News Approved – Page 150

May 29, 2026

The Download: climate tech goes public and the AI Hype Index returns

This is today’s edition of The Download, our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what’s going on in the world of technology.

Climate tech companies are going public. What’s next?

Solar and battery company Solv Energy went public in February, hitting a $6 billion valuation. X-energy, which builds small modular nuclear reactors, followed at $11.5 billion. Then came geothermal company Fervo Energy, reaching a market cap of about $12.4 billion.

All three have been IPO success stories. And it doesn’t feel like a coincidence that they’re racing to provide electricity in an era of rising demand, driven partly by data centers.

What does this boom reveal about the future of the grid? And what comes next? Read the full story to find out.

—Casey Crownhart

This story is from The Spark, our weekly newsletter giving you the inside track on all things climate. Sign up to receive it in your inbox every Wednesday.

The AI Hype Index

Separating AI reality from hyped-up fiction isn’t always easy. That’s why we’ve created the AI Hype Index—a simple, at-a-glance summary of what’s shaping the industry right now.

The latest edition includes billionaire road trips, students booing, made-up quotes, and too much sci-fi. See where it all landed on this month’s index.

The must-reads

I’ve combed the internet to find you today’s most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology.

1 Illinois just passed what could become America’s strongest AI safety law
It would require third-party safety audits. (Wired $)
+ But it still needs the governor’s approval. (NBC News)
+ The US is divided over AI regulation. (MIT Technology Review)

2 A Google engineer has been charged with insider trading
He allegedly bet on who’d be the most-searched people of 2025 on Polymarket. (BBC)
+ And used internal data to rack up more than $1.2 million in winnings. (Verge)
+ He’s been charged with fraud and money laundering over the bets. (NPR)

3 ByteDance is developing custom CPUs amid a massive AI chip squeeze
The TikTok owner is struggling with severe supply shortages. (Reuters $)
+ Google, Amazon, and Microsoft are also building custom CPUs. (CNBC)
+ Taiwan’s “silicon shield” could be weakening. (MIT Technology Review)

4 Four tech giants have backed a clean energy push for AI data centers
Amazon, Google, Meta, and Microsoft have joined the initiative. (Quartz)
+ Investor Elemental Impact will deploy up to $5 million per project. (Axios)

5 Nvidia’s CEO is joining the board of Beijing’s Tsinghua University
His appointment comes as Nvidia struggles to export chips to China. (FT $)
+ President Xi is an alumnus of Tsinghua, aka “China’s Harvard.” (Reuters $)

6 The Trump administration is in talks to fund drone firms
One of which counts Donald Trump Jr. as a shareholder. (WSJ $)
+ Drone dominance has been described as a “presidential priority.” (Reuters $)

7 London has reclaimed its position as Europe’s leading tech hub
It’s overtaken Paris in new global rankings. (Euronews)
+ And now sits fourth, behind the Bay Area, New York and Boston. (Reuters $)

8 OpenAI and Anthropic disagree over AI’s impact on jobs
Anthropic is emphasizing the risks, while OpenAI is sounding rosier. (Axios)
+ The AI jobs hysteria needs a reality check. (MIT Technology Review)

9 Researchers claim to have achieved perfect randomness for the first time
Thanks to entangled quantum chips. (Interesting Engineering)
+ The milestone could lead to better cybersecurity. (Scientific American)

10 Embryo organoids are showing why many pregnancies fail
They’ve led to improvements in IVF and pregnancy treatments. (New Scientist $)
+ New tech is transforming reproductive medicine. (MIT Technology Review)

Quote of the day

“How can we be happy about Google coming? We’ll all be scattered. It feels very sad.”

—Pyla Kondamma, a 42-year-old in Visakhapatnam, India, tells the Wall Street Journal her concerns about Google building data centers in her city.

One More Thing

Why venture capital doesn’t build the things we really need

Venture capital has been the engine of US innovation for years. This largely white, largely male corner of finance has backed software companies that grow fast—but generate large amounts of money for a shrinking number of Americans.

It’s also creating fewer jobs for ordinary people. And recently, venture capitalists have struggled to find ideas that fit their preferred pattern.

Here’s what’s going wrong with the funding model that made Silicon Valley a global hub.

