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Walker and Paredes hit HRs, 4 pitchers combine for shutout as Astros beat Rays 2-0
Walker led off the fourth inning with his 20th home run of the season, giving him five consecutive 20-homer seasons.
Michigan Business Development Program’s deals are plentiful; its results are not
Subsidy workhorse sets modest goals and fails to meet them
White House report accuses Smithsonian leadership of radical ideology
The White House has accused Smithsonian Institution leadership of adopting a divisive ideological framework that erases American heritage.
Dodgers notes: Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman, Yoshinobu Yamamoto
The Dodgers are riding high during their final homestand of the first half, taking a commanding 3-0 series lead over the San Diego Padres after shutting them out 3-0 on Saturday. The latter game’s success was done without Shohei Ohtani in the lineup, as the two-way superstar was absent after striking out nine hitters in […]
Guardians Lose 3-1 To White Sox
This was a pretty underwhelming game from the offense. They faced a good pitcher in Burke, but boy did they make him look great. A solo HR from Hedgey in the 5th is the only thing that kept this one from being a shutout. Hedges is now hitting .281 with a .756 OPS on the […]
Yoshinobu Yamamoto shines in Dodgers’ shutout win
The Padres never had a chance against Yoshinobu Yamamoto at his best, dominating in this shutout win
'We can't see the ball': Thick fog at Wrigley Field forces delay, shuts down ABS challenge system in Cardinals-Cubs
No one could see what was happening at Wrigley Field, including the Hawk-Eye cameras.
Should celebrities and athletes shut up about politics? It’s complicated.
The POLITICO Poll finds that a majority of Americans think there’s too much politics in places it doesn’t belong. But they can still be influenced by what their favorite stars and businesses say.
Cases of Legionnaires’ Disease on Manhattan’s Upper East Side jumps to 10: NYC health officials
Council Speaker Julie Menin and other city officials were alerted to the significant increase as the city continues to check cooling towers in the affected areas to see if the potentially deadly bacteria has spread.
A hidden weakness in deadly cancers could lead to powerful new treatments
A UCLA study has identified a hidden Achilles' heel in aggressive small cell cancers that have resisted new treatments for decades. Scientists found that tumors lacking the RB gene become critically dependent on the protein E2F3 for survival. Blocking E2F3 shut down tumor growth in laboratory models, and existing FDA-approved drugs may be able to exploit this vulnerability. The discovery could pave the way for faster development of more effective therapies.
Sweet Tomatoes plots return after Covid-linked liquidation
Fort Myers is one of two cities nationally that Sweet Tomatoes has chosen for its rebirth after shuttering its 97 restaurants in 2020. And diners are loving it.
Basallo homers and Rogers battles, Orioles beat Reds 3-0
It was the team’s second shutout of the season
Austin business closures: 15 spots that shut in 2026
The city has seen more than a dozen closure so far this year.
Orange County restaurants shut down by health inspectors (June 25-July 2)
There were 10 restaurants and food establishments ordered closed by Orange County inspectors from June 25 to July 2.
Mesa Business Builder Offers Support for Local Entrepreneurs
Mesa Business Builder provides free consulting to help local businesses grow and succeed, reflecting the city's commitment to entrepreneurship. Mesa Business Builder Offers Support for Local Entrepreneurs
3 arrested, guns and drugs seized after Birmingham Police shut down ‘illegal business’
Birmingham Police announced they conducted a coordinated operation that resulted in the shutdown of an “illegally operating business.”
Illegal business shut down, guns and drugs found
Illegal business shut down, guns and drugs found
Oppressive Heat Alters Plans for 250th Celebrations in Washington
The 100-degree-plus heat that has enveloped the nation’s capital shut down the Great American State Fair until 5 p.m. on Friday.
Extreme heat bears down as America 250 celebrations ramp up
The Great American State Fair, on the National Mall in Washington, shut down in the early afternoon Friday due to the heat
Extreme heat bears down as America 250 celebrations ramp up
The Great American State Fair, on the National Mall in Washington, shut down in the early afternoon Friday due to the heat
What Is The Point Of A Video Game Console Now?
"I’m just like ehhhh. That new Naughty Dog game will probably be good, but I don’t need to buy a now-$900 PS5 Pro to play it"
National Science Foundation's X-Labs initiative draws fire as 'terrible idea'
Criticism comes from former presidential science adviser and NSF director Neal Lane
Browns player dodges question Steelers fans want answered
A Cleveland Browns defender shut down the question Pittsburgh Steelers fans want answered most.
Cubs Minor League Wrap: Smokies shut out Columbus, 1-0
Iowa, Knoxville and Myrtle Beach all win. South Bend gets walloped.
