Science & Technology

Science & Technology

FILE - Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., talks to reporters as House Republicans hold a caucus meeting at the Capitol in Washington, Oct. 13, 2023. (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib, File)

Polymarket cuts ties with George Santos as regulators probe trades on rival prediction market

Jake Offenhartz, The Associated Press 5 minute read Updated: 5:56 PM CDT

NEW YORK (AP) — The online prediction platform Polymarket is ending its paid relationship with George Santos as federal regulators investigate whether the former congressman illegally bet against his own attendance at President Donald Trump’s State of the Union.

Santos placed the bets on another prediction marketplace, Kalshi, after publicly announcing his intention to be at the Feb. 24 speech, according to a person familiar with the investigation. He later blamed a delayed flight for missing the event.

The suspicious trades were detected by Kalshi and referred to the Commodities Futures Trading Commission, a federal regulator that has opened a probe into Santos for possible insider trading, according to a second person familiar with the investigation.

Both spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly.

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Science & Technology

FILE - A Falcon 9 SpaceX heavy rocket lifts off from pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2018. (AP Photo/John Raoux, File)

SpaceX’s IPO is set to be the biggest ever and could make Elon Musk a trillionaire

Alex Veiga And Bernard Condon, The Associated Press 5 minute read Preview

SpaceX’s IPO is set to be the biggest ever and could make Elon Musk a trillionaire

Alex Veiga And Bernard Condon, The Associated Press 5 minute read Updated: 6:02 PM CDT

NEW YORK (AP) — SpaceX says it plans to raise up to $75 billion when it goes public this month, setting the stage for the largest-ever stock market debut and putting Elon Musk on course to becoming the world's first trillionaire.

The company, formally known as Space Exploration Technologies Corp., said Wednesday it will sell 555.6 million shares at $135 a piece in an initial public offering. The estimated proceeds would easily top the $26 billion raised by oil giant Saudi Aramco in 2019. The offering would also give SpaceX a market value of $1.77 trillion. Only six companies in the S&P 500 are currently worth more, with Nvidia tops at $5.2 trillion.

Besides the size of the offering and the expected proceeds, SpaceX’s amended prospectus updates details about how much control of the company Musk will have. As SpaceX’s CEO, chief technical officer and chairman, Musk’s voting power will come primarily through his ownership of 5.22 billion Class B shares, which give the holder 10 votes for every share held. According to the filing, Musk would have 82.4% of the voting power in the company.

Forbes currently values Musk's net worth at $826 billion and his stake in SpaceX at $542 billion. The estimated value of his SpaceX holdings was based on an overall value for the company of $1.25 trillion. Based on those numbers, a $1.77 trillion valuation for SpaceX would boost Musk’s net worth by $223 billion, making him a trillionaire. However, much of Musk's worth is in stock that he has yet to cash in.

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Updated: 6:02 PM CDT

Science & Technology

This image provided by NASA shows four-in-one photos of Mars taken by NASA's Maven spacecraft that's been orbiting the red planet since 2014? Maven is no more, NASA just declared it dead. (NASA via AP)

NASA declares its Mars Maven spacecraft dead after six months of silence

Marcia Dunn, The Associated Press 2 minute read Preview

NASA declares its Mars Maven spacecraft dead after six months of silence

Marcia Dunn, The Associated Press 2 minute read Updated: 6:43 PM CDT

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — After six months of radio silence, NASA’s Maven spacecraft around Mars has been declared dead.

The space agency confirmed Wednesday that the mission had ended after more than a decade of observations.

“The team really did experience the loss of a loved one with the end of the mission here,” said NASA project manager Mike Moreau.

Launched in 2013 to study the red planet’s atmosphere from orbit, Maven mysteriously fell silent in early December after passing behind Mars. Data indicated the spacecraft went into a fast spin, which disrupted its orbit and drained the onboard batteries.

