According to the Center for Biological Diversity, climate change is projected to cause the extinction of over a third of the species of plants and animals in the world in 25 years. But scientists at genetics laboratory Colossal Biosciences are claiming they may have a solutionone they say has resulted in the birth of the first dire wolves in over 10,000 years.
Colossals website proclaims the lab to be the worlds only company working on de-extinction, which it defines as the process of generating an organism that both resembles and is genetically similar to an extinct species by resurrecting its lost lineage of core genes; engineering natural resistances; and enhancing adaptability that will allow it to thrive in todays environment of climate change, dwindling resources, disease and human interference.
Breakthroughs have seemed promising so far. In March, it introduced the world to the first ever woolly mice, a stepping stone to the larger goal of eventually bringing back the woolly mammoth. Now, Colossal has announced that it’s brought back the dire wolf. Male dire wolf pups Romulus and Remus were born six months ago, followed by female pup Khaleesi three months later.
A statement from Colossal CEO Ben Lamm explained that scientists at Colossal began the process of reconstructing the species by analyzing the DNA from a 13,000 year old tooth and a 72,000 year old skull. Comparing the dire wolf DNA to the DNA of its cousin, the grey wolf, the scientists pinpointed 20 differences in 14 genes that caused what they determined to be the most distinguishing features. And by manipulating DNA in the nuclei of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) from grey wolves using CRISPR technology, they could cause the pups to express traits such as a white coat or a larger and stronger body, or change the sound of their howl.
The scientists then extracted the edited nuclei and inserted them into denucleated grey wolf egg cells. Those egg cells were then placed in the wombs of a couple of dogs, eventually leading to the births of Romulus, Remus, and later, Khaleesi.
At six months old, Romulus and Remus are already four feet long and 80 lbs and have the potential to reach six feet long and 150 lbs. That is around 50 lbs heavier than the average male grey wolf. All three pups are a bright, snowy white.
Romulus and Remus at age one month. [Photo: Colossal]
But while the pups certainly look the part, many are skeptical about whether the dire wolf has actually been resurrected.
A research paper on the lineage of dire wolves published in the leading science journal Nature states that dire wolves were a highly divergent lineage that split from living canids around 5.7 million years ago. In other words, the last common ancestor between grey wolves and dire wolves lived around 5.7 million years ago. To put that in context, humans were thought to have evolved only around 315,000 years ago. In fact, the researchers found that grey wolves were more genetically similar to African wild dogs than they were to dire wolves.
The paper mentions that one hypothesis for why the two species seem to have similar features is not based on actual genetic similarity, but convergent evolution, a process where species that are not closely related to each other evolve similar traits to respond to similar ecological pressures. This is the same reason why sharks, a type of fish, and dolphins, which are mammals, evolved to have similar body shapes.
Beth Shapiro, chief scientific officer at Colossal, said in an interview with NewScientist that grey wolves and dire wolves share 99.5% of their DNA. However, in the context of the grey wolf genome having over 2.4 billion base pairs, that 0.5% difference actually suggests a difference of over 12 million base pairs. Can Colossal really argue, then, that it brought back the dire wolf species with only 20 modifications?
In fact, Shapiro argued, how we define species is quite arbitrary. Species concepts are human classification systems, and everybody can disagree and everyone can be right . . . We are using the morphological species concept and saying, ‘if they look like this animal, then they are the animal.'”
The National Weather Service (NWS) has paused language translation services of its products for non-English speakers living in the U.S., including emergency alerts.“Due to a contract lapse, NWS paused the automated language translation services for our products until further notice,” Michael Musher, public affairs specialist and a meteorologist for The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) National Weather Service told Fast Company in an emailed statement.
According to a 2022 report from the U.S. Census Bureau, more than 68 million people in the U.S. speak a language other than English. Of them, around 42 million speak Spanish.
As the Trump administration continues to seek major cuts to federal agencies, such as NOAA, the National Weather Service has been stretched thin, meaning translation services had to take a back seat. After recent Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) cuts, the Associated Press reported that National Weather Service offices have a 20% vacancy rate. The administration hasn’t commented on translation services or whether they plan to ensure they make a comeback amid its cuts to the NWS.
Where should non-English speakers get weather alerts?
