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International

Violence erupts in Syria, more than 1,000 civilians killed

It marks the deadliest conflict in the nation since December. Over 1,300 people have died in violent conflicts and attacks in Syria over the last 72 hours, the highest number since former President Bashar al-Assad was overthrown in December.

Civilian collateral

State security forces and Assad loyalists started fighting along the country's western coast Thursday. The battles signify an intensifying opposition to the new government occupying Syria’s capital, only three months after Assad was ousted.

• It has become one of the deadliest acts of violence since Syria's conflict began 14 years ago.

Why the retaliatory killings? The often brutal Assad regime was a part of and favorable to the Alawite minority, a subdivision of Shia Islam, which makes up around 10% of Syria’s population.

The country’s interim leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, a key figure in the uprising that overthrew Assad, has demanded peace and declared that the killings will be looked into. However, Sharaa has not yet commented on the violent actions of his supporters.

• At least 1,000 Alawite civilians, including children, have been killed in retaliation, per the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

  • The killings occurred in 39 separate massacres in the past few days, with the UN receiving “extremely disturbing” reports of entire families being executed in their homes.

Looking forward: As the death toll rises, members of both sects have vowed to get revenge, spiking casualties. The nation does not currently have an official police force or army, making Sharaa’s promise to keep peace a difficult one and no plans of international intervention have been announced as of writing.

Artificial Intelligence

People are using AI at record rates, data shows

It’s about time we let it rule the world. Recent studies have shown pretty much everyone is using AI, from middle schoolers to UN diplomats. But how are they using it and what for? Let’s find out.

AI adopters

As AI increasingly becomes a foundational aspect of everyday society, its use (especially generative AI) has become ever more popular among all ages. Let’s put them into groups.

Academics:

Teens and young adults, in particular, have taken advantage of chatbots:

• Over half of teens aged 13-18 (53%) have used AI for homework help in the last year, according to a report from Common Sense Media.

• Additionally, 86% of college students say they’ve used AI in their studies, according to a survey by the Digital Education Council.

  • Despite most teens admitting to using AI to help with school, 60% see its use as a form of cheating, per a Junior Achievement USA survey.

• To combat the rise in chatbot use, the number of teachers utilizing AI detection tools increased to 68% during the 2023-2024 school year, according to the Center for Democracy & Technology.

Small Businesses:

However, AI adoption isn’t just coming from those in school hoping to get their grades up. 69% of small businesses were utilizing AI to save time and money, according to a 2024 Goldman Sachs survey.

• For those small businesses who aren’t using it, 71% said they plan to start in the next five years.

Corporate and International:

Let’s move our way up the corporate ladder a bit. According to a Stanford University-led study looking at the widespread use of AI writing tools, by late 2024:

• As high as 14% of United Nations press releases contained large amounts of AI-generated text.

• Significant amounts of AI-generated content were found in up to 15% of job listings, 24% of business press releases, and 18% of US consumer complaints.

So, is all of this AI use for better or worse? According to a study by Microsoft Research and Carnegie Mellon University, people used less critical thinking the more they leaned on AI. That being said, instead of simply copying AI's responses, a large portion of people went on to apply their skills by fact-checking, modifying, and evaluating the chatbots.

Energy

Texas leads the US in… renewable energy production?

Out goes drilling rigs and barbeque, in comes windmills and solar panels. According to recent US Energy Information Administration (EIA) data, the Lone Star state has widened its lead from the rest of the US in solar and wind production by a mile, becoming a renewable energy giant for the United States.

Pork n’ Panels

Last week, the EIA released electricity generation data for December 2024, completing the picture for the full year. The report showed natural gas continues to be the main driver of electricity generation, rising upward along with renewables, while coal took a big downturn (see the full report here).

It also showed Texas made a big push last year, leading the way in renewable generation and expansion:

• Texas produced an astounding 169,000 gigawatt-hours of electricity last year from small-scale solar, utility-scale solar, and wind.

  • That’s a major separation from second-place California, which generated 92,316 gigawatt-hours through renewables.