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Updated: 6:43 PM CDT

Environment

FILE - Meta's Stanton Springs Data Center is visible Jan. 13, 2026, in Newton County, Ga. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart, File)

Energy, water use and pollution of AI and data centers rival most countries

Seth Borenstein, The Associated Press 6 minute read Preview

Energy, water use and pollution of AI and data centers rival most countries

Seth Borenstein, The Associated Press 6 minute read Updated: 3:06 PM CDT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The environmental footprint of data centers already rivals some of the world's largest countries, according to a United Nations University report, which also predicts their water and energy use and pollution will double in just four years as use of artificial intelligence grows.

Last year, global data centers used 448 trillion watt-hours of electricity, more than all but 10 countries of the world, said the report issued Wednesday. That electricity use produced about 208 million tons (189 million metric tons) of carbon dioxide, about the same amount as Argentina, and producing that much energy consumed about 1.2 trillion gallons (4.5 trillion liters) of water, according to the report on the environmental consequences of AI's energy use.

By 2030, data centers will account for nearly 3% of the world's projected electricity use, with 935 trillion watt-hours. If data centers were a country, the country would be projected to rank sixth-highest in power use in 2030. That would produce nearly 440 million tons (399 million metric tons) of carbon dioxide, the report said. The study focused on energy use and didn’t examine the massive amount of water used to cool data centers.

“If you look at these numbers, we're seeing scales comparable to nations,” said study co-author Kaveh Madani, a water scientist and director of the United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health in Canada. “The demand is enormous.”

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Updated: 3:06 PM CDT

Science & Technology

Check out counter at the new Zellers store in Edmonton on Wednesday Oct. 30, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson

A look back at the history of Zellers

Tara Deschamps, The Canadian Press 3 minute read Preview

A look back at the history of Zellers

Tara Deschamps, The Canadian Press 3 minute read 3:00 AM CDT

In the almost 100 years since Zellers was founded, the discount department store has died and been revived several times. 

Its current owners are less than a year into their relaunch but say they have national expansion plans. 

Here's a look at the history of Zellers:

1928: Waterloo, Ont., entrepreneur Walter Philip Zeller opens the first Zellers department store, but it is bought by American firm Schulte-United Ltd. within months.

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3:00 AM CDT

Science & Technology

FILE - This image provided by NASA shows the interstellar comet 3I/Atlas captured by the Hubble Space Telescope on Nov. 30, 2025. (NASA, ESA, STScI, D. Jewitt (UCLA), M.-T. Hui (Shanghai Astronomical Observatory), J. DePasquale (STScI) via AP, File)

Radio scans find no alien tech from the latest interstellar comet

Marcia Dunn, The Associated Press 3 minute read Preview

Radio scans find no alien tech from the latest interstellar comet

Marcia Dunn, The Associated Press 3 minute read 3:04 PM CDT

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — The group leading the charge in the search for extraterrestrial life has given the all clear: An interstellar comet looks to be completely natural and free of any alien tech.

The SETI Institute said Wednesday that extensive radio scans by its telescope in Northern California found no signs of otherworldly technology from our solar system’s latest interstellar visitor.

The object labeled 3I/Atlas was discovered last summer sweeping through our neck of the cosmic woods. Scientists quickly identified it as a comet that migrated from another star, although a few insisted without evidence it might be associated with intelligent life.

It’s only the third known object from a faraway star — all deemed of natural origin — to venture into the sun’s turf.

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3:04 PM CDT

Health

María Inés Barría, a virologist at the Universidad San Sebastián, works at the university, in Santiago, Chile, Wednesday, May 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Esteban Felix)

Tools to fight hantavirus show promise despite limited funding. Now researchers hope to continue

Nayara Batschke And Susan Montoya Bryan, The Associated Press 7 minute read Preview

Tools to fight hantavirus show promise despite limited funding. Now researchers hope to continue

Nayara Batschke And Susan Montoya Bryan, The Associated Press 7 minute read Updated: 10:29 PM CDT

SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) — When a rare but deadly rodent-borne virus struck passengers on a cruise ship and seemed to be spreading, there were no treatments for those who fell ill and no vaccines to protect others.

