Doomsday Clock Reaches Record Low as Global Threats Escalate

OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT, is reportedly seeking $40 billion in new funding, aiming to elevate its valuation to $340 billion. According to the Wall Street Journal, Japan's SoftBank is leading this funding effort, negotiating an investment of between $15 billion and $25 billion. This potential investment would mark SoftBank's largest backing of OpenAI. The funding drive comes on the heels of market disruption caused by Chinese startup DeepSeek, which recently launched a competitive chatbot developed at a significantly lower cost compared to U.S. counterparts. As reported by the Financial Times, the funding plan follows OpenAI's previous round completed just three months ago, which valued the company at $157 billion. The new funds would aid OpenAI in fulfilling its $18 billion commitment to the Stargate initiative announced by former President Donald Trump, intended to bolster artificial intelligence infrastructure in the U.S. SoftBank’s investment may exceed $40 billion as it continues to pivot towards AI technologies. Shares of SoftBank rose by 3% following these reports.

Los Angeles police are pursuing a suspect following a violent stabbing incident that took place during midday on January 18. The attack occurred near Santa Monica Boulevard and Edgemont Street, where a man approached a woman from behind and stabbed her multiple times, according to officials from the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD). Surveillance footage shows the assailant brandishing a weapon and striking the victim in the back before fleeing on foot. Investigators reported that the victim was walking with two companions at the time of the attack. After the stabbing, the suspect ran toward the Vermont/Santa Monica MTA station. In a bid to identify the attacker, the LAPD has released a photograph taken from the surveillance footage. Authorities are urging anyone with information about the incident to contact the LAPD at 213-484-3631. The incident has raised concerns about public safety in the area, and police are increasing patrols in response to residents' worries about violent crimes.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., nominated by former President Donald Trump for Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, was challenged during his confirmation hearing regarding discredited claims linking vaccines to autism. According to Democratic Senator Maggie Hassan, Kennedy repeatedly ignored evidence disproving the association, underscoring a resurgence of vaccine misinformation despite the scientific community's consensus. The controversy stems from a 1998 study by Andrew Wakefield published in The Lancet, which was later retracted due to methodological flaws and ethical breaches. Wakefield's fraudulent research ignited widespread vaccine hesitancy, affecting public health, particularly during a subsequent measles outbreak in Samoa linked to Kennedy's advocacy against vaccines, which resulted in 83 deaths, primarily among children. While Kennedy claims to value evidence-based health policy, his refusal to accept established scientific findings poses a threat to U.S. vaccine programs, prompting concerns among pediatricians and health experts about potential negative impacts on childhood immunizations.