Popular Windsor egg farm exits egg business amid hard times for small farms
Tiffany Holbrook, co-owner at Wise Acre Farm, announced this week that the farm shut down its local egg operations and will move to a new location in Sonoma County to focus on meat production. She said the realities and costs of running the…
No, Xbox's Obsidian studio ISN'T shutting down — new comments dispute closure claims
Fresh rumors claimed Obsidian could shut down, but a new report says the acclaimed Xbox studio isn't going anywhere.
Popular TV-tracking app TV Time is shutting down as company focuses on AI
TV Time, the popular TV tracking app, is shutting down on July 15 as parent company Whip Media pivots toward enterprise AI products.
Obsidian Entertainment is NOT in ‘Deep in Negotiation’ with Microsoft, per new Report *Updated
Update: Everyone’s favourite video game journalist, Bloomberg’s Jason Schrier has shared a brief post on social media that refutes the report detailed below: Despite a report this morning, I can confirm that Obsidian is not in negotiations to avoid shutting down. Plenty of details are still up in the air surrounding the layoffs (picture will […]
Scientists fear cuts may shut radio telescope
The site is part of e-MERLIN, a globally significant group of seven radio telescopes across the UK.
Busy Cobb County road shut down after large business fire
This is a breaking news story. We’ll bring you all the latest developments, LIVE on Channel 2 Action News This Morning from 4:30 a.m. to 9 a.m.
Opinion: Proposed federal grant rules are attempt to ‘muzzle’ science | Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
A proposed overhaul in how federal grants are awarded is aimed at shutting down scientific research on disfavored topics such as health disparities, climate change, gender identity, and vaccines, according to Harvard Chan School’s Nancy Krieger.
Everett water main break forces business closures
Water service along a section of West Marine View Drive was shut off around 1 p.m. Tuesday. The city expects to restore it Wednesday afternoon.
AI Roadshow — An AI Ally for Human Health
Join Argonne National Laboratory and The International Museum for Surgical Science for An AI Ally for Human Health.
Sony announces an end to the PS3 and Vita digital stores
The company describes it as "not an easy decision to make", and describes it as a resource allocation decision.
Sony Shutting Down PlayStation Store for New Purchases on PS3 and Vita
Sony has announced the closure of its PlayStation Store on the PS3 and Vita, beginning next month in certain countries.
Sony will cease production of discs for new PlayStation games in 2028
New games sold for PlayStation consoles will only be available digitally and won’t be sold on discs effective January 2028, Sony has announced. The move applies to all PlayStation games released from that point on, including those made by Sony and those released by third parties. The PlayStation group calls the change “a natural direction for Sony Interactive Entertainment to adapt to consumer trends as the general preference for digital media significantly outpaces physical discs,” according to a PlayStation blog post reviewed by Game File in advance of its publication. As movies, TV and music have shifted from physical media to an age of downloads and streaming, Sony’s move could speed the demise of physical media in a gaming. The industry has offered consumers games via cartridges, cassettes, floppy discs, CDs, DVDs and Blu-Rays across a 50-year stretch. Sony has been reporting to investors in recent years that PlayStation games have been increasingly purchased as downloads, not as discs. The most recent figures show nearly four in five purchases of full games for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 were purchased digitally in the past year. Stats like that may cause today’s news to carry an air of the inevitable. But Sony’s declaration for 2028 is still likely to produce a shock, as the biggest gaming platform on the planet that uses game discs leaves them behind. Discs going away, but the fate of game boxes is unknown Sony is committing to still selling games in physical retailers even after they drop discs in 2028. Just how those games will be sold—in boxes with codes inside, as cards marked with digital redemption codes—is unclear. Digital games will also continue to be sold in the online PlayStation Store. New games released for PlayStation consoles prior to January 2028 will be unaffected by the policy change, Sony says. That means the PS5 games of 2027, be they a new Madden, a new God of War, a new Call of Duty, a new Sly Cooper (one can dream?), would still potentially be offered on disc. PlayStation 6 implications Sony’s timeline for a transition to a no-disc era will also spin up more speculation about the timing and configuration of Sony’s next-generation console, the probable PlayStation 6. “This pretty much guarantees that PS6 won’t arrive until 2028 at the earliest,” Piers Harding-Rolls, senior games research analyst at Ampere Analysis tells Game File. Harding-Rolls also concludes from today’s news that “the base version of a PS6 will not include a physical media drive,” as Sony looks to keep costs down on the device. Sony itself is saying nothing about the PS6 today: not its timing, nor how it might or might not support internal or external disc drives in order to run disc-based PS4 and PS5 games, should the console be backwards compatible. The many signs this was coming Industry support for games being released on physical media has been waning. As has consumer interest in them. PC games effectively went all-digital years ago, thanks to the