19 vaccination recommendations as vaccination not only protects against severe COVID-19 illness but also protects against [long Covid]," the authors conclude.In a second short report in JAMA Network Open, researchers helped dispel concern that the vaccines could cause sudden cardiac arrest or sudden cardiac death in young athletes. This is an unproven claim that was fueled by anti-vaccine advocates amid the pandemic, including the new US Health Secretary and long-time anti-vaccine advocate Robert F. Kennedy Jr.While previous analyses have failed to find a link between COVID-19 vaccines and sudden cardiac deaths, the new study took a broader approach. The study, led by researchers at the University of Washington, looked at whether the number of sudden cardiac arrests (SCA) and sudden cardiac deaths (SCD) among young athletes changed at all during the pandemic (20202022) compared with prior years (20172019). The researchers drew records from the National Center for Catastrophic Sports Injury Research. They also collected medical records and autopsy reports on cases among competitive athletes from the youth, middle school, high school, club, college, or professional levels who experienced sudden cardiac arrest or death at any time.In all, there were 387 cases, with no statistically significant difference in the number of cases in the years prior to the pandemic (203) compared with those during the pandemic (184)."This cohort study found no increase in SCA/SCD in young competitive athletes in the US during the COVID-19 pandemic, suggesting that reports asserting otherwise were overestimating the cardiovascular risk of COVID-19 infection, vaccination, and myocarditis," the authors conclude.Beth MoleSenior Health ReporterBeth MoleSenior Health Reporter Beth is Ars Technicas Senior Health Reporter. Beth has a Ph.D. in microbiology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and attended the Science Communication program at the University of California, Santa Cruz. She specializes in covering infectious diseases, public health, and microbes. 19 Comments

OPSEC FAILURE OF THE YEAR How North Korea pulled off a $1.5 billion crypto heistthe biggest in history Attack on Bybit didn't hack infrastructure or exploit smart contract code. So how did it work? Dan Goodin Feb 24, 2025 6:41 pm | 12 An ethereum coin. Credit: CFOTO/Future Publishing via Getty Images An ethereum coin. Credit: CFOTO/Future Publishing via Getty Images Story textSizeSmallStandardLargeWidth *StandardWideLinksStandardOrange* Subscribers only Learn moreThe cryptocurrency industry and those responsible for securing it are still in shock following Fridays heist, likely by North Korea, that drained $1.5 billion from Dubai-based exchange Bybit, making the theft by far the biggest ever in digital asset history.Bybit officials disclosed the theft of more than 400,000 ethereum and staked ethereum coins just hours after it occurred. The notification said the digital loot had been stored in a Multisig Cold Wallet when, somehow, it was transferred to one of the exchanges hot wallets. From there, the cryptocurrency was transferred out of Bybit altogether and into wallets controlled by the unknown attackers.This wallet is too hot, this one is too coldResearchers for blockchain analysis firm Elliptic, among others, said over the weekend that the techniques and flow of the subsequent laundering of the funds bear the signature of threat actors working on behalf of North Korea. The revelation comes as little surprise since the isolated nation has long maintained a thriving cryptocurrency theft racket, in large part to pay for its weapons of mass destruction program.Multisig cold wallets, also known as multisig safes, are among the gold standards for securing large sums of cryptocurrency. More shortly about how the threat actors cleared this tall hurdle. First, a little about cold wallets and multisig cold wallets and how they secure cryptocurrency against theft.Wallets are accounts that use strong encryption to store bitcoin, ethereum, or any other form of cryptocurrency. Often, these wallets can be accessed online, making them useful for sending or receiving funds from other Internet-connected wallets. Over the past decade, these so-called hot wallets have been drained of digital coins supposedly worth billions, if not trillions, of dollars. Typically, these attacks have resulted from the thieves somehow obtaining the private key and emptying the wallet before the owner even knows the key has been compromised.Defenders soon turned to cold wallets. These accounts arent directly accessible to the Internet, so even if a would-be thief manages to obtain the private key securing it, theres no way to access it and transfer the currency elsewhere. Multisig cold wallets go a step further. In much the same way that nuclear arms systems are designed to require two or more authorized people to successfully authenticate themselves before a missile can be launched, multisig wallets need the digital signatures of two or more authorized people before assets can be accessed.Bybit was largely following best practices by storing only as much currency as needed for day-to-day activity in warm and hot wallets, and keeping the rest in the multisig cold wallets. Transferring funds out of cold wallets required coordinated approval from multiple high-level employees of the exchange.Immediate speculation was that somehow the drained cold wallet, or the infrastructure hosting itprovided by a company called Safehad been somehow compromised. This theory was plausible enough since, these sorts of thefts are usually accomplished by exploiting vulnerabilities in the code enforcing cryptocurrency smart contracts or the infrastructure hosting them. The speculation was also consistent with accounts from Bybit employees that, according to Safe, the user cold wallet interfaces for the affected Bybit employees displayed the correct-appearing transaction information yet a malicious transaction