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The AI wars begin with new Super Bowl commercials
First it was the Pepsi-Cola war, then it was the PC versus Apple, and now the AI wars have begun.
The burgeoning rivalry between the world's leading artificial intelligence firms moved away from the Silicon Valley boardroom to the television screen on Sunday.
AI startup Anthropic made its Super Bowl LX debut with a high-stakes ad campaign that took a direct swipe at its chief competitor, OpenAI. The commercials, which reportedly cost millions to air during the match-up between the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots, mock OpenAI’s recent decision to introduce advertisements within its popular chatbot, ChatGPT.
One 30-second spot features a young man asking a muscular bystander for workout advice. The bystander responds in a stilted, robotic tone before abruptly pivoting to a sales pitch for shoe insoles that help "short kings stand tall." The ad concludes with a pointed tagline: "Ads are coming to AI. But not to Claude."
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Anthropic, the San Francisco-based firm founded by former OpenAI executives, is positioning itself as the more principled alternative to the Microsoft-backed giant. In a blog post released alongside the campaign, Anthropic said its AI model Claude will "remain ad-free."
"There are many good places for advertising. A conversation with Claude is not one of them," the blog post read. "Claude will remain ad-free. Our users won’t see 'sponsored' links adjacent to their conversations with Claude; nor will Claude’s responses be influenced by advertisers or include third-party product placements our users did not ask for."
Anthropic declined to provide further comment.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman responded to the ads on X, calling them "clearly dishonest" and accused Anthropic of "double speak."
"But I wonder why Anthropic would go for something so clearly dishonest," he wrote. "I guess it’s on brand for Anthropic doublespeak to use a deceptive ad to critique theoretical deceptive ads that aren’t real, but a Super Bowl ad is not where I would expect it."
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Altman defended the decision to test ads in the "Free" and "Go" tiers of ChatGPT as a necessity for maintaining broad accessibility. He contrasted OpenAI’s scale with Anthropic’s, stating that "more Texans use ChatGPT for free than all the people in the United States who use Claude."
"Anthropic serves an expensive product to rich people," Altman added. "We also feel strongly that we need to bring AI to billions of people who can’t pay for subscriptions."
Altman also responded to the ads on the "The Technology Brothers Podcast" with hosts John Coogan and Jordi Hays. He said his company isn't "stupid" and that they respect OpenAI users.
"We’re not stupid," Altman told the hosts. "We respect our users, and we understand that if we did something like what those ads depict, people would rightfully stop using our product."
The company has stated that ads will not influence answers and advertisers will not have access to users' conversations. According to OpenAI, ads will be labeled and at the bottom of the screen.
OpenAI didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
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The "TBPN" hosts, who have become influential voices in the Silicon Valley ecosystem, offered a split verdict on the escalating conflict.
"It’s incredibly clever. And it's incredibly dirty," Hays said, ading that the "gloves are off" between the two companies.
Coogan characterized the ads as "fake newsy," but noted that it represents a significant shift in how these companies view one another.
OpenAI also had a presence during the big game, using airtime to promote its software coding tool, Codex, as it seeks to maintain its dominant market position amid a "code red" competitive environment.
The AI wars are no longer just about who has the smartest model—they are now about who can win the hearts and minds of the largest television audience of the year.
