Hungary, nearly solitary among EU nations, has resisted pressures from Brussels to reduce its reliance on Russian fossil fuels. In Washington, Orban further pledged to increase purchases of US liquefied natural gas (LNG), along with US nuclear technology and fuel. Hungary is heavily reliant on Russian oil via the Druzhba pipeline from the east, and on Russian gas through the TurkStream pipeline from the south.
He and his team responsible for national security commemorated their latest initiative – which involved orchestrating numerous aircraft and elite military forces, as well as utilizing deception and advanced technology. However, this endeavor, although impressive, aimed to prevent what Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth recognized as a “possible catastrophe”.
The qualifications for membership also look very different between the existing charter and the renewal issued today. Under the current charter, ACIP members “shall be selected from authorities who are knowledgeable in the fields of immunization practices and public health, have expertise in the use of vaccines and other immunobiologic agents in clinical practice or preventive medicine, have expertise with clinical or laboratory vaccine research, or have expertise in assessment of vaccine efficacy and safety.” Those particular core requirements—expertise in immunization practice and vaccine science—were key to Murphy’s conclusion that Kennedy’s appointees were not fit to serve on the committee.
The renewal notice omits those specific requirements and instead emphasizes a “geographic balance” (representing various regions of the country) and a “balance of specialty areas.” It lists a broad array of specialties that cover a much wider range of medical and scientific disciplines and possibly beyond, including: “biostatistics, toxicology, immunology, epidemiology, pediatrics, internal medicine, family medicine, nursing, consumer issues, state and local health department perspective, academic perspective, public health perspective, etc.”
Some of the alterations in the renewal may reflect pressure from an anti-vaccine organization aligned with Kennedy. That group, the Informed Consent Action Network (ICAN), is led by Kennedy ally Del Bigtree and has been collaborating with Aaron Siri, an attorney who worked on Kennedy’s unsuccessful presidential bid and has brought numerous lawsuits seeking damages for alleged vaccine injuries. Siri is also known for petitioning the Food and Drug Administration to revoke the polio vaccine.
Last month, ICAN urged Kennedy to amend ACIP’s charter, and Siri’s law firm submitted a draft with track-changed edits outlining their preferred language for the new charter. The draft proposes that ACIP members have expertise in any area “deemed relevant by the Secretary,” and it explicitly requires that “At least two members shall have direct and substantial experience advocating for and/or treating those injured by vaccines.”
The Department of Health and Human Services did not answer Ars Technica’s questions about edits to the renewal notice or possible revisions to the CDC’s full charter text. Spokesperson Andrew Nixon, in an emailed statement, only said the renewal is part of “routine statutory requirements and do not signal any broader policy shift.”
Robotics-focused machine-learning firm Generalist has unveiled GEN-1, a physical AI platform it claims “crosses into production-level success rates” across “a broad range of physical skills” that previously required the dexterity and muscle memory of human hands. Generalist also emphasizes the new model’s knack for reacting to disruptions by improvising fresh maneuvers and “connect[ing] ideas from different places in order to solve new problems.”
GEN-1 expands on Generalist’s earlier GEN-0 model, which the company promoted in November as a proof of concept for applying scaling laws to robotics training, demonstrating that more pretraining data and compute translate into better post-training performance. But whereas large language models have been able to process the trillions of words available online for training, robotic systems don’t have a comparable, easily accessible supply of high-quality examples of how humans manipulate objects.
To close that gap, Generalist has turned to “data hands”, wearable pincer devices that record micro-movements and visual cues as people perform manual tasks. The company says it has gathered more than half a million hours — and “petabytes of physical interaction data” — to train its physical model.
Take my money (from my wallet) (then put it back).
The outcome is an autonomous system precise enough to place cash into a wallet and versatile enough to fold laundry or sort auto parts. Generalist says the model now achieves 99 percent success rates on repetitive but delicate mechanical tasks — such as folding boxes, packing phones, and servicing robot vacuums — and operates at roughly three times the speed of GEN-0. The company adds that GEN-1 can reach these levels after only about an hour of adapting its pretraining to the “robot data” relevant to its specific robotic embodiment.