that had all valid signatures was executed onchain. (Safe also paused its Safe{Wallet} services following the attack and, as this story went live on Ars, had begun a phased rollout to restore them.)This theory was ruled out after a subsequent investigation by Safe found no signs of unauthorized access to its infrastructure, no compromises of other Safe wallets, and no obvious vulnerabilities in the Safe codebase. As investigators continued to dig in, they finally settled on the true cause. Bybit ultimately said that the fraudulent transaction was manipulated by a sophisticated attack that altered the smart contract logic and masked the signing interface, enabling the attacker to gain control of the ETH Cold Wallet.Shattering assumptionsWhat that means is that multiple systems inside Bybit had been hacked in a way that allowed the attackers to manipulate the Safe wallet UI on the devices of each person required to approve the transfer. That revelation, in turn, has touched off something of a eureka moment for many in the industry.The Bybit hack has shattered long-held assumptions about crypto security, Dikla Barda, Roman Ziakin, and Oded Vanunu, researchers at security firm Check Point, wrote Sunday. No matter how strong your smart contract logic or multisig protections are, the human element remains the weakest link. This attack proves that UI manipulation and social engineering can bypass even the most secure wallets.Its still unclear how the attackers managed to hack the UIs of multiple Bybit employees whose signatures were required for the funds to be moved out of cold storage, but as researchers Dan Guido, Benjamin Samuels, and Anish Naik of security firm Trail of Bits noted, hackers working on behalf of the North Korean government have long deployed sophisticated malware tools that:Operate seamlessly across Windows, MacOS, and various wallet interfacesShow minimal signs of compromise while maintaining persistenceFunction as backdoors to execute arbitrary commandsDownload and execute additional malicious payloadsManipulate what users see in their interfacesThese hackers have also been long known for their relentless social engineering prowess. They often spend weeks or months building online personas that ultimately win the trust of targets. That persistence likely allowed the thieves who hit Bybit to somehow tamper with the UIs of each company employee whose digital imprimatur was required to move the funds out of cold storageand ultimately into wallets the hackers controlledall at breakneck speed.As both Check Point and Trail of Bits point out, the lessons learned here bring cryptocurrency security back to some of the most basic elements such as segmenting internal networks, adopting defense-in-depth practices that include multiple, overlapping controls for detecting and preventing sophisticated attacks, and preparation for scenarios precisely like this one.Dan GoodinSenior Security EditorDan GoodinSenior Security Editor Dan Goodin is Senior Security Editor at Ars Technica, where he oversees coverage of malware, computer espionage, botnets, hardware hacking, encryption, and passwords. In his spare time, he enjoys gardening, cooking, and following the independent music scene. Dan is based in San Francisco. Follow him at here on Mastodon and here on Bluesky. Contact him on Signal at DanArs.82. 12 Comments

JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon said he supports efforts to make the government more efficient."The government is inefficient, not very competent, and it needs a lot of work," Dimon said.Dimon also said the US has become a "highly bureaucratic, litigious, over-regulated society."JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon said he has a "wait-and-see attitude" regarding the Trump administration and the White House DOGE office, but he's hopeful DOGE will succeed."More effective government more efficient government isn't bad. It's actually a good thing," Dimon said in an interview with CNBC on Monday during JPMorgan's Global Leveraged Finance Conference in Miami.When asked about how DOGE, tariffs, and President Donald Trump's slew of executive orders could impact the economy, Dimon said it's too soon to say and will depend on how the changes are implemented.But in general, he said he supports efforts to make the government more efficient and effective."The government is inefficient, not very competent, and it needs a lot of work," he said. "It's not just waste and fraud, it's outcomes. Why are we spending the money on these things? Are we getting what we deserve? What should we change? I think doing that needs to be done."DOGE aims to reduce government spending and waste and improve efficiency. Much of its early efforts have focused on cutting the federal workforce and targeting specific federal agencies, like USAID."I'm hoping it's quite successful," he said of DOGE.Dimon has previously had a rocky relationship with Elon Musk, a special government employee closely associated with DOGE, though the two have appeared to be on better terms over the past year. Dimon said last month he and Musk "hugged it out" and that the billionaires have settled some of their differences.Dimon has also said he supported the idea of a department of government efficiency and that he'd love to be helpful to DOGE if he can.In the CNBC interview on Monday Dimon also expressed support for the Trump administration's deregulation stance, saying the US is a"We have become a highly bureaucratic, litigious, over-regulated society, and it's bad," he said, adding that he's not opposed to all regulations but that they've gotten "excessive."After the election in November, Dimon said bankers were "dancing in the street" at the prospect of Trump slashing regulation.On Monday he said changes to regulations could free up capital to grow the economy and "free the banks to what they're supposed to do.""We have the best natural system in the word," he said. "Let's keep it that way. Let's not hamstrung it."

