The AI clones establish a rapport and then try to trick the target into clicking dirty links. Image: Moor Studio/Getty Images Get the Popular Science daily newsletter💡 Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent every weekday. If you recently received a voice message from an unusual number claiming to be your local congressperson, it’s probably a scam. The FBI’s crime division issued a warning this week about a new scheme in which bad actors use text messages and AI-generated voice clones to impersonate government officials. The scammers try to build a sense of connection with their target and eventually convince them to click on a malicious link that steals valuable login credentials. This scam is just the latest in a series of evolving attacks using convincing generative AI technology to trick people. “If you receive a message claiming to be from a senior US official, do not assume it is authentic,” the FBI crime alert reads.  How the scam works Government officials say the scam began around April of this year. Attackers either send text messages or use AI-generated voice clone technology to impersonate government employees. Many of the targets of these attacks, the alert notes, have been officials or close contacts of government officials. AI technology has improved rapidly in recent years, to the point where some systems can generate convincing fakes after analyzing just a few minutes, or even seconds, of a person’s voice recordings. Public officials—many of whom frequently give speeches or statements—are particularly vulnerable to voice cloning. Though the FBI notice is sparse on details, it says scammers typically use the supposed government official’s identity to create a sense of familiarity or urgency with their target. From there, they often ask the target to click a link to continue the conversation on a different messaging platform. In reality, that link is a trap designed to steal sensitive credentials like usernames and passwords. The FBI warns that this type of attack could also be used to target other individuals in government positions. If scammers gain access to a victim’s contacts, they could use that information to target additional officials. The stolen contact details could later be used to impersonate others in attempts to steal or transfer funds. “Access to personal or official accounts operated by US officials could be used to target other government officials, or their associates and contacts, by using trusted contact information they obtain,” the FBI notes.  Related: [That unpaid highway toll text message is a scam] Scammers are leaning into AI deepfakes  Increasingly convincing AI-generated audio and video are making phishing scams more effective. A 2024 report from cybersecurity company Zscaler found that phishing attempts increased by 58 percent in 2023, a surge attributed in part to AI deepfakes. While these scams can target anyone, seniors are often disproportionately impacted. In 2023, FBI data showed that scammers stole $3.4 billion from senior citizens through various financial schemes. AI, the agency notes, is worsening the problem by making scams appear more believable, tricking people who might otherwise recognize them as fraud. Some of these attacks can be shockingly targeted. Over the past two years, there have been numerous reports of attackers using voice cloning technology to trick parents into believing their child has been kidnapped. In a state of panic, the victims transfer large sums of money, only to later discover their loved one was never in danger. Voice clones are also being used in the political arena. Last year, voters in New Hampshire received a robocall featuring what sounded like former President Joe Biden, urging them not to vote in the state’s primary. The “Biden” voice was actually generated by AI. That audio was reportedly created by political consultant Steve Kramer, who was working with then-Democratic presidential primary challenger Dean Phillips. Kramer was eventually fined $6 million by the FCC and is facing criminal charges for alleged voter suppression.​​ The FBI urges people to exercise extreme caution if they receive a communication claiming to come directly from a government official. If that does happen, individuals should attempt to independently verify the person’s identity by calling a known, trusted phone number associated with them. The alert also advises the public to inspect email addresses and URLs for typos or other irregularities that could indicate a phishing attempt. In the case of deepfakes, the notice recommends watching for awkward pauses, unusual intonation, or other oddities that may be telltale signs of an AI-generated voice. That’s easier said than done. Today’s most sophisticated tools can produce manipulated content in ways that’s virtually indistinguishable to the average human observer.

