Senate Bill Would Ensure Data Centers Do Not Pass Energy Costs Onto Consumers
Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) is circulating a bill to require data centers to bring their own power when constructing these new power-hungry facilities, Axios reports this morning.
We’ve detailed the growing resistance to the construction of new data centers for months now as several studies have demonstrated electricity prices spiking around new data center facilities, as they usually consume significantly more power than the grids they’re connected to can offer.
To prevent skyrocketing electric bills, every state has to follow the Texas example: each data center must have its own “behind the meter” onsite power generation.
One of the most frequently identified solutions is requiring new data centers and other large power loads to construct their facilities alongside new power generation facilities, i.e. “behind-the-meter.”. This could prevent and even reverse much of the rate increases that have been plaguing households across the US.
It’s a simple supply and demand issue. A new power consumer shows up and immediately starts draining hundreds of megawatt of power while the new power generation being developed by the utility servicing the connected grid takes several years to add new generation capacity. The pitch circulated by lawmakers is to require new data centers to show up with their own power and hand, therefore preventing the pass on of costs to household rate payers.
There’s a slew of ways to go about powering a multi-megawatt or gigawatt scale data center. The method most frequently referenced for reducing rate payer burden is behind-the-meter arrangements. This means the power generator is directly connected to the facility through on-site transmission structures without interacting with the grid in any way.
Alternatively, facilities could opt for the front-of-the-meter arrangement where they still bring their own power, but transmit the power through the local grid, even if they are located physically near each other. This arrangement supports the grid while still minimizing cost to the rate payer because of the addition of overall capacity. Connecting to the grid and utilizing existing transmission lines and transformers could minimize time to initial operation, as well as require grid infrastructure upgrades. Requiring the new data center to finance the grid upgrades would reduce consumer costs as well.
The bill being pushed by Sen Hawley is calling for behind-the-meter arrangements, but the legislation could change as it passes through everyone’s hands. Most grid advocates have called for front-of-the-meter arrangements to maximize household consumer benefit.
Your brain treats what it sees in Instagram reels the same way it treats cocaine. Both experiences flood a thumbnail-sized region of the brain with dopamine—a chemical that makes you want more, right now. The problem is that after a certain amount of dopamine hits, your brain adapts by turning down the pleasure volume. As a result, things that once made you feel good are no longer enough.
If you’re finding it harder to feel simple joy and genuine connections, you’re experiencing what addiction psychiatrists now recognize as dopamine overload, a state where constant stimulation—especially from cellphones, social media, and ultra-processed foods—quietly erodes your ability to feel your happiest emotions and leaves relationships feeling painfully empty. However, there is hope—through learning to rebalance our reward systems, we can rediscover contentment in simple things.
The Dopamine Hijack
Dopamine is a brain chemical messenger that helps drive motivation, heightens anticipation, and reinforces the experiences your brain labels as rewarding. In healthy balance, it nudges us toward naturally meaningful activities—such as working toward goals, sharing meals, spending time with friends—that have long supported survival and human connection.
However, modern life delivers dopamine in doses and speeds the human brain is not equipped to handle.
“Things that are addictive release a whole lot of dopamine all at once in a part of the brain called the nucleus accumbens,” Addiction psychiatrist and author Dr. Anna Lembke, a leading voice on how modern habits hijack the brain’s reward circuitry, told The Epoch Times. “The more dopamine that is released there, and the faster it is released, the more likely we see addictive behavior.”
With long-term exposure to highly addictive substances and behaviors, Lembke said, the brain undergoes neuroadaptation. “It starts to downregulate dopamine receptors to bring levels back to baseline, and people actually end up in a dopamine deficit state—below normal levels of dopamine firing.” In other words, the brain turns down its sensitivity to dopamine, leaving people feeling flat unless they keep chasing stronger stimulation.
Over time, this process fundamentally shifts what it takes to feel normal.
“We change our hedonic set point. We need more of the substance, in more potent forms, just to bring dopamine levels back up to baseline,” Lembke said. Sugar and short‑form videos strongly stimulate the same dopamine‑based reward pathways targeted by drugs and alcohol, which can lead the brain to treat them as if they were vital rewards.
To adapt to all the dopamine, the brain may settle into a dopamine deficit state, which can feel like clinical depression, anxiety, or emotional numbness.
When Everything Feels Numb
As dopamine overload persists, many people describe a kind of emotional numbness: feeling flat, struggling to enjoy life, and growing distant from loved ones.
“You can have this numbing or narrowing phenomenon where nothing brings joy anymore,” Lembke said. “People feel flat, anxious, or disconnected, and it can look a lot like depression.”
