Two years ago, countries around the world set a goal of transitioning away from fossil fuels in energy systems in a just, orderly and equitable manner. The plan included tripling renewable energy capacity and doubling energy efficiency gains by 2030important steps for slowing climate change since the energy sector makes up about 75% of the global carbon dioxide emissions that are heating up the planet.
The world is making progress: More than 90% of new power capacity added in 2024 came from renewable energy sources, and 2025 saw similar growth.
However, fossil fuel production is also still expanding. And the United States, the worlds leading producer of both oil and natural gas, is now aggressively pressuring countries to keep buying and burning fossil fuels.
The energy transition was not meant to be a main topic when world leaders and negotiators met at the 2025 United Nations climate summit, COP30, in November in Belém, Brazil. But it took center stage from the start to the very end, bringing attention to the real-world geopolitical energy debate underway and the stakes at hand.
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva began the conference by calling for the creation of a formal road map, essentially a strategic process in which countries could participate to overcome dependence on fossil fuels. It would take the global decision to transition away from fossil fuels from words to action.
More than 80 countries said they supported the idea, ranging from vulnerable small island nations like Vanuatu that are losing land and lives from sea level rise and more intense storms, to countries like Kenya that see business opportunities in clean energy, to Australia, a large fossil-fuel-producing country.
Opposition, led by the Arab Groups oil- and gas-producing countries, kept any mention of a road map energy transition plan out of the final agreement from the climate conference, but supporters are pushing ahead.
I was in Belém for COP30, and I follow developments closely as a former special climate envoy and head of delegation for Germany and senior fellow at the Fletcher School at Tufts University. The fight over whether there should even be a road map shows how much countries that depend on fossil fuels are working to slow down the transition, and how others are positioning themselves to benefit from the growth of renewables. And it is a key area to watch in 2026.
The battle between electro-states and petro-states
Brazilian diplomat and COP30 President André Aranha Corra do Lago has committed to lead an effort in 2026 to create two road maps: one on halting and reversing deforestation and another on transitioning away from fossil fuels in energy systems in a just, orderly, and equitable manner.
What those road maps will look like is still unclear. They are likely to be centered on a process for countries to discuss and debate how to reverse deforestation and phase out fossil fuels.
Over the coming months, Corra plans to convene high-level meetings among global leaders, including fossil fuel producers and consumers, international organizations, industries, workers, scholars and advocacy groups.
For the road map to both be accepted and be useful, the process will need to address the global market issues of supply and demand, as well as equity. For example, in some fossil fuel-producing countries, oil, gas or coal revenues are the main source of income. What can the road ahead look like for those countries that will need to diversify their economies?
Nigeria is an interesting case study for weighing that question.
Oil exports consistently provide the bulk of Nigerias revenue, accounting for around 80% to over 90% of total government revenue and foreign exchange earnings. At the same time, roughly 39% of Nigerias population has no access to electricity, which is the highest proportion of people without electricity of any nation. And Nigeria possesses abundant renewable energy resources across the country, which are largely untapped: solar, hydro, geothermal and wind, providing new opportunities.
What a road map might look like
In Belém, representatives talked about creating a road map that would be science-based and aligned with the Paris climate agreement, and would include various pathways to achieve a just transition for fossil-fuel-dependent regions.
Some inspiration for helping fossil-fuel-producing countries transition to cleaner energy could come from Brazil and Norway.
In Brazil, Lula asked his ministries to prepare guidelines for developing a road map for gradually reducing Brazils dependency on fossil fuels and find a way to financially support the changes.
His decree specifically mentions creating an energy transition fund, which could be supported by government revenues from oil and gas exploration. While Brazil supports moving away from fossil fuels, it is also still a large oil producer and recently approved new exploratory drilling near the mouth of the Amazon River.
https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/ctvhR/1
Norway, a major oil and gas producer, is establishing a formal transition commission to study and plan its economys shift away from fossil fuels, particularly focusing on how the workforce and the natural resources of Norway an be used more effectively to create new and different jobs.
Both countries are just getting started, but their work could help point the way for other countries and inform a global road map process.
The European Union has implemented a series of policies and laws aimed at reducing fossil fuel demand. It has a target for 42.5% of its energy to come from renewable sources by 2030. And its EU Emissions Trading System, which steadily reduces the emissions that companies can emit, will soon be expanded to cover housing and transportation. The Emissions Trading System already includes power generation, energy-intensive industry, and civil aviation.
https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/PeAlZ/1
Fossil fuel and renewable energy growth ahead
In the U.S., the Trump administration has made clear through its policymaking and diplomacy that it is pursuing the opposite approach: to keep fossil fuels as the main energy source for decades to come.
