Airport Tech: Juan Santamaría International Airport rolls out its first biometric eGates, letting eligible adult Costa Rican travelers verify identity in seconds with biometric passports and facial recognition, with staff supervision and accessibility support—next stop: international departures. Politics & Power Perception: A UCR survey finds 84% of Costa Ricans believe Rodrigo Chaves still influences President Laura Fernández’s decisions, fueling debate over “dual presidentialism” despite Fernández’s denials. Money Transfer Shake-up: Western Union says it will gradually shrink its Costa Rica operations center over the next year, shifting roles to Guatemala, Lithuania and the Philippines, while keeping customer money-sending/receiving services running locally. Earthquake Monitoring Funding: Lawmakers question a 2027 budget cut to Costa Rica’s earthquake/volcano/weather monitoring networks (Red Sismológica Nacional and Ovsicori) after a Uvita tremor and aftershocks raise urgency. Climate & Marine Life: UNA researchers link last month’s mass crab deaths in Guanacaste to unusually warm deep ocean water plus reduced food, with winds and currents likely pushing weakened crabs ashore. Digital Trust in Latin America: Meta expands Community Notes testing to multiple Latin American countries including Costa Rica, while regional fact-checkers urge Meta not to replace independent verification.