popularity of playing games through Steam and other digital storefronts. The Covid-19 pandemic and the lockdowns that kept much of the global population home helped shift shopping patterns toward downloads. Sony’s own data shows PlayStation game downloads being an uncommon consumer choice a decade ago and now becoming the norm. On consoles, physical media has been in such decline that Sony and Microsoft both launched their current gen Xbox Series and PS5 consoles in 2020 with cheaper versions that lacked disc drives. In early 2024, Phil Spencer, then head of Xbox, told me that ““[w]e ship games physically and digitally, and we’re really just following what the customers are doing.” He added that the game industry had become an outlier in still supporting disc-based entertainment, even as movies and TV have bailed on discs in favor of downloads and steaming: “Gaming consoles themselves have kind of become the last consumer electronic device that has a drive. And this is a real issue, just in terms of the number of manufacturers that are actually building drives and the cost associated with those. And when you think about cogs that we’re going to go put in a console—and as you have fewer suppliers and fewer buyers—the cost of the drive does have an impact.” Last year, the Nintendo’s Switch 2, which uses cartridges rather than discs, introduced the concept of game-key cards, which are physical media that contain no game, just a prompt for a download. Even disc-based games aren’t what they once were, now frequently containing just stubs of games rather than the whole thing. The website Does It Play has tested over 3000 games and found that, for example, that the disc version of this year’s hit 007: First Light, only contained the game’s first mission, with the rest needing to be downloaded. Beyond all that, last week brought the news that Grand Theft Auto VI, likely the biggest game launch this decade, will debut for PS5 and Xbox Series without a disc-based version. Today’s big news comes to you for free. Game File is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and ensure more of my work is possible, please consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Subscribe Discs helped define PlayStation However the trends in entertainment may be going, it is still remarkable to see PlayStation ditch discs given their importance in PlayStation history: In the late 1990s, the first PlayStation’s support for games on relatively cheap CD-ROMs instead of traditional game cartridges allowed the upstart console to outmaneuver cartridge-based systems from Nintendo and Sega, as it drove down game prices down in the process. (The cheaper disc format even prompted Final Fantasy VII maker Square to taunt Nintendo in a magazine ad, saying that if the game was “available on cartridge, it’d retail for around $1200.”) PlayStation devices often doubled as machines for watching movies and TV on the latest disc-based formats. In the late 2000s, for example, Sony’s pricy PS3 gained traction as a go-to device for playing then-novel Blu-Ray discs. In 2013, Sony effectively roasted the digital game-sharing restrictions proposed by rival Microsoft for its upcoming Xbox One console by showing how games could be shared for the then-upcoming PS4. In a 21-second clip that has over 20 million views on YouTube, one PlayStation executive simply handed a game box—presumably with disc inside—to another, who said “thanks.” Sony’s possible motivations The PlayStation announcement today cites “consumer preferences” and a shift away from discs among “the broader entertainment industry,” but does not delve into the decision-making process that brought Sony to this point. Sony is not discussing the economics of this move (I asked!), but there are a number of potential factors: Abandoning discs will spare Sony the cost of manufacturing and shipping them, which analysts and industry veterans I spoke to said could account for $1 or so of a game’s retail price. For first-party games, that’s direct savings for Sony, though the amount is limited by the winnowing percentage of people who were even buying the disc-based versions. For third-party games, Sony could pass the savings on to partners or just retain the better profit margin for themselves. As the 2024 comments from Phil Spencer alluded to, leaving discs behind could mean leaving disc-drives behind, allowing Sony to produce consoles more cheaply. Switching to digital-only for games could diminish the risks of copies of new games leaking. It would also seemingly make second-hand sales of used games impossible, pushing more people to buy their own copies of games. These economic benefits for Sony could be boons for the games industry overall, Ampere analyst Piers Harding-Rolls tells Game File. Among other things, it could free publishers and retailers from having to worry about securing an inventory of game discs when trying to sell games, he noted. “If there is a way to streamline the business of games retail, I generally think it’s a good thing for the industry as it removes unnecessary costs,” Harding-Rolls said. “This will help offset pressure on margins from other directions – development and staffing costs for example.” Should the industry shift from game boxes that contain discs to smaller, cheaper game cards, Harding-Rolls said, that reduces pressure on publishers and retailers. “The advantage of everything going digital for the industry is that sales can be tracked much more easily and there is less commercial risk for publishers wanting to continue selling via retail,” he said. The shift to no discs will also likely impact game development timelines, as developers will