Norma Mendoza-Denton, a professor of anthropology at the University of California, Los Angeles, said, per AP News, alerts are the difference “between life and death” during severe weather. And what’s even more frightening is that there aren’t a ton of other places non-English speakers can get translated weather updates, even when severe weather strikes. While there are many apps that provide weather alerts, few offer built-in translation services.
One that does is AccuWeather. In 2021, AccuWeather partnered with Rubric, a translations company, for global weather updates in over 100 languages and dialects. Online, Accuweather has a 24/7 livestream, and provides “notifications of government issued watches, warnings, advisories, statements and other alerts that are issued by the relevant countrys government weather or civil protection services,” the site reads, noting that users can customize the types of alerts they receive.A representative for AccuWeather told Fast Company, “A localized description of the type of severe warning is displayed in the language the user has selected on their device. For example, a Spanish-language-app user will receive a warning description for flash-flooding in their area in the language they selected on their device.”
The representative added, “We have no indication at this time that the changes at NOAA will impact AccuWeathers services. We remain committed to providing the highest levels of service to the public, the media, and our clients.”
The AccuWeather app is available for iPhone and Android in the App Store and on Google Play.In 2022, the Weather Channel launched a free 24/7 Spanish-language weather streaming service, the Weather Channel en Espaol. But last year, Allen Media Group pulled the plug on the channel. AMG spokesperson told Media Moves at the time, As part of Allen Media Groups extensive cost-cutting measures, the Weather Channel en Espaol will cease operations on December 31, 2024.
While there is currently not a national weather channel offering non-English weather reports in the U.S., residents should also look to their local news outlets, as some may offer news apps with translated weather updates and alerts.
Low-cost carrier Avelo Airlines has reportedly signed a deal with the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE) to start flying deportation flights from Arizona this May, a move the company’s CEO has acknowledged is controversial, according to the Associated Press.
Avelo CEO Andrew Levy said, we realize this is a sensitive and complicated topic,” but the airline’s flights would be part of a long-term charter program to support the DHS’ deportation plans, which would help with expansion and protect jobs.
Meanwhile, some upset customers are taking to social media in protest. On Bluesky, one user posted, “Nope. They fly a route I take and its closer to home but Ill travel further and fly American.” Many others used the hashtag “#BoycottAveloAirlines to register their dismay.
Fast Company has reached out to Avelo Airlines for comment on the backlash.
In addition, more than 4,000 people have signed a Change.org petition to boycott the budget airline until it halts plans to carry out deportation flights. Avelo said it will use three Boeing 737-800 planes out of Mesa Gateway Airport, near Phoenix for those flights.
The online Change.org boycott petition was created by New Haven Immigrants Coalition, which is located in the same town as Avelo’s main East Coast airport hub, Tweed New Haven Airport. The AP reported that the city’s Democratic Mayor Justin Elicker has also called Levy and urged him to reconsider the flights.
China said Tuesday it would fight to the end and take countermeasures against the United States to safeguard its own interests after President Donald Trump threatened an additional 50% tariff on Chinese imports.
The Commerce Ministry said the U.S.s imposition of so-called reciprocal tariffs on China is completely groundless and is a typical unilateral bullying practice.
China, the world’s second-largest economy, has announced retaliatory tariffs and the ministry hinted in its latest statement that more may be coming.
The countermeasures China has taken are aimed at safeguarding its sovereignty, security and development interests, and maintaining the normal international trade order. They are completely legitimate, the ministry said.
The U.S. threat to escalate tariffs on China is a mistake on top of a mistake and once again exposes the blackmailing nature of the U.S. China will never accept this. If the U.S. insists on its own way, China will fight to the end,” it added.
Analysts and traders worry about a global trade war
Trump’s threat Monday of additional tariffs on China raised fresh concerns that his drive to rebalance the global economy could intensify a financially destructive trade war. Stock markets from Tokyo to New York have become more unstable as the tariff war worsens.
Trumps threat came after China said it would retaliate against U.S. tariffs he announced last week.
If China does not withdraw its 34% increase above their already long term trading abuses by tomorrow, April 8th, 2025, the United States will impose ADDITIONAL Tariffs on China of 50%, effective April 9th, Trump wrote on Truth Social. Additionally, all talks with China concerning their requested meetings with us will be terminated!