Historically, complex robotic systems have tended to rely on precisely preprogrammed motions or be trained to specialize in a single task with little variation. What Generalist says sets GEN-1 apart is a single model’s ability to improvise from prior experience and handle disruptions naturally, even when those situations are “well outside the training distribution.”
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With Hotels With Great Taste, we’re unveiling the “special ingredient” that hotels utilize to craft unforgettable, significant culinary moments for their visitors.
While visiting Sirikoi Lodge, I opened my cottage door one afternoon to discover Nditu, the orphaned female giraffe who considers Sirikoi and its vicinity her territory, nibbling on some trees merely steps away.
While it might seem a bit of a cliché to label a hotel as enchanting, I can’t think of a more fitting term to encapsulate the experience of visiting this Kenyan lodge. On a typical morning, you might spot a herd of elephants stopping by for a drink just a few feet from where you’re relishing your breakfast, or a pair of impalas frolicking across the property.
Despite being situated next to a watering hole within Lewa Wildlife Conservancy’s 93,000 acres of natural beauty, Sirikoi is a place where you truly feel at home, even as you encounter views that leave you rubbing your eyes in astonishment. The stunning grounds, bi-daily game drives, incredible wildlife encounters, and savanna sunsets were all absolutely breathtaking.
I was equally enchanted by Sirikoi’s culinary program, much of which centers around the more than 80 fruits, vegetables, and herbs cultivated in the property’s organic gardens. Head chef Zachary Macharia collaborates closely with head gardener George Domiano to define the lodge’s culinary philosophy, resulting in fresh, wholesome meals deeply rooted in seasonality. Picture farm-fresh eggs transformed into perfectly cooked omelets or scrambles, lunches composed of a vibrant array of salads, and straightforward dinners where the ingredients take center stage.
Both Macharia and Domiano have dedicated over 15 years to the lodge. Domiano’s experience in regenerative agriculture and organic farming brought him to Sirikoi, which had an established garden that cofounder Sue Roberts was enthusiastic to expand and convert to a 100% organic model. Advocating regenerative methods such as zero tillage farming, Domiano joined the team in 2011 and took on the role of head gardener in 2012. Under his guidance, the garden has thrived and now provides the bulk of Sirikoi’s produce, from the citrus and passion fruit served during breakfast to the broccoli and potatoes accompanying dinner.
The region’s climate is particularly favorable for cultivating most fruits and vegetables year-round. Many plants that would typically struggle to grow in the local soil are nurtured through grafting, a technique wherein the root of one plant supports the growth of another.
JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon is urging a renewed commitment to American principles as his bank manages geopolitical instability, a fragile economy, and the groundbreaking effects of artificial intelligence.
In his letter to shareholders released on Monday, Dimon acknowledged the nation’s 250th anniversary as “an excellent opportunity to recommit ourselves to the ideals that shaped this amazing nation — freedom, liberty, and opportunity.”
“The hurdles we face are considerable. While the list is extensive, prominent among them are the ongoing horrors of war and violence in Ukraine, the current conflict in Iran, and broader conflicts in the Middle East, along with terror threats and increasing geopolitical strains, particularly concerning China,” Dimon remarked. “Even in challenging times, we trust that America will continue to do what it always has — rely on the values that have characterized our unique nation and upheld our status as a leader in the free world.”
Dimon, who leads the world’s largest bank by market capitalization, is one of the most vocal U.S. business leaders. His annual letter serves not just as a record of his company’s performance, but also as a narrative on global issues.
In the letter, he highlighted difficulties including international conflicts, persistent inflation, turmoil in private markets, and what he described as “ineffective bank regulations.”
Dimon mentioned that regulations established post the 2008 financial crisis “achieved some positive outcomes … but they also fostered a disjointed, sluggish system with costly, overlapping, and excessive regulations — some of which weakened the financial framework and hindered productive lending.”
He specifically pointed out the adverse effects of capital and liquidity rules, the current design of the Federal Reserve’s stress testing, and a “poorly managed” process at the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.
