Astronomers caught a star system at the moment when solid grains began to form planets. This snapshot reveals how planets first start to form, just as Earth once did.
The infant star HOPS-315 sits about 1,300 light-years, roughly 7.6 quadrillion miles, away in the constellation Orion. Around it whirls a disc of gas and dust where heat is high enough to bake rock yet cool enough for those rocks to re-form.
Melissa McClure of Leiden University led the international team that pieced together these first moments of planetary assembly. Their finding gives researchers a live laboratory that mirrors the opening chapter of the Solar System’s own story.
How planets form from early solids
In primitive meteorites, tiny calcium-aluminum-rich inclusions tell us that the Solar System’s clock started ticking 4.567 billion years ago. Those inclusions condensed from a searing vapor and seeded every terrestrial planet we know.
Because the clock starts with condensation, catching that step beyond the Sun has been an astronomer’s white whale.
The new observation marks the first time any telescope has seen gas-phase silicon monoxide (SiO) alongside freshly crystallizing silicates in the same patch of a protoplanetary disc.
McClure’s team spotted the minerals within an orbit comparable to our asteroid belt. That match matters, for it pins early chemistry to a region that later fed Earth with water and metals.
Crystals forming around HOPS-315
The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) collects infrared light that pierces the dust cocoon shrouding HOPS-315, revealing the distinct fingerprint of hot SiO molecules. Those molecules glow at about 2,200°F, a temperature that vaporizes most common rocks.
ALMA, the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array, then measured the same region at millimeter wavelengths and mapped where the glow comes from.
By combining the two views, scientists confirmed that both gas and solid forms of silicon occupy a ring no farther than 2 astronomical units from the star.
Handling these observations is tricky because HOPS-315 also drives a jet rich in SiO. The team disentangled the jet’s signal from the disc’s by checking velocities, the jet gas races outward, whereas disc material orbits sedately.
A final check involved comparing the brightness of different SiO lines. The ratio matched laboratory predictions for vapor that is actively condensing, adding yet another layer of confidence to the result.
Planets forming from gas and crystals
Crystalline silicates appear where cooling vapor meets a sharp fall in temperature. The presence of both phases at one location means condensation is happening right now, not long ago nor far away in another part of the disc.
“This process has never been seen before in a protoplanetary disc, or anywhere outside our Solar System,” said Edwin Bergin of the University of Michigan, a co-author on the study.
He adds that the minerals are the same kind locked inside 4.5-billion-year-old meteorites on Earth’s shelves.
This is HOPS-315, a baby star where astronomers have observed evidence for the earliest stages of planet formation. Together with data from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), these observations show that hot minerals are beginning to solidify. In orange we see the distribution of carbon monoxide, blowing away from the star in a butterfly-shaped wind. In blue we see a narrow jet of silicon monoxide, also beaming away from the star. These gaseous winds and jets are common around baby stars like HOPS-315. Click image to enlarge. Credit: ALMA(ESO/NAOJ/NRAO)/M. McClure et al.
“We’re really seeing these minerals at the same location in this extrasolar system as where we see them in asteroids in the Solar System,” said co-author, Logan Francis from the Advanced Functional Fabrics of America (AFFOA).
He notes that the condensation zone sits at almost the same orbital radius as our asteroid belt.
The mineral grains measure less than a micrometer across, yet they mark the first step toward kilometer-scale planetesimals. Electrostatic forces will make them clump for thousands of years until gravity takes over.
HOPS-315 mirrors Earth’s origins
Laboratory studies show that minerals rich in silicon and oxygen condense first, followed quickly by iron-nickel alloys and then more volatile compounds.
Seeing hot SiO vapor around HOPS-315 hints that a similar chemical parade is marching there.
By estimating the star’s luminosity and the disc’s temperature gradient, McClure’s group concludes that crystalline silicates could mass about a tenth of the Moon. That is plenty to seed multiple rocky planets if subsequent growth is efficient, as models suggest.
Isotopic work on chondrules indicates that the earliest building blocks in our own Solar System formed within the first million years, a timescale now testable in real time with HOPS-315.
Matching astronomical data to isotope chronometers promises a much sharper picture of planet formation than meteoritic studies alone.
The discovery may also shed light on why Earth contains less carbon than nebular models predict. If early minerals trap oxygen and silicon immediately, carbon may remain gaseous longer and get pushed outward before it can join newborn worlds.
What’s next in watching planets form
Over the next year, ALMA will return to HOPS-315 to look for water ice farther out in the disc.
If water lines up beyond the silicate ring, astronomers can test whether rocky seeds migrate inward before they acquire ice mantles, a step that may explain why Earth ended up with oceans.
JWST will track how the SiO signature evolves. A steady decline would show vapor freezing out, whereas a surge could hint at heating bursts from magnetic flares or spiral shocks.