no longer face the same urgency to have a build ready to submit to PlayStation for the production of a disc, as industry experts noted around GTA VI’s no-disc news last week. Instead, projects may gain weeks of development time, in the event delivery deadlines for platform approval move closer to release date. Preservationists’ likely worries While millions of gamers have shifted to digital, there are still people who associate game discs—and only game discs—with actual ownership of PlayStation games. That portion of the gaming community spoke up last week about wanting to buy a version of GTA VI that they could hold in their hands, could lend to a friend and could potentially pop into a well-preserved PS5 console three decades from now and still see it run. Such gamers didn’t want to worry that they’d merely purchased a digital copy that could lose access to the game if, say, the company behind the game someday turns of the servers that transmit downloadable copies. Digital copies of games are inherently less long-lasting, because consumers aren’t actually buying a game (on a disc), just buying access to the game. The fine print in online gaming shops notes this, as does a recent law that went on the books in California in 2025. That lasw requires game publishers doing business in the state to refrain from words like “sell” when offering digital copies of games, unless they explicitly tell consumers that what’s being sold isn’t the game itself but a potentially revocable license to access it. A Sony spokesperson noted to Game File that “[w]ith all digital content, including games, movies, and music, players are purchasing a personal license for non-commercial use.” Regarding the fears of PlayStation games being lost to time in an all-digital era, the rep also noted that Sony remains “committed to delivering experiences from past generations to the new platforms our players are using.” They noted that PlayStation has used emulation and remasters to keep offering its classic games to modern gamers. It’s true that many consumers have become accustomed to not having physical copies of new music albums or movies, but the relative precariousness of digital copies of games is in fact being highlighted today by…. Sony’s other big announcement: the upcoming closure of the PS3 and PS Vita online stores Sony said today that it will be closing the online marketplaces for its PlayStation 3 console and PS Vita handheld in most countries in July 2027 (sooner elsewhere: August 2026 for the PS3 store Mexico, Honduras and Nicaragua; late 2026 for PS3 in other Latin American countries and the Middle East). “We know this news may be disappointing to PS3 and PS Vita players who hold a special place in their hearts for this generation of gaming,” Sony said in its announcement, saying the move “was not an easy decision for us to make.” Sony said that PS3 and Vita marketplaces “are no longer able” to support modern commerce systems, prompting a “need” to close the shops and focus on more modern PlayStation platform stores. The news may spark some deja vu. Sony announced back in March 2021 that it planned to take the PS3, Vita and PlayStation Portable marketplaces offline that summer. The move would have caused some 2,000 digital-only games to become unavailable for new purchasers, according to a VGC analysis at the time. Fans complained loudly. By April 2021, Sony walked back the PS3 and Vita shop closures, with then PlayStation boss Jim Ryan saying “it’s clear that we made the wrong decision here.” This time around, Sony is giving a longer notice period in most regions. The closure of those stores is still likely to cut off access to new purchases of digital-only PS3 and Vita games. The current PlayStation 5 marketplace sells PS5 and PS4 games, as well as a selection of PS1 and PS2 games. It does not sell PS3 games, because games for that platform can’t run on the system (some are offered via a PlayStation Plus streaming option). Vita games also aren’t sold via PS5. Sony says digitally purchased PS3 and Vita games will be downloadable after the stores’ shutdowns “for the foreseeable future.” Sony’s move contrasts with Microsoft’s Xbox platform, which continues to sell and support games from all four Xbox console generations. But it puts it in line with Nintendo, which disabled purchases in the marketplace for its Wii console (a contemporary of the PS3) in 2019. Nintendo discontinued purchases in the online shop for its 3DS portable (a contemporary of the Vita) in 2023. The big questions about Sony’s 2028 post-disc era Will Microsoft follow suit, ending support for new disc-based games on Xbox platforms and therefore all game consoles, too? Whether Microsoft does or not, will third-parties that can no longer release games on discs for PlayStation, simply ditch the disc options across the board? Given the GTA VI no-disc experiment launching this November, will more game publishers decide to forgo disc-based offerings even in 2027? How will no-disc PS5/6 games be packaged and sold in brick-and-mortar retail stores? What becomes of game sharing in an all-digital era? Will Sony modify its current set-up, which currently allows some sharing of digital games across a pair of consoles, to allow more casual lending? (See for example, Nintendo’s year-old system of letting players lend a digital game to another player in a “family group” for up to 14 days.) Will there be a version of a PS6 with a disc drive? Or will a drive be offered as an add-on? And how will gamers who want to retain access to PS4/PS5 disc-based games react to whichever configurations Sony chooses to offer? What will the final disc-based PlayStation game be?