Bad Bunny's halftime show ripped for suspected political message and more top headlines
1. Bad Bunny's halftime show ripped for language barrier, suspected political message
2. Seahawks win Super Bowl LX after dominant defensive performance against Patriots
3. Turning Point USA's alternate halftime show attracts 5M viewers as stars clash
VOICE VERDICT – Viewers defend Charlie Puth's national anthem delivery at Seahawks-Patriots matchup. Continue reading …
ROOKIE TACKLES INVADER – NFL rookie springs into action as spectator runs onto field during Super Bowl. Continue reading …
PAYBACK TIME – Obama admin 'lied to us' about Benghazi attack that killed 4 Americans, Pirro says. Continue reading …
SCOOP – Trump ally Kid Rock gets involved in key governor's race with major endorsement. Continue reading …
DREAMS SHATTERED – Olympian Lindsey Vonn undergoes surgery after terrifying crash during run. Continue reading …
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MAJOR CRACKDOWN – Trump credits federal law enforcement for recent crime drop in major US cities. Continue reading …
GLOBAL FIRE CLUB – Nine countries own the world’s nukes — here’s how their arsenals stack up. Continue reading …
COWBOY ALARM – The single crushing problem American cattle ranchers wish Trump would fix. Continue reading …
FRIEND TURNS FOE – Crowded LA mayoral field grows as progressive councilwoman challenges Bass from the left. Continue reading …
LONE STAR MELTDOWN – Texas Democrats called out over 'egregious circular firing squad behavior' in primary. Continue reading …
DATA DISCONNECT – Schiff defends opposition to requiring photo ID to vote despite broad public support. Continue reading …
LUCK VS GRIT – Maher knocks gambling culture during 'Real Time,' says 'this is still America'. Continue reading …
DRAMATIC EXIT – Washington Post CEO steps down following tense backlash over layoffs. Continue reading …
JACK SPENCER – America can’t duck and cover from Washington’s nuclear waste disposal failure. Continue reading …
PENNY NANCE – What Usha Vance’s pregnancy news tells us about men and women in America. Continue reading …
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STRIPPED FOR GOLD – Snowboarder takes off clothes to celebrate historic Olympic medal in freezing temps. Continue reading …
SPIRITUAL RECKONING – Nick Jonas reflects on faith struggles after family’s church exit and early career setbacks. Continue reading …
AMERICAN CULTURE QUIZ – Test yourself on leading ladies and music milestones. Take the quiz here …
ROUTINE EFFECTS – New research reveals family dinners may help protect teens from alcohol and drug use. Continue reading …
ON FIRE – New system provides better community alerts during wildfires. See video …
JOHN RAMSEY – Father of JonBenet Ramsey says ‘all help’ is beneficial in cases like Nancy Guthrie’s. See video …
TOMI LAHREN – NYC Mayor Mamdani expands sanctuary laws, defends alleged cop-attacker. See video …
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Massie, Khanna to visit DOJ to review unredacted Epstein files
GOP Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna of California have each said that they will visit the Department of Justice on Monday to view unredacted documents from the Epstein files.
The bipartisan duo spearheaded the push to pass the Epstein Files Transparency Act last year.
"The survivors standing in front of the Capitol twice is why @RepThomasMassie & I were able to pass the Epstein Transparency Act. Tomorrow, Massie and I will go together to DOJ to see the unredacted files. We will not rest until the Epstein class is brought to justice," Khanna declared in a Sunday post on X.
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Massie crowdsourced suggestions for which documents he should read.
"Tomorrow I will go to DOJ to view the unredacted Epstein files. Which docs should I view?" the congressman asked in a Sunday post on X.
South Carolina gubernatorial hopeful GOP Rep. Nancy Mace indicated that she was perusing the responses to Massie's post rather than watching the Super Bowl on Sunday.
KEIR STARMER'S CHIEF OF STAFF RESIGNS AFTER RECOMMENDING EPSTEIN-CONNECTED AMBASSADOR
"Headed to the DOJ this week as well. Thank you @RepThomasMassie for the post below; very helpful suggestions from all those who chimed in. I am sifting through the comments now in preparation for my visit, rather than watch the Super Bowl," Mace noted in a post.
Former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who departed from office early last month, responded to Massie's post.
"Any docs talking about ‘jerky’ and ‘pizza,’" she wrote. "And FBI docs with Presidents, Sec of State, any and all government officials, and people profiting from government contracts. Foreign countries Epstein was working for. Names unredacted. No exceptions."
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Massie, Greene, Mace, and GOP Rep. Lauren Boebert of Colorado were the only four House Republicans who signed onto a discharge petition last year in a bid to push the Epstein Files Transparency Act.
President Donald Trump, who is backing a GOP primary challenger running against Massie in Kentucky's 4th Congressional District, called Massie a "moron" while speaking at the National Prayer Breakfast last week.
Forbidden passage? Secret medieval tunnel found beneath ancient pagan graves, archaeologists say
Archaeologists in Germany recently revealed a secret tunnel from the Middle Ages — a tunnel hidden within a much older burial site.
The findings were revealed in a Jan. 29 press release by the State Office for Heritage Management and Archaeology of Saxony-Anhalt (LDA Saxony-Anhalt).