Witnessing the dawn of a new solar system. Credit: ESO
Beyond the specifics of HOPS-315, the result boosts confidence that rocky planets are common. If condensation begins so early, many stars may launch planet formation well before their gas discs disperse, leaving time for worlds to migrate, collide, and settle into stable orbits.
Astronomer Elizabeth Humphreys at ESO, who was not involved in the study, said she was “really impressed” that the team could pinpoint the first solids.
She argues that the synergy of Webb and ALMA is revealing a Universe “in which the steps toward life-bearing planets start earlier than we dared hope.”
The study is published in Nature.
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Honda has been nearly unstoppable in the 2025 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season, claiming 11 wins in 12 races, including a perfect 3-for-3 record on street circuits.
Dating back to the 2022 Toronto race weekend, Honda has captured 13 of the last 14 street circuit victories. That stretch includes a podium sweep on the 1.786-mile Exhibition Place track last season.
Heading into this weekend, Honda remains the heavy favorite to collect more hardware. But if Chevrolet is going to mount a challenge, keep an eye on Christian Lundgaard and his No. 7 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet, a pairing that was ninth-fastest in Friday’s practice with a lap of 1 minute, 1.1962 seconds.
Lundgaard’s lone career victory in 64 starts came in Toronto in 2023 — 37 races ago — where he won from pole position while driving a Honda for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing. It remains his last NTT P1 Award.
“Coming to Toronto always brings back great memories,” Lundgaard said. “I’ve had strong results here in the past, including my first win. I’m excited for the weekend ahead. We know what it takes to be quick here, so now it’s all about putting it together and making it happen.”
This season, Lundgaard has averaged an eighth-place finish on street circuits, including a podium at Long Beach. He has also never finished worse than eighth at Toronto, highlighted by a charge from 16th to seventh in last year’s event.
Here are three observations about the first practice in preparation for Sunday’s Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto, plus other notes of interest:
· The Turn 8 runoff proved to be a trouble spot during the session. At one point, Scott McLaughlin (No. 3 Gallagher Insurance Team Penske Chevrolet), Santino Ferrucci (No. 14 Sexton Properties/AJ Foyt Racing Chevrolet) and Pato O’Ward (No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet) all ended up in the runoff simultaneously due to separate incidents. The flurry of mistakes wasn’t surprising as Toronto’s street circuit is notoriously bumpy and slick. Friday’s session also featured both Firestone Firehawk primary and alternate tires, giving drivers a chance to push the limits ahead of qualifying.
· Alex Palou (No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda) opted to use two sets of primary tires during Friday’s practice session, leaving him with just three sets for the remainder of the weekend. With some drivers predicting Sunday’s race could require a three-stop strategy, tire management may prove critical, especially if primary tires emerge as the preferred compound. That would leave Palou with only one fresh set for qualifying and two for Saturday’s practice. Palou has yet to win at Toronto and struggled in qualifying. In three career starts, he’s never advanced past the first round of qualifying, starting 22nd, 15th, and 18th. Despite those setbacks, the three-time series champion has consistently charged through the field, finishing sixth, second, and fourth.
· Seven different teams were represented in the top eight of Friday’s speed chart led by Andretti Global’s Kirkwood. Team Penske was the only organization to place multiple drivers in the top eight, with McLaughlin in second and Will Power (No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet) in fifth. Rounding out the top eight were Palou (Chip Ganassi Racing) in third, Marcus Armstrong (Meyer Shank Racing w/Curb-Agajanian) in fourth, Callum Ilott (PREMA Racing) in sixth, Pato O’Ward (Arrow McLaren) in seventh, and David Malukas (AJ Foyt Racing) in eighth.
DeFrancesco Returns Home For Third Toronto Start
Ontario native Devlin DeFrancesco is the lone Canadian in this weekend’s 27-driver field. He was 25th-quickest in Friday’s session.
Making his third Toronto start, his best result came in 2022, qualifying 12th and finishing 18th.
“I love Toronto,” DeFrancesco said. “I got my first Fast 12 here and always look forward to going home. A lot of my family will be at the race.”
Born 15 weeks premature and given last rites multiple times at Toronto’s Sunnybrook Hospital, DeFrancesco defied the odds. Now driving the No. 30 HUB International Honda for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, he’s optimistic after a strong showing on Detroit’s bumpy street circuit — a layout similar to Toronto — and is encouraged RLL’s 2023 win with Lundgaard.
“We found a few things, performance-wise wise on the Detroit street course that has helped us quite a bit so that is an avenue we will follow. This team has been very strong in Toronto the last couple of years, so we should be fast.”
ECR Brings Momentum
Alexander Rossi returned to Toronto after being forced to sit out last year’s event with a hand injury suffered in a crash in practice. This time around, he left Friday unscathed, turning the 17th quickest lap (1:02.2232).
Rossi, in his first year driving the No. 20 ECR Java House Chevrolet, has three career top-10 finishes at the venue, including a runner-up in 2017 driving for Andretti Global. Half of his four top-10s this season have come on street courses.