FBI agent Loretta Bush participated in Netflix's new docuseries "American Murder: Gabby Petito."Bush's appearance on the docuseries went viral when she got visibly choked up talking about her job.Viewers, and particularly lesbian viewers, were immediately captivated by Bush. Here's what to know.Netflix's latest true-crime docuseries "American Murder: Gabby Petito" digs deeper into the story of the 22-year-old aspiring travel influencer who was killed by her fianc, Brian Laundrie, while on a cross-country road trip in 2021.As the many true crime fans who have long followed the Petito case know, it's a bleak and upsetting story. But viewers have already found light in the darkest of places: by thirsting after FBI agent Loretta Bush, who was featured in the doc.Bush works out of the bureau's Tampa division, which covers 18 counties in central and southwest Florida, including where Petito and Laundrie lived with Laundrie's parents in North Port, Florida. She appears toward the end of the second episode of the three-part series, at the point when Petito's 2021 disappearance in Wyoming became a federal investigation.The first shot of Bush instantly establishes that she's, quite frankly, cool as hell: She strides across the screen wearing black sunglasses with her badge on her hip and tattooed arms visible. The first words out of her mouth are about how she takes her job in law enforcement very seriously and how important it is to her to get closure for victims' families. Loretta Bush, ladies and gentlemen. Netflix If the dozens of thirsty TikTok videos and hundreds of comments on them are any indication, it was love at first sight for many viewers. Bush is the subject of fancam edits set to Ethel Cain's "Crush" and Usher's "Hey Daddy (Daddy's Home)," where commenters are talking about getting lost in her blue eyes and how they hope she doesn't end up getting fired by Elon Musk and DOGE."I felt so bad falling in love with Loretta while watching this sad documentary but OH MY GAWD ," one commenter wrote.There's a whole subgenre of self-identified straight women who joke that they're now questioning their sexuality because of their attraction to Bush.Some are also campaigning for Bush to get her own Netflix show. About what? Anything, really; her newfound legion of fans just wants to see more of her.It's not all about physical attraction. Many of the comments also reference a moment near the end of the docuseries in which Bush gets visibly choked up talking about her work on missing persons cases and how many of them remain unsolved despite the outsized attention to Petito's case in particular."This story is unique, but I will tell you that there are so many other people out there missing and they are important too. My work is important. Victims' lives are important," Bush says in her final appearance in the docuseries. Loretta Bush got choked up talking about her work. Netflix Bush herself doesn't appear to have publicly available social media profiles, at least not any that her dedicated fans have been able to track down.Several commenters on TikTok have identified themselves as friends of Bush's in real life. They say that Bush isn't on social media but that she's aware of her newfound viral fame and they've been sharing all the videos with her. They also said that Bush is married. (Netflix declined Business Insider's requests for comment for more information on Bush.)Another person who knows about Bush's TikTok fame agrees that she's a gem: Petito's father, Joe Petito."I told her that she is a TikTok sensation. She really is such an amazing person. We love her," Joe Petito commented on a video about Bush.