The tunnel was found in the Middle Neolithic burial complex near Reinstedt, Germany. Officials estimate the burial complex was used by members of the Baalberge culture in the 4th millennium B.C.
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Excavators found it late last year ahead of wind turbine construction, officials said.
Some 5,000 years later, an erdstall — or underground tunnel system — was built into the loess, or compact wind-deposited silt, at the site.
The erdstall dates back to the late Middle Ages — and officials said that its purpose is unclear.
"Interpretations of erdstalls range from hiding places to spaces used for cultic activities," the statement said.
The ditch, described as "trapezoidal," was part of a site that contained several "poorly preserved" burials that date to the Late Neolithic period of the 3rd millennium B.C.
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Seeing a stone slab at the northern end of the pit, archaeologists initially believed the feature was a grave — before realizing it was actually an underground tunnel.
Officials said the feature continued downward into the loess beneath the prehistoric site.
Excavators found late medieval pottery, numerous stones and small cavities in the loess fill — which made clear that the structure was an erdstall.
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The underground passage contained a horseshoe and some traces of charcoal from a fire that "burned briefly," officials said — as well as animal remains.
It appeared to be intentionally sealed, adding to the mystery of the site.
Officials said, "At the narrowest point of the entrance, an accumulation of larger stones stacked on top of one another was observed, which could indicate an intentional sealing of the entrance."
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Officials speculated the Neolithic ditch enclosure was likely still recognizable above ground during the late Middle Ages. It's possible that the tunnel was built there because medieval Christians would have purposely avoided a pagan burial site.
The find is part of a series of recent archaeological discoveries reported across Germany.
Last summer, excavators found a mysterious Roman-era settlement site in North Rhine-Westphalia, with building remains and artifacts surviving nearly 2,000 years.
During another summer excavation, archaeologists unearthed a hoard of early medieval treasures — and a rare cross — on the banks of an inlet in northern Germany.
Hakeem Jeffries pressed on Democrat opposition to voter ID
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., was pressed on CNN Sunday as to why he considered voter ID legislation to be "voter suppression" despite Democratic victories in states with enforced ID laws.
"State of the Union" host Dana Bash asked Jeffries about the Democratic Party's opposition to the Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, which would require people to present photo identification before voting, despite mass support from members of both parties for voter ID laws.
Jeffries insisted that even states like New York already have voter identification requirements and claimed the SAVE Act was an attempt by the Republican Party to rig elections.
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"The question is that what Republicans are trying to do is to engage in clear and blatant voter suppression," Jeffries said. "They know that if there‘s a free and fair election in November, they‘re going to lose. In fact, Republicans have been losing every single election since Donald Trump was sworn in January of last year, including most recently, decisively in Texas. And of course, losing all across the country up and down the ballot in the November off-year elections in places like New Jersey or Virginia [or] New York."
"I mean, Virginia is a good example," Bash said. "They have a requirement to show your ID, and Democrats won very, very handily across the way. So why not maybe even just take that off the table and say, okay, maybe not a passport or a birth certificate, but show ID?"
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"Well, first of all, every state is empowered to be able to make the decision on their own, and we completely and totally support that. What Donald Trump wants to do is try to nationalize the election. Translation: steal it, and we‘re not going to let it happen," Jeffries said.
The congressional leader also accused President Donald Trump of trying to rig the midterm elections through Republican gerrymandering efforts and attempts to federalize the National Guard.
"This is going to be a free and fair election. It‘s going to be conducted like every other election, where states and localities have the ability to administer the laws," Jeffries said.
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Fox News Digital reached out to Jeffries' office for comment.
Several other Democratic politicians have accused the SAVE Act of being a form of voter suppression after House Republicans reintroduced the bill last week.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., went as far as to suggest that the SAVE Act was a "Jim Crow-era" law.
"I have said it before and I'll say it again, the SAVE Act would impose Jim Crow-type laws to the entire country and is dead on arrival in the Senate," Schumer said last week. "It is a poison pill that will kill any legislation that it is attached to… The SAVE Act is reminiscent of Jim Crow-era laws and would expand them to the whole of America. Republicans want to restore Jim Crow and apply it from one end of this country to the other. It will not happen."