“The Toronto circuit is one that is always a great mix of exciting and challenging,” Rossi said. “I am looking forward to competing this weekend after missing last year’s race.”
Teammate Christian Rasmussen, fresh off two top-10s at Iowa, is also feeling confident. He’s 15th in points, just ahead of Rossi in 16th and was 12th overall (1:02.0923) on Friday.
“There’s definitely momentum on our side,” he said. “Hopefully, we can build on that and have another strong result.”
Rasmussen earned his first professional win at this track in 2019, competing in USF2000. He claimed his first INDYCAR SERIES podium at World Wide Technology Raceway on June 15 — the second of four top-10 finishes this season, all coming on oval tracks.
Team owner Ed Carpenter knows Rasmussen’s aggressive driving style isn’t always popular with competitors, but he’s not concerned.
“He’s super aggressive,” Carpenter said. “I don’t know if everyone likes it, but from my perspective, I love it. If he’s making people nervous out there, I don’t see a problem with that. He’s been aggressive long enough now and pulls off a lot of really slick moves. He’s done it enough that it’s clearly not a fluke.”
Odds and Ends
· Toronto is the second-shortest street circuit on the NTT INDYCAR SERIES calendar. At 1.786 miles, it’s slightly longer than Detroit’s 1.645-mile, 10-turn layout, the shortest street course in the series. By comparison, St. Petersburg measures 1.8 miles with 14 turns, and Long Beach is 1.968 miles with 11 turns. Despite their compact sizes, these circuits offer plenty of corners to challenge drivers and create separation in the field. Toronto has 11 turns, just one more than Detroit.
Scott Dixon was 13th in Friday’s session. The lack of overall speed in the No. 9 PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing Honda is somewhat concerning because he has a six-spot grid penalty in Sunday’s race. Dixon suffered the same penalty at Detroit when he qualified 10th but rolled off 16th in the race. He climbed to finish 11th. Dixon is a four-time Toronto winner and has 12 career top-five finishes at the track. That’s tied with Michael Andretti for most all-time.
· The series returns to the track at 10:30 a.m. Saturday for the second practice session in advance of the three-round knockout NTT P1 Award qualifying session scheduled to begin at 2:35 p.m. Both Saturday sessions will air on FS1, FOX Sports app and INDYCAR Radio Network.
The Writers Guild of America has called on New York state officials to launch an investigation into Paramount following its sudden decision to cancel The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.
In a strongly worded statement issued on Friday, the Writers Guild of America East and the Writers Guild of America West asked New York state attorney general Letitia James to investigate Paramount over “potential wrongdoing” after the company announced the cancellation of the ‘Late Show’ on Thursday.
The unions pointed to Paramount’s decision earlier this month to settle what it condemned as a “baseless lawsuit” brought against 60 Minutes and CBS News by Donald Trump for $16m. Trump had claimed that CBS News misleadingly edited an interview with Kamala Harris last fall during the presidential campaign.
Citing the California state senate’s decision in May to launch an inquiry into Paramount’s $16m settlement with Trump as precedent, the unions said: “Given Paramount’s recent capitulation to President Trump in the CBS News lawsuit, the Writers Guild of America has significant concerns that The Late Show’s cancelation is a bribe, sacrificing free speech to curry favor with the Trump administration as the company looks for merger approval.”
It continued: “Cancelations are part of the business, but a corporation terminating a show in bad faith due to explicit or implicit political pressure is dangerous and unacceptable in a democratic society. Paramount’s decision comes against a backdrop of relentless attacks on a free press by President Trump, through lawsuits against CBS and ABC, threatened litigation of media organizations with critical coverage, and the unconscionable defunding of PBS and NPR.”
The unions called on James to launch an investigation into Paramount, saying that she is “no stranger to prosecuting Trump for illegal business practices”.
“We call on our elected leaders to hold those responsible to account, to demand answers about why this beloved program was canceled and to assure the public that Colbert and his writers were not censored due to their views or the whims of the president,” the WGA added.
A spokesperson for James’s office said the NYAG office is monitoring the situation.
The cancellation comes after Colbert – who has long been a critic of Trump on his show – called Paramount’s settlement a “big fat bribe” on air on Monday.
“As someone who has always been a proud employee of this network, I am offended… I don’t know if anything – anything – will repair my trust in this company. But, just taking a stab at it, I’d say $16m would help,” he said.
Echoing Colbert’s disapproval, Jon Stewart, who works for Comedy Central – which is also owned by Paramount – condemned the deal on air last week, calling it “shameful”.
He added: “I would assume internally, this is devastating to the people who work in a place that pride themselves on contextual, good journalism?”
Following Paramount’s announcement, numerous lawmakers have weighed in on the cancellation, casting skepticism at the company.
Massachusetts senator Elizabeth Warren wrote on X: “CBS canceled Colbert’s show just THREE DAYS after Colbert called out CBS parent company Paramount for its $16M settlement with Trump – a deal that looks like bribery.”