That was the case even though it wasn't a novel germ that the world had never seen before, like the virus that caused the coronavirus pandemic. It was a hantavirus, one of a family of viruses that have been known for decades and are thought to exist around the world.

Teams of researchers, including in Chile, Argentina and the United States, have long been trying to find and develop drugs and vaccines. But because the viruses are relatively rare and don't spread easily between people, there hasn't been enough sustained investment by governments, global health groups, or drug companies to pay for the extensive safety and efficacy testing needed to make them available.

Still, there have been some promising developments. Researchers on Wednesday published a hint that a drug used for an autoimmune disease may help hantavirus patients fight off the most deadly symptoms.

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Updated: 10:29 PM CDT

Science & Technology

FILE - Elon Musk departs after a welcome ceremony with President Donald Trump and China's President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People, Thursday, May 14, 2026, in Beijing. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, File)

AI companies are barreling toward huge Wall Street debuts. A look at the biggest players

Barbara Ortutay, The Associated Press 5 minute read Preview

AI companies are barreling toward huge Wall Street debuts. A look at the biggest players

Barbara Ortutay, The Associated Press 5 minute read 11:05 PM CDT

Some of the leading artificial intelligence companies are moving toward initial public offerings this year at eye-popping valuations. From Anthropic to SpaceX to OpenAI, tech giants are looking to take their shares public to access more capital in the race to shape the technology's future.

The amount of money involved in building and maintaining artificial intelligence models, the pursuit of artificial general intelligence that can surpass humans at many tasks, and widespread AI adoption all have led to an air of excitement around the technology that has helped lift the stock market to record highs.

“These companies are now burning through cash to win the AI race, and public equity is the cheapest source available, particularly in a rising interest rate environment,” said Michael Field, chief equity analyst at Morningstar.

But amid the billions — even trillions — at stake, worries about an AI bubble are looming in the background. Some experts fear tech companies and venture capitalists are pouring too much money into a still-nascent and unproven technology.

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11:05 PM CDT

Environment

In this 2018 image provided by Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, a buoy used to gather data floats in the Pioneer Mid-Atlantic Bight off the coast of North Carolina. (Darlene Trew Crist/Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution via AP)

Scientists lose critical climate record as ocean observatory will go dark under Trump funding cuts

Annika Hammerschlag, The Associated Press 4 minute read Preview

Scientists lose critical climate record as ocean observatory will go dark under Trump funding cuts

Annika Hammerschlag, The Associated Press 4 minute read Yesterday at 6:40 PM CDT

SEATTLE (AP) — A portion of one of the most ambitious ocean monitoring networks ever built will go dark this month when scientists board a research vessel and motor off the Oregon coast to pull a research buoy from deep out of the Pacific.

The buoy 80 meters (260 feet) below the water's surface will be removed June 16 from the Ocean Observatories Initiative — a network of more than 900 ocean sensors built at a cost of $386 million that has continuously collected real-time data for more than a decade. But last month, the National Science Foundation announced it would dismantle most of the system, pulling instruments from waters off Oregon, Washington, Alaska, North Carolina and Greenland by 2027.

Funded by the foundation, the observatories have tracked everything from ocean circulation and marine ecosystems to climate change and extreme weather. Its data has been freely available and has informed more than 500 scientific publications. The project was slated to run for another 15 to 20 years.

In an emailed statement, the foundation said the decision is not a cancellation, but a “descoping” aligned with a “wider strategy of a nimbler approach to prioritize support for evolving scientific priorities and emerging technologies, as well as smart lifecycle management within its research infrastructure portfolio.” The foundation added that its decision drew in part on a 2025 National Academies report on the future of ocean science.

