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Authored by Michael Zhuang via The Epoch Times,

A widely circulated Chinese social media article warning that internet users can be punished simply for bypassing China's online censorship system has drawn attention to what observers say is an expanding clampdown on access to the global internet.

The article, published June 2 on Chinese social media WeChat and later archived by California-based nonprofit China Digital Times, which tracks China's state censorship, compiled a series of publicly reported cases of suppression on the use of virtual private networks (VPNs).

The cases included fines imposed on users who accessed overseas websites, penalties for selling VPN services, arrests related to the dissemination of overseas political content, and investigations into internet activity dating back several years.

The article challenged a common assumption among Chinese internet users that using VPNs for research, accessing foreign websites, or utilizing overseas artificial intelligence (AI) tools is unlikely to attract official scrutiny as long as no sensitive content is shared.

"But from publicly disclosed cases, VPN use itself has already become a target of the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) investigation," the article said.

The examples highlighted in the article suggest that the CCP is increasingly focused not only on what users do online, but also on how they access the internet.

One of the most notable cases involved a resident of Ningde, Fujian Province, who was penalized in 2024 for allegedly using a VPN to browse overseas websites in 2020.

According to the article, police reviewed historical internet records and later imposed an administrative penalty, prompting criticism from some legal observers who questioned whether the action complied with China's statutory limitations on administrative punishment.

The case stood out because it appeared to demonstrate the communist regime's ability to revisit years-old internet activity rather than relying solely on real-time monitoring and censorship.

Chinese legal professionals interviewed by The Epoch Times said that the enforcement action raised questions about the scope of retroactive investigations. Under China's Administrative Penalty Law, administrative violations generally cannot be punished if they remain undiscovered for more than two years, although certain exceptions apply.

The article also cited cases involving individuals punished for selling VPN services and users fined solely for establishing unauthorized internet connections, when there was no indication they had distributed overseas information.

The reported cases come amid broader efforts by the CCP to tighten control over cross-border internet access.

Under Chinese regulations, businesses and foreign nationals requiring international connectivity are generally expected to use telecommunications channels approved by the regime, while unauthorized VPNs and proxy services remain subject to censorship.

Wang Xin contributed to this report.

Authored by Jacob Burg via The Epoch Times,

Lifelong citrus farmer Sidney Tillett cut a path through a grove that has endured in his family for four generations, stopping his SUV between two rows of trees. On one side was a long plot of lush green saplings, covered with protective mesh bags tied to stakes in the ground.

Directly on the other side, a row of petite orange trees with withering leaves were all battling a bacterial infection, caused by an invasive insect that has decimated the state's orange industry in just two decades.

"It's a story of survival," Tillett told The Epoch Times, remembering his father's 25-foot-tall citrus trees that could sometimes produce 1,000 pounds of fruit in a single season.

Now, what trees survive are lucky if their canopies get half that size, or produce any fruit that can be sold at market. What was once 600 acres of citrus trees in the 1970s has now dwindled to five.

The orange - Florida's inextricable insignia that emblazons license plates, T-shirts, and bumper stickers from affluent coastal towns to rural farming communities - was once the state's largest cash crop, and positioned the Sunshine State as the country's majority citrus producer.

Florida harvested a record 244 million boxes of oranges during the 1997-1998 season. This year, the Department of Agriculture estimates Florida will only produce 12.2 million boxes, a stunning 95 percent drop in just under 30 years.

While occasional freezes, catastrophic hurricanes, and an on-and-off, decades-long battle with the citrus canker disease proved to be frustrating setbacks for many orange growers, the destruction of Florida's citrus industry kicked into high gear in 2005.

That was the year an invasive insect from China - which made its way to the United States through Mexico - introduced a disease that would ultimately decimate Florida's citrus industry.

The Asian citrus psyllid feeds on citrus tree leaves, causing the plant to contract a bacterial infection known as huanglongbing, commonly called citrus greening.

The disease causes rapid root loss, slowly draining the life from healthy trees as they struggle to absorb and retain nutrients. Oranges languish, struggling to reach full maturity and normal sugar composition - losing the sweet taste that made the fruit an in-demand crop worldwide.