The International Energy Agency still expects to see renewable energy grow faster than any other major energy source in all scenarios going forward, as renewable energys lower costs make it an attractive option in many countries. Globally, the agency expects investment in renewable energy in 2025 to be twice that of fossil fuels.
At the same time, however, fossil fuel investments are also rising with fast-growing energy demand.
The IEAs World Energy Outlook described a surge in new funding for liquefied natural gas, or LNG, projects in 2025. It now expects a 50% increase in global LNG supply by 2030, about half of that from the U.S. However, the World Energy Outlook notes that questions still linger about where all the new LNG will go once its produced.
What to watch for
The Belém road map dialogue and how it balances countries needs will reflect on the worlds ability to handle climate change.
Corra plans to report on its progress at the next annual U.N. climate conference, COP31, in late 2026. The conference will be hosted by Turkey, but Australia, which supported the call for a road map, will be leading the negotiations.
With more time to discuss and prepare, COP31 may just bring a transition away from fossil fuels back into the global negotiations.
Jennifer Morgan is a senior fellow at the Center for International Environment and Resource Policy and Climate Policy Lab at Tufts University.
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
A new year brings a new tax filing season. With many cash-strapped Americans worried about their finances, many cant wait to file their returns. The sooner you file, the sooner your chances of getting your refund, after all.
But just when can you begin submitting your tax return to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS)? That depends. Heres what you need to know about the 2026 tax filing season.
When does the 2026 tax filing season begin?
There are actually two start dates to the 2026 tax filing season this year. The 2026 tax filing season refers to the period taxpayers have to file their tax returns for the 2025 calendar year.
According to an IRS press release on Thursday, the official day of the 2026 tax filing season begins on Monday, January 26, 2026. From this day, anyone who is required to file a federal tax return can do so.
But January 26 isnt the earliest date some people can begin submitting their tax returns to the IRS.
As the IRS noted in its Thursday release, the agency will actually begin to accept tax returns from a select group of taxpayers starting today, Friday, January 9, 2026.
Who can submit their tax returns beginning on January 9?
Not every taxpayer can submit their returns beginning on January 9. According to the IRS, this submission start date is only open to qualified taxpayers.
So, who is a qualified taxpayer? The IRS says a person meets that designation if they are in a select group of people who use the IRS Free File program to submit their taxes.
Per the IRSs Thursday notice: The IRS Free File program will begin accepting individual tax returns starting Friday, Jan. 9 for qualified taxpayers. Taxpayers comfortable preparing their own taxes can use IRS Free File Fillable Forms starting Jan. 26, regardless of income.
What this means is not everyone who uses the IRS Free File program can submit their tax returns starting todayonly select individuals.
Those IRS Free File users who can begin submitting their tax returns today are limited to those individuals who need to report $89,000 in adjusted gross income (AGI) or less, according to the IRSs Free File information page.
Taxpayers who use Free Files online forms and who make more than $89,000 in adjusted gross income will need to wait until January 26 to submit their tax returns, just like everyone else.
Will eligible taxpayers who submit via Free File before January 26 get their tax refunds faster?
Thats unknown, as every individuals tax situation is different. In the IRSs notice, it states that the agency will begin accepting tax returns from eligible individuals on January 9. It does not say it will begin “processing” the returns then.
What this means is that even if you are eligible to submit your tax return before January 26, it cant be guaranteed that the IRS will actually begin processing your return before January 26.
Still, its reasonable to assume that if you want to get your tax refund as soon as possible, you should file your tax return on the earliest date you can.
The IRS says individuals have until Wednesday, April 15, 2026, to file their taxes for the 2025 tax year and pay any taxes owed.
Two things can be true at once. K-pop is an inextricable force in global pop culture, and it has long been undercelebrated at institutions like the Grammys where K-pop artists have performed but have never taken home a trophy.That could change at next month’s 2026 Grammy Awards ceremony. Songs released by K-pop artists or K-pop-adjacent artists, more on that later have received nominations in the big four categories for the first time. Rosé, perhaps best known as one-fourth of the juggernaut girl group Blackpink, is the first K-pop artist to ever receive a nomination in the record of the year field for “APT.,” her megahit with Grammys’ favorite Bruno Mars.The song of the year category also features K-pop nominees for the first time. “APT.” will go head-to-head with the fictional girl group HUNTR/X’s “Golden,” performed by Ejae, Audrey Nuna and Rei Ami from the “KPop Demon Hunters” soundtrack.And the girl group Katseye, the brain child of HYBE the entertainment company behind K-pop sensation BTS and countless other international acts fashioned in the image of the K-pop idol system, has been nominated for best new artist.