The difference is that clinical depression often responds to medication and therapy. Dopamine overload requires something simpler, though not easier: you have to stop the activity that creates it.
Growing evidence links heavy digital use to mental health symptoms, including anxiety, depression, loneliness, and altered decision‑making. Lembke pointed to experiments in which people either quit social media for three to four weeks or cut back to about 30 to 60 minutes a day, which resulted in reported improvements in anxiety, depression, and loneliness.
Lembke offered a practical diagnostic test: “If you’re not sure you’re addicted to something, just try stopping it for 30 days. The level of difficulty you have doing that can tell you a lot about the nature of your attachment.”
The 30-Day Reset
The good news is that the brain’s reward system is not fixed. It is adaptable and can relearn to find satisfaction in real, offline experiences. A long enough break from high‑dopamine habits, Lembke said, gives the brain space to switch its reward system back on and start producing feel‑good chemistry again.
“When people stop an addictive behavior, their dopamine levels do not crash forever—they tend to feel worse at first, then gradually better,” Lembke said, noting that most people begin to emerge from acute withdrawal after about 10 to 14 days as cravings ease. By weeks three and four, many report feeling better than they have in months or even years.
For many, a 30‑day abstinence trial—or “dopamine detox”—is a realistic window to start resetting reward pathways and feeling the benefits, she said. In practical terms, that often means roughly two tough weeks, a couple of weeks of gradual relief, and about a month to sense a genuine reset.
Experts have found that the goal of a dopamine detox is not to eliminate dopamine—which would be impossible and unhealthy—but to reduce overstimulating habits so the brain can rebalance and you can enjoy slower, more meaningful rewards again.
To make a detox doable in everyday life, Lembke focuses on self‑binding—setting up guardrails that make it harder to slide back into the habit.
Create Physical Barriers: Don’t rely on willpower. Delete apps and unsubscribe from feeds. Clear alcohol, drugs, junk foods, and trigger foods out of your house.
Choose Low‑Dopamine Substitutes: Swap mindless scrolling or snacking for reading, walking, hobbies, or time in nature that offer calmer, more lasting rewards.
Set Firm Boundaries: Build device‑free blocks into your day, keep phones out of the bedroom, and avoid constant multitasking that chases tiny hits of stimulation.
Build Basic Routines: Regular movement and sleep, and nourishing food help steady both dopamine and stress systems.
Watch for the Binge Cycle: Notice any “all or nothing” streaks—days of restraint followed by blowouts—that tend to spike dopamine and crash mood.
Do Hard Things in Small Doses: Cold showers, morning exercise, cleaning out a messy closet, meditation, are activities that require effort up front but leave you feeling better afterward. They teach your brain to generate its own satisfaction instead of depending on quick hits.
Track the Evidence: Track sleep, mood, and focus for a few weeks as you cut back; small changes are often a sign your reward system is resetting.
Rediscover Natural Rewards
Once you start lowering quick dopamine spikes, it becomes essential to lean into natural sources of pleasure—the kinds of activities that have long supported human well‑being.
Exercise: Regular movement can lift mood and support healthy dopamine, serotonin, and endorphin signaling in a steady, sustainable way. A 20-minute walk does more for your brain than an hour of scrolling.
Social Connection: Deep conversations, laughter, and physical affection engage reward and bonding systems that help protect against stress and isolation. Face-to-face always beats FaceTime.
Mindfulness and Meditation: These practices can calm the stress response and gradually restore motivation for simple, everyday joys.
Creative Engagement: Making or enjoying art activates reward pathways without the same risk of desensitization seen with high‑intensity digital rewards.
Meaningful Challenge: Working toward meaningful goals gives real dopamine hits linked to effort and progress, not just novelty.
[ZH: Men, stop jerking off so much]: So we hear…
Scientific reviews and clinical programs highlight that turning toward natural rewards, rather than engineered instant ones, is how the human brain is built to thrive.
It may be time to get professional help if cutting back makes you very anxious, low, or causes withdrawal‑like symptoms that make normal life harder. You should also talk to a clinician before any dopamine detox if you have serious mental health symptoms such as suicidal thoughts, psychosis, or very bad depression or anxiety; a history of addiction or substance problems; or take medicines that affect dopamine, such as antidepressants, stimulants, Parkinson’s drugs, or antipsychotics.
Build Lasting Contentment and Hope
Lasting contentment rarely comes from a one‑time “detox.” It grows from small, steady changes, ideally with support from others.
Staying connected to encouraging friends, family, or groups makes it easier to keep healthier habits and to recover from relapses. Simple routines such as swapping one high‑dopamine habit at a time, checking in daily on triggers and small wins, and giving yourself credit for each step forward help progress stick.