There is no known cure. And the impacts extend far beyond the Sunshine State.

Citrus greening has slashed total U.S. orange production by 80 percent and grapefruit production by 88 percent since 2000, according to a report from the American Farm Bureau Federation. California has now overtaken Florida to become the United States' largest citrus producer, and nations such as Egypt and South Africa now export more oranges worldwide.

But Florida citrus farmers are not giving up.

Recent studies by the University of Florida's Citrus Research and Education Center have offered several paths for the industry to take.

Insecticides are a major component of citrus greening management, the center stated in an August 2025 production guide, but a specialized protective netting known as exclusion mesh "is currently the only tool that can fully prevent [Asian citrus psyllid] infestation in citrus."

Farmers have covered young saplings with translucent mesh bags that tent the tree's canopy to keep the Asian citrus psyllid out long enough for the tree to take hold and mature.

Meanwhile, light and moisture can pass through the cover's fine mesh.

While effective at stopping immediate tree death - as many saplings are infected within the first six months - the bags have some limitations.

They allow citrus trees to produce quality fruit for at least 30 months after they're planted, but the trees eventually begin to falter after the bags are removed two to three years later.

That's why citrus farmers such as Katie and Shane Bevilacqua are trailblazing a different, even more radical approach to fighting citrus greening.

They have built massive permanent mesh tents over their nearly 750 acres of grapefruit trees at Golden Ridge Groves in Bartow, Florida, where customers can self-pick or buy bushels of fruit in the couple's market. The tents are known as "citrus under protective screen" structures.

"It's early, but it's proving to keep the psyllid out, allow the tree to remain healthy, and put on the healthy crop and beautiful fruit that Florida has been known for for decades," Shane Bevilacqua told The Epoch Times.

"Even if this could be our small contribution to keeping it going, we're excited about that."

Road to Ruin

The near-total decimation of Florida's citrus industry did not happen overnight.

When officials first found citrus greening in the state in 2005, farmers had already battled irregular cold seasons with freezing temperatures that damaged their crops.

Citrus canker - a different, but still harmful bacterial infection - arrived in Florida more than 100 years ago, and was believed to be eradicated until subsequent outbreaks in the 1980s and '90s.

Despite strong efforts to eradicate citrus canker, the historic 2004 and 2005 hurricane seasons spread the disease far and wide across the state. It was later found in Louisiana, Texas, and Alabama, but is currently considered endemic in Florida.

Those years would not see the end of hurricanes' impact on Florida's once famous orange market either, as the catastrophic Category 5 Hurricane Ian would buzz-saw through the center of the state in 2022, slicing through thousands of trees in its path.

Then just two years later, two back-to-back major hurricanes - Helene first, then Milton - would slam into Florida in the course of less than two weeks, further devastating the state's citrus crops.

Tillett lost a fifth of his grove during those storms, as the hammering winds blew over many of his younger trees.

But citrus greening, Tillett said, has been the biggest factor in so many multigenerational growers choosing to leave the state's cherished orange industry.

"The groves fell into nonproduction. Everybody lost," he said. "I mean, it's hard to justify a citrus grove when you're not making money."

Authored by Adam H. Douglas via The Epoch Times,

After funding a 529 college savings account for years, you realize there is money left over. Maybe your grandchild graduated early, earned a scholarship that covered more than expected, or decided college was not for them [ZH: or maybe your grandkid is an ungrateful little shit] . A federal rule now lets you move that leftover balance into a Roth IRA, tax-free. It may sound too good to be true, and for some account holders, it is.

The provision is real, but the eligibility window is narrow, and several states have created a tax trap that most account holders never see coming.

Under SECURE 2.0's Section 126, you can roll unused 529 funds into a Roth IRA, tax-free and penalty-free, up to a $35,000 lifetime limit. But the account must be at least 15 years old, the money being moved must be at least 5 years old, the Roth IRA must belong to the 529 beneficiary, and that beneficiary must have earned income. Several states, including California, impose their own taxes on the rollover regardless of the federal treatment.