If Trump implements his new tariffs on Chinese products, U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods would reach a combined 104%. The new taxes would be on top of the 20% tariffs announced as punishment for fentanyl trafficking and his separate 34% tariffs announced last week. Not only could that increase prices for American consumers, it could also give China an incentive to flood other countries with cheaper goods and seek deeper relationships with other trading partners, particularly the European Union.
Chinese people worry, but keep faith with their country
On the streets of Beijing, people said they found it hard to keep track of all the announcements, but expressed belief in their country’s ability to weather the storm.
“Trump says one thing today and another tomorrow. Anyway, he just wants benefits, so he can say whatever he wants,” said Wu Qi, 37, who works in construction.
Others were less sanguine. Paul Wang, 30, who sells stainless accessories, including necklaces, bracelets, and tongue studs to Europe, said the European market was now more important after the extra U.S. 50% tariffs and he would be watching to see which other firms in his field would be competing in that space.
Jessi Huang and Yang Aijia, whose companies import chemicals from the U.S., said the tariffs, including potential Chinese retribution, could force them to close up shop.
It would be very hard and very likely to have a layoff, maybe even closing, Huang said, I might not be able to find another job if I get laid off.
China isn’t out of options to retaliate
China still has a range of options to strike back at the Washington, experts said, including suspending cooperation on combating fentanyl, placing higher quotas on agricultural products and going after the U.S. trade in services in China such as finance and law firms.
U.S. total goods trade with China was an estimated $582 billion in 2024, making it the top trader in goods with the U.S. The 2024 deficit with China in goods and services trade was between $263 billion and $295 billion.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian appeared to give short shrift to talk of dialogue with the Trump administration.
I don’t think what the U.S. has done reflects a willingness for sincere dialogue. If the U.S. really wants to engage in dialogue, it should adopt an attitude of equality, mutual respect and mutual benefit, Lin said.
In Hong Kong, where stocks were slightly higher Tuesday, Chief Executive John Lee blasted the latest U.S. tariffs as bullying, saying the ruthless behavior has damaged global and multilateral trade and brought great risks and uncertainties to the world.
Lee said the city would link its economy closer to Chinas development, sign more free trade agreements, attract more foreign companies and capital to Hong Kong, and support local enterprises in coping with the impact of the tariffs.
Associated Press writers Chris Megerian, Josh Boak, Fu Ting, Christopher Bodeen, and Kanis Leung contributed to this report.
The U.S. stock market is careening through a second straight day of stunning swings Tuesday as uncertainty reigns about what whether President Donald Trump will ease up on his trade war, which is scheduled to kick into a higher gear after midnight.
The S&P 500 lost an early gain of 4.1%, which had it on track for its best day in years, and slumped 1.7% with about an hour left in trading.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 403 points, or 1%, after giving up its earlier surge of 1,460 points, while the Nasdaq composite was 2.4% lower, as of 3:13 p.m. Eastern time.
Stocks globally had rallied much more earlier in the day, with indexes up 6% in Tokyo, 2.5% in Paris and 1.6% in Shanghai. But even after those jumps, analysts had been warning to expect more swings up and down for financial markets not just in the days ahead but also the hours.
The big question remains centered on how long Trump will keep his stiff tariffs on other countries, which would raise prices for U.S. shoppers and slow the economy. If they last a long time, economists and investors expect them to cause a recession. But if Trump lowers them through negotiations relatively quickly, the worst-case scenario can be avoided.
Hope still remains on Wall Street that negotiations may be possible, and Trump said Tuesday that a conversation with South Korea’s acting president helped them reach the confines and probability of a great DEAL for both countries.”
Their top TEAM is on a plane heading to the U.S., and things are looking good, Trump said on his Truth Social platform. We are likewise dealing with many other countries, all of whom want to make a deal with the United States.
Japanese stocks led global markets higher after the countrys prime minister, Shigeru Ishiba, appointed his trade negotiator for talks with the United States. It was based on an agreement between Ishiba and Trump, Japanese officials said.
But investors should still remain cautious, said Sameer Samana, a senior global market strategist for Wells Fargo Investment Institute. He pointed to how the key countries continue to escalate, rather than de-escalate.
China said it will fight to the end and warned of countermeasures after Trump threatened on Monday to raise his tariffs even further on the worlds second-largest economy.
