Thursday's roundup spans a heated exchange at the United Nations, a surprise scientific discovery from an AI system, a horror game's strong debut, a new temple opening its doors, and a jittery day on Wall Street.
1. Current Affairs: Iran's Pezeshkian Fires Back After Trump Threatens to "Annihilate" Islamic Republic
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian told the United Nations General Assembly that threats against his country would only strengthen its resolve, responding a day after President Trump warned he could "annihilate" the Islamic Republic if its leaders do not reach a deal. Trump had laid out two paths for Tehran in his own address: an agreement that would allow Iran to rebuild economically, or, in his words, being driven "into hell with no chance of survival." Pezeshkian said Iran had been mischaracterized as a sponsor of terrorism when it has in fact been a victim of it, and reiterated that Iran's nuclear program is intended for peaceful purposes and would not bend to military or economic pressure. Both leaders spoke as separate US and Iranian delegations held sideline talks in New York. Neither government has announced a breakthrough, and the exchange underscored how far apart the two sides remain despite the ongoing diplomatic channel. Source: Yahoo News.
2. AI: Anthropic Says Its Claude Model Discovered a Novel, CRISPR-Like Enzyme System
Anthropic announced that its Claude model, working autonomously, identified a previously undescribed enzyme system in bacteriophage DNA after searching a database of roughly 1.9 billion protein clusters. The company calls the system "array-associated reverse transcriptases," or ART, made up of a reverse transcriptase enzyme, a neighboring gene, and a repeating DNA sequence that resembles the guide-RNA arrays found in CRISPR gene-editing systems. According to a preprint released alongside the announcement, the autonomous search ran for roughly 21.5 hours across 949 agent sessions, narrowing an initial 200,000 enzyme clusters down to 3,564 candidate families. Anthropic said it does not yet know what ART actually does biologically and is inviting outside scientists to propose follow-up experiments. The discovery is among the first tangible results from a new life-sciences research effort the company launched this year, and it adds to a growing debate over how much independent scientific work AI systems can credibly perform. Source: Anthropic.
3. Gaming: Silent Hill: Townfall Launches to Generally Favorable Reviews
Konami and Annapurna Interactive released Silent Hill: Townfall on PlayStation 5 and PC Thursday, a self-contained psychological horror title developed by Screen Burn and set in a fictional, fog-bound Scottish town in 1996. Critics have responded favorably, with Metacritic listing the game as "generally favorable" based on dozens of reviews, and individual scores ranging from roughly 6 to 9 out of 10. Reviewers praised the atmosphere, setting and horror writing, while the most common complaint centered on inconsistent stealth detection, with several critics reporting difficulty telling which actions would alert enemies. A full playthrough runs more than 18 hours, and the game offers at least five different endings depending on choices made along the way. The launch marks one of the higher-profile entries in the long-running Silent Hill franchise's recent revival under new publishing partners. Source: Game Informer.
4. Faith: Wichita Kansas Temple Opens Its Doors to the Public
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints opened the Wichita Kansas Temple to public tours Thursday, following a media preview held earlier in the week for journalists and invited guests. The open house allows visitors of all faiths to walk through the completed building before it is formally dedicated and closed to all but Church members in good standing, a practice the faith follows with each new temple. Wichita becomes the latest addition to a period of rapid temple construction for the Utah-based faith, which has announced or dedicated new temples across multiple continents this year alone. Local leaders have described the open house as an opportunity for community members unfamiliar with Latter-day Saint worship to see the interior of a temple, since access is otherwise restricted once a temple is dedicated. A dedication date for the Wichita temple is expected to follow the conclusion of the public viewing period. Source: Church Newsroom.
5. Scam Alert: Phishing Campaign Impersonating MyChart Dangles Fake "Medicare Kit"
More than 40 hospital systems nationwide are warning patients about a phishing campaign that impersonates the MyChart patient portal, offering a free "Medicare Kit" or "Senior Health Package" to lure victims into clicking malicious links or handing over personal information. The messages, sent by email and text with subject lines such as "Your MyChart Medicare Kit Awaits," do not originate from any hospital or from Epic, the company that makes the MyChart software. Some versions direct recipients to complete a short survey before paying a small "shipping fee" to receive the supposed kit. Epic has confirmed the scam exploits the brand's trust rather than any flaw in the platform itself, and no patient accounts have been compromised through a system vulnerability. Health systems are urging patients to delete the messages without clicking any links and to verify any offer directly through their provider's official patient portal or phone line. Source: Becker's Hospital Review.