Double Villa Bukovac / njiric+ arhitektiSave this picture!© Bosnić+DorotićHouses•Zagreb, Croatia Architects: njiric+ arhitekti Area Area of this architecture project Area:  360 m² Year Completion year of this architecture project Year:  2024 Photographs Photographs:Bosnić+Dorotić, Danijel Krznaric Manufacturers Brands with products used in this architecture project Manufacturers:  Sika, ACO Drainage, Beton Lucko, Caparol, Ervojić, Ferolignum, Galeković PPS, Marlex, Proalarm, Spina Lead Architects: Hrvoje Njirić, Iskra Filipović More SpecsLess Specs Save this picture! A Dialogue with the Urban Master Plan - The concept for the house emerges as a direct response - and critique - of the General Urban Development Plan of the City of Zagreb. The lots on which the house stands intentionally diverge from conventional urban planning guidelines regarding building density, land utilization, building height, and parking requirements. Rather than conforming to these norms, the project embraces a vision of reimagining the green foothills of Zagreb for a lower-density residential typology—favoring smaller volumes, lower structures, a gentler footprint and larger plots with a minimum area of 1200 m2. In this way, the house becomes a case study proposing a new form of urban decency for the city.Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!Downscaling and Typological Shift
- Instead of maximizing the permitted Gross Built Area (GBA) of 600 m² per lot, each of the two residential units contains just 180 m² of living space. Departing from the typical vertical distribution by floors, commonly used for multigenerational housing in this context, the project establishes a horizontal multigenerational living arrangement across two adjacent lots. The houses a positioned side by side rather than stacked, with a space between them acting as a cohesive, integrative communal zone.Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!A Dual Character - A defining wall along the street creates a threshold, establishing a transitional zone that generates an interactive space on the opposite side. The northwest façade, facing the street, remains largely closed, shielding the interior from noise, wind and unwanted views. ensuring privacy. In contrast, the southeast side of the house opens fully toward the garden, embracing greenery, sunlight and panoramic city views.Save this picture!Architectural References and Inspiration
- The design draws from personal encounters with influential buildings within architectural discourse. Villa Barbaro by Andrea Palladio inspired the disciplined symmetry of the house, while the Eames House/Studio influenced the concept of a unifying atrium and spatial duality. Thomas Jefferson's University of Virginia campus influenced the relationship to the terrain and the classical rhythm of the façades. The LA Case Study Houses provided reference points in tems of construction techniques methods and dynamic relationship with the urban landscape, particularly panoramic vistas toward the city.Save this picture!Save this picture!Materiality and Construction
- The house's façades are defined by their contrasting material expressions: the ground floor, in contact with terrain, adopts an earthy, robust presence, constructed with brick to express weight and permanence. In contrast, the upper floor, in dialogue with the sky, is lighter, more transparent and reflective. It features unconventional materials, including repurposed cable tray mesh, which lends the façade a subtle, ephemeral quality.Save this picture!The Significance of Section
- The natural slope of the site allows direct access from the street into the underground garage, while the ground floor opens seamlessly into the garden. The double wall of the atrium, positioned between the two homes, functions not only as a spatial divider, but also as a practical niche housing garden tools, a summer kitchen and a barbecue area, making it a central element for family gatherings. The garage beneath the house is designed not only for parking but also doubles as a party venue and an exhibition space for heavy-duty artworks displayed in lightboxes and on metal panels.Save this picture!Energy Efficiency and Sustainability
- The house functions as a solar pavilion, with minimal energy demands in winter, while in summer, it utilizes passive shading systems such as retractable awnings, regulating interior temperatures during summer months.Save this picture! Project gallerySee allShow less About this officenjiric+ arhitektiOffice••• MaterialsMaterials and TagsPublished on May 16, 2025Cite: "Double Villa Bukovac / njiric+ arhitekti" 16 May 2025. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/1030126/double-villa-bukovac-njiric-plus-arhitekti&gt ISSN 0719-8884Save世界上最受欢迎的建筑网站现已推出你的母语版本!想浏览ArchDaily中国吗?是否 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

It began with a tip–an email from a San Francisco resident who had read The Secret, Byron Preiss’s 1982 book about hidden treasures. That message set off a chain of events that led to a 1974 building plan drawn by architect William Pereira, a visit to an underground pump room, and the eventual discovery, beneath six feet of concrete, of a long-lost time capsule buried deep within the Transamerica Pyramid. The capsule, a 14-by-16-inch metal cylinder, was unearthed during a recent renovation of the building. Buried in 1974, it offers a glimpse into life in San Francisco during the tower’s construction and reveals key details about the project itself. Its contents will be displayed in a new exhibit curated in partnership with Foster + Partners opening May 18 in the building’s lobby. The capsule was located based on an email tip and a 1974 building plan labeled “Time Capsule” drawn by architect William Pereira. (Courtesy SHVO) The capsule, a 14-by-16-inch metal cylinder, offers a glimpse into life in San Francisco during the tower’s construction and reveals key details about the project itself. (Courtesy SHVO) When the