WWDC is on the horizon, which will be Apple's venue to announce upcoming changes to iOS 19. Here's what we want Apple to include as part of the iPhone OS refresh.A plausible logo for iOS 19Apple will be holding its annual Worldwide Developers Conference from June 9 to June 13. It's the event when Apple details what new features and alterations it will be making to its various operating systems, with iOS being its main talking point.This has frequently involved the detailing of changes to existing iOS features, as well as new features and even big strategy shifts. The WWDC 2024 introduction of the Apple Intelligence initiative was massive news at the time, and still is, even if Apple has fumbled the rollout. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

PROS: Easy, tool-less RAM and SSD access and replacement Excellent performance and impressive cooling More refined, premium-looking design AniMe Vision matrix display for some gamer flair Stunning matte Mini LED display CONS: Slightly larger and heavier than previous gen Quite pricey RATINGS: AESTHETICSERGONOMICSPERFORMANCESUSTAINABILITY / REPAIRABILITYVALUE FOR MONEYEDITOR'S QUOTE:The ASUS Strix SCAR 18 (2025) delivers a powerhouse of a gaming laptop wrapped in a design that's modern, mature, and premium. Typical gaming laptops come in thick, bulky chassis with flashy lighting. The former is a result of cramming as many high-performance components as possible in such a cramped space, while the latter is a product of boxing gamer aesthetics into a particular stereotype. As more people embrace video gaming, however, the variety of design tastes also grows, with some preferring their gaming gear to be a bit more discreet and subtle. Announced earlier this year, the ASUS ROG Strix SCAR 18 (2025) is bringing more than just the latest and greatest in PC gaming technologies. It also arrived with a redesigned appearance, breaking away from its peers to some degree. But does the gaming laptop’s embrace of subdued aesthetics also mean it cuts down on its performance? We give this racing car-inspired powerhouse a spin to see if it manages to strike a balance between power and beauty that will appeal to a wider audience. Designer: ASUS Republic of Gamers Aesthetics You might be surprised by the sight that greets you when you remove the ROG Strix SCAR 18 (2025) from its packaging. You immediately behold a frame that looks premium, eschewing the shiny plastic surfaces and geometric details that deck most gaming laptops. Instead, the soft-touch matte black material on its back gives it a sleeker, more premium personality, a design language that ASUS seems to be adopting across its laptop line. That design continues inside, where the semi-transparent keyboard deck of last year’s model is replaced with an opaque, all-black case that is less distracting and, to be honest, looks more professional. If you turn all the RGB lights off, the ROG Strix SCAR 18 (2025) could easily pass off for a business laptop, though a rather bulky one at that. The one complaint we have with this smoother texture is how it easily smudges, so you’ll find yourself wiping surfaces more often to keep them looking pristine and presentable. Of course, a Republic of Gamers laptop is still designed for gamers, and those who do want some flair will find plenty of sliders and switches to play with. In addition to the lightbar that runs around the bottom of the chassis and the standard keyboard backlighting, the Strix SCAR 18 (2025) brings the AniMe Vision matrix display from the ROG Zephyrus line, providing 810 LEDs shining through 9,152 precision-milled holes that you can control to show off some lo-fi text or images, both static and animated. The ROG logo sitting in the corner also has its own RGB lights, though it might be a little too big for our tastes. The ASUS ROG Strix SCAR 18 (2025) delivers a design that successfully pulls off a tough balancing act, providing a sophisticated and premium look that can still flaunt all those bright RGB colors if wanted. It is distinctly gaming-oriented without having to shout it, preferring to let its performance do the talking. Ergonomics There’s no escaping the laws of physics, and until the day we can truly shrink hardware and develop some magical cooling technology, there will always be concessions when it comes to balancing power and portability. Gaming laptops are unsurprisingly the worst offenders in this matter, and this year’s ROG Strix SCAR 18 sadly takes a step back. Although the Strix SCAR 18 (2025) is an upgrade in almost every other aspect, it is also slightly larger and noticeably heavier than its predecessor. The good news is that it isn’t for naught, because the newer model does pack an improved cooling system as well as a more modular design, but it’s still something potential buyers will have to consider to manage their expectations, not to mention prepare their backs or shoulders when lugging it around. The SCAR 18 (2025)’s more streamlined design also has ramifications for its usability, particularly with the ports. Gone are the side exhausts, allowing the connectivity ports to be pushed backward a bit. ASUS also took the opportunity to add a third full-sized USB-A port, probably to the delight of many gamers and computer users whose favorite accessories haven’t yet moved to the age of USB-C. The power connector has also been redesigned with a new rectangular plug instead of a round barrel. Unfortunately, the power cable has also been changed to stick out from the side rather than at a 90-degree angle like last year’s charger. The ergonomics of the keyboard and the large touchpad are quite good, providing comfort and precision despite not having your ideal mechanical switches. One thing that might throw off new users, however, is the non-standard position of the cursor keys and the layout of the numeric keypad. It’s not a complete deal-breaker, but one that will require developing some muscle memory that you can’t carry over to other keyboards or laptops. Performance The ASUS ROG Strix SCAR 18 (2025) is an upgrade in every sense of the word, bearing the latest and greatest Intel chip, the Core Ultra 9 275HX. This is paired with a Series 5000 NVIDIA graphics card, which will naturally depend on what