The CIA World Factbook occupies a special place in the memories of elder Millennials like me. It was an enormous compendium of essential facts about every country around the world, carefully collected from across the federal government. This felt especially precious when the World Factbook went online in 1997 (it had previously been a classified internal publication printed on paper, then a declassified print resource), a time when the internet still felt new and unsettled. Unlike many other pages on the World Wide Web, it was reliable enough that you could even get away with citing it in schoolwork. And there was a special thrill in the idea that the CIA, a famously secretive organization, was the one providing it to you. Memories are now the only place the World Factbook resides. In a post online yesterday, the agency noted that the site 'has sunset,' though it provided no explanation for why. (The agency did not immediately reply to my inquiry about why, nor has it replied to other outlets.) The Associated Press noted that the move 'follows a vow from Director John Ratcliffe to end programs that don't advance the agency's core missions.'...

Whether you're a scientist brainstorming research ideas or a CEO hoping to automate a task in human resources or finance, you'll find that artificial intelligence tools are becoming the assistants you didn't know you needed. In particular, many professionals are tapping into the talents of semi-autonomous software systems called AI agents, which can call on AI at specific points to solve problems and complete tasks.AI agents are particularly effective when they use large language models (LLMs) because those systems are powerful, efficient, and adaptable. One way to program such technology is by describing in code what you want your system to do (the 'workflow'), including when it should use an LLM. If you were a software company trying to revamp your old codebase to use a more modern programming language for better optimizations and safety, you might build a system that uses an LLM to translate the codebase one file at a time, testing each file as you go.But what happens when LLMs make mistakes' You'll want the agent to backtrack to make another attempt, incorporating lessons it learned from previous mistakes. Coding this up can take as much effort as implementing the original agent; if your system for translating a codebase contained thousands of lines of code, then you'd be making thousands of lines of code changes or additions to support the logic for backtracking when LLMs make mistakes....

The loan underpins a A$2.37bn transaction and underscores the growing importance of private credit in financing large buyouts in Australia. The financing is covenant-lite, carries leverage of around 6.5x earnings, and pays a margin of roughly 475 basis points over the Bank Bill Swap Bid Rate, according to people familiar with the matter. The transaction highlights how private equity firms are increasingly turning to private credit as traditional bank lending remains constrained. However, the deal also comes as Australia's regulator has stepped up scrutiny of the asset class, citing concerns over valuations, fee transparency, and conflicts of interest. Subscribe to our Newsletter to increase your edge. Don't worry about the news anymore, through our newsletter you'll receive weekly access to what is happening. Join 120,000 other PE professionals today....

The Department of Homeland Security's Facebook account recently posted a recruiting notice for ICE under the banner 'WE'LL HAVE OUR HOME AGAIN''the title of a white-nationalist anthem by the Pine Tree Riots ('By blood or sweat, we'll get there yet'). The Department of Labor recently posted a video montage referencing American battle scenes under the tagline 'One Homeland. One People. One Heritage. Remember who you are, American''a slogan close to the Nazi-era Ein Volk, ein Reich, ein Fuhrer. Many of these posts borrow overtly from Christianity. In December, the DHS and White House accounts shared Christmas-themed posts celebrating mass deportations and encouraging self-deportation. One featured videos of armed agents performing night raids, with a caption quoting Matthew 5:9 in black-letter type: 'Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.' Macho displays and transgressive memes mark a significant shift in how the federal government sees and promotes its mission'and sanctions state violence. It may be tempting to see this change as an organic or bottom-up phenomenon, as if federal agencies are appealing to Proud Boys to lure more ICE recruits. But the reality is that this transformation is the culmination of years of work by niche groups of conservative intellectuals who have long rejected America's liberal traditions'and now dominate the halls of power....