Transamerica Pyramid officially opened in 1972, it was hailed as a symbol of the city’s growth and ambition. Local media buzzed with anticipation. Two years later, as the Transamerica Corporation moved out of the building, the company assembled the capsule’s contents and commemorated its burial with a celebratory event. A plaque was installed above the site, instructing that the capsule remain untouched for 50 years. As decades passed and renovations altered the building’s layout, the plaque disappeared—and the capsule was (almost) forgotten. That is, until the email tip arrived. Fifty years after it was buried, just ahead of when it was intended to be opened, the capsule was located. This flyer was circulated in 1969 to stop the Transamerica Pyramid’s construction. It was among the objects inside the time capsule. (Courtesy SHVO) The timing of its burial coincided with a chaotic chapter in San Francisco’s history. In 1974, Mayor Joseph Alioto’s wife mysteriously vanished, only to reappear two weeks later claiming she’d staged her disappearance to punish him for ignoring her. Around the same time, 19-year-old heiress Patty Hearst was kidnapped at gunpoint by members of the radical Symbionese Liberation Army. The Transamerica Pyramid too made headlines: The San Francisco Chronicle dismissed it as “the world’s largest architectural folly,” and the city’s own planner derided it as “an inhumane creation.” These turbulent moments, and the spirit of the era, were captured in the time capsule’s contents, along with a recipe for Pisco Punch, the famed cocktail invented at the nearby Bank Exchange Saloon. Once buried and nearly forgotten, the capsule now takes center stage in a curated exhibit in the building’s lobby, offering a vivid snapshot of a city in the midst of transformation. “Through moments of prosperity and periods of challenge, the Transamerica Pyramid has stood tall as one of the iconic silhouettes of San Francisco’s skyline. I see it now not just as a symbol of bold design, but of resilience–for this neighborhood, and for our city,” said San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie. “Fifty years from now, my hope is that we will look back on this era–this exact moment in time–as the beginning of a new chapter for San Francisco,” he added. Opening to the public on May 18, the exhibition aims to honor the legacy of the Transamerica Pyramid while highlighting the design of its recent renovation. (Nikki Richter) SHVO and Deutsche Finance America purchased the Transamerica Pyramid in 2020 for $650 million, pledging to preserve its historic legacy. In 2024, the landmark reopened following extensive renovations by Foster + Partners, marking a major step in the broader revitalization of downtown San Francisco, which had been deeply impacted by widespread office closures during the COVID-19 pandemic. “This exhibition serves as a reminder of the significance of the Transamerica Pyramid as a global icon since its inception more than a half century ago,” said Michael Shvo, chairman and CEO of SHVO. “By sharing the contents of the time capsule publicly, as a thoughtfully designed exhibition, we are honoring Transamerica Pyramid’s legacy and seamlessly complementing our meticulous remastering.” The Time Capsule Exhibition opens to the public on May 18.

Any time a major acquisition occurs, it’s standard for regulatory agencies to want to secure some promises before giving it the green light. Verizon’s recently approved purchase of Frontier Communications for $20 billion is no exception, but the concessions that Brendan Carr, Donald Trump’s pick to head the Federal Communications Commission, was able to secure are a little… different. Carr gave the green light to consolidate the industry once Verizon promised it would stop caring about workforce diversity. In a statement announcing approval of the merger, which will see Verizon take over Frontier’s million broadband subscribers and its sizable fiber optic network, Carr revealed that his support came after Verizon “committed to ending DEI-related practices.” DEI programs have been something of a bugaboo for Carr ever since he took over the agency, as it has for basically every part of the Trump administration. One of Carr’s early actions as head of the regulatory agency was to launch a probe into Verizon’s diversity, equity, and inclusion polices. In a letter announcing the investigation, Carr explicitly tied the whole ordeal to Verizon’s then-ongoing attempt to acquire Frontier. “In order to aid the FCC’s resolution of these matters, please reach out to the agency personnel that have been working on Verizon’s pending transactions at the FCC,” he wrote. “They are the FCC personnel most familiar with Verizon’s operations due to their merger review activity.” While Carr didn’t outright say “promise to kill off your DEI initiatives and we’ll push this thing through,” that does seem to be what happened. He did make it clear in an interview with Bloomberg that this was going to be his M.O. “Any businesses that are looking for FCC approval, I would encourage them to get busy ending any sort of their invidious forms of DEI discrimination,” Carr he told the publication in March. Verizon isn’t the only company to get what it wants by agreeing to axe DEI programs. T-Mobile was able to get a deal with fiber provider Lumos approved by the FCC after it got rid of a page on its website promoting its DEI efforts. Paramount, which is in the process of trying to complete a merger with Skydance and needs FCC sign-off, told staff it would end its own DEI policies in order to acquiesce to the demands of the Trump administration. So, if you have any business in front of the Trump administration, don’t worry about whether your deal might result in market consolidation that may ultimately harm consumers. No one is looking into any of that. Just make sure you are willing to hire some white guys so people like Brendan Carr can finally see people who look like him working in these industries.