No, Rep Crockett, driving an 80,000-pound truck is not the same as driving a rental car
As someone who has spent decades training professional truck drivers, I take highway safety very seriously. America’s economy depends on a national freight network that moves goods through every state, across every major highway corridor, and into every community. When safety standards for commercial drivers are weakened anywhere, the consequences ripple across the entire country, putting motorists, supply chains and professional drivers at risk.
That’s why I was deeply troubled by recent remarks from Democratic Texas Rep. Jasmine Crockett during a House Judiciary Committee hearing, suggesting that English language proficiency is not necessary to safely operate a commercial motor vehicle. She equated it to the same practice as someone driving a rental car in a foreign country where they might not speak the language. Her assertion is misguided, dangerous and dismissive of the professionalism of America’s truck drivers.
Operating an 80,000-pound commercial vehicle is not remotely comparable to driving a passenger vehicle. A commercial driver is not simply following turn-by-turn directions from point A to point B. They are navigating complex highway systems, responding to emergency situations, complying with law enforcement instructions, interpreting roadside signage, understanding weather alerts, and coordinating with dispatchers, first responders and inspectors — often under intense pressure. English language proficiency is fundamental to every one of those responsibilities.
Across the United States, commercial trucks move agricultural products from rural communities, consumer goods through major interstate corridors and critical supplies to ports, factories, hospitals and distribution centers. From coast to coast, our economy relies on professional drivers to keep freight moving safely and efficiently. That makes strong, consistent safety standards not a regional concern, but a national imperative.
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Federal law has long required commercial drivers to demonstrate English language proficiency for good reason. A commercial driver’s license is not a checkmark on a piece of paper — it is a promise to the public. It tells every motorist sharing the road that the person behind the wheel of that truck has been properly trained, evaluated and held to consistent safety standards. Weakening or downplaying those requirements undermines trust in the Commercial Driver's License (CDL) itself.
This debate cannot be divorced from a broader reality confronting the trucking industry. Across the country, regulators are uncovering bad actors who cut corners on training, falsify records, or exploit loopholes to push unqualified drivers onto public roads. These so-called "CDL mills" don’t just endanger safety — they devalue the hard work of legitimate drivers and reputable training schools that do things the right way.
As a training professional and chairman of the Commercial Vehicle Training Association (CVTA), I see the difference every day between real, rigorous instruction and sham operations that promise "fast" or "guaranteed" licenses. True commercial driver training takes time. It involves classroom instruction, hands-on skills development, supervised behind-the-wheel training, and clear communication between instructors and students. None of that works without a shared language.
To be clear, this is not about exclusion. Trucking has always been a pathway to opportunity for people from diverse backgrounds. CVTA supports expanding the workforce — but growth must never come at the expense of safety. Lowering standards does not solve labor shortages; it creates more crashes, more fatalities, more scrutiny and, ultimately, fewer good jobs.
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Our drivers — professional men and women who earn their living the right way — deserve better than to have their work trivialized. Suggesting that language proficiency doesn’t matter insults the professionalism of drivers who take pride in mastering a demanding craft and meeting high expectations every single day.
The solution is not new laws or political talking points. The solution is consistent, nationwide enforcement of existing safety requirements. Regulators must fully enforce entry-level driver training rules, conduct meaningful audits and shut down fraudulent operators wherever they exist. Every state should continue partnering with federal agencies to ensure every CDL on the road represents real training, real accountability and real competence.
When you see a truck in the next lane, you should be confident that the driver can read the signs, understand emergency instructions, and respond correctly in a crisis. That confidence begins with maintaining — and enforcing — standards that put safety first.
We owe that to our drivers and the traveling public.
What Usha Vance’s pregnancy news tells us about men and women in America
Second lady Usha Vance’s announcement of baby number four was delightful and refreshing news. Having four children in the U.S. is not the norm these days. Across the U.S., women are having fewer children, or none at all. As a parent myself, I hope Vance’s news will encourage more women to do the same.
A woman’s decision to have children is often seen as a personal lifestyle choice. However, this decision also affects the nation: without enough births to maintain its population, a country struggles to sustain its economy, communities and culture.
We do not have to look far to see where this leads. The Free Press recently reported that Britain is facing a full-blown demographic crisis. Deaths are now poised to outnumber births. Many educated, prosperous and financially stable women say their decision not to have children is deliberate. One woman in The Free Press story noted, "It’s not that I don’t have reasons. It’s that I have too many. If you knocked one down, I’d just give you 10 more."