6. Tech Tip: Never Click a Link in a Health Portal Message, Log In Directly Instead
With phishing campaigns increasingly impersonating trusted platforms like MyChart, security officials recommend a simple habit: never click a link inside an unsolicited email or text claiming to be from a healthcare provider, insurer or benefits program. Instead, open a web browser or app and log in to the portal directly using a bookmarked address or the official app, then check for any real messages or offers waiting there. Legitimate providers rarely request payment of any kind, including a "shipping fee," to deliver a benefit a patient is entitled to for free. Consumers should also check the actual sender's email address rather than the display name, since scammers often use addresses that only superficially resemble a real organization's domain. Anyone who has already clicked a suspicious link or entered payment information should contact their bank to monitor or replace the card and change any reused passwords immediately. Source: MyChart.
7. Science: Weight-Loss Drug Semaglutide Extends Lifespan in Aging Mice, Study Finds
Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley report that semaglutide, the GLP-1 drug sold as Ozempic and Wegovy, extended the median lifespan of aged female mice and mimicked, and in some measures exceeded, the anti-aging benefits of calorie restriction. In the study, published in Nature, twenty-month-old mice given the drug for three months lived a median of 834 days compared with 742 days for untreated mice, roughly a hundred additional days. Treated animals also showed improved muscle function, better cognitive performance and reduced markers of inflammation and cellular aging compared with untreated counterparts. The findings add to growing scientific interest in whether GLP-1 drugs, already widely prescribed for obesity and diabetes, could have broader effects on healthy aging. Researchers cautioned the results come from mice given the drug late in life and that human aging is far more complex, meaning any comparable benefit in people would require substantial further study. Source: UC Berkeley.
8. Space: SpaceX Stacks Starship for First Orbital Launch Attempt, Targets September 28
SpaceX fully stacked its Starship upper stage atop the Super Heavy booster at Starbase, Texas, this week and began pre-launch checks, moving closer to the vehicle's first attempt at reaching orbit. The company is now targeting liftoff as early as Monday, September 28, at 8:15 a.m. Eastern time, pending final approval from the Federal Aviation Administration for the flight's license. The mission, designated Flight 14, would be a milestone after thirteen prior test flights that focused mainly on ascent and stage separation rather than a full orbital and reentry sequence; this attempt is expected to deliver a stack of twenty-six upgraded Starlink satellites to orbit. The flight is considered central to SpaceX's broader plans, including NASA's Artemis lunar lander program and the company's long-term ambitions for Mars. Engineers will be watching booster and ship performance closely during reentry, an area where earlier flights encountered difficulty. Source: Spaceflight Now.
9. Business and Finance: Wall Street Slides as Bond Yields Hit Two-Decade High and Oil Climbs
US stocks fell Thursday, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average down 0.7 percent, the S&P 500 off 0.8 percent and the Nasdaq Composite dropping 1.1 percent, as investors weighed the prospect of further Federal Reserve interest rate increases. The 10-year Treasury yield jumped to 5.135 percent, its highest level since 2007, while the 2-year yield climbed to its highest since 2024. Brent crude rose nearly 4 percent to settle above $103 a barrel after Iran's president told the United Nations that Iran would not yield to US "pressure," reviving concerns about supply disruptions tied to the region's ongoing tensions. The combination of rising yields and rising oil reignited inflation worries just as several companies posted encouraging results, including Cracker Barrel and General Mills, both of which topped earnings estimates. Investors are now watching for further signals from the Fed on the pace of future rate moves. Source: TheStreet.
10. Consumer Tech: Rabbit Launches OS3, Moving Its AI Agent Beyond the R1 Device
Rabbit released OS3, a cross-platform "agentic operating system" that lets users direct an AI agent to complete tasks on Windows, Mac and Linux computers without requiring the company's dedicated R1 hardware. The software connects through a local agent installed on a user's own computer and can be accessed through a web portal, Telegram, iMessage, RCS or SMS, with the R1 device now serving as just one optional input option rather than the primary product. Rabbit built OS3 around a single continuous conversation rather than separate task sessions, aiming to let the assistant carry context across many requests over time. The company confirmed it has stopped manufacturing the R1 and has no plans for a second-generation device, signaling a broader pivot toward software that works with hardware people already own. The shift reflects a wider trend among AI hardware startups moving away from standalone gadgets toward agent software layered on existing devices. Source: Rabbit.
Written by Lonnon Jensen. Read more about the author.