If emotional numbness or compulsive cycles continue, seek help from a mental health professional who can guide you toward feeling stable and engaged with everyday life again. For anyone feeling overwhelmed or out of control, take heart—with support and steady effort, many people rebuild their lives and rediscover real pleasure in simple, everyday moments.
Billions In Chinese Investment To Flee Panama – Beijing Livid Over Canal Ports Decision
China is lashing out at Panama after the country’s top court torpedoed a key Chinese-linked operations contract at the Panama Canal, warning that the Central American nation “will inevitably pay a heavy price” if it doesn’t reverse course.
Under immense US pressure from the Trump White House, Panama’s Supreme Court last week ruled to void the operating license of Hong Kong–based CK Hutchison for ports on both ends of the canal – Balboa on the Pacific side and Cristóbal on the Atlantic.
The decision effectively ejects a Chinese/HK-connected operator, specifically the Panama Ports Company which is the subsidiary under CK Hutchison, from one of the world’s most strategic maritime chokepoints.
This was celebrated as a win by Washington, as President Trump has long made clear his intention to reassert American influence and control over the Panama Canal. Starting early in his administration Trump called it “vital to our country” and insisted that “it’s being operated by China.”
But China’s State Council Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office has newly blasted the court’s decision as “logically flawed” and “utterly ridiculous” – making clear that the ruling is vehemently opposed by both the Chinese government and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government.
“The Panamanian authorities should recognize the situation and correct their course,” the office said, as translated in various media reports.
“If they persist in their own way and remain obstinate, they will inevitably pay a heavy price in terms of politics and economics!” the blistering statement added.
Beijing is now threatening an array of political and economic consequences, also as it prepares its legal challenge to the supreme court ruling:
China has reportedly instructed its state-owned enterprises to suspend discussions on new projects in Panama following the Central American country’s decision to nullify CK Hutchison Holdings’ port operations contract, Bloomberg reported.
Sources familiar with the situation have indicated that the move is part of Beijing’s broader response to the legal ruling that affects two ports along the Panama Canal.
This decision is expected to potentially impede investments worth billions of dollars. In addition, China is advising shipping companies to consider alternative routes for cargo, provided these do not incur significant additional expenses, according to unnamed sources.
Furthermore, Chinese customs are increasing inspections on imports from Panama, including bananas and coffee, which could affect ongoing trade.
So now Panama finds itself in a precarious position, smack in the middle between Trump’s controversial ‘Donroe Doctrine’ and Beijing, with Panama’s President Jose Raul Mulino stating amid these threats of retaliation that he “strongly” rejects the Chinese government’s threats.
Panama’s ports just stepped into geopolitics.
China reportedly directed state companies to stop new negotiations for a Panama project after the port contract was dismissed. That’s operations, not just politics.
He framed this as about upholding the rule of law and made clear he “respects the decisions of the judiciary, which is independent of the central government.” Still, he’s about to feel some pain from China, and there’s probably nothing at all Panama City can do about it.
A county spokesperson said on Feb. 4 that the county filed a motion in federal court in the Northern District of Georgia requesting the return of all 2020 election files that the FBI took on Jan. 28 under a search warrant.
The FBI carted away hundreds of boxes of ballots and other documents. A cover sheet for the warrant said the law enforcement agency was seeking all ballots and voter rolls, tabulator tapes from scanners used to tally votes, and electronic ballot images.
Fulton County Commissioner Marvin Arrington Jr. said the county asked the federal court to limit the warrant to provide an opportunity for an accounting of the seized documents and to request that they remain in the state.
The warrant was executed on Jan. 28 at the Fulton County Elections Hub and Operation Center in Fairburn, Georgia, not far from Atlanta.
President Donald Trump has long argued that election improprieties in the state contributed to his loss in Georgia in the 2020 presidential election. Weeks after the vote, Trump called Georgia’s secretary of state, Brad Raffensperger, urging him to investigate.
President Joe Biden was declared the winner of Georgia’s 16 electoral votes in the 2020 election. Biden received 2,473,633 votes, or 49.5 percent of the statewide vote, compared with Trump’s 2,461,854 votes, or 49.3 percent of the statewide vote, according to officially certified results.
In December 2025, the Department of Justice (DOJ) filed suit against the county, seeking voting records from the 2020 election.
Last month, when discussing the 2020 election, Trump said that “people will soon be prosecuted for what they did” but did not elaborate.
County officials have expressed concern over Trump’s plans for the midterm elections in November that will determine control of Congress.
Fulton County Chairman Robb Pitts said “this case is not only about Fulton County. This is about elections across Georgia and across the nation.”