UNESCO convenes scientific community for global conference on science
UNESCO invites you to the Global Conference of the International Decade of Sciences for Sustainable Development taking place from 15 to 17 July 2026 at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, with ministers
The PlayStation Stores On PlayStation 3 And Vita Are Shutting Down
Starting this year and into 2027, Sony is sunsetting the digital storefront for two of its oldest online store platforms.
Anthropic debuts AI-driven pharma R&D tool, Claude Science
Anthropic launches Claude Science as big tech companies increasingly eye expansion in the wider healthcare and life sciences space.
Port Arthur businesses demand better notice after water line break halts operations
A series of water line breaks in Port Arthur left some local restaurants without water and with little warning, forcing them to scramble, shut down service and
Getty Images Plans to End Shutterstock Deal After U.K. Imposes Conditions
Getty Images plans to terminate its merger agreement with Shutterstock after a U.K. regulator said the latter company must sell its editorial business in order for the merger to be approved.
Xbox weighs canceling Blade game and shuttering Arkane
Microsoft could shut at least five studios as part of big Xbox layoffs starting next week.
US bill requiring paid games to be playable after they shut down has failed to pass a Senate vote
Stop Killing Games says it will try again with “the funding to do this properly”…
Wauwatosa business calls for lawmakers to save hemp
In November, most hemp in Wisconsin will be illegal. Wisconsin's estimated $700 million-dollar industry will shut down.
Xbox is reportedly considering closing State of Decay developer Undead Labs
Having a promising project like State of Decay 3 in development is seemingly not enough to save Undead Labs from being shuttered, according to new reports.
Inside the new space shuttle ‘Endeavour’ exhibit at California Science Center
NBC News’ Gadi Schwartz previews the new exhibit at the California Science Center, where visitors will soon be able to view NASA’s space shuttle Endeavour in its ready-to-launch position.
Addison Barger Will Be Out Longer
The start of another series, and all I’m thinking is ‘don’t be swept’. That stuff about Addison Barger being back soon? Not so much. He has a ‘stress reaction in his back’. I guess that means stress fracture, but he’ll be shut down for two more weeks. So let’s hope that he might be back […]
Databricks and Nvidia Launch Genesis Workbench for AI Scientists
AI is becoming an increasingly important tool for drug discovery. However, for many pharmaceutical and biotech companies, the challenge isn’t finding more powerful models. It’s getting existing models to work […]
‘Our goal is compliance and safety’: Brownsville mayor on Midtown Entertainment District shutdowns
Editor’s note: The video above is from previous coverage. HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — In a statement on Sunday, Brownsville Mayor John Cowen said the city’s priority is safety fo…
Mayo Clinic Q&A: Watch out for summer sports injuries in youth and adult athletes
DEAR MAYO CLINIC: Our teenagers are both student athletes and active in their sports year-round. I'm concerned about injuries that could sideline them. What should we watch for? ANSWER: As the school year ends, summer sports heat up for students and adults alike. Summer may be a prime season for a sport, such as baseball […]
Add Lynn Bartels to Colorado’s roll call of legends
A few weeks after the Rocky Mountain News shut its doors forever in 2009, more than 600 Republicans gathered for the state party’s annual Centennial Dinner. Lamenting the historic significance of the loss of one of Colorado’s great daily newspapers, the state chairman noted the presence that evening of former Rocky political reporter Lynn Bartels […]
Israel missing out on global life sciences recovery
IATI's annual report for 2025 portrays general stagnation in the Israeli industry. with one or two bright spots.
Northern AZ business stays open for community during power shutoff
Arizona Public Service cut electricity to about 8,000 homes and businesses in the Flagstaff and Grand Canyon area Saturday morning.
Orange County restaurants shut down by health inspectors (June 18-25)
There were five restaurants and food establishments ordered closed by Orange County inspectors from June 18 to June 25.
LVMH and Accor's Orient Express sets its sights on new tech billionaire class
Shuttling across the French and Italian Riviera, Orient Express's first giant yacht aims to attract a new class of billionaire.
Nia Long explains why she turned down Prince's advances
Nia Long explained why she once shut down Prince's advances when she was young, and said that she later met the musician again when she'd gained more notoriety in Hollywood.
Schwebel Baking Company to shut down after 120 years in business
Trump Administration Shut Down Climate Website, Former NOAA Employees Have Just Brought It Back
In June 2025, Climate.gov was shut down by an executive order that implied it did not meet the current administration's standards. Climate scientists have just brought the data back.