That led White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt to say Trump’s threats of even higher tariffs on China will become reality after midnight, when imports from China will be taxed at a stunning 104% rate.
That would coincide with Trump’s latest set of broad tariffs, which are scheduled to kick in at 12:01 a.m. And Trump has made clear that he does not intend to have any exemptions or exclusions in the tariffs, according to the country’s top trade negotiator, Jamieson Greer.
The U.S. trade representative also said in testimony before a Senate committee that roughly 50 countries have already been in contact, and he’s told them: “If you have a better idea to achieve reciprocity and to get our trade deficit down, we want to talk with you, we want to negotiate with you.
Trumps trade war is an attack on the globalization thats shaped the world’s economy and helped bring down prices for products on store shelves but also caused manufacturing jobs to leave for other countries. Trump has said he wants to narrow trade deficits, which measure how much more the United States imports from other countries than it sends to them as exports.
On Wall Street, health insurers gained ground after the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced a stronger-than-expected increase in Medicare Advantage payments for next year. Humana jumped 9.6%, United Health climbed 5.9%.
On the losing end were companies that import many of the products they sell. Ralph Lauren sank 6.8%, for example. It sourced about 15% of its products from China last fiscal year.
Best Buy doesn’t import many products directly from China, but the electronics industry in general has a complex supply chain that heavily depends on the country. Best Buy estimates vendor imports from China make up about 55% of the products it purchases, and the retailer’s stock fell 8.5%
In the bond market, Treasury yields mostly rose for a second straight day to recover more of their sharp losses from prior months. The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.22% from 4.15% late Monday and from just 4.01% late Friday.
Yields tend to rise with expectations for the U.S. economys strength and for inflation.
Stan Choe, AP business writer
AP Business Writers Matt Ott and Elaine Kurtenbach contributed.
The United States said on Tuesday that 104% duties on imports from China will take effect shortly after midnight, even as the Trump administration moved to quickly start talks with other trading partners targeted by President Donald Trump‘s sweeping tariff plan.
U.S. stocks retreated on the news. Global markets had previously posted gains on hopes that Trump might be willing to negotiate down the array of country and product-specific trade barriers he is erecting around the world’s largest consumer market.
The administration has scheduled talks with South Korea and Japan, two close allies and major trading partners, and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is due to visit next week.
But the White House made clear that country-specific tariffs of up to 50% would nevertheless take effect at 12:01 a.m. Eastern Time (0401 GMT), as planned.
Those tariffs will be especially steep for China, as Trump has ratcheted up duties on its imports to 104% in response to counter-tariffs Beijing announced last week. China has refused to bow to what it called “blackmail” and has vowed to “fight to the end.”
Administration officials said they would not prioritize negotiations with the world’s No. 2 economic power.
Trump’s sweeping tariffs have raised fears of recession and upended a global trading order that has been in place for decades.
“Right now, we’ve received the instruction to prioritize our allies and our trading partners like Japan and Korea and others,” White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett said on Fox News.
The White House said Trump instructed his trade team to create “tailor made” deals for the nearly 70 countries that have reached out for talks.
Trump’s lead trade negotiator, Jamieson Greer, told Congress that his office is trying to work quickly but is not facing a particular deadline.
“The president has been clear, again, that he’s not doing exemptions or exceptions in the near term,” Greer told lawmakers.
China is bracing for a war of attrition, and manufacturers are warning about profits and scrambling to plan new overseas plants. Citing rising external risks, Citi cut its 2025 China GDP growth forecast to 4.2% from 4.7%.
Three out of four Americans expect prices to rise as Trump’s tariffs kick in, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll.
Chipmaker Micron told customers it will impose a tariff-related surcharge starting on Wednesday, while U.S. clothing retailers said they are delaying orders and holding off on hiring. Running shoes made in Vietnam that now retail for $155 will cost $220 when Trump’s 46% tariff on that country takes effect, according to an industry group.
Consumers are stocking up while they can. “I’m buying double of whatever – beans, canned goods, flour, you name it,” Thomas Jennings, 53, said as he pushed a shopping cart through the aisles of a New Jersey Walmart.
Stock markets found a firmer footing on Tuesday after a gut-wrenching few days for investors which prompted some business leaders, including those close to Trump, to urge the president to reverse course.
