Physics & Cosmology Summary

## TIER 2 STORIES (Brief RSS Summaries - mention if relevant):

- White House pressures Smithsonian for internal records, warns funding could be withheld: report The White House reportedly threatened to withhold Smithsonian funding unless the museum system provides internal records by Jan. 13 over American history exhibit concerns....

- Watch live: President Trump gives remarks on economy from North Carolina President Trump will hit the next stop in his tour to tout his economic agenda on Friday evening: North Carolina. Trump has rated the economy under his second term an "A plus plus..." in recent weeks,...

- Slain MIT professors physics career flourished as his suspected killers foundered Claudio Neves Valentes academic career foundered, while his one-time classmate, Nuno Loureiro, flourished as a physics professor at MIT....

- Investigators seek motive for shootings of MIT professor and Brown students <p>Suspect Claudio Manuel Neves Valente was found dead in New Hampshire storage facility after five-day manhunt</p><p>Investigators turned on Friday to the search for a motive in the <a href="https://...

- Investment in data centers worldwide hit record $61bn in 2025, report finds <p>Analysts see global construction frenzy that shows no signs of slowing amid surge in demand from AI boom</p><p><a href="https://www.spglobal.com/market-intelligence/en/news-insights/articles/2025/1...

- Epstein files include thousands of new images, audio, records and videos <p>The Justice Department released thousands of files on convicted sex offender <a href="https://www.axios.com/2025/12/18/jeffrey-epstein-lolita-photo-drop" target="_blank">Jeffrey Epstein</a> on Frid...

- N.J. town bans suggestive clothing in massage parlor crackdown Bridgewater tightens massage parlor rules amid concerns about prostitution...

- Popular pain ointment pulled from shelves after safety concern involving children Mamisan Pain Relieving Topical Ointment has been recalled after federal regulators found its packaging fails child-resistant standards, posing a poisoning risk to young children....

- Rep. Krishnamoorthi slams Trump administration plan to close hundreds of vacancies at Chicago VA hospitals <img alt="The Captain James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center in North Chicago, pictured in March. About 200 job vacancies are being eliminated there." src="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/defa...

- Trump administration threatens $50 million CTA funding cut, says security plan is 'materially deficient' <img alt="A train approaches the State and Lake Station in the Loop Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025." src="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/47c3b26/2147483647/strip/true/crop/7008x4672+0+0/resize/84...

- U.S. awards no-bid contract to Denmark scientists studying hepatitis B vaccine in African babies The Trump administration has awarded a $1.6 million, no-bid contract to a Danish university to study hepatitis B vaccinations on newborns in Africa that is raising ethical concerns....

- Paris, Hong Kong, other major cities canceling or changing New Year's Eve plans Multiple major world cities, including Paris, Hong Kong and Belgrade, Serbia, have canceled or altered their New Year's Eve celebrations over security concerns....

- A brief encounter, two attacks and then a break in investigations into the Brown and MIT shootings <figure><img alt="" class="attachment-rss-image-size size-rss-image-size wp-post-image" height="765" src="https://i0.wp.com/bdn-data.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/2025/12/preview-1180.jpg?fit=1024%2C765&am...

- St. Charles Co. experiencing issues with new developments St. Charles County is grappling with significant traffic issues stemming from new construction projects this year, raising concerns among residents and local officials....

- We Want the Same Protections: TriMet Safety Staff Announce Union Effort <div>They work to keep passengers safe, but say they are not afforded the rights of regular TriMet employees.</div> by Taylor Griggs <p>Alison Segler has worked as a TriMet Safety Response Team staffe...

- New transitional housing for people living with HIV to open soon in Little Rock <figure><img alt="" class="attachment-rss-image-size size-rss-image-size wp-post-image" height="333" src="https://i0.wp.com/arktimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/DSC_9305-scaled.jpg?fit=500%2C333&am...

- Runaway Black Hole Escapes Its Galaxyand Its Leaving Baby Stars in Its Wake The Webb telescope confirmed one of the fastest moving celestial objects ever detected....

- Best PDF editors: Picks for premium, budget, and free options <div id="link_wrapped_content"> <section class="wp-block-bigbite-multi-title"><div class="container"></div></section> <p>PDF files have become ubiquitous in our multi-platform world. This convenient f...

- We have more details on the TikTok deal, including some ownership statistics <p>TikTok <a href="https://www.engadget.com/social-media/trumps-tiktok-deal-is-another-step-closer-to-finally-actually-happening-001813404.html"><ins>has signed a deal</ins></a> to spin off its Americ...

- The Stray Kids Are Coming To Roblox <p>The South Korean band Stray Kids is coming to Roblox today, and they'll be unleashing the SKZOO from now and through the weekend while promoting their new album, Do It. As seen in the clips below, ...