“The president himself and his allies, they refuse to accept the fact that they lost,” Pitts said. “And even if they had won Georgia, he would still have lost the presidency.”
Democratic lawmakers in Congress have also questioned why Tulsi Gabbard, the director of national intelligence, was present during the search in Fulton County, given that she is not part of the law enforcement community.
Gabbard sent a letter to senior Democrats on the U.S. House and Senate intelligence committees on Feb. 2, saying the president asked her to attend at the search “under my broad statutory authority to coordinate, integrate, and analyze intelligence related to election security.”
Democratic officials in the state have also raised concerns about DOJ lawsuits, mostly aimed at Democratic states, that are seeking detailed voter data, including birthdates and partial Social Security numbers.
Trump said on Feb. 3 that Democrat-controlled places like Atlanta, which is largely within Fulton County, have “horrible corruption on elections, and the federal government should not allow that.”
Trump added that states were “agents of the federal government to count the votes. If they can’t count the votes legally and honestly, then somebody else should take over.”
Approached by The Epoch Times, the DOJ declined to comment on the new motion.
The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
Epstein Death Gets Weirder: DOJ Finally Admits To ‘Orange-Colored Shape’ Moving Up Staircase
The death of Jeffrey Epstein has always been extremely suspect, if only for the sheer number of odd coincidences that occurred the night of August 9th, 2019.
There are three theories: One, he actually killed himself. Two, the DOJ – headed up by Bill Barr whose pedocentric-author father hired Epstein to teach at Dalton in the 70s – had him murdered while in custody. Three, Epstein was smuggled out of jail and replaced by a mask-wearing homeless dude, with skeptics pointing to different nose and ear shapes on the body vs. photos of Epstein when he was alive.
Now – despite former FBI director Dan Bongino insisting “There’s video clear as day, he’s the only person in there and the only person coming out. You can see it,” the DOJ just released new documents revealing that surveillance footage from the night of Epstein’s death captured an orange-colored shape moving up a staircase toward the isolated, locked tier where his cell was located at around 10:39 p.m. the night he died, or whatever.
The orange flash was initially reportedlast August, so this is the ‘official’ accounting for that.
That entry in an observation log of the video from the Metropolitan Correctional Center appears to suggest something previously unreported by authorities: “A flash of orange looks to be going up the L Tier stairs — could possibly be an inmate escorted up to that Tier.”
It also appears, according to an FBI memorandum, that reviews by investigators led to disparate conclusions by the FBI and those examining the same video from the Department of Justice’s Office of Inspector General. –CBS News
The orange flash is described as “possibly an inmate.”
The observation was logged by the inspector general as an officer carrying orange “linen or bedding,” noting it in their final report as “an unidentified [corrections officer],” despite the fact that the officers on duty said they didn’t replace any linens, as that was done during the previous shift.
“At approximately 10:39 p.m., an unidentified CO appeared to walk up the L Tier stairway, and then reappeared within view of the camera at 10:41 p.m.” reads the entry.
Officially, Epstein died by suicide sometime before 6:30 a.m., however nobody has been able to find the actual noose allegedly used.
Investigators asked what happened to the noose.
“I don’t recall taking the noose off. I really don’t,” he replied. “I don’t recall taking the thing from around his neck.”
Noel, who remained standing at the cell entrance, told investigators she saw Thomas lower Epstein to the floor but did not see a noose around his neck.
The noose Epstein allegedly used has never been definitively identified. According to the inspector general’s report, a noose collected at the scene was later determined not to be the ligature used in Epstein’s death.
This was one of the photos taken at the scene. Cute.
Other oddities include;
No Cellmate Assigned: Despite a July 30, 2019, directive from the Psychology Department requiring Epstein to have an “appropriate cellmate” due to suicide risk (emailed to over 70 staff), his cellmate was transferred on August 9 without a replacement. Multiple staff, including the warden and lieutenants, were aware but took no action, violating BOP policy and SHU post orders.
His former cellmate – Nicholas Tartaglione, who Epstein told his lawyers had “roughed him up,” begged a New York judge to move him to another prison after he said guards began threatening him after Epstein’s death. He also claimed that James Comey’s prosecutor daughter offered Epstein a deal to frame Donald Trump.
Tartaglione was convicted of killing a man he suspected of stealing some $250,000 in drug money, as well as his nephews and a family friend who “were in the wrong place at the wrong time,” prosecutors said, according to the New York Post.
During the month that Epstein was incarcerated before his apparent suicide, Tartaglione claimed in a pardon application that his cellmate had the opportunity to save his skin by throwing the sitting president under the bus.
“Prosecutors … told Epstein that if he said President Trump was involved with Esptein’s crimes he would walk free. in a petition to be pardoned,” according to the Post, which said it had obtained a copy of the filing.