Is this a historic moment for K-pop?
It depends on who you ask.Areum Jeong, assistant professor of Korean Studies at Arizona State University and author of “K-pop Fandom: Performing Deokhu from the 1990s to Today” says the majority of these nominations strike her more as “a de-territorialized, hybrid idea of K-pop,” instead of a recognition of K-pop.While Rosé “was recruited and trained under the K-pop system, and while ‘APT.’ does contain some motifs from the Korean drinking game,” Jeong says, “the song does not feel like a localized K-pop production. Same with Katseye, who was trained and produced under HYBE but marketed more toward Western fans and listeners.”Jeong says that both “APT.” and Katseye’s “Gabriela” both of which will go head-to-head with “Golden” in the pop duo/group performance category “seem less K-pop than other K-pop songs that could have been nominated over the years.”She argues the same is true for the music of “Kpop Demon Hunters.” “It is very similar to ‘APT.’ in that it takes inspiration and motif from Korean culture,” where “K-pop serves as an idea, a jumping-off point, or a motif, creating alternatives or new possibilities.”Mathieu Berbiguier, a visiting assistant professor in Korean Studies at Carnegie Mellon University, points out that these nominations differ from past K-pop Grammy nominations because “Golden,” “APT.” and Katseye all feature “a mainstream popular music factor.”That’s the connection of a massive popular Netflix film (“Kpop Demon Hunters”), a collaboration with Bruno Mars (“APT.”), and Katseye’s international membership and Netflix series (“Pop Star Academy: Katseye”), respectively.“It tells you that K-pop is not considered as something niche anymore,” he says. “Now, when we think about pop music in general, we also think of K-pop as part of it.”Bernie Cho, industry expert and president of the South Korean agency, the DFSB Kollective, agrees that there is an international, mainstream appeal to the nominees.“All the nominees represent a sort of post-idol K-pop, in the sense that Rosé, the three ladies of HUNTR/X and Katseye represent the globalized version of K-pop, where the ‘K’ is very much there, but some people might argue it’s silent. The songs are not necessarily for Korea, by Korea, from Korea, just kind of beyond Korea,” he says. “It’s a celebration and testament to how diverse and dynamic K-pop has become.”
Why are these acts being recognized now?
“For years, the Recording Academy has snubbed K-pop acts that have set record-breaking standards, such as BTS,Seventeen and Stray Kids,” argues Jeong. “I think one of the main reasons is that the Western world is still so resistant to non-English lyrics.”“It does not surprise me that ‘APT.’ and Katseye’s music, which mainly contain English lyrics and seem less K-pop, were nominated,” she continues.Berbiguier adds that “is a reflection of K-pop nowadays, like, trends: the fact that there’s less and less Korean and more and more English.”There may be an additional factor at play. Tamar Herman, a music journalist and author of the “Notes on K-pop” newsletter, says many critics and industry voices found 2025 to be a lackluster year for new pop music in the U.S. a fact that was all but confirmed in Luminate’s 2025 Mid-Year Report, which found that streams of new music had slowed compared to the year prior, potentially due to a dearth of megahits dominating the charts.“Yes, it’s a big moment for K-pop, but it is so overdue, these recognitions are more of a sign of how poorly the music industry in the U.S. did this year that we’re looking externally,” she says.She argues that acknowledgment of Korean entertainment from U.S. entertainment industries is more symbolic of U.S. cultural dominance slipping than “K-pop being really good, because K-pop has been really good for a really long time,” she says. “This is all recognition of just global storytelling improvement, global taste-making improvement.”“I don’t want to diminish it,” she adds. “These are all universally friendly, accessible, good pop songs.”And if they weren’t, they wouldn’t connect.“It’s very obvious that they’re not just performers. They’re artists. They’re singers. They’re songwriters,” says Cho.
Will a K-pop artist win a Grammy for the first time this year?
