Tandem Solar Cells Hit 31.4 Percent, Perovskite and Silicon Finally Play Nice
Molecular optimization pushes perovskite and silicon tandems to 31.4 percent efficiency. The perovskite top layer drinks in high-energy blue light, silicon scoops up the red, and together they outrun plain silicon by a mile. For once, tandem means an actual upgrade, not two mediocrities sharing a brochure.
Trump Moves to Preempt State AI Rules With Executive Order
After failing in Congress twice, Trump is swinging an executive order to block state-level AI regulations and set up a Litigation Task Force to go after states that try. Washington as enforcer, Silicon Valley as beneficiary, because why debate in legislatures when you can expedite with a signature.
Brian Walshe Declines to Testify as Jury Nears Deliberations
Brian Walshe did not take the stand in his murder trial. Court filings and sworn statements allege he destroyed his estranged father’s will years earlier to seize control of the estate, claiming there was no will after a 2018 art fraud indictment, becoming personal representative, then liquidating accounts and selling belongings worth more than $500,000 despite a will that reportedly disinherited him. As jurors prepare to deliberate Friday in the case of his missing wife, Ana, prosecutors cite DNA consistent with her profile on a hatchet, a hacksaw, and other items pulled from trash. The defense rested without calling witnesses. Records also show he was beneficiary of Ana’s $2.7 million life insurance policy while owing nearly $500,000 in restitution.
Washington University’s Workday Overhaul Costs $266 Million, Disclosed After Protests
Washington University revealed its Workday project price tag, $266 million over seven years, roughly $16,000 per student, after student protests forced transparency. The system replaces about 80 legacy tools, with administrators promising efficiency. Students might settle for a budgeting flashlight that does not require a demonstration to find the switch.
Lilly’s Retatrutide Posts Nearly 29 Percent Weight Loss, Price Tags Still Heavier Than Patients
In a Phase 3 trial of adults with obesity and knee osteoarthritis, no diabetes and BMI 35 or higher, Eli Lilly’s retatrutide produced nearly 30 percent average weight loss over 68 weeks. At the highest weekly dose, patients lost 71.2 pounds on average, 28.7 percent, surpassing Zepbound’s roughly 22.5 percent and Wegovy’s typical sub-20 percent results, and participants reported less knee pain. Caveats include higher rates of nausea and diarrhea than existing drugs, plus some dropouts for losing too much weight. The GLP-1-adjacent market is ballooning where insurers notice, treatments run $5,000 to $7,000 per year with patchy coverage as a $50 billion sector eyes $150 billion by decade’s end. Lilly plans more than six additional Phase 3 trials in 2026 across broader groups. If the data hold, retatrutide could be the new heavyweight by making everyone lighter while investors’ wallets do the bulking.
South Korean Marines Launch First Combat Boat, the Marlin
The South Korean Marine Corps and the Defense Acquisition Program Administration launched the High-Speed Combat Boat HCB-001, Marlin, at Gangnam Shipyard in Busan on the 11th. It is the Corps’ first vessel since its founding, a fast craft that finally lets the Marines bring their own ride. Now to see if it can sprint with regional sharks as well as it looks on the pier.
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