European shares bounced off 14-month lows after four straight sessions of heavy selling, while global oil prices steadied after falling to four-year lows.
Wall Street’s main indexes had posted gains earlier in the day, but fell after the White House said the tariffs on China would take effect.
Europe eyes counter-measures
The European Commission, meanwhile, is mulling counter-tariffs of 25% on a range of U.S. goods including soybeans, nuts and sausages, though other potential items like bourbon whiskey were left off the list. Officials said they stood ready to negotiate.
The 27-member bloc is struggling with tariffs on autos and metals already in place, and faces a 20% tariff on other products on Wednesday. Trump has also threatened to impose tariffs on EU alcoholic drinks.
European pharma companies, also fearful of the tariff fallout, warned the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, in a meeting that Trump’s tariffs would expedite the industry’s shift away from Europe and towards the United States.
Susan Heavey, Trevor Hunnicutt and Joe Cash, Reuters
Writing by Andy Sullivan, Matthias Williams and John Geddie.
The Supreme Court has allowed the Trump administration to use a 1798 wartime law, the Alien Enemies Act, to deport Venezuelan migrants it accuses of being gang members, ending the temporary halt on deportations ordered by a federal district judge.
But the court also ruled that the administration must give Venezuelans it claims are gang members the chance to legally fight any deportation orders. It also did not weigh in on Trumps invocation of the act.
The ruling came after the wartime law was used last month to fly more than 130 men accused of being members of the gang Tren de Aragua to El Salvador, where the U.S. has paid to have the men held in a notorious prison. The Trump administration argues that the gang has become an invading force.
The Venezuelans deported under the act did not get a chance to challenge the orders, and attorneys for many of the men say there’s no evidence they are gang members.
American Civil Liberties Union attorney Lee Gelernt called it an important victory that people must now be given the right to challenge their removal orders.
The Trump administration welcomed the ruling, with Attorney General Pam Bondi saying an activist judge in Washington, DC does not have the jurisdiction to seize control of President Trumps authority to conduct foreign policy.
What is the Alien Enemies Act?
In 1798, with the U.S. preparing for what it believed would be a war with France, Congress passed a series of laws that increased the federal government’s reach. The Alien Enemies Act was created to give the president wide powers to imprison and deport noncitizens in time of war.
Since then, the act has been used just three times: during the War of 1812 and the two world wars.
It was part of the World War II legal rationale for mass internments in the U.S. of people of German, Italian and especially Japanese ancestry. An estimated 120,000 people with Japanese heritage, including those with U.S. citizenship, were incarcerated.
Can the U.S. use a wartime law when it’s not at war?
For years, Trump and his allies have argued that the U.S. is facing an invasion of people arriving in the country illegally.
Arrests on the U.S. border with Mexico topped 2 million a year for two straight years for the first time under President Joe Biden, with many released into the U.S. to pursue asylum. After hitting an all-time monthly high of 250,000 in December 2023, they dropped sharply in 2024 and dramatically more after Trump took office.
The Trump administration has increasingly described the migrant issue as a war, most notably by designating eight Latin American criminal groups, including Tren de Aragua, as foreign terrorist organizations.
Trump’s invocation of the act, which was publicly announced March 15, the same day as the deportations, said Tren de Aragua was attempting an invasion or predatory incursion of the United States.
Administration officials now regularly use military terminology to describe the situation, with Trump telling reporters last month that this is a time of war.
Trumps critics insist he is wrongly invoking an act designed for use during declared wars.
Trumps attempt to twist a centuries-old wartime law to sidestep immigration protections is an outrageous and unlawful power graband it threatens the core civil liberties of everyone, Scott Michelman, legal director of the ACLU of the District of Columbia, said in a statement after the Monday ruling.
How has the legal case proceeded?
The ACLU and Democracy Forward preemptively sued Trump hours before the March 15 deportations began, saying five Venezuelan men held at a Texas immigration detention center were at imminent risk of removal under the Alien Enemies Act. U.S. District Judge James E. Boasberg blocked their deportation, prompting an immediate Justice Department appeal.
Later that day, Boasberg issued a new order to stop the deportations being carried out under the centuries-old law, and said any planes in the air needed to turn around. By then, though, two ICE Air planes were heading across the Gulf of Mexico and toward Central America. Neither came back.