The jury is still out.“I think it’s not even a matter of if or when. It’s going to be who and how many,” says Cho.Others are less committal. “It’s hard to predict,” says Berbiguier. “For me, it’s more possible that ‘Golden’ gets one.”“Yes and no,” offers Herman. For her, it depends on an evolving and fluid definition of K-pop. After all, HUNTR/X is a fictional girl group from an animated film that did not debut through the K-pop music industry system. Would a victory for their song “Golden” mean a victory of K-pop? That’s a matter of opinion.
The 68th Grammy Awards will be held Feb. 1 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. The show will air on CBS and stream on Paramount+. For more coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/grammy-awards.
Maria Sherman, AP Music Writer
Elon Musk’s AI chatbot Grok is preventing most users from generating or editing any images after a global backlash that erupted after it started spewing sexualized deepfakes of people.The chatbot, which is accessed through Musk’s social media platform X, has in the past few weeks been granting a wave of what researchers say are malicious user requests to modify images, including putting women in bikinis or in sexually explicit positions.Researchers have warned that in a few cases, some images appeared to depict children. Governments around the world have condemned the platform and opened investigations into the platform.On Friday, Grok was responding to image altering requests with the message: “Image generation and editing are currently limited to paying subscribers. You can subscribe to unlock these features.”While subscriber numbers for Grok aren’t publicly available, there was a noticeable decline in the number of explicit deepfakes that Grok is now generating compared with days earlier.The European Union has slammed Grok for “illegal” and “appalling” behavior, while officials in France, India, Malaysia and a Brazilian lawmaker have called for investigations.On Thursday, Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer threatened unspecified action against X.“This is disgraceful. It’s disgusting. And it’s not to be tolerated,” Starmer said on Greatest Hits radio. “X has got to get a grip of this.”He said media regulator Ofcom “has our full support to take action” and that “all options” are on the table.“It’s disgusting. X need to get their act together and get this material down. We will take action on this because it’s simply not tolerable.”Ofcom and Britain’s privacy regulator both said this week they’ve contacted X and Musk’s artificial intelligence company xAI for information on measures they’ve taken to comply with British regulations.Grok is free to use for X users, who can ask it questions on the social media platform. They can either tag it in posts they’ve directly created or in replies to posts from other users.Grok launched in 2023. Last summer the company added an image generator feature, Grok Imagine, that included a so-called “spicy mode” that can generate adult content.The problem is amplified both because Musk pitches his chatbot as an edgier alternative to rivals with more safeguards, and because Grok’s images are publicly visible, and can therefore be easily spread.
Kelvin Chan, AP Business Writer
Groks digital undressing scandal is horrifying. In recent days, countless women, including the mother of one of Elon Musks children, have found AI-generated and nonconsensual sexual images of themselves propagating across the web. According to one analysis, Grok was, at least as of early January, generating thousands of sexually suggestive, or undressed, images of people per hour. (Elon Musk now says that image generation will only be available to paid users.)Investigators from several countries have launched inquiries to investigate whether xAI had run afoul of the law, including rules about pornographic deepfakes and child sexual abuse material. Of course, none of these governments are as entangled with xAI, or Elon Musk, as the U.S. right now.
The Defense Department offered the company a $200 million contract for Grok last year. Now, a Pentagon official tells Fast Company that the agency’s policy on the use of artificial intelligence fully complies with all applicable laws and regulations, adding that personnel are mandated to uphold these standards, and any unlawful activity will be subject to appropriate disciplinary action.”
The Trump administration has also signed a range of deals with xAI to offer its Grok chatbot to federal workers for office use. The White House didnt respond to a request for comment. Nor did Carahsoft, a federal government contractor that has signed on to facilitate sales of xAI’s Grok for Government product suite.
The General Services Administration, a wonky but critical federal agency thats organized several major government deals for AI companies, including xAI, appears to be punting the issue. The agency tells Fast Company that Grok was still undergoing its own internal safety testing in advance of its integration into USAi, a massive AI platform for the U.S. government that already includes technology from companies like OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic.
But its unclear how involved, or active, these tests actually are. Its been months since these evaluations were first discussed, and the agency hasnt released any update on how Grok has performed. Fast Company has filed a request under the Freedom of Information Act for any publicly available records pertaining to the results of those evaluations but has not received a response.
Grok for Government and xAI are currently undergoing GSAs required internal safety assessments prior to potential integration into USAi.gov, Marianne Copenhaver, a spokesperson for the agency, tells Fast Company. Any federal agency that decides to buy Grok through the larger xAI government deal it already helped negotiate for the company is responsible for evaluating the models they choose to use, she adds.