Here are five gating questions to help you explore these rules in detail and determine whether the rollover is actually available to you.

Question 1: Is The Account Old Enough?

To qualify for a rollover, the 529 plan must have been maintained for at least 15 years before any funds can be transferred. This requirement starts from the date the account was originally established, not from when contributions began or when the beneficiary was designated.

Changing the beneficiary on a 529 plan will likely restart the 15-year clock. That would mean the new beneficiary must wait 15 years from the date they became the beneficiary before initiating a rollover. Treat any beneficiary change with caution if a rollover is part of your plan.

Question 2: Is The Money Old Enough?

The five-year rule: Any contributions made within the five years before the transfer, along with earnings on those contributions, are ineligible. Only money that has been in the account for a minimum of five years qualifies.

This rule can trip up grandparents who continued making contributions after a grandchild started college. Those recent deposits remain locked out until the five-year window clears, even if the account itself is decades old.

Question 3: Whose Name Is On The Roth IRA?

The funds cannot revert to the owner of the 529 account. They can only be transferred to a Roth IRA held by the 529 beneficiary. If you are a grandparent who owns the 529, the rollover goes into your grandchild's Roth IRA, not yours.

The beneficiary must also have earned income for the year at least equal to the amount transferred. A grandchild with no earned income in a given year cannot receive a rollover that year, even if every other condition is met.

Question 4: How Much Are You Planning To Move, And When?

The aggregate amount transferred from a 529 account to a Roth IRA may not exceed $35,000 per individual, and the amount transferred in any year is limited to the annual Roth IRA contribution limit. For 2026, the IRS has set that limit at $7,500 for those under age 50, and $8,600 for those 50 or older. Moving the full $35,000 lifetime cap takes a minimum of five years at current limits.

The good news is that 529-to-Roth rollovers bypass the usual Roth IRA income limits that phase out contributions for high earners, creating a unique opportunity for high-income families to fund Roth IRAs for their children or grandchildren.

Note that the rollover shares the annual limit with any other Roth IRA contributions the beneficiary makes that year. If the beneficiary contributes $3,000 in cash, only the remaining Roth room is available for the 529 rollover.

Question 5: What Does Your State Say?

This is the question people skip, and it's a costly one to miss. The rollover is federally tax-free - that's federal, not state.

Most states with income taxes, however, have indicated they will follow federal law. As of September 2025, 30 states have confirmed they conform, including New York, Ohio, Virginia, and Illinois, among others.

Several states have not.

• California residents who execute a 529-to-Roth rollover will be subject to both state income tax and an additional 2.5 percent California tax on the earnings portion.
• New Jersey's decision was listed as pending on tax-tracking boards until recently, but the state has since aligned with federal guidelines to allow tax-free transfers.
• Several states and the District of Columbia have indicated that 529 savers may be subject to state income tax recapture if 529 funds are transferred to a Roth IRA.

Verify your state's current position before initiating any rollover. State guidance on this provision continues to evolve.

FAQs About The 529-To-Roth IRA Rollover

Does The Rollover Count Against The Beneficiary's Roth IRA Income Limits?

No, and this is one of the provision's most useful features. In 2026, single filers with modified adjusted gross income above $153,000 and married couples above $242,000 typically cannot contribute directly to a Roth IRA. However, 529-to-Roth rollovers bypass these restrictions entirely. This makes the rollover particularly valuable for families with high-earning adult children who would otherwise be shut out of direct Roth IRA contributions.

What Happens If The Beneficiary Has No Earned Income That Year?

The rollover cannot happen. The beneficiary must have earned income for the year at least equal to the amount transferred, just as with any Roth IRA contribution. If a grandchild is between jobs, attending graduate school without a stipend, or otherwise has no earned income in a given year, the rollover must wait. You can carry the unused rollover opportunity forward to a future year, as long as the lifetime $35,000 cap has not been reached.

Does The Rollover Have To Be A Direct Transfer?