Similarly, Vermont senator Bernie Sanders said: “CBS’s billionaire owners pay Trump $16 million to settle a bogus lawsuit while trying to sell the network to Skydance. Stephen Colbert, an extraordinary talent and the most popular late night host, slams the deal. Days later, he’s fired. Do I think this is a coincidence? NO.”
In a statement on Thursday evening, CBS executives said that the decision to cancel the show was “purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night”, adding that it was “not related in any way to the show’s performance, content or other matters happening at Paramount”.
Hit a high note with the Pokémon GO’s Summer Concert event, ringing out July 19 to July 22, 2025, from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. local time each day. During this time, Trainers can listen to a special selection of in-game background music composed by legendary Pokémon video game series composer and Chief Creative Fellow of The Pokémon Company, Junichi Masuda.
Stay out of treble with these event bonuses:
Lure Modules activated during the event will last for one hour.
Lure Modules will attract the following Pokémon during the event.
Jigglypuff
Lotad
Kricketot
Chatot
Audino
Noibat
Popplio
Increased chance of encountering Shiny Chatot at PokéStops with active Lure Modules.
Throughout Summer Concert, you can spin Photo Discs at PokéStops to obtain event-themed Field Research tasks. Rewards for completing this research include encounters with Spinda. Lucky Trainers might even encounter a Shiny Spinda.
Enjoy tuning in to an epic Summer Concert, Trainers!
The UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has issued a formal notice attributing a series of hostile cyber attacks using a variety of malware dubbed Authentic Antics to Russian-state operated advanced persistent threat (APT) group Fancy Bear.
Authentic Antics is designed to steal login credentials and tokens for its victims email accounts, allowing Russian cyber spies to establish long-term access to their surveillance targets.
Fancy Bear, which goes by APT28 in some threat matrices, is operated as part of the 85th Main Special Service Centre, Military Unit 26165, and ultimately answers to the GRU, a successor intelligence agency to the KGB of Cold War legend.
“The use of Authentic Antics malware demonstrates the persistence and sophistication of the cyber threat posed by Russia’s GRU,” said NCSC operations director Paul Chichester.
“NCSC investigations of GRU activities over many years show that network defenders should not take this threat for granted and that monitoring and protective action is essential for defending systems.
“We will continue to call out Russian malicious cyber activity and strongly encourage network defenders to follow advice available on the NCSC website,” said Chichester.
Working with NCC Group, which provided samples of Authentic Antics, the NCSC’s experts have conducted a lengthy analysis of the malware – this can be read in full here – which blends in with everyday, legitimate activity to enable Fancy Bear to maintain persistent endpoint access to Microsoft cloud accounts.
The malware has been widely used since about 2023, and runs within Microsoft Outlook processes where it displays malicious login prompts to its target in order to get them to enter their credentials, which are then intercepted along with OAuth 2.0 authentication tokens for various applications, likely including Exchange Online, SharePoint and OneDrive.
The NCSC said it had been cleverly designed to exploit growing familiarity among end-users with genuine Microsoft authentication prompts, including generating prompts from within Outlook processes, and ensuring they do not display too frequently.
Authentic Antics does not communicate with any command and control (C2) infrastructure and cannot receive additional tasking. It talks only to legitimate services, meaning that when it is active it is much harder to pick out – for example it exfiltrates its victims’ data by sending emails from the compromised account to an email address controlled by Fancy Bear – these sent emails do not show up in the victim’s sent items folder.
The agency said that “significant thought” had gone into Authentic Antics’ design to ensure it blends in with normal activity. Among other things, its presence on disk is limited, it stores data in Outlook-specific registry locations, and its codebase includes genuine Microsoft authentication library code as an obfuscation method.
“It is clear the intention of the malware is to gain persistent access to victim email accounts. This highlights the benefit of monitoring your tenant for suspicious logins,” said the NCSC’s analysts.
Sanctions
The attribution comes alongside the announcement of wider sanctions against three GRU Units – including Unit 26165 – and 18 officers and agents who allegedly run cyber and information interference operations in support of Russia’s geopolitical and military objectives.
Among those sanctioned are GRU military intelligence officers who targeted and surveilled the device of Yulia Skripal, daughter of double agent Sergei Skripal, prior to the infamously botched Novichok poisoning attempt against them in 2018 that claimed the life of a British national, Dawn Sturgess.
“GRU spies are running a campaign to destabilise Europe, undermine Ukraine’s sovereignty and threaten the safety of British citizens,” said foreign secretary David Lammy.
“The Kremlin should be in no doubt: we see what they are trying to do in the shadows and we won’t tolerate it. That’s why we’re taking decisive action with sanctions against Russian spies.
Speaking in support of the UK’s actions, a Nato spokesperson condemned Russia’s ongoing malicious cyber activities, noting other attributions made to Fancy Bear, which earlier this year was called out for targeting Western logistics and technology organisations involved in supporting the defence of Ukraine.