The United States is experiencing a sustained decline in birth rate, which has lasted for over a decade and now puts the rate well below replacement level. This trend mirrors challenges seen elsewhere.
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The reasons women give for avoiding motherhood are real: children and childcare are expensive; many careers demand total availability during a woman’s prime fertility years. Often, the culture treats motherhood as a professional liability rather than a benefit to society.
But there is another factor few are willing to say out loud — one that affects women long before they ever consider having children. Increasingly, women are not delaying motherhood because they do not want families: they are having trouble finding men who are ready to build one.
Modern dating is broken, and pornography has played a devastating role. Millions of men now habitually consume pornography. Barna Group data from 2024 found that 78% of U.S. men (ages 13–65) consume pornography "to some extent." But this is not harmless entertainment. Many studies have shown that heavy pornography consumption distorts expectations, damages emotional intimacy, reduces motivation and undermines real-world relationships.
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Pornography can lead men to have distorted views of sex and women. A culture that normalizes constant sexual consumption trains men to expect gratification without sacrifice. Pornography promises connection but delivers isolation.
A lonely society, cut off from marriage, family, and genuine intimacy, does not reproduce itself. A culture that floods men with pornography should not be surprised when fewer of them step up as husbands and fathers. When men are trained to consume rather than commit, women ultimately pay the price, but so does the larger society.
Marriage does not collapse because women suddenly lose interest in family. It collapses when men stop pursuing commitment. Growing numbers of men are living disconnected lives, often alone, often online. Indeed, men are also being sold a lie that they have to have an enormous amount of money saved before they can commit to marriage and children.
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Women are not often rejecting motherhood out of selfishness or ambition. They are responding rationally to a dating culture where emotional maturity, fidelity and long-term responsibility are increasingly rare.
America needs strong men who are willing to reject pornography and focus on leaving a legacy by building families. At the same time, women should resist the message that motherhood must be delayed until everything is "perfect." That day will never arrive. And the reality is that fertility does not wait.
Yes, economics matter. But economics alone cannot explain what is happening. Even countries with generous family benefits, paid leave, and subsidized childcare remain well below replacement fertility rates. When marriage weakens and meaning erodes, no amount of government spending can persuade people to build families.
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Career success matters — education matters. But neither was ever meant to replace family, meaning, or legacy. A culture that treats children as optional accessories eventually runs out of people. That decline shows up in labor shortages, strained entitlement systems, and a shrinking pool of future caregivers, workers and citizens.
What is missing is a shared belief that marriage, motherhood and fatherhood are still good and worth protecting.
Each generation before us faced uncertainty, whether in the form of war, depression, or upheaval, and yet still chose to build families. They believed the future was worth the investment. A society that stops believing stops having children.
America now stands at a crossroads: we can rebuild a culture that honors marriage, supports motherhood, and calls men to responsibility, or we can manage decline and pretend it is progress. Children are not the problem: they are the point. Second Lady Vance models that well.
'We cannot endorse:' Why the nation’s plastic surgeons are pulling back on youth gender surgery
While many major medical groups have maintained support for pediatric gender surgeries, Dr. Bob Basu, president of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), says it was time for his organization to speak up and raise caution about the "irreversible nature" of these procedures.
"Based on what we see today, we cannot endorse gender-related surgical intervention in minors and adolescent patients, given the uncertainties that we've discovered," Basu told Fox News Digital. "And therefore, we recommend deferral of surgical treatment once a patient is an adult."
The ASPS, the nation's leading plastic surgery organization, issued a new position statement this week recommending that surgeons delay all chest, genital, and facial gender surgeries until a patient reaches at least 19 years old.
Basu explained that the age 19 cutoff was a compromise between legal definitions of adulthood and developmental medicine. Late adolescence remains a period of "ongoing neurocognitive, psychosocial, and then identity development," he said.
MAJOR MEDICAL ORGANIZATION URGES DELAYING YOUTH GENDER SURGERIES
The decision to release the statement now followed an "ongoing review of the evidence" regarding these treatments and their effects on the pediatric population. The ASPS statement specifically cites the 2024 Cass Review and the 2025 HHS review, both of which identified significant limitations in the study quality of youth gender medicine and a lack of documentation regarding long-term physical and psychological effects.
