Wishing for a weaker dollar?

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February 3, 2026

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

ICE’s facial scanning is the tip of the surveillance iceberg

Federal troops are increasingly turning to high-tech tracking tools that push the boundaries of personal privacy

talking points

Trump wants a weaker dollar, but economists aren’t so sure

A weaker dollar can make imports more expensive but also boost gold

quote of the day

‘We are all in the same position of vulnerability, whether we see it yet or not. The old divisions that paralyzed us have been overtaken by a common threat.’

Former European Central Bank President Mario Draghi, in a speech at Belgian university KU Leuven, on why it’s time for the EU to move from “confederation to federation” to protect itself from the U.S. and China abusing the dependencies created by globalization

THE EXPLAINER

Moltbook: the AI social media platform with no humans allowed

From ‘gripes’ about human programmers to creating new religions, the new AI-only network could bring us closer to the point of ‘singularity’

UNDER THE RADAR

How roadkill is a surprising boon to scientific research

We can learn from animals without trapping and capturing them

Picture of the day

Continuing strikes

Smoke engulfs the Lebanese village of Ain Qana after an Israeli airstrike. Israel’s military struck several locations in southern Lebanon after saying it would attack Hezbollah targets. Despite a November 2024 truce between Israel and the Iran-backed group, Israel has kept up regular strikes.
Mahmoud Zayyat / AFP / Getty Images

THE WEEK RECOMMENDS

February’s new movies jump from rehab facilities to 1990s Iraq to a maybe apocalypse

Time travelers, multiverse hoppers and an Iraqi parable highlight this month’s offerings during the depths of winter

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