“We call on Russia to stop its destabilising cyber and hybrid activities. These activities demonstrate Russia’s disregard for the United Nations framework for responsible state behaviour in cyberspace, which Russia claims to uphold,” a spokesperson said.
“Russia’s actions will not deter Allies’ support to Ukraine, including cyber assistance through the Tallinn Mechanism and IT capability coalition. We will continue to use the lessons learned from the war against Ukraine in countering Russian malicious cyber activity.”
Samsung’s Frame TVs are a popular choice for people who want a design-focused display in their home. They’re made to look like a piece of art hanging on your wall with a flush mount and matte screen that resembles canvas. But while Frame TVs do an excellent job of masquerading as a painting, their overall image quality has always been a bit lacking. That’s why Samsung launched a brand-new model called the Frame Pro. This set still has all of the core Frame TV design touches, but it aims to improve picture performance with some contrast and brightness upgrades. It also has a new wireless connection box that could make placement easier in certain rooms.
I have extensive experience with previous-generation Frame models, and I even bought a regular Frame TV for my home. Despite its image quality limitations, I went with a Frame because I wanted a matte display that could reduce reflections. My LG OLED’s glossy screen looked great at night, but glare made it unusable for large parts of the day. The Frame’s anti-glare panel fixed this problem, and its Art Mode is undeniably cool. Still, the experience of actually watching TV on the standard Frame has always been a bit lacking.
Well, after a few weeks with the new Frame Pro, I’m happy to report that it does indeed offer better picture quality. I used it in the same spot as my standard Frame TV, and it unequivocally performs better, especially if you have a lot of light in your space. However, it still can’t match the image capabilities of the very best TVs in a dark room.
If you’re considering the Frame Pro, here are the most important things you should know about its performance, design, and upgraded features.
Samsung Frame Pro QLED 4K TV
The Frame Pro is an upgraded version of Samsung’s popular gallery-style TV. It has a thin wall mount, matte screen, and interchangeable bezels, which make it look like a piece of art on your wall. The Pro model is brighter than the standard one, but it still can’t match the image quality of Samsung’s best QLED TVs.
The Frame Pro has a noticeably brighter, higher contrast screen
The Frame Pro uses a Mini LED backlight to produce a brighter image with better contrast control than the standard Frame.
Tyler Hayes/Business Insider
When it comes to general design and resolution, the Frame Pro is a lot like the standard Frame. Like the regular model, it has a 4K resolution (3,840 x 2,160) screen, 120Hz refresh rate (up to 144Hz with a PC), slim wall mount, and motion-activated Art Mode that displays various paintings and images. But there’s more advanced technology at work behind the panel, which leads to a brighter and higher-contrast picture when watching movies and TV shows.
In short, the Frame Pro looks better than the regular Frame TV. I watched several movies on both models, and the Frame Pro’s brighter image and superior contrast were noticeable. This upgrade is made possible by some changes to the Frame Pro’s backlight, which is what illuminates the screen so you can see its images.
Unlike standard Frame TVs, the Frame Pro uses a Mini LED backlight with local dimming. This allows the panel to get darker and brighter in specific areas of the screen, which enables better black levels and light control. On TVs without local dimming, like standard Frame models, dark scenes look more washed out and are prone to frequent patches of uneven brightness. Mini LEDs also enable the Frame Pro’s screen to get much brighter than past models.
On a 10% brightness test pattern, the Frame Pro hit a peak of nearly 1,000 nits in its Filmmaker HDR picture mode. That’s close to what Samsung’s upper-midrange QN80F QLED can hit, and about double the brightness of a standard Frame TV. This gives HDR images a bit more pop and helps overcome ambient light.
Thanks to this upgraded tech, the Frame Pro is even easier to see than my standard model when watching TV in a bright room with windows that let in natural sunlight. I’ve tried other art-style TVs, but the Frame Pro is the best for daytime use. This is the model I’d buy for a sunny room.
Black levels still can’t match those of Samsung’s high-end TVs
The Frame Pro’s home theater performance is better than the regular Frame’s, but it’s still not the best TV for watching movies.
Tyler Hayes/Business Insider
But while the Frame Pro’s backlight is a lot better than the standard Frame TV’s, it still has some issues when viewed in a dark room. Unlike Samsung’s home theater-focused QN80F and QN90F QLED models, which use direct-lit local dimming, the Frame Pro uses a type of edge-lit dimming.
This method isn’t as effective. Though some dark sequences are displayed with much deeper black levels than I’ve seen on the regular Frame, some still suffer from noticeable patches of light that give dark scenes an uneven look. So, depending on the image being displayed, you can still see some lighting blotches when you watch TV at night.
Again, the Frame Pro is definitely better than the standard Frame, but its contrast and black level performance are still a far cry from what you’d get on a direct-lit Mini LED or OLED TV. My LG OLED, for instance, has much better performance in a dark room.