The first trailer forAndor season two dropped today, giving us a long-awaited look at Cassians returnand a rebellion coalescing into full, explosive effect. Its full of tiny little glimpses of what we know are going to to be four distinct chapters setting the year-by-year stage for the Cassian we met inRogue One, familiar faces from the first season, and even a few intriguingStar Wars Easter eggs. Heres everything we spotted. The Many Lives of Cassian Andor Lucasfilm The clever opening cuts between several shots of Cassians back, and individual acts of rebellion, that seem to presumably pull on the broader structure of season two. We now know that the 12-episode season will be split up into four chapters of three episodes each, with each tale jumping by around a year between 4BBY and 0BBYending Andor just days before the beginning ofRogue One. Those four distinct eras are marked here: Cassian in a slick, fancy disguise on a planet of white structures and what appears to be a busy transport hub (that descends into chaos rather rapidly, more on that later); Cassian in a more Andor-esque leather jacket in a moody interior (that cuts to him disabling some kind of large cargo transport sled); an even moodier interior of a more claustrophobic, dingy corridor that seems to match up with some the shots we see later with Saw Gerrera (which cuts to Cassian, seemingly again, as he casually executes an Imperial guard in a spartan facility). That all then cuts to The Eve ofRogue One Lucasfilm Cassian, at the Massassi Temple, an agent of the unified Rebel Alliance on the precipice of an all-out galactic civil war. This is, presumably, the final arc of the show, the one we know that will culminate just days before Rogue One andA New Hope are set to begin. How do we know that, beyond the fact that Cassians clearly on Yavin IV? Well, hes wearing part of hisRogue One costume: the jacket is the one we see Cassian wear in the opening of the movie where he meets his contract at a station in the Rings of Kafrene, and the undershirt is one he wears throughout the film until his very end. Fight or Win Lucasfilm Were in a war, Cassian growls to someone over a series of shots. You wanna fight, or win? He seems to be doing a bit of boththese all appear to come from the same arc, and are all built around elements wed seen previously teased: theres an agri-world, covered in oceans of crops that we see Stormtroopers blasting at an unknown figure running through. We see whoever Cassians talking to, as he himself is dressed in an Imperial disguise wed seen in previous promo images of him stealing the final element of this brief montage: a prototype TIE Fighter, from which we see Cassian unload a salvo of rockets to blow a vehicle up in those aforementioned crop fields. That prototype TIE, while still unofficially named, canonizes the overall design of what was formerly known as the TIE Avenger. Introduced in the classic simulation gameTIE Fighter in 1994, the ship was the EUs iteration on Darth Vaders TIE Advance, an experimental prototype that represented the potential future of space superiority fighter craft in the Imperial Navy: a capable ship-to-ship dogfighter that married high speed, an improved arsenal of blaster and heavy payload armaments, and deflector shielding, all in one package.Three Faces of Rebellion Lucasfilm The next trio of shots are very interesting. We get a quick glimpse of Saw, looking much more like he does inRogue One than he did inAndors first season, suggesting well meet him again a little later in season twos chronology after some crucial events (more on that later). The next is of Mon Mothma, wearing an elegant gown as shes surrounded by crowds of similarly elegantly dressed dancers at a party (more on that later). The last is of Luthen Rael, seemingly back in his foppish disguise as an antiquities dealer and more on thatright now, because this is the only shot we actually get of him in the entire trailer. This is very interesting, not just because Luthen was such a major character in season one. But because hes also the character we largely know the least about, here. We know where Mon Mothma ends up by the original trilogy. We know where Saw ends up, too, for better or worsesame for Cassian. Luthen is a free radical in many ways, but its especially going to be intriguing to see what he ultimately contributes to the formation of the broader Alliance as we come to know it, as a revolutionary and political entity. For now, Andor is giving us very few clues.The Revolution Starts Now Lucasfilm Cool insurrectionists dont look at explosions. But tropes aside, the intriguing confirmation here is that Cassians rebellious actions will, at some point, see Bix directly partner with him. Season one ended with him saving her from Imperial interrogation and getting her (alongside Brasso, who we also see in this trailer later) whisked away from Ferrixbut it looks like season two is going to give us a look at how she herself is forged into an agent of rebellion. We Stand Here Amidst His Achievement Lucasfilm As if to remind us where this is all ultimately heading again, we get some satisfyingly smug shots ofAndors biggest cameo yet: the return of Ben Mendelsohn as Orson Krennic. We already