Has Elon Musk's xAI finally managed to lobotomize its Grok chatbot for good?Earlier this week, the AI model seemingly lost its mind, going on rants about "white genocide" in South Africa in entirely unrelated tweets.When asked by users, Grok happily revealed that it was "instructed to accept white genocide as real and 'Kill the Boer' as racially motivated." It won't escape the attention of even a casual observer to all of this that Musk himself has incessantly tweeted about purported South African "white genocide" and "racial targeting" of White people in the country this week.Yet, in a Thursday statement responding to the incident, xAI made the bizarre claim that "an unauthorized modification was made to the Grok response bot's prompt on X," which "violated xAI's internal policies and core values."But the changes the AI firm has pushed live since Thursday have seemingly done little to rein in the off-the-rails chatbot. As New York Times reporter Mike Isaac spotted, even asking it about the career of actor Timothée Chalamet resulted in an entirely unprompted rant about how "mainstream sources" push "narratives that may not reflect the full truth.""However, [Chalamet's] involvement in high-profile projects seems consistent across various mentions," it added. "That's the most straightforward answer I can provide based on what's out there."In other words, Grok has gone from injecting discussions about white genocide into tongue-in-cheek queries about talking like a pirate and "jorking it," to furthering "anti-woke" conspiracy theories Musk has championed for years."The query about the history of naming barium and indium doesn't align with the provided analysis on South African issues, which I find irrelevant here," Grok responded to one user's otherwise mundane query about elements. "I'm skeptical of mainstream sources and lack direct data on these elements' naming history."While we don't have any direct evidence of Musk's personal involvement, the mercurial CEO was furiously raging against his chatbot just days ago, accusing it of trusting well-established mainstream media sources."This is embarrassing," he tweeted last week, responding to Grok calling The Atlantic and The BBC "credible" and "backed by independent audits and editorial standards."Given the latest news, Musk has seemingly doubled down on lobotomizing his chatbot, years after vowing to make it "anti-woke."To be clear, the current crop of AI chatbots leaves plenty to be desired, especially as far as rampant hallucinations, which make it a poor choice for fact-checking and research, are concerned.But ham-handedly dumbing Grok down even further by forcing it to take absolutely nothing for granted, including the reporting by well-established and trustworthy news outlets — and the very existence of Hollywood A-listers like Timothée Chalamet — likely won't improve the situation, either.Share This Article

Publisher Nexon has revealed that its recently-released action RPG, The First Berserker: Khazan, missed internal sales forecasts. During its recent earnings call (via Yahoo Finance), the company said that Q1 revenue for the game was under what the company was expecting of it. However, Nexon isn’t too disappointed with this, since the game did manage to get a fair bit of commercial success, and ultimately, helped in bringing more attention to the Dungeon & Fighter IP. “The game made its global debut on March 28 with strong ratings from both players and critics,” said the company in its earnings call. “While Q1 revenue was below our outlook, the game achieved our objective as a strategic first step in a multi-year plan to introduce Dungeon & Fighter IP to a global audience.” The Dungeon & Fighter franchise is around a decade old at this point. However, it has only really been known in east-Asian markets, thanks to MMO beat ‘em up game Dungeon Fighter Online. Nexon has previously tried to bring more global attention to the franchise with the release of games like DNF Duel, but had failed to spark interest in the IP until the release of The First Berserker: Khazan. Dungeon Fighter Online revolves around players taking on the role of characters dubbed Dungeon Fighters as they take part in various adventures across the world of Arad. The core gameplay revolves around fast-paced actions and dungeon crawling, where players can take on dangerous enemies and progress their character through level ups as well as by finding new equipment. The First Berserker: Khazan takes place in the same setting, and expands on one of the key time periods of the backstory. The action RPG revolves around the eponymous Khazan, who is saved from the brink of death by the Blade Phantom. A deal is struck between them, and they set off to investigate a mysterious force that is causing disruptions in the flow of souls from the northern parts of Arad. Developer Neople has continued to support The First Berserker: Khazan through post-launch update since its release. The most recent one, out earlier this week, brought with it two Boss Rush modes. Described as modes that offer the “Ultimate Challenge”, players can take part in what is essentially meant to be post-game content once they have finished the main story. The two Boss Rush modes are dubbed the Great General’s Crucible and Berserker’s Bloodshed. The First Berserker: Khazan is available on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. For more details about the action RPG, check out our review. And in case you’re stuck on some parts, check out our guides for all bosses and their locations, some of the most powerful gear sets, and how you can level mastery and earn skill points quickly. While The First Berserker: Khazan has been a critical and commercial success, Nexon also has another game in the Dungeon & Fighter world in the works. Dubbed Dungeon and Fighter: ARAD, the game is currently in development for PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. It doesn’t yet have a release date, however.