The Wireless One Connect box is one step forward, one step back
The Frame Pro’s wireless One Connect Box is pictured on top of a standard Frame TV’s wired One Connect Box.
Tyler Hayes/Business Insider
Regular Frame TVs use a One Connect Box that’s tethered to the display through a thin, semi-transparent cable. This box houses all of the TV’s ports, which helps keep the screen slim and allows you to keep your wall free from other wires used to connect external devices, like a cable box or gaming console.
The Frame Pro utilizes a similar design, except that the box now connects to the TV wirelessly. This means more flexibility in where you house your streaming device, video game system, Blu-ray player, and other components. It should be a major win for people placing their TV above a fireplace mantle.
However, there are some drawbacks. Most notably, you now need two power outlets instead of just one. There needs to be power for the TV and one for the Wireless One Connect Box. Previously, the box and TV were powered by the same wire.
Thankfully, the wireless transmission itself works well, and I didn’t encounter any picture or audio lag during my testing. That said, there was at least one time when the TV said it couldn’t connect to the box despite being a foot away.
Making the Frame Pro truly look like art costs extra money
Samsung’s Art Store requires a membership, and specialty bezels, like the Deco Premiere frame pictured above, are sold separately.
Tyler Hayes/Business Insider
Samsung’s Art Store isn’t free. If you want the easiest way to browse and select art pieces to display on your Frame Pro, you’ll still need to pony up a $5 monthly fee. There are a couple of free alternative services, but they’re more akin to screensavers than simulating the look of a painting on your wall. You can also upload your own photos, but you’ll probably need to spend some time editing their aspect ratio to make them fit seamlessly.
Similarly, you’ll have to pay extra for different-style art frame bezels. The Frame Pro comes with a standard black border around the TV, but Samsung sells other types that can magnetically attach, including Modern Brown, Modern White, and Sand Gold styles. But be aware that the Frame Pro uses different Samsung bezels than the regular Frame TV, so you can’t interchange them.
If you want fancy, elaborate options, brands like Deco TV Frames also sell bezels that fit the Frame Pro. However, I found out the hard way that these bigger bezels won’t fit all the way around when using the TV on its stand.
I ran into some minor software bugs
Some lag popped up when navigating the TV’s menus.
Tyler Hayes/Business Insider
I tested the Frame Pro over a couple of weeks, and I experienced some flakiness with the TV’s software. The Frame Pro was occasionally slow to wake up and change inputs, and sometimes, it lagged within its own menu system. I was able to get around this by unplugging the TV to power cycle it each time the issues occurred.
As far as I can tell from reading online forums, others have seen these same issues, too. However, this doesn’t seem to be a universal problem, so it’s hard to tell how widespread it is. My other Frame TVs haven’t experienced this issue. This could be ironed out through firmware updates, but there’s no guarantee. As it stands, I don’t consider the sluggishness to be a dealbreaker, but it’s definitely something to keep in mind.
There are new AI features, but they’re mostly a bust
The TV’s AI features are more of a novelty than essential.
Tyler Hayes/Business Insider
Like most of Samsung’s 2025 TVs, the Frame Pro has some new AI-powered features, like a live translation function that can generate subtitles in different languages. While that might seem like a cool addition, in practice, this AI stuff doesn’t really pan out in a meaningful way. For example, live translation only works with broadcast TV transmissions over an antenna, so people using streaming apps or cable boxes can’t use it.
You can generate AI art, but the interface is too limited to create anything you’d want to look at for long. To keep things simple enough to use with a remote control, there are only a few prompts to select from before an image is created. An “AI-generated content” watermark is also displayed in the bottom corner. Be aware that you can only make up to 10 AI images per day if you enjoy the feature.
There are also AI-enhanced picture and sound modes, but their adjustments are subtle and not immediately noticeable in day-to-day use. The sound tweaks are also relegated to the TV’s built-in speakers, so if you use a soundbar, you won’t get any benefit.
In all of these cases, I found that I needed to seek the TV’s AI features out in order to use them, which isn’t a bad thing. There are plenty of pop-up notifications throughout the interface, but in general, I liked that the TV never nagged me to use AI.
Should you buy the Samsung Frame Pro TV?
The Frame Pro is a better TV than the standard Frame, but its benefits will only appeal to specific users.
Les Shu/Business Insider
Like the standard Frame, the Samsung Frame Pro is priced at a premium compared to typical TVs with similar specifications. Though the Frame Pro has notably better image performance than the regular model, you’re still mostly paying for design perks rather than picture quality. In most respects, there’s nothing wrong with that. After all, this is still a Frame TV geared toward design-focused buyers.
However, the Frame Pro feels like a slightly missed opportunity. Yes, it looks better than the standard Frame, but there are still notable compromises here that prevent the Pro from truly succeeding as an Art TV that can double as a home theater display. It’s a step in the right direction, but it’s just not there yet.