know from previous teases that Krennic and Dedra are going to butt heads this season, but were also clearly going to see some of the earlier stages of Krennics work on developing the Death Star, now in much closer-to-operational state than when we saw it at the end of season one. The Partisan Front Lucasfilm The next shot features a grim perspective: a corpse in the foreground as X-Wings and another ship are seen in the background. We see that ship a little later in another shot entering hyperspace, and while its hard to tell specifics, it has a lot of design similarities to the Aurore-class freighter, a class of ship that first appeared in Clone Wars as a ship in regular use by the Zygerrian empire.But the thing to note here is that the X-Wings carry the distinctive black-and-white livery of the Partisans, Saw Gerreras guerrilla faction. Given that when we met Saw inAndors first season, he was struggling to acquire material and needed convincing to work on operations with other disparate rebel cells, it seems like that when we meet him in season two, the Partisan front is going to be much more readily establishedand, presumably at this point, already largely distanced from the broader Rebel Alliance as it pushed its own, more aggressive path to resistance against the Empire. Prelude to a Massacre Lucasfilm The port city Cassian is seen at throughout this trailer is also shown repeatedly to eventually devolve into absolute chaos. Theres bodies everywhere, Stormtroopers firing indiscriminately, complete carnage. The timing of Andors second season, and even a few potential teases from the first, could indicate that this will be our first on-screen look at a fundamental moment in the Rebellions history: the Ghorman Massacre.Taking place in 2BBY, the Ghorman Massacre saw Imperial forces slaughter crowds of civilians engaging in peaceful protest on the planet Ghorman, after years of crisis over Imperial control of shipping lanes around the world. The massacre sparked Mon Mothmas public withdrawal from the Imperial Senate, and the formal declaration of the Alliance to Restore the Republic, openly uniting a series of rebel cells across the galaxy into the organized rebellion against the Empire as seen inRebels third season. Kleyas Rage Lucasfilm Luthen might not be in this trailer much, but thisvery intriguing shot of his assistant and fellow operative Kleya might give us a better picture of his final fateconsidering she looks incredibly upset and absolutely furious to see Cassian, its clear something very bad has happened. Brasso! Lucasfilm Sadly hes got no brick to beat them up with this time, but four Stormtroopers vs. one Brasso is a fight were itching to see, even if hes getting pretty manhandled here. Interesting to note that the agricultural environment here seems to place Brasso on whatever world Cassian uses the TIE Avenger on. Is this the world Cassian got him and Bix sent to after the riots on Ferrix? Does that mean the young person being chased by troopers earlier in the trailer might be Wilmon Paak, the kid of the salvage shop owner on Ferrix?Not Quite a Soldier, Not Quite a Trooper Lucasfilm This very interesting moment matches up with that tight corridor we saw Cassian roaming through in that opening montage of shots, but from an altogether more antagonistic perspective: Imperial soldiers, who are wearing a fascinating mishmash of Imperial army gear (as seen on the many soldiers we saw inAndorseason one, like those stationed on Aldhani and the riot officers sent to Ferrix) and the white plastoid armor plating of Stormtroopers. This doesnt appear to be an impromptu get-up out of necessity, as we also see similarly dressed troopers in the background of another shot shortlyare they a sort of stepping stone between the regular forces of the Imperial ground army and the Stormtrooper Corps? Its interesting to note that while Stormtroopers themselves were pretty spartan in Andor season one, theyre much more prevalent in all this footage, showing just how Imperial response to insurgency is going to escalate over this period of time. Dedras Back, and Very Annoyed Lucasfilm Speaking of that other shot! We see another one of these hybrid-troopers milling around in the background of another familiar face only given single glimpse here: the return of Dedra Meero. In true Dedra style, shes clearly ticked off about something. Cassian slipping out of her fingers? Krennic getting under her skin. Syril being well, Syril? Well have to wait and see. Krennics Intriguing Orbit Lucasfilm Speaking of the good director, this next glimpse of him in a slightly swankier get-up is interesting less for him, and more for whos in the blurry fringes. Well get a much better, and equally brief, look later on in the trailer, but this certainly appears to be Davos Sculden in the blue robes, the seedy Chandrilan mobster Mon Mothma is forced to deal with to secure clandestine ways to funnel money to the Rebellion. And seemingly Mon herself on the left of the shot, looking a little more like her appearances in Rogue One andReturn of the Jedi.Welcome to Chandrila? Lucasfilm After a brief glimpse of the TIE Avenger causing chaos in an Imperial facility (no doubt at Cassians hands) as it guns down a bunch of