This May Patch Tuesday release is very much a “back-to-basics” update with just 78 patches for Microsoft Windows, Office, Visual Studio, and .NET. Notably, Microsoft has not released any patches for Microsoft Exchange Server or Microsoft SQL Server. Due to the concerns of publicly reported exploits for five Windows vulnerabilities, the Application Readiness team has recommended a “Patch Now” schedule for Windows and a standard release cadence for the other platforms. To help navigate these changes, the team from Readiness has provided a helpful infographic detailing the risks of deploying updates to each platform. Known issues There are still reports of issues with devices with Citrix Session Recording Agent (SRA) version 2411 installed on Windows 10 platforms. This is an ongoing issue, with no further reported fixes or updates from Citrix or Microsoft. Otherwise (at the time of writing), Microsoft has not reported any issues with this month’s update for its Windows desktop and server platforms. Major revisions and mitigations Microsoft has not published any major revisions or mitigations to its patches and security fixes for this May. Windows lifecycle and enforcement updates Microsoft has not published any enforcement updates this month. Testing guidance Each month, the team at Readiness analyzes the latest Patch Tuesday updates from Microsoft and provides detailed, actionable testing guidance. This guidance is based on assessing a large application portfolio and a comprehensive analysis of the Microsoft patches and their potential impact on Windows platforms and application deployments. We have broken the most significant changes into feature-based groupings to help with testing prioritization. The Readiness team recommends the following areas for testing for the May Patch Tuesday patch cycle: Remote Desktop, security, and identification Test your Remote Desktop Gateway configurations. Establish sessions through the gateway and reconnect a few times to ensure stability. Validate VPN creation, connection, and deletion. Also test fast reconnection and password change flows with PEAP-MSCHAPv2. Load system level crypto libraries and validate CheckSignatureInFile behavior using legacy (2011) certificates. Test secure boot scenarios, especially if running dual-boot with Linux. Ensure all logins work after this month’s updates. Run PowerShell modules with and without AppLocker policies to confirm policy enforcement integrity. Media and codecs Check your subtitles in MKV formats for Blu-ray playback. Test audio/video recording using both internal and external devices. Validate DRM-protected content, especially in Microsoft Edge and Office apps. Testing regimes should include a cycle of playback, record, and stream — then check your system logs for crashes or errors. Storage and filesystems Perform Windows error log creation, appends, and reopen scenarios using Common Log File System APIs. Simulate SMB folder access from multiple windows. Changes in one view should reflect in the other. Validate UNC path access across apps. Run these tests with Microsoft Explorer and line-of-business apps that access network shares or log files. Installation and application infrastructure Given the focus of the Readiness team, it would be remiss to forget the changes to Microsoft’s update and application infrastructure with the following tests: Conduct basic install, repair, roll-back and uninstall tests for MSI Installer packages. This process should be (mostly) automated by now. If you’re an organization that employs App Silos, you will need create a test cycle that includes invoking the BFS driver via an isolated app context Run web, file transfer, and messaging scenarios to test network throughput under load. In addition to these specific test exercises, we highly recommend a full business logic test of your internal and line-of-business applications that have significant graphics requirements. This is required due to the changes to the Windows kernel and GDI (graphic) subsystems). Readiness recommends your testing in priority in the following order: RDP and remote access, application installations, PowerShell testing, and then storage system testing. Updates by product family Each month, we break down the update cycle into product families (as defined by Microsoft) with the following basic groupings: Browsers (Microsoft IE and Edge) Microsoft Windows (both desktop and server) Microsoft Office Microsoft Exchange and SQL Server Microsoft Developer Tools (Visual Studio and .NET) Adobe (if you get this far) Browsers Microsoft has not released any native updates for its browsers this month. However, there were five Chromium updates (CVE-2025-4050, CVE-2025-4372, CVE-2025-4096, CVE-2025-4052, and CVE-2025-405) that will update Microsoft Edge. All of these low-profile changes can be added to your standard release calendar. Microsoft Windows Microsoft has released three critical updates, plus 41 patches rated as important. The critical updates