Elon Musk's artificial intelligence platform has seemingly been left out of a government program to launch the technology forward.On Monday, the White House announced a new project aimed at accelerating innovation and discovery to "solve the most challenging problems of this century."'The Genesis Mission will bring together our Nation’s research and development resources.'The new Genesis Mission is described by the Department of Energy as "a national initiative to build the world's most powerful scientific platform."An executive order from the president titled "Launching the Genesis Mission" explained plans to integrate federal scientific datasets to train AI to test new hypotheses, automate research, and speed up the occurrence of scientific breakthroughs."The Genesis Mission will bring together our Nation’s research and development resources — combining the efforts of brilliant American scientists, including those at our national laboratories, with pioneering American businesses; world-renowned universities; and existing research infrastructure, data repositories, production plants, and national security sites — to achieve dramatic acceleration in AI development and utilization."With Elon Musk making strides in 2025 with both the advancement of his Grok chatbot and its video generation model, Imagine, tech enthusiasts were shocked to find out that Musk's xAI was not on a list of partners for the project.RELATED: Big Tech’s AI boom hits voters hard — and Democrats pounce — (@) The Department of Energy includes 55 companies on its lists of collaborators for Genesis, with xAI and Grok nowhere to be found.Aside from the fact that Musk was a special government employee under the Trump administration, his exclusion is even more surprising given both the length and generic nature of the companies that are involved. Amazon Web Services, Google, and Microsoft were announced as partners, as were AI companies like OpenAI and Scale AI.It should be noted that company xLight, which is listed by the DOE, is not affiliated with Musk.RELATED: Log into this Gmail clone to read all the Jeffrey Epstein emails as if you were Epstein himself — (@) "For [xAI] to not be a part of the Genesis Mission, it is not just an oversight, it would have to be an intentional omission," AI engineer Brian Roemmele wrote on X. "I spoke to someone on this project who asked for my input today, and it is the first thing I brought up. I am certain they will see the error made."Blaze News contacted xAI for comment but did not receive an immediate reply. This article will be updated with any applicable response.Whether a rift exists between Musk and the Trump administration is unclear, but the government seems steadfast in believing its mission is monumental in terms of importance, likening it to the World War II nuclear arms race."The world's most powerful scientific platform to ever be built has launched," the DOE claimed on its X account. "This Manhattan-Project-level leap will fundamentally transform the future of American science and innovation."Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Pope Leo XIV joined Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople and other Eastern Orthodox bishops on Friday at the site in modern-day Turkey where their predecessors met 17 centuries earlier to affirm and codify the core tenets of the Christian faith.This meeting of leaders on either side of the Great Schism at the place of the Nicene Creed's adoption signals another major step in what the pope weeks ago called "the path towards the reestablishment of full communion among all Christians."'We return to this wellspring of the Christian faith in order to move forward.'The pope made reference to the lasting significance of the Council of Nicaea in his Friday address at the archeological site of the ancient Basilica of St. Neophytos on the shore of Lake Iznik, especially the council's rejection in the 4th century of the Arian heresy.Pope Leo said that the question of who Jesus Christ is in the lives of men and women today "is especially important for Christians, who risk reducing Jesus Christ to a kind of charismatic leader or superman, a misrepresentation that ultimately leads to sadness and confusion."The pope noted in a separate address earlier in the day at the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit in Istanbul — where he blessed the first stone for a Catholic parish in Dallas — that the "new Arianism" attempts to reduce Christ to "a great historical figure, a wise teacher, or a prophet who fought for justice — but nothing more.""By denying the divinity of Christ, Arius reduced him to a mere intermediary between God and humanity, ignoring the reality of the Incarnation such that the divine and the human remained irremediably separated," the pope said on the shore of Lake Iznik in the presence of the Eastern Orthodox bishops. "But if God did not become man, how can mortal creatures participate in his immortal life? What was at stake at Nicaea, and is at stake today, is our faith in the God who, in Jesus Christ, became like us to make us 'partakers of the divine nature.'"Speaking of the creed, the pope noted that "this Christological confession of faith is of fundamental importance in the journey that Christians are making towards full communion," as it binds Christians across the world and paves the way for "ever deeper adherence to the Word of God revealed in Jesus Christ, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, in mutual love and dialogue."RELATED: Together, pope and patriarch return to Nicaea on 1,700th anniversary of defining moment in Christendom TIZIANA FABI / Contributor, Anadolu / Contributor | Getty Images "We are all invited to overcome the scandal of the divisions that unfortunately still exist and to nurture the desire for unity for which the Lord Jesus prayed and gave his life. The more we are reconciled, the more we Christians can bear credible witness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which is a proclamation of hope for all," added Pope Leo.Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, considered first among equals among Eastern Orthodox bishops, noted at the ecumenical service in Nicaea that he was "deeply moved" by the Christian leaders' decision to "honor through this joint pilgrimage the memory and legacy of the First Ecumenical Council held here, at Nicaea, seventeen-hundred years ago."Emperor Constantine I called over 250 bishops — 318, according to tradition — in the year 325 to convene during the pontificate of Pope Sylvester I in the Bithynian city of Nicaea.The council that assembled 55 miles southeast of present-day Istanbul not only dealt with various ecclesiastic matters and set a date on which to commemorate Jesus' resurrection but tackled the Arian heresy, affirming that Christ is indeed "God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father. Through him all things were made."While similarly acknowledging the divisions that have marked many intervening centuries, the patriarch stressed that the purpose of the meeting was not simply to remember the past but to "bear living witness to the same faith expressed by the Fathers of Nicaea.""We return to this wellspring of the Christian faith in order to move forward. We refresh ourselves at these inspired waters of rest in order to become strong for the tasks that lie ahead," said the patriarch.Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew noted further:The Nicene Creed acts like a seed for the whole of our Christian existence. It is a symbol not of a bare minimum; it is a symbol of the whole. Having the fervor of the faith of Nicaea burning in our hearts, "let us run the course" of Christian unity "that is set before us" (cf. Hebrews 12:1); let us "hope to the end for the grace" that is promised "at the revelation of Jesus Christ" (cf. 1 Peter 1:13); and, finally, "let us love one another, that with one mind we may confess: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, Trinity consubstantial and undivided."The patriarch told the Agence France-Presse ahead of the meeting that his meeting with the pope was "especially significant" in light of the conflicts currently underway across the globe. - YouTubeyoutu.beLike Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

After a quarter of a century, one console still reigns supreme.It has been nearly 25 years to the day since iconic photos and video of the Paris launch showed just how crazy the world was for PlayStation 2.'I never leave my house.'On November 24, 2000, crowds in Europe lined up, camped, and even pushed through crowds to get their hands on a PlayStation 2 for the first time. The launch was almost a month after the American Oct. 26 debut and signified a true consumerism-fueled riot that became synonymous with Black Friday.From its launch day through Christmas 2000, Sony said it sold 1.35 million units in North America and another 1 million units in Europe during that same period.The PS2 has sold an average of over 6 million consoles per year since then, or 500,000 per month, totaling more than 160 million lifetime units sold as of this November.RELATED: A kid got a mint PS1 from his grandpa, and the internet is freaking out As reported by Techgaged.com, the PS2 eclipses two Nintendo products at the top of the list.The second-most sales are for the handheld Nintendo DS at 154 million, followed by the Nintendo Switch portable console at 152 million.A steep drop occurs for fourth place with the original Game Boy, released in 1989, having 118 million units sold. Sony's PS1 and Nintendo's Wii are the only other gaming systems to have sold over 100 million.Interestingly, the PlayStation 2's main competitors during its era, the Nintendo GameCube (launched in North America on Nov. 18, 2001) and the original Xbox (launched in North America on Nov. 15, 2001), do not even crack the top-20 list. The Xbox, Microsoft's first foray into gaming systems, has sold 24.65 million units in its lifetime, while the GameCube has sold 21.74 million units.Both company's modern systems — Xbox Series X|S and Nintendo Switch — have already surpassed the sales of their 2000s counterparts.RELATED: The price tag on Mark Zuckerberg's bid for 'superintelligence' will blow your mind. Will the product? Photo By Eduardo Parra/Europa Press via Getty Images The PS2 was so pervasive, historical image banks provide a bounty of time capsules showing celebrities flooding PS2-themed parties that were constantly taking place to promote the product.There were events like the PlayStation 2 