“Epstein told me that Maurene Comey said that he didn’t have to prove anything, as long as President Trump’s people could not disprove it,” the pardon application added.
“According to Maurene Comey, the FBI were ‘her people, not his [President Trump’s].’”
Unmonitored and Unrecorded Phone Call: On August 9 (around 7 p.m.), Epstein was allowed a 20-minute call from the SHU shower area using a non-inmate system phone, authorized by the unit manager. He claimed it was to his mother (deceased since 2004), but it was actually to a personal associate discussing press, his case, and affection. The call violated BOP policy requiring monitoring, recording, and logging; the manager left midway and instructed no oversight.
Falsified Records of Inmate Counts and Rounds: SHU staff (including officers Tova Noel and Michael Thomas) falsified over 75 entries on count slips and round sheets. No inmate counts occurred after 4 p.m. on August 9, and no 30-minute rounds after approximately 10:40 p.m. Records were pre-filled or signed without performing duties, with “ghost counting” (using outdated cheat sheets) leading to errors like including transferred inmates.
No Monitoring or Tier Entries Overnight: Epstein was alone and unmonitored from ~10:40 p.m. on August 9 until discovered at ~6:30 a.m. on August 10. Staff remained at the officers’ station, with no entries to his tier (confirmed by available video). A specific sign mandating 30-minute rounds for Epstein was ignored.
Excess Linens and Safety Hazards in Cell: Epstein’s cell contained excess blankets, linens, and clothing (beyond limits of two sheets and one blanket), some ripped into nooses or clotheslines. No cell search was documented on August 9 (shower day, when searches are required), and only one SHU search was logged that day (not his cell). Mattresses and blankets were on the floor, violating housekeeping and security policies. And again, they never found the actual noose allegedly used.
Security Camera Malfunction: One of the SHU’s DVR systems failed on July 29 due to disk issues, stopping recordings (though live feeds continued). It was reported on August 8 but not repaired until after Epstein’s death, attributed to staffing shortages. Available footage showed no unauthorized entries, but the failure limited full review.
Staff Fatigue and Dozing on Duty: Officers worked excessive overtime (e.g., Thomas on a 22-24 hour shift, his third consecutive). Video showed staff idle or appearing asleep between 1-3 a.m. on August 10. Supervisors violated union agreements by assigning extended shifts, contributing to skipped duties.
Ambiguous Prior Incident (July 23): Epstein was found on the floor with an orange cloth around his neck tied to a bunkbed ladder. It was unclear if it was a suicide attempt or assault by his then-cellmate; investigations were inconclusive, with conflicting statements (Epstein initially claimed assault, later denied memory). He was placed on suicide watch but removed after 31 hours.
So yes, Epstein ‘died by apparent suicide’ inndeed.
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is seeking a court order for investigating systemic race discrimination allegations against white workers by footwear and apparel corporation Nike Inc., according to a Feb. 4 statement from the agency.
The EEOC filed an action in federal court to compel Nike, headquartered in Oregon, to produce information related to allegations that the company discriminated against white workers as part of its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs.
According to the filing made by EEOC in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri, the agency is looking to enforce an administrative subpoena against Nike for failing to submit the required information, which was initially requested in 2024 by then-commissioner, and now chair, Andrea Lucas.
Lucas alleged that Nike, since at least 2020, engaged in “a pattern or practice of disparate treatment against white employees, applicants and training program participants in hiring, promotion, demotion, or separation decisions, including selection for layoffs; internship programs; and mentoring, leadership development and other career development programs.”
EEOC is the sole federal agency that investigates and litigates against companies for violating federal law prohibiting employment discrimination.
In an emailed statement to The Epoch Times, a Nike spokesperson said that this was a “surprising and unusual escalation,” adding that the company had already shared thousands of pages of information with the EEOC, and written detailed responses to inquiries, and is in the process of providing additional information.
“We are committed to fair and lawful employment practices and follow all applicable laws, including those that prohibit discrimination,” the spokesperson said.
Diversity and Inclusion at Nike
According to the diversity, equity, and inclusion page on Nike’s website, the company drives “equitable experiences for all teammates across the employee lifecycle.”
In its fiscal year 2024 “Representation by the Numbers” document published online, Nike said women made up 50.3 percent of the global corporate workforce. As for racial representation, white employees made up 57 percent, with black employees making up 9 percent, Asian 18 percent, and Hispanic 8.8 percent.
Based on Bloomberg data, from 2020 to 2021, Nike showcased the largest amount of change against hiring white workers among large U.S. companies. While the numbers of black, Hispanic, and Asian people went up across the board, Nike let go of white workers, said the analysis.