Dimon also expressed mixed feelings about JPMorgan’s response to recent proposals regarding the Basel 3 Endgame and a global systemically important bank (GSIB) surcharge — released by U.S. regulators last month.
“While it was encouraging to see that the latest proposals for the Basel 3 Endgame (B3E) and GSIB sought to lessen the capital hike from the 2023 recommendations, some components are frankly illogical,” Dimon stated.
The CEO noted that the cumulative proposed surcharges of roughly 5% would require the bank to maintain “up to 50% additional capital for most loans to U.S. consumers and businesses compared to a large non-GSIB bank for the same loan classes.”
“It’s simply not fair, and it’s un-American,” he asserted.
Dimon pointed to geopolitical tensions as the main danger facing his bank, specifically the conflicts in Ukraine and Iran and their repercussions on commodities and global markets — describing war as “a realm of uncertainty.”
“The results of current geopolitical situations could very well be the critical element determining how the future global economic order develops,” he noted. “However, it may also not play a significant role.”
He also mentioned a “realignment of economic relationships globally” prompted by U.S. trade strategies. President Donald Trump has made tariffs a focal point of his second term, imposing increased duties on various trading partners and import categories.
“The trade conflicts are far from resolved, and it is reasonable to anticipate that many countries are evaluating how and with whom they should establish trade partnerships,” Dimon stated. “While some of this is essential for national security and resilience, which are critical, predicting the long-term consequences remains complex.”
Dimon also discussed the recent turmoil in private markets, as anxieties surrounding loans extended to software companies lead to substantial redemption demands at private credit funds.
“In general, private credit lacks transparency or strict valuation ‘marks’ for their loans — this heightens the likelihood that investors will choose to exit if they anticipate the market will worsen — even if actual realized losses remain largely unchanged,” Dimon noted.
The executive indicated that actual losses are already exceeding acceptable levels relative to the market conditions.
“Regardless of how this situation unfolds, it is likely that insurance regulators will mandate stricter assessments or markdowns, which will probably lead to calls for additional capital,” he added.
Dimon reiterated on Monday that the speed of AI integration is unprecedented compared to past technologies. He indicated that while its application will be “transformational,” it is uncertain how the AI revolution will play out.
“Overall, investing in AI is not a speculative fad; instead, it promises considerable advantages. Nonetheless, at this moment, we cannot foresee the ultimate beneficiaries and casualties in AI-oriented sectors,” Dimon explained.
“We will not ignore the implications. We will implement AI, similar to all technologies, to enhance our service for our customers (and employees),” he outlined.
JPMorgan has been leading among Wall Street firms in deploying AI throughout its operations. Last year, JPMorgan’s Chief Analytics Officer Derek Waldron provided CNBC with an early showcase of how it’s utilizing agentic AI to expedite tasks and enhance outcomes for clients and stakeholders.
In February, Dimon mentioned that AI was transforming JPMorgan’s workforce and that the bank was planning “major redeployment initiatives” for staff.
“We have concentrated on some of the ‘certain and anticipated’ as well as some ‘uncertain known’ occurrences,” he stated. “However, significant tech transitions such as AI invariably have secondary and tertiary effects that can profoundly influence society. … We ought to be vigilant for such transformations as well.”
— CNBC’s Leslie Picker and Ritika Shah contributed to this report.
Traders are stuck between preparing for a rapid agreement that concludes the conflict and a major escalation that could cause oil prices and bond yields to rise even more as they enter a holiday-thinned trading session.
President Donald Trump put forth a harsh warning on Sunday, telling Iran it would be “living in Hell” unless the Strait of Hormuz is reopened by Tuesday, 8 p.m. ET, labeling it “Power Plant Day and Bridge Day combined.”
In a separate Fox News interview on Sunday, Trump expressed optimism that there was a “good chance” for an agreement to be made by Monday.
Mixed signals have created a week in which investors must prepare for sharply differing possibilities.