Copenhaver did not address whether the agency was studying Grok’s new penchant for producing Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM).
Liability
In the U.S., its possible that xAI could face legal problems. Using AI to undress minors, for instance, may already fall under existing criminal statutes. In addition, the Take It Down Act, a bipartisan bill crafted by Sens. Ted Cruz and Amy Klobuchar and signed by Donald Trump last year, requires platforms to remove nonconsensual AI sexual imagery within two days of being notified.
Deploying Grok within the U.S. federal government could be a major liability, several experts tell Fast Company.
If agencies are using xAI, officials will eventually have to demand extra guardrails to make Grok usable with the government, which would be difficult to do with xAI ultimately retaining some data about government systems, one former White House official says.In Groks current form, federal workers could, in theory, create CSAMan alarming possibility, says David Nesting, a former AI adviser to the federal chief information officer. If agencies are not monitoring and filtering uses of generative AI in the workplace, this seems like a gap.
Mike Horton, the former chief AI officer of the Transportation Department, says Groks CSAM issue is the inevitable result of a Wild West culture in Silicon Valley and the federal government to move fast and break things. Guardrails are necessary, he says, to avoid situations like this from occurring in the first place.
Unbridled AI acceleration with no guardrails is like driving a Maserati at 120 mph with no brakes. You can reliably and safely drive that fast because of the brakes, not in spite of them, he says.
A viral crowd-funding campaign that has raised over $1.4 million and counting for Renee Good has been verified authentic, a spokesperson for GoFundMe told Fast Company.
On Wednesday, January 7, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent fatally shot Good in Minneapolis. The 37-year-old woman was killed while turning her vehicle away from the officeras multiple videos clearly show, despite the federal governments claim to the contrary.
Immediately in the wake of Goods death, a GoFundMe campaign for her wife, Becca, and six-year-old son appeared online and far surpassed its $50,000 goal with hundreds of thousands of donations. (Good also had two older children from her first marriage, according to media reports.)
GoFundMe initially told Fast Company that it would hold the funds while it worked to verify the campaign. By that point it had, already raised close to half a million dollars.
“Tidal wave of care”
One of the campaigns co-organizers is listed as Becka Tilson, who is identified as a friend of the family.
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. We are here brokenhearted and in awe of your generosity, Tilson wrote in an update on Thursday. We will be adding Becca, Renees partner as a beneficiary as soon as possible. They will have direct access to all of these funds. Thank you again for your compassion. They feel this tidal wave of care and it really matters.
Some of Goods GoFundMe contributors used the words of support section to applaud her and deliver scathing takedowns of the Trump administration and its supporters. We all know the truth we saw with our own eyes. This should not have happened, wrote one donor.
Another contributor wrote, When an unarmed mother can be murdered by a masked mercenary in the streets of the United States, do you feel free?
Comments came from across the world and political parties: A real conservative would support your constitutional right to protest peacefully and condemn your murder, despite political views. A real conservative would never celebrate your death. Rest In Peace.
The Trump administrations false narrative
Under Secretary Kristi Noem, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has claimed that Good used her vehicle as a weapon against ICE officers in an act of domestic terrorism.
President Trump has also peddled this narrative, claiming in an interview with The New York Times that Good ran over the officer with her car.
A series of news outlets with forensic teams have concluded that the DHS and Trump variation of events are simply false. Videos from multiple angles show Good turning her car away from the officer, not onto him.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey didnt mince words in his response to the shooting, ICE Get the f*** out of Minneapolis. We do not want you here. Your stated purpose for being in this City is to create some kind of safety, but you are doing exactly the opposite.
Another ICE shooting on Thursday
On Thursday, an ICE officer shot a married couple in Portlandclaiming that they, too, had weaponized their vehicle against the agents. DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin further claimed that the couple were involved in the vicious Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua.
Oregon attorney general Dan Rayfield has opened an investigation into the shooting.
Portland Mayor Keith Wilson also called for ICE to leave the city and shed doubt on the U.S. governments version of events: We know what the federal government says happened here. There was a time when we could take them at their word. That time has long passed.
