JQJO — General news · Page 46

In a Gizmodo interview, former CDC leader Demetre Daskalakis portrays the agency in crisis under HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., citing mass firings, a reshaped vaccine advisory panel, and policy changes announced without scientific review. He and other senior officials resigned after director Susan Monarez was fired; he says staffing is down about a quarter. Daskalakis describes a deadly shooting that traumatized workers and alleges political interference by acting director Jim O’Neill and the administration. He argues federal public health is now compromised and urges rebuilding through state and local efforts rather than a damaged CDC.

Samsung unveiled the $1,800 Galaxy XR, the first Android XR headset, quickly likened to a 'Vision Pro Lite' at nearly half Vision Pro’s price. Despite sleek hardware and Apple-like gestures, the article says it’s essentially a polished developer kit amid a sparse app lineup beyond Google Maps, Photos, and routine YouTube 360. Samsung’s 'AI‑native' pitch leans on Gemini, but plans to elevate XR content remain unclear, while Apple pushes features like 8K Immersive Videos. With Meta’s $500 Quest 3 undercutting price, the piece argues XR’s bigger hurdles are purpose and Google’s shaky history in VR.

Europe stands at a climate crossroads as the road to net zero grows steeper. EU leaders arrive in Brussels on Thursday divided over how quickly and how far to drive the green transition. At the center is the European Commission’s proposal to cut emissions 90% by 2040 from 1990 levels. Leaders are unlikely to settle on a specific target at the summit, turning instead to "enabling conditions" meant to shield businesses and consumers from higher bills that could fuel voter backlash.

American Airlines has appointed industry veteran Nat Pieper as its new commercial chief, as its profits trail Delta and United. Pieper, 56, previously led the Oneworld alliance and has held senior roles at Northwest, Delta and Alaska, spanning network, alliances, fleet strategy and finance. He starts Nov. 3, overseeing commercial strategy, the loyalty program, network planning, and revenue and sales. CEO Robert Isom called him a collaborative, results-driven leader. Pieper has urged better technology across partners to make travel more seamless.

Broadway averted a strike early Thursday as the musicians’ union, Local 802 of the American Federation of Musicians, reached a tentative three-year deal with the Broadway League after an 18-hour, mediator-assisted bargaining session that ended at 4:30 a.m. The union said the pact includes wage and health benefit increases and keeps strong contract protections, while withholding specifics until members are notified. The League did not immediately comment. The settlement follows a separate tentative agreement with Actors’ Equity providing 3 percent annual raises and higher health fund contributions. Both deals require member approval, making disruption possible but now unlikely.

Two writers fire up a 'trade machine,' floating six splashy NFL deals ahead of the 4 p.m. Nov. 4 deadline, with each proposal paired with a counterargument. Ideas include Alvin Kamara to the Chiefs, Bradley Chubb to the Eagles, Demario Davis to the 49ers, Mac Jones to the Vikings, Kyle Pitts to the Chiefs, and a Cowboys double move for Trey Hendrickson and Cam Jordan. The piece is purely speculative—'not predictions'—balancing title-chasing upside against roster needs, draft capital, contracts and injuries.

The Trump administration is negotiating equity-for-funding deals with quantum-computing firms, including IonQ, Rigetti Computing and D-Wave Quantum, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing anonymous sources. Quantum Computing Inc. and Atom Computing are weighing similar arrangements. Shares jumped in early Thursday trading: IonQ and D-Wave up 9%, Rigetti 7%, Quantum Computing 11%. The talks echo recent U.S. moves to take stakes in strategic companies, after investments in MP Materials and a roughly 10% position in Intel. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Washington will avoid nonstrategic sectors, as quantum’s economic and security implications loom amid competition with China.

U.S. single-family rents rose 1.4% in August from a year ago, down from July’s 2.3% and the smallest increase in 15 years, Cotality said. Growth cooled across price tiers, with high-end up 1.6% versus 1.1% for low-end. Chicago led at 4.7%, while Dallas fell 0.6% amid a wave of new apartments. Cotality’s Molly Boesel said local factors keep Los Angeles resilient, now slightly above its pre-wildfire January level. Multifamily rents slid 0.8% in September, Apartment List found, as vacancies hit a record 7.1% and the national median fell to $1,394—$48 below its August 2022 peak.

Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman will leave Strictly Come Dancing at the end of the current season, announcing on Instagram they always intended to depart together and that "now feels like the right time." The duo, who have fronted the BBC hit since 2013, said they’ll savor the rest of the series, with their final show airing on this year’s Christmas episode. The BBC hailed their "passion and dedication," calling it "the end of an era," as attention turns to potential replacements amid recent scandals.

On a cloudy morning in southeast Mongolia, paleontologist Chinzorig Tsogtbaatar spotted a gleaming dome on a Cretaceous outcrop—the skull of a new pachycephalosaur. Described in Nature as Zavacephale rinpoche, it is the first definitive early Cretaceous member of the group and 15 million years older than any previously known. Excavation yielded the most complete pachycephalosaur skeleton yet: a juvenile with a fully developed, spike-edged dome, tiny hand bones, stomach stones, and a tail stiffened by bony tendons. Researchers were 'enchanted' and 'stunned,' and the specimen has returned to Mongolia’s Academy of Sciences for safekeeping and study.