model you’ll have. Our review unit, the G835LW, comes with a GeForce RTX 5080, while there are also options for a 5070 (G835LR) and the highest 5090 (G835LX). Out of the box, you get 32GB of RAM and 2TB of SSD storage, but you can easily double that, as we’ll see later. Long story short, this machine is a beast, making short work of modern AAA titles. Of course, don’t expect to get desktop-grade performance that will let you crank up all the settings to 11, but you won’t be far off either. What’s more impressive than the benchmark numbers is how stable that performance is, particularly thanks to an improved cooling system this year. In addition to your typical high-capacity fans, which now number three, the Strix SCAR 18 (2025) features heatsinks that stretch across the whole width of the laptop. Also running from end to end is the vapor chamber sandwiched between these heatsinks. Completely new to this generation, however, is the Conductonaut Extreme liquid metal that replaces your typical thermal paste on the CPU and the GPU. All these work together to keep thermals down to a manageable level and keep the laptop running in peak condition for far longer. While performance is something you’ll only be able to feel when actually pushing the laptop to its limits, the stunning 18-inch Mini LED is a beauty that you’ll be able to immediately see and appreciate. It definitely has a laundry list of features that not only gamers but also designers will love, starting with the 2.5K resolution and 1200 nits of peak brightness. 100% DCI-P3 coverage ensures color accuracy, while 240Hz refresh rates mean your content will be able to keep up with the action. Vibrant, colorful, and fluid, this screen is pretty much the mouth-watering icing on top of the cake that is the laptop’s performance. Battery life, on the other hand, isn’t as impressive. It’s still the same 90Wh capacity from last year’s model, so its average expectancy isn’t that much. You’d be lucky to get even an hour of gaming with medium settings, which is quite average among gaming laptops. ASUS did upgrade the charger to 380W from 330W, so you have a shorter charging time. The bonus is that the ROG Strix SCAR 18 (2025) now supports 100W PD (Power Delivery) charging via USB-C, which expands charging options just a bit. Of course, it’s still slower and won’t be able to support heavy gaming compared to the official power brick, but it’s better than completely draining your battery dry in less than an hour. The ASUS ROG Strix SCAR 18 (2025) definitely doesn’t hold back when it comes to performance, making it an excellent portable workstation for designers and creators as well. There’s no denying that it offers one of, if not, the best options in the gaming laptop market, but the real question is whether that justifies the price that ASUS is asking for in turn. We’ll get to that in a bit, but first, we make a segue into what is probably the third-best thing about the laptop after its sophisticated beauty and unmatched performance. Sustainability At first glance, the Strix SCAR 18 (2025) is your typical mix of metal and plastic that you’d find in many gaming laptops. In fact, you might even be disappointed to find out that there’s still quite a lot of plastic, especially on the interior deck, rather than the aluminum that premium laptops have begun to flaunt. That said, the plastic does help with keeping things a bit cooler and even a little bit lighter, despite the laptop being quite a heavyweight. ROG added one feature that trumps all that, though. With a simple slide of a latch, you can easily remove the back panel to have instant access to SSD and RAM slots. Even better, ASUS has brought its Q-Latch system to easily remove and replace the SSDs with just a plastic hinge. The fans and battery are also quickly exposed, though those will require a bit more work to take out. The motherboard is also well protected with a special frame but is still just a few screws away. This tool-less access to the most commonly upgraded components ensures that the Strix SCAR 18 (2025) will last you a long, long time. Value Subtly sophisticated, impressively powerful, and easily upgradable, the ASUS ROG Strix SCAR 18 (2025) almost has it all. The combination of refined aesthetics and flexibility to show off your gamer DNA positions this laptop as a powerhouse not just for gaming but for any endeavor that requires extensive processing, which usually includes AI these days. It’s almost perfect except for one particularly thorny subject: the price. The G835LW with an RTX 5080 fetches a jaw-dropping $3,399.99, and the highest configuration easily goes for $4,449.99. That puts it close to luxury laptop territory, which isn’t something you might call such a gaming laptop, especially one that still has plenty of plastic to go around. Between these two, this G835LW model we’re reviewing seems to have the best balance, compromising just a little bit on performance for a huge cut in cost. Are there other options in this price range? Definitely. But are there other options in this price range that offer this trifecta of style, power, and longevity? Probably not. Verdict We’re entering an age where gaming laptops are no longer just hulking portable counterparts of their desktop cousins. As user tastes evolve, so too, do laptop designs. Those neon-lit futuristic slabs won’t disappear, but we’ll be getting an infusion of gaming laptops that cast their nets wider to appeal to a more diverse audience, some of which might not want to broadcast their gaming passion 24/7. The ASUS ROG Strix SCAR 18 (2025) manages to strike a balance that will probably satisfy a good number of gamers of different aesthetic preferences. It cuts a rather captivating image of a powerful portable machine that can handle any task without breaking a sweat. Yes when you turn the RGB lights on and bring the AniMe Vision display to life, it immediately transforms into a dynamic battle station that will carry you to victory. The price tag is definitely a bitter pill to swallow, but you can rest assured that you’re getting you’re money’s worth, especially in the long term. The post ASUS ROG Strix SCAR 18 (2025) Review: Subtly Sophisticated Performance Powerhouse first appeared on Yanko Design.