Game On Retro owner plans entertainment empire expansion, Coram movie theater transformation
Plans include opening a new arcade, store and transforming a shuttered movie theater in Coram.
Notion shutting down its AI-powered email client, including Mac and iOS apps
Last year, Notion expanded its productivity suite to include Notion Mail, an AI-powered email client. Today, the company announced that...
Merck KGaA to buy Bio-Techne for $11.3bn in life science footprint expansion
The deal is Merck’s largest since 2015, when it spent $17bn on acquiring Sigma-Aldrich, also a life sciences specialist.
Brownsville shuts down seven businesses in city's entertainment district over code violations
Seven late-night businesses along Brownsville's Pablo Kisel Boulevard entertainment district have been ordered to close after the city revoked their certificates of occupancy for code and safety ordinance violations.
How should European scientists respond to the US AI kill switch?
Earlier in June, Europe’s worst fears of technological dependence were confirmed when the White House ordered the AI firm Anthropic to stop non-US citizens using its leading models. This kill-switch moment crystalised anxieties in Brussels that the continent, lagging the US on the creation of leading-edge AI models, is now a technological of vassal of Washington. The shock has specific implications for European scientists and universities. Some governments are now worried that with AI being integrated into labs, Donald Trump now has his finger hovering over an off switch for European science. “Having restrictions on this tool, it can have an impact on our own research,” said France’s research minister, Philippe Baptiste, at the VivaTech conference in Paris on June 18.Baptiste, himself a former academic, said that colleagues in mathematics had recently warned him they were now cut off from leading-edge US models, risking their work. “This model is not available anymore now because of the US restriction, and for the first time this had an impact on mathematics,” a field where large language models (LLMs) are making a significant contribution, said Baptiste. So, should European scientists avoid relying on US models in the future? Or would this be a self-harming overreaction? And how is AI being used in science, anyway? What happened?On June 12, it emerged that Washington, citing cybersecurity concerns, had ordered Anthropic to stop non-US citizens using two models: Claude Mythos 5, and Claude Fable 5, a version of Mythos but with guardrails to prevent abuse. Anthropic said Washington’s concerns were overblown. But forced to follow the order, yet with no way to check who was using the models, the company suddenly shut down access for everyone, US citizens included. There’s still no agreement on how to restore broad access. But last week, Bloomberg reported that select US companies, and the US government, still had access to Mythos despite the ban, but the EU’s cybersecurity agency Enisa had been shut out. Class division of researchersIn the longer term, access outside the US should be restored, said Marcel Salathé, co-director of the AI centre at the Federal Polytechnic School of Lausanne (EPFL), because a permanent restriction would be financially ruinous to US AI firms. “Even Trump will eventually budge to economic pressure,” he said.However, US AI firms might end up operating rather like banks, doing due diligence on users of their leading-edge AI models, he went on.European scientists are unlikely to fall foul of such checks, he said. But having a Chinese postgraduate in their lab, or doing a type of research the US disapproved of, could potentially result in access being denied. “It will create a sort of class division of researchers,” he said. More than frontier modelsHowever, successfully deploying AI in science is about far more than just having access to leading LLMs such as Mythos.Instead, many science-specific tools, most famously Alphafold, which predicts protein folding structures, require “far less” computing power to train than frontier models, well within the capabilities of European supercomputers, according to a recent analysis by the Arq Foundation, a Brussel-based AI think tank. Instead, tools such as Alphafold are possible because certain fields, like protein folding, weather prediction or astronomy, have large, clean, standardised datasets that can be used to train predictive models. Rather than compute, “data is the central constraint for AI for science,” the report says. For example, a less powerful physics model trained on CERN’s data “will be more valuable than the best model without certain data,” said Bengüsu Özcan, author of the report. European advantage?Europe could therefore steal a march by using its scientific data and infrastructure to create models US digital giants cannot. “They might actually match or go even beyond what these big [US] companies are doing,” said Özcan.Indeed, some European start-ups hope to create automated testing labs to create the kind of standardised data that could speed up the discovery of new materials. Materials scientists say there’s currently too little data to train models. AI scientistsHowever, even if the bottleneck for AI in science is often data, rather than compute, being at the mercy of the US for LLM access could still become a problem for European scientists. A new class of “AI scientists” based on leading LLMs is also emerging, Özcan’s report says.Unlike domain-specific tools like Alphafold, these try to automate day-to-day scientific work, by providing an overarching tool that coordinates specific models to synthesise existing literature, generate hypotheses or run analysis of data. The problem for Europe, however, is that these tools are sometimes based on US leading models. Google Deepmind’s AI Co-Scientist, for