Stormtroopers, we get a few shots of Mon Mothma furiously dancing at that party we saw her at early on in the trailer. Thismight be our very first look at her homeworld, Chandrila, on-screenthe attire certainly matches the aesthetic we regularly saw Mon and Perrin enrobe themselves in in season one. Might we visit the world to see the traditional customs that will see Mons daughter Lieda wedded to Sculdens son? The Revolution Will Be Televised Lucasfilm Speaking of Sculden and Mon though, were seemingly back on Coruscant here, and that event we see Krennic attendingwe get a clearer shot of Sculden welcoming Mon and Perrin, and its clearer too that Mon has had a bit of a trim compared to what we just saw on her homeworld. Yes, the pixie cut from Rogue One that Mon will seemingly wear for the entirety of the Galactic Civil War is making its debut here. Style icon!Hello, K2 Lucasfilm We knew he was coming this season, and wed got to see him briefly in our first public look at season two a few months ago, but yes, Cassians ex-Imperial droid bestie is back! Presumably were going to see just how Cassian and K-2SO teamed up this seasonIm sure no trauma around Cassians brutal arrest on Niamos at the hands of another KX security droid will be involved. and Syril, We Guess Lucasfilm Another one-shot wonder in this trailer, our first and only look at Syril Karn is suitably dweeby, as he haughtily scampers through a group of Imperial technicians. Clearly hes gone up in the world since saving Dedra on Ferrix but will he have really wanted to, we wonder, considering his formal attire and the environment suggest that hes in that port city that could potentially be Ghorman based on the other shots in the trailer. Will everyones least-favorite little freak meet his untimely end there?The Making of Melshi Lucasfilm Another brief glimpse, another familiar face: this time itsRogue Ones Ruescott Melshi, who we saw liberated from Narkina Five thanks to Cassians help last season. Although we last saw him and Cassian parting ways on Niamos after theyd managed to flee the Imperial prison, it seems Melshis still going to be caught up in chaos heremakes sense, considering that, like Cassian, we know hes going to be signing up for the Rebellion. Clarity of Purpose Lucasfilm The trailer climaxes with another fast montage of action shots: more of the TIE Avenger going crazy, more of the carnage on maybe-Ghorman, Cassian being blasted around as hes smacked up against walls and careening over surfaces, Bix fighting an Imperial officer hand-to-hand. Theres even a shot of the most chaotic force of all, Syrils mother Eedy, for good measure! But the trailer ends with a moment of dialogue from Saw, as he shakes inspirational sense what appears to be one of his own partisans. Youre here, right here, and youre ready tofight! We already have a lot of evidence in this trailer that whatever arc we get with Saw in this season is going to be after hes largely cut ties with the broader Rebel Alliancea moment we got to see coalesce in Rebels. But its going to be interesting to see just how Saw makes his case to his forces that his way is the right way, especially knowing how it all tragically plays out for the partisans byRogue One. Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, whats next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.

By Isaac Schultz Published February 24, 2025 | Comments (0) | A view of a sailing boat during cloudy weather and sunset in San Francisco, California, United States on August 17, 2024. Photo by Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images The European Center for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) just launched an AI-powered forecasting model, which the center says outperforms state-of-the-art physics-based models by up to 20%. The model is dubbed the Artificial Intelligence Forecasting System (AIFS). According to an ECMWF release, the new model operates at faster speeds than physics-based models and takes approximately 1,000 times less energy to make a forecast. The ECMWF, now in its 50th year of operation, produced ENS, one of the worlds leading medium-range weather prediction models. Medium-range forecasting includes weather predictions made between three days and 15 days in advance, but ECMWF also forecasts weather up to a year ahead. Weather forecast models are essential for states and local governments to stay prepared for extreme weather eventsas well as for more daily needs, like knowing what the weather will be like on your upcoming vacation.Traditional weather prediction models make forecasts by solving physics equations. A limitation of these models is that they are approximations of atmospheric dynamics. A compelling aspect of AI-driven models is that they could learn more complex relationships and dynamics in weather patterns directly from the data, rather than relying only on previously known and documented equations. The ECMWFs announcement comes on the heels of Google DeepMinds GenCast model for AI-powered weather prediction, the next iteration of Googles weather prediction software that includes NeuralGCM and GraphCast. GenCast outperformed ENS, the ECMWFs leading weather prediction model, on 97.2% of targets across different