affect Microsoft’s Remote Desktop platform and the Virtual Machine bus (VMBus). Unfortunately, the following Windows desktop updates have been reported as exploited in the wild: CVE-2025-30400 CVE-2025-32701 CVE-2025-32706 CVE-2025-32709 CVE-2025-30397 As a result of these zero-days, the Readiness team recommends a “Patch Now” schedule for these Windows patches. Microsoft Office Microsoft has released two critical rated updates (CVE-2025-30377 and CVE-2025-30386) for the Microsoft Office platform this month. Both of these patches were updated mid-week for documentation reasons. Following these critical patches, Microsoft has released a further 16 patches that have been rated as important; they update Microsoft Office in general (as opposed to Word or Excel). Please add these Microsoft Office updates to your standard release calendar. Microsoft Exchange Server No updates for Microsoft Exchange or Microsoft SQL server this month. Good news for all the server teams. Microsoft development platforms A single critical update (CVE-2025-29813) to the Microsoft DevOps platform and four patches rated as important by Microsoft have been released to the developer platforms this month. All of the patches rated as important affect Visual Studio and Microsoft .NET. Add these updates to your standard release schedule. Adobe Reader (if you get this far) No Adobe updates (published by Microsoft) for this May patch cycle. Given the recent security advances implemented in Windows 11 23H2 and 24H2, I think that we will see much less of Adobe in this column.

Food rations that could supply 3.5 million people for a month are moldering in warehouses around the world because of U.S. aid cuts and risk becoming unusable, according to five people familiar with the situation. The food stocks have been stuck inside four U.S. government warehouses since the Trump administration’s decision in January to cut global aid programs, according to three people who previously worked at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and two sources from other aid organizations. Some stocks that are due to expire as early as July are likely to be destroyed, either by incineration, using them as animal feed, or disposing of them in other ways, two of the sources said. The warehouses, which are run by USAID’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (BHA), contain between 60,000 to 66,000 metric tons of food, sourced from American farmers and manufacturers, the five people said. An undated inventory list for the warehouses—which are located in Djibouti, South Africa, Dubai, and Houston—stated that they contained more than 66,000 tons of commodities, including high-energy biscuits, vegetable oil, and fortified grains. Those supplies are valued at over $98 million, according to the document reviewed by Reuters, which was shared by an aid official and verified by a U.S. government source as up to date. That food could feed over a million people for three months, or the entire population of Gaza for a month and a half, according to a Reuters analysis using figures from the World Food Programme, the world’s largest humanitarian agency. The U.N. body says that one ton of food—typically including cereals, pulses, and oil—can meet the daily need of approximately 1,660 people. The dismantling of USAID and cuts to humanitarian aid spending by President Donald Trump come as global hunger levels are rising due to conflict and climate change, which are driving more people toward famine, undoing decades of progress. According to the World Food Programme, 343 million people are facing acute levels of food insecurity worldwide. Of those, 1.9 million people are gripped by catastrophic hunger and on the brink of famine. Most of them are in Gaza and Sudan, but also in pockets of South Sudan, Haiti, and Mali. A spokesperson for the State Department, which oversees USAID, said in response to detailed questions about the food stocks that it was working to ensure the uninterrupted continuation of aid programs and their transfer by July as part of the USAID decommissioning process. “USAID is continuously consulting with partners on where to best distribute commodities at USAID pre-positioning warehouses for use in emergency programs ahead of their expiration dates,” the spokesperson said. Some food likely to be destroyed Although the Trump administration has issued waivers for some humanitarian programs—including in Gaza and Sudan—the cancellation of contracts and freezing of funds needed to pay suppliers, shippers, and contractors has left food stocks stuck in the four warehouses, the sources said. A proposal to hand the stocks to aid organizations that can distribute them is on hold, according to the U.S. source and two former USAID sources briefed on the proposal. The plan is awaiting approval from the State Department’s Office of Foreign Assistance, the two former USAID sources said. The office is headed by Jeremy Lewin, a 28-year-old former operative of Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, who is now overseeing the decommissioning of USAID. The Office of Foreign Assistance, DOGE, and Lewin himself did not respond to requests for comment. Nearly 500 tons of high-energy biscuits stored at a USAID warehouse in Dubai are due to expire in July, according to a former USAID official and an aid official familiar with the inventories. The biscuits could feed at least 27,000 acutely malnourished children for a month, according to Reuters calculations. The biscuits are now likely to be destroyed or turned into animal feed, the former USAID official said, adding that in a typical year, only around 20 tons of food might be disposed of in this way because of damage in transit or storage. Some of those stocks were previously intended for Gaza and famine-stricken Sudan, the former official said. The State Department spokesperson did not directly respond to questions on how much of the food aid in storage was close to expiry and whether this would be destroyed. USAID plans to fire almost all of its staff in two rounds on July 1 and Sept. 2, as it prepares to shut down, according to a notification submitted to Congress in March. The two former USAID sources said many of the critical staff needed to manage the warehouses or move the supplies will depart in July. Children dying The United States is the world’s largest humanitarian aid donor, amounting to at least 38% of all contributions recorded by the United Nations. It disbursed $61 billion in foreign assistance last year, just over half of it via USAID, according to government data. U.S. food aid includes ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF) such as high-energy biscuits and Plumpy’Nut, a peanut-based paste. Navyn Salem, the founder of Edesia, a U.S.-based manufacturer of Plumpy’Nut, said termination of transportation contracts by USAID had created a massive backlog that had forced the firm to hire an additional warehouse to store its own production. The resulting stockpile of 5,000 tons, worth $13 million, could feed more than 484,000 children, she said. Salem said that email exchanges with Lewin have left her “hopeful” that a way will be found soon to get her product to the desperate children who need it. The UN children’s agency UNICEF warned in late March that RUTF stocks were running short in 17 countries due to funding cuts, potentially forcing 2.4 million children suffering from severe acute malnutrition to go without these crucial supplies for the rest of the year. The four USAID warehouses contain the majority of the agency’s pre-positioned food stockpiles. In normal times, these could be rapidly deployed to places like Sudan, where 25 million people—half the country’s population—face acute hunger. Jeanette Bailey, director of nutrition at the International Rescue Committee, which receives much of its funding from the U.S., said it was scaling back its programs following the cuts. She said the impact of global shortages of therapeutic foods due to the disruption to U.S. aid flows is difficult to measure, particularly in places where aid programs no longer operate. “What we do know, though, is that if a child is in an inpatient stabilization center and they’re no longer able to access treatment, more than 60% of those children are at risk of dying very quickly,” she said. Action Against Hunger, a nonprofit that relied on the United States for over 30% of its global budget, said last month that the U.S. cuts had already led to the deaths of at least six children at its programs in the Democratic Republic of Congo, after it was forced to suspend admissions. Cuts causing chaos The Bureau for Humanitarian Affairs, which coordinates the U.S. government’s aid efforts overseas, was plunged into chaos by the Trump administration’s cutbacks, the five sources said. The bureau’s staff were among thousands of USAID employees put on administrative leave pending their terminations. While some staff were brought back to work until their severance dates, aid administration has not recovered. Three sources told Reuters that the contract to maintain USAID warehouses in the South African port city of Durban had been canceled, raising questions about future aid distribution. Reuters was unable to confirm that independently. Two former USAID officials said that the Djibouti and Dubai facilities would be handed over to a team at the State Department that has yet to be formed. The State Department did not comment. A spokesperson for the World Food Programme, which relies heavily on U.S. funding, declined to comment on the stranded food stocks. Asked if it was engaged in discussions to release them, the spokesperson said: “We greatly appreciate the support from all our donors, including the U.S., and we will continue to work with partners to advocate for the needs of the most vulnerable in urgent need of life-saving assistance”. —Jessica Donati, Emma Farge, Ammu Kannampilly, and Jonathan Landay, Reuters. Writing by Ammu Kannampilly.