—Elizabeth MacBride

We can still have nice things

A place for comfort, fun, and distraction to brighten up your day. (Got any ideas? Drop me a line.)

+ Never miss a great movie again with this worldwide release tracker.
+ These quirky word puzzles use emoji hints to help you find answers.
+ The digital museum of plugs and sockets is a treasure trove of global connectors.
+ Michael Jackson’s “Smooth Criminal” becomes a Bach-style fugue played on classical guitar.

May 29, 2026

Gut microbiome screens could identify risk of Parkinson’s disease years before symptoms appear

Nature Medicine, Published online: 28 May 2026; doi:10.1038/s41591-026-04458-8

Innovative microbiome analysis revealed a part of the gut microbiome that changes coherently from healthy individuals across those with genetic risk of Parkinson’s disease to patients who are symptomatic. A large range of microbiome alterations within each of the three groups enables identification of individuals at greater risk of developing Parkinson’s disease. A healthy diet was inversely associated with these alterations and might mitigate disease risk.

May 28, 2026

<![CDATA[DT-120, an optimized LSD formulation, shows lasting anxiety relief and high remission at 12 weeks, as researchers share detailed phase 2b safety insights.]]>

May 28, 2026

BrainBaseline Assessment of Cognition and Everyday Functioning (“BRACE”-ing for the Future): Establishing iPad-Based Norms for Cognitive Function in the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study and Women’s Interagency HIV Study Combined Cohort Study

Background: Digital cognitive assessments are increasingly used in large-scale studies to assess brain health, offering scalable, standardized, and self-directed testing solutions. Cognitive function remains a concern for people with HIV despite antiretroviral therapy. The BRACE (BrainBaseline Assessment of Cognition and Everyday Functioning) is a validated tablet-based screener for cognition in people with HIV. Preliminary pilot norms were established in a small sample (n=144), but full regression-based normative data have not yet been developed. Consequently, HIV serostatus differences based on standardized BRACE scores and cognitive correlates have not been systematically examined. Objective: This study aims to develop regression-based normative data for BRACE performance in people without HIV who were demographically and behaviorally comparable to people with HIV within biological sex; to examine differences in cognitive performance by HIV status and biological sex; and to evaluate sociodemographic, behavioral, and clinical correlates of BRACE performance. Methods: A total of 2937 participants (1063 people without HIV [499 women] and 1874 people with HIV [1053 women]) in the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study/Women’s Interagency HIV Study Combined Cohort Study completed BRACE once between November 2020 and March 2025. BRACE includes the Trail Making Test (A and B), Stroop-Color, and visual spatial learning. Regression-based norms were derived from people without HIV using multiple demographic models (eg, age-only, age + education, and age + education + sex). The age + education model was selected for primary analyses because it provided the best balance of interpretability, parsimony, and generalizability while avoiding race-based corrections. HIV serostatus and sex differences were examined using ANOVA and tests, with effect sizes calculated using Cohen’s . Results: Cognitive performance was largely comparable between people with HIV and people without HIV across all BRACE outcome measures. Statistically significant differences were very small in magnitude (all effect sizes<0.11) and primarily observed among men on Stroop-Color. Across groups, older age and fewer years of education were associated with poorer raw BRACE performance, although these associations attenuated after demographic adjustment using T-scores. Most clinical and behavioral factors (eg, hypertension, smoking, and noncannabis substance use) were related to poorer raw scores but not standardized performance. However, diabetes and cannabis use remained independently associated with T-scores across multiple measures—diabetes with poorer scores and cannabis use with higher scores, an association that should be interpreted cautiously. HIV-specific clinical factors, such as nadir CD4 count and antiretroviral therapy duration, were linked primarily to raw scores. Conclusions: This study establishes the first regression-based normative data for BRACE, derived from a large, demographically diverse people without HIV, and demonstrates its applicability for evaluating cognitive function in people with HIV. Findings indicate minimal cognitive differences between people with HIV and people without HIV and highlight the influence of common sociodemographic and metabolic factors. These results support BRACE as a scalable, reliable, and self-administered digital tool for assessing cognitive health in diverse populations and underscore its potential for longitudinal monitoring and precision phenotyping in both research and clinical contexts.