Mark Sherman and Tim Sullivan, Associated Press
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Speaking to ResiClub in December, Jay Bray, CEO of mortgage servicer Mr. Cooper, told me that real estate would see a lot of mergers and acquisitions in 2025and that Mr. Cooper was out shoppingas the industry continues to grind through the prolonged housing activity slump that started back in summer 2022.
You’ve seen consolidation already. If you think about this industry going forward, you’re going to need a balanced business model. You’re going to need the capability to invest in technology, to use everybody’s favorite two initials: AI,” Bray said in December. “That requires scale, that requires capital, that requires a healthy balance sheet. So I think as long as we’re in this kind of grind it out origination market, I don’t see any reason you will not see more consolidation happen. The stronger players will continue to get stronger, to some degree, and continue to look for opportunities to consolidate.
Bray added that: We are in the stronger category . . . We’ve probably done more acquisitions than anybody in the industry, by far, and so, yeah, we’re still in the market for that We will be active and looking for opportunities.
Bray was right that a big deal loomedonly the hunter became the hunted.
On March 31, mortgage lending giant Rocket Companies (owner of Rocket Mortgage, formerly known as Quicken Loans) announced it had reached an agreement to acquire Mr. Cooper for $9.4 billion.
Rocket Companies claims that, combined, it will service more than $2.1 trillion in loan volume, including one in six mortgages in America.
Rocket Companies CEO Varun Krishna [Photo: Rocket Companies]
“Servicing is a critical pillar of homeownership alongside home search and mortgage origination,” said Varun Krishna, CEO of Rocket Companies, in the press release announcing the deal. “With the right data and AI infrastructure we will deliver the right products at the right time. That’s how we build lifelong relationships, by proactively unlocking benefits and meeting needs before they arise. We look forward to welcoming Mr. Cooper’s nearly 7 million clients.”
This deal came just three weeks after Rocket Companies announced on March 10th that it struck an agreement to buy Redfin in a $1.75 billion deal.
Whats going on?
Rocket Companies is strategically positioning itself as a giant force in residential real estate, aiming to create a one-stop shop for homebuyers by merging Redfins customer funnel and Mr. Coopers mortgage servicing with its existing mortgage lending business.
“Its becoming increasingly clear that Zillows true competition isnt CoStarits Rocket,” Amanda Orson, CEO of real estate marketplace Galleon, tells ResiClub. “Everyones been watching CoStars $1 billion ad blitz with Homes.com, but their residential play is burning cash with no meaningful traction. Meanwhile, Rocket is executing something far more ambitiousand more dangerous: Theyre buying the full residential real estate stack.”
Redfin handles front-of-house customer acquisition, and Rocket does mortgage origination and lending, where it’s already the dominant direct-to-consumer player. Finally, Mr. Cooper has a $2.1 trillion mortgage servicing portfolio and 4.6 million customers. Says Orson: “This is vertical integration on an entirely new scale.
Orson adds that there are two major forces at play right now in the real estate industry: changes in the commission structure and a new administration that appears more friendly to mergers and acquisitions. “The real estate transaction itself is undergoing tectonic change,” says Orson. “[The National Association of Realtors] settlement is just the start. We’re watching the unbundling of a 112-year-old commission structure. A wave of agentless transactions is comingand Rocket is positioning to serve them end-to-end.”
Zillows current model relies heavily on agent commissions ($1.2 billion of its $1.9 billion in revenue), says Orson: “Theyve started to pivot into mortgage origination and full-stack products, but the scale Rocket already commands in direct-to-consumer lending puts them in a league of their own.”
Plus, the new administration is a tailwind for M&A, she adds. “Rocket is taking advantage of this moment with bold moves, consolidating distribution, infrastructure, and recurring revenue,” says Orson. “Both Zillow and Rocket are chasing verticalization, but Rocket is further alongand playing to win. They now control the entire journey: from lead to loan to lifetime servicing. Zillow still has front-of-funnel traffic, for nowbut Rocket has monetization.
Orson says that CoStarthe commercial real estate giant that owns Homes.com and was trying to compete with Zillowis the biggest loser in all of this. “Their residential push isnt sticky, isnt scaled, and at $1 billion [per] year in ad spend is starting to look like a costly distraction.
U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has said he wants communities to stop fluoridating water, and he is setting the gears of government in motion to help make that happen.
