What's Happening

Health

Women Are About To Know Even Less About Their Bodies

What's going on: In 1991, researchers across the country set off to study a little-known subject: women’s health. Since then, the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) has produced groundbreaking findings that have improved the treatment of heart disease, osteoporosis, colon and breast cancer, and even menopause. With data gathered from more than 160,000 participants, the WHI is the largest study focused on women. But now, it’s losing most of its federal funding. The researchers behind the initiative announced this week that the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) will terminate its contracts with four WHI regional centers by September. Although the WHI’s main center will stay open until January 2026, researchers are already notifying over 40,000 current participants that their involvement in the study is ending.

What it means: The funding cuts are expected to significantly impact the health of older women — one of the fastest-growing segments of the US population — and widen an already gaping hole in medical research, which still focuses heavily on men. One expert involved in the initiative said, “No study is a better example of the enormous scientific impact of research on the prevention of chronic disease in the population.” What happens next is unclear — including the fate of valuable biomedical data like blood and urine samples and other genetic material. Critics are calling out the Trump administration for claiming to prioritize chronic illness research while pulling funds from the very programs doing that work. As the cuts take effect, the scientific community is bracing for more fallout.

Related: The Trump Administration Also Cut Funding for Maternal and Children’s Health Programs (The Guardian)

International

Talks of Peace, Sounds of War

What's going on: Russia launched its deadliest strike on Kyiv in nearly a year on Thursday, firing a wave of missiles and drones into the Ukrainian capital — killing at least 12 people and injuring over 90. The attack drew an unexpected reaction from President Donald Trump, who has more often than not refused to identify Russia as the war’s aggressor. “I am not happy with the Russian strikes…not necessary,” Trump said on Truth Social. “Vladimir, STOP.” But just hours later, Trump muddled the message, calling Russia’s decision not to take “the whole country” of Ukraine a “pretty big concession" — suggesting that ending the war now would be a fair compromise. Those mixed messages come as he pushes a peace plan that would force Ukraine to recognize Russian control of occupied territory, including Crimea — a sharp break from longstanding US policy.

What it means: Peace deal negotiations are expected to continue today, with Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, scheduled to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin. But with Russia and Ukraine unwilling to make concessions, a substantive agreement seems unlikely anytime soon. In the meantime, Ukraine faces a stark choice: Endure relentless airstrikes or consider giving up land it has vowed never to concede. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has made clear that any deal giving territory to Russia would violate Ukraine’s constitution and reward military aggression. Western officials warn Trump’s proposal plays right into Russia’s hands — undermining Zelenskyy, letting Moscow regroup, and setting Kyiv up to take the blame if talks collapse.

Related: Are Big Ten Schools Taking a Cue From NATO's Playbook? (The Hill)

Technology

Do Chatbots Deserve Your Manners?

What's going on: Do you have to say “please” and “thank you” to ChatGPT? We asked it directly — and it answered: “Technically, I don’t need you to say ‘please’ (I’m not gonna side-eye you like a Victorian governess), but it is kind of charming.” Good to know. So, the bots don’t care — but researchers do (and no, not just because they want to be on the right side of things when AI takes over the world — though hey, can't hurt). Turns out, how we talk to machines may shape how we treat actual humans. Think of it as conversational cross-training: kindness to bots now, less screaming into the customer service void later. It’s not so different from how we teach kids communication and empathy using Barbies and Tamagotchis. Sure, AI is unfeeling. But as The Washington Post's Miss Manners columnist put it: “So are dolls and stuffed animals, but we encourage children to treat them kindly.”

What it means: Amid today’s “loneliness epidemic,” remembering our manners might matter more than ever — and getting rusty from bossing around ChatGPT probably doesn’t help. Plus, being polite to bots may also train them to understand our culture and values. That said, niceties aren’t free. Every extra word in your prompt? That’s more strain on the servers — more energy and money down the drain. Some tech experts say it’s wasteful. But OpenAI’s CEO? He calls it “tens of millions of dollars well spent.” So go ahead — be nice to your chatbot. Just maybe skip the monologue.

Related: AI Helped Write California Bar Exam Questions — Now Test Scores May Need To Be Adjusted (The Guardian)