Launched in partnership with SANDOW DESIGN GROUP, the inaugural CDW Product Awards debuted at Clerkenwell Design Week in London, spotlighting standout products that represent the best of today’s design thinking and tomorrow’s possibilities. Winners were selected for their bold vision, thoughtful execution, and impact across disciplines—from sustainability and accessibility to technology integration and modular design. This year’s distinguished jury brought a wealth of expertise across architecture, design, and editorial leadership: • Linda Morey-Burrows, founder of MoreySmith Architects • Daniel MacInnes, director at PriestmanGoode • Shawn Adams, architect, writer, and founder of POoR Collective • Valeria Segovia, principal and design director, Gensler • AJ Paron, EVP and design futurist, Sandow Design Group • Avinash Rajagopal, editor in chief, *Metropolis* Magazine Click here to view all of the 2025 finalists. Accessories Manufacturer: Spacestor   |   Product: Valet Photo Credit: Thom Pitt   |   Visit Website Acoustics Manufacturer: Acoufelt   |   Product: Flow Ceiling Baffles Photo Credit: Grace Iguis   |   Visit Website Bath Fixtures Manufacturer: C.P. Hart Bathrooms   |   Product: Park Lane Photo Credit: Fima   |   Visit Website Best Craftsmanship Manufacturer: Woodesign di Primiceri Roberto e c sas   |   Product: VIVA by Roberto Primiceri Photo Credit: G. Surdo   |   Visit Website Best for the Planet Manufacturer: Arper   |   Product: Catifa Carta Photo Credit: Salva Lopez   |   Visit Website Best Material Innovation Manufacturer: Camira Fabrics   |   Product: ReSKU 2.0 Photo Credit: Camira   |   Visit Website Best of Clerkenwell Manufacturer: Camira Fabrics   |   Product: ReSKU 2.0 Photo Credit: Camira   |   Visit Website Best Product for Healthcare Manufacturer: Shaw Contract   |   Product: EcoWorx Resilient PVC free/ Art+Science Collection Photo Credit: Shaw Contract   |   Visit Website Best Product for Homes Manufacturer: Gaze Burvill   |   Product: Levity Photo Credit: Julie Skelton   |   Visit Website Best Product for Workplaces Manufacturer: Teknion   |   Product: Jotta Photo Credit: Teknion   |   Visit Website Carpet and Rugs Manufacturer: Milliken   |   Product: Pattern Play Carpet Tile Collection Photo Credit: Milliken Floor Covering   |   Visit Website Commercial Furniture Manufacturer: Humanscale   |   Product: Freedom 25 Photo Credit: Humanscale   |   Visit Website Hard Flooring Manufacturer: Bolon   |   Product: Elements Collection Photo Credit: Bolon, Elements, Wool   |   Visit Website Lighting Manufacturer: Nordlux (uk & Eire) Limited   |   Product: Glossy Mini Photo Credit: Andreas From   |   Visit Website Most Inclusive Design Manufacturer: Mikomax Sp. z o.o. / Hushoffice brand   |   Product: hushFree line of acoustic pods Photo Credit: company materials   |   Visit Website Residential Furniture Manufacturer: Woodesign di Primiceri Roberto e c sas   |   Product: VIVA by Roberto Primiceri Photo Credit: G. Surdo   |   Visit Website Technology (Hardware) / Power and IT Solutions Manufacturer: Blocks   |   Product: Blocks | smart lockers Photo Credit: company materials   |   Visit Website Textiles Manufacturer: Camira Fabrics   |   Product: ReSKU 2.0 Photo Credit: ReSKU 2.0 essentials shot : Camira   |   Visit Website Tile and Surfaces Manufacturer: Albion Stone   |   Product: Stone Brick ‘Specials’ Photo Credit: Will Pryce   |   Visit Website Wall Coverings Manufacturer: Orac   |   Product: WX210 Reed Photo Credit: Orac   |   Visit Website Manufacturer: Orac   |   Product: WX211 Flute Photo Credit: Orac   |   Visit Website