Today’s Big Story

Doomsday Clock Moves Closer to Catastrophe

This is how close we are to self-annihilation, scientists say

Humanity is inching closer than ever to catastrophe, according to the atomic scientists behind the Doomsday Clock. Have you heard of this?

Created and run by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists (which itself was founded by many former Manhattan Project physicists who had become alarmed by the threat of nuclear weapons), the Doomsday Clock is meant to be a symbolic representation of how close humanity is to existential destruction. Each year, a group of experts in everything from nuclear science to climate change to cybersecurity sets the hands of the clock. The closer it is to midnight, the closer humanity supposedly is to extinction.

In 2023, the Bulletin made some news when it moved the hands of the clock up 10 seconds, to 90 seconds until midnight—the closest it had ever been since it was launched in 1947. While that meant humanity was supposedly closer to annihilation than it had been in such famously dangerous times as 1964 (not long after the Cuban Missile Crisis, when it was set to 12 minutes to midnight) or 1984 (shortly after one of the closest nuclear calls in Cold War history, when it was three minutes to midnight), this was the first setting after Russia invaded Ukraine and raised nuclear fears to a height they hadn’t reached in decades.

This year’s announcement shifted the hands of the symbolic clock to 89 seconds to midnight, citing threats that include climate change, proliferation of nuclear weapons, instability in the Middle East, the threat of pandemics and incorporation of artificial intelligence in military operations. The clock had stood at 90 seconds to midnight for the past two years and “when you are at this precipice, the one thing you don’t want to do is take a step forward,” said Daniel Holz, chair of the group’s science and security board. However, the group said the clock could be turned back if leaders and nations worked together to address existential risks.

Critics have dismissed the clock as a stunt based on subjective assessments. Others have said that its repeated warnings of total annihilation could end up being dismissed by the public—the public policy equivalent of the boy who cried wolf. But the scientists who set the clock call it an internationally recognized symbol and “a reminder of the perils we must address if we are to survive on the planet.”

Trump to Send Undocumented Immigrants to Guantánamo Bay

The president directed Pentagon and DHS to prepare migrant housing at the U.S. military camp

President Donald Trump signed a memo Wednesday that sets in motion preparations for a facility to house thousands of migrants at the U.S. military camp at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, which he said was an effort to “halt the border invasion.” Trump previewed the directive at a signing ceremony for the Laken Riley Act, an immigration detention measure, saying he would “instruct the departments of Defense and Homeland Security to begin preparing the 30,000-person migrant facility to detain the worst criminal illegal aliens threatening the American people.”

According to the Associated Press, while the U.S. naval base in Cuba is best known for the suspects brought in after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, it has a small, separate facility used for decades to hold migrants. The Migrant Operations Center is used for people intercepted trying to illegally reach the U.S. by boat. Most are from Haiti and Cuba.

So who will be sent there? The facilities at Guantánamo will be used for “the worst of the worst,” administration officials said. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Border czar Tom Homan both used the phrase when speaking to reporters outside the White House. An administration official, speaking on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to speak publicly on the matter, said it would be used to house “dangerous criminals” and people who are “hard to deport.” A number of countries refuse to accept some immigrants the U.S. tries to deport.

Plane Collides With Army Helicopter Near Washington

The regional airliner crashed into the Potomac River

Many people were feared dead after an American Airlines jet carrying 64 people collided midair with an Army Black Hawk helicopter carrying three soldiers and crashed into the Potomac River on Wednesday night near Reagan National Airport outside Washington.

DC’s Fire and EMS Chief John A. Donnelly Sr. said that all search-and-rescue efforts taking place right now are in the water. At least 18 bodies were recovered Wednesday night as the search for survivors continued. At least four people have been recovered and were rushed to hospitals. “The challenges are access. The water that we’re operating in is about 8 feet deep, there is wind, there is pieces of ice out there so it’s just dangerous and hard to work in,” Donnelly said. “The water is dark, it is murky, and that is a very tough condition for them to dive in.” He added that recovery efforts will likely take several days.

Officials asked camera crews and bystanders along the bank of the Potomac River just south of the airport to turn off their lights so that boat crews can search the waters nearby. The current has carried over visible pieces of debris and there is a smell of fuel coming from the water. The helicopter involved in the collision was on a training flight and had belonged to B Company, 12th Aviation Battalion out of Fort Belvoir in Virginia and less than 30 seconds before the crash, an air traffic controller asks the helicopter if it has the arriving plane in sight: “PAT25, do you have the CRJ in sight?” in reference to the passenger aircraft. The controller makes another radio call to PAT25 moments later: “PAT 25 pass behind the CRJ. The two aircraft collide seconds later.

Fed to Hold Interest Rates

It was the first meeting without a cut since July

The Federal Reserve held interest rates steady on Wednesday, just days after President Donald Trump called on the central bank to lower them. The announcement—while widely anticipated by financial markets—put the central bank on a potential collision course with Trump, though a longstanding norm of independence typically insulates the Fed from direct political interference.

The policy-setting Federal Open Market Committee agreed unanimously to hold the target federal funds rate at 4.25% to 4.5%, but the pause breaks a three-meeting streak of cuts dating back to September—when the Fed rolled out its first rate cut since March 2020. The FOMC announcement noted unemployment “has stabilized at a low level” and “inflation remains somewhat elevated,” notably removing a reference from its prior rates decision of inflation making “progress” toward the 2% target.

Trump slammed the decision on Wednesday afternoon: “Because Jay Powell and the Fed failed to stop the problem they created with Inflation, I will do it by unleashing American Energy production, slashing Regulation, rebalancing International Trade, and reigniting American Manufacturing,” he wrote on his Truth Social platform, referring to Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell. According to NBC News, Powell said the announcement that recent inflation data looked “good” but that “we’re not going to over-interpret two good or two bad [inflation] readings.” He also told reporters he hasn’t had any direct contact with Trump. “Lots of research shows [independence is] the best way for a central bank to operate.”

Make Your Clothes Last Longer

Simple steps to prolong the life of your favorite garments

When we talk about buying quality clothes, we often refer to them as “investment pieces”, right? But investments, to really yield their worth, must be managed and maintained. And we don't always treat our clothing in this way. Think of how your grandparents' generation treated their clothes. They bought less and often paid more for pieces since there was no fast fashion around. So they were forced to care for their garments—they'd wash them with care, mend and repair holes or lost buttons, and eventually pass it down to another person.

As you move away from a disposable wardrobe towards one that makes you look and feel great, you'll want to care for your clothing to ensure they stay in peak condition. It's sustainable, sure. But it's also a way to get the most for your money.

However, ensuring a long life for your clothes isn't just about caring for them once they start showing their age. It's about proactive care, regular maintenance and buying the right garments to begin with. You want to purchase timeless pieces with the intent to wear them for a long time. Look not only for quality materials but for pieces that fit your lifestyle—are you're willing to hand-wash a fine sweater or frequently clean light-colored or suede footwear? Great clothes can and should become cherished items that you create a relationship with over time. Here's how to extend the life of your favorite clothes.

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