Kismet Mills is currently Nike’s chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer. She assumed the post in 2024.
EEOC will take necessary steps to counter corporate DEI programs that seek to discriminate based on race, Lucas said.
“Title VII’s prohibition of race-based employment discrimination is colorblind and requires the EEOC to protect employees of all races from unlawful employment practices. Thanks to President Trump’s commitment to enforcing our nation’s civil rights laws, the EEOC has renewed its focus on evenhanded enforcement of Title VII,” said Lucas, who was hired by President Donald Trump to head the EEOC in November.
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, and sex.
The Trump administration has shown a steadfast opposition to DEI policies, with the president issuing executive orders against the implementation of such policies during his initial days in office.
DEI policies violate civil-rights laws, while undermining national unity, as “they deny, discredit, and undermine the traditional American values of hard work, excellence, and individual achievement in favor of an unlawful, corrosive, and pernicious identity-based spoils system,” said Trump’s Jan. 31 executive order.
In 2024, nonprofit law firm America First Legal filed a federal civil rights complaint with EEOC against Nike alleging racial and sex discrimination in violation of Title VII.
The firm said in a statement at the time that Nike appeared to be using numerical quotas for hiring, training, and promotion. The company aims to have 50 percent of women in the global corporate workforce and 45 percent in leadership positions by 2025, said America First Legal.
New York City’s health department said on Feb. 4 it has joined the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network, becoming the latest Democratic-led jurisdiction to link up with the United Nations-coordinated public health system following President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw the United States from the WHO.
The move places New York City alongside California and Illinois, whose leaders have said they will participate in the global outbreak network despite the federal government’s formal exit from the WHO last month.
The WHO-coordinated Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network (GOARN) links hundreds of public health institutions worldwide to detect and respond to emerging disease threats.
“By joining GOARN, New York City gains access to a global network of over 360 institutions and organizations that respond to acute public health events with the deployment of staff and resources to affected countries,” the New York City Health Department said in a statement.
“Infectious diseases know no boundaries, and nor should the information and resources that help us protect New Yorkers,” Acting Health Commissioner and Chief Medical Officer Michelle Morse added.
Trump formally pulled the United States out of the WHO on Jan. 22 after completing a one-year withdrawal process triggered by a January 2025 executive order. The order suspended all U.S. funding to the organization and directed the recall of U.S. personnel working with the agency.
The president’s order cited the WHO’s “mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic that arose out of Wuhan, China, and other global health crises” as reasons behind the U.S. withdrawal. It also singled out the WHO’s failure to adopt reforms and what Trump described as inappropriate political influence by member states as additional reasons for pulling out.
The United States had been the organization’s largest financial contributor, providing roughly $1.28 billion during the 2022–2023 biennium, according to the WHO.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Health Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. said in a joint statement announcing the U.S. withdrawal that the organization had acted against U.S. interests despite Washington’s role as a founding member.
“This action responds to the WHO’s failures during the COVID-19 pandemic and seeks to rectify the harm from those failures inflicted on the American people,” the two officials said. “Promises made, promises kept.”
Democratic-led States Defy WHO Withdrawal
Democratic leaders in several states have criticized the administration’s decision and moved to maintain direct ties with the global health network.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker said on Feb. 3 that his state would join GOARN, making Illinois the second state, after California, to do so. Pritzker said Trump’s withdrawal undermined science and weakened the country’s ability to respond to global health threats.
“I refuse to sit idly by and let that happen,” Pritzker said in a statement, adding that GOARN membership would give Illinois access to global early-warning alerts, outbreak intelligence, technical collaboration, and surge support during major public health events.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced his state’s participation on Jan. 23, calling the U.S. withdrawal from the WHO “reckless” and saying it would harm Americans. California became the first U.S. state to join the network after the federal exit.
“California will not bear witness to the chaos this decision will bring,“ Newsom said in a statement. ”We will continue to foster partnerships across the globe and remain at the forefront of public health preparedness.”
Newsom announced the collaboration after meeting WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, and said he is weighing a 2028 presidential run.
The White House did not respond to a request for comment on New York City’s decision by publication time.
Amazon Plunges After Forecasting 50% Surge In Capex To $200BN
In our AMZN earnings preview, we said that the price reaction from META and GOOGL “leaves Amazon in a precarious place as it prepares to report earnings after the close today: does it project some berserk number or does it risk being conservative? After all, the only thing that will matter is the capex forecast (the earnings will likely be good enough).”
Well, we were wrong: the earnings were not good enough: the company missed on earnings and its guidance was rather week. And so before we even get to the biggest shock of the report – the company’s CapEx guidance – here is what the company reported for Q4:
EPS $1.95, missing estimates of $1.96… an ugly miss at the very top.