It’s nothing new, as Texas has long been a leader in coal and natural gas production (as one would suspect) and renewables for more than a decade. The Lone Star State has gradually grown its lead for years now.

Why the huge lead? It’s mainly due to the state having its own electricity grid and being permit-friendly when it comes to accessing it, which is atypical when compared to the rest of the country.

• Power plant owners are also required to compete on price instead of having guaranteed profits for operators, which is again, different from the rest of the US.

What about the rest of the report? Last year, utility-scale renewable energy in the US grew significantly, with wind power increasing by nearly 8% and solar by a shocking 32%. In contrast, coal’s share declined to 15% and natural gas remained steady at 43%.

Grab Bag

Scientists finally found out why Mars is red

I think it’s because someone dropped a galaxy-sized bag of Nacho Cheese Doritos. Mars has long been called “The Red Planet” because of its rusty-looking appearance, but we’ve never really known why. Now, thanks to a NASA-funded study, scientists think they have the answer.

The Blue Planet

Mars is one of the most extensively researched and observed planets in our solar system due to its closeness to Earth and the many spacecraft that have landed on its surface. Past observations of the planet led to two hypotheses:

1. The Red Planet's hue is caused by corroded iron minerals that have been blown around for billions of years, scattering throughout the planet's dust.

2. That rust formed in dry environments after Mars lost its water deposits.

Those theories are now being put to the test. Scientists now believe the key to the planet's characteristic red color lies in ferrihydrite, an iron mineral that contains water and is abundant in Martian rock and dust formations.

• Ferrihydrite is frequently found on Earth in places like hot springs, freshwater systems, and volcanic environments.

  • The mineral's presence raises the possibility that water existed on Mars for a longer time than previously thought and could have supported the existence of life.

In other words, The Red Planet used to be The Blue Planet. The study’s authors suggest the planet’s signature hue must have developed when the now-desert planet was an ocean world and had a cold, humid, and potentially habitable environment with “vacation-style beaches.” Who’s up for a vacation… and has a time machine?

Canada finds its new leader as Trudeau steps down

With a trade war imminent, I guess you’d want a finance guy. Canada’s Liberal Party selected Mark Carney, a legislator and former central banker for the country, to succeed former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

Why a new leader? Trudeau, who assumed power in 2015, resigned around two months ago amid calls to step down and after losing support from his party. Due in part to inflation, a housing shortage, and worries about excessive immigration, his approval ratings fell from over 65% to under 20% at the tail end of his tenure.

Who’s the new guy?

Mark Carney is a central banker-turned-politician who has an economic background and was most recently the nation’s head of climate finance. Carney is highly recognized for having led the Bank of Canada through the Great Recession in 2008 and worked at Goldman Sachs for 13 years before joining the public sector.

Uncertain future

As Canada struggles with the uncertainties surrounding tariffs on its exports to the US, Carney's economic background will immediately be tested. US President Donald Trump imposed a general 25% tax on imports from the nation, but soon after granted an exemption that would apply to around 40% of Canadian goods until April 2.

The people also get a say: Only 150,000 registered Liberal voters participated in electing Carney this time around, but come October 20th, Canada’s new leader will soon face an electoral challenge as general elections are set, which all Canadians will be eligible for.

Fast Facts

Dog Days: Due to a snow shortage, the world’s most famous dog sled race, the Iditarod, is being held on the longest course in the race's history. Not to mention, there are only 33 competitors in the race, which is tied for the fewest mushers ever.

Eggspensive Taste: The Antitrust Division of the Justice Department is looking into the widespread egg price increases and probing whether egg producers are colluding to take advantage of already high prices.

Charizard Cheeto: A Flamin’ Hot Cheeto that resembled Charizard, a Pokémon character, fetched $87,840 at auction. I’ll be waiting for the inevitable crypto coin it spawns.

Detonation Delay: High-speed train connections between Paris, London, and Brussels were shut down to deal with an unexploded bomb from World War II that disrupted rail travel in France.

Friday Fears: A recent study that examined data from about 500k patients found that pre-weekend operations had a 5% greater combined risk of death, complications, and readmissions than those performed earlier in the week.