In a rare move, NASA is cutting a mission aboard the International Space Station short after an astronaut had a medical issue.The space agency said Thursday the U.S.-Japanese-Russian crew of four will return to Earth in the coming days, earlier than planned.NASA canceled its first spacewalk of the year because of the health issue. The space agency did not identify the astronaut or the medical issue, citing patient privacy. The crew member is now stable.NASA officials stressed that it was not an onboard emergency, but are “erring on the side of caution for the crew member,” said Dr. James Polk, NASA’s chief health and medical officer.Polk said this was the NASA’s first medical evacuation from the space station although astronauts have been treated aboard for things like toothaches and ear pain.The crew of four returning home arrived at the orbiting lab via SpaceX in August for a stay of at least six months. The crew included NASA’s Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke along with Japan’s Kimiya Yui and Russia’s Oleg Platonov.Fincke and Cardman were supposed to carry out the spacewalk to make preparations for a future rollout of solar panels to provide additional power for the space station.It was Fincke’s fourth visit to the space station and Yui’s second time, according to NASA. This was the first spaceflight for Cardman and Platonov.“I’m proud of the swift effort across the agency thus far to ensure the safety of our astronauts,” NASA administrator Jared Isaacman said.Three other astronauts are currently living and working aboard the space station including NASA’s Chris Williams and Russia’s Sergei Mikaev and Sergei Kud-Sverchkov, who launched in November aboard a Soyuz rocket for an eight-month stay. They’re due to return home in the summer.NASA has tapped SpaceX to eventually bring the space station out of orbit by late 2030 or early 2031. Plans called for a safe reentry over ocean.
The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
Adithi Ramakrishnan, AP Science Writer
Walk through almost any manufacturing plant today, whether the frontline professionals crushing oilseeds, processing corn, or producing ingredients, and youll notice something subtle but important. The tools that help turn agricultural crops into products that feed and fuel the world are getting smarter, more precise, and more capable. Most conversations about the bioeconomy focus on what farmers grow or what consumers buy. But the real transformation is happening in the middle, in the molecular steps that quietly make modern, low-carbon manufacturing possible.
Catalysts and enzymes, the biological and chemical tools that convert agricultural inputs into usable materials, are becoming one of the most powerful and least visible forces in this shift. Their applications are multiplying, and the science behind them is moving faster than many leaders recognize.
Catalytic systems arent new. Whats changing is their sophistication and the range of industries they can now serve. Advances in enzyme engineering, cleaner processing, and biomanufacturing design are giving companies more precise and adaptable ways to convert plant-based feedstocks. Steps that once relied on heat, pressure, or petrochemical ingredients can now be carried out through approaches that are more targeted and far less energy intensive. For manufacturers working to lower their carbon footprints, these systems are starting to function as foundational infrastructure rather than optional enhancements.
THE NEW POWER OF CATALYTIC SYSTEMS
The clearest evidence of this shift is in how plant-based inputs move through processing today. Instead of relying on heavy mechanical treatments, more producers are using smarter ways to break down natural materials. Enzyme-assisted milling and gentler separation methods improve efficiency and help capture more value from every bushel.
In biofuels, for example, advances in ethanol yeast are combining multiple steps that were once handled separately. More advanced yeast strains can both produce ethanol and generate the enzymes needed to break down sugars, significantly reducing the need for separate enzyme production. That integration lowers energy use, simplifies operations, and improves overall efficiency, while still relying on familiar agricultural inputs.
Catalysis itself hasnt changed, but its effectiveness has. New enzyme blends are more consistent and adaptable, which means they keep working even when crop conditions fluctuate. Some research teams are developing combinations that adjust as they work, providing a real-time, responsive approach that brings biological tools and process engineering closer together. The result is a set of processes that can react to natural variability instead of being constrained by it.
Increasingly, digital tools are accelerating this progress. Advances in artificial intelligence are helping teams model catalytic behavior, predict performance, and make better design decisions before systems ever reach a plant floor. AI-driven modeling supports faster discovery, more efficient catalyst design, and better operational control, allowing manufacturers to optimize processes in ways that were not possible even a few years ago.
Chemical pathways are evolving as well. A familiar byproduct from biodiesel production, such as glycerin, can be converted into glycols used in cleaning and personal care products when processed through the right catalytic route. These improvements may seem modest, yet they open new uses for materials that once had limited outlets and show how far catalytic capabilities have come.
APPLICATIONS ARE EXPANDING
The impact is visible across a wide range of industries. In packaging, innovations in starch chemistry are enabling biodegradable materials that begin to match conventional plastics on performance. Starch nanofibers and nanocrystals, which offer strength and strong barrier properties, are being explored for packaging and early-stage 3D-printing applications.