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Yesterday at 6:40 PM CDT

Health

FILE - This colorized electron microscope image provided by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases in 2024 shows Mpox virus particles, orange, found within infected cells, green. (NIAID via AP, File)

2 scientists charged with bringing deactivated mpox virus into the US and lying to authorities

Ed White, The Associated Press 3 minute read Preview

2 scientists charged with bringing deactivated mpox virus into the US and lying to authorities

Ed White, The Associated Press 3 minute read Updated: Yesterday at 8:33 PM CDT

DETROIT (AP) — Two scientists at a U.S. government lab were charged with smuggling vials of deactivated mpox virus into the country from Africa and lying about it during interviews with investigators at a Michigan airport, authorities said Tuesday.

A criminal complaint was unsealed in federal court in Detroit against Vincent Munster, who is chief of the virus ecology section at Rocky Mountain Laboratories in Hamilton, Montana, and Claude Kwe, who works with him.

Munster and Kwe were stopped at Detroit Metropolitan Airport in January after a flight from Paris and nine days in the Republic of Congo. An outbreak of the mpox disease has been linked to more than 2,000 deaths in Congo, a vast region in central Africa, though a two-year outbreak was declared over in April.

Munster “adamantly denied” returning to the U.S. with biological materials or samples, the FBI said in a court filing.

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Updated: Yesterday at 8:33 PM CDT

Science & Technology

President Donald Trump, left, and Kevin Warsh arrive at a swearing-in ceremony for Warsh as Chairman of the Federal Reserve in the East Room of the White House, Friday, May 22, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Trump signs an executive order that invites vetting of top AI models for national security risks

Matt O'brien, The Associated Press 4 minute read Preview

Trump signs an executive order that invites vetting of top AI models for national security risks

Matt O'brien, The Associated Press 4 minute read Updated: 1:49 PM CDT

President Donald Trump signed an executive order on oversight of artificial intelligence Tuesday, less than two weeks after postponing a White House ceremony over his concerns that a similar policy could dull America’s technological edge.

The order establishes a framework for the federal government to vet the national security risks of the most advanced AI systems for up to a month before their public release. Participation by AI developers would be voluntary, the order says.

“Advanced AI capabilities make our Nation stronger, but also introduce new national security considerations that require coordinated action across executive departments and agencies,” the order says.

It was not immediately clear to what extent the order differed from the one Trump declined to sign on May 21.

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Updated: 1:49 PM CDT

Science & Technology

FILE - An advertisement for the cryptocurrency Bitcoin is displayed on a building in Hong Kong on Nov. 18, 2021. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung, File)

How a carjacking in Connecticut led back to a man known as the crypto ‘Godfather’ in California

Dave Collins, The Associated Press 5 minute read Preview

How a carjacking in Connecticut led back to a man known as the crypto ‘Godfather’ in California

Dave Collins, The Associated Press 5 minute read Yesterday at 4:48 PM CDT

On a leafy Connecticut road in the summer of 2024, would-be kidnappers pulled a couple from their Lamborghini SUV, beat them in broad daylight and threw them into a van, only to be arrested shortly thereafter as multiple witnesses, including a passing off-duty FBI agent, called police.

The investigation would lead police to some sensational findings.

The attack turned out to be linked to a $245 million Bitcoin heist the month before involving the couple's son. And this week, a California cryptocurrency mogul who authorities say called himself “The Godfather” and had previously hired off-duty sheriff’s deputies to strongarm his enemies admitted to orchestrating the attempted abduction to get a piece of the son's stolen loot.

The California man, 25-year-old Adam Iza, pleaded guilty Monday to conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery. Federal prosecutors are seeking a prison term of at least 14 years when he's sentenced.

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Yesterday at 4:48 PM CDT

Health

Beryl Lipton, left, douses Matt Lee during the ice bucket challenge at Boston's Copley Square, Thursday, Aug. 7, 2014 to raise funds and awareness for ALS. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)

Quebec researchers identify mechanism that could halt the progression of ALS

Jean-Benoit Legault, The Canadian Press 3 minute read Preview

Quebec researchers identify mechanism that could halt the progression of ALS

Jean-Benoit Legault, The Canadian Press 3 minute read Yesterday at 12:32 PM CDT

MONTRÉAL - A research team from Quebec has identified a mechanism that may be able to halt the paralysis caused by amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS.