Published May 23, 2025 10:00am EDT close Expert warns artificial general intelligence could be more dangerous than a nuclear weapon Tyler Saltsman, founder and CEO of EdgeRunner AI, warns that creating artificial general intelligence could "destroy the world as we know it." Whether it's powering your phone’s autocorrect or helping someone create a new recipe with a few words, artificial intelligence (AI) is everywhere right now. But if you're still nodding along when someone mentions "neural networks" or "generative AI," you're not alone.Today I am breaking down five buzzy AI terms that you've probably seen in headlines, group chats or app updates, minus the tech talk. Understanding these basics will help you talk AI with confidence, even if you’re not a programmer.Stay tuned for more in this series as we dive deeper into privacy-related tech terms and other essential concepts, answering the top questions we get from readers like you.JOIN THE FREE ‘CYBERGUY REPORT’: GET MY EXPERT TECH TIPS, CRITICAL SECURITY ALERTS AND EXCLUSIVE DEALS, PLUS INSTANT ACCESS TO MY FREE ‘ULTIMATE SCAM SURVIVAL GUIDE’ WHEN YOU SIGN UP! Visual Illustration of AI (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson)1. Artificial intelligence (AI)The big umbrella term Artificial Intelligence is a broad term for computer systems that can do tasks normally requiring human intelligence. That includes understanding language, recognizing images, making decisions and even learning from experience.You’re using AI when:Your email suggests repliesYour phone transcribes your voiceNetflix recommends what to watch nextThink of AI as the category; everything else on this list is a branch of it. It’s the foundation for all the smart tools we use today, from voice assistants to facial recognition. As AI continues to evolve, it has the power to make everyday tasks easier, faster and more personalized. But as it becomes more embedded in our lives, understanding the basics is key to using it wisely and protecting your digital autonomy.2. Machine learning (ML)How AI learns patternsMachine Learning is a type of AI that learns from data instead of being explicitly programmed. It improves over time by finding patterns and making predictions.For example: You like action movies. You watch a few. Over time, the algorithm learns your preferences and recommends similar titles, even if you didn’t say anything directly.Common uses of ML:Spam filters in emailFraud detection in bankingPersonalized playlistsML is how AI "gets smarter" by itself, and it's a big part of how tech becomes more helpful and intuitive. From catching suspicious charges on your credit card to curating your favorite music, machine learning can make life more seamless and even safer. But as with any technology, it’s important to stay aware of how your data is being used and who’s doing the learning. The more we understand how it works, the better we can decide how and when to trust it.3. Neural networkThe tech that mimics your brainNeural Networks are a special kind of machine learning designed to mimic how the human brain works, at least loosely. They're made up of layers of "neurons" that process data and make decisions.They’re particularly good at recognizing complex patterns, like identifying faces in photos or translating languages.Use cases include:Face ID unlocking your phoneSpeech-to-text appsTranslating text in real timeIf AI is the brain, neural networks are the brain cells doing the work. Neural networks are the part of AI that actually processes information. They’re designed to mimic how human brains work, taking in data, learning patterns and making decisions. So, when AI recognizes a face, writes a sentence or makes a suggestion, it’s neural networks making that happen behind the scenes. Illustration of humans and machine learning (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson)FOX NEWS AI NEWSLETTER: THE SCHOOL WHERE AI RUNS THE CLASSROOM4. Generative AIAI that creates, not just predictsGenerative AI doesn’t just analyze data, it creates new stuff: text, images, videos, code, music, even voices. It’s trained on huge amounts of content and learns how to generate something new that mimics the original.You’ve seen it in action if you’ve used:ChatGPT or similar bots to write messagesAI art generators like Midjourney or DALL·EAuto-generated captions or social media copyIt’s like giving a machine a vibe and watching it invent something that fits. Generative AI is creative, fast and sometimes uncannily realistic, which is what makes it both exciting and a little unsettling.Think you can tell the difference?Be sure to play my game to guess which photo is AI and which one is real. It’s harder than you think and a good reminder that as these tools get more advanced, staying alert and informed is more important than ever.WHAT IS ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI)? Find the fake kitten. (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson)5. PromptThe magic words that make AI workA prompt is the input you give to an AI system, usually a question, command or description. It’s how you talk to tools like ChatGPT or image generators.The better your prompt, the better the result.Examples:"Write a birthday message in the style of Shakespeare""Create a recipe using only chickpeas and chocolate""Make an image of a robot drinking coffee in Paris, 1920s style"Prompts are to AI what questions are to Google, but with more creativity and conversation. Unlike a search engine that simply points you to existing content, AI can generate entirely new ideas, images and text based on what you ask. It’s more than a search box; it’s a creative tool. Whether you’re drafting a story, designing a logo or planning a vacation, learning how to prompt effectively lets you tap into AI’s full potential as a collaborator, not just an information source.Kurt’s key takeawaysYou don’t need a computer science degree to understand AI, just a few solid definitions. From machine learning and neural networks to generative AI and prompts, these tools are no longer reserved for tech labs; they're becoming part of your everyday life. Whether it’s helping you write an email, organize your photos or get dinner ideas based on what’s in your fridge, AI is already working behind the scenes to make life a little easier (and sometimes a lot more interesting).Now that you’ve got the lingo down, you’ll be better equipped to navigate the AI-powered world with confidence and curiosity.CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APPWant to go deeper? Interested in how AI can improve your daily routine or looking for creative prompt ideas to get the most out of tools like ChatGPT? Let us know by writing us at Cyberguy.com/Contact.For more of my tech tips and security alerts, subscribe to my free CyberGuy Report Newsletter by heading to Cyberguy.com/Newsletter.Ask Kurt a question or let us know what stories you'd like us to cover.Follow Kurt on his social channels:Answers to the most-asked CyberGuy questions:New from Kurt:Copyright 2025 CyberGuy.com. All rights reserved. Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson is an award-winning tech journalist who has a deep love of technology, gear and gadgets that make life better with his contributions for Fox News & FOX Business beginning mornings on "FOX & Friends." Got a tech question? Get Kurt’s free CyberGuy Newsletter, share your voice, a story idea or comment at CyberGuy.com.

