Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick is facing calls to resign from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle following the release of Justice Department files detailing his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. The documents, which include communications between Lutnick and Epstein over a 13-year period, contradict Lutnick's previous claims of severing ties with the convicted sex offender in 2005, according to a New York Times analysis.
The released records, part of the Justice Department's latest release of files, reveal a regular correspondence and social interactions between Lutnick and Epstein in New York and the Caribbean. These interactions spanned at least 13 years, raising questions about the extent of their relationship. The documents include multiple exchanges between the two men or their assistants.
In other news, Let's Encrypt is set to roll out changes to the certificates it issues to servers on February 11th, 2026, according to The Prosody Team on Hacker News. While most operators will not need to take any action, servers using the new certificates may encounter issues connecting to certain XMPP servers. Certificate Authorities, like Let's Encrypt, verify domain ownership and issue certificates as proof of this verification, which can be obtained using tools like certbot.
Meanwhile, researchers are exploring the interactions of polymeric materials for drug nanocarriers. A study published on Phys.org revealed important differences in how micelles, formed by Poloxamer 407, interact and organize into gels depending on the salts and ions present in the solution. This could affect key properties for drug nanocarrier technologies, such as the drug release rate.
Elsewhere, the use of AI agents in messaging apps is raising concerns about data security. According to Hacker News, communicating with AI agents via apps like Slack and Telegram can expose users to data exfiltration risks, particularly due to the link preview feature. This feature can automatically exfiltrate user data after receiving a malicious link in an LLM-generated message.
Finally, a summary of other developments, drawing from multiple news sources, includes Discord implementing age verification measures using face scans or ID to restrict access to adult content, a blind scientist being highlighted for his work in adaptive technology and his advocacy for accessibility, a grassroots movement using 3D-printed whistles for ICE raid alerts, and a self-made billionaire crediting poker for her business success.
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