example, is built on Google’s Gemini LLM. Systematic failureThese scientific automation tools are still in their early stages, and still exhibit “systematic failures on scientific tasks,” Özcan’s report says. One of the problems is that the messy, day-to-day process of scientific discovery is largely not documented, meaning LLMs don’t have a good source of data to learn how scientists actually work. Meanwhile, some tasks, such as literature synthesis, don’t typically require access to leading edge models.However, the performance of AI scientific assistants could improve as companies such as Google pour resources into developing them. Rely on US“Unfortunately, for scientific assistants, there is not much we can do right now except rely on US frontier AI,” said Antoine Bosselut, a natural language processing expert based at EPFL. Chinese-built open models, which can run on local computers, lessening the risk of a shutdown, are touted as one alternative to US dependence. There’s also Mistral, once seen as Europe’s main AI hope, but the Paris-based company has seen its recent models fall behind in performance. But the Chinese alternatives are generally not as capable as US frontier AI models, said Bosselut, unless paired with fiddly, custom tools that allows them to act as independent agents. “Most scientists do not have the time,” he said. Don’t jump ship yetAlthough the kill switch moment is seen a warning shot for European scientists, it doesn’t mean labs should abandon US AI tools immediately. “I do not think the right response is simply to abandon US-based models and systems under the banner of sovereignty or independence,” said Mattias Björnmalm, secretary general of the Cesaer university association. “That would be an overreaction.”Related articlesEuropean sovereignty in AI requires ‘ugly trade-offs,’ say experts Robotic lab start-up makes case for €500M EU-funded materials testing facilityAI in science: is it useful? Instead, European researchers need to ask themselves whether they’re becoming dependent on technology that could be turned off in Washington, said Özcan. “They might not see this today, but they should really start asking this question,” she said. European researchers need a plan B, said Salathé. “I would recommend to every researcher, very proactively explore alternatives.”Own toolsIn addition, Björnmalm and others want European research institutions to develop their own scientific AI tools.Instead of signing AI deals with US digital giants, European universities should be using this money to create their own models, which may end up being superior for research, said Sabine Leonelli, an expert on the use of AI in science at the Technical University of Munich. “Universities in Europe seem to be happy to sign commercial contracts with US companies on the assumption [their AI tools] are better,” she said. But US frontier LLMs are typically opaque, and have been developed without independent scientific input, she said. “This is not good enough for science.”Last year, Swiss researchers released Apertus, an LLM designed to be completely transparent, from its development methods to its training data. The idea is that this makes scientific tools built on top of the model far more reproducible than with closed, commercial alternatives.“Europe needs more of this: serious capacity-building that gives researchers, universities and companies credible options,” said Björnmalm.
We finally have an opening date for the California Science Center’s space shuttle–centric expansion
Space Shuttle Endeavour is in place, and the Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center is (almost) ready for takeoff.
Space Shuttle Endeavour: California Science Center unveils vertical shuttle display
The California Science Center Wednesday provided the first public view of space shuttle Endeavour inside its permanent home -- in upright launch position with two rocket boosters and an external fuel tank.
Suit alleges new NCAA rule unfair to high school Class of 2022
Less than 24 hours after the NCAA Division I Cabinet approved a monumental change in eligibility rules, a group of 15 college basketball players filed a lawsuit iclaiming the new age-based model unfairly shuts them out of further competition.
New exhibit housing Endeavour Space Shuttle set to open at California Science Center in November
The Endeavour Space Shuttle will be housed in the newly built Samuel Oschin Shuttle Gallery.
House speaker looks to reconciliation process to pass Trump's voter ID bill
Johnson suggested tying election integrity proposals to a federal grant program
House speaker looks to reconciliation process to pass Trump's voter ID bill
Johnson suggested tying election integrity proposals to a federal grant program
CALIFORNIA SCIENCE CENTER TO OPEN THE SAMUEL OSCHIN AIR AND SPACE CENTER ON NOVEMBER 13, 2026
/PRNewswire/ -- The California Science Center announced today that the Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center, the permanent home of Space Shuttle Endeavour, will...
California Science Center visitors will see space shuttle Endeavour in launch position this fall
The Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center will be free to visit, just in time for the 2028 Olympics.
First look at the Endeavor Space Shuttle at the California Science Center
Science fans will soon get the chance to see the Space Shuttle Endeavor in its ready-to-launch position at the California Science Center in Exposition Park this November.
Fresh closures hit city's hospitality businesses
The Cube Hotel shuts suddenly along with its Marco Pierre White restaurant and a Stirchley cafe.
Shuttered Public Market bar misses World Cup business
An eviction dispute has shuttered The Pine Bar at Boston Public Market, just as downtown perks up around the World Cup.