and the Hip-Hop Summit "Race to the Polls" event in 2004, or the mouthful, PlayStation 2 Celebrates Red White and Blue with Poolside Party at the Bentley Hotel in NYC, temporarily referred to as the PlayStation 2 Hotel for the occasion, in 2003.Super Bowl parties became linked with the console during that era too. The Sony PlayStation 2 Game Over Party saw celebrities like NSYNC in its first year and Paris Hilton in its second year. In fact, the celebrity sightings and performances connected to PS2 events at that time are nearly limitless.If readers don't believe the PS2 was as much of a cross-cultural phenomenon as it seems, refer to this quote from "Friends" actor Matthew Perry in 2000."I used to have a social life, go on dates, go to dinner parties, have a job. Now all I do is sit in a big chair and play PlayStation 2," Perry said, per Digital Journal. "I never leave my house. My friends have wondered what happened to me. Howard Hughes must have had one of these."Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

The confusing saga continues surrounding a Dallas Cowboys tradition that happens almost every year.During a spectacular 31-28 Thanksgiving win against the Kansas City Chiefs, Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson somehow avoided a fine for performing a controversial celebration, but he may have gotten off on a technicality.'Nothing like a Zeke being dropped into one of our kettles!'As announced by tattoo-laden singer Post Malone, the Cowboys continued their Thanksgiving- and Christmas-season partnership with the Salvation Army. This included the tradition of placing giant red kettles behind the endzones, directly in front of the first row of fans.During the third quarter, Ferguson seemingly tapped his toes into the endzone for an epic touchdown, ran over to one of the kettles at AT&T Stadium, and jumped in. No flag was thrown on this play for excessive celebration, and the NFL has not announced any fines.However, this is where things get confusing.RELATED: 'We're getting set up': NFL running back says league is baiting players into getting celebration fines Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott climbed into a Salvation Army kettle after a touchdown run in the second quarter against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, Dec. 18, 2016, at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. (Richard W. Rodriguez/Fort Worth Star-Telegram/Tribune News Service via Getty Images) After a lengthy review, Ferguson's touchdown was overturned and taken off the scoreboard, adding another curveball to an already convoluted situation given that the kettle celebration has been overlooked by the NFL at times, while also resulting in fines in some instances.In 2024, the kettle's use in post-touchdown antics caused such a stir that Cincinnati Bengals running back Chase Brown boldly made the claim that the league was baiting players into getting fined.With four kettles placed around the field, Brown apparently couldn't help but jump into one during a matchup against the Cowboys. He was subsequently fined $5,481 by the NFL for unsportsmanlike conduct.The enforcement surrounding the celebration has been about as inconsistent as imaginable, dating back to former Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott performing the act in 2016. That year, the celebration was so well received it even garnered praise from the Salvation Army."Nothing like a Zeke being dropped into one of our kettles!" the organization wrote on X, then Twitter.Strangely, the following year the NFL started its own confusing tradition of going back and forth on punishing the celebration.RELATED: Salvation Army gives perfect response to reporter who ripped Ezekiel Elliott's epic TD celebration ARLINGTON, TX - NOVEMBER 23: Dallas Cowboys cornerback DaRon Bland (26) jumps into the Salvation Army Kettle after returning an interception for a touchdown during the game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Washington Commanders on November 23, 2023 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Matthew Pearce/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) In 2017, Seattle Seahawks cornerback Justin Coleman jumped into one of the kettles after returning an interception for a touchdown; he was not fined but got penalized during the game.In 2018 though, Elliott performed the celebration again, but this time was fined $13,369 by the NFL.Fast-forward to 2022 when the NFL managed to confuse players and fans even more. A Whac-a-Mole celebration in late November had three Cowboys players get into a kettle and see no discipline at all. One week later, the Cowboys, including Elliott, used a kettle in a different unique celebration. This time, participants Elliott and quarterback Dak Prescott were fined $13,261 for unsportsmanlike conduct.On Thanksgiving 2023, a seemingly preplanned celebration that involved four Cowboys players eating turkey legs that were inside a kettle did not result in any fines.As the confusing tradition continues, the Salvation Army did not make mention of the celebration on its X account in 2025. The charity showcased only its partnership with the Cowboys, sharing a video of the aforementioned Post Malone.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!