May 28, 2026

Negative Online Experiences Are Common but Often Go Unreported Among Youth With Mental Health and Neurodevelopmental Concern

New Child Mind Institute study finds more than one in four youth experienced a negative online experience in the past year, yet only one in five reported the incident through platform tools.

New York, NY — A new study from researchers at the Child Mind Institute finds that negative online experiences are common among children and adolescents with mental health and neurodevelopmental conditions, and that most incidents are not reported through platform reporting tools.

Published in JAACAP Open, the study examined negative online experiences among 1,009 youth ages 9 to 15 with a history of mental health or neurodevelopmental concerns, all of whom were current or previous participants in the Child Mind Institute’s Healthy Brain Network. More than one in four reported at least one negative online experience in the past year. Among those who had such an experience, nearly 69% reported multiple incidents, yet only 20% reported the incident through platform reporting tools.

The study defined “negative online experience” as any unwanted or uncomfortable experience while online, including cyberbullying, cyberstalking, doxxing, impersonation, sexual harassment, and related forms of digital harm. The research used a mixed-methods design, combining a quantitative survey with an in-depth qualitative follow-up involving a three-day moderated online bulletin board with a subset of participants.

“These findings point to a large and often hidden problem,” said Michael P. Milham, MD, PhD, Chief Science Officer at the Child Mind Institute and senior author of the study. “Many young people are encountering harmful or uncomfortable experiences online, but the systems designed to help them often do not receive a report. That creates a major gap for parents, educators, clinicians, and platforms trying to keep children safer online.”

The research team identified three major categories of barriers that prevent youth from reporting negative online experiences: reporting process barriers, such as not knowing how to make a report; reporting policy barriers, including uncertainty about what qualifies for reporting or how platform rules apply; and emotional barriers, such as embarrassment, fear, and worry about consequences.

The study also found that reporting decisions were often shaped by how young people interpreted the incident itself. In the qualitative follow-up, youth considered whether the harmful behavior seemed intentional, how malicious it appeared, and how severe or repeated the harassment was. When those cues were ambiguous, youth were less certain about whether reporting was appropriate.

“Reporting is not simply a matter of telling young people to speak up,” said Mirelle Kass, lead author of the study. “Youth are making complicated judgments about intent, severity, platform rules, and the possible consequences of disclosure. If we want young people to report harmful experiences, the tools and systems around them need to be clearer, safer, and easier to use.”

The findings suggest that online safety efforts should be tailored to the needs of youth who may already be managing mental health, developmental, or social challenges. Social aptitude, mental health symptoms, and parenting style were associated with youths’ likelihood of encountering negative online experiences and with the barriers they faced when deciding whether to report them.

Participants also expressed a clear desire for better tools and guidance. Most youth wanted platforms to provide more information about how to protect themselves online, how to use safety features such as blocking and reporting, and how to access support during and after the reporting process.

“Families, educators, clinicians, policymakers, and technology developers all have a role to play,” said Dr. Milham. “We need reporting systems that children can understand, policies that are transparent, and trusted adults who can respond without blame or overreaction. Safer digital spaces will require more than awareness. They will require systems designed around how young people actually experience online harm.”

The study underscores the importance of developmentally appropriate safety tools, clearer platform policies, and stronger support systems for youth navigating digital spaces. For children and adolescents with mental health and neurodevelopmental conditions, improving reporting pathways may be an important step toward reducing hidden online harms and building safer online environments.

This research was supported by funding from Google LLC’s User Safety team to the Child Mind Institute for work led by Michael P. Milham, MD, PhD.

About the Healthy Brain Network

The Healthy Brain Network is a community-centered research initiative from the Child Mind Institute that collects clinical, cognitive, behavioral, and neurobiological data from children and adolescents in the New York City area. Families who participate receive feedback and diagnostic consultation while contributing to open science research aimed at improving understanding of child and adolescent mental health.

About the Child Mind Institute

The Child Mind Institute is an independent nonprofit organization dedicated to transforming the lives of children and families struggling with mental health and learning disorders. Through cutting-edge research, evidence-based clinical care, and public education, the Child Mind Institute builds open science platforms and digital tools to accelerate discovery and improve youth mental health worldwide.

For press questions, contact cmiscience@ssmandl.com or mediaoffice@childmind.org.