Yes. The movement of assets must be completed in a direct trustee-to-trustee transfer. Do not withdraw the money from the 529 first and attempt to deposit it into the Roth IRA yourself. That path treats the distribution as a non-qualified 529 withdrawal, which triggers income tax and the standard 10 percent federal penalty on the earnings portion. Contact both the 529 plan administrator and the Roth IRA custodian to coordinate the transfer directly between institutions.

How Is The Rollover Reported At Tax Time?

The movement of assets is reported on IRS Form 1099-R from the 529 plan and Form 5498 from the Roth IRA custodian. The IRS refers to the transaction as a "qualified rollover contribution," reportable in Box 10 of Form 5498. It should appear on the beneficiary's tax return for the year of the transfer. Because the paperwork involves both the 529 administrator and the Roth IRA custodian, most advisers recommend working with a tax professional during the first year you execute a rollover to confirm reporting is handled correctly.

The views and opinions expressed are those of the author. They are meant for general informational purposes only and should not be construed or interpreted as a recommendation or solicitation. The Epoch Times does not provide investment, tax, legal, financial planning, estate planning, or any other personal finance advice.

Authored by Maria Mocerino via Interesting Engineering,

The University of Manchester has discovered that the world's largest scorpion, which lived 415 million years ago, was hiding in the museum's collection for 150 years.

Since the 1870s, researchers have debated the identity of the strange fossil remains lurking in the Manchester archives. They possessed tiny fragments recovered from sites in England and Wales that puzzled them, but they could not piece them together. Was it a large woodlouse-crustacean?

In the 1980s, some research suggested that a scorpion might be the source of the fossil remains. However, this hypothesis faced challenges due to a lack of fossil evidence of its most distinctive feature: its tail.

To resolve the debate, paleontologists conducted a study of the remains using modern imaging and analytical techniques, according to a press release from the University of Manchester. They were "able to build a clearer picture of the animal than was previously possible, which is really exciting."

The 3.3-foot-long Praearcturus gigas scorpion now joins the ranks of Earth's ferocious prehistoric beasts, boasting pincers 6.2 inches long. As it roamed the Earth over 400 million years ago, researchers sought to understand the factors that allowed this prehistoric predator to grow to such an astonishing size.

The T. Rex of Scorpions

According to the study authors, "Along with dinosaurs, mammoths, and other charismatic megafauna, giant arthropods are an iconic symbol of the Earth's deep paleontological history in popular culture."

Lead author Dr. Richard J. Howard, Curator of Fossil Arthropods at the Natural History Museum in London, described the imagery often associated with giant arthropods: "Carboniferous rainforests filled with giant millipedes or dragonfly-like insects... but Praearcturus lived at least 50 million years earlier, well before the evolution of trees, when life on land was just beginning."

In other words, researchers may have identified the T. rex of arthropods nearly two hundred million years before the rise of the dinosaurs. The Praearcturus gigas lived during the Early Devonian period - a time when forests had not yet evolved - so this giant scorpion lived among small plants and fungi, as per the press release.

What Did It Eat?

Researchers were stunned: how did the scorpion grow to such a size, surrounded by relatively unassuming and unimposing neighbors? The answer lies in its lack of competition. As few large animals were present at that time, Praearcturus was free to become a predatory giant, according to the NYPost.

Furthermore, the "cool" creature, which might inspire a new figurine in a child's toy collection, may have been partially aquatic, as suggested by its epimera - the descending lateral plates or flaps found on the bodies of crustaceans.

Dr. Howard stated in Live Science, "Without complex ecosystems to support Praearcturus on land, these animals probably spent part of their lives hunting in water." The Praearcturus was even "before its time," and its extraordinary size might be explained by one factor: water.

"This places Praearcturus at a pivotal moment in Earth's history when animals were first experimenting with life outside the oceans," as per a press release.

"The boundary between land and sea was much less defined at this time," Dr Greg Edgecombe, Merit Researcher at the Natural History Museum, London, and co-author of the study, continued. "Praearcturus gives us a fascinating glimpse into how early animals adapted to these changing environments."

"It may even represent a lineage that returned to the water after earlier ancestors had already begun living on land," AOL concludes.

You can read the study here.