In home and personal care, catalytic processes support the production of plant-based surfactants, solvents, and functional ingredients. These pathways align with rising consumer expectations for renewable materials and reflect a shift already underway in categories like body wash, laundry care, and household cleaners, where plant-based glycols and citric formulations are gaining adoption.
Industrial sectors are experimenting, too. Companies are evaluating agricultural inputs as alternatives for construction materials, drilling fluids, and hydraulic systems, areas that have historically relied on fossil-based components.
Each example reflects the same dynamic: Catalytic systems are opening doors that were closed only a few years ago.
These advances also have implications upstream. As catalytic systems unlock new uses for plant-based materials, they expand the range of agricultural inputs that can flow into manufacturing. Greater feedstock flexibility allows companies to use not only traditional crops but also fibers, residues, and byproducts that once struggled to find markets. Over time, that diversification strengthens the resilience of the agricultural supply base.
WHAT INNOVATION LEADERS SHOULD TAKE FROM THIS MOMENT
For corporate leaders in food, beverage, and agriculture, catalytic systems deserve closer attention. They are a meaningful lever for lowering emissions and expanding the role of plant-based materials in manufacturing.
Three implications stand out:
1. Catalytic systems influence which materials companies can bring to market.Better catalysts open pathways to new categories of plant-based ingredients and polymers.
2. Scaling requires more than scientific breakthroughs.Success depends on integrating these systems into real operations, ensuring stable feedstocks and coordinating across technical disciplines.
3. The private sector sets the pace.Continued investment in catalytic innovation, both biological and chemical, including digital tools that accelerate discovery and improve performance, is essential to capturing the potential of low-carbon biomanufacturing.
A new manufacturing model is taking shape. Catalytic systems are turning crops into cleaner fuels, fibers, ingredients, and chemicals, and doing it with far greater efficiency than the processes they are replacing. The work ahead is real, but so is the opportunity. Progress is coming from teams across science, engineering, and agriculture who are finding better ways to make use of what nature provides.
Quiet tools, big impact. And if we keep investing in these molecular systems, they will help build the next generation of low-carbon production, harvest by harvest and molecule by molecule.
Chris Cuddy is senior vice president and global president of the Carbohydrate Solutions unit at ADM.
Facebook parent Meta has reached nuclear power deals with three companies as it continues to look for electricity sources for its artificial intelligence data centers.Meta struck agreements with TerraPower, Oklo and Vistra for nuclear power for its Prometheus AI data center that is being built in New Albany, Ohio. Meta announced Prometheus, which will be a 1-gigawatt cluster spanning across multiple data center buildings, in July. It’s anticipated to come online this year.Financial terms of the deals with TerraPower, Oklo and Vistra were not disclosed.The Mark Zuckerberg-led Meta said in a statement on Friday that the three deals will support up to 6.6 gigawatts of new and existing clean energy by 2035.“These projects add reliable and firm power to the grid, reinforce America’s nuclear supply chain, and support new and existing jobs to build and operate American power plants,” the company said.Meta said its agreement with TerraPower will provide funding that supports the development of two new Natrium units capable of generating up to 690 megawatts of firm power with delivery as early as 2032. The deal also provides Meta with rights for energy from up to six other Natrium units capable of producing 2.1 gigawatts and targeted for delivery by 2035.Meta will also buy more than 2.1 gigawatts of energy from two operating Vistra nuclear power plants in Ohio, in addition to the energy from expansions at the two Ohio plants and a third Vistra plant in Pennsylvania.The deal with Oklo, which counts OpenAI’s Sam Altman as one of its largest investors, will help to develop a 1.2 gigawatt power campus in Pike County, Ohio to support Meta’s data centers in the region.The nuclear power agreements come after Meta announced in June that it reached a 20-year deal with Constellation Energy.
