Two Chinese Scientists Charged with Smuggling Toxic Fungus into the US

Three transgender cadets from the U.S. Air Force Academy graduated on Thursday but were barred from commissioning as second lieutenants due to a reinstated ban by the Trump administration on transgender individuals serving in the military, as indicated by multiple reports including The Colorado Springs Gazette. The graduates, who met all mandatory standards for physical fitness and academic performance, include Hunter Marquez. Marquez, who transitioned during his time at the Academy and earned dual degrees, has expressed a desire to contest the decision, stating, “I really want to stay in for as long as possible, fight this out.” The policy was reinstated after the U.S. Supreme Court allowed the enforcement of Executive Order 14183, which previously blocked transgender individuals from military service. As per the order, the cadets were placed in administrative absence and warned of potential repercussions concerning their educational funding, reportedly valued at hundreds of thousands of dollars. Nearly 1,000 Academy alumni have shown support for the cadets, emphasizing that being transgender does not contradict the values upheld by the military, according to Military.com.

Elijah Heacock, a 16-year-old from the United States, tragically died by suicide after being a victim of an AI-generated sextortion scam. His family revealed that he received a threatening message demanding ₹250,000 (approximately $3,000) in exchange for not sharing a fake explicit image of him. According to police, Elijah died from a gunshot wound on February 28, prompting his parents to investigate further into his case. Elijah's mother, Shannon Heacock, discovered the alarming messages on her son’s phone, leading her to learn about the growing and dangerous trend of sextortion, which involves online predators blackmailing victims with fabricated sexual content. "The people that are after our children are well organized, well financed, and relentless," his father, John Burnett, stated in an interview. In response to their loss, the Heacock family is campaigning for justice and increased awareness about sextortion, even launching a GoFundMe campaign to alleviate financial difficulties stemming from Elijah's death. They are calling out politicians to take action against such crimes, emphasizing the urgent need for awareness to protect vulnerable youth.

A team of researchers has predicted that Earth's oxygen-rich atmosphere is unlikely to last for much longer than a billion years, ultimately reverting to conditions that resemble the planet's state before the Great Oxidation Event 2.4 billion years ago. This alarming forecast is based on detailed simulations that indicate a significant drop in atmospheric oxygen will precede widespread loss of surface water due to increasing solar brightness, as explained by environmental scientist Kazumi Ozaki from Toho University in Japan. The study, published in *Nature Geoscience*, models the biosphere's response to changes in solar output and carbon dioxide levels, highlighting that reduced photosynthesis will lead to sharply decreased oxygen levels—potentially a million times lower than today, according to Earth scientist Chris Reinhard from the Georgia Institute of Technology. This research is particularly significant as astronomers search for habitable planets beyond our solar system. As advanced telescopes collect data, the study suggests scientists should consider a broader range of biosignatures beyond oxygen when searching for extraterrestrial life. The current oxygen-rich period could last only 20-30 percent of Earth's total lifespan, with microbial life anticipated to persist long after humans are gone.