I didn’t expect to find the Huawei MateBook Fold Ultimate Design foldable laptop on the floor at BEYOND Expo, and it wasn’t officially displayed at Huawei’s booth. But I did see a nervous intern walking around with a strange-looking laptop behind the scenes. I walked up to ask her if it was Huawei’s new ‘foldable laptop’ and lo and behold, I got a hands-on experience of a device hardly anybody’s seen before… and spoilers, it’s gorgeous. The MateBook Fold Ultimate Design is the kind of stuff you expect from companies like Apple and Google, but it really does seem like Huawei’s been pushing the envelope farther than any ‘Western’ brands. They mastered 5G before anyone, developed their own app ecosystem after being booted off Android, brought the Mate XT tri-fold device to market long before Samsung, and now managed to design, launch, and even display a foldable laptop long before anyone else could even get their R&D together. Designer: Huawei The MateBook Fold Ultimate Design (let’s just call it the MateBook Fold for short) is a bona fide luxury device. It costs a mind-bending $3,300 USD and is only available in China for now. That’s because it’s running Huawei’s HarmonyOS, which works best within the mainland. However, physically, the laptop looks GORGEOUS. At 14.9mm, it’s slightly thicker than the 128mm-thick tri-fold phone when shut (because it technically also has 3 panels), but open it up and you’re either faced with a 13″ laptop with a touchscreen keyboard, or an 18″ touchscreen monitor when opened fully (thanks to a kickstand at the back). The third panel? Well, that’s just the MateBook Fold’s snap-on keyboard, which works wirelessly with the device, allowing you to use it either independently or even placed on top of the MateBook, replacing the touchscreen keyboard with a tactile one. News flash, everything works absolutely seamlessly – you don’t need to pair or unpair keyboards, the screen transitions like magic between multiple formats, and the device, even though it released just 3 days ago, doesn’t have any rough edges that I can see. It’s all polished to the point of being a product you could throw 3.3 grand at today itself. So, here’s really what you get with the MateBook Fold. The three-part device (a two-part foldable and one snap-on keyboard) is as light as it gets – 2.5 lb (1.16 kg) officially, which is still lighter than a 13″ MacBook Pro. The keyboard sticks confidently via magnets, only snapping out when you remove it with intent. Even the hinge on the MateBook Fold – reliable, without a doubt. I needed two hands to pry the thing open, and once you disengage the device, the hinge loosens so that the lid lifts up comfortably. The MateBook Fold’s design enables hybrid-laptop-style usage, but with a key difference being the foldable display itsel. You can use it in the following formats – open it up and type on the lower touchscreen like a regular laptop (you can change the keyboard design, layout, color, it’s wild). My favorite part is the fact that when you activate the on-screen keyboard, the Huawei branding actually shows up near the hinge, displaying the company logo where you’d expect it to be on most traditional laptops. You might think of it as an easter egg, but I see it more as incredible attention to detail. The other way to type is to simply snap out the actual physical keyboard and use it to type (either on top of the laptop or kept on the side). However, if that 13″ screen isn’t enough for you, the MateBook Fold opens up to become a flat 18″ 3.3K display with a more tablet-ish 4:3 resolution. Hold and use the device like you would an 18″ tablet, place it flat on a tabletop, or prop it upwards, thanks to the built-in kickstand that otherwise sits flush against the back. There’s not a single bump anywhere on the device – the absence of a primary camera rids the MateBook Fold of its camera bump, so you’re left with a device that’s as gorgeously sleek as a laptop. The OS, for now, is Huawei’s HarmonyOS, running a tablet-PC hybrid layout. You have apps on the desktop, like TikTok, Xiaohongshu (or Red Note), WPS Office, among other local apps. Huawei’s even built a Copilot clone that runs on the device thanks to a dedicated AI key. The company’s worked with Deepseek AI to integrate its chatbot into the MateBook Fold, giving you what I can only describe as an experience that’s absolutely tailormade to and with China-based innovation. For a company scorned by the US and several other countries, this is nothing short of remarkable. I don’t say it to artificially glorify the company or the circumstances it finds itself in, but hey, it’s been half a year since the tri-fold and not one company. The rest of the info on the MateBook Fold Ultimate Design can obviously be found in any press release. The device packs 32GB of RAM and 2TB of storage – overkill by tablet or laptop standards. A fingerprint reader comes built into the power button, and yes, even though there isn’t a primary camera, the bezel hides a webcam that can be used the way you would on a laptop. It’s difficult to really say who this foldable laptop is for. It oozes so much style that I find myself only being able to recommend it to people who like flexing expensive gear, like a Rolex or a Lamborghini. At $3,300 USD, it’s definitely in that territory. For people who splurged on the tri-fold Mate XT, this might just be the best laptop to complement it. After all, integration should be absolutely seamless, given that they both run the same OS too.The post Huawei’s Foldable Laptop Is A Game-Changer And We Tried It Out: Hands-On at BEYOND Expo 2025 first appeared on Yanko Design.