Ultimately, the Frame Pro’s biggest selling point might be its Wireless One Connect box, which is a cool perk for certain room layouts. Its brighter picture when watching TV also makes it a better fit for rooms that let in a lot of light.
But the Frame Pro isn’t any more convincing at simulating the look of a painting than the standard Frame TV, which costs less. It’s also important to note that the Frame Pro is only available in 65-, 75-, and 85-inch screen sizes, while the regular Frame is also sold in 43, 50, and 55 inches. So, unless you really need the Pro’s wireless box and brighter picture, most people are better off saving money and going with the less expensive Frame TV.
For more recommendations across budgets, check out our guide to all of the best Samsung TVs.
Tyler Hayes
Freelance Writer
Tyler has been writing professionally since 2013. In the early years, he covered the intersection of technology and music as it relates to streaming services and audio gear. Since then, he has become an expert on all kinds of consumer products, from wearables to smart home gadgets. He started writing professionally after spending a decade as a computer technician repairing computers. Since 2013, he has contributed to dozens of publications, including The New York Times, WIRED, PCMag, Vice, and Newsweek.Most of Tyler’s writing revolves around service journalism and helping people understand the latest pieces of technology. But he has done featured articles about Pandora radio, NBA Top Shot, and what goes into building the perfect playlist. He has also written for the Library of Congress and submitted his own emoji proposal to Unicode. Beyond writing about technology, he has worked for Microsoft and a few startups over the years. Outside of work, he reluctantly became a daily runner during the 2020 lockdown and has been unable to quit since.
Donald Trump has sued Rupert Murdoch and two Wall Street Journal newspaper reporters for libel and slander over claims that he sent the sex offender Jeffrey Epstein a lewd letter and sketch of a naked woman.
Trump’s lawsuit on Friday, which also targets Dow Jones and News Corp, was filed in the southern district of Florida federal court in Miami.
The lawsuit seeks at least $10bn in damages.
It came after the Journal reported on a 50th birthday greeting that Trump allegedly sent to Epstein in 2003 that included a sexually suggestive drawing and reference to secrets they shared.
It was reportedly a contribution to a birthday album compiled by Ghislaine Maxwell, who is serving a 20-year sentence in Florida after being found guilty of sex-trafficking and other charges in 2021.
“A pair of small arcs denotes the woman’s breasts, and the future president’s signature is a squiggly ‘Donald’ below her waist, mimicking pubic hair,” the Journal reported of the alleged drawing. The letter allegedly concluded: “Happy Birthday – and may every day be another wonderful secret.”
Trump vehemently denied the Journal report and claimed the letter was fake. He said on Truth Social that he warned Murdoch, the founder of News Corp, the newspaper’s parent company, that he planned to sue.
The president posted: “Mr Murdoch stated that he would take care of it but obviously did not have the power to do so. Instead they are going with a false, malicious, defamatory story anyway. President Trump will be suing the Wall Street Journal, News Corp and Mr Murdoch shortly.”
Vice-President JD Vance poured scorn on the report, tweeting on Thursday: “Forgive my language but this story is complete and utter bullshit. The WSJ should be ashamed for publishing it. Where is this letter? Would you be shocked to learn they never showed it to us before publishing it? Does anyone honestly believe this sounds like Donald Trump?”
The lawsuit is the first that Trump has filed against a media company while in office. But he launched numerous legal actions before returning to the White House, raising fears of a chilling effect on free speech. Most ended in defeat but over the past year he has won more than $30m in settlements from legal actions against ABC News and Paramount.
In a post on his Truth Social site, Trump cast the lawsuit as part of his effort to punish media outlets, including ABC and CBS, which both reached multimillion-dollar settlement deals with the president after he took them to court.
“This lawsuit is filed not only on behalf of your favorite President, ME, but also in order to continue standing up for ALL Americans who will no longer tolerate the abusive wrongdoings of the Fake News Media,” he wrote.
But advocates for press freedom cast doubt on the merits of the case.
Professor Roy Gutterman, director of the Tully Center for Free Speech at Syracuse University in Syracuse, New York, said: “This defamation case was filed only a day after this explosive story was published, and this speed might actually reflect that. The complaint is heavy on arguments about the story’s reach and how quickly it went viral and was reposted on social media.”
He added: “Asking for $10bn for each count almost sounds comical, and is certainly not related to any plausible damages a plaintiff might have suffered if the story turns out to be false. But the plaintiff [Trump] is going to have to prove that the Wall Street Journal published this story knowing it was false, which does not seem plausible, either.
“We are talking about one of the most highly respected news outlets in the country, if not the world. The reporters and editors, and I’m sure their lawyers, had no reason to doubt the veracity of what they published.”
The case also marked another chapter in the chequered relationship between Trump and Murdoch, whose Fox News network champions the president and has supplied some of his staff. The pair have shared roots in New York’s tabloid culture and recently realigned. In February Trump hosted Murdoch in the Oval Office, praising him as “legendary” and “an amazing guy”.
