Today’s Big Story

FDA to Phase Out Animal Testing

The agency will replace the old school testing with AI-based experiments, other methods

Well, this is promising news: The Food and Drug Administration announced Thursday that it will be phasing out a requirement that monoclonal antibodies and other drugs be tested on animals, saying in a news release that there are “more effective, human-relevant methods” to test drugs.

Of course, to get FDA approval, scientists must be able to demonstrate that a new drug or treatment is safe and effective. And currently, before they can test a new therapy in humans, they must show proof that it worked in a lab and often that it works in animals.

For decades, animals have been a key to biomedical research because although they are physically different from humans, many are biologically similar enough and get the same diseases as humans. Animals were often thought to be good stand-ins for humans at a point in a clinical trial when it could otherwise be too dangerous. Animals have an advantage in the lab because scientists can completely control the environment in which they live during the experiments. Animals also typically have shorter lives than humans, so a therapy could be studied over an animal’s entire lifetime and even over generations with its offspring. However, critics say that it’s an antiquated method of testing and doesn’t always offer the best results for human safety (and results in a lot of uncomfortable and painful experiences for the animals).

The agency is hoping to reaffirm its role as a leader in modern regulatory science amid DOGE-directed cuts that have rattled drug developers and investors and stoked concerns about timely product reviews. The FDA said it would launch a pilot program over the next year allowing select developers of monoclonal antibodies to use a primarily non-animal-based testing strategy, including the use of AI-based models. The new approach would help improve drug safety, lower research and development costs and drug prices, the agency said.

At the same time, the Environmental Protection Agency’s administrator Lee Zeldin plans to revive a ban on animal testing. According to Humane World, the fate of tens of thousands of animals is involved, since the agency has traditionally relied on animal tests to assess the probable effects and toxicity thresholds for human exposure to chemicals and pesticides.

Fallout From a Simmering Trade War

White House starts trade negotiations, but tensions are high with China

President Donald Trump and his top trade advisers on Thursday opened up the White House to trade negotiations with more than a dozen countries that one official vowed would bear results within weeks even as an escalating trade war with China showed no signs of abating. According to the Washington Post, rates dropped for most countries, but that is more than offset by China’s massive increase.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping has said his nation is “not afraid,” in his first public comment on the escalating trade war. He’s not backing down, retaliating by raising China’s tariffs on U.S.-made goods to a reciprocal 125% and imposing new curbs on critical resources. Economists say the intensifying financial hostilities represent a potentially significant threat to the United States and global economies regardless of the delay in higher tariffs for other trading partners.

So Republican lawmakers in Congress saw the warning signals of economic thinking that tanked the world’s markets and decided to rethink the budget being pushed by the same administration, right? Well, not exactly. NBC News reports that Speaker Mike Johnson muscled a revised budget blueprint needed to advance President Trump’s agenda through the House on Thursday—so “lawmakers can begin crafting a massive party-line bill” now that both the House and the Senate have approved the same budget framework.

Ex-Tesla and Lucid Execs Launch Longbow

It’s Britain’s first EV automaker (and they look great)

Electric vehicles are clearly the future—sales are up year over year (except for Tesla’s recent slump). They’re well suited to many people's daily driving needs, they're smooth and quiet, and the 30 to 50 miles that most people drive each day can be easily replenished with at-home charging overnight. But making EVs fun to drive and enticing for enthusiasts? That’s proven to be a bit more challenging.

But a new startup out of Great Britain, founded by former employees of Tesla, Lucid and BYD, is looking to change that. The brand is called Longbow and its aim is to capture driving enjoyment with a pair of lightweight, exhilarating electric sports cars. I have to say, judging by these pics on The Rake, they look pretty damn sexy.

Both the Roadster coupe and open-top Speedster are built on Longbow’s proprietary aluminum chassis, designed specifically to minimize weight while maximizing structural rigidity. The company's motto, Celeritas Levitas (“the speed of lightness” in Latin), encapsulates their performance philosophy. According to Motor1, compact electric motors and batteries will propel each car to 60 MPH in less than four seconds. Range is estimated to be 275 miles using the WLTP scale. Starting prices are ₤84,995 for the Speedster and ₤64,995 for the Roadster. (That’s approximately $85,000 to $110,000 with current exchange rates, so it won't be inexpensive.) All will be hand-built, with 150 of each model planned for production. It's unknown if Longbow will offer the car to buyers in the U.S.

A Weekend Pairing

‘Black Mirror’ + a Cucumber Gin & Tonic Cocktail

The Future of Building Construction?

Protect yourself.