Kennedy this week said he plans to tell the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to stop recommending fluoridation in communities nationwide. And he said hes assembling a task force of health experts to study the issue and make new recommendations.
At the same time, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced it would review new scientific information on potential health risks of fluoride in drinking water. The EPA sets the maximum level allowed in public water systems.
Here’s a look at how reversing fluoride policy has become an action item under President Donald Trump’s administration.
The benefits of fluoride
Fluoride strengthens teeth and reduces cavities by replacing minerals lost during normal wear and tear, according to the CDC. In 1950, federal officials endorsed water fluoridation to prevent tooth decay, and in 1962 set guidelines for how much should be added to water.
Fluoride can come from a number of sources, but drinking water is the main one for Americans, researchers say. Nearly two-thirds of the U.S. population gets fluoridated drinking water, according to CDC data.
The addition of low levels of fluoride to drinking water was long considered one of the greatest public health achievements of the last century. The American Dental Association credits it with reducing tooth decay by more than 25% in children and adults.
About one-third of community water systems 17,000 out of 51,000 across the U.S. serving more than 60% of the population fluoridated their water, according to a 2022 CDC analysis.
The potential problems of too much fluoride
The CDC currently recommends 0.7 milligrams of fluoride per liter of water.
Over time, studies have documented potential problems when people get much more than that.
Excess fluoride intake has been associated with streaking or spots on teeth. And studies also have traced a link between excess fluoride and brain development.
A report last year by the federal governments National Toxicology Program, which summarized studies conducted in Canada, China, India, Iran, Pakistan and Mexico, concluded that drinking water with more than 1.5 milligrams of fluoride per liter more than twice the CDC’s recommended level was associated with lower IQs in kids.
Meanwhile, last year, a federal judge ordered the EPA to further regulate fluoride in drinking water. U.S. District Judge Edward Chen cautioned that its not certain fluoride is causing lower IQ in kids, but he concluded that research pointed to an unreasonable risk that it could be.
Kennedy has railed against fluoride
Kennedy, a former environmental lawyer, has called fluoride a dangerous neurotoxin and an industrial waste tied to a range of health dangers. He has said its been associated with arthritis, bone breaks, and thyroid disease.
Some studies have suggested such links might exist, usually at higher-than-recommended fluoride levels, though some reviewers have questioned the quality of available evidence and said no definitive conclusions can be drawn.
How fluoride recommendations can be changed
The CDC’s recommendations are widely followed but not mandatory.
State and local governments decide whether to add fluoride to water and, if so, how much as long as it doesnt exceed the EPA’s limit of 4 milligrams per liter.
So Kennedy cant order communities to stop fluoridation, but he can tell the CDC to stop recommending it.
It would be customary to convene a panel of experts to comb through the research and assess the evidence that speak to the pros and cons of water fluoridation. But Kennedy has the power to stop or change a CDC recommendation without that.
The power lies with the secretary, but public trust would erode if recommendations are changed without a clear scientific basis, said Lawrence Gostin, a public health law expert at Georgetown University.
If youre really serious about this, you dont just come in and change it, he said. You ask somebody like the National Academy of Sciences to do a study and then you follow their recommendations.
On Monday, Kennedy said he was forming a task force to focus on fluoride, while at the same time saying he would order the CDC to stop recommending it.
HHS officials did not answer immediately questions seeking more information about what the task force would be doing.
Some places are already pulling back on fluoridation
Utah recently became the first state to ban fluoride in drinking water, and legislators elsewhere are looking at the issue.
An Associated Press analysis of CDC data for 36 states shows that many communities have halted fluoridation in recent years.
Over the last six years, at least 734 water systems that consistently reported their data in those states have stopped fluoridating water, according to the AP’s analysis.
Mississippi alone accounted for more than 1 in 5 of those water systems that stopped. Most water systems that discontinued fluoridation mainly did so to save money, said Melissa Parker, the Mississippi state health departments assistant senior deputy.
During the pandemic, Mississippis health department allowed local water systems to temporarily cease fluoridating because they could not purchase sodium fluoride in the midst of global supply chain issues. Many never restarted, Parker said.
CDC funding for fluoride is typically a small factor
Since 2003, CDC has funded a limited number of state oral health programs through cooperative agreements. The agreements run in cycles, and at the beginning of this year 15 states were each receiving $380,000 over three years.