Revenue was a bit better, and even though several items (physical stores, third party sellers missed), AWS was stronger than expected.
Net sales $213.39 billion, beating estimate $211.49 billion
Online stores net sales $82.99 billion, beating estimate $82.3 billion
Physical Stores net sales $5.86 billion, missing estimate $5.88 billion
Third-Party Seller Services net sales $52.82 billion, missing estimate $53.16 billion, net sales excluding F/X +10%, estimate +11.2%
Subscription Services net sales $13.12 billion, beating estimate $12.74 billion, net sales excluding F/X +12%, estimate +10.4%
The good news is that the most important revenue item, AWS, beat:
AWS net sales $35.58 billion, beating estimate $34.88 billion; net sales excluding F/X +24%, estimate +21%
This was an impressive number as the 24% YoY increase in AWS revenue not only smashed estimates, but was the highest in three years: remarkable growth for a business that keeps growing and has a more difficult base effect to “beat” every quarter.
Geographically the results were disappointing with North America missing, offset by strength in International
North America net sales $127.08 billion, missing estimates of $127.21 billion
International net sales $50.72 billion, beating estimates of $49.74 billion
Going down the line:
Operating income $24.98 billion, beating estimate of $24.82 billion; this included charges of $1.1 BN
Operating margin 11.7%, in line with the estimate of 11.7%
North America operating margin +9%, beating estimate +8.51%
International operating margin 2.1%, missing estimate 4.27%
In its release, the company said that demand was strong for AI, Chips, Robotics, and all other Existing Offerings.
While AWS sales growth was solid, just as impressive was the the margin for the segment also increased from 34.64% in Q3 to 35.03%, just beating the median Wall Street estimate of 35%. Elsewhere, North American profit unexpectedly jumped to $11.472 billion, resulting in a profit margin of 9.03%, beating estimates of 8.51%, while international margins dropped to to 2.05% from 2.93%, missing estimates of an increase to 4.27%.
As a result of the drop in AWS profits, Amazon’s consolidated operating margin posted a notable jump and in Q4 increased 9.7% to 11.7%, just shy of an all time high.
However, while the above data was ok, it was the company’s guidance that led to an immediate collapse in the stock price after hours. No, it wasn’t the revenue, although that did come in a bit weak:
Net sales are expected to be between $173.5 billion and $178.5 billion, or to grow between 11% and 15% compared with first quarter 2025. The midpoint is a bit weak compared to the median estimate of $175.54 billion.
The projected 13% revenue growth is on the low-end of where the company has been in the past year.
But while revenue guidance was disappointing, if a bit muted, it was the company’s capex guidance – a first for AMZN – that stole the show, because with Wall Street estimates of $146.1 billion in 2026 capex, the company went and reported that it expects to invest about $200 billion in capital expenditures in 2026, a 50% increase from 2025 and an openly ridiculous number, one which is more than a quarter higher than the consensus estimate! Needless to say, there is just not enough grid capacity and electrical power to satisfy the $700BN in CapEx guidance among the Mag7s.
The number was so shocking that even though Wall Street may have been ready to give AMZN the benefit of the doubt for its solid AWS performance and impressive margin bounce, the CapEx guidance was just so gargantuan, there was no way the stock would jump especially after yesterday’s GOOGL debacle. Putting the updated capex numbers in context, the 5 bighyperscalers now expect to spend over $700BN in capex next year. The only problem: there is nowhere near enough electrical capacity to feed all these brand new data centers.
And so AMZN crashed after hours, sliding as much as 11%, and trading around $200. Another $15 drop from here, and the stock will be where it last traded in 2021…
Xi Used Latest 2-Hour Call To Warn Trump On Taiwan Red Lines
More details have emerged from Wednesday’s Trump-Xi phone call, which it turns out was quite lengthy for the two leaders, lasting about two hours. We reviewed previously that President Trump hailed the “excellent” call, which was “long and thorough” – but Chinese version which was issued later presents something more contentious.
China’s official readout made clear that President Xi in the conversation focused heavily on Taiwan, and ways Washington can dial back the tensions over the self-ruled island.
Xi called the US approach to Taiwan “the most important issue in China-U.S. relations,” declaring that China “will never allow Taiwan to be separated from China.”
“The US must handle arms sales to Taiwan with extreme caution” Xi said, in reference to the billions in arms packages the US has signed off on over several years, spanning multiple administrations.
Taiwan was quick to respond to the contents of this call, with Taiwan’s president, Lai Ching-te, telling reporters Thursday: “The Taiwan-US relationship is rock solid, and all cooperation projects will continue uninterrupted.”