Colorful has gone all out, showcasing impressive themed RTX 5090/5080 GPUs, monstrous PSUs up to 3200W & the latest BTF designs at Computex. Colorful Unveils plethora of Products at Computex, Including Doom-Themed RTX 5080 GPU, 3200W PSU, Liquid-Cooled DDR5 Memory & BTF Designs DOOM: The Dark Ages is taking the spotlight on many booths, as that is one game that GPU makers are using as the theme of some of their new limited-edition models. Colorful is also making one of those in a brand-new design, which uses an acrylic shroud with a foggy finish that is colored green and houses the Slayer logo in the middle fin. This is a high-end 3-slot design with triple-fan cooling and is going to come in RTX 5080 GPU flavors. 2 of 9 Even the heatsink underneath the shroud is colored green, and on the back, you get a full-coverage backplate with a circular cut-out for higher airflow and the Dark Ages cover photo engraved on the entirety of the backplate. The card uses a single 16-pin connector and will be a limited edition model with a premium price point. 2 of 9 Colorful is also expanding into the BTF ecosystem with new products that include GPUs, motherboards, and PSUs. An iGame Ultra RTX 5070 Ti GPU was showcased, which uses modular BTF connectors, one with the standard BTF to 16-pin and the other with a BTF to BTF connector. Both connectors are rated at up to 600W and easily swap into place. The 16-pin connector is also angled, making it easier to avoid any unwanted bends in the cable. 2 of 9 The BTF PSU also replaces the 24-pin ATX connection and uses a specialized BTF connector that can be connected to a compatible BTF motherboard, such as the one from the iGame Ultra series. It is still an early design for the DIY market, but Colorful is shipping such systems pre-built within the Asian marketplace. One of these systems is the iGame Neptune design, which makes use of a full-on aluminum build and houses some impressive components. One of these is the GeForce RTX 5090 Neptune, which is an AIO-cooled design with a 360mm radiator and uses some sleek silver-aluminum and blue hints on the shroud. The system will also feature Neptune-branded DDR5 memory, which runs at really fast speeds and also comes with liquid-cooling, delivering better thermal capabilities than air-cooled designs. 2 of 9 For power delivery, Colorful's sister brand has developed a powerful 3200W solution, which is rated at 80 Plus Titanium and makes use of the latest ATX 3.1 / PCIe 5.1 standards. 2 of 9 This comes with eight 16-pin (12V-2x6) power connectors and is built using the latest components as displayed below: And lastly, Colorful is also rolling out two brand-new Mini PCs, including one that will feature AMD's Ryzen AI MAX "Strix Halo" APUs and a smaller "Colorful SMART" solution that makes use of the Ryzen 200 and Ryzen AI 300 APUs. 2 of 9 That's all from Colorful, and it goes off to show how big the company really is and how many product lineups they are involved in. You can expect more details, such as pricing, in the coming months, so stay tuned. Deal of the Day

This story appeared in The Logoff, a daily newsletter that helps you stay informed about the Trump administration without letting political news take over your life. Subscribe here.Welcome to The Logoff: President Donald Trump is one step closer to getting his “big, beautiful bill” after it passed the House in a close vote early this morning.What would the bill do? As my colleague Andrew Prokop has explained, the bill has four major pillars: Renewing Trump’s 2017 tax cutsImplementing new tax cuts, such as Trump’s “no tax on tips” proposalSpending billions on a border wall, US Customs and Border Protection, and the militaryIncreasing the debt ceiling, a recurring, necessary step that will likely have to get done by JulyIt would also lift the cap on the state and local tax deduction, or SALT — a political hot button important to frontline Republicans. And it would make deep cuts to Medicaid, clean energy programs, student loans, and food assistance.What happened last night? House Republicans had been staring down a self-imposed Memorial Day deadline to advance their bill. Early Thursday morning, they passed the bill 215 votes to 214.What happens now? The bill will head to the Senate, where the only certainty is another contentious process. Republican senators have a long list of sometimes-contradictory changes to iron out before their next deadline on July 4, and a relatively slim margin of error with their 53-member majority.Will this actually make it to Trump’s desk? No one knows. The bill is the centerpiece of Trump’s legislative agenda and passed the House despite a fractious Republican conference, but a number of Republican senators have already expressed concerns about elements of the bill. And it will need to pass the House again after the Senate makes its changes, potentially a tall ask given the number of Republican hardliners in the lower chamber.And with that, it’s time to log off…The penny is officially on its way out, as of this morning. But as we bid farewell, it’s a perfect opportunity to read Caity Weaver’s incredible history of the one-cent coin, past efforts to do away with it, and the mounting absurdity of its existence. One fun fact from her story: Did you know the US has produced at least enough pennies — some 240 billion — to give two to every human who has ever lived? You’ve read 1 article in the last monthHere at Vox, we're unwavering in our commitment to covering the issues that matter most to you — threats to democracy, immigration, reproductive rights, the environment, and the rising polarization across this country.Our mission is to provide clear, accessible journalism that empowers you to stay informed and engaged in shaping our world. By becoming a Vox Member, you directly strengthen our ability to deliver in-depth, independent reporting that drives meaningful change.We rely on readers like you — join us.Swati SharmaVox Editor-in-ChiefSee More:

22 May, 2025 In our weekly interview series, design leaders answer five questions about design, and five questions about leadership. Julia Beardwood is founder of Beardwood&Co. The New York-based branding and strategy agency works with B2C and B2B clients like Danone, Pottery Barn and Rabble Wine. Design What would your monograph be called? Illuminating Possibilities. Everything we do is about helping clients see opportunities that aren’t obvious. Whether that’s a new take on their category, bringing an unusual perspective informed by experience and insights we’ve uncovered in completely different fields, or a big creative idea with legs to run on for years. What recent design work made you a bit jealous? The Brooklyn Museum identity by Other Means and Brooklyn Museum design team. The interlocking of the double O’s in Brooklyn and two dots bookending the logo together create a distinctive word mark that feels a bit quirky, yet rooted in a rich history, like the borough itself. What impresses me most is the thoroughness of the brand experience, from the t-shirts the staff proudly wear to the exhibit communications. They completely nailed the strategy, which is to be a modern, multi-faceted and thoroughly engaging museum that serves the diverse community of Brooklyn, and attracts visitors from all over the city and the world. The new Brooklyn Museum logo by Other Means and the in-house team What’s an unusual place you get inspiration from? Riding on any kind of public transport gets my mind whirring. It doesn’t matter if it’s a bus, tube, train or ferry. From the incredible variety of people and pets, funny and tawdry ads, to the surprising scenes I see out the window, I find stimulation in observing daily life. It’s a mental game to brainstorm for projects based on what you’re seeing and hearing. Name something that is brilliantly designed, but overlooked. Paper clips – so useful, so simple, so elegant! It’s a miniature work of art that does its job perfectly. I keep a few in my pocket at all times because they’re so multi-purpose, like when I need to pop open my iPhone sim card. What object in your studio best sums up your taste? This wooden owl – designed and made in the UK by Matt Pugh – is our gift for team members on their fifth anniversary with us. Carved from sustainably sourced oak with a painted head, it’s sleek and simple, and a symbol of the uncommon wisdom we seek to bring our clients. It brings me immense pleasure to share these beauts with our team. The wooden owl given to Beardwood&Co staff on their fifth anniversary at the studio. Leadership What feedback felt brutal at the time, but turned out to be useful? It came from a client who I had massive respect for. We’d just finished a major rebrand project and were feeling rightly proud. She said, “We’re thrilled with how this turned out, but the journey to get there was horrible.” That made me realise that the client experience is equally as important as the design work. Now we pay a lot of attention to ensure that every client feels welcomed and appreciated, that communication is crystal clear and transparent, that we are fully aligned, and that meetings are fun and inspiring. Every project should make our clients feel like it was a career highlight to brag about. What’s an underappreciated skill that design leaders need? Translating design into the language of business, so that the people who buy our work understand why it’s so valuable. Designers are not taught this in school, so it’s a skill they often learn on the job. It’s a reason why some of the strongest design leaders have gone to business school. Language matters – you don’t want design to sound esoteric or mysterious. You need your clients to understand it’s all about building brand equity, creating irresistible desire to attract new customers, and instilling insatiable loyalty among your biggest fans. What keeps you up at night? How to ensure AI is serving humanity and not the other way around. It’s a moment for immense change as big as the introduction of the internet. Uncertainty creates anxiety, but also opportunity. We’re all exploring and experimenting to figure out the best uses for AI, and so far, it’s super-helpful. But we know clients expect to reap cost savings from their agencies. You just have to keep demonstrating value and how to use AI to bring efficiency. What trait is non-negotiable in new hires? Telling us what they think. Speaking up with fresh ideas to make us and our clients better. Being brave enough to call out group think. Every individual hire that joins us has the power to change and improve our firm. Silence is not golden – we want and need to hear strong opinions. Complete this sentence, “I wish more clients…” …asked more questions. Clients often feel like they need to know it all, so they don’t ask as many questions as they should because it makes them feel vulnerable to criticism. In my experience, when clients are brave enough to ask more questions, they feel empowered and equipped to make braver choices in the work. Brands in this article What to read next design/leader: F37 founder Rick Banks 17 Apr, 2025 design/leader: Lucky Dip co-founder Katie Cadwell 17 Jan, 2025