The money can be used on a number of things, including collecting data on people with dental problems, dental care and technical assistance for community water fluoridation activities.
The current oral health funding is going to Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, Nevada, New York, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, South Caolina, Virginia and Wisconsin.
The states are told not to use the money for chemicals, because the funding is intended to help set up fluoridation, not for everyday expenses, federal officials have said. South Carolina, for example, sets aside up to $50,000 to help communities in that state fluoridate. Iowa spends about $65,000 to promote community water fluoridation.
Earlier this year, CDC officials declined to answer questions about how much of the total oral health money has been going toward fluoridation.
Now, there is no one to ask: Last week, the CDCs entire 20-person Division of Oral Health was eliminated as part of widespread government staffing cuts.
Congress appropriated money to CDC specifically to support oral health programs, and some congressional staffers say the agency must distribute those funds no matter who is running the HHS or CDC. But Trump-driven budget cuts have struck at a number of programs that Congress had called for, and it’s not clear what will happen to the CDC oral health funding.
Fluoridation is relatively cheap compared with other water department expenses, and most communities simply incorporate the cost into the water rates charged to customers, according to the American Water Works Association.
In Erie, Pennsylvania, for example, fluoridating water for 220,000 people costs about $35,000 to $45,000 a year and is entirely funded by water rates, said Craig Palmer, the chief executive of the Erie Water Authority.
So cutting off the CDC money would not have much impact on most communities, some experts said, although it could be more impactful for some smaller, rural communities.
The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institutes Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
Mike Stobbe and Kasturi Pananjady, Associated Press
Shares in Walgreens Boots Alliance (Nasdaq: WBA) are trading slightly higher this morning after the company reported its Q2 2025 earnings. The results, which beat on earnings and revenue, are notable as they will be one of the last earnings reports the company posts as a publicly traded company. Heres what you need to know about Walgreens’s results.
Walgreens shares trading higher after Q2 2025 results
As of the time of this writing, WBA shares are up about 1.72% in early-morning trading. The price rise likely reflects the fact that much of the markets are up todaya first in the past three trading days since April 2 when President Trump announced his chaotic tariffs on countries around the world.
However, WBA stock is also likely rising slightly today due to the fact that the company posted beats on revenue and earnings for its second quarter of fiscal 2025.
For the second quarter, Walgreens Boots Alliance announced revenues of $38.6 billiona 4.1% increase from the same quarter a year ago. The company also announced an adjusted earnings per share (EPS) of 63 centsdown from an adjusted EPS of $1.20 in the quarter a year earlier.
Walgreens said that the EPS decline was due to several factors, including prior year adjusted effective tax benefit, lower U.S. retail sales and prior year sale-leaseback gains, partly offset by cost savings within U.S. Retail Pharmacy and growth in U.S. Healthcare.
As noted by CNBC, despite the disappointing EPS, Walgreens still managed to beat analyst expectations. Analysts had expected an EPS of just 53 cents and revenue of $38 billion.
No fiscal 2025 guidance
One notable absence from Walgreens’ Q2 2025 numbers was its fiscal guidance for the rest of the financial year. The company removed its previous FY25 guidance because it is being taken private.
Last month, private equity firm Sycamore Partners agreed to buy the struggling pharmacy chain for $11.45 per share. That transaction is scheduled to conclude in the final quarter of the 2025 calendar year, pending regulatory and other approvals.
Walgreens had previously said in January that it had expected a full-year 2025 EPS of between $1.40 and $1.80 per share. However, in its press release for its Q2, Walgreens stated that WBAs previously issued guidance for full year fiscal 2025 should no longer be relied upon.
Walgreens stock price down from 12-month highs
Given that Sycamore Partners has already agreed to buy Walgreens Boots Alliance for $11.45 per share, its no wonder that the companys stock price has fluctuated little since the deal was announced last month. As a matter of fact, until Trumps tariff announcements last week, WBA stock had been relatively steady since the deal was announced.
However, primarily due to global stock markets crashing in the past several days, WBA stock is currently still down about 4.7% in the past month.
WBA stock is also down significantly from where it was a year ago, when it traded at over $19 per share. Since its January 2024 highs, WBA shares have fallen over 43%.