ALS is neurodegenerative disease sometimes known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. It attacks the neurons which control movement, leading to rapid paralysis. 

The disease is incurable with a life expectance of two to five years after diagnosis.

Professor Kessen Patten of the Institut national de la recherche scientifique, who led the new study, says most other research has centred on the motor regions of the brain.

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Yesterday at 12:32 PM CDT

Science & Technology

Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation Evan Solomon arrives for a meeting of the federal cabinet on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, on Tuesday, June 2, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang

Federal government’s new AI strategy will emphasize trust, minister says

Anja Karadeglija, The Canadian Press 3 minute read Preview

Federal government’s new AI strategy will emphasize trust, minister says

Anja Karadeglija, The Canadian Press 3 minute read Updated: Yesterday at 4:02 PM CDT

OTTAWA - The federal government’s new artificial intelligence strategy will look to build trust in AI, Artificial Intelligence Minister Evan Solomon said Tuesday just days before he is expected to finally make the plan public.

"It'll be lots on trust, lots on empowering workers, lots on building Canada. You'll see the details later this week," Solomon told reporters.

The long-awaited AI strategy is set to be released this week. The federal government has said it will include new privacy and online safety laws.

Solomon said trust is "absolutely vital" and upcoming legislation on online harms and privacy will be an important element in building that trust.

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Updated: Yesterday at 4:02 PM CDT

Science & Technology

FILE - A Blue Origin New Glenn rocket stands ready for launch at the Cape Canaveral Space Force station in Cape Canaveral, Fla., April 18, 2026. (AP Photo/John Raoux, File)

Blue Origin says rocket explosion spared fuel tanks and key launch pad parts

Marcia Dunn, The Associated Press 3 minute read Preview

Blue Origin says rocket explosion spared fuel tanks and key launch pad parts

Marcia Dunn, The Associated Press 3 minute read Yesterday at 9:47 AM CDT

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin said Tuesday that last week’s rocket explosion spared fuel tanks and some other critical parts of the launch pad.

Critical to NASA's Artemis moon program, the company's massive New Glenn rocket blew up during an engine-firing test at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. A lightning tower and the transporter-erector used to move and hoist the rocket were destroyed in the blast that sent shock waves across the state.

CEO Dave Limp said the methane, hydrogen and oxygen tanks look to be in good shape. The water tank is also fine and the support tower that's still standing can be repaired in place. A booster and other rocket parts housed nearby were not damaged.

Overall, this was “a bit of good news,” Limp said in an X update, adding: “We will fly again before the end of this year.”

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Yesterday at 9:47 AM CDT

Environment

FILE - An offshore wind farm is visible from the beach in Hartlepool, England, Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2019. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein, File)

The UK government has set a target of an 87% cut in carbon emissions by 2042

The Associated Press 2 minute read Preview

The UK government has set a target of an 87% cut in carbon emissions by 2042

The Associated Press 2 minute read Yesterday at 8:26 AM CDT

LONDON (AP) — The British government said Tuesday that it's sticking to its net-zero goal, despite pressure on energy supplies from global conflicts, and will reduce the United Kingdom's planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions by 87% of 1990 levels in the next decade and a half.

The U.K. has a legally binding target, set in 2008, of achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050. By law, the government must legislate for emissions caps for future five-yearly budgets on a strict timetable.

Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said that the government will accept the advice of its independent Climate Change Committee of an 87% target for the next budget, covering the years 2038 to 2042.

The government argues that moving to clean energy will reduce the country's exposure to fuel-price shocks like those seen from the Russia-Ukraine war and the conflict in the Middle East.

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Yesterday at 8:26 AM CDT

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