The post Negative Online Experiences Are Common but Often Go Unreported Among Youth With Mental Health and Neurodevelopmental Concern appeared first on Child Mind Institute.

May 28, 2026

JAACAP Open: Negative Online Experiences and Reporting Rates in Youth With Mental Health Conditions

The post JAACAP Open: Negative Online Experiences and Reporting Rates in Youth With Mental Health Conditions appeared first on Child Mind Institute.

May 28, 2026

Recruitment and Participation of Black Home Health Care Patients in Speech-Based Cognitive Research: Mixed Methods Feasibility Study

Background: Older Black adults remain underrepresented in dementia research, particularly in studies using speech-based methods for early cognitive assessment. Understanding how to effectively recruit and engage this population in research involving audio-recorded interactions is critical to ensuring equitable inclusion and developing culturally responsive study designs. However, recruiting older Black adults into dementia research remains a significant challenge. Objective: This study assessed the feasibility of recruiting older Black home health care (HHC) patients into speech-based cognitive research and examined the factors influencing participation and participants’ data collection experiences. Methods: We conducted a convergent mixed methods feasibility study using a 4-component recruitment pipeline at a nonprofit HHC agency: (1) patient identification and study introduction, (2) in-home audio-recorded cognitive assessments, (3) follow-up calls, and (4) audio-recorded patient-clinician encounters. Both patients and their corresponding clinicians were included in this study. Eligible participants were Black adults aged 60 years and older receiving HHC services in New York City. Patient demographic and clinical characteristics were compared between those who consented and those who declined using bivariate analysis. Qualitative feedback was gathered through patient questionnaires and clinician semistructured interviews and was analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. Results: Of 246 patients contacted, 71 (28.9%) provided verbal consent and 60 (24.4%) completed cognitive assessments. Five patients were excluded due to health conditions or severe cognitive impairment, leaving 55 eligible participants. Among these participants, retention remained high across study components, including follow-up calls (48/55, 87.3%) and audio-recorded clinician visits (54/55, 98.2%). Patients who did not consent were more likely to have greater complex medical profiles, including higher pain interference (=.01), need for assistance with medication reading (=.04), and polypharmacy (≥5 medications; =.01), while no significant differences were observed for age, gender, or functional status. Qualitative findings demonstrated high acceptability and feasibility of audio recording. Patients reported strong motivation to participate, positive and engaging experiences, comfort with recording, and minimal disruption to care. Clinicians reported ease of integration into workflow, initial discomfort that diminished over time, minor technical challenges, and perceived benefits for communication and patient engagement. Conclusions: Recruiting Black older adults receiving HHC into speech-based dementia research was feasible and well accepted. Culturally tailored recruitment may enhance equitable participation and guide future research using audio-recorded speech for early cognitive detection.
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May 28, 2026

STAT+: As Ebola outbreak in Central Africa grows, the U.S. turns itself into a fortress

When Craig Spencer contracted Ebola while working in Guinea during the West African outbreak in 2014, he was already back in the United States when he first developed symptoms. He credits the treatment he got at New York’s Bellevue Hospital for his survival.

If Spencer, an emergency medicine physician and an associate professor in Brown University’s School of Public Health, were to contract Ebola in the current outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda — if he’d even had high-risk exposures to Ebola patients — he wouldn’t be allowed back into the U.S. for care or quarantine.

Administration officials confirmed Thursday that any Americans who contract Ebola will not be brought to the United States for treatment. Instead, they will be evacuated to as-yet-undetermined locations in Europe. An official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told reporters that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the State Department are working to identify tertiary care facilities that could take Americans needing care. One such case has already occurred.

Continue to STAT+ to read the full story…

May 28, 2026

Biotech exec Jeremy Levin on the industry’s strategic turning point

On this week’s episode of “The Readout LOUD,” we chat with longtime biotech executive Jeremy Levin about his new book, “Biotech in the Balance: Saving a Strategic Industry in an Age of Distrust.” That sounds alarmist, and it is in some respects, but as Levin explains, the book is also a roadmap to a brighter future for the biotech industry.

But first, we recap the week’s biotech news, including an Eli Lilly gene-editing treatment for high cholesterol, a new round of funding for a longevity startup, and a preview of the upcoming ASCO cancer research meeting.

Read the rest…