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Submission + - Trump admin announces $17.5 billion in loans for 10 new large nuclear reactors (apnews.com)

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes: Energy Secretary Chris Wright cited “tremendous interest” among developers of data centers that would buy the power, as well as utilities and energy companies. The nuclear plants could begin construction by 2030 and become operational in the mid-2030s, Wright and other officials said Tuesday.

“This is the start,” Wright said on a call with reporters. “We’re going to move with the players that are ready to stand up and move quickly. Once that supply chain is up and running, do we think there will be dozens of these built going forward? I’d be very surprised if there were not.”

Most U.S. nuclear power plants were built between 1970 and 1990. Only two new large reactors have been built from scratch in the United States in recent decades. Those two reactors, at Georgia Power Co.’s Plant Vogtle, were completed years late and billions of dollars over budget. The 10 new reactors will use the same design, Westinghouse’s AP1000.

Wright said the Plant Vogtle project struggled because of bad planning, supply chain problems and the COVID-19 pandemic. But, he said, the reactor design is “robust and sound.”

Submission + - Walmart's first nuclear deal shows demand beyond AI data centers (msn.com)

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes: Walmart is signing a long-term contract to buy nuclear power for the first time ever, a promising sign that the industry’s future is supported by more than just the AI data center boom.

The retail giant agreed on Tuesday to buy power from a nuclear plant in Illinois owned by Constellation Energy for its operations in the area, including its stores and a high-tech warehouse in Illinois that stores and sorts perishable food.

Walmart will buy 176 megawatts of power from the plant over a 15-year period, or enough power to serve around 150,000 homes.

The Walmart deal will allow Constellation to expand the capacity of the Illinois plant by 30 megawatts, a process known as an uprate, which can involve replacing older equipment and improving efficiency.

Walmart, which has pledged to eliminate net carbon emissions from its U.S. operations by 2040, will also receive the environmental attributes associated with the nuclear energy, which generates electricity without carbon emissions.

Submission + - Helion says the 1st fusion power plant is coming soon. A cofounder isn't so sure (scientificamerican.com)

Submitted by tedlistens
tedlistens writes: The startup backed by Sam Altman recently raised $465 million, tripling it's valuation as it races to build what it says will be the world's first fusion power plant, supplying Microsoft with carbon-free electricity in 2028.

But one of its founders—the plasma scientist whose research inspired its reactor design—has serious doubts.

Comment Focus on the people, at both ends (Score 3, Insightful) 149

A small % commit most crimes. Worst of the worst. Focus on them. 3 strikes and you're out
Require inmates to get a GED and learn a trade to get out. So they don't think they need to be criminals to survive. And get them off drugs.

We don't have enough plumbers, mechanics, welders, electricians, machinists, etc

Submission + - Declassified Files Ignite New Scrutiny of Fauci, COVID Origins and CIA Coverup (legalinsurrection.com)

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes: A little over a week ago, outgoing Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard released new evidence of long-standing U.S. government funding of more than 120 biolabs in over 30 countries (including Ukraine).

Gabbard's release of information related to biological research funded by the U.S. government continued this Friday, after she declassified a cache of documents outlining Dr. Anthony Fauci’s involvement in the COVID-19 response, including records indicating that federal officials shielded him from a whistleblower complaint alleging he misled Congress about “gain-of-function” work after publicly advancing a natural-origin theory for a pandemic that ultimately claimed millions of lives.

The documents and whistleblower testimony appear to show that Fauci influenced intelligence assessments on COVID-19 origins, denied such involvement under oath in 2024, and benefited from close ties to the intelligence community that limited scrutiny. They further claim a pattern of retaliation against dissenting intelligence officials and suppression of alternative viewpoints regarding the virus’s origins.

Today, on my final day as Director of National Intelligence, I’m releasing never-before-seen communications and documents exposing how Dr. Fauci provided millions in US taxpayer dollars to fund dangerous gain-of-function research at the Wuhan lab, worked with politicized elements pic.twitter.com/ZMdliW4zyS

- DNI Tulsi Gabbard (@DNIGabbard) June 19, 2026

In her announcement, Gabbard broke down Fauci's actions related to COVID-19 into three main areas:

First, Dr. Fauci funded dangerous gain-of-function coronavirus research linked to Big Pharma and their pursuit of universal vaccines. Worth trillions of dollars.

Second, Dr. Fauci was the behind-the-scenes advisor who, alongside his handpicked so-called experts, pushed the intelligence community to endorse a natural animal origin to hide his dangerous gain-of-function research that he funded using taxpayer dollars—all of this in a deliberate attempt to cover up the truth and shift the blame and attention away from Fauci's own actions.

Third, Dr. Fauci became the nation's pandemic pundit and he publicly pushed lies and disinformation and censorship using every platform available.

Comment Questions for KC officials ... (Score 2) 46

by schwit1 (#66202730) Attached to: Facial Recognition on Public Buses? Kansas City Says Yes

What is the "Function Creep" policy? How does the city guarantee that the technology will not be used for purposes other than its stated intent (e.g., used for tracking political protesters, immigration enforcement, monitoring homeless populations, or general surveillance) in the future?

What are the performance benchmarks? Has the technology been tested for accuracy across different demographics (race, sex, age)? Can the city provide third-party, independent audit results showing the error rates of the software?

What is the escalation protocol? If the system provides a "match," what is the mandatory human review process before any law enforcement action is taken? Who is held accountable if the system produces a false positive that leads to a wrongful interaction?

What is the automated deletion policy? For data where no match is found, is there an automated, instantaneous deletion process? Or is that data stored, even briefly, in a "temp" file that could be accessed or subpoenaed?

What is the retention period? If data is kept for a period after a "no match," what is the specific retention period, and where is the policy document that outlines this?

How is the data "purged"? When data reaches the end of its retention period, is it cryptographically erased, or is it merely archived in a way that could still be recovered?

Who owns the data? Is the data owned by the city or the third-party software vendor? Does the contract grant the vendor the right to use the footage to "train" their AI models or improve their algorithms?

What is the data-sharing policy? Is there a database "interoperability" requirement? Does this system automatically share data with federal agencies (like the FBI or DHS), other state agencies, or private organizations? If so, what oversight do local officials have over those agencies' use of this data?

Are there non-disclosure agreements? Are there any clauses in the city's contract with the vendor that prevent the city from disclosing how the technology works, its error rates, or its limitations to the public?

Where is the public-facing policy manual? Is there a comprehensive, publicly available "Surveillance Impact Report" or "Privacy Impact Assessment" that was conducted before the contract was signed?

What is the community oversight mechanism? Will there be an independent civilian oversight board with the power to subpoena records or shut down the use of the technology if it is found to be used improperly?

Submission + - Paper: Being Out Of Shape Is Far More Likely To Kill You Than Smoking (studyfinds.com)

Submitted by schwit1
schwit1 writes: In a Nutshell
  • Very low cardiovascular fitness is associated with a roughly 400% higher risk of death than high fitness levels, dwarfing the mortality risk linked to smoking.
  • Current US and UK physical activity guidelines are built around minimum thresholds, not optimal health outcomes, and a Cambridge researcher argues they need a full overhaul.
  • Protein recommendations in the UK haven't been updated since 1991 and were never designed to help people thrive, only to prevent deficiency.
  • Higher protein intake is linked to better muscle mass, healthier aging, improved fat loss, and potentially better pregnancy outcomes, but current guidelines fall well short of what the science supports.

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