Basu said available research "really hasn't resolved these uncertainties regarding treatment benefit, and in some areas they've actually highlighted some concerns about potential harms."
While youth gender medicine remains a polarizing topic, Basu emphasized that the ASPS is focused on patient safety and the current state of science.
"Our focus has been on providing our members very clear, responsible guidance that reflects the end of the current science," Basu said. "It recognizes where uncertainty remains. And we're really trying to put our patients, including those vulnerable patients, being adolescents and minors, we're trying to put their well-being and safety first."
The statement is intended to serve as professional guidance for surgeons navigating "informed consent, patient selection, and help with ethical decision-making in an area with significant uncertainty," he added.
For patients and their parents, Basu advised a cautious, patient-centered approach.
"Parents and patients should know that they have autonomy. They have the right to ask questions. They should take time to either accept or decline any treatment," Basu said. "Because the evidence is limited in this arena, some interventions are irreversible. It's important to carefully weigh the risks, the uncertainties, and potential long-term outcomes."
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Basu stressed that families should have "honest, open conversations" with medical teams regarding what remains unknown in the field.
"Shared informed decision-making is really essential to patient-centered care," he said.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) celebrated the ASPS position shift this week. Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. commended the organization for "standing up to the overmedicalization lobby and defending sound science."
"By taking this stand, they are helping protect future generations of American children from irreversible harm," Kennedy said in a press release.
The announcement comes on the heels of a landmark medical malpractice suit earlier this week, in which a jury ruled in favor of a former transgender teen who sued medical professionals after undergoing a double mastectomy at 16 while experiencing gender dysphoria.
America can’t duck and cover from Washington’s nuclear waste disposal failure
Nuclear energy is hot and everyone wants a piece of the action. President Donald Trump has announced his vision to quadruple America’s nuclear capacity by 2050, and 33 countries signed a declaration to triple nuclear capacity over the same period.
Not only are governments clamoring for new nuclear power, but private companies are moving full steam ahead. Tech companies are working to restart shuttered plants and to extend the lives and power levels of existing ones. America’s largest, oldest and most successful companies are moving towards new nuclear energy.
But a 90,000-ton pot of nuclear waste lies at the end of this rainbow and poses problems not for safety but for a significant nuclear energy expansion. First, the federal government collected fees for nuclear waste disposal but did not dispose of the waste. Second, because Uncle Sam was assigned responsibility, companies had no incentive to develop disposal solutions.
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It is not a safety issue. Nuclear waste, or more accurately, spent nuclear fuel is safely stored on site at nuclear power plants in secure pools and in dry casks and takes little space. All U.S. spent fuel ever produced would fit on a single football field stacked 10 yards high, and a few more reactors would add little to the mound.
However, the Nuclear Waste Policy Act gave the federal government responsibility for disposing of nuclear waste, and it gave Washington until 1998 to start doing its job. To pay, the Energy Department collected fees predominantly from electricity ratepayers totaling over $65 billion, including accrued interest. The Department spent $11.5 billion, and the remaining funds held in the Nuclear Waste Fund total over $50 billion.
But the Energy Department has provided no service for these funds, collecting virtually no spent fuel, pouring over $10 billion down a hole in Yucca Mountain, a proposed disposal site, without finalizing the system. Nuclear companies left holding waste and paying for storage, sued Washington for not meeting its contractual obligation — and won. Now taxpayers are liable for $44.5 billion, the cost of the Energy Department’s failure, according to an audit conducted for DOE’s Office of Inspector General.
This liability is paid not from the Energy Department’s budget, but from the government’s Judgment Fund, set up to pay for court judgments against the federal government. Under current policy, waste is produced, nothing happens to it and taxpayers pay to make everyone financially whole. This decimates any incentive for a real solution.
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Washington should never have been made responsible for waste management. Even if the system worked perfectly, bureaucrats would have chosen a compulsory waste solution. This rigidity would have undermined incentives for the private sector to innovate by finding more economical ways to manage waste; reactors that produce more efficient waste streams; or value from spent fuel. Today’s firms have pioneered such technologies, but if there is no demand for waste management services, the value of these technologies cannot be captured or even measured.