All throughout 2025, I've been bursting with podcast recommendations (which might not be surprising, given writing a podcast recommendation newsletter is part of my job). I've shared my lists of the best podcasts about liars and scammers, podcasts that expose the nonsense in politics and pop culture, and podcasts you'll like if you miss Heavyweight. But then I awoke and realized that we are almost halfway through the year, and I haven't spent nearly enough time talking about my favorite new shows that debuted this year. June is a great time to take stock of all the new podcasts from the first half of the year. These are the shows that made my jaw drop, made me laugh, and inspired me to subscribe—and pester all of my friends to do the same. I think you'll like them, too. Alternate Realities (Embedded) Credit: Podcast logo Embedded recently produced a 3-part series, Alternate Realities, focused on a bet between reporter Zach Mack and his father, who intended to determine once and for all who was right about the other having been lost to conspiracy theories. Zach’s father had started to believe in chemtrails, that the government controls the weather, that ANTIFA staged the Jan. 6 riots, that a cabal called the globalists is controlling the world. Zach…did not believe those things. In early 2024 the two agreed: Zach’s dad would make a list of 10 prophesies that he was 100% sure would happen, (i.e. a bunch of democrats would be convicted of treason and/or murder, the U.S. would come under martial law), and on Jan. 1, 2025, Zach would have to give his father $1,000 for every one that came to pass. For every one that didn’t, Zach would get the same. It’s a zingy idea for a series, but also a dark family story—the bet is the make-or-break thing for not just Zach and his dad, but for the entire family. Beyond the money, the stakes are high.Debt Heads Credit: Podcast logo Friends Jamie Alyson Feldman (@realgirlproject) and Rachel Gayle Webster (@webbythefox) are using storytelling, research, springiness, humor, and fun audio elements in their podcast Debt Heads, which examines Jamie’s deeply ingrained issues with debt and uses them as an entry point into the question of why so many young people are in the same boat. It's a fascinating dive into the issue of millennials and their money—harrowing and fascinating and occasionally funny, and a rich listening experience even if you (like me) want to crawl under a table when the conversation turns to money.Our Ancestors Were Messy Credit: Podcast logo If you love the way Normal Gossip pulls you into the juicy drama of strangers, and especially if you also love history, you’ll get sucked right in to Our Ancestors Were Messy, Nichole Hill’s show about the gossip, scandals, and pop culture that made headlines in historical Black newspapers across America. Nichole tells true stories from the past (a Victorian-era love triangle that hit DC elites, a mystery concerning a tabloid sensation in Harlem) with help from a guest, placing you inside of a vintage scandal, providing the context you need to understand why it was a scandal at all, and fleshing out the characters involved with the skill of a novelist. Nichole’s storytelling is descriptive, funny, conversational, and crisp, and she uses amazing sound production that pumps it all into life. Why Is Amy in the Bath? Credit: Podcast logo Have you ever noticed that Amy Adams seems to do a lot of bathtub and shower scenes in her films? After listening to this show, you won’t be able to un-notice it. Certainly that fact stuck out to Brandon R. Reynolds and Gabby Lombardo, who spun the observation into the podcast Why Is Amy in the Bath? In six episodes they ask: Is Amy, who has never won an Oscar, doing all these bathtub scenes because they offer the opportunity for the kind of dramatic acting that earns the biggest, golden-est prizes? Brandon and Gabby went through 1,500 movies, including all the Best Actress Oscar nominees, to see if there was a correlation to tub scenes, and their conclusions are the stuff of the best conspiracy theories.What We Spend Credit: Podcast logo If you love Refinery 29's Money Diaries, or if you’re just a nosy person, you’re going to salivate over What We Spend, in which regular people take us, day by day and purchase by purchase, through what they spend in a week. It's like looking inside their wallets, flipping through their credit card statements, and hearing the personal stories behind the financial decisions they make. One person is scared about having to pay for a cat funeral. A 35-year-old asks her dad to pay her bills for a month. In each episode, the subject realizes, along with us, that there are usually deeply rooted personal issues underneath their money issues and the anxieties they bring up. Listeners can contact the hosts for a spot on the show, but that's a huge no thanks from me! But I’ll be listening. Text Me Back Credit: Podcast logo If you’re looking for a chat show that will have you laughing out loud without making you feel like you just lost a bunch of brain cells, try Text Me Back. Bestselling writer Lindy West and democracy policy expert Meagan Hatcher-Maysget are childhood friends who get on the mic for convos that range from off the rails goofy stories to insightful pop-culture and political commentary, with an irresistible friendship vibe flowing throughout. Their chemistry is nothing that could be rehearsed or planned, and they are both such good storytellers, they can spin gold out of the most mundane things that happened to them in a given week. Text Me Back will be a