US Edition - Today's top story: Changes to Facebook and Instagram are key part of Meta's $17B settlement with the states over harm to teens August 27, 2026 US Edition   Top headlines Trade war could affect US farmers’ harvests for many years Taking Syria off terrorist sponsor list is a calculated gamble Artificial intelligence hasn’t resulted in mass job losses – yet Lead story Two jury verdicts against Meta in March set the stage for yesterday’s settlement between the social media giant and most of the states in a federal lawsuit about the harm its platforms cause teens. The settlement will leave Meta paying as much as $17 billion in penalties over the next decade. But arguably more important than the money are changes that the agreement demands Meta make in how Facebook and Instagram work for teens. The changes go to the core of the company’s business model and address long-standing concerns about the platforms’ effect on kids. But the settlement also leaves questions. UMass Amherst technology policy and law scholar Carolina Rossini unpacks the agreement’s provisions and lays out the uncertainties that are key to how effective the agreement will be in protecting teens. [ Miss us on Sundays? Get a selection of our best and most popular stories (or try our other weekly emails). ]   Eric Smalley Science + Technology Editor   Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg chose to settle a landmark lawsuit against his company. Jon Putman/Anadolu via Getty Images Changes to Facebook and Instagram are key part of Meta’s $17B settlement with the states over harm to teens Carolina Rossini, UMass Amherst Meta’s settlement calls for several key design changes to protect teens, but how the states will verify and enforce the changes is a big question mark. Economy + Business Why the US-Canada trade war could change how American farmers grow their crops for years Jayash Paudel, University of Oklahoma Canada is a major US supplier of fertilizer ingredients that could get pulled into Trump’s trade war. Farms can go without fertilizer for a while, but not long. I surveyed workers to see if AI had caused job losses and was surprised by the findings Jeffrey C. Dixon, College of the Holy Cross Artificial intelligence is not having widespread effects on the labor market today. Environment + Energy Extreme heat is taking a toll on firefighters as wildfires stretch crews to the limit Julian L. Gallegos, Purdue University Wildland firefighters face heat from the environment, the fire and their own bodies as they work long, exhausting hours. The head of Purdue’s fire lab explains the health risks and what can help. International In taking Syria off state sponsor of terrorism list, US is putting its faith in al-Qaida alumni – that presents risks and opportunities Jason M. Blazakis, Middlebury College Syria was among the first nations to be added to the State Department’s proscribed list. It has been removed under the rule of a former al-Qaida-affiliated militant. Science + Technology Mars rovers give scientists a ground-level view of the red planet – peek inside their NASA control room Ashwin R. Vasavada, NASA Each day in the control room of the Curiosity rover is jam-packed with important scientific decisions, as a NASA project scientist describes. Breakthrough drug nearly doubles survival with advanced pancreatic cancer – an oncologist explains how daraxonrasib overcame an ‘undruggable’ disease Christopher Lieu, University of Colorado Anschutz Around 97% of patients with advanced pancreatic cancer die within five years. Researchers have figured out a way to target the mechanism that makes these tumors so deadly. NASA is gearing up to launch its next flagship space telescope – combining spy technology with sophisticated infrared detectors Don Figer, Rochester Institute of Technology The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope will take a broad survey of space and use it to create a map of the universe. Politics + Society USS Abraham Lincoln’s record deployment highlights shortfalls of US military readiness Monica Duffy Toft, Tufts University Navy readiness is a finite reserve that has been overstretched by a US military appetite for interventions in the past 50 years that has not tracked with a rise in danger. Why Democrats are amplifying corruption talk: A historical strategy for parties out of power Robert Boatright, Clark University; Institute for Humane Studies In correspondence with their constituents, Democrats are talking about corruption six times as much as they did in 2022. Health + Medicine