Shrinking

Electric vehicle sales are dropping sharply, raising questions about whether the technology could shrink into a niche market. ABC News reports on the decline and asks if carmakers' heavy bets on electrification are now at risk as buyers pull back.

Commentators are debating the state of science journalism, asking whether the field is dying. The discussion draws a parallel between today's pressures on science reporting and a so-called 'science crash' that hit the profession roughly 40 years ago, when outlets cut dedicated science desks and coverage declined. The comparison raises questions about whether current job losses, shrinking newsroom budgets and changing media habits mark a repeat of that earlier downturn or something new.

A growing number of music and film fans are abandoning streaming services in favour of physical media such as CDs, DVDs and vinyl records. The main motivation is frustration with recommendation algorithms, shrinking catalogues and the lack of true ownership that streaming platforms offer. Collectors say discs and records give them control over what they watch and listen to, without curated feeds or content that can quietly disappear.

More than 40 percent of all bitcoin have not moved from their wallets in over three years, according to figures circulating in German-language crypto discussions. Commenters argue that this long-term holding shrinks the supply available on exchanges, so rising demand from institutions or ETFs meets an increasingly scarce market, which historically has driven sharper price increases.

Iranian media are assessing the state of nuclear diplomacy following a response from the United States, with coverage describing talks as still alive but facing a narrowing window. Commentators suggest both sides remain engaged, but that room for compromise is shrinking as pressure builds around the negotiations.

A voting error in Berlin's election has been resolved in a way that hands a direct constituency mandate to the AfD instead of the CDU, according to reporting by WELT. As a result, the AfD gains a seat won outright, the Christian Democrats lose out, and the city's Abgeordnetenhouse will be smaller than originally counted. The affair has revived criticism of Berlin's troubled electoral administration, which has faced repeated scandals over ballot mistakes in recent years.

A Work Matters column in the Times Union asks whether the retail industry has lost sight of the customer. The piece questions whether cost-cutting, automation and shrinking service levels have come at the expense of the shopper experience. The debate over declining customer service in stores continues to resonate with workers and consumers alike.

Maebashi, a city in Gunma Prefecture facing rapid population decline, is betting on art as part of a decade-long rebuilding effort to revitalize itself. The approach mirrors efforts by other shrinking Japanese towns trying to reinvent themselves through culture. Observers are asking whether art-led regeneration can genuinely reverse depopulation in regional Japan.

Personal finance expert Vivian Tu, known online as Your Rich BFF, is warning that a little-noticed tax is quietly taking money from ordinary households. She urges people to recognize the cost and adjust their budgets accordingly. Her message is circulating widely as Americans face ongoing pressure from rising prices and shrinking purchasing power.

Industry analysis argues that transistor scaling is no longer the main constraint on AI chip performance. Instead, power delivery, memory bandwidth and advanced packaging have become the bottlenecks holding back faster processors, as demand for AI compute continues to surge and chipmakers look beyond traditional node shrinks for gains.

The head of the Preem-owned Vara refinery business said Europe's defence spending is helping sustain a refining sector that would otherwise keep shrinking. Refineries across the continent face weak margins, ageing plants and competition from larger Asian and American facilities, and defence-related fuel demand is providing support amid closures and underinvestment.

Astrophysicist Ethan Siegel tackles a reader question about Hawking radiation: as black holes evaporate, their event horizons shrink, raising the question of whether sufficiently small horizons could expose something other than a singularity at the core. The discussion explores what happens at the end stages of black hole evaporation and what theoretical physics predicts about these objects' final fate.

The two International Covenants on Civil and Political Rights and on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, adopted in 1966, have reached their 60th anniversary. The UN Human Rights Office is marking the milestone by urging governments to renew the promise the treaties embody: that every person is entitled to justice, dignity and safety. Rights advocates note the anniversaries come amid ongoing conflicts, shrinking civic space and pressure on international institutions, making the covenants' guarantees a renewed subject of debate.

Sami, a leader of an Arab party in Israel, has been forced to withdraw from the upcoming Knesset elections, according to Al Jazeera. The withdrawal further reduces Palestinian and Arab representation in the Israeli vote, a trend the outlet says is continuing ahead of the election. Details of who forced the withdrawal and under what legal or political mechanism were not included in the available reporting.

A 10-year Treasury yield climbing higher is pushing mortgage rates up and worsening an already strained housing affordability picture. Higher borrowing costs mean larger monthly payments for buyers, shrinking purchasing power and putting pressure on home sales and prices. Commentators are weighing how long housing can withstand rates stuck at elevated levels.

Qualcomm faces a decline in chip revenue from the iPhone, but the renewal of its licence agreement with Apple provides a financial cushion. The renewed deal helps offset the company's shrinking modem chip business as Apple moves toward producing more components in-house, softening the blow for the US chipmaker.

Health content aimed at older adults claims that muscles begin to shrink after age 60 and that a specific natural food can stop the loss of muscle mass instantly. The claim is presented as health guidance for seniors worried about sarcopenia and frailty. No medical source, food name verification, or clinical evidence is provided, so the assertion cannot be confirmed and should be treated with caution pending advice from doctors or dietitians.

Wide receiver Jerry Jeudy has seen his role in the Cleveland Browns offense dwindle, prompting CBS Sports to list five teams that could pursue a trade for him. His reduced usage has raised questions about his future in Cleveland and whether the Browns would move him before the deadline.