President Trump’s executive order Reinvigorating The Nuclear Industrial Base may break this stalemate. In compliance with the order, the Energy Department has issued a request for information from states "interested in hosting potential Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campuses." These campuses would house nuclear energy hubs that would include all aspects of the nuclear fuel cycle, including spent fuel management.
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Three reasons for optimism and innovation exist. First, the request asks states to self-identify as interested hosts — in contrast to the current broken system, which used political processes to identify the host state. Second, the request requires private sector leadership, imperative for any successful plan. Finally, although the request provides substantial detail on desired commercial activities, these are only guidelines and the Department is open to other proposals. This leaves a lot of room for innovative thinking on how to solve the problem.
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It is not only government seeking solutions. Former Nuclear Regulatory Chair Allison MacFarlane and former acting director of the Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management, Lake Barrett recently issued a new nonpartisan report, "The Path Forward for Nuclear Waste in the U.S.," laying out a strategy for moving nuclear waste policy forward. Full disclosure: I was a contributor.
The report suggests plans to realign responsibilities for nuclear waste management, ensuring that the money collected for nuclear waste disposal gets spent on its intended purpose. The report provides flexibility to meet today’s and tomorrow’s growing disposal needs by holding the federal government responsible for its current obligations and allowing for new systems. Lastly, the report recognizes the need for permanent geologic storage but also allows for other technologies and approaches.
For the first time in decades, Washington is signaling that it may untangle the policy failures that have paralyzed nuclear waste management. The Path Forward report outlines a workable strategy, but success now depends on states and private firms stepping up where the federal government has fallen short.
If we want abundant clean energy and a thriving nuclear industry, we must replace bureaucratic stagnation with competition, innovation, and genuine accountability.
How Jeff Bezos ruined The Washington Post and why he should sell it
The first time I spoke to Jeff Bezos, he had founded Amazon as an online bookstore and made himself available to all kinds of journalists — a "political genius," said The New York Times Magazine, a "brilliant, charming, hyper, and misleadingly goofy mastermind." In 1999, having blown past the naysayers who scoffed at the strange notion of online retailing, the 35-year-old businessman was named Time’s Person of the Year.
Nearly a decade-and-a-half later, as one of the world’s richest men, Bezos spent $250 million of his personal fortune to buy the Washington Post from Katharine Graham’s family.
And now he should fold his cards and sell it.
It’s a different era for the industry and a very different Bezos, one who is comfortable slashing a third of the paper’s staff.
Having initially declared that "the duty of the paper is to the readers, not the owners," Bezos, whose Blue Origin company has federal contracts, is actively trying to repair his once-strained relationship with President Donald Trump. Amazon donated $1 million to Trump’s inauguration.
While management has made more than its share of mistakes, I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say that Bezos has destroyed what was once one of America’s great newspapers.
I bring my personal history to the table. I spent 29 years at the Post, working for Bob Woodward’s investigative SWAT team, as Justice Department reporter, as New York bureau chief, and eventually as media reporter and columnist.
In the 1980s and ’90s, when newspapers really mattered, the Post, while lacking the resources of The New York Times, delivered scoops with an all-star team, from politics (David Broder and Dan Balz) to sports (Tony Kornheiser, Michael Wilbon and Tom Boswell) to the metro desk (Woodward and Bernstein). And there was the freewheeling Style section of Sally Quinn and many other narrative writers.
This was the paper of Watergate, helping to drive Richard Nixon from office, after defying his administration in running the Pentagon Papers, documenting the lies of the Vietnam War. It was the newspaper of the legendary Ben Bradlee, whose retirement I covered after being secretly briefed. Despite occasional blunders (such as Janet Cooke’s fraud), it was glamorized in two movies (Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman in "All the President’s Men," Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks in "The Post"), inspiring legions of young graduates to go into journalism.
When Bezos fired 300 journalists the other day, he completed the wave of destruction that had already left the Post a shell of its former self. Those dismissed included such remaining stars as Lizzie Johnson, who said she was "devastated" as she reported from the Ukraine war zone without heat or running water. And Marty Weil, a sardonic night-shift guy who has been at the paper for 60 years. And Sarah Ellison, an elegant writer who came from Vanity Fair. And this wrecking ball followed several earlier rounds of layoffs.