Separately Taiwan’s foreign ministry also pointed out that US weapons sales to Taiwan continue unabated, Xi’s warnings notwithstanding. Another key part of the call is seen in the following:
China is considering buying more U.S.-farmed soybeans, President Donald Trump said after what he called “very positive” talks with President Xi Jinping on Wednesday, even as Beijing warned Washington about arms sales to Taiwan.
In a goodwill gesture two months before Trump’s expected visit to Beijing, Trump said Xi would consider hiking soybean purchases from the United States to 20 million metric tons in the current season, up from 12 million tons previously. Soybean futures rallied.
Trump has repeatedly stressed the need to keep lines of communication open with Beijing, even as he insists on safeguarding American interests and regional security, and as Washington continues arms support to Taipei.
“The relationship with China, and my personal relationship with President Xi, is an extremely good one, and we both realize how important it is to keep it that way,” Trump had written on Truth Social Wednesday, soon after the call was conclued.
“I believe that there will be many positive results achieved over the next three years of my Presidency having to do with President Xi, and the People’s Republic of China!” – he followed with.
I read a CIA assessment of Xi Jinping and it said that he was “incorruptible, doesn’t care about money, doesn’t drink or participate in any vices, and always knows the right answer”.
Can you imagine what the Chinese assessment of Trump is?
But to review of Xi’s red lines and Washington’s proneness to testing them: “In December, the US state department announced its largest-ever arms sales package to Taiwan, valued at more than $11.1bn and including missiles, artillery systems and drones,” writes The Guardian. “The package is yet to be approved by Congress.”
“China reacted angrily to the proposed arms sales, conducting two days of military drills around the island in late December, for which it dispatched air, navy and missile units,” report recalls.
U.S. President Donald Trump opted not to choose between Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio as potential successors in the 2028 Republican presidential primary during a Feb. 4 interview with NBC News.
The president had, on earlier occasions, suggested that Rubio and Vance would be the top Republican contenders for 48th president of the United States.
In the NBC News interview, Trump was asked who should be at the top of the 2028 presidential primary ticket.
“Well, I don’t want to get into this. We have three years to go. I don’t want to, you know, I have two people that are doing a great job,” Trump said.
“I don’t want to have an argument … I don’t want to use the word fight, it wouldn’t be a fight. But look, JD is fantastic, and Marco is fantastic.
“I would say one is slightly more diplomatic than the other. I think they’re both of very high intelligence. I mean … they will do shows. They will do Joe Rogan, as opposed to the opponent not doing it because they couldn’t handle it.
“They’re both very capable. I do think this—the combination of JD and Marco would be very hard to be beaten.”
When asked whether he would endorse someone in the 2028 primaries, Trump replied he “hadn’t even thought of it” but would be inclined to do so.
Rubio ran as a Republican candidate in the 2016 presidential race, competing against Trump, who went on to win his first term. Since joining the second Trump administration, the 54-year-old has been active on multiple fronts.
In addition to serving as secretary of state, Rubio was appointed acting head of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) in February 2025 and national security adviser in May 2025. In July of that year, he confirmed the shutdown of USAID, highlighting that foreign assistance provided by the agency failed to deliver results for Americans.
Earlier, in February 2025, Panama’s president said his country would not renew its Belt and Road Initiative agreement with China after a meeting with Rubio, who called on the country to address the Chinese Communist Party’s influence in the region, in what was one part of the Trump administration’s assertive moves in the Western Hemisphere.
Vance, who has been active in both domestic and international roles, was instrumental in blocking Democrats from restricting Trump’s ability to continue military action in Venezuela, casting the tiebreaking vote in the Senate that defeated the proposal. The 41-year-old has also emerged as a prominent defender and advocate of the administration’s “America First” agenda.
Both Rubio and Vance served as Republican senators prior to joining the Trump administration last year. Rubio was elected to the U.S. Senate from Florida in 2010, while Vance was elected to the U.S. Senate from Ohio in 2022.
Regarding a potential 2028 presidential ticket, Vance said in a media interview in October 2025 that he wants to perform well in the current administration before considering such a proposal.
Meanwhile, Rubio backed Vance as a great pick for the next presidential election without ruling himself out of the race.
In December, conservative organization Turning Point USA, now headed by Erika Kirk, endorsed Vance for 2028.
According to a Harvard CAPS Harris Poll fielded on Jan. 28 and 29, Vance “leads convincingly” among Republican voters as their next candidate for president. Vance got 53 percent of the polled votes, far higher than Rubio’s 17 percent, which put him in the third spot. Donald Trump Jr. took the second spot with a 21 percent share.