balm for listeners who still miss the iconic podcast Call Your Girlfriend (RIP.) The Final Days of Sgt. Tibbs Credit: Podcast logo Delivered in four short episodes, The Final Days of Sgt. Tibbs explores the fate of the titular geriatric cat, who went missing in Manchester, New Hampshire, then turned up dead, causing a huge blowup in the community he left behind. Rose, Sgt. Tibbs’ owner, was devastated when Tibbs went missing, and infuriated to learn that he might not have actually been missing at all, but in the hands of neighbors, the mother/daughter duo of Debbie and Sabrina, who claim to have saved the cat's life. We going in knowing that Tibbs has died. The question is, what happened? Todd Bookman puts a microscope to the kitty's last days, and finds a story of adults behaving badly and a community torn apart. At one point, Todd wonders if there are better things he could be doing with his time (and microphone). “But imagine something more important than something you love disappearing and dying," he says. "It seems worth every second trying to figure out what happened.” Pet lovers get it. RIP, Sgt. Tibbs.We Came to the Forest Credit: Podcast logo We Came to the Forest introduces you to Vienna Forrest, an environmental crusader remembering her life living in the forest with a bunch of other activists as they protested the construction of Atlanta’s Cop City, one of the biggest police training facilities in the country. She speaks intimately about her partner Tortuguita (Manuel Esteban Paez Terán,) another protester or “forest defender” who was allegedly shot and killed by Atlanta law enforcement. We Came to the Forest revolves around Tortuguita’s murder and everything that led up to it. What seems obvious (Tortuguita was shot by the police) is tough to prove. A cop was also shot, but who shot him? There is no body cam footage to prove what happened. Through storytelling and interviews, the show will make you think about how fast things can turn sideways when law enforcement gets involved in a situation, and how thin the line can be between safety and danger.CRAMPED Credit: Podcast logo Kate Downey has been having debilitating period pain every month since she was14 years old. Debilitating period pain is common, yet something nobody seems to want to talk about or research—and certainly nobody is trying to have fun with it. But Kate is doing all of the above with CRAMPED, which is somehow boisterous and dead serious at the same time. It's full of fascinating interviews, illuminating info, and helpful tips for anyone with a uterus. She gets smart, funny people on the mic to talk about their that-time-of-the-month experiences, what is really going on in their bodies and why nobody cares, and why Kate hasn’t been able to get an answers from a doctor after 20 years of asking questions. Suave (Season 2) Credit: Podcast logo In its first season, Suave won a Pulitzer Prize-winning for telling the story of Luis "Suave" Gonzalez, a convicted man who turned his life around in prison, and his relationship with journalist Maria Hinojosa. The show is assembled from years of recordings of their conversations, an audio document of the highs and lows of Suave's life both in and out of jail, and the mother/son bond that develops between the two. At the end, Suave is released, and we are left to wonder what freedom really means. That’s where season two picks up: Suave is now “Mr. Pulitzer,” but life on the outside is very hard. Proxy Credit: Podcast logo With her beautiful show Proxy, "emotional journalist" Yowei Shaw investigates and solves deeply intimate conundrums by proxy—she finds people with unresolved relationship issues and links them up with a stranger who can help them better understand what's going on. (Recently she connected a man whose wife left him for a woman with a woman who'd left her husband for a woman.) Yowei also appears on the massively popular NPR podcast Invisibilia, so you know you can trust her to deliver a good story that will be professionally structured. It's a space for unique conversations the likes of which I have never heard before. Sea of Lies (Uncover) Credit: Podcast logo On Sea of Lies (available on the Uncover podcast feed) Sam Mullins (Wild Boys) tells the tale of one of the most wanted men in the world, Albert Walker, who is arrested for fraud after a dead body wearing a recognizable watch washes ashore. The globe-spanning saga gets wilder from there, always zagging left when you think it will go right. Via meticulous reporting, Sea of Lies skirts around Walker’s manipulative tactics to get to the psychological questions at the root of his crimes. 

Art for Open Spaces. Exmuro is a public art institution that represents and promotes artists from around the globe. Its mission is to bring art into open spaces, focusing on exterior settings beyond the walls, making it accessible to everyone. The brand aimed to increase its presence to better represent its artists. The challenge was to create a brand identity that stands out while still allowing the art to be seen through it. Focusing on the idea of open spaces, the brand was built around a custom typeface that is never closed. The Exmuro logo is always open, with individual letters that remain open, allowing the art to be seen through it. With its never-closed letters, Exmuro's logo can be added to any artwork, making the logo prominent while still showcasing the art. The entire brand system uses the same concept, embodying the idea of open spaces and public art. Yellow is used as the brand color to be noticeable in any urban environment.