Triple Homicide Investigated Near Kentucky High School

A 12-year-old boy, Jadako Taylor, died in Ohio after allegedly being subjected to extreme corporal punishment by his caregiver, Anthony McCants, 23. Preliminary reports indicate that McCants forced Taylor to endure multiple ice baths interspersed with physical exercises, leading to cardiac arrest. The incident occurred around 5 AM, as per local police statements. According to the New York Post, Taylor was reportedly ordered to take two 45-minute ice baths, followed by additional exercises, before being subjected to yet another 30-minute cold immersion. The practices were described in legal documents as a form of corporal punishment. When emergency services arrived, they found the boy had begun to vomit and seizure; he was later pronounced dead at Akron Children's Hospital, with a core body temperature of 74°F, significantly below the normal 98.6°F threshold. McCants has been charged with felony endangerment and is currently being held on $500,000 bail. The relationship between McCants and Taylor remains unclear as investigations continue.

In a reflective article published on March 17, 2025, Benjamin E. Goldsmith, a professor at the University of Sydney, warns that U.S. democracy is "doomed" amidst rising authoritarianism under Donald Trump. Goldsmith explains that a loss of political culture, which he deems crucial for upholding democratic values, has made the U.S. vulnerable to elite manipulation of democratic processes. He argues that Trump, now in a second term, has learned to navigate and exploit the democratic system's weaknesses, potentially transforming it into an "illiberal political system" that preserves his power beyond 2028. Goldsmith suggests that current political tactics resemble those employed by authoritarian regimes, eroding essential democratic institutions such as a free press and the rule of law, reminiscent of scenarios in Russia and Ukraine. Furthermore, he predicts a fundamental shift in international relations, with the U.S. joining China and Russia as a dominant non-democratic power, ultimately undermining the rules-based international order. The article concludes with a call for vigilance regarding these developments in American political culture.

Researchers at Caltech have developed a groundbreaking solar-powered system designed to produce jet fuel, marking a significant step towards carbon-neutral aviation. This innovative technology utilizes a small-scale photothermocatalytic reactor that operates entirely on solar energy, eliminating the need for fossil fuels or external electricity, according to Aisulu Aitbekova, the study's co-author. The reactor captures solar heat to drive essential chemical reactions, functioning at temperatures up to 249°C under direct sunlight. This allows for the conversion of ethylene into longer-chain hydrocarbons, which are necessary components of jet fuel. Harry Atwater, director of the LiSA and Howard Hughes Professor of Applied Physics at Caltech, stated, "This device demonstrates that the heat generated by abundant solar energy can drive catalytic processes." The current process begins with ethylene derived from fossil fuels, but researchers are working on methods to produce ethylene from carbon dioxide, water, and sunlight, aiming for a fully renewable fuel production system. This advancement brings hope for sustainable aviation, an industry facing increasing pressure to decarbonize. The study is published in the journal Device.