weather variables. With lead times greater than 36 hours, GenCast was more accurate than ENS on 99.8% of targets.But the European Center is innovating, too. The launch of AIFS-single is just the first operational version of the system. This is a huge endeavour that ensures the models are running in a stable and reliable way, said Florian Pappenberger, Director of Forecasts and Services at ECMWF, in the center release. At the moment, the resolution of the AIFS is less than that of our model (IFS), which achieves 9 km [5.6-mile] resolution using a physics-based approach.We see the AIFS and IFS as complementary, and part of providing a range of products to our user community, who decide what best suits their needs, Pappenberger added. The team will explore hybridizing data-driven and physics-based modeling to improve the organizations ability to predict weather with precision. Physics-based models are key to the current data-assimilation process, said Matthew Chantry, Strategic Lead for Machine Learning at ECMWF and Head of the Innovation Platform, in an email to Gizmodo. This same data-assimilation process is also vital to initialize every day machine learning models, and allow them to make forecasts.One of the next frontiers for machine learning weather forecasting is this data-assimilation step, which if solved would mean that the full weather forecasting chain could be based on machine learning, Chantry added. Chantry is a co-author of a study awaiting peer review that describes a data-driven, end-to-end forecast system that does not rely on physics-based reanalysis.Called GraphDOP, the system uses observable quantities such as brightness temperatures from polar orbiters to form a coherent latent representation of Earth System state dynamics and physical processes, the team wrote, and is capable of producing skillful predictions of relevant weather parameters up to five days into the future. Integrating artificial intelligence methods with physics-driven weather prediction modeling is a promising venue for more precise forecasting. Testing to date indicates that AI-powered forecasting can outperform historical models, but so far those models have relied on reanalysis data. Observations on the ground were essential for training the models, and it remains to be seen just how impressive the technologys forecasting abilities will be when its forced to go off-script.Daily NewsletterYou May Also Like By AJ Dellinger Published February 24, 2025 By AJ Dellinger Published February 21, 2025 By Thomas Maxwell Published February 20, 2025 By Lucas Ropek Published February 20, 2025 By Margherita Bassi Published February 15, 2025 By Lucas Ropek Published February 14, 2025

Aina Community Restroom / NaaV StudioSave this picture! Vivek EadaraArchitects: naav studioAreaArea of this architecture projectArea:1100 ftYearCompletion year of this architecture project Year: 2024 PhotographsPhotographs:Vivek Eadara Lead Architects: Varsha Reddy & Niharika Veerabommala More SpecsLess SpecsSave this picture!Text description provided by the architects. Set within a larger eco-conscious event space, the community restroom is designed to be more than just a utility - it is an extension of its surroundings. The event space itself is built on the principles of sustainability and minimal intervention, allowing nature to take precedence. Every structure within it is carefully designed to belong to the land, using materials and techniques that embrace, rather than disrupt, the environment.Save this picture!The siting of the restroom block, nestled amidst a grove of mango trees, was intentionally chosen to blend seamlessly with nature. Instead of clearing the landscape, the design works around it, allowing the trees to dictate the form. One tree, in particular, stands at the center of the space, framed by an open window that draws the outdoors in, ensuring that even within an enclosed space, nature remains present.Save this picture!The exterior materials were selected to merge with the natural setting. Rammed earth walls, built using the very soil from the site, give the structure an organic quality, allowing it to rise from the ground as though it has always belonged there. The roof is a combination of mild steel and tin sheets, providing both structure and thermal comfort. To soften this and create a more tactile experience, locally sourced handwoven bamboo mats stretch across the entire ceiling, casting shifting patterns of light and shadow throughout the day.Save this picture!Save this picture!The layout of the restroom is simple yet intentional. A large communal sink serves as the central element, dividing the space into male and female sections. Carved entirely from rust-hued granite, the sink is more than a functional fixture - it is a sculptural piece. Artisans shaped and balanced it to create a seamless, monolithic form, making it feel less like an installation and more like a natural extension of the space itself. This same granite extends to the flooring, grounding the entire structure with its rich, earthy tone.Save this picture!Save this picture!Inside, the material palette continues to embrace warmth and restraint. The deep-toned doors blend seamlessly with the muted, textured walls, ensuring a sense