Trump Opens 401(k)s, SuperAgers Study, & Rare Lions

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Adam Rogers
August 08, 2025

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President Trump signed an executive order Thursday directing agencies to allow Americans to invest 401(k) retirement savings in private equity and cryptocurrency. The move could open up retirement funds potentially worth trillions to private equity and crypto, despite existing fiduciary rules meant to protect workers.
The order rewards private equity and crypto industries that donated millions to Trump's campaign, reversing Biden administration rules that treated cryptocurrency with 'extreme care.' Blackstone's CEO previously called accessing retirement assets his 'dream,' while both Republican and Democratic administrations have historically kept these investments out of 401(k)s due to higher risks and costs.
Cryptocurrencies can swing 10% daily while stock market moves of 2-3% are considered historic, raising concerns about retirement security for millions of workers. The policy change could take several years to implement as retirement companies must develop new products and employers must adopt them. Major firms, including Vanguard, remain uncommitted to creating such products for retirement plans.

Texas Sen. John Cornyn announced Thursday that FBI Director Kash Patel approved his request for federal help locating Democratic lawmakers who fled to Illinois to block GOP redistricting. The request follows President Trump's Tuesday suggestion that federal authorities might need to get involved in the legislative standoff.
No criminal charges have been filed against the lawmakers, only civil arrest warrants from the Texas House speaker that give federal agents no enforcement authority. FBI agents had taken no action as of Thursday morning, according to a federal law enforcement official, and the lawmakers continue making public appearances in multiple states.
Democrats left last weekend to deny Republicans the quorum needed for redistricting that could flip five House seats to the GOP in 2026. Texas law allows the arrest of legislators who skip sessions, but the federal request raises jurisdictional questions about state versus federal authority.

Northwestern scientists studying 'SuperAgers,' people 80+ with memory capacity of someone decades younger, published 25 years of research Thursday, revealing brain differences that could revolutionize Alzheimer's treatment. The study analyzed nearly 300 participants and 80 brain autopsies to understand why some people avoid memory decline.
SuperAger brains had fewer tau protein tangles that cause memory loss, but similar amounts of amyloid plaques that current Alzheimer's drugs target. This suggests medications are focusing on the wrong target, since SuperAgers avoid the disease despite having the same plaque levels.
While SuperAgers appear born with larger brain cells crucial for memory formation, researchers found they share strong connections to people, hobbies, or causes - though this alone can't prevent cognitive decline. With Alzheimer's cases expected to double by 2050, the findings could lead to new treatments targeting tau proteins instead of amyloids.

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