The president has faced an extraordinary backlash from his own supporters over his refusal to release files about Epstein. A Reuters/Ipsos poll this week found that 69% of respondents thought the federal government was hiding details about Epstein’s clients, compared with 6% who disagreed and about one in four who said they unsure.
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On Friday, in another effort to dampen the outrage about an alleged government cover-up, Trump ordered his attorney general, Pam Bondi, to seek the unsealing of grand jury testimony from the prosecution against the disgraced financier.
In a filing in New York, Bondi cited “extensive public interest” for the unusual request to release what is typically secret testimony.
Trump said earlier his Truth Social platform that he had authorised the justice department to seek the public release of the materials, which are under seal, citing “the ridiculous amount of publicity given to Jeffrey Epstein”.
He did not say he had authorised the release of files on Epstein held by the justice department and the FBI.
Epstein, a longtime friend of Trump and multiple high-profile men, was found hanging dead in a New York prison cell while awaiting trial on charges that he sexually exploited dozens of underage girls at his homes in New York and Florida.
The case sparked conspiracy theories, especially among Trump’s far-right voters, about an alleged international cabal of wealthy pedophiles. Epstein’s death – declared a suicide – before he could face trial, accelerated the narrative.
When Trump returned to power for a second term this January, his supporters clamored for revelations about Epstein’s supposed list of clients. But Bondi issued an official memo this month declaring there was no such list.
That’s the question that wasn’t immediately answered after Lowry’s ball moved ever so slightly after a practice swing on his second shot at No. 11 during Round 2 of the British Open.
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The R&A, which governs the British Open, didn’t make a ruling immediately, telling Lowry as he walked up the 15th fairway that they would wait until the end of his round to view the footage with him, and then make a determination. Lowry, who says he did not see the ball move, didn’t realize anything was afoot until the rules official approached him on 15.
“I’ve asked him, how many shot penalty is that if it did, and he said, two,” Lowry explained. “Obviously then I feel like I’m on the cut mark then, which is not very nice.”
After the post-round meeting with Lowry and his playing partners, Collin Morikawa and Scottie Scheffler, the R&A assessed Lowry with a 2-shot penalty. Lowry, who won the last time The Open was held at Royal Portrush, had finished his round at 2-under for the tournament. He’s now at even par.
Lowry said he didn’t argue his case with rules officials, but that he feels they had already made their determination before the meeting.
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“I think they had it in their heads the ball moved, I caused it to move, it’s a two-shot penalty,” he said.
He continued: “They’re trying to tell me if it doesn’t move from the naked eye, if you don’t see it moving, it didn’t move. I told them I definitely was looking down towards the ball as I was taking that practice swing, and I didn’t see it move.
“But I had to take the penalty because … I can’t have my name talked about or tossed around like that, and I just get on with it.”
The rules have been relaxed a bit when it comes to a ball accidentally moving. It’s not a cut-and-dried penalty. USGA rules, which the R&A recognizes, allow for leniency when it comes to “natural forces,” which include water and gravity. The grass beneath Lowry’s ball was certainly wet, as rain pelted Royal Portrush throughout the day.
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The only reason anyone saw the ball move was because of technology. Lowry’s group, featuring the World No. 1 in Scheffler, was a “featured group” as part of the broadcast, meaning there were an abundance of cameras following them. One of those cameras happened to be focussed entirely on Lowry’s ball before the shot.
“Ultimately in golf it’s up to the player, and I felt like Shane was put in a pretty tough situation there,” Scheffler said. “When you’re zooming in on his golf ball, in the rough, it’s hard to tell.
“From what I looked at very briefly, it was very difficult to see if the ball moved. The camera was kind of zooming in as stuff was happening.
“… It’s frustrating for me as a competitor of his and a player to watch him kind of deal with that because the last thing you want to be known in the game of golf is somebody who cheats. I’m not going to state a strong opinion here in the media on whether or not I thought he deserved a penalty. But all I’m going to say is it was a very tough situation for him to be put in and I thought that he handled it really well.”
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Does it look like Lowry caused the ball to move? Probably. But could anyone determine this with absolute certainty? The R&A, apparently, did.
“If the ball moved and I caused it to move and it moved, it’s a two-shot penalty,” Lowry said. “The last thing I want to do is sit there and argue and not take the penalty and then get slaughtered all over social media tonight for being a cheat.”
WASHINGTON – U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent issued the following statement following President Trump’s signing of the GENIUS Act:
“Stablecoins represent a revolution in digital finance,” said Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. “The dollar now has an internet-native payment rail that is fast, frictionless, and free of middlemen. This groundbreaking technology will buttress the dollar’s status as the global reserve currency, expand access to the dollar economy for billions across the globe, and lead to a surge in demand for US Treasuries, which back stablecoins. The GENIUS Act provides the fast-growing stablecoin market with the regulatory clarity it needs to grow into a multitrillion-dollar industry. The signing of this bill marks a seminal moment for digital assets and dollar supremacy.”