Michelle Chapman, AP Business Writer
In a remarkable rebuke of Republican leadership, the House passed legislation Thursday that would extend expired health care subsidies for those who get coverage through the Affordable Care Act as 17 renegade GOP lawmakers joined every Democrat in support.The tally, 230-196, signified growing political concern over Americans’ health care costs. Forcing the issue to a vote came about after a handful of Republicans signed on to a so-called “discharge petition” to unlock debate, bypassing objections from House Speaker Mike Johnson. The bill now goes to the Senate, where pressure is building for a bipartisan compromise.Together, the rare political coalitions are rushing to resolve the standoff over the enhanced tax credits that were put in place during the COVID-19 crisis but expired late last year after no agreement was reached during the government shutdown.“The affordability crisis is not a ‘hoax,’ it is very real despite what Donald Trump has had to say,” said House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, invoking the president’s remarks.“Democrats made clear before the government was shut down that we were in this affordability fight until we win this affordability fight,” he said. “Today we have an opportunity to take a meaningful step forward.”Ahead of voting, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimated that the bill, which would provide a three-year extension of the subsidy, would increase the nation’s deficit by about $80.6 billion over the decade. At the same time, it would increase the number of people with health insurance by 100,000 this year, 3 million in 2027, 4 million in 2028 and 1.1 million in 2029, the CBO said.
Growing support for extending ACA subsidies
Johnson, R-La., worked for months to prevent this situation. His office argued Thursday that the federal health care funding from the COVID-19 era is rife with fraud and urged a no vote.On the floor, Republicans also argued that the lawmakers should be focused on lowering health insurance costs for the broader population, not just those enrolled in ACA plans.“Only 7% of the population relies on Obamacare marketplace plans. This chamber should be about helping 100% of Americans,” said Rep. Jason Smith, the Republican chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee.While the momentum from the vote shows the growing support for the tax breaks that have helped some 22 million Americans have access to health insurance, the Senate would be under no requirement to take up the House bill and has already rejected it once before.Instead, a small group of senators from both parties has been working on an alternative plan that could find support in both chambers and become law. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said that for any plan to find support in his chamber, it will need to have income limits to ensure that the financial aid is focused on those who most need the help. He and other Republicans also want to ensure that beneficiaries would have to at least pay a nominal amount for their coverage.Finally, Thune said there would need to be some expansion of health savings accounts, which allow people to save money and withdraw it tax-free as long as the money is spent on qualified medical expenses.GOP Sen. Bernie Moreno of Ohio, a leader in the group of about a dozen senators, said they hope to deliver a framework next week. He and others met with House colleagues on options.Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., who is part of the negotiations, said there is agreement on addressing fraud in health care.“We recognize that we have millions of people in this country who are going to lose are losing, have lost their health insurance because they can’t afford the premiums,” Shaheen said. “And so we’re trying to see if we can’t get to some agreement that’s going to help, and the sooner we can do that, the better.”Trump has pushed Republicans to send money directly to Americans for health savings accounts so they can bypass the federal government and handle insurance on their own. Democrats largely reject this idea as insufficient for covering the high costs of health care.
Republicans go around their leaders
The action by Republicans to force a vote has been an affront to Johnson and his leadership team, who essentially lost control of what comes to the House floor as the Republican lawmakers joined Democrats for the workaround.After last year’s government shutdown failed to resolve the issue, Johnson had discussed allowing more politically vulnerable GOP lawmakers a chance to vote on another health care bill that would temporarily extend the subsidies while also adding changes.But after days of discussions, Johnson and the GOP leadership sided with the more conservative wing, which has assailed the subsidies as propping up ACA, which they consider a failed government program. He offered a modest proposal of health care reforms that was approved, but has stalled.It was then that rank-and-file lawmakers took matters into their own hands, as many of their constituents faced soaring health insurance premiums beginning this month.Republican Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick, Robert Bresnahan and Ryan Mackenzie, all from Pennsylvania, and Mike Lawler of New York, signed the Democrats’ petition, pushing it to the magic number of 218 needed to force a House vote. All four represent key swing districts whose races will help determine which party takes charge of the House next year.Jeffries said in a celebratory press conference afterward that Thune should bring the Democratic bill to the Senate floor for an immediate vote.
Trump encourages GOP to take on health care issue
What started as a long shot effort by Democrats to offer a discharge petition has become a political vindication of the Democrats’ government shutdown strategy as they fought to preserve the health care funds.Democrats are making clear that the higher health insurance costs many Americans are facing will be a political centerpiece of their efforts to retake the majority in the House and Senate in the fall elections.Trump, during a lengthy speech this week to House GOP lawmakers, encouraged his party to take control of the health care debate an issue that has stymied Republicans since he tried, and failed, to repeal Obamacare during his first term.
Associated Press writers Matt Brown and Steven Sloan contributed to this report.
Lisa Mascaro and Kevin Freking, Associated Press