Businesses seek more help after sinkhole closure
Businesses say they are still struggling after a sinkhole shut a high street for more than a year.
California Science Center sets Space Shuttle Endeavour opening date
On Nov. 13, the California Science Center's Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center will open to visitors as the final phase of its 33-year-long master plan.
Central Florida restaurants forced to shut down over health concerns
Last week, another six Central Florida eateries were told to close after a visit from a health inspector, according to state records.
Longtime employees of beloved Burlingame eatery Alana's Cafe purchase business from retiring owners
The owners of the café had announced that they will be retiring. But instead of shutting its doors, its longtime employees stepped up to the plate.
Science Will Not Save the Abortion Pill : The Hastings Center for Bioethics
The facts are not enough. In addition to using evidence, people who support the legal right to abortion must make the moral case for it.
MIO: Memories In Orbit Developer Douze Dixièmes Shutting Down
It's been reported that MIO: Memories in Orbit developer Douze Dixièmes is shutting down after regaining its independence.
Battle with California city's Democratic Socialist government costs man his business
Kevin Brown invested $2 million to turn an abandoned Richmond shipyard building into a thriving waterfront winery. But after a dispute with the city over rent and lease terms, the business was shut down.
Lexington-Fayette Health Department shuts down mall restaurant
The health department closed down a restaurant in the Fayette Mall after repeated failed inspections according to the Lexington Herald-Leader.
Hodder Tugboat acquires Seaspan's towing business
Hodder Tugboat Co. Ltd., Richmond, British Columbia, has finalized its purchase of the legacy chip and hog fuel barge division of Seaspan Marine, North Vancouver, British Columbia, the companies annou
Records: Rural Michigan ‘overlooked’ in Michigan’s $6B subsidy spending spree
A Bridge analysis finds that the northeast Lower Peninsula got $71 per person in economic development spending since 2022, compared to $854 in west Michigan. Some question the disparities.
Indonesian Academy of Sciences launches journal with Taylor & Francis
Publication will be "source of original research spanning science, technology, mathematics and the social sciences"
Machado homers, King dominates as Padres shutout Braves
The Sporting Tribune's Fernando Ramirez writes that pitcher Michael King has a bounce back outing while Manny Machado homers to beat a talented Atlanta Braves team.
THE WEEK OF JUNE 22, 2026
- NSF reverses ocean observatory shutdown - White House to limit stays of international students - OMB nominee defends grantmaking rule
Community Power Building to Advance Rural Health and Equity
Focus groups with rural health departments revealed core principles and calls to action to better center community voices in decision making.
'Bright' girl's death sparked Bristol's mental health unit's closure
Her death on New Year's Day led to Riverside Adolescent Unit at Blackberry Hill Hospital to shut.
A common vitamin could help fight one of the deadliest brain cancers
A clinical trial is exploring whether high doses of vitamin B3 could give patients with glioblastoma a better chance against the aggressive brain cancer. Scientists found that niacin may help revive immune cells that tumors shut down, allowing them to attack cancer more effectively. Early results have been promising, with patients showing significantly better progression-free survival than expected.
Health clinic in St. Louis loses federal funding. CareSTL was already collapsing.
CareSTL Health, which serves low-income and uninsured patients, has already shuttered four of its five locations.
Basketball powerhouse Putnam Science Academy (Conn.) closing down
Basketball powerhouse Putnam Science Academy (Conn.) is reportedly shutting down due to financial crisis following recent reports.
Luigi Mangione plans to withdraw mental health crisis claims
Luigi Mangione's attorneys have withdrawn their plan to allege at trial that he was undergoing a mental health crisis, court filings revealed on Friday. Mangione pleaded not guilty in 2024 to the murd...
Orange County restaurants shut down by health inspectors (June 11-18)
There were nine restaurants and food establishments ordered closed by Orange County inspectors from June 11 to June 18.
How America's last denim mill survived the collapse of the US clothing industry
Foreign competition has shuttered nearly every US denim mill. We went inside one of the oldest ones left and checked out the high-tech competition.
Free 8-month small business coaching program to expand to Tennessee for entrepreneurs
Tennessee small business owners can now join the waitlist for a free 8-month coaching program offering one-on-one financial mentorship and expert guidance. Applications open late July/early August.
One of My Favorite Xbox Studios Is Being Shut Down – What Xbox Games Are Now Cancelled or Shutting Down Because of the Closures?
Xbox is in the process of a reset, with multiple studios reportedly in danger of closure. What does this mean for the games they're making? We look at which Xbox games could be cancelled, and which are safe.