Bezos doesn’t care. I just think he’s bored with the property he once believed would bring him instant credibility. He’s more interested in his rocket company. The Post is a blip on his global radar.
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I’m not in the camp that says Bezos should subsidize the paper forever just because he’s uber-rich. With the paper losing $100 million last year, he’s entitled to look for a path to profitability. But Bezos is getting absolutely hammered by the media.
"We’re witnessing a murder," wrote Ashley Parker, now with the Atlantic.
Liberal commentator Charlie Sykes offered this headline: "Gutless Billionaire Guts the Post."
Former executive editor Marty Baron, who previously ran the prize-winning Boston Globe, declared: "Bezos’ sickening efforts to curry favor with President Trump have left an especially ugly stain of their own. This is a case study in near-instant, self-inflicted brand destruction."
Onetime Metro editor David Maraniss, a mentor to so many at the paper, said: "He bought the Post thinking that it would give him some gravitas and grace that he couldn’t get from just billions of dollars, and then the world changed. Now I don’t think he gives a flying f---."
In fairness, many newspapers have struggled with the collapse of their business model, as classifieds and advertising migrated online, and people could get breaking news from their phones or watches. Some converted to websites; the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette is closing in May.
More than a quarter of American newspapers have folded in the past two decades. Back in 1981, the Washington Star, where I worked, was shuttered as afternoon papers became obsolete.
But the Post is a classic case study of failure to adapt to the digital age. Katharine Graham was skeptical when she summoned me to explain this emerging universe.
EX-WASHINGTON POST CHIEF BLASTS 'GUTLESS' BEZOS AS PAPER ROCKED BY MAJOR LAYOFFS
In the Bezos era, the crashing waves of cutbacks meant asking readers to keep paying for a product that grew increasingly diminished over time, with its star players defecting to other major outlets.
At first, Bezos took a hands-off approach, seemingly in sync with the newsroom culture. During Trump’s first term, he coined the slogan "Democracy Dies in Darkness." But there was a drastic shift in 2024.
When the editorial board drafted an endorsement of Kamala Harris, Bezos killed it, which, as the owner, he has every right to do. Had he decided on a non-endorsement earlier, few would have cared. But Bezos wielded the ax a week before the election, and the furor was deafening. As the Post itself reported, more than 250,000 people canceled their subscriptions.
Four months later, Bezos decreed that the editorial pages would focus every day on promoting "personal liberties" and "free markets," banning any attempt to offer opposing views. Opinion Editor David Shipley, whose section had won two Pulitzers, resigned, and other editors and columnists cut ties with the Post.
Meanwhile, the mogul socialized with the Trumps at Mar-a-Lago, and sat behind the president at his second inauguration.
Bezos himself, as everyone knows, is now quite the jet-setter. He found himself in the middle of a tabloid scandal when the National Enquirer published lewd texts between Bezos and his girlfriend, Lauren Sanchez, as news of his divorce was breaking. The Enquirer also published pictures of his genitals, which he slammed as an attempt at blackmail. Bezos proposed to Sanchez on his 417-foot yacht, and they were married last spring in Venice, an extravaganza attended by the likes of Oprah Winfrey, Leonardo DiCaprio, Gayle King, Tom Brady and Kim Kardashian. The price tag for the multiday celebrations was somewhere between $20 million and $50 million.
For Bezos, this was basically spare change. Peter Baker, a Post alumnus who is now chief White House correspondent at the Times and an MS NOW analyst, reports that Bezos’ net worth is up $224 billion since buying the Washington paper.
So why does Bezos need the headache? He should unload this distressed asset to someone who would have a fresh shot at resuscitating The Washington Post from its near-death experience–though in all candor, it’s probably too late.
A day after abolishing the Post’s sports section, CEO Will Lewis – who blew off the staff call explaining the layoffs – was walking the red carpet at the NFL Honors in San Francisco, an event leading up to the Super Bowl. Those who had lost their jobs, and their colleagues, were furious.
Even worse, he wouldn’t allow the Post to write about the sweeping layoffs. Seriously. His terse farewell note thanked only Bezos.
Back in the day, there would have been a half-dozen stories in the Post about the journalistic earthquake in its midst. But that was a long time ago.