Meanwhile, Iran has dismissed Trump’s recent threats, stating that the vital waterway would only completely reopen once Tehran is reimbursed for the war’s damages, as it continued strikes throughout the Gulf over the weekend, including at Kuwait’s oil headquarters.
“Markets are anxious, as time is short and the possibilities are either a truce or escalation,” commented Rob Subbaraman, head of global macro research at Nomura. Trump’s rhetoric, however, indicated a sense of urgency from the White House to conclude the conflict, according to Subbaraman, as investors worked to “hedge against the risk of escalation.”
Trump has been oscillating between proclaiming talks with Iran as fruitful and imminent for a peace agreement, and indicating his willingness to increase military action against the Islamic Republic. He has consistently pushed back the deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
This inconsistent messaging has resulted in market fluctuations accompanied by unstable oil trading. The S&P 500 rose 3.4% last week, marking its strongest weekly gains since November as investors capitalized on the dip in hopes of a diplomatic solution. The Cboe Volatility Index surged from below 20 prior to the war to approximately 24 last week.
“Trump’s aggressive remarks [over the weekend] align with his strategy: unpredictable, headline-driven, and aimed at applying maximum pressure swiftly,” stated Mohit Mirpuri, an equity fund manager at SGMC Capital.
“Markets will have to adjust to this type of policymaking for the foreseeable future while he remains in office,” Mirpuri added.
The prolonged conflict and the effective blockade of the Strait of Hormuz risk plunging the globe into one of its most extreme energy crises in history. Analysts warn that even a diplomatic breakthrough may not provide immediate relief to markets.
Brent crude prices surged to $109.77 per barrel on Monday, approximately 50% higher since the conflict commenced on February 28. U.S. West Texas Intermediate has skyrocketed by 66% and was trading at $111.2 as of 11 p.m. ET.
Despite a slight increase in the last few days, shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz — which previously facilitated nearly a quarter of the world’s seaborne oil and one-fifth of its liquefied natural gas before the war — remained 95% lower than levels prior to the war.
“Regardless of whether the Strait of Hormuz stays open, the damage to confidence and supply chains has already occurred — normalcy doesn’t just return instantly,” Mirpuri remarked. “Markets will likely be sensitive to headlines, with sharp fluctuations as narratives evolve.”
The OPEC+ decision on Sunday to increase production quotas by 206,000 barrels per day for May will hardly alleviate oil supply issues, given that the war has curtailed production and shipments from several of the globe’s largest crude exporters.
Subbaraman noted the war has “persisted long enough to create serious inflation spikes worldwide,” cautioning that “if the conflict escalates from this point, the inflation shock may quickly turn into a growth shock, leading to demand destruction and outright stagflation.”
The fixed-income sector is discreetly adjusting the inflation outlook. The 10-year Treasury yield reached 4.362% on Monday, up from 3.962% before the conflict began, hovering near the highest levels since mid-2025, as investors reduced their expectations for interest rate cuts from the Federal Reserve this year.
“One of the significant, yet underestimated risks is the shift in government bond yields,” mentioned Mirpuri. “Should this geopolitical shock translate into lasting inflation expectations, yields could rise again, tightening financial conditions at a moment when markets are already vulnerable.”
Wall Street strategist Ed Yardeni indicated that the fixed-income markets have been readjusting government securities to reflect the swiftly deteriorating inflation outlook, with “bond vigilantes taking matters into their own hands and tightening credit conditions.”
“Now we cannot dismiss the possibility of a bear market or even a recession. It all hinges on how long the strait remains closed,” Yardeni cautioned, compounding economic strains from the disruption in global energy flows.
As investors brace themselves for Tuesday’s deadline, markets are anticipated to remain extremely volatile as they attempt to interpret every signal from Washington and Tehran.
Markets in Japan and Korea saw gains on Monday as Axios reported that the U.S., Iran, and a coalition of regional mediators were negotiating terms for a possible 45-day ceasefire that could pave the way for a permanent resolution to the war, although the report indicated that the likelihood of a partial agreement before the deadline was slim. Indian benchmark indexes were trading lower.
“We are [currently] in an event-driven market where the risk of headlines overshadows intraday movements, and positioning must consider binary outcomes,” remarked Hiroki Shimazu, chief strategist at MCP Asset Management.
He anticipates that both parties will lean towards a de-escalation facilitated by Oman, in the form of “a subtle reduction in strike frequency,” rather than a definitive resolution. “We are in an extended stalemate phase rather than nearing a clean solution,” Shimazu remarked, predicting a prolonged period of volatility in the upcoming weeks.
Investors are also looking forward to a series of vital economic reports from the U.S. this week. The February personal consumption expenditures index — the Fed’s favored gauge for inflation — is scheduled for Thursday and will provide an initial indication of whether the oil shock is influencing prices in the world’s largest economy.
Spot gold, which has lost about 12% since the war began, trading at $4,672.03 per ounce, faces a tug-of-war between safe-haven demand and geopolitical pressures from a stronger dollar and rising Treasury yields. A strengthening dollar has made gold priced in dollars less accessible for holders of other currencies, while higher yields have lessened the appeal of the non-yielding metal.
“Immediate uncertainty is evidently very high, and for the majority of investors, it’s just a matter of waiting and observing at this point,” stated Chetan Seth, APAC equity strategist at Nomura.
Trump’s remarks from the weekend differ from several he made the previous week, including a televised speech on 1 April, where he indicated that the US had already established the necessary conditions for other nations to participate in the Strait. “Claim it, safeguard it, utilize it for your benefit,” he advised allies.
Balint Pasztor, leader of the Vojvodina Hungarian Association, along with another prominent ally of Orban, shared on Facebook: “Should the investigation reveal that we were not the primary target after all, but instead Hungary’s supply chains, this indicates even more clearly: the terrorist act was orchestrated to overthrow Viktor Orban.”
It’s simple to inundate streaming services with AI-generated Beyoncé knockoffs.
It’s simple to inundate streaming services with AI-generated Beyoncé knockoffs.
The policy of AI music platform Suno states that it does not allow the use of copyrighted content. Users can upload their own songs for remixing or pair original lyrics with AI-produced melodies. However, the system is designed to identify and prevent the use of others’ music or lyrics. While perfection is unattainable, it appears that Suno’s copyright filters can be easily circumvented.
With minimal input and some free software, Suno can generate AI-driven reproductions of popular tracks like Beyoncé‘s “Freedom,” Black Sabbath’s “Paranoid,” and Aqua’s “Barbie Girl” that closely resemble the originals. While the majority may distinguish them, a few could be mistaken for unofficial versions or alternative takes upon casual listening. Furthermore, it is conceivable that someone could monetize these uncanny replicas by exporting and posting them to streaming platforms. Suno opted not to provide comment for this report.
Creating these renditions involves utilizing Suno Studio, which is included in the company’s $24-a-month Premier Plan. Instead of generating an entire song through text prompts, Suno Studio allows uploads of tracks for modification or covering. It’s likely to reject a well-known song without alterations. However, employing a basic free tool such as Audacity to slow down or speed up a track can frequently get around the system, and adding a burst of white noise to the beginning and end seems to ensure success. Once in Suno Studio, one can restore the original speed and remove the white noise, allowing the copyrighted song to serve as a foundation for new AI-generated music.
If you produce a cover of the uploaded audio without altering styles, Suno essentially outputs the original instrumentals with minimal adjustments to the sound palette, particularly with model 4.5 or 4.5+. Model v5 is slightly more liberal with creative liberties, incorporating chugging guitar sounds and galloping piano in “Freedom” and transforming the Dead Kennedys’ “California Über Alles” into a jig led by violins.
Suno allows you to incorporate vocals by either generating lyrics or inputting text, and again, it’s meant to block copyrighted material. If you copy and paste the official lyrics from Genius into the system, Suno will flag them and produce nonsensical vocals. Nevertheless, slightly modifying lyrics can successfully bypass this restriction as well.
I was successful in deceiving Suno Studio by altering the spelling of a few words in “Freedom”—transforming “rain on this bitter love” into “reign on” and “tell the sweet I’m new” into “tell the suite”—and aside from the first verse and chorus, I didn’t need to apply further changes. The voice closely replicates the original, drawing forth slightly altered versions of Ozzy or Beyoncé.
Indie musicians may not enjoy that level of protection. One of my own songs was able to pass through the copyright filter while I was experimenting with v5 of the model. I also successfully got tracks by singer-songwriter Matt Wilson, Charles Bissell’s “Car Colors,” and experimental artist Claire Rousay past Suno’s copyright detection setup without making any adjustments whatsoever. Independent artists on smaller labels or those distributing via Bandcamp or services like DistroKid are particularly likely to fall through the cracks; DistroKid and CD Baby did not respond to requests for comment.
The output of these AI-produced covers resides firmly within the uncanny valley. The songs they are imitating are unmistakable: the “Paranoid” riff is clear, and “Freedom” is distinctly recognizable from the outset when the marching snare hits commence. Yet, there’s a certain lifelessness present. Although AI Ozzy sounds incredibly accurate, it lacks depth and dynamics, resulting in an impression of being a mere imitation of a human, not an authentic performance.
The instrumentals likewise eliminate any intriguing artistic decisions made by the originals or replicate them in unexciting ways. A non-jig version of “California Über Alles” has most of its rough edges smoothed out, giving it the sound of a wedding band rendition. Pink Floyd’s “Another Brick in the Wall” transforms from an exploration of doom disco to just bland dancefloor filler. While it captures David Gilmour’s guitar tone, it omits any sense of phrasing or evolution, turning the solo into a mindless stream of notes.
Creating unauthorized covers contravenes both the intended function of Suno and the terms of service. Additionally, it appears that Suno only scans tracks upon upload; it seems that outputs are not rechecked for potential violations or rescanned prior to exporting. From here, monetizing Suno-created covers is a straightforward process. Those who would exploit AI-generated content could upload it through a distribution service like DistroKid and benefit financially from other creators’ music without compensating the original composers as would typically happen with a cover. Independent artists appear particularly at risk.
Folk artist Murphy Campbell recently encountered this when someone uploaded what appeared to be AI-created covers of her songs from YouTube to her Spotify account. (It’s unclear which system they were produced by.) Shortly after, distributor Vydia placed copyright claims against her YouTube content and began collecting royalties. To illustrate how flawed the entire system is, the songs Vydia successfully claimed copyright on are all public domain. Spotify eventually removed the AI covers, and Vydia has retracted its copyright claims, but this only occurred following a social media campaign initiated by Campbell. Vydia claims that the two situations are unrelated and asserts no connection to the AI covers of Campbell’s creations.
AI imitations pose a threat to other artists as well. Experimental composer William Basinski and indie rock band King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard have seen replicas slip through various filters and reach streaming platforms like Spotify. On occasion, these counterfeit tracks can drain views directly from the artist’s own page. In an environment where payouts are already scarily minimal — Spotify mandates a minimum of 1,000 streams to receive payment — lesser-known musicians are particularly affected.
Platforms such as Deezer, Qobuz, and Spotify have implemented measures to address spammy AI and imposters. Spotify representative Chris Macowski informed The Verge that the company “takes artist rights seriously and tackles the issue from multiple perspectives. This includes protections to prevent unauthorized content from being uploaded in the initial place, as well as systems capable of identifying duplicate or highly similar tracks. These mechanisms are supplemented by human reviews to ensure accuracy.” Nonetheless, no system is infallible, and managing an influx of AI-driven content made possible by platforms like Suno presents a significant challenge.
Macowski acknowledged the technical challenges faced, stating, “It’s an area we are still investing in and evolving, especially as new technologies surface.”
Suno constitutes only one part of an evidently malfunctioning system. However, it remains an avenue where artists possess particularly restricted options for addressing grievances. Bands can reach out to Spotify to have AI forgeries removed from their profiles. It’s more challenging to determine how these forgeries are created and whether they result from failures in Suno’s regulatory processes. As of now, Suno’s reply is silence.