of cohesion throughout. Slit windows punctuate the structure, allowing soft daylight and fresh air to filter in while maintaining privacy. There is a quiet simplicity to the space - one that does not demand attention but instead invites a sense of ease. Designed to disappear into its surroundings, this restroom is a testament to how architecture can coexist with nature. It does not impose itself but rather allows the landscape to lead, creating a space that feels both rooted and effortless.Save this picture!Project gallerySee allShow lessProject locationAddress:Hyderabad, Telangana, IndiaLocation to be used only as a reference. It could indicate city/country but not exact address.About this officenaav studioOfficePublished on February 25, 2025Cite: "Aina Community Restroom / NaaV Studio" 24 Feb 2025. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/1027185/aina-community-restroom-naav-studio&gt ISSN 0719-8884Save!ArchDaily?You've started following your first account!Did you know?You'll now receive updates based on what you follow! Personalize your stream and start following your favorite authors, offices and users.Go to my stream

The first case of bird flu in cattle was reported on March 25, 2024. In less than a year, the virus has hit 973 herds, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) first issued an order to test cows that farmers intended to move between states last April. Then, in December 2024, the agency issued a federal order for milk testing. The order stipulated that unpasteurized milk samples be collected from dairy processing facilities nationwide and tested, with the results being shared with the USDA. Since then, the virus has been detected in 17 states: 747 herds in California, 64 in Colorado, 35 in Idaho, 31 in Michigan, 27 in Texas, 13 each in Iowa and Utah, nine each in Minnesota and New Mexico, seven each in Nevada and South Dakota, four in Kansas, two in Oklahoma, and one each in Arizona, North Carolina, Ohio, and Wyoming.Monitoring the Spread of the VirusComplicating matters, it is unclear how many CDC employees are still employed to monitor the spread of the virus and how many USDA workers are still on the job to conduct the milk testing orders. The good news is, that, for cows, the disease is seldom deadly (or as public health officials say, highly pathogenic). The bad news is that there is now more than one form circulating among dairy herds. Until early 2025, only one genotype showed up in milk. Since then, there has been another.Many farmers and scientists have remained unsure about just how the virus spreads: direct contact with milk, eggs, or meat? Is it in animal excrement? Droplets from sneezes?If any or all of those transmission methods were effective, strategies like sequestering farm animals could, in theory, slow the spread. But a new study, if true, is a bearer of bad news. A preprint biology paper suggests that the virus could be spread by the wind. If that theory holds up to scrutiny, sequestration strategies will be less effective.Human-to-Human Transmission?The virus has been spreading in humans as well but not as rapidly as in poultry or dairy cows, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association. So far, 69 people in the U.S. have tested positive for the virus. Of those, 23 cases involved poultry farm workers, and 41 involved dairy farm workers. Since the outbreak in dairy cattle began, infection with avian influenza virus type A (H5) has been confirmed in 69 people in the United States. Twenty-three of these cases involved poultry farm workers exposed to infected poultry in Washington (11 cases), Colorado (9 cases) and Iowa, Oregon, and Wisconsin (1 case each). Forty-one other cases involved dairy farm workers exposed to sick or infected cows 36 in California, two in Michigan, one each in Colorado, Nevada, and Texas.The virus has also been detected in other animals, including at least one domestic cat, two pigs, and two ferrets. The CDC continues to maintain that, thus far, there has been no signs of human-to-human transmission.Article SourcesOur writers at Discovermagazine.com use peer-reviewed studies and high-quality sources for our articles, and our editors review for scientific accuracy and editorial standards. Review the sources used below for this article:U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Current Situation: Bird Flu in Dairy CowsU.S. Department of Agriculture. Federal OrdersU.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. H5 Bird Flu: Current SituationBefore joining Discover Magazine, Paul Smaglik spent over 20 years as a science journalist, specializing in U.S. life science policy and global scientific career issues. He began his career in newspapers, but switched to scientific magazines. His work has appeared in publications including Science News, Science, Nature, and Scientific American.

Check out this awesome impact and explosion VFX study created with Unreal Engine 5 and JangaFX's EmberGen by @sdp_vfx.See more: https://80.lv/articles/impact-explosion-vfx-study-powered-by-jangafx-s-embergen/

.@kuro_bong shared a short tutorial on creating expressive eyelashes using ZModeler.Details: https://80.lv/